Top Reads #2: 10 Years

I am out in Arizona on a mission trip and have chosen to highlight the most-read posts from this past calendar year while I am gone. Check out the previously posted blog below.


This year marks a decade since I transitioned into full-time ministry from the high school level. In fact, I have now spent more years as a pastor than I did as a teacher/athletic trainer. While I couldn't possibly do justice to a comprehensive list, there are several things that I have learned in the last ten years:

• You have to work just as hard to maintain your own spiritual relationship while working in ministry as you do out of it.
• I was working as a pastor and caring for people on a deeper level long before I ever figured out my calling.
• Just because I accepted my calling as a pastor doesn't mean I won't miss what I left behind.
• The biggest focus for athletic trainers is in the prevention of injuries even while we respond to the immediate hurt in front of us. Working in ministry isn't that different. We strive to lead people to Christ and equip them for ministry in hopes of preventing personal catastrophe even as life calls us to step into the midst of tragedy and triumph.
• Working in the church is the hardest thing I have ever done--no doubt about it.
• I have to work to intentionally protect my family as they will endure harsher scrutiny in the ministry than anywhere else but perhaps politics.
• The satisfaction of seeing lives committed to Christ, miraculous healing taking place, relationships restored, and incredible acts of generosity is greater than I could ever have imagined.
• Even though I have come so far in my own journey with Christ there is still so much more room for growth than I originally envisioned.
• You have to intentionally create your own rest opportunities in ministry as there are no complete down times. If you don't honor the Sabbath (no matter what day of the week it needs to be) you won't be sustainably effective.
• No matter how much satisfaction I took out of my former career (and it was a large amount), leading a church is what I was created & called to do. 

I clearly see how God has been preparing me for this journey my entire life. I am thankful that He is patient with me and continues to mold me for what He has in store next. I am also forever grateful for those that have influenced & invested in me over the last ten years. I'm eagerly anticipating what comes next. 

Top Reads #1: No Idea

I am out in Arizona on a mission trip and have chosen to highlight the most-read posts from this past calendar year while I am gone. Check out the previously posted blog below.


It was 22 years ago today that Dana & I had our first date and 21 years ago that I proposed to her. She had no idea what she was saying "yes" to when she responded to my question. Honestly, I had no idea what I was really asking her. We just knew that we were in love and wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. We couldn't have predicted:

• How hard we would have to work to see our relationship grow
• The joy our three children would bring us 
• The trials & triumphs that we would have in parenting them
• The sorrow we would endure as we lost loved ones
• The comfort we would gain from each other in those moments
• The completely unexpected events of life (cancer, pregnancies, job loss)
• The depth of connection and maturity these events would bring us
• Our level of spiritual growth and focus on God
• A level of completion that we bring to each other
• The depth & intensity of our passion for one another
• That this is the life we would be living right now

I couldn't have foreseen the winding path of our journey together, but I have no regrets. The uncertainty of these travels is that much more satisfactory when I can travel with the love of my life. I don't know what lies ahead anymore than I did 22 years ago, but I do know who I get to travel with on this path. That's all the security I really need.

Going West

We are traveling out west today to Show Low, Arizona with our mission team from Northridge. This is my 11th year of travel and my 16th different trip to intentionally minister to the Apache and Navajo peoples. I remember each team and trip with fondness-both the very good parts of each trip and the difficult portions as well. There are certain shared experiences and traditions that we observe, but I am always struck by the uniqueness of each trip. The blend of personalities always changes, but God also shows me new things about myself out there. While there is great comfort in the familiarity of the environment and the relationships we have built there is a great challenge in the newness we encounter. It wouldn't be fair to rate one year as better than the others, but it certainly seems that each experience builds on those of the past. I'm confident that this year will be another great year of impact and growth challenges.

Family Values

I've been reading stories in the Old Testament of good leaders and those who were far from good. God made certain promises concerning the consequences of decisions and He always fulfills His promises. Evil, self-centered leaders made decisions that benefited them directly, but dishonored God and brought destruction on the people they were leading. In each circumstance, it was the family of the leader who ended up suffering as well. Entire generations of people were wiped out by ruthless enemies or were oppressed and enslaved. These people were paying for the sins of their family leaders.

The decisions that we make as leaders will directly affect our family. We might convince ourselves that our career and family are two separate environments, but there is no way to have 100% clear division between the two. Choosing to act selfishly or unethically will directly impact our home life and the legacy we leave for our children. The poor decisions (often sinful) we make will affect our relationships and the faith & hope of our future generations.

Playing Time

"Do you know what my favorite part of the game is? The opportunity to play."

Mike Singletary, NFL Hall of Fame linebacker

Even if an organization seems to be the perfect fit for someone they won't stay if they don't have a chance to make an impact. Talented players aren't very willing to sit on the sidelines for too long-they want to contribute in a way that makes them feel valuable. A healthy organization won't just identify and recruit talent, but they will find ways to deploy that talent. This builds a stronger team and creates learning & advancement opportunities for team members.

Are we giving people a chance to play? As a leader, are we developing young leaders and giving them opportunities to see what they are capable of doing? As parents, are we letting our children learn to make decisions or do we make all of their choices for them? At some point we have to let people step out and take risks if we want them to grow and to be part of the process.

We all want a seat at the table and a chance to use what we have. If we don't give people an opportunity they won't develop and they'll look for a chance to play somewhere else.

Brand Loyalty

The New York Knicks & LA Lakers met in a game last night with very little implication on the overall NBA season as both teams have underwhelmed this season and fallen far short of expectations. You might expect that a contest between two teams jockeying for draft position wouldn't draw a big crowd. As you can see from this picture however, the event was sold out in spite of two poor teams playing. The best explanation that I can fathom is that people paid to watch out of the power of loyalty. These are two well-developed brands with a strong organizational history and a dedicated fan base. It speaks volumes about the traditions that have been established and the expectations of the fans that this less-than-satisfactory season is an aberration and not the norm. 

Do we have this same brand-loyalty in our life? When we aren't at the top of our game are we able to maintain our relationships through the tough patches? Have we built enough credibility through our past decisions that we can endure a misstep? We should also examine where our loyalties lie. Are we steady examples of steadfastness or do we jump ship the moment circumstances get tough? It's not rational to demand loyalty when we haven't built up the credibility to warrant it. It's just as foolish to change our allegiances and devotions whenever the status quo shifts. 

Always Learning

I have participated in countless meetings and dozens of conferences in my professional career. There is almost always a set agenda heading into these gatherings (especially the conferences) and a desired objective coming out of them. The interesting thing I have discovered over the years is that I will almost always learn something "accidentally" through these meetings. There will almost always be something shared that stimulates my thoughts in a unique way or challenges me with a new perspective. The teachable moment probably wasn't the direct aim of the organizers, but it still ends up being beneficial to me.

It's a fairly solid principle for personal growth and development: be diligent in looking for learning opportunities on a daily basis. Personal interactions, news articles, random comments, blogs, books, and even meetings can teach you something new if you're receptive to the lesson. Take a moment at the end of the day and look back to make sure you didn't miss an important opportunity to grow as a leader.