Jan 21, 2016 | Anger, character, Contentment, Fear, Productivity, Stress, Uncategorized, Work
Hello my name is John… and I’m a plan-aholic. I’m addicted to routine. The weekly checklist is my friend. Each day of the week, my tasks are laid out. It feels great to draw a line through an item when it’s complete. A good day to me is crossing everything...
Jan 7, 2016 | Calling, Career, character, Fear, friendship, Jealousy, Leadership, Relationships, Uncategorized, Work
Many leaders struggle with the demon of insecurity. (I’m using the word “demon” metaphorically, not literally.) King Saul was the crown prince of this particular character flaw. Chosen by God to be Israel’s first king, Saul had good looks, leadership skills, flashes...
Dec 30, 2015 | Calling, character, Family, friendship, Relationships, Uncategorized
Are you missional? Missional is a popular word in church circles today. It’s also a hotly debated word. Ed Stetzer writes: “Any discussion of missional cannot be complete without asking the question, ‘which missional?’” For me, a missional person is consistently on...
Dec 3, 2015 | character, Contentment, Depression, Fear, friendship, Relationships, Rest, Stress, Work
We live in a crazy world. If you watch the news, you’re bombarded with disturbing images and stories. Most news programs don’t lead with stories about the positive things in life. Human nature defaults to focusing on what’s wrong in life. As a result, our world...
Nov 25, 2015 | Beauty, character, Contentment, Family, friendship, Marriage, Relationships, Uncategorized
The Opalewski family has a tradition every year at Thanksgiving breakfast: we go around the table, and each person shares what they’re thankful for this past year. (I know… not too original.) I look forward to this tradition every year, because there are always some...