The Proverbs Project: Know your name…
A few weeks back I alerted you to my proverbs project – spring boarding from the thirty sayings that start in Proverbs 22:20. “How is it going?” I hear you ask. “Pretty well,” I reply. “I am up to number 23, and my plan is to drip feed them out over a longish period – and this is one of those posts.” “So what is this week’s saying?” you ask and I reply, “Know your name.” Some background… A few months ago I was fooled into attending a time share presentation. Yes, Rosemary and I did get a free meal at the...
Read MoreOur deepest desires, our necessary plans…
It was a mentoring conversation, and while obviously with a specific person, I had the feeling I had heard it many times before. We were starting with the important Steven Covey insight, “begin with the end in mind”. If you know Covey’s work you will remember that he suggests we imagine we are at our funeral, and are listening in to the eulogies. Covey asks what we hope to hear. Do we long for a word from fellow workers about how smart we were and how cleverly we outwitted the opposition, or would we prefer words from our spouse, children and friends about the deep...
Read MorePurpose over Preference, and Noting the Difference…
Ever since the phenomenal success of Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life, conversations about the importance of purpose have abounded. Of course we are now a little less enthusiastic about being “driven” and are alert to the dangers of driven leaders and workplaces. Too often they birth burnout, and can subtly justify the abuse of individuals by claiming that the underlying cause is worthy. Much pain can result. However, most things have a potential shadow side, so while acknowledging the possible downside of being “purpose driven”, I thought it worth...
Read MoreThe Eternal Trio: Faith, Hope and Love
It’s an incredibly bold claim that Paul makes at the end of what is one of the most beautiful passages of Scripture. In it Paul confidently asserts: “These three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor 13:13). In many ways it’s a surprising statement, especially given the wider context of his first letter to the Corinthians. Prior to the stunning hymn about love found in chapter 13, Paul has been dealing with far less lofty matters – some were downright sordid. Let’s face it, in many ways 1 Corinthians is heavy going,...
Read MoreReflections from a cruise…
I’m writing this as I sit on my cabin balcony gazing out at the open ocean. Rosemary and I are in the middle of 25 days of unaccustomed ease and luxury as we celebrate her retirement some 20 months ago. We have cruised around Iceland and Norway and will soon be exploring Amsterdam and Belgium before docking in Southhampton when a second cruise will take us all the way around the United Kingdom. It’s been glorious. I can’t remember the last time our most pressing decision was which of the dozen plus dining options we will make use of tonight, or how many of the desserts we’ll attempt to...
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