As a man, I see genuine masculinity under assult in society. I hear from men all the time of the struggles they face – direction, commitment, fatigue, goals, and accountability with the families, lives, and dreams they lead. I feel all of this not because I’m on the clouds above it but because I’ve been working through it all myself.

The physical mountain is perennial, but the answers to the proverbial mountains in our life have answers. We don’t need to be stuck there. So as the saying goes, “Come with a why and leave with a purpose,” is true. We have extraordinary purpose, whether it is small or large, this life isn’t to be wasted.

“Man must be disciplined, for he is by nature raw and wild.” Immanual Kant *Quick note* I missed my first Climb last week. We had a killer event in youth ministry, YouCon and I was on full afterburners all week. I’m sorry I missed you – but if I was going to break goal for … Continue reading Mind Dump & Priorities

“Security is defined by ones ability to produce.” General Douglas MacArthur Do you feel like you have a lot of responsibility and need to organize it? How do you keep yourself on track and prioritize? You might have your own systems in place for keeping all that you do in check – but in the … Continue reading The Weekly Planning Session

“Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” Napoleon Hill I saw a presentation a long time ago that stuck with me. The presenter was talking about how to lay out your priorities in planning. He started by talking about how everything is constantly vying for your attention, to equal urgency … Continue reading Big Rocks vs Little Rocks

You have great things on your mind and heart. That greatness isn’t the “worldly greatness” but one of the Lord. That’s different. It’s life-giving. What dream do you need to breathe life into with action?

“Deciding what not to do is as important as deciding what is.” Steve Jobs One of the most difficult things to accomplish is taking what dream and vision you have on your heart and mind, and give it wheels. How do you do it? Building a business, leading in ministry, raising a family, learning a … Continue reading Do. Intentionally.

I’m not great at the vacation thing in this season of life, maybe you can relate. There’s so much to do and two weeks doesn’t seem like a lot of time to do it. I have plenty of run-over from work on my mind. I’ll have finished vacation time by the time my head realizes I’m on it.

Moving a dream to crafting a vision and building a roadmap of goals requires planning and hard work….

It’s not just about the physical challenge of course. We’re spiritual and mental creatures too. This retreat is designed for the man looking to climb the mountains in their life. We’re going to have an incredible group of intentional men who need to make space for clarity of what’s being asked of them in life. Everyone comes from a different discipline or vocation but we share the common thread of being a man formed by God with purpose.

You can either square up with what’s been sitting on the heart or confirm that it’s not something you’re going to do — which frees up cap space for the things you do want to do. But as my dad raised us on… “the worst things in life are the woulda, coulda, shouldas.”

“Where does discipline come from? This is a simple answer. Discipline comes from within. Discipline is an internal force.” Jocko Wilink I alluded to the challenge our mastermind leader put forth, to come up with a word to serve as a guiding mission for the year. After pondering and prayer I settled on two and … Continue reading Righteous Discipline

Culturally, industry and church feel like oil and water but when you lead in both you begin to see how one can strengthen the other. Aside from being open and listening to the Spirit, here are a number of ways I find overlap…

Gut Check. How are you doing? How are your pillars and how would you rate them, being 100% honest with yourself? Where are you advancing well and where do you need help?

“We can not solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.” – Albert Einstein.Feel like you’re living out the definition of insanity of repeating the same mistakes over again and expecting different results? Change it up. Square up the problem and take charge by applying yourself differently to it.1. Change your … Continue reading Living the Definition of Insanity?

Stop. What’s the experience of the people you serve?

This post urges dreamers and doers to stoke their fire—re‑fueling passion with faith, family, and purpose—using a locomotive metaphor to inspire perseverance through fatigue and keep moving toward your mission.

There is a difference between the “I’ve been up all night,” to the “My soul has seized up”. That’s burnout. It’s claimed many from their mission and team. Recognizing it early is important so it doesn’t get out of control.

At age 10, my brother and I wanted new bikes. My dad said we could earn our way to one, so he fronted us a few cases of pop and dropped us off at a golf course to sell them 75¢ a can.