Prodigal Magazine
MIKESCHAIR Interview
As the world looks in on Christianity today, they are looking for honesty and for sincerity. Too often, what they have found is hypocrisy in those who profess to be followers of Christ. As a new generation of bands hits the forefront in Christianity today, we are seeing a transparency that has never been seen before. MIKESCHAIR is one band who is definitely not afraid to openly discuss who they are, hoping that in their journey with the Lord, others may relate and come to know Him as well. MIKESCHAIR formed while they were students at Belmont University. The Lord has ...
Father of the Decade
As I began to consider this concept, I thought it would be fairly easy. After all, how many fathers are there in the world? There must be many that stand out. How much news has been reported in the last ten years? There must be great fathers among the reports. Soon after beginning my research, I realized this was going to be a difficult, if not impossible, task. There are fathers in the news alright. Recently there was Dr. Umaru Abdulmutallab, the father of Abdul Farouk Abdulmutallab, otherwise known as the "underpants bomber", or the "undergarments bomber", or something like that. He is ...
Interview – Phil Wickham
A few weeks ago, I took a silent retreat into the North Carolina wilderness to get alone with God and to allow him to speak to my heart. I took a copy of 1 cd on my ipod, Heaven and Earth which is Phil Wickham’s latest album that releases on November 17. God spoke to me in many ways through scripture but He allowed Phil’s music to bring me to a point of true worship. I sat down with Phil this morning to talk a little bit about who he is, his career and what inspires his songwriting abilities. History Q- Give ...
Jonny Diaz – Men of God Spotlight
Our God is a God of redirection. The Bible says in Proverbs 16:3, “Commit your works to the Lord and your plans will be established.” Many of us have planned out our lives, striving to be one thing, only to learn later that God wanted us somewhere else. When we make that commitment to the Lord, we see how God redirects the paths of our lives, leading us to where He always intended for us to be. Jonny Diaz learned this lesson from the Lord and learned that sometimes, that redirection isn’t the easiest thing to accept, but once you ...
Men of God Spotlight: Scott Brosius
At the end of the 1997 season, Scott Brosius wondered where his career was going. He had just completed his worst season in Oakland and now, he was hearing the trade rumors and contemplating where he would be next. God opened a door, one that Scott could not have imagined being opened before that time, reviving his career and providing Scott with a new platform and a new audience. His faith would grow as the Lord moved in so many ways. Scott Brosius is now the head baseball coach at his alma mater. He is in our Men of God spotlight ...
Writing a Killer Resume Pt1.
Last blog, we talked about writing a quality cover letter, so we’re going to focus on resumes this week. It’s important to remember that you don’t have to be the most qualified candidate to get called for an interview. You simply have to make the strongest case for yourself, and nobody should be able to do that better than you! Just like your cover letter should make the employer eager to read your resume, your resume should make him eager to meet with you face-to-face. You accomplish this by selling yourself better than the other applicants. Think of it like this: people don’t spend $100 on Nike tennis shoes because they’re the best shoes in the world. They might or might not be; I really don’t know. People buy them because the advertisers sell them! So your resume is your advertisement. You’re the marketer and the product! That said, you should tailor your resume to suit the needs of your target market (the employer). In other words, you should have a standard resume that can be adjusted slightly depending on the position you’re seeking and the personality of the hiring person.
Continue reading...Compromise for a career?
6. February 2009
I had always dreamed of a career where I travelled. I wanted to be the guy who jumped on a plane to go from this city to the next, joining the upper echelon of the corporate world and living that life of what I deemed “meaningful”. For years, I had been on the bottom of the pole of influence within our industry and once given the opportunity to rise to the level I had dreamed of, I took it. Little did I know that I was not designed to be a part of that world. Upon meeting the other people who were doing the same job in different areas of the company, I began to figure out quickly that I had stepped into a whole new atmosphere. What I thought would be so exciting, I found it to be nauseating. It was fake, nothing more and nothing less. There were airplanes and expense reports, corporate meetings and a corporate office, which I had believed made you “significant”. However, there was deception at the root of it all. A cloud of shallowness hung over the initial meetings and I began to see that I could not fully execute their plan and stick to principles that I had learned from the Bible.
Continue reading...The Mo and the Fizzle
16. December 2008
OK, if you’re Snoop Dog, you might have some idea what that title means, but if you’re anyone else, you’re probably scratching your head. So let me explain. The mo is short for momentum, and the fizzle is what happens when momentum dies out. The fo shizzle is rap language for for sure, and really has nothing to do with today’s blizzle (blog). It’s just there to catch your attention and get you to read!
Continue reading...Never Join a Band if You Will be the Best Player.
5. December 2008
I had a cool conversation with a friend recently talking about keeping challenge, growth and passion ever present in our lives. And I shared an illustration that I know I heard somewhere, and then added my own flavor - but I wanted to share it with all of you. As you look at opportunities or teams to get involved in, whether it is work, a hobby or a passion, never go if you will be the best player in the band. When you are the best player on the band, or the fastest player on the team, there is no where to go but down. Here is why:
Continue reading...6 Reasons to give
18. November 2008
We all know we should give, but sometimes it is easy to forget some of the reasons behind it. While there are hundreds of reasons to give, these six provide a good starting point.
Continue reading...5 Tips for having Hard Conversations at Work
6. November 2008
By no means am I now a pro at this. Undoing 27 years of avoidance doesn’t happen overnight. Having corrective conversations with people is still a skill in my leadership repertoire that needs some development. No matter how many times I do it, when I know I’m going to sit an employee down and deliver a hard message, the fear monster from my past arises within me and tries to dissuade me from taking action. He works overtime, trying to persuade me to ignore the problem and avoid a confrontation. But following through on these situations is essential. It helps me develop the disciplinary edge that all great leaders have in some form and it holds employees accountable – all of which contributes to strong leadership and great results for the company. I consider myself on a leadership journey. If you are on a manager on leadership journey of your own, here are 5 tips for having those hard conversations with your employees.
Continue reading...The Ant: Getting things done
29. October 2008
Pro 6:6 Go to the ant, O sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise. (ESV) With the renowned British weather now giving us more hot sunny days than cold or wet days, a whole manner of insects and bugs thrive in the new season. All of a sudden they stir from their slumber and begin to make life all the more interesting, often at the most inconvenient times and in the most annoying of ways! One of these creatures is the ant. Think about ants - have you ever watched how they do things? Before you knock over an anthill or get the boiling water ready, let's look at five things we can learn from ants about getting things done.
Continue reading...Career :: Living For People
5. June 2008
“Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you; bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favour and good success in the sight of God and man” Proverbs 3:4-5 (ESV)
Continue reading...
17. September 2009
0 Comments