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This is part of a loose series chronicling random thoughts on presidential history and how it pertains to leadership generally and ministry leadership in particular. You can read my last entry on William Howard Taft here. In our last meeting a couple weeks before his graduation, Jordan, the student leader I’d been coaching, confessed toContinue reading “Lessons from Presidents: Grant, Telos, and the Power of Perception”

“What if our unmaking is only as virtuous what is put in its stead? What if our deconstruction is only a steppingstone to the more honorable work of creating something more beautiful?”

I can’t say if Taft was or wasn’t called to the presidency, but his life and example remind me that as a Christian, leadership is never as simple as technical skill or personal virtue. We must consider if we’re called to a thing. If we are, then we faithfully execute that responsibility by living a life of character and growing our competence.”

“No one man should have that much power” — Police Officer speaking of Malcolm X “Kendrick made you think about it/but he is not your savior” — Kendrick Lamar, “Savior” Anyone who knows me well knows that I consider myself a huge Taylor Swift fan. Most people, upon hearing it for the first time, laugh with incredulity. I getContinue reading “Worshipping the Anti-Hero”

After feeling the sting of disappointment with reading 60 books last year, I came into 2022 with the hopeful but possible goal of reading 75. Then, at some point, I stopped caring. Between two kids and everything else, reading physical books became harder to do. While I normally listen to audiobooks while making breakfast andContinue reading “My Top Books of 2022”

Not too long ago I stopped by my alma mater to pray. It’d been on my to-do list for a while but for one reason or another I kept putting it off. That was, until I found myself with a half a day on my hands and my soul in desperate need of a retreat.Continue reading “On Legacy”

Lately three similar, yet distinct images have been on my mind. The first two most definitely happened. The third of which, I’m not too sure. It seems as equally possible to have made it up as it does that it happened. First is the time I randomly bumped into my favorite singer at a popularContinue reading “The Smaller Life”

Sometime in 2019 I fell into reading presidential biographies. I don’t entirely know why. Perhaps it’s because I was never a good student of history, and this was my way of making up for lost time. Maybe it’s because the complexity of their role somehow informs the ones I’ve held and hold. In seeing theContinue reading “Choosing Courage”

The problem with setting a low goal for yourself is that you just might reach it. While I recognize how absurd it might be to say that 60 books in a year is “low”, when you look at previous years, you understand. The beauty of plowing through 80+ books in a year is the senseContinue reading “My Top Books of 2021”