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Articles by Ed Rowell
When Good Snakes Become Bad Snakes
Introduction At the risk of ruining your political correctness, I wonder if you are prejudiced. Are you prejudiced against snakes? If a group of snakes moved in next door and inhabited your back yard, do you think it would lower your property values? Suppose your daughter brought a snake home for dinner. Would your family be comfortable with that? Chances are you are prejudiced against snakes.
The Reminder of Reliance
Introduction Would you rather have an endless supply of brownies or of ice cream? Would you rather lose your sense of hearing or your sense of sight? Would you rather be sneezed on or coughed on? We’ve played this game before: “Would you rather?” It’s supposed to be a difficult game for us to play because we’re forced to choose between two seemingly equal choices.
Pay Attention
Introduction One time, my family and I went to a restaurant. As per usual, I was off in my own little world while my family grabbed their food and sat down. When I snapped out of it, I looked up and saw my family sitting across the way. So I walked over to them, but I realized that I was looking at them through some windows and I didn’t know how to get to the other room where they were sitting. I was puzzled. I walked the length of the wall trying to find a door.
From Exclusion to Embrace
The Story Behind the Sermon This year (2009) we have been preaching through the Gospel of Luke. As the preaching schedule was being put together, it just so happened that I was assigned to speak the Sunday before Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. My passage for the day was from Luke 6—the passage about not judging others.
Set a Seal Over the Door of Your Lips
Introduction During World War II artists were called upon to use their skills for the war effort. John Atherton created a poster warning citizens to guard their words, not carelessly giving information to the enemy. The poster shows a white cross like the grave markers at Arlington Cemetery, a soldier’s helmet on one arm of the cross and a kit belt on the other.
How Can I Enjoy Christmas?
Introduction Christmas can be so chaotic, can't it? I mean, this whole season can be such a disconnect between what we expect and what we end up experiencing. That's why the question that always nags us during this time of year is this: "How we can possibly enjoy Christmas?" What we must do We all want to enjoy this time of year. We all want to enjoy family, friends, and each other. We all want to have moments of pleasure that remind us that this is a time like no other. So we grit our teeth.
Keyholders
Introduction Across from the residence where I lived in college stood a mysterious building known as Scroll and Key. This great stone-clad mausoleum was the site of one of Yale University's renowned secret societies. To become a member of Scroll and Key—or Skull and Bones, or other circles like them—was an unusual distinction.
The Healing Power of No
Introduction What is a two-letter word that we often don’t like to hear? It is a word you have probably used on your kids, maybe a word used toward your dog, and even to your friends. The word I am talking about is “No.” When you hear the word “no,” often you are going to associate the word in a negative way. “No” comes out when something bad happens or is something that prevents a bad thing from happening. For a young man asking a girl out on a date, “no” is a bad thing for him.
Ears to Hear
Introduction When I was growing up, Revelation was intimidating, confusing, a little terrifying. It seems like there are plenty of people offering to help unlock the “secrets of Revelation.” Usually there are charts, timelines, and ever-changing theories of the Antichrist and the mark of the beast. The driving questions feels like “When?” When will the world end? When is the tribulation? When will Jesus return? But Revelation wasn’t written to focus on when.
Grieve, Not as the World Grieves
Introduction Some years ago, when I first heard the phrase “bright sadness” to describe the season of Lent, I loved the way it sounded, but I didn’t really understand it. I was already struggling to know, practically speaking, what repentance looked like. Could I just confess my sins and be done with it, or was I supposed to be thinking about my sin a lot—was Lent a time to feel extra-guilty? Lots of uncertainty. So the idea of figuring out what “bright sadness” might mean just didn’t compute.
How Can We Settle for Settledness?
There are many things that keep us settled, but we must choose to seek the Lord. Introduction As an incoming college freshman, I attended Wheaton College’s Vanguard program. It was their Outward Bound–type wilderness program; some of you may have gone on it. It was three weeks in the wilderness, and I think the basic philosophy was “Let’s figure out what will kill someone and then dial it back.” So one day I was handed the topographical map of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
How to Drive Productivity Through Lasting Field Leadership Development
Success in business today comes down to field leaders’ ability to stimulate performance not only through hard skills like quality and process improvements, but also through soft skills like motivating and influencing others. Every year FMI engages in the development of hundreds of leaders through various events and contexts. One of our favorite kickoff exercises is to ask participants to remember their best boss, then share the characteristics that make that person so memorable.
Executive Coaching Blog: Me, Myself and I —The Power of Self-Awareness in Leadership | FMI
Most leaders I’ve met work exceptionally hard. They pay attention to the metrics of both progress and problems. They operate from an ethical center. They have an eye for opportunities and rely heavily on their intuition. They care about the people who work for them. And because of the pace and focus with which they operate, their own professional development frequently gets deferred or ignored.
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