I confess. I searched Pinterest for an idea for this article. But as soon as I saw it, I knew. The following quote is one that should be second-nature to me as a Special Education teacher. I often beg parents to celebrate gains instead of fixating on goals that seem unreachable. That said, sometimes we all need to be reminded. So, without further ado, here is the brilliant yet simple quote that gave me inspiration: “Applaud progress, not perfection.” Isn’t this what the Apostle Paul was trying to encourage in his readers when he said: Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make…

Leadership is a difficult thing. Whether it is a parent in the home, elders in the Lord’s church, or one who runs a business, there is a responsibility inherent in leadership that can cause all sorts of issues. One of those issues is the “mountaintop leader.” This is the leader (or group of leaders) who sees their role as giving dictates from on high, never to be questioned by the people down at the bottom of the mountain. Their authority is never to be questioned, and they have no desire to get down in the middle of the regular folks and be a real person around them. After all, doing…

Warning! What I am about to write here may depress you. From a counseling perspective, it is probably the worst approach and advice anyone could ever give. But guess what? This world is full of disappointment and some of it you will likely never get over. This is just truth. This is why this world is not our home. Sometimes life is just disappointing and difficult. People deal with disappointment every day. There is what people wish for and then there is their real life. Maybe they wish they had more physical blessings. Maybe they wish they had a certain portion of ability or talent in some area in which…

I was sitting in a ladies’ class at the recent Freed-Hardeman Lectureship. It was one of the early sessions held in the lobby of one of the dorms, and it was a little less formal than some of the other sessions.  Most of the sessions begin with a song and a prayer before the presentation begins. On this particular morning a young lady, who was a student at FHU, was leading the prayer. She began with these words, “Father, thank you for Thursday mornings…” I had never heard it expressed like that before and it made me think about my own gratitude for each day of the week and the blessings I encounter…