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Finding Happiness

“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?’” (Matthew 16:24-26, NLT).   What is happiness? Is happiness an intense feeling of pleasurable satisfaction? Is happiness dependent on the circumstances […]

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Retirement Income That Measures Up

Merrill Lynch Wealth Management suggests strategies to help you meet your retirement needs. Pension income, investments, a 401(k) account: All those potential resources can provide you with a solid foundation for retirement. But how do you develop a strategy for drawing them down in a way that will see you through retirement? “Your approach will depend on your age and lifestyle, as well as all of your anticipated—and unanticipated—expenses,” says Lorna Sabbia, head of Retirement & Personal Wealth Solutions at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. “A conversation with your financial advisor can help clarify the strategy that might work best […]

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We’re Gonna Need A Bigger Box

Box of Mystery Years ago, when our children were younger, we used to schedule “mystery family vacations.” The idea was a brilliant one, I might add. The concept was simple. Lisa and I would devise a fun family vacation but keep it a secret. We would simply share with our children the date of departure, the date of return and provide them a packing list, inserted with a few decoys to throw them off. The first year our children complained that we were terrible parents trying our best to ruin their lives, (jury is still out on that one) but […]

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Getting Better with Age

I am not a big drinker, but I have heard it said a time or two that certain wines get better with age. In fact, I did a little research and found out that some bottles can sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Many things get better with age if they last long enough. After a few decades, cars, boats and motorcycles actually go up in value. Even toys can be more expensive over time. However, these “classics” or “antiques” go up in value mostly because they have been so well maintained. Well, what about you? What is happening […]

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January is Parental Half-Time

If you are a parent, January isn’t really the beginning of your child’s year, its half time. Your family year begins in August as the children start school and all their other activities. The question is, what do you do with half-time? What do coaches do with half-time? Do they take the players into the locker room and celebrate that they are almost over with the game? Do they just relax before going back on the field?  No! Leaders of the team make adjustments, and that’s exactly what the first weeks in January are for: making the necessary evaluations and […]

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Walmart VP Links Business, Cultural & Biblical Worldviews Thru Lifework

When Walmart Vice President and Regional Manager Elise Vasquez-Warner was transferred from the South Florida region to the Orlando area just over a year ago, she found a supportive network of like-minded professionals at Lifework Leadership in Orlando.   With teaching from nationally-known speakers, case studies with prominent business people, literary discussion and practical life application, Lifework examines the life of Jesus as the best example of leadership and is carefully crafted to engage leaders on issues they face in their personal and business lives. Having served as a coach for six years after graduating from the faith-based program in […]

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All I Want for Christmas is…What?

The answer to that question could determine the success or failure of your Christmas experience. As a parent, the question is: What do we really want for Christmas? Don’t we want something that will last on into generations to come? Something powered by more than batteries. I have never heard anyone say, “We have a great family tradition of giving each other video games for Christmas. It’s been an awesome part of our Christmas for generations. It’s what brings us back home each year.” There are many things we could get for our family members – items that will not […]

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Giving Thanks and All That

“It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night” (Psalm 92:1–2). Some people might venture through their entire life without encountering someone they believed to be absolutely extraordinary. I am not one of those people. I want to tell you about a young man who falls smack dab into this distinguished category, who made a profound impact on the life of everyone in the brief time we were allowed to know him. Our son James was born with […]

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Have You Thought Lately About the Blessedness of Subtraction?

Maybe there is an aspect of God that is far too unnoticed? God is a Taker. We want the Lord to add to our lives, but don’t we also want Him to be a “Subtractor?” Who doesn’t think about God as a Giver? We are never more like God than when we give, right? “For God so loved the world, He gave…”(John 3:16). But divine math accentuates subtraction. In October of every year, I take my staff through an annual planning process that charts a course for the following year of strategic ministry. Every year I emphasize three words that […]

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The Wonderful Things My Wife Says…

One day, my wife Lisa said she felt that it was time we sacrifice more. I wasn’t sure what she meant. Was it time to begin to construct an altar in the back yard?  What would our neighbors think? What would we do with all the animals? Would Chihuahuas qualify? “Stephan, Stephan, Stephaaaaaaan….I think God is telling us we need to sacrifice more.” When I heard my name repeated several times, I realized that I had drifted off, probably a coping mechanism. “What do you mean?”  I asked. “I think we ought to adopt a child, and I think that […]

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