Category Archives: My Personal Journey

Updates on what Mark is doing, and how he is doing.

Prioritizing Unity

“Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. (Ephesians 4:3, NIV)” The Apostle Paul starts the application section of this letter with this exhortation. Having spent three chapters laying out a theological foundation, … Continue reading

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Earthquakes Then and Now

I love those sections of scripture that point a finger directly at today’s problems and offer a ray of hope. Today my devotional time took me to the story of Jesus’ resurrection in Matthew 28. The second verse startled me with, … Continue reading

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Schedule a Happy Break

“What’s your Happy Break for today?” is a question I’m starting to ask those I work with. “Do you have a meeting or an activity on your to-do list that will bring you joy?” We can easily slip into a … Continue reading

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Musical Prophecy

1 Chronicles 25:1 put two words together that I had never thought about as a pair: prophecy and music. “the sons of Asaph . . . prophesied with lyres, with harps, and with cymbals.” Previously, the ministry of prophecy was … Continue reading

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Convincing Evidence

“Follow me, and I will make you become . . .  (Jesus, in Mark 1:17).” When we follow Jesus, we become. Yes, I know that Mark 1:17 specifies a definite becoming: Simon and Andrew would become fishers of people. However, … Continue reading

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Answering Anxiety

I often allow anxieties to accumulate in my mind and spirit. This steals my joy and energy, and warps my perception of reality. For that reason, I experience deep longing whenever I read “Cast all your anxiety on him because … Continue reading

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Like A Child . . . Really?

Does an adult view of God get in the way of our kingdom participation? I read this morning from Matthew 18-20. In this section, children were always hanging out around Jesus (Matthew 18:1-6, 19:13-15). He counted that as a good … Continue reading

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A Summoned Leader

I was reading Jim Beaird’s remarkable book, Proximity Factor this morning. He quotes Leonard Sweet, who wrote, “Leaders are neither born nor made. They are summoned.” This resonates with my current experience. I’m in two leadership roles for which I … Continue reading

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Stephen Covey’s Legacy

I just wrote a post at my leadership blog on my initial reflections upon the death of Stephen Covey. Please read my post — or read Covey’s book. Better yet, imagine what would happen if we all devoted time, energy, … Continue reading

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A Strange Job to Love

I affectionately describe my new job as “the guy who writes those boring reports.” While “boring reports” identifies how some might feel about my responsibility, I actually see it very differently. In June, I began a part time job at … Continue reading

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