faithrunner

Atop Camelback Mtn. in Phoenix Realizing a goal involves moving from where you are to where you want to be or become. That's obvious but it's not easy. To say, "I want to climb that hill," and you have never walked to the end of your street means you have a lot of work to do before you make the top. Pick any one of your goals you have set for yourself or ministry this year and if you take any time for reflection or planning, you will see what is involved it getting from here to there.  Reaching a goal includes transitions; those bridges of actions that carry you from one point of reality to the next. The effectiveness of these crossings will determine your success toward reaching your goal. I offered the first 3 Rules of Transition I have learned by leading people from a favored status quo to a preferred future in my first post, 6 Rules of Transition, 1-3 . I want to offer you the next three in this post.   Transition involves as series of conflicts which ...

 We were in Phoenix for the Fiesta Bowl, and before we came a friend who knew I like trails said, "Be sure and climb Camelback while you are there." So, I got online and found the destination. I found the Echo Trail was closed so that left the Cholla Trail.  On January 1 before the game we rode around Phoenix and found the trailhead off 64th Street. Literally hundreds of people were coming and going down the street to the trail. I began to appreciatehow so many took on the challenge of the climb on a day off. I resolved to make the summit the next morning. I rose before dawn grabbed a bagel and cup of coffee and headed to the trailhead. It was 40F and crystal clear. A little breeze kept me cool waking/jogging to the trailhead. My 5.5 hours of sleep after the game did not seem to affect me, and I got fired up about making the climb. I allotted 2hrs for the round trip hike to make it back to the room to check out with the group to make our flight. I made the ...

Climb to Camp Muir 2013 was a year of transition for me. I retired in June from local church ministry as Senior Pastor of Legacy Church, Plano, TX after 26  years of service with them. That same month I begin to serve with B. H. Carroll Theological Institute as Vice President for Advancement and then in October of this year I was elected to serve as their President . My climb of Mt. Rainier in August was easier than those changes in many ways. Transitions are part of life, and how we navigate them is the key to our success and our ability to stay faithful to God's call on our lives. Someone once said, "Change is easy. It's the transitions that will kill you." God is a God of change. God creates it and allows it to happen in our lives. As a servant leader who serves a group of people who are on mission with God, transitioning to adapt and embrace those changes is the bridge to how well you move forward together. Here are six rules of transition I have learn...

Worship through service at Minnie's Food Pantry Worship is a deeply personal thing, so I admit that what I am about to share may or may not ring true with you.  My hope is to encourage you to change your thinking from worship as attendance at a performance in a building on a scheduled day to an act of total attention to the One who loves you and gave his life for you.  Worship is an expression of our total being. Jesus calls us to love God "with all your soul, with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strength." ( Mark 12:29-31 ) So, sitting and occasionally standing for an hour and thirty minutes and listening to people perform on a stage is not really the heart of the matter. Yes, gather with your brothers and sisters to worship in word and song, but don't limit your worship to someone's manufactured experience for you. Here are my top 5 ways to worship . Three are individual, and two are in community. Immerse yourself in Scripture ...

My Son-in-law and Granddaughter. A pleased father. I believe at some time in our lives we wonder, "How do I please God?" We have metrics for pleasing our employer and teachers, and we have learned through experience how to please our parents, friends and family members. We know these things, and we choose to please them through meeting their expectations or not.  But, you may ask one day, "How do I please God? What are the expectations of that relationship, and how can I choose to meet them?"  I returned to a familiar passage of Scripture this morning, and I was reminded the answer to our deep longing to please God. At the beginning of a  lengthy passage to encourage his readers to be strong in their faith as they face trials and doubt, the writer to the Hebrews wrote this : Without trust it is impossible to please God. It is necessary that the one drawing near to God trust God exists and that God is a 'rewarder' to those who seek Him. (Heb. 11:...

The Hunger Games Trilogy My wife has read all three of the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins . I have not, but I have seen the first two films based on the books , and after seeing the second one, Catching Fire , this weekend, I came home and started reading the third book, Mockingjay in order to discover the ending.  Why?  I became intrigued with the main character, Katniss Everdeen, the Victor from District 12 and the Mockingjay . It was not Jennifer Lawrence's performance in the films alone. She captures our imagination and pulls us into the story by her acting. No, my intrigue came from our love for her character as the heroine of the saga.   Why do we love her so much?  Here are six reasons why I think we love Katniss Everdeen so much. 1. We love her because she is a reluctant rescuer.  Katniss was thrust into her role by fate and choice. She did not seek to be the heroine, but as she realizes the importance of her life in connection w...

I enjoy running, climbing and cycling. I do not win any medals nor do I finish first in my age group, so if you are wanting lessons from a winner, check out Runner's World Training or training and racing at Ultrarunner Online . But, I have discovered connections between my running and leading an organization. I also make the connection between physical wellness and spiritual maturing in my book A New Way of Living . (I figured if Paul, the Apostle, made those connects, I could too.) Here are three lessons I have learned from my 15+ years of running that I shared with our Board of Governors and Hub staff at B. H. Carroll as I have begun my new role as President of the Institute . 1. Your core determines your strength . A runner's core is key to provide the strength to complete whatever distance he or she chooses. Most people have lower back problems because their abdomens are week. In running, when the core goes the back and legs go, and you are done reaching your PR. ...