Mark Affleck

I Was The World Champion Boomerang Thrower In 1998

If you have ever tried to throw a boomerang, you know that throwing it is actually easy. The hard part is getting it to return. Developed and perfected by the indigenous Aborigines in Australia, the v-shaped wonder is still popular today. In 1998, the world champion thrower tossed his boomerang nearly 1300 feet.    But the boomerang is not just something we throw around. It is often used...

I Received A Lifetime Ban From Riding Roller Coasters

When I lived a fast-paced and stressful existence on life’s roller coaster as a CEO in the marketplace, I was consumed by angst and anger. With each new wave of anxiety my mind locked onto the wrong things and I drifted away from God and his truth. Living on this head-jerking roller coaster produced a wave of guilt that stopped me from going to God. If I ever did get around to seeking him, the lift...

I Came Back From The Grand Canyon HOPELESS

If you have ever been to the Grand Canyon, you have witnessed its majestic grandeur and gazed down the cavernous openings that dive deep into the arms of a golden-brown net. It’s an awesome wonder to be sure, but where is the connection with hopelessness?    The answer to that question traces back to the early stages of my journey into God’s wonderland, many years ago now, when the chasm...

Playing SECOND FIDDLE Ain't That Bad

On the day my natural self was vanquished and exhaled its last breath, I was ready–for the first time–to play “SECOND FIDDLE.” And it was then, only then, that God blessed my life beyond comprehension. I don’t dwell on why it took so long for me to get this right. God does not want me to waste even one minute on my past that had me intoxicated by success and money.    Once I...

My “God Confidence” Had A “FEELS LIKE” Reading of -50

The recent spate of frigid weather holding the U.S. hostage has produced record low temperatures and left tragic stories of death and destruction in its wake. Temperatures plummeted to a “feels like” reading of -50 in some areas. The “feels like” term used to be called the wind-chill factor, but the words do not matter. IT’S COLD! All of that prompted me to apply the FEELS LIKE...

Her Long, Flowing Hair Caught On Fire. Honest!

Early in my career as a CEO, a colleague visiting from Japan went to Napa for a weekend at the end of his trip. The first morning he joined a guide and newly-married couple for a tour over the magnificent vineyards. But the ride was over seconds after lift-off. They hit a power line at 23 feet above ground and a fire started in the balloon!    At first, nobody wanted to heed the guide’s...

I Walked Right Past Someone Writhing In Pain

It’s a safe bet that almost every Christian has walked past people in desperate need of our intervention on God’s behalf. Our unconditional love. Our Christ-like comfort. These hurting souls may not show the physical signs of a person writhing in pain, but inside they are on fire. And, sadly, some of them may be near the end of their capacity to hang on by themselves.    This startling reality...

I Had Coffee With Chicken Little Yesterday

You know this story with its dark and pessimistic theme, right? It comes from the European folk tale about a chicken who believes the world is coming to an end. The story’s “sky is falling” hook is firmly entrenched in the world’s lexicon as the false belief that disaster is imminent. Versions of the story go back more than 25 centuries! The sky-is-falling perspective was how I viewed what was...

I Lost The Tug-Of-War With Being DECISIVE

It took a long time, but I finally allowed God to convince me that our faith walk is meant to be an orchestral score of notes that are the decisions we need to (must) make…but do not. I try to look at this dynamic as having a DECISIVE MINDSET and predisposition to act. I do not want to force decisions. I want to have a decisive spirit with my radar on 24/7. I want to stay intimately connected to God...

Where Do Those Grammy Outfits Come From?

I watched the Grammys last night with a kaleidoscope of emotions ranging from bemusement to fascination to sheer exhilaration. The narrative playing in my mind beneath those emotions was dominated by the superficial pageantry.  But the theme of the night for me was PRAYER.    You’re no doubt wondering (like me) where and why that thought originated. I’m not sure about that, but as each...
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