I spent most of my career as a corporate CEO working in the food sector of our economy ANTICIPATING the unforeseeable; managing the unimaginable; and dreaming the impossible. If I misdiagnosed the REAL PROBLEM and tried to fix the wrong thing, we would not “eat.” The same danger animated my faith walk. I was misdiagnosing the REAL PROBLEM and nearly succumbed to spiritual starvation by not knowing...

After relocating to the other side of America, a close friend of mine quickly learned that CHAMELEONS were everywhere! He was mesmerized by their ability to change colors based on their environment—from sunbathing on a dark wooden fence to lying in wait for dinner under a soft bed of green ferns. Google taught him that their skin does not change colors. Their camouflaging trick is the result of chemical...

The world has become a cruel game show that NOBODY EVER WINS. Yet the line to be a contestant keeps growing longer and the yearning for its prizes continually gnaws at the hearts of would-be players. Millions of souls on this planet are attracted to this crazy game by the unfounded belief that winners get the right/perfect friends, jobs, and mates. The right/perfect car and mansion. The right/perfect...

We are all familiar with the tests, trials, tragedies, and tribulations of life. Despite the pain that accompanies them, they play an instrumental role in our spiritual growth IF we are spurred to place unconditional trust in God. The Lord of Heaven and earth uses our weaknesses on the darkest days of our life to perfect us in Christ. Another similar, but often overlooked, challenge are the MISSED...

A good friend told me a powerful story yesterday that began with him buying a low-mileage car loaded with options and tricked with style. He recalled the positive vibe he had slipping out of the dealer’s parking lot in his new ride with 400 horses running under the hood. Little did he know that the good vibe would end quickly. His low-mileage prize was a LIE. He was a victim of the fraudulent “odometer...

I was chatting yesterday with one of my closest friends on the planet–a very wise man and mature Christian–when he tossed me this sage and piercing insight: “Mark, The day I am not surprised by being praised is the day I know my humility is gone.”    He is right.    My version of the same point goes something like this:    “I always want to be SHOCKED when...

We have all seen war and spy movies where one of the characters was harshly interrogated. The person being questioned is usually tied to a chair and bloodied with a slack chin drooping away from frantic and fearful eyes. These interrogations are always harsh, occasionally violent, and sometimes deadly. The one thing they all have in common is their intensity and the interrogator’s ruthlessness.    in·ter·ro·gate:...

More and more voices are jumping out of our shelter-in-place prisons with this announcement to the world: “I GIVE UP.” Perhaps you have heard that line or this other version of the same song: “I’M SO DONE WITH 2020!” We all seem to be skating away on the thin ice of a new day. Sinking into the depths and not swimming toward the shore. Retreating to our cocoon instead of racing to...

We are living in an INFORMATION AGE animated by technology and fueled by stories. Life in the 21st Century has morphed into a meta narrative made up of myriad stories that give us navigational perspective. Communicating and persuading and influencing and inspiring without a story is nearly impossible. Everyone LOVES a good story.    Stories give the internet ballast and anchors for marketers....

This just in from our global online tribe: I really like your “Activate My Faith” blogs. Are some steps more important than others in activating my faith? One important step every Christian on the planet must take to activate their faith is BEING more like Christ and DOING less of what the world promotes.    For me, it took a very very long time to activate my faith and it’s still a life-long...