Ken

My wife and I spent part of her fall break this year at the Great Sand Dunes National Park near Alamosa, CO. They are the tallest sand dunes in all of North America and they’re in Colorado! Some of the dunes are over 700 feet tall. The entire dune field itself is 30 square miles. From the base of the dunes, it's hard to tell which peaks are the tallest because of how far back they set. We picked a ridge lined with hikers and set out for what we believed to be the tallest dune. It wasn't. Not even close. It might have been the second tallest dune - still quite an accomplishment for someone about to turn fifty. Imagine walking up a steep incline made entirely of sand. But once you make it to the top, the view was worth every step. Later that day we went to…

It is June, 1944, and the largest military operation in history is about to begin. There are over 5,000 ships and 156,000 soldiers about to storm the beaches of Normandy, France. If you're familiar with history, then you know we're talking about D-Day. Not long before the start of the invasion, General Dwight Eisenhower wrote a letter addressed to the “Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Forces.” In the letter, he described the grand purpose of their endeavor and the importance of their mission. It's what you would expect from a General who is about to send 156,000 people into harms' way. But it wasn't all that he wrote. He also didn’t want to mislead them: “Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is well trained, well equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely.” Was Eisenhower trying to discourage his troops? Of course not! But…

You can be the world's worst dancer and still have good rhythm. While I'm not sure how one gets crowned "the world's worst dancer", I have learned a few things about rhythm. In fact, I've learned more about rhythm than I have dancing - which, in the eternal scheme of things, has been a more beneficial path to take. But to be honest, it has taken me over 25 years to get a good sense of rhythm. In musical terms, rhythm is the placing of sounds within the space of time, creating a discernible pattern. It forms the foundation upon which the music is able to build and flow. The rhythm I'm talking about has nothing to with musical talent, eye-hand coordination, or the ability to keep steady time on the drums. Ironically, you could be a fantastic bass player that holds the rhythm together for the rest of the…

Not long ago, a leader in another church asked me a question about how to handle a situation in his church. They are in the process of relocating to a new location and have been raising money for the new building. The question concerned how much information to divulge to the congregation regarding the sale of their current property. In an expected twist, they were able to sell it for more than expected and without the use of a broker. They had raised money for the location based on the expected income from the sale -- not the unexpected bonus. In an act of generosity, the board wanted to make a financial gift to the purchasing church - one that is smaller and reaches a growing community of immigrants. My response: you can never go wrong with being honest and transparent. It's one thing if you are transparent with people…