A few years ago, Deb and I took a tour of the battleship USS Alabama, retired from service in 1962 and now docked in Mobile Bay near Mobile, Alabama. It was quite interesting since both of our fathers served with the United States Navy during WWII. In its active time, the USS Alabama was a temporary home to […]
“Successful people only have two problems with negative feedback. However, they are big problems: (a) they don’t want to hear it from us and (b) we don’t want to give it to them” writes author and feedback coach Marshall Goldsmith. From personal observation and experience, I know this to be true. Take marriage, for example. […]
I recently read “Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion” by Greg “Father G” Boyle. Father Greg is the founder of Homeboy Industries, an independent nonprofit that provides employment for the gang-involved youth of Los Angeles. Because of his work with at-risk youth and former gang members, “Father G” was often invited to […]
Our daughter Sarah recently shared the following conversation she had with her son, Drew, when they were out and saw a woman walking her dog: Drew: What kind of dog is that? Sarah: That’s an English Sheepdog. Drew: What does that mean? Sarah: It means the dog is originally from England, like Uncle Ben. Drew: […]
When our son David was three years old, he memorized Psalm 119:97, which reads, “O how I love Thy law O Lord. It is my meditation all the day.” However, he couldn’t say his L’s very well at the time, so the verse came out, “O how I yove Thy yaw O Yord. It is […]
A number of years ago, my father gave me a special gift that I still prize to this day. “Son, I want you to have this unique wooden chain,” he said. “It was hand carved out of a single piece of pine by my uncle, Chester Roth.” Upon taking a closer look, one notices the intricacies […]
My late grandfather Elmer Baumgartner left quite the “wake.” The term “wake” comes from clinical psychologist and best-selling author Dr. Henry Cloud, who compares the idea of leaving a legacy to a concept he calls “the wake.” Just as a boat leaves a wake in its path when it goes through the water, so a […]
Many choose to step back from senior leadership or veteran positions, but still want to offer insight, mentoring, and valuable coaching to those coming up behind them. That’s where the Nav Encore Mission comes in. Our Nav Encore Leadership Team recently had a lengthy discussion about Numbers 8:23-26, a passage that talks about “retirement” as it […]
A dog food company hit some hard times. Sales were low and the CEO tried everything he could think of to improve the bottom line. He hired a new advertising firm, but that didn’t help. Next, he fired his entire marketing department and hired a new team. After several months, however, nothing changed. Sales numbers […]
Perhaps you’ve heard the old story about a U.S. Navy warship that was heading through the fog one night when a distant, faint light appeared directly in its heading. As the light got brighter, a voice came over the ship radio and said, “Attention. Calling the vessel traveling on a 220 heading. Adjust your course […]
