I Want My Life to Count

02/04/2024

When Bob Iger says, "Long shots aren't usually as long as they seem," Malcolm Gladwell would agree. In his aptly title book, "David and Goliath," Gladwell argues that David's victory over the giant is hardly a long shot. Before you comment "heresy," hear him out.

He's drawing from historian Baruch Halpern, who explains that ancient battles were similar to rock, paper, scissors. Infantry defeats calvary, calvary defeats slingers, and slingers defeat infantry. We know that Goliath is infantry, as David taunts him by saying, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin…" David spoke confidently, knowing that, as an experienced slinger, he could "kill or seriously injure a target at a distance of up to two hundred yards."

Historian Robert Dohrenwend says Goliath was basically going up against an opponent "armed with a .45 automatic pistol," the proverbial bringing of a knife to a gunfight.

This in no way diminishes God's power. If anything, it reveals the power of knowing who you are—freeing you from living for the approval of others and their expectations. David rightfully waved off King Saul's armor offer, knowing it was unnecessary and would only weigh him down. Accepting even well-intentioned "armor" is tempting when we're unsure of who we are—bearing its weight at the expense of our potential.

As I mentioned in my last post, I came across Craig Groeschel's book "Chazown"—a Hebrew word for vision, dream, or revelation. Craig teaches that our purpose becomes clear at the intersection of our core values, giftings, and past experiences. (Think Venn diagram.) With my newfound understanding of who I am, my long shot to leave the airlines over a decade ago wasn't so long after all. And now it's come full circle as I help prepare tweens and teens to "become seekers of their adult purpose." (Michael Gurian, "The Purpose of Boys").

If you're hoping to shorten long shots of making a difference in your home, workplace, and community, consider not only discovering your purpose—learning who you are and who you were created to become—but also living it out. Remember, Craig says, "Everyone ends up somewhere. Few people end up somewhere on purpose," and "If you want what few people have, do what few people do."

02/01/2024

Craig Groeschel says that if you want what few people have, you must be willing to do what few people do. For me, that meant asking my then-airline CEO for a meeting about quitting his company (a decision inspired by reading Craig's book, Chazown, lol).

By my mid-twenties, I was living the dream: a jet airline captain and Federal Flight Deck Officer—an armed pilot with a cool "fed" badge. That twelve-year-old boy playing cop and pilot made it. However, a new dream was budding, and I began seeking wise counsel as to what I should do. Luckily, my CEO, Philip Trenary, was on one of my flights. Upon parking at the gate, he stopped by the flight deck to say hello and offered to let him know if there was anything he could ever do for us.

I took a long shot, which Disney CEO Bob Iger writes in Ride of a Lifetime, "long shots aren't usually as long as they seem," and asked to meet with my CEO. Not long after, Trenary invited me to lunch at the Flying Fish in downtown Memphis. He knew in advance that I was considering a career change. And instead of being cold as a cod about me considering quitting, he sat with me. He gave me his full attention and offered genuine and heartfelt wisdom. He even picked up the check!

Shortly after that, the boy—now twenty-seven—who had lived, ate, and breathed aviation for over a decade walked toward the Memphis terminal exit CREW ID-less. It felt like the proverbial dream of being in school wearing only underwear. But I would cling to Chris Conlee's wisdom that sometimes we must give up what we love for what we love more.

It's crazy to think that where I am today, living the desires of my heart, is rooted in a long shot. Like many of you, I desire, as Seth Lewis writes in Dream Small, to "see myself as a character in a story that is bigger than I am, and align my dreams with a plot that is bigger than my life… to leverage whatever station [I've] attained not to attain more for [myself] but to joyfully give to others, especially those who cannot give in return."

This desire to improve your home, workplace, and community is in your heart. But as a former mentee, Marcus Johns, writes in his book, There Are a Million Reasons You Can't—Find the Reason You Can, you must "be willing to take a risk" and "work hard with people who believe in you," and in doing so, long shots likely aren't as long as they usually seem.

What's your seemingly long shot?

12/31/2023

Know a tween boy or a young teen boy? Have them check out Twin Falls, a coming-of-age adventure novel set in the wilds of Hawaii. Meet Lucas, Kai, Dylan, and Jayden. Four boys chasing big waves and glory. They’d hope to test their mettle riding barrels, but an unfortunate incident has them marooned on a strange island crawling with prehistoric creatures. If they wish to escape, they must learn to trust themselves and one another.

Book preview of Twin Falls

11/21/2022

Considering writing about what I know: mentoring. Would this be a book you'd read? Here's the very, very unedited introduction.

This would be the introduction to a book on practical, everyday discipleship. Thoughts?

01/26/2019

What do your four letters say about you? Discover them here: http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp

01/25/2019

In the church, which is better: introversion or extroversion?

01/17/2019

We'll updating this page soon with content (like this) that will equip you to live a life that counts!

03/09/2013

In our world today it seems as though a lack of integrity is normal. The problem is because we’re sinners by nature, we tend to lack integrity, but when we surrender our lives and become who God says we are, we can live according to His truth. Integrity is where your behavior matches your beliefs. It’s when your private life lines up with your public life. It’s when what you say lines up with what you do. Integrity is who you are when no one is looking. Examine yourself today. Does your behavior match your beliefs or are you in need of an altar ego?

If you find yourself quickly thinking of an area in your life or feeling uneasy in your stomach, don't worry, you are not alone. It is simply God calling us to repentance, and desiring a change.

03/05/2013

Who does God say you are?

You are a new creation in Christ. 2 Cor. 5:17
You are forgiven and your sins are washed away. Eph. 1:7
You are more than a conqueror through Christ. Rom. 8:37
You are the light of this world. Matt. 5:14
You are filled with the same spirit that raised Christ. Rom. 8:11
You are a joint heir with Christ. Rom. 8:17
You are Christ’s ambassador. 2 Cor. 5:20
You are the righteousness of God in Christ. 2 Cor. 5:21
You are greatly loved by God. Rom. 1:7

02/27/2013

Too often we let our past limit our future. We let the things that once defined us continue to define us in the present and even in our future. As you gain an altar ego and break free from the labels that have bound you in the past and develop a God-centered view of yourself, remember that the memories of your past labels are gone and have been wiped clean by God. More importantly, take your next steps of striving to take the negative things you experienced yesterday and turn them into a positive strength for tomorrow. Take your weaknesses that once defined you, and allow God to turn them into your strengths that will define you from this day forward.

Ephesians 5:8-20

02/26/2013

When you fully embrace a God-centered view of yourself, God not only gives you a new name and a new purpose, but He also gives you a new future. If you ever find yourself becoming pessimistic about what’s to come, remind yourself that God has given you a new future. Don’t ever insult God with faithlessness about your future because Jeremiah 29:11 tells you that God has given you plans for your life that give you a hope and a future. Break free from the negative labels from your past and instead embrace the new future God has given you. How have you let the labels of your past limit God’s plan for your future?

However, as it is written:
“No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love him”–
but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.
1 Corinthians 2:9-10

02/19/2013

You are not yet who you are supposed to be. Chances are, at some time in you life you tried to do anything you could to get people to like you and win their approval. Perhaps that is something you are doing right now. Oftentimes, it doesn’t matter how hard you try to fit in, because you ultimately find yourself with negative labels that others use to describe you. What are the negative labels that have or are following you now? Maybe you haven’t been called this label to your face, but you know this label haunts you. Don’t let your negative labels define you because you are not yet who you are supposed to be. Instead, let God define you.

Philippians 4:4-9