What is it the candidates say when they announce that they are dropping out of the race? "I am suspending my campaign." I would not call it 'suspending my blog', but I do plan to post fewer of them for the next several weeks. I wrote in some recent posts that I am trying to write a book. I am at the point where I feel I need to give it more of my time and attention. I am excited about the project and want to finish it. I hope to share it with you once it is completed. I... Continue reading

I received a telephone call this morning. I was expecting it. It was from my surgeon's nurse. She had good news. The results of my biopsy showed no signs of cancer. Thank you, God. Thank you. While I am understandably happy about my report, I am deeply saddened because many of my friends have received much different reports. Some of them, or a member of their family, are fighting this horrible disease right now. I saw an old friend today who told me that he lost his wife to breast cancer last week. Lately, even before my recent biopsy, I... Continue reading

I drive by a few construction sites every day. There is a fire station, a school, some industries and a football stadium. Building projects like these take time. You cannot rush things. In the early days of the construction it is hard to see progress. Then you see things start to take shape. Then there is fairly rapid progress. And finally, you see the finished project. I am amazed at the skill and craftsmanship of the workers. I am trying to build a book. Like the buildings and the stadium, you cannot hurry it along too much. I am making... Continue reading

Martina McBride and George Strait performed a concert in my hometown last night. I was reading the article in this morning paper about the concert and thought the last paragraph was worth sharing with you. Martina is a Kansas girl, so what she was quoted as saying is not surprising. She said, "Growing up here was one of the best things that ever happened to me. I think it is one of the reasons I am where I am today." I think she is right. This is where Martina grew up, where she learned her values and work ethic. It... Continue reading

I was cleaning out my inbox today and found many quotes I have not deleted. I have shared a few of these here from time to time. Here are a few more. "The big rewards come to those who travel the second, undefended mile." -- Bruce Barton. "There are only two options regarding commitment. You're either in or you're out. There is no such thing as in-between." -- Pat Riley "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." -- Proverbs 27:17 "If you rarely give a little more, should you really expect to get a little more? -- Sam... Continue reading

Those who know me best, know that I would never ask that question, unless it was a joke. I hate to dance. I don't have anything against dancing, I just don't do it. The only time in recent memory that I can recall dancing was at the wedding reception of a friend, and only then because my daughter grabbed me by the arm and nearly pulled it out the socket in an effort to get me on the dance floor. Well, today I am ready to dance. I read a few business blogs, including one by a young lady named... Continue reading

I have had the honor of working with several people in my community in the fight against illiteracy. Together we created a task force about four years ago. Our focus is literacy and mentoring. At one of our first meetings, I mentioned to a reporter that I believed there were four things that are ripping the fabric of America: Illiteracy, Drugs, lack of personal accountability and poor personal money management. Those problems are slowly tearing many families apart. What will save them? How can we - all of us - deliver the poorest and lowest performing kids and their families,... Continue reading

I am working on a book about my daughter and our life with a child who was born with Down syndrome. One of the chapters is about hope. I have been sorting through some quotes to include in that chapter. I found this one from Dick Gorham, a retired pastor I met recently. I wanted to share it with you. "Blessings often come in unexpected ways and in difficult circumstances." Are you walking through a trial today? If you are not, you will one day. Down syndrome was unexpected, and at times, difficult. But there have been more blessings that... Continue reading

I was sitting in another gymnasium again this week. I noticed the Wall of Champions. There are a lot of pictures on that wall that go back several years. Who is on your personal Wall of Champions? You can easily start that list today. Keep adding to it as more names come to mind. Who are your true champions? Who works tirelessly to help you succeed? Who encourages and inspires you? Who teaches you? Who loves you? Who helps provide for you? What friend is closer than a brother, or sister? What mentor made you better? Who is your spiritual... Continue reading

You are are someone's team. Family. Work. Church. Organizations you belong to. You are on one or more teams. This week I have shared what I have learned from John Maxwell about teams. There are some laws you do not want to break. The Law of the Edge. The difference between two equally talented teams is leadership. The team withe better and stronger leaders had the edge. Does your team - do your teams - have an edge? The Law of High Morale. Nothing hurts when you are winning, according to Maxwell. The Law of Dividends. This is what some... Continue reading

Even professional golfers have coaches. So do tennis players. They don't play on teams. They are one person against the rest of the field. But they are still on a team. They have coaches. Here are more of leadership guru John Maxwell's indisputable laws of teamwork that I started writing about a few days ago. The law of identity. Shared values define the team. When the members of your team are not on the same page, it can lead to chaos. You don't want that. In real estate, it is all about location, location and location. In business and in... Continue reading

Teams win. Individuals make up teams, but teams win. I have been sharing John Maxwell's 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork with you this week. Here are a few more. The Law of Countability. Teammates, Maxwell writes, must be able to count on each other when it counts. Can people count on you? The Law of the Price Tag is another of Maxwell's laws for teams. Teams will not reach their potential when they do not pay the price. Don't cut corners. Don't cheat yourself. Then there is the scoreboard. When you know the score, you know where you stand and... Continue reading

The Super Bowl is over. We are in the second half of the basketball season. It is almost time for March Madness and The Final Four, which will produce college basketball's national champion. Today, four more of John Maxwell's 17 indisputable laws of teamwork. The Law of the Chain. A team is impacted by its weakest link, Maxwell writes. There is the law that Maxwell calls the Law of the Catalyst. Winning teams have players who make things happen. Another law is known as The Law of the Compass. Vision is vital. Vision gives team members direction and confidence. Every... Continue reading

The New York Giants beat the New England Patriots 21-17 in this year's Super Bowl. You knew that already. What you might not have thought about was how the Giants won. (I wish is would have been 121-17, but that is another matter). Super Bowl championships are won by teams. A Most Valuable Player is selected at the end of each game, but teams win it. And a team won it again this year. John Maxwell wrote a book a few syears ago entitled The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork. Embrace them, Maxwell says, and you will empower your team.... Continue reading

I attended a high school basketball game this week. I happened to look up toward the ceiling in the gymnasium where I noticed several championship banners. Many of them were won by the school's cross country teams. I really do not know why I noticed them that night. I have seen them before. I might have paid attention to them because it made me think of the man who coached those teams. He died earlier this week. I immediately thought of the legacy the coach left. What will your legacy be? You are writing it today with your life. A... Continue reading

Two thousand years ago, the Bible records the story of four able-bodied men and their disabled friend (Mark 2:1-12). They wanted their friend to see Jesus, who was the talk of the town in Capernaum. The men carried their friend on a mat to a home where Jesus was teaching. When the group of friends arrived, the crowd was so large that they were unable to get anywhere close to Jesus. Undaunted, they carried him to the roof where they cut a hole through layers of straw and hardened mud. They then lowered their friend to Jesus' feet. You probably... Continue reading

I walked into a bank yesterday to visit a client. I noticed a man who looked familiar. I asked my client the man's name. He told me and it was who I thought it was. I had not seen my friend, Joe, for more than 20 years. I have thought about him many times. I will never forget him. He gave me some great advice when I was about to become a father. I asked him one day to share with me one great parenting rule. He did not hesitate one second when he told me, "Don't be afraid to... Continue reading

Happy birthday to my daughter and my sister, both of whom are celebrating birthdays Tuesday. I have started writing a book about my daughter. It is a story of how a child with Down syndrome changed a man and a family. It is a story of triumph, hope and faith. It is a story that I hope encourages the reader and touches their heart. And a story I am eager to share. Adversity is inevitable, but you can triumph over it. You can have hope and your faith can be renewed. Today's Winning Thought: There was a time when our... Continue reading

Days like today are rare. Our family spent a few hours today at Allen Fieldhouse on the campus of Kansas University, one of the most storied basketball arenas in America. We were there because the Kansas Jayhawks mens basketball team was hosting a clinic for Special Olympic athletes. It was the 28th year for event. Our daughter was thrilled to be part of it. The Jayhawks, every player and coach, were gracious hosts. They taught, they posed for photos, signed autographs - they gave back. These young men have been blessed with the health and physical skills to play in... Continue reading

If you walked in to my home and turned on the television one of them will be on HGTV. I watch it just about every night while I write. One of the shows on the network is Holmes Inspection. Mike Holmes and his crew go into homes that have serious issues, or that are just poorly constructed throughout. They find the problems and correct them. You just cannot live with shoddy workmanship that does not meet codes. Many people's lives are like those homes. There are issues, some far more serious than others. They run the gamut. And if they... Continue reading

I am attending a four-week study on the movie Courageous. Tonight, we looked at Joshua, who assisted, and later succeeded, Moses. When God commissioned Joshua, he told him three times in four verses to "be strong and courageous." On one occasion, he even told him to "be strong and very courageous." It took courage to lead more two million people into the promised land. It would prove to be one of Joshua's biggest tests. Every day, we face tough situations or difficult people, or both. Having a strategy, being prepared for those challenges, and diligent in carrying out the plan,... Continue reading

I was back in my usual spot today at Starbucks, just thinking and reading. One article I read was the weekly business column written by Harvey Mackay. Mackay is a successful businessman, a New York Times best-selling author, and one of the top motivational speakers in the world. The article I was reading was on the subject of time management. He had interviewed Laura Stack, a leading time management expert, who said that the number one time management challenge is not taking time to think. I was pleased to read that because that is what I encouraged you to do... Continue reading

There is a whiteboard on the wall of the Starbucks where I go often. On it is written a quote. There is a new quote every day. Here is today's quote. "The reason most people get lost in thought is because it is unfamiliar territory." -- Author Unknown. The author meant for that to be funny. But for many people, it is the truth. Reflecting and thinking is unfamiliar to too many people. I cannot operate without time to chill out, and read and think. If you are not in the habit of spending time every day just thinking, I... Continue reading

I walked into a business this morning. There were three middle aged men visiting. I don't know who are what they were talking about. The first words I heard when I entered were, "They're just so retarded." I closed the door and walked to wait in line. The man who was talking to the others when I walked in looked in my direction and said something about how they were just talking about how this some people are so retarded. I said, "Oh, I don't know. I live with one who is pretty special. In fact, she has made me... Continue reading

Purpose is defined as, "an effective focal point for your life, giving you a worthy goal to pursue in all your efforts." And a Stanford professor named William Damon, defined purpose as "a stable and generalized intention to accomplish something that is at the same time meaningful to the self and consequential for the world beyond the self." Author and speaker Tim Sanders said these definitions tell us when we live on purpose, we make a difference. Trust me, that gives you a sense of meaning. What is your purpose? What drives you crazy, breaks your heart and generally moves... Continue reading