Making the Connections

Making the Connections

One thing givers hope to see is how their gifts make a difference.  None of us want to give blindly to a church, or other organization, and never know whether our gift has changed anything.  In fact, it is good stewardship to make sure that our investments in the...
Going On

Going On

When I was a younger man, I was ordained.  Part of the process is the formal (and public) answering of the historic Wesleyan questions to candidates for ministry.  One of those questions is, “Are you going on to perfection?” As I think back on 40 years of ministry, I...
Huddle Hopes

Huddle Hopes

It is playoff time in the National Football League.  I am like a kid in a candy store!  I love watching football, especially the NFL.  Evidently, I am not alone.  Each weekend fans jam stadiums by the tens of thousands to watch their favorite team.  The average cost...
Rainy Days

Rainy Days

Many years ago, I was meeting with a small church which was struggling to add $20 per month to the pastor’s health insurance payment.  Granted, there were only about 10-12 in attendance at the church.  They lamented over and over how they didn’t have any money.  Then...
Budgeting for Mistakes

Budgeting for Mistakes

Adam Grant is an organizational psychologist.  He has spent much of his life studying highly successful people and their habits.  In a recent article he shared 11 successful habits he has observed.  One of the most interesting was something he called, “setting a...
Recency Bias

Recency Bias

Just a little over a year ago the stock of Facebook was being sold relentlessly and people were advised to avoid it. Now, if you have bought $5,000 of stock about 12 months ago it would be worth over $15,000 today. The stock had a decline, but the overall trend has...