Keeping the Engine in Gear

Weekly Thought – July 15, 2025

Fred understood the gifts God gave him. He called them his “uniqueness.” He challenged others to identify and nurture their own. He firmly grasped the concept of rhythm in life and leadership writing and speaking about its effective use.

Keeping the Engine in Gear

During times when we have no great career accomplishments, it is important to have outside achievements. This is the way to re-attach our ego and grow again.

A friend came to see me after selling his company. He was experiencing the “what’s next” low. I suggested he find satisfaction through a non-career endeavor. Several months later I saw him. To my surprise, he was 40 pounds lighter and walking with a distinctly positive gait.

“Fred, I took your suggestion. Not only have I lost the 40 pounds I carried around for so long, but I am the club doubles tennis champion.” He rediscovered the joy of achievement.

Every career has its dead spots. Inevitably, there are idling times as we hit plateaus on the climb. It is critical to remember we haven’t failed – just our plans have. Rather than throwing us off track, we can redirect our productive energies in an avocational direction. For example, we can channel our drive into ministry, or community leadership. It is important to acknowledge the value of productivity.

The lull in the career won’t extinguish the proper use of ego gratification. Of course, it is key that these ancillary accomplishments don’t become an escape. Recognizing that they are part of career rhythm should always be uppermost. Running away and hiding is not the healthy use of avocation during vocational valleys.

The overriding principal: keep on experiencing a productive rhythm in life in order to contribute. Accomplishment and achievement are the mature use of our God-given uniqueness which is to be used for the good of others.

If we miss the opportunity to grow in the plateaus we end up simply going round and round without forward progress. The proper use of these times is to refocus, clarify, and strengthen in order to keep climbing.

The mature man or woman recognizes achievement breeds achievement.

This week carefully consider: 1) How do I satisfy my need for accomplishment? 2) What strategies do I use in the plateau times? 3) Where are my avocational as well as vocational growth areas?

Words of wisdom: “Running away and hiding is not the healthy use of avocation during vocational valleys.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Then they will realize this is your work, and that you, LORD, have accomplished it.” (Psalm 109:27 NET Bible)

Who Do You Look Like?

Brenda’s Blog – July 15, 2025

The elevator door opened to the large convention crowd who rushed in and immediately took a vow of silence. That is, until the door reopened and a woman stepped into the car. In the far back a voice was heard addressed to the newcomer: “You look like one of the presenters”… no response. We arrived at the lobby and the door opened. For just a moment the latecomer held the door back and said, “I do look like the presenter… Because I am her!”

It was an enjoyable moment in the middle of a highly-scheduled, people-packed conference.

I thought about it and wondered…who do I remind others of? What do they see in the way I speak, dress, walk, smile, treat others, or as my Mom would say “carry myself?”

On Father’s Day I posted my favorite photo off my Dad done on his 90th birthday by the premier photographer, David Edmondson. A friend mentioned it to me by saying, “I didn’t know your Dad but you look just like him.” I often want to say, “What of him do you see in me?” It could be our distinctive “Smith nose,” or our high foreheads, perhaps. Of course, I want it to be the eyes which reflect his wisdom, kindness, and intensity.

A Christian organization once named a building after Dad and commissioned a sculptor to do a bust of him for the foyer. I received a call from the group saying the sculptor just couldn’t get his nose right from the photographs but heard mine was just like his and would I go to his studio and sit while he finished? Accompanying my nose to the sitting was an interesting and intriguing experience.

As children of the living God we have the joy of bearing His name and identity – hallelujah. When others say, “you look like a Christian you can respond… yes, I do, because I am.” Yay, God!

Prepared By Hope

Weekly Thought – July 8, 2025

Fred grew up during the depression, the son of a Baptist pastor. The small southern churches offered very little hope beyond the faith that formed the foundation of the Smith family. This hope, grounded in the gospel provided lifelong values which formed his character.

Prepared By Hope

The three important words at the close of 1 Corinthians 13 are “faith, hope, and love.” Is Paul making a climactic statement that hope is more than faith and love is more than hope? I don’t know. But I do know hope is one of the great controlling emotions in our life. Faith is largely present, hope is largely future, and love is ultimate and everlasting. Hope is our belief in the future based on Christ, who holds it. Hope is not about the seen, but about the unseen.

As the philosopher said, “A man or woman can stand almost anything as long as there is hope.” When hope goes, desperation and despair soon follow. The Scripture says, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick.” (Proverbs 13:12 NIV).

I have a Polish physical therapist whose job is to stretch my muscles back into usefulness after months and months in bed. I find when he counts out loud, I have hope of his quitting. When he doesn’t, I miss knowing when the end is coming. Hope energizes patience. It gives reason for tenacity. It promotes discipline in accomplishment.

The source of hope is not random hoping, but in hoping specifically in someone or something. We hope in Christ; we hope in our spiritual experience, or belief that life has a purpose even when we don’t see it. Hope requires a definable object. That hope can be eternity – “the blessed hope” or the assurance that hope gives us here on Earth pointing to everlasting life.

My wife’s favorite hymn was “Take the Name of Jesus With You.” The chorus has a phrase which aptly describes that precious name… “Hope of earth and joy of heaven.” I grew up leading singing in Dad’s churches and revivals. One of the favorites had another great line: “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’s blood and righteousness.”

Our hope has substance because we are grounded in a changeless God who is the same as He was in the past, is not in the present, and will be forevermore.

This week think about: 1) In what is my hope grounded? 2) How do I daily remind myself of my hope in a changeless God? 3) What allows me to encourage others to hope?

Words of Wisdom: “Hope energizes patience.”

Wisdom from the Word: “I desperately long for your deliverance. I find hope in your word.” (Psalms 119:81 NET Bible)

Being a “Can Do” Leader

Weekly Thought – July 1, 2025

Fred never loafed. He believed in the work ethic, not the wish ethic. As he and Mary Alice raised their children a familiar phrase “when nothing but the will says ‘go.’” Its original is questioned, but the meaning of it in the Smith household was clear: “we don’t lean on our feelings, but on doing what is right and what needs to be done.”

Being a “Can Do” Leader

I was interested in a recent survey that studied the difference between successful and unsuccessful businesses. The top executives of major companies were surveyed. The one outstanding difference recognized between successful and unsuccessful executives was this: the successful says “I will.” The unsuccessful says, “I should, I expect to, I need to get around to it, or as we says in Texas, I am fixin’ to.”

Nothing happens until someone says, “I will.” That is the action of the decisive individuals. He picks up a great idea, writes it down, goes back to the office and says, “I will.” And he does it! My daughter often reminds me this principle applies to female leaders, as well. The other one (is this okay Brenda?) gets a good idea, may even write it down, and get it back to the office. But there is where the difference shows up. Their response is, ‘I will get around to this shortly.” Shortly seldom comes, so the same easy chair in the same rut is the place of choice.

The only difference between success and failure is found in that decision on taking action or delaying it. The old story tells of decision making patterns; 1) Ready, fire, aim; 2 Fire, fire, fire; 3) Ready, aim, aim, aim 4)and the wise pattern is ready, aim, fire. The line between the styles are thin, to be sure – but critical.

My friends in the insurance industry say it this way: “The successful agent does what the unsuccessful one won’t.” The high producing agent makes the call, does the prospecting, prepares the presentation through a knowledgeable process, and asks for the sale. And key is the fact that they do this over and over!

Too often the unsuccessful spends times organizing forms, reading the sales manuals, magazines, and attending industry meetings where absolutely no prospectives are. Then finished with the backroom work they wait for the ideal time to make the initial call. Too often “the perfect time” doesn’t come.

In my experience right thinking leads to right action which leads to the right results.

This week think about: 1) How can I motivate myself from “I ought to” to “I will?” 2) What good habits carry me through the rough times? 3) How do I take control of my daily activities and decision?

Words of Wisdom: “Nothing happens until someone says ‘I will.’”

Wisdom from the Word: “Now give me wisdom and discernment so I can effectively lead this nation. Otherwise no one is able to make judicial decisions for this great nation of yours.”(2 Chronicles 1:10 NET Bible)

Giving Up Control

Brenda’s Blog – July 1, 2025

“Don’t do a Sarah!” From his hospital bed Dad listened carefully to our conversation. A group of his good friends had just called me to offer help on purchasing a log cabin at Holly Lake Ranch which would be my home “after Dad’s homegoing.’ When I began the process I had a specific amount of money which would be my limit. If it weren’t accepted I would gratefully acknowledge this was not a good fit. These friends heard from Dad about the situation and told me they would make up the difference between what I had and what they were asking. These were godly, wise men.

I turned to Dad in the hospital room and told him of the conversation. Before I took the final breath and exhausted him with my detailed report of the phone call he looked at me and simply said, “Brenda, don’t do a Sarah. You have prayed about this; you have peace about the decision, so DON’T DO A SARAH!” I knew exactly what he meant. He and I read scripture together daily and the lessons learned in Genesis’s narrative of Abram and Sarai (Abraham and Sarah) still clearly came to both our minds.

She loved Yahweh. She loved her husband and wanted the promised blessings to be his. When it looked like the holy timetable had gotten off track she took it in her own hands to “fix it.” What everlasting trouble resulted from that simple act of helping God.

Dad was telling me to thank the men but to trust God. I graciously expressed my appreciation as I said no. Strangely, that very afternoon my realtor called saying, “I have put better offers than yours on the table repeatedly and been refused. They accepted yours and I will never know why. It is a mystery!” Was it really? Or was it the outcome of stepping out of the Ms. Fixer role and truly trusting God?

Dad died a few months later and I wholeheartedly believe those were his words of blessing for me. He knows I love God and he knows I too often jump ahead in my fervor and desire to see good things happen. But often I hear him say, “Brenda, don’t do a Sarah.”

If you find yourself too eagerly acting thinking “surely, this is such a good thing – it must be God’s will for me (or others)” pause a moment and consider that momentary trust can produce a lifetime of glory for God.

A Faithful Follower

Weekly Thought – June 24, 2025

Fred truly bore the label “lifelong learner.” A scholarly scientific researcher once told him, “Fred. always go to bed more ignorant than you woke up. Always be amazed at God’s world and how much you don’t know.” His faith walk was part of that challenge. He consistently gravitated toward those who taught him more about the living God.

A Faithful Follower

In our lives “faith” is both a noun and a verb. My friend Dr. Ramesh Richard is the founder and president of RREACH, an international proclamation ministry. He serves as a professor at Dallas Theological Seminary developing men and women in the tenets of the Christian faith. He introduced me to the “Five Solas” or the five alones of salvation: 1)by grace alone; 2) by faith alone; 3)by scripture alone; 4) through Christ alone; and 5) for glory alone. Faith is an outstanding noun.

Faith, as a verb, is the working out of our relationship through the application of the principles and disciplines. Scripture’s promises and directives set the ground rules for the life of faith. Scripture is the key element.

May I share a personal, though unusual, experience? Years ago I was in negotiations with the steelworkers’ union. Our attorney was convinced they were going to strike so he advised us against putting an offer on the table thinking it would be used against us in negotiations. As I left for home I did something I never did… I opened my Bible reading the first verse I saw: “Do not withhold from workers money that is due them.” (James 5:4) I was convinced of my decision. Opting against the attorney’s recommendation I made a reasonable offer. To our amazement the union workers readily accepted it. We avoided a strike. Even though I don’t support that method of scriptural leadership as the model for study and meditation, I felt firmly that day I had received divine guidance on walking in faith.

I believe in the principle that anytime I make a decision which does not conflict with scripture, and is supported by the desire to do right we are operating from faith. There is an old hymn which affirms the fact that “He Leadeth Me.” The hymnist prays, “His faithful follower I would be, for by His hand, He leadeth me.”

This week carefully consider: 1) Who is leading me this week?2) How can I apply the Five Solas?3) When have I experienced the guiding hand of God?

Words of Wisdom: “Faith, as a verb, is the working out of our relationship through the application of the principles and disciplines.”

Wisdom from the Word: “But someone will say, ‘You have faith and I have works.’ Show me your faith without works and I will show you my faith by my faith.” (James 2:18 NET Bible)

Reading Life’s Mile Markers

Weekly Thought – June 17, 2025

Fred often differentiated between goals and direction. In consulting and mentoring he stressed the importance of understanding the nature of direction.

Reading Life’s Mile Markers

Choosing a goal in life is not our most important decision; choosing our direction is. Chasing short-range goals can take us in the wrong direction. Mature success and satisfaction come from the direction in which we move, not in the goals we attain.

Too much goal orientation brings us the same problem Harvard Business School found in the “case study” format for instruction. Bright young students learned to solve problems rather than identifying opportunities. The real progress in life comes in the recognition of potential. Problem solving is certainly key, but it part of the process of seizing opportunities. Too much focus on goal-orientation allows us to become almost mechanical in our approach to life. The totally technological perspective on life threatens to turn us into computers. Who would want that?

I oppose setting an ultimate goal for one’s life. I do not support a specific, definable, measurable place in life. In this I mean material, educational, professional accomplishments, and certainly not character and spiritual maturity aims. When one in essence says “By 45 I will have a net worth of $X, a country club membership, a luxury car, and a notable career,” it creates a system for decision making locked in by these markers.

In my experience I have seen the futility of those who used a deterministic mindset actually achieving the goals (many times before the due date) only to recognize a huge letdown. They climbed the mountain, assuming success would create fulfillment, but when they checked off the goals they realized it was too limited.

I am not opposed to planning, but I am much more interest in making decision based on the impact they will have on who I will ultimately become if I take the path being considered. I don’t want to be so focused on goals that I get to the top of the ladder only to see it is leaning against the wrong wall. A high achieving young executive stopped by the office to tell me, “I know my direction and I also know I need to seriously review my progress and revector as needed. Just a minimal move away from the chosen direction if not corrected can create disaster eventually.”

Goals are important as mile markers to confirm we are traveling in the right direction. But, I am convinced they are not to be an end in themselves.

This week seriously consider: 1) What work have I done to establish my life direction? 2) How do I answer “Am I satisfied with who I am becoming?” 3) Who serves as a model for a healthy life style?

Words of Wisdom: “The becoming is the joy in the journey.”

Wisdom from the Word: “I hereby guide you in the way of wisdom and I lead you in upright paths.” (Proverbs 4:11 NET Bible)

Catching Up

Brenda’s Blog – June 17, 2025

“What has become clearer to you since last we met?”

Transcendentalists Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau were great friends. Their times together often left great gaps in time. When they saw each other their greeting to each was “what has become clearer to you since last we met?” Isn’t that a marvelous question? Indeed better than “Wha’s happenin?”

Their greeting presumes each has invested time thinking about ideas, doesn’t it?

In our age of mobility we often lose track of friends. Platforms like Facebook enable us to reestablish virtually, but too often face to face is lacking. The experience of sitting down with old acquaintances, associates, and even family members is both pleasurable and meaningful.
When I took a promotion and moved to Iowa my job involved regular travel. For the first thirteen months I spent the weekend wherever the work ended on Fridays. I laid out a schedule of high school, college, and country-wide friends calling it my Sentimental Journey. I invited them to meet me for a cup of coffee and a “catch up.” It literally filled my relationship tank!

Two long-term local friends and I met for lunch yesterday. Of course the conversation turned to children and grands. “I get texts weekly and sometimes daily from my daughter, but if I call I get one word answers and a hurried ‘Bye, Mom!’”

A Facebook blog carries the title “The importance of Mother/Daughter trips.” As a mom and sister who is blessed to have fond memories of road trips, bucket list fulfillments, and discoveries of delicious desserts I know the critical nature of these excursions. There is nothing like time in the car together for free conversations, silly laughter, and warm hugs. It is even a proper way to find out what has become clearer to another!

A recent article encouraged readers to say thank you to those who had contributed to their lives. Parents, siblings, teachers, pastors, and employers were high on the list. As an octogenarian most of those deserving of my gratitude are no longer alive. I sadly wish I could tell my band director or choir teacher how music has been a stabilizer for all my life. The pastor who modeled grace and peace when a selfish family ignited a church split certainly would be on my list. Employers who believed in me and “saw something” will always be critical pieces of my story. If those on your list are still alive, don’t wait! Say thank you; tell them they made a difference. That is the best catchup of all!

Doing My Best

Weekly Thought – June 10, 2025

Fred joined a team of Baptist businessmen which formed the “Focus Week” movement in the 1950s and 1960s. He and an outstanding gathering of other dynamic professionals, scientists, physicians, academicians, entrepreneurs, and executives spent time with students on various Baptist university campuses all through the year. Fred thoroughly enjoyed these five day marathons with nonstop classroom assignments, meal times, night sessions, and chapels. In 2007 the Breakfast with Fred Leadership Institute began, built on the structure and spirit of Focus Week.

Doing My Best

As Christians we need to remember God is interested in our work. He commands us to pursue excellence, avoiding “being slothful.” In our chosen business. I am sure He is hurt when we slip into mediocrity, standing around the water cooler complaining, or wasting time on personal cell phone calls. When we use company computers on company time against policy, we dishonor Him. Scripture tells us “whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all of your might, as unto the Lord.” Notice it doesn’t say, “If you enjoy your work, like the boss, enjoy your associates” then it is a good thing. That is not what scripture says. If we are going to put our life into it, then we should do it to the very best of our ability. The attitude of “unto the Lord” gives work a divine significance.

Christian executive, Mason Roberts, former President of Frigidaire, shared with me his daily closing ritual. He had a calendar on his desk with these words inscribed: “Having done my best today, it will be easier to do better tomorrow.” At the end of the day he would put his hand on the calendar, say a short prayer of thanksgiving for the day, tear the sheet off and throw it in the wastebasket, and go home. On those rare days when he could not honestly give thanks for doing his best, he would call his wife, ask her to delay dinner, and work until he found satisfaction.

It is our responsibility to bring meaning to our work. We can do it in three ways: 1)in being excellent in what we do which gives us self-respect and security; 2) in the attitude we bring to the job which helps to create a positive environment; 3)in seeing our associates as those we can encourage and perhaps even bring to the Lord.

This week carefully consider: 1) How do I measure “doing my best”? 2) What is my motivation in my work? 3) When do I feel “God’s pleasure” in my work?

Words of Wisdom: “The attitude of “unto the Lord” gives work a divine significance.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Whatever you are doing, work at it with enthusiasm, as to the Lord and not for people,” (Colossians 3:23 NET Bible)

Looking Behind the Walls

Brenda’s Blog – June 3, 2025

“You never know what you are going to find when you pull off the drywall.”

I remember when TLC and HGTV captured the imagination and creativity of America. Everyone caught the remodeling bug and even began thinking of flipping houses as a satisfactory “side hustle.”

Every show featured the moment when someone’s dream home became a nightmare. “We have good news and bad news…” We all knew more time, more money, and fewer options were to follow. However, through the miracles of TV renovation the celebrity builders overcame all barriers and produced tearful reveals.

It was not unusual to find corrosion and mold when plumbing, wiring, and flooring were opened up. The exterior appearance belied the internal decay. No Band-Aids allowed – no patch jobs worked, either.

I realized my spiritual makeover (theologians call this sanctification) is similar. As the Holy Spirit pulls down the walls, my transformation into the likeness of Jesus exposes natural rot. I needed a full clean-out as the Spirit rebuilds me in His image. How many times did He open up areas desperately needing His construction skills?

Living as a testimony to the fruit of the Spirit required full time attention. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control were the outcomes of this construction project.

He provided tools of prayer, Bible study, and Christian fellowship to bring the elements of His love forth. The reveal isn’t a one-time experience. Rather, it is a day by day, ongoing work. But the day will come when we will be presented to God as the product of His magnificent work. YAY!

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