Here we are: just a week past an epic milestone for our country. We’ve been continuing this experiment in constitutional democracy for 250 years now; historians would say that only 20-30 countries have ever achieved that birthday. The events surrounding Independence Day this year were somewhat disrupted by weather and by mayhem, but we […]

            Freedom! “Aye, fight and you may die. Run, and you’ll live, at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willing to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they

            You’re about to be in the Second Half. You might want to stay-up on Tuesday night, so you can feel it: you’ll be finishing the first half of 2026, and all of your plans for this never-again year will be re-evaluated by your current metrics. If your objectives have been achieved – or, are

            Before the dust settles from yesterday, let me offer my endorsement of fatherhood – and the men who have stepped-up to that challenge – as essential to the relational integrity of society. From families to churches to communities to nations, men play a critical role in bringing people together in mutually-beneficial connectivity. Sadly, yesterday’s

      Where do you best “fit” in society? When you fall into order in your workaday world, in which layer are you positioned? When a crowd forms to do something meaningful, into what role are you nominated by those who know you best? Are you a Follower, a Manager or a Leader?       The vast

      In the retail world, June is monetized by presenting the headlines that will drive people to buy their way into relational safety. The two big bullet-points for the sixth month of the year travel in-sync every year: Dads and Grads. Are you up for both to hit in 2026?       We’ll get to the

            To put it in modern parlance, he was an “influencer.” Without access to technology that would allow unlimited multiplication and widespread distribution, he was limited regarding the scope of his reach. Live groups were the reality of his time; even then, the extent of his listening audience would be bounded by the natural acoustics. With

            I’m glad that we’re trusted friends, you and I. Because of that familiarity and relational faith, I can bring you in on my current situation. Cheri and I are in Switzerland today – on a personal “roots” trip – but still want to read you in on what I’m experiencing. We’re time-zones distant, but we’re

            I was at a board gathering in Texas recently; in the mix was a good friend from Minnesota – he’s also a graduate of The Master’s Program – who explained his perspective about groups these days. He said that he scans the crowd and unconsciously slots people into two categories: “youngish” and “oldish.” The

            “Do the math.” We’re all expected to do some level of computation. People whose interests run far away from the disciplines that demand quantitative prowess will, nonetheless, challenge others with that directive. By the way: did you know that God is really into math?             There’s a math-split between the