The Bad Guy


Life seems to always have some drama somewhere for us all. Family, friends, work, church, neighbors, anywhere there are people, drama will ensue. Some scenarios last just a few hours; others drag on for years. When we watch a drama on TV or a movie, there is one common denominator—every good drama has to have […]


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It’s All About…


How much of your life do you make about you? Which relationships center around you? Which settings center around you? Then here’s a bit different twist…where does it not center on you, but you desperately want it to? You walk into rooms determined that this time, it’s going to be about you, even though the […]


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Depth vs. Distance


Recently, I was on a call with a friend of many years talking about life. We were discussing how difficult it is today to maintain transparent relationships in everyone’s busyness and, to be honest, temptation to be content to stay shallow. To this, I responded with a phrase, “Distance doesn’t have to determine depth.” Isn’t […]


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It’s Still Plan A


I recently presented my Knight’s Code conference with about 90 men in attendance from several different churches and denominations. After the end of the Friday night sessions, a guy walks up to me, introduces himself, and says, “I think you need to know that your book [The Knight’s Code] saved my marriage and I just […]


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Training People —Part 2


Yesterday we talked about training people on what to expect from us. Part 2 is how we train ourselves on how to act or behave in certain situations and/or with certain people. Are there people and places that you know going in that you are going to be expected to talk about [blank]? Are there people […]


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Training People—Part 1


When people see you coming, what have you trained them to expect that they’re going to get? What have they come to assume will come out of you? Talk about your job? Your favorite sport? Your kids? Your kids’ sport? Hobby? Travels? Latest possession? Politics? Gun control? Neighbor gossip? Church gossip? Funny one-liners? Crazy stories? […]


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Step Up & Pour Out


I was at an event here in Nashville a few months back where a number of music artists—mainstream and Christian—were gathered. One guy in his late twenties had on a replica of the 1977 Led Zeppelin U.S. tour shirt. The black one with the masculine angel on the front and the tour stops listed on […]


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Hello? Hello?!


This past week, I noticed a new communication exchange that I say frequently and hear often from others. It’s when you are talking on your cell, stop suddenly, and say, “Are you still there?” Provided the call is still connected, the other person typically responds with, “Yeah, I’m here.” And then you proceed on. This […]


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Who Says You Don’t Measure Up?


Has anyone ever told you after you’ve presented something, “That just doesn’t measure up”? Or even more personal, “Sorry, you just don’t measure up”? When someone makes one of these statements, the person is saying that there is some standard—whether a corporate policy or even a personal judgment—that has not been met. It is typically […]


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Private Price Tags


When you walk into or drive-through at Starbucks, you know what you’re going to order, and you also know what you’re going to pay for the beverage. On a daily basis, we make exchanges like this—ones where we know exactly what we’ll pay and what we’ll get. What we’ll give and what we’ll receive. Of […]


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