Facilitating Closure
U.S. President Donald Trump this week issued an executive order directing Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to begin facilitating the closure of the U.S. Department of Education.
Madness
Much of the sports world (particularly in the U.S.) is focused on the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, which crowns a national champion for Division I men’s college basketball and makes up a significant portion of what is commonly dubbed “March Madness.”
Breach
A week and a half after the U.S. launched an intense wave of bombing attacks on Houthi rebels in Yemen, a journalist revealed he had inadvertently been included in a secure group chat with top U.S. officials discussing specific plans for the attack.
Ukraine Aid Paused
The United States has paused military aid to Ukraine in an effort to speed peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. The move comes days after a tense Oval Office meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.
On That Day
On that day. Those three words denote a dramatic change in perspective and destiny. They provide a window into why and how you should have hope about your future.
Tariffs Take Effect
U.S. tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico are now in effect, and the previous U.S. tariffs on China have been doubled. Canada and China responded with retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, and Mexico announced it will do the same this weekend.
Joint Session of Congress
U.S. President Donald Trump addressed a joint session of Congress on Tuesday. In what is essentially a difference without a distinction, it was not formally a State of the Union address, as the President is in the first year of his second non-consecutive term.
To Respond or Not to Respond
Federal employees are in a bit of a bind as a result of mixed messages from their chain of command. Over the weekend, employees of agencies across the federal government were instructed by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to report by email what they had accomplished last week, or else be terminated.
The Vital Skill of Listening in Marriage
Married couples regularly underestimate the value of not just good, but great, communication in their marriage relationship. Communication underscores any truly successful marriage
Mayor Under Fire
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is under fire but may soon be exonerated from federal prosecution. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has asked for the corruption charges pending against him to be dropped.
A Penny Saved
You might want to hold on to that jar of pennies on your shelf, because they may soon be a relic of the past, as U.S. President Donald Trump has instructed the Secretary of the Treasury to halt production of new pennies.
A Satisfied Life
Terror at night . . . armies attacking . . . a stalking enemy . . . plagues . . . pestilence . . . wild animals . . .
Those are all descriptors found in Psalm 91 of the dangers you and I face in this world. It paints a pretty bleak picture!
Leading from Personal Vision: The Missing Piece in Pastoral Leadership (Part III)
When pastors lead with personal vision in place, their leadership takes on new depth and credibility. Instead of asking their people to live lives of purpose while struggling to do so themselves, they lead from a place of integrity and inspiration.
Tariffs
It was a wild news week on the tariffs front. First, U.S. President Donald Trump announced new tariffs on goods imported from China, Canada, and Mexico. Goods from Mexico were to be subject to a 25% tariff when entering the U.S., while goods from China were to be subject to a 10% rate, and goods from Canada were to face either a 10% (energy goods) or 25% markup (non-energy goods).
Leading from Personal Vision: The Missing Piece in Pastoral Leadership (Part II)
So how does a pastor develop a personal vision that fuels rather than fights against their ministry vision? It starts with intentional reflection in three key areas…
A Shaky Ceasefire
Less than a month into the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, there are serious signs it is faltering. After a series of hostage-for-prisoner releases, both sides are accusing the other of violating the ceasefire, and Hamas has threatened to delay the next planned release of hostages (set for this weekend).
A Thin Line
Less than two hours after swimming the best race of her life, she was in tears of disappointment.
Leading from Personal Vision: The Missing Piece in Pastoral Leadership (Part I)
Many pastors lead with a clear church vision in mind. They cast mission statements, set goals, and rally people toward a preferred future. Yet, many of these same pastors struggle with a lack of personal vision.
How to Make Sure Your Organization Fails
There is no shortage of tips, tricks, and opinions out there claiming to lead you to success. And it is true that there are a lot of different elements that can lead an organization to success. You can get pretty lost in that world if you want to.
Buyout on Hold
A U.S. federal judge has put on hold an offer put forward by U.S. President Donald Trump to buyout federal employees. The offer, which the White House says has already been accepted by 65,000 federal workers, is to voluntarily separate from the federal workforce with severance pay until the end of September rather than comply with a return to full in-office schedules.