By Robert J. Tamasy – Ready or not, the calendar year is rapidly coming to a close. This means it is time once again to celebrate two holidays many of us find very meaningful – Christmas and New Year’s Day. This week we will focus on the annual Christmas observance; next week we will look

By Stephen R. Graves – It does not matter what is wrong. Whether you have a fever, a broken arm, or a missing limb, a visit to the doctor always seems to start the same way. After waiting, you are guided to an empty room and asked to sit on an examining table with what

By Rick Boxx – Dr. Richard Blackaby was talking with a group of business and professional leaders in Iowa about a time when his father, Henry, was invited to speak to a group of Fortune 500 CEOs. It was amazing for him to see a gathering of such high-ranking corporate executives in one place, especially

By Jim Langley – What comes to mind when you hear the term, “the disciplined life”? Does it carry positive or negative connotations for you? The idea of a disciplined life has always intrigued me, especially since I have observed proponents of a theory or cause usually are highly disciplined, striving for excellence in reaching their

By Robert J. Tamasy – This week the United States marks the annual Thanksgiving Day observance. Similar holidays on various dates are observed in other nations, including Canada, Germany, Japan, Austria, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries such as Brazil and Philippians. Researching special days for thanksgiving has shown that observances also are

By Jim Mathis – We sometimes hear people talking about the importance of finding work you love. This may be a little overrated, but it is important to do things that do not destroy your joy, your sense of satisfaction and meaning. You may be doing physical labor all day that is not very much

By Rick Boxx – We live in very uncertain economic times. It probably has always been that way, but for a variety of reasons, economic conditions seem especially unpredictable now. The question is not why this is so, but how we should respond. Do we take a defensive posture, or should we choose a proactive

By Sergio Fortes – For a moment, imagine a top executive calling a special meeting and after bringing in a wash basin and towels, proceeding to wash the feet of his or her staff members. Such a scene in the corporate would be considered very strange at best, if not unbelievable. Nevertheless, as we read accounts of

By Dan Britton – Several years ago, a high school football team in Michigan, U.S.A. cancelled the last five games of its season after going 0–4 and having not scored a point at the start of the season. Going winless and scoreless has a sting to it, but my heart hurts thinking that someone gave up on

By Robert J. Tamasy – Back in the mid-1800s, essayist, poet and philosopher Henry David Thoreau made a statement that has become familiar to many of us, “The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” In Thoreau’s extended quotation, he said, “What is called resignation is confirmed desperation…. A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even