Many years ago, after completing a graduate degree in Organizational Leadership and having several opportunities to train corporate and non-profit leaders, a friend of mine, who is a true visionary leader, said to me: "Rusty, here's what I see for your life - with your unique background and experience, you are going to have a … Continue reading Daring to Be Different for Christ’s Mission
Who or What Gets Your Attention?
The following is from one of my spiritual "heroes" and guides, Jim Martin... One of the great resources you and I have to offer any person or situation is our attention. Yet, sometimes, we become distracted. We may have difficulty giving our full attention to what really matters and being fully present in the moment. Many of … Continue reading Who or What Gets Your Attention?
Two Questions That Will Help You Have a Meaningful Week?
Our current sermon series at Alameda is called "The Comeback," and yesterday we learned that the secret to the kind of comeback we are most desperate for is to align our will and ways with God's will and ways. Two questions that will help us do that, no matter what situation we find ourselves in, … Continue reading Two Questions That Will Help You Have a Meaningful Week?
How Do You Celebrate God?
An interesting question was recently posed to me: How do you celebrate what God is doing in your life? My first thought was, "Am I doing this?" And the answer is, "Probably not enough." But when I do celebrate what God is doing in my life, there are four main ways that I do it: … Continue reading How Do You Celebrate God?
Easter Continues
What a joy it was to celebrate Easter with my spiritual and physical families yesterday! But the joy of Easter continues... Because the hope of Easter gives me the courage and clarity I need in order to persevere in this fallen and broken world. As my friend Chris Altrock writes in his book, Newsworthy:Nine Ways … Continue reading Easter Continues
Leadership Lessons from The Masters
This past weekend the most well-known golf tournament in the world was played at a course in Augusta, Georgia. The course is called Augusta National Golf Club and the tournament is called The Masters. This year, my wife and I were fortunate enough to attend the Wednesday practice round and Par 3 Contest that takes … Continue reading Leadership Lessons from The Masters
Doing the Right Thing for the Right Reason
I have a friend who is going through a challenging season due to a difficult (and unpopular) decision he had to make for the long-term profitability of his company. I sent him a message of encouragement to bolster his spirits and, in his reply to me, he wrote, "It's not so bad knowing I did … Continue reading Doing the Right Thing for the Right Reason
Christianity is Good for the World
This is an article written by Josh Howerton, whose bio appears at the end of this article. Let’s begin with a caveat. Nothing in the following paragraphs indicates that every church is healthy or that there aren’t issues for self-reflection and repentance. Far from it. Churches aren’t programs or buildings––they’re people. And people are messy, … Continue reading Christianity is Good for the World
How I Get Ready for Work
This morning, as I was driving to work, I intentionally did some things to get my mind ready for what I was about to do. I was on my way to a training for a group of high-level leaders from across the state where I, and my team, would be talking with them about how … Continue reading How I Get Ready for Work
Breaking News (A Prayer)
As I was watching TV last night, a bold graphic accompanied by distinctive music interrupted the show that was playing and declared, "Breaking News." It was breaking news about a broken world. Russia has invaded Ukraine. And now, there is another war in the world. There is more violence in the world. There is more … Continue reading Breaking News (A Prayer)