Imagine a day on the water, a crisp cool breeze in the air. The smell of salt-laden air penetrates your soul. You have been looking forward to this taste of fishing paradise all week. As men we look forward to being one with the sea. A few hours on a boat can remedy almost anything that ails, at least temporarily. Bonding with the rod and reel we become one with the fish at sea. While many enjoy the time on the water for what it is, a sanctuary of freedom. I could not help but garner some lessons as my skin baked in the sun. Lessons that were plain as the tide was a rising. 1.) It’s not about the fish – as leaders we are guided to lead others to success. This can mean we forego our own big catch of success to help others. 2.) Change with the tide – both fish and business ebbs and flows with the current. We as leaders must adjust our strategies to accommodate changes. 3.) Different Bait – every fish and every person is unique. Just because you caught Reds the last time on live shrimp does not mean you will today. It is not a cookie cutter world, we must adapt as we lead. 4.) Small fish big fight – as with fish, people can be deceiving. You may be leading a group towards success and as soon as they get near the goal they run. Even a small fish can put up a good fight. […]

Read More

For many years, I like many people thought I was a pretty faith filled religious person. I went to church every Sunday. I tithed and volunteered at the church when I could. I prayed over my meals, and before I went to bed. This all makes for a faithful religious person or so I thought. We spend our days giving praise and glory to God. Striving to be a good person and follow His commandments. Spending time each day reading His word , that too grows our religion right? As we strive to grow our religion and find measurements to tally our success we miss the mark. We miss it by focusing on the religion rather than on the faith. Faith does not come from appearances or how much we put in the Offertory basket. Being religious is practicing the doctrine that we have been taught, yet with little understanding. Faith however is believing in the unseen, unproven being because we believe. Faith is doing good works out of true charity of heart not to count the cost. Faith is believing in a higher power beyond the pulpit. Some of the most faithful servants I have known never stepped foot in a church for service. They were faithful stewards that loved and honored God through their actions not words. They served God and his people not for recognition or power but solely out of love. Society gets lost in the representation of religion that true faith gets lost. Churches are focused on raising money more than raising […]

Read More

We were all made to be fishers not only of the sea but fishers of men, we are set to cast our nets and pull in our brothers that have gotten lost at sea. We sit in the pews of our church’s looking for redemption, salvation and something to believe in. We are filled by the Holy Spirit and are on fire as we sing our praises to change the world.  As soon as service ends we rush  back out into the world and our fire passes as an adrenaline rush and we become numb. We sink back into our routines of yard work, school work, getting prepared for the work week, NASCAR or football on TV, whatever is on tap for our Sunday afternoon.   Our families are the only things we tend to pray for when we bend our knees that night in preparation of the new week.  Within hours the fire that was inside us has dulled to a mere glimmer, a spark to stoke just to keep lit until next Sunday. As men we were made for more than just being pew sitters on Sunday and then to cover up our faith with our ties and suits the rest of the week.   We tend to find that when we are around our co-workers, neighbors and friends