May 13, 2013

What’s your “in spite of” story?

Have you ever noticed how inspiring stories of triumphal defiance are? We love to cheer for the underdog who perseveres against all the odds and comes out on top. Yes, we love a good Rocky story. Especially when they ...

April 8, 2013

Dream Assassin #3: Shame

Assassins are on the loose. Their target? Your dream. This is the third in a series of five Public Service Announcements issued as a warning to be alert to these interlopers. Leading the list of the Most Unwanted are ...

October 3, 2012

Reviving your overwhelmed spirit

Have you ever had an overwhelmed spirit? I’m not talking about the times when you feel the pressure of a deadline and you suddenly kick into high-gear. I’m talking about when you feel so daunted by what you need ...

September 26, 2012

The three worst times to quit your job and go into ministry

You have a lot of skills and a lot of energy. And as a Christian, you’ve wondered if you should move into professional Christian ministry. Perhaps, for a long time you’ve toyed with quitting your job and going to ...

September 14, 2012

Are you a possibility thinker?

Are you a possibility thinker? There’s power in thinking purposefully about possibilities. Often it takes the seemingly impossible awaken it. Consider the heroic efforts by the Apollo 13 crew and the NASA engineers who worked tirelessly to jury-rig a ...

August 6, 2012

Install firewalls to protect your goals

Do you have a firewall to protect your goals? I recently discovered my need for one. Being self-critical by nature, I find I have a persistent thought that whatever I’ve done, I could have done better. Nowhere does that ...

July 18, 2012

Making regret your ally for action

A friend of mine recently felt trapped. For many years he’s been nursing a dream of a new career that would take him and his wife overseas where they would have impact on people around the world. Recently, that ...

January 31, 2012

Join me at the Year of Living Courageously: February 25, 2012

Over the years, my wife and I developed a habit of getting away the day after Thanksgiving to map out our goals for the upcoming year. For us, it’s a perfect time to think strategically about the future having ...

April 28, 2010

Year of Living Courageously: Pastor’s Edition – May 13

If you're a pastor in the Twin Cities area, you won't want to miss out on a very unique opportunity for some serious goal setting. On Thursday, May 13th, I will be conducting, for the first time, a pastors-only ...

February 1, 2010

Thought for the Day – G. MacDonald on Failure

Failure is a master teacher if it has a willing student.”– Gordon MacDonald Attempting anything new, anything worthwhile, involves failure. Toddlers, for instance, don’t learn to walk without falling—a lot. As children, we didn’t even think of these setbacks ...

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