I had just finished a motorcycle ride with my wife and we had come in to eat dinner. While dinner was finishing up, I heard those words. Great, a John Fogerty song. Creedence Clearwater Revival. I am pretty sure when I was a kid I was not even sure what a revival was or stood for. I knew it as an architecture style and little more. The original name of that band came from a “band member”, Creed. A beer, Olympia, the clear water. And the member’s renewed commitment to the band. Continue reading Who Has Seen The Rain?→
This morning I was laying in bed following a dream. I was thinking of the phrase “all things with excellence”.
As a child there was always the potential for an “E” or an Excellent grade. It was something to work towards. Something to desire. To be excellent.
Many years later I entered into the Kingdom of God and the church fellowship I was in, was one who practiced excellence. No shortcuts here. If you were going to do something, do it right. Do it properly and do it with excellence. No half measures. Continue reading The Spirit Of Excellence And You→
Yesterday I had a very unusual conversation with someone I have known but a short time. It started with the person saying something and while I was standing they kept “getting in my space”. I was sharing some of my early life before Jesus. Awkward that the room had a number of people in it. I was “trying to be quiet” but it was clear that others were listening. I realized that the listeners were 3 women and 1 man. They pretended to be “occupied” but they kept turning. The more I shared, the closer this young woman got. Everything inside of me wanted to reach out and hug her. I did reach out and put my hand on her shoulder, more to keep my distance. When I did I felt something “shift”. Continue reading The Cry of Eureka→
A true spiritual parent or mentor will ascertain the gifts and the strengths of an individual. They will also look to the weaknesses as well as areas of change that can be worked on. But in the end, they look at both and encourage an individual to move forward towards completeness, wholeness and His pathway of purpose.
In the early 90’s I worked for a retail company. I worked in a lot of the locations. I traveled here and there adding “maturity” to their workplace as well as expertise. It was during that time I met some young men who over time became “friends”. As I moved up in the company they often contacted me with their business thinking and some conversations about faith and such. Continue reading Wisdom Walks In Freedom→
There is no doubt in my mind that there will be times of crisis. Perhaps a loved one is ill or someone has died. Perhaps it is the loss of a job or a change in employment. Seasons come. The scriptures tell us in 1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. We will experience trials.Continue reading Trials May Not Be Optional→
I want to be encouraged. I work hard to be an encourager. I have spoken numerous times on encouragement. It is and ought to be one of the pillars of the Christian walk. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. Sometimes you are required to encourage yourself!
A true mentor will encourage the person he is working with. The world has moved in another direction. The generation of “me”. “Me” does not promote others. The scriptures are clear I think that we ought to look out for the needs of others. To lift them up. (Utopia moment…what if every one felt viable, happy and whole?) The mentor who understands the power and value of encouragement will cause their “mentees” to grow well. (Look at Paul and Barnabas in Acts 4:36-37; Acts 9:26-30 and Acts 11:22-30) Continue reading Encouragement is Key!→
I don’t know about you but as a child I was pretty wild. Folks that knew me from my childhood most likely are amazed that I actually made it through that time in my life. Certainly it was the God from above who kept me from utter destruction. As a child, I grew up in a small rural neighborhood. With lots of neighbors. Let me tell you that even when my parents weren’t home my neighbors were watching! People looked out for one another. Continue reading Accountability Removes The Roughness→
I often wonder what people are thinking. If a child was not gaining weight or growing, people would be concerned. They would begin to investigate the reason behind the lack of growth. Questions would be asked. Is it an organic reason? An environmental reason? Are the parents not contributing to the growth of their child? Something is not right…what is it? We would be concerned. Continue reading Growing Up Is The Way To Go→
I had something pretty much already for this morning’s post on mentoring. Then I went to bed and the dreams kept coming and coming. So, let me share them with you and the connection I have found.
The first dream took me to this place that seemed rural yet populated. There was a man who was singing “If I had a hammer, I’d hammer out danger. I ‘d hammer out injustice…” Now at 3 in the morning I thought that was pretty weird,I will take a note and go back to sleep. (I did.) The dream came back. Someone had given him a hammer.And he was hitting a large steel girder placed in the ground. With each swing of the hammer, the resounding noise would cause the things about to “straighten”, to come into line. The longer he hit the more the “earth” developed harmony and order. Continue reading Dreams That Lead To Sound Thinking→
