The Power of the Plateau

Weekly Thought – December 16, 2025

Fred studied human nature, not as an academic endeavor, but as lifelong observation and analysis. He applied what he learned as templates for board leadership, labor negotiations, as well as leadership, sales and marketing consulting. His clarity in human relations gave him a strong platform in business and Christian leadership.

The Power of the Plateau

Sound development requires a program that provides plateaus in which our information is turned into knowledge through experience and then approaching the next climb. Personal growth is not a series of nonstop climbs. Plateaus allow for assimilation before starting the next ascent. Each person has his or her own pattern and must become adept at reading their graph of climbs and plateaus. Those who try to go up too fast either run out of steam or poorly assimilate their experiences and they develop hollow spots.

All of life doesn’t evenly and systematically move through the pattern. From a distance, a graphed line may look like a consistent incline. However, when studied up close, the viewer sees it is a series of up, down, and flat places. We know the macro view usually differs greatly from the micro.

We have natural divisions in our life, such as family, career, spirit, intellect, finance, emotions, friends, acquaintances, and health. A friend of mine who consults with executives on personal development likens these segments of life to subsidiaries of a corporation. Each one reports to the individual (the CEO) who monitors and supervises the performance of each. This consultant thinks of each of us as a viable corporation with active, accountable divisions.

I like to think of the divisions as interrelated, but distinct in their focus. Clearly, ach one has its own particular life cycle of climbs and plateaus. Therefore, it is important to track all areas of our life and keep time tables charted for area. As we undertake this exercise, we can measure the condition of each division. I do not attempt or expect to have each area in the same mode. Ideally, each has its own seasons for climbs and plateaus. For example, when one is climbing in one’s career, energy and positive stress are redirected in that direction. To strive for climb mode in the other areas is asking for burnout and poor production.

Understanding the syncopation of life’s developmental rhythm keeps us in sync with progress.

This week think about: 1) How could I apply the division (subsidiary) concept to myself? 2) What techniques do I use to manage the climbs and plateaus? 3) Which areas of my life need constant attention?

Words of Wisdom: “Those who try to go up too fast either run out of steam or poorly assimilate their experiences and they develop hollow spots.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that everyone will see your progress.” (1 Timothy 4:15 NET Bible)

Finding the Good

Brenda’s Blog – December 16, 2025

“Never lose the good of a bad experience.” Those words were spoken to me by Dad after a difficult time at work and a long whine by me. It took me a minute to change gears and think about what he said to me.

How right he was! Since then I have had many, many opportunities to practice his wisdom. His statement wasn’t just “happy talk.” It required me to analyze the situation, seriously consider the experience and then break out the good from the bad. Sometimes the good continued to show up later, but I stayed open to its arrival.

He used to also tell us, “The things you cry about today you will laugh about tomorrow.” I must admit this sage advice takes a bit longer to fully mature. But as I age and look back (far back for a few situations) I see the truth.

He never offered unrequested advice, but asked questions to find what he called the “key log.” Apparently, in the logging industry often then enormous tree lengths were sent down river to the mills. Occasionally, they would jam and be stuck. Trained loggers would take a position above the river and look for the source of the jam. Then those on the river would loosen the “key log” and allow the smooth flow to continue. He would help me find the key log which was jamming up my thinking, creating chaos in my life, or just allowing me to feel stuck. His questions then served to help me see it and “blow it out of the water.”

Funny, but often I will be making decisions and I think of those questions. I even think of his response sometimes. No, I don’t hear voices, but years of hearing him talk to me and many others (especially during the 7 years he lived with me in my house) I have a mental template for his thinking.

The next time your plane is delayed five hours, or a traffic accident keeps you parked on the interstate for two hours… Work hard to find the good in the bad experience.

The Integrity of Leadership

Weekly Thought – December 9, 2025

Fred considered integrity a key element in a mature man or woman. He wrote frequently to and for Christian audiences. His understanding of human nature and the pressures of leadership helped many.

The Integrity of Leadership

As I think about spiritual leadership, I am convinced that the key is the Holy Spirit’s energizing and directing the leader’s uniqueness and giftedness by giving him or her a vision that creates a passion. I have never known a lazy or confused leader with a clear passion. Oat Willie of Austin, Texas, charged “Onward through the fog!” It works for cartoon characters, but fails miserably as a leadership mantra.

For years I have been writing articles targeted to Christian leaders. I have spoken in groups, large and small. I realize that it is difficult to be a Christian leader in an almost totally secular society whose renewed interest in spirituality is new age, not biblical.

In a world of “doing God’s work in man’s way” many Christian leaders have lost much of the respect they once enjoyed. Burnout is common; depression is almost epidemic. Stress is increasing; immortality and divorce are more prominent. Short tenure is too much the rule, rather than the exception. More and more preachers are faced with the demand to entertain and excite.

Could a major part of this problem be that leaders have lost their identification with the Lord? Have they become convinced they work for the church rather than for God? Are they surrendering their spiritual authority to the church board?

Some in Christian leadership are misplaced. Remember the farmer who read a “GP” in the clouds, immediately left the field and headed for the pulpit? After he failed as a pastor, the word came down from above: “Farmer Brown, “GP” meant go plow, not go preach!”

Leaders who are not endowed with gifts energized by the Spirit become easy prey to human methodology and open themselves to the temptation of power, prestige, and money. Christian leaders should always remember that theirs is a calling, not just a career.

Focus on the key elements of Christian leadership empowers the stewardship of service.

This week think about: 1) How clear am I on my passion? 2) When did I recognize my calling? 3) Where am I possibly losing focus on my direction?

Words of Wisdom: “Christian leaders should never attempt to do ‘God’s work in man’s way.’”

Wisdom from the Word: “The one who conducts himself in integrity will live securely, but the one who behaves perversely will be found out.” (Proverbs 10:9 NET Bible)

Faith in a Faithless World

Brenda’s Blog – December 2, 2025

Growing up watching TV in the 1950’s meant 3 stations in black and white with a sign-off accompanied by the national anth6em and a “test pattern” indicating that was all the TV until the next day.

We had our favorite shows which came on for weekly… No streaming and seeing TV any hour of the day. A weekly publication came in the Sunday newspaper with the TV schedule. If you were a true fan you would subscribe to the TV Guide which was delivered to your house in the mail… that was “big time!”

During the 60’s our choices expanded. We traded in Kukla, Fran, and Ollie and Howdy Doody for Queen for a Day and Perry Mason.

The lawyer who was the impetus for increased law school recruitment pulled a rabbit out of his legal hat week after week. We all had faith in his ability to dramatically prove his client innocent while exposing the true perpetrator simultaneously. No one ever beat Perry Mason!

The weekly opponent was the prosecutor, Hamilton Burger. Every time Mason would make a provocative statement Burger would rise to shout out, “I object… that is incompetent, irrelevant, and immaterial!” The writers loved to spur him to this mantra-like expression.

Those of us who follow Jesus live in a world that is adversarial. When we share our beliefs we often get a spirited “incompetent, irrelevant, and immaterial!” as the response. Those of us who hold to the doctrines of the Bible are often demeaned. Our positions on the authority of scripture and trust in Jesus as the only way of salvation are ostracized. But like Perry Mason, our God has the answers. Vindication is His as is the triumph. The true “perp” is exposed and judged for his evil doing. The enemy of our souls is relegated to forever judgment and punishment.

Television entertained us, but the Lord God Almighty brings revelation and forever… all in living color!

Holding a Taut Line

Weekly Thought – December 2, 2025

Fred appreciated the book Stress versus Distress, Written by Canadian psychologist Hans Selye. He frequently talked about the value of tension. The book differentiates between vertical and horizontal stresses… one pulls together, and one pulls apart.

Holding a Taut Line

Successful leaders have learned to appreciate tension. I am convinced that positive stress is a wonderful thing. Where else would we get the energy to carry out our responsibilities? Botanists teach us about the importance of turgor – that normal fullness that comes from the tension produced by fluid flowing through the veins of plants. Lack of people tension makes plants droop. We are no different. Without a healthy degree of stress and tension, we wilt.

Certainly we must control stress but we must not eliminate it. One of the finest ways to control it is by learning to correctly using it, and not fearing it. If you don’t have tension, you won’t have the enough ambition to become successful.

We had a young man who, when asked the question, “How long have you been working here?” answered, “Ever since the boss threatened to fire me!” This young man didn’t have the fire in the belly needed by true leaders. Successful men and women have an intense rhythm and energetic pace.

I sometimes hear wives complain about how tired their husbands are at night. I think this is part of the price of leadership. You can’t have the placidity of a mule and the earnings of a race horse.

A psychiatrist friend of mine was sent to Guadalcanal following the bloody battles with the Japanese in 1942. He was to talk with both heroes and cowards to ascertain why each reacted as they did. My friend told me both were motivated by the same great fear, but the heroes ran forward and the cowards ran backwards. The heroes redefined the fear as a positive motivator.

The same principle applies to business. We either face problems as challenges or withdraw into the shell of inertia. We can choose to see either obstacles or opportunities.

This week think about: 1) Do I handle stress in a healthy way? 2) How do I process important decisions? 3) What changes do I need to make to make tension work better for me?

Words of Wisdom: “Successful men and women have an intense rhythm and energetic pace.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Stay alert, stand firm in the faith, show courage, be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13 NET Bible)

Flying With The Eagles

Weekly Thought – November 25, 2025

Fred knew he had no college education, no natural network of influencers, and no financial resources, but he knew he had God-given gifts of discernment, connection, intellectual curiosity, and desire to make a serious contribution… all based on his faith in Jesus Christ.

Flying With The Eagles

I believe I am responsible for my own personal development. Only I know what I want to become. Only I know my real strengths and weaknesses, mu passion and talent. Only I know the price I was willing to pay to become who I want to be. My personal development stands on four legs.

The first leg is mentoring. When I was young I heard the expression, “Birds of a feather flock together. I knew then I wanted to associate with individuals who would serve as mentors and role models. So early in my business career, I chose six qualities I wanted to build into my life. I asked six individuals who personified each quality to send me an autographed photograph. I framed them then hung on my office wall with Hoffman’s “Head of Christ” portrait at the top and a mirror on the bottom of the square. I could look at the wall and ask myself how I was maturing. This was the first step in my development.

Reading is the second leg of my development program. I do prescriptive reading. Just as everyone doesn’t have the same eyeglass prescription, we don’t have benefit from the same reading resources. I read no novels. I concentrate on certain authors who can give me what I need, such as Oswald Chambers, Francois Fenelon, and Peter Drucker. I also read individual chapters in books that are focused on my major reading themes (philosophy, theology, mentoring, psychology, and science).These are areas for which I have a natural affinity.

The third leg of the program is writing. Until I started working for Maxey Jarman, chairman of GENESCO, I was a totally verbal person. Once I was telling him about a situation in one of the plants and he said, “Write it.” When I told him I couldn’t write it, he said, “The reason you can’t write it is that you don’t know it. Anything you know you can write.” I later came across this quote from Sir Francis Bacon: “Writing makes an exact man.” I learned to write to burn the fuzz off my thinking.

The final leg of my development plan is travel. It opens wide the window of experience and expands my viewpoint. Growing up in the mill district of North Nashville during the depression afforded me no thought of travel. But a crystal radio used in the attic of a Baptist parsonage allowed me to dream of faraway places. Mary Alice and I knew we wanted our children to love the value of travel – and we succeeded!

This week focus on: 1) What are the key elements of my development plan? 2) Which of the four legs I my strongest? Weakest? 3) How am I helping my family, my organization, my friends develop?

Words of Wisdom: “I learned to write to burn the fuzz off my thinking.”

Wisdom from the Word: “We proclaim him by instructing and teaching all people with all wisdom so that we may present every person mature in Christ.” (Colossians 1:28 NET Bible)

Hope, Hope, Hooray

Brenda’s Blog – November 18, 2025

My friend, Becky, was a champion, a hero, a faith-walker. She had cancer, but cancer didn’t have her. Support groups, teal ribbons on the campus of Baylor Hospital, and young Moms encouraged by talks – all these were brought to life by her. What motivated her? 1) Her belief in the Lord Jesus Christ; 2) Her belief in a God-given purpose; and 3) Her belief in HOPE… not ordinary lower case hope, but HOPE.

She once ended a speech to a group at Baylor Hospital with a resounding HOPE, HOPE, HOORAY!! That was the way she lived. She taught all of us to treasure each day and spend each hour doing what we are called to do.

Years ago during the age of the Tea Party I joined friends in attending gatherings to stimulate interest in lower taxes and smaller government. We fervently wrote letters, hosted neighborhood get-togethers and created clever hand-lettered posterboards.

One evening I decided to express my deeply held conviction that the darkness was overtaking the American culture. Perhaps I still do, but on this evening I felt it necessary to lay my case before my son and his wife, parents of my newest grandchild. They listened then deftly changed the subject. But before closing the conversation my son left me with one statement, “Mom, we love you and we appreciate your concern. If things are going to get worse as you believe then we ask you to help us hope.” It was nearly 17 years ago those words still stir my heart.

Becky understood the power of hope. My son understood the need for hope.

Hope is part of our job description as believers in Jesus. We are to exhibit the boldness and courage which can only fully be seen through Him. He gives us peace when all we have are pieces. He gives us strength when all we experience is the storm. He shows a way when “there seems to be no way,” as Don Moen wrote.

A smile, a kind word, an encouraging text, or even an uplifting comment on Facebook can bring hope. A “song in the night” via an email can change dread into eagerness. Let’s be hope givers who practice the fine art wherever we go. Opportunities are abundance. Hope is always welcome.

Answering The Call

Weekly Thought – November 18, 2025

Fred sent a small scrap of paper to his elder daughter with the following words: “Brenda, opportunity is not mandate.” She knew immediately he was saying “An open door isn’t necessary the will of God.” She often knew the exhaustion of seeing every opportunity as a requirement, not just an option.

Answering The Call

There’s a difference between a mandate and a call. A call is personal – it comes to the individual. A mandate is collective. While a call is an individual’s reason for service, a mandate is an organization’s reason for being.

A leader needs to have a sense of call to serve effectively. Prison evangelist Bill Glass emphasizes this when training the prison counselors. He says, “You have volunteered to be a counselor, but you have dedicated your life to personifying Christ in this prison.” He goes through a litany of experiences a volunteer might have that they find offensive, but then knows the dedicated will hang in.

A call may change. A person might sense a calling to a different organization or a different form of service. Sometimes I think the call may actually lead someone out of vocational ministry altogether. Recently, I talked with a pastor whose primary ministry was preaching. I asked him how he was doing. He admitted he was unhappy and so were his people. I then asked him, “What is your real love?”

“Winning people to Christ,” was his answer.

“In your saint-saturated organization,” I said, “there is nobody to win. And whenever you get up to teach you don’t see a single soul who needs salvation. You are by nature an evangelist. Have you considered leaving the formal pastoral ministry and going back into automobile sales where you are regularly in contact with lost people?”

“That is where I was the happiest.”

He had allowed church pressure and his ego to get involved, ending up in the pastorate. When I checked back with him he was back in sales happily using his spiritual gifts to tell lost men and women about the saving grace of Jesus.

His call to evangelism did not match the organizational structure he was serving. Now his call and his passion are in harmony. Being realistic about the call is an outgrowth of experience, giftedness, training, and desire. It is often more effective and satisfactory than mistaking circumstances and open doors as the mandate.

This week think carefully about: 1) Where am I drawn, not drafted? 2) Which areas in my life need harmonizing? 3) How can I help others distinguish between call and mandate?

Words of Wisdom: “A leader must have a sense of call to serve effectively.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Since the eyes of your heart have been enlightened – so that you can know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints.” (Ephesians 1:8 NET Bible)

Free Time That Counts

Weekly Thought – November 11, 2025

Fred viewed “goofing off” dimly. His mind worked ceaselessly. The possibility of time before the TV (unless it was golf) as a desirable activity fell into the “spent time, not invested time” category. He believed in refreshing and re-creating, but not in the meaningless waste of time and energy.

Free Time That Counts

Many times our leisure determines whether we are going to be mediocre or successful. A Christian should use leisure constructively to build and not to abuse. Weekend carousal is out. Volunteer work and healthy diversions are in.

Leisure gives us time for reading, studying, traveling, and ministering. We are to invest our leisure, not spend it. I want my leisure time to pay dividends like any other good investment. A good hobby provides relaxation – a lot of spice for life. Recreation should be re-creation. Our pleasures should restore our energy and create pleasant memories.

For many, recreation is the opposite… like the nurse sitting next to me in the adjoining seat from Miami to Chicago. I asked her whether she was coming home or going to work. She said she was returning from a long weekend of partying in the islands. Her eyes looked like two red traffic lights. She was going to have to go home to her job just to recuperate from her leisure! This, certainly, isn’t the Christian’s way. She had made a big payment for this leisure time without hope of any interest or dividends.

My friend Jed Thompson uses his vacation time to work on a boat on the Amazon River, bringing with him dentists and technicians who volunteer their time. They come fully supplied with resources donated by friends. They go up and down the river ministering to the local people… first to their physical needs and then to their spiritual ones. Other friends of mine take part of their summer vacation to go to the poorest areas in the world serving Christ.

Service to others is a pleasure unknown to the selfish. In William Barclay’s prayer he asks for pleasure in his leisure. This only comes through the giving oneself to something greater than themselves.

This week carefully consider: 1) How do I spend my leisure time? 2) When do I feel God’s pleasure in my time? 3) What defines re-creation for me?

Words of Wisdom: “A Christian should use leisure time constructively to build.”

Wisdom from the Word: “God blessed the seventh day and made it holy because on it he ceased all the work that he had been doing in creation.” (Genesis 2:3 NET Bible)