Over the last two weeks I have had two very impactful experiences through the  ministry opportunities God has allowed me to be involved in. The first was at last weekend’s snow retreat with our church’s youth group.

This past fall my wife and I volunteered to be on the youth staff as mentors. We both have a small group of junior highers we  meet with to encourage and disciple. As part of the youth staff we were asked to help with the snow retreat. The snow retreat is an annual event for our junior and senior high youth that occurs on the weekend before  MLK Day.  I have to confess that during the weeks leading up to snow retreat I was dreading the event. I obsessed over the idea of being cold, tired and sore. Thankfully, the day before the retreat God infused me with excitement, and I was not disappointed.  The event was powerful.  I had a blast. I was reminded  how God speaks into the lives of young people and gives them a hope and future (Jeremiah 29:11). Many of the 120 kids attending experienced seeing their Creator’s call to living a life that makes a difference. I had the opportunity to pray with several young men about what God wants to do through their lives. I came home refreshed, renewed, and ready to continue to walk with the young men I mentor as they explore the adventure and mission Yahweh has for them.  

The second experience I mentioned? I’ll write about that next time.

25 Wacky Interview Questions That Work – http://pulse.me/s/KObGT

George W. Bush joked about being the “Decider-in-Chief”.

Being the chief executive or director means you are the final decision maker for your organization or company. This week I found myself reflecting on how challenging making a decision can be. For instance I think: How will my decision impact one group of people versus another? How much will it cost? Is there a cheaper, equally effective alternative? What are the legal risks? What have we done about this in the past? Can I live with the other person’s most negative response? Will a particular choice tie us down for the next several years? How much will it cost in a few years? And so on…

Ultimately a leader must settle on what is best for the entity the they lead.  Remember, there are no perfect decisions, just ones that are better thought through.

Employee Recognition: It’s the Gift That Just Keeps on Giving

This article by China Gorman  in TLNT points out the power of leaders recognizing employees for the excellent work they do. I find it particularly refreshing to see that employees who are given the power to recognize their coworkers were twice as likely to feel engaged with their company’s mission.  The article points to the correlation between recognition and employees being aligned with their organization’s culture and values.

I am embarrassed to say that  I have struggled with making this important practice a habit. Too often I get side tracked by less important things that too easily clutter my day.   I have seen the  power of employee recognition with my own eyes. I want to be a leader who is good at it. So, I am recommitting myself. I will find ways to do this better, much better. Join me, let see the difference it makes.

I was mentioning to a friend tonight how New Year’s Day  always feels strange to me. I never really know how I am supposed to spend it. It usually produces a few tinges of melancholy as our family traditionally takes down all of the Christmas decorations and put back up our standard, year round decor. Generally, I feel somewhat reflective, asking myself what I accomplished in the recently passed 12 months and what couple major things do I want to complete this coming 12 months. I turned 50 in December.  This has added more significance to the reflecting I am doing. I had two resolutions for 2013. One was to finish my doctorate. The other, was to start a blog. Though it took all 12 months, I was able to check those two things off.  In this next year what do I find myself wanting to undertake? I have a few things. There is a reading list. It is broken up into the categories of books on leadership, faith, understanding people better, and a few I promised my daughters I would read (finish the Harry Potter series and read the Hunger Games trilogy). Another project that has been a long time coming that needs to happen in 2014  is purging the basement of my clutter. Jane and I have set a goal of celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary by taking a special trip together. Finally, I want to live this year being more generous. I want to be generous not only with material things but also in extending forgiveness, mercy,  acceptance, and joy to others.

I hope your 2013 was a good year. I am rooting for you in 2014. May it be a year of growing in peace, fulfillment, and love.

God bless,

Jerry