Well, it’s over. I have exercised my right and my privilege to cast my ballot for the next President of the United States, as well as those running for state and local offices. But truthfully, as I stepped away from the poll, I was left with an ugly feeling. As I walked back to my car, amid those campaigning for each party, I couldn’t help but feel divided. In a country that claims the word “United” in its title, I feel like we have missed […]
What if the rich young ruler was the prodigal son? That’s an odd question, especially for those who are familiar with the two Biblical narratives. Believe me, it was odd to me when I felt God press it on my heart during worship this past Sunday. Those steeped in theology are quick to point out that one was a parable while one was a real account. But if you’re willing to follow along with me, I think you’ll find a […]
A clever hoax, supposedly validated by Good Morning America, circulated on Facebook recently: Mark Zuckerberg, the thirty-one-year old billionaire founder of the social media giant was giving away a reported $45 billion dollars to users who copied and pasted a status sharing the news. Hundreds of thousands flocked to see if it was true. It wasn’t. But humor me (and yourself) for a minute. Suppose it was true. Suppose you were the beneficiary of a million-dollar windfall. How would your life […]
I recently read a story about an ambitious dad who decided to trump the Elf on the Shelf tradition by actually dressing up as the elf himself. Apparently, hiding a stuffed elf every night wasn’t challenging enough. His story went viral. Touché elf dad, pictures of you dressed up like a life-sized elf duct-taped to the wall are on every news site in America. Clark Griswold, eat your heart out. But I have a confession. When I see stories like this […]
I remember a movie when I was growing up called, Nobody’s Fool. Although I haven’t seen it, I think it stars the guy whose picture is on the salad dressing bottle in the grocery store. That’s Paul Newman, right? I always confuse him with Robert Redford for some reason. Anyway, I thought about that title this week as my thumb was busy perusing my Twitter feed. I don’t have many followers on Twitter. Perhaps it’s because I don’t play the game […]
The Story of the Anti-CEO There was once a CEO of a thriving, 100 million-dollar business. What began as a dream in a garage had grown into a national organization with more than a thousand employees. According to every economic, social, and professional metric, the CEO and the company were successful. As the business grew, the CEO found out that one of his employees had a daughter who was battling cancer. Upon learning the devastating news, he insisted that his […]
If you pause and look at your life objectively, I think you’ll recognize a real tension that pulls you in opposite directions. On one side there’s gratitude, generosity, and humility. On the other side, you see entitlement, fear, and pride. Every human being is driven by three distinct tensions: Gratitude — Entitlement Generosity — Fear Humility — Pride In every circumstance, every relationship, and every interaction, we feel these polar forces at work. A quick look at American culture and many would argue that we […]
We get busy in life. Matt reminds us of why we dedicate ourselves to something other than ourselves.
- Robert Wagnon, CEO, Republic State Mortgage
