Navigators make disciples. All we do revolves around making disciples—learners. I cannot help another to learn, though, what I have not learned myself. As I pass on what I have learned, life to life, I need to continue to learn as well. “Wise men and women are always learning, always listening for fresh insights” (Proverbs […]
We all need encouragement. As blogger Jared Olivetti says, “Regardless of what our hearts or Hollywood tell us, no one inherently has the strength needed to do what God calls us to do.” God knows our need and provides a remedy for it: encouragement from others. The word encouragement is built around the word courage. I like to think that when […]
God designed growing things to teach us Kingdom principles. The garden was Adam’s first job and his first classroom. It can be our classroom as well. The Bible is full of garden imagery: seeds, plants, weeds, pruning watering, harvests. Recently I asked my wife, Marilyn, if she wanted to sit with me in our back yard […]
With the passing years, I find myself using a banker’s vocabulary. I speak of my life in terms of losses and gains. My friends do the same. Unfortunately, it’s easy to focus on the debit side. We talk about losing our keys, losing our memory, and losing our physical strength. This isn’t how God sees […]
I used to think aging was a series of losses, but that is changing. I am discovering that getting older is about grace, not loss—specifically, giving grace. If I age gracefully, people will enjoy being around me whatever my age. We all need grace!Aging is rich with opportunities to build deeper relationships and to model […]
Aging is often associated with what we lose, but why not associate it with what we gain? The Bible associates wisdom with aging. Job asked the question, “Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?” (Job 12:12, NIV). But is that wisdom automatic or is there something more we must do? […]
To know is to listen. If I want to get to know people, I must draw them out; and if I draw them out, I must learn to listen. Listening, though, requires patience and discipline. It is not natural, at least not for me. I would rather tell than listen, and every time I do […]
