In a few weeks, Michelle and I are taking a long weekend to Asheville, North Carolina, to spend some time with just the two of us. We’re flying in Friday night and heading home Monday morning. The plan is simple: unplug, talk, and explore. We both love hiking and talking as friends and partners in the beauty of God’s creation, so that’s the centerpiece of the trip. Saturday we’ll hike 6.5 miles to Black Balsam Knob that’ll include rocky terrain and a 1,500 ft. elevation gain.

I chewed tobacco for nearly 16 years, but when Michelle and I got married, I promised that I would quit when we had kids. I tried and failed a few times in anticipation of Mikaela’s birth, but I finally achieved the goal in February of 2010, six months after she was born. Quitting was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, and Michelle moved a step closer to sainthood for putting up with me. All of the withdrawal symptoms were in play for weeks, and to make matters worse,

Last week I was sitting in the stands watching high school volleyball. My daughter is on the JV squad, and it was their last matches of the season. Early in one of the games, a few balls didn’t bounce their way, and I watched as things started to snowball. The team suddenly forgot how to p ass, talk, or do any of the simple things that make up good volleyball. The coaches, who are both excellent, called a timeout when the score hit seven to one. It was the right move. That sh

Something I’ve repeated with my teams for a few years is something we call Book Club. We’ll pick a development book, read a chapter or two on our own during the week, and then rotate who leads the review and discussion during a virtual happy hour every month. I ask them to participate to continue growing together as a team and helping each person grow personally for whatever the future holds. Our most recent Book Club was on   The Go-Giver   by Bob Burg and John David Mann. I

Two of my favorite hobbies are fishing and golf. I was thinking about them this week, and I realized the most frequent thing they’ve taught me is how to fail… A LOT. When I fish, I cast far more times than I reel in a catch (that’s why they call it fishing and not catching). Most casts end with nothing. Some with a snag. But every now and then, one produces a fish worth talking about. Golf isn’t much different for me. I certainly hit enough balls each round to get “good value

Last night I had the opportunity to be one of a series of presenters at   CrossPoint Church (Kansas)   Sterling’s youth group. There were about 40–50 junior high through high school students, and the setup is simple: each speaker shares their background, something they’re currently working on to improve in their life, and their favorite Bible story, what it has taught them and how they use that lesson today. The talk is given twice, once for junior high and once again for hig

Last night I had the joy of going with my family to a Josiah Queen concert with Ben Fuller. It was a fun night, full of great music,...

This week, I’ve been thinking about commodities. By definition, a commodity is something whose value is determined in aggregate with...

This summer, my family had the chance to visit Rome. There’s so much history and so much to see that we booked a guide to help us make...