Reflections, encouragement, and faith-centered writings
As an investment and financial professional, I often have friends, family, or acquaintances pull me aside to talk money. We dive deep into the weeds: Will gold keep rising? Is the stock market overvalued? Can you help me trade options?
This morning at the White House National Prayer Breakfast, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee shared a moving testimony about losing his wife years ago. His words hit close to home: “The most tragic days of my life were strangely becoming the most transformative. What happened to me, I would never want. But what was happening to me, I would never trade, I began to believe that to the degree a man was broken, he could experience wholeness. To the degree a man experiences sorrow, he can know true joy.”
Every day we make thousands of decisions. Most are small, automatic, handled effortlessly by habit and past experience. Part of becoming an adult is building that internal library of practiced responses: thousands of situations where we already know exactly what to do.
As a dad, when my children rely on me and believe I can do anything for them, it puts tremendous pressure on me to perform. Their trust inspires me to step up in every way possible.
What a Brother we have; that He would think of us before Himself. The dust of the earth or the Son of the Eternal God? He chose you.
Make A Wish Foundation gifted our family of eight an absolutely amazing trip to Orlando, Florida. It has been for years, we had the pictures of Disney’s World on our refrigerator. Whenever, our kids wanted something, we would remind them, we were working towards Disney’s. Automatically, everyone would be refocus again.
Reading Bringing Out the Best in People by Alan Loy McGinnis reminded me: The more we pressure someone to change bad behavior, the less likely they are to comply.
It was in the upper room at the Last Supper, and Jesus had just told His disciples that one of them would betray Him.
Four months ago, our daughter Jessica went home to be with Jesus. She spent a third of her life battling cancer and grew up with periods when even basic needs like complete, nourishing meals were hard to come by. Yet she lived with remarkable joy and purpose. Jessica’s faith in Jesus was extraordinary and unshakable. Her radiant smile and quiet strength, even in pain, drew love and comfort to everyone around her.