Weekly Thought – September 6, 2022

Fred highly esteemed Francois Fenelon and other early Catholic mystics. Their inclusion of contemplation and meditation influenced his thinking. Laity Lodge in Leakey, TX, was built by the Howard E. Butt Foundation for spiritual growth and development. From its inception Fred and Mary Alice participated in Hill Country weekends with their friends.

Men of Meditation

Meditation is guided study with those who have long walked with God. I find the path to meditation in reading those who focused on closeness to God. One goal: to put down spiritual deep enough to endure times of drought. We put up hedge against withering times. We compare this with the scripture which reminds us grass with shallow roots dries up in the hot sun. Deep spiritual roots help us withstand the pressure of external pressures.

Let me give you a few examples of the men who influence me with their meditative thinking, priming my pump.

1) Augustine: “Love God and do what you will.” Jesus said, “If you love me you will keep my commandments.” Love and obedience come together. This thought helps me to deny legalism and choose true freedom in Christ.
2) Francis of Assissi: My paraphrase: “It is not so important that I am loved as that I love.” He understood the priorities.
3) Oswald Chambers: “Sit loose to things.” In Dallas it is very hard to learn to sit loose to things. We measure so much of our life and value by material possessions. Yet we must remember we are more than what we own. We must keep in mind if the things go we can’t feel like we have gone. Too many accumulate and say, “This is living.” That is not sitting loose.
4) Oswald Chambers: “God isn’t interested in my success; he is interested in my maturity.” This has been foundational in my own meditations.
5) Kelley: “Develop a quiet center to your life.” There must be a place where the storms do not hit. There must be that gyroscopic center from which the other instruments get their readings.
6) Tozer: “My flame may be small, but it is real.” This one I repeatedly consider. Growth and reality are integral, integrated elements.
7) Lawrence: “Dishwashing is just as sacred as prayer.” The value of work is scriptural. A friend of mine ordered a handcrafted gazebo from an African country. A year after the order the excellent piece arrived. With it came a little plaque: “Our work is our worship.” Too many worship their work instead of seeing work as a form of worship.

This week carefully consider: 1) What thoughts come to my mind regularly? 2) How can I deepen my ability to meditate? 3) Why do I get distracted when wanting to meditate?

Words of Wisdom: “Growth and reality are integral, integrated elements.”

Wisdom from the Word: “May my words and my thoughts be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my sheltering rock and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – August 2, 2022

Fred grew up in the home of a Southern Baptist preacher. “Soul winning” burned in the heart of M.B. Smith. All five “Smith boys” grew up hearing their father stand in the pulpit holding his big Bible and powerfully proclaiming the Gospel. Fred’s philosophy of evangelism has helped laymen to comfortably share the good news.

Don’t Duck

One of my favorite weekends is the annual men’s retreats in Fresno, California. We have established great trust and friendship. However, at the beginning I had to explain that I am not a pastor, ministry leader, nor evangelist. Early in the development of the lay movement it was difficult for the idea of integrating Christian faith into all areas of life feel natural.

In the 1950s the Student Department of the Southern Baptist Convention piloted an idea: send teams of Christian businessmen to college campuses for a week, staying in dorms, fraternity houses, and speaking in chapel, classrooms, and informal sessions. We all had to explain we weren’t ordained preachers – we were business people. The response was positive. “I have never heard a businessman talk about faith like you all do.” We weren’t delivering sermons, or exegeting texts – we were talking about what it meant to follow Christ.

We were not taking the place of pastors – we were expanding their reach.

During these men’s retreats evangelism would always come up. I explained that I didn’t have that gift, but that I wouldn’t avoid talking about faith if it came up naturally. I boiled it down to two words, “Don’t Duck.” Each morning I found peace in praying, “Lord, today I won’t duck. If the subject comes up I will handle it as normally as I would any other subject.”

Talking to others about spiritual matters has never been as easy for me as talking about business. But when I made the Don’t Duck commitment it became a more normal part of my day to day. Once I did that I found the most interesting thing: spiritual issues come up – and they come up as naturally as any other subject. I don’t have to figure out ways to jam it into the conversation. I met a man recently who proudly told me he never leaves a person without challenging him with the gospel. I find staying open strangely provides opportunities repeatedly.

At one particular retreat weekend I talked about my commitment to “Don’t Duck.” An advertising man in the audience had an idea. The next time all the men walked around sporting a large lapel button with a duckhead crossed through with a black line denoting “Don’t Duck.”

When we listen to the Holy Spirit our experiences are beyond anything we could force.

This week think about: 1) How comfortable am I talking about spiritual matters? 2) What would change if “Don’t Duck” became my daily commitment? 3) When can I tell the Spirit is opening up the conversation?

Words of Wisdom: “Don’t Duck.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.” (Colossians 3:12 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – October 26, 2021

Fred served on multiple Christian ministry boards. His reputation for clear thinking, direct analysis, and understanding of people drew organizations to him. They assumed his management expertise would be transferred to the organizational operating system. How wrong they were because he had definite ideas about the way God’s work should be handled. (Note: these thoughts were excerpted from a talk given in the mid-1980s… he certainly saw the trend).

Doing God’s Work in God’s Way

Corporate leadership is different from leadership in Christ’s church. Author M. Scott Peck once asked me “Why don’t you businessmen take over the church?”

“Because they can’t lead a spiritual church successfully, “I said. “Secular principles that are not anointed by the Holy Spirit are not applicable to the church. In fact, they can pollute it by bypassing the Spirit.”

Yes, some principles can be transferred and over the years I have been associated with some fine leaders in industry as well as in Christian work. My book, Leading With Integrity grew out of my concern that in the institutional church we’ve become too dependent on human leadership principles. We know a lot about effective organizational direction, but my concern is that the church may be trying to do God’s work in man’s way.

Let me be clear. God has given me intelligence and created opportunities. I have a responsibility to use my gifts fully. On the other hand, when I try to accomplish by human means what can be done only by spiritual means, I embezzle God’s authority.

If we are to do it in God’s way we must start with character. I study principles leaders can use to examine their own character and those they lead Christian leaders need to examine themselves, so that with the apostle Paul they can say, “Follow me as I follow Christ.”

The church must be involved in character building, helping men and women to grow into the maturity of Christ. Dr. Howard Rome, head of psychiatry at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN gave me a book and inscribed these words: “Few men have the imagination to grasp the truth of reality.” In my writing and through the website I want not only your imagination but your faith to grasp and awakened to the truth of Christlikeness in our church leadership.

It is tempting to attend leadership seminars presented by business gurus and then attempt to apply them to the church without the leading of the Spirit. We need discernment to filter and apply correctly, always depending on God’s will for the church.

This week carefully consider: 1) How does my church leadership team maintain correct focus? 2) Who models following God rather than man to build a church? 3) What am I seeing in churches which compromised their spiritual discernment?

Words of Wisdom: “My concern is that the church may be trying to do God’s work in man’s way.”

Wisdom from the Word: “An honorable man makes honorable plans; his honorable character gives him security.” (Isaiah 32:8 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – July 20, 2021

Fred once said, “I have spent my life asking questions. I always work to find the key question.” He knew as does Bob Tiede, premier expert on questioning, it is both an art and a science. This week we will look at two Fred asked himself as part of assessment.

Life Lessons

Personal and professional development requires the asking of questions… of others and myself. Here are two which have meant a lot to me.

1) Does my will control my feelings? Integrity is more a matter of the will than of feelings. Without the healthy use of feelings we become mechanical. We are unable to connect with others without empathy or compassion. They energize us. They make great implementers, but poor leaders. Our will is the single most distinguishing feature of our character. A strong will does not blind us to the importance of emotion. It does, however, stand against the tendency toward rationalization that attacks us.

I was fortunate to have a Mother with an indomitable will. Despite many physical disabilities she persevered often quoting “Be not weary in well doing, for in due season you shall reap if you faint not.” Her grit and Rudyard Kipling’s poem “If” inspired Mary Alice and me to make our family motto: “When nothing but the will says go.”

Leadership demands a strong will – not a selfish or stubborn one, but one determined to do what needs doing. By an act of the will we overcome the draw of pleasure and the satisfaction with mediocrity.

2) Is grace real for me? Grace was genuine, real, personal, and palpable to the great saints. The ancient Christian mystics had no doubt they were the constant recipients of Go’s amazing grace. It was a practical part of their everyday life. For example, Brother Lawrence said when he sinned he confessed it, and moved on without spending time bemoaning it. He knew without the power of God failure is natural. Reading that greatly stirred my thinking. Prior to that I lingered over guilt. Immediate grace was too good to be true, I thought. Brother Lawrence’s thinking released me.

Legalism appeals to many Christians; it fits into a common sense approach to faith. We must remind ourselves the very Scripture that lets me know my guilt lets me know God’s grace. By refusing grace we play God, choosing to punish ourselves. We develop a perverted way of interpreting events in our lives arbitrarily choosing to tag some as God’s discipline and judgment.

Grace brings freedom. If we could only freely accept it we could practice confession and continuing to walk in faith. Why can’t I see the free gift it is and how available it is? In my experience those who value grace most dearly are those who have experienced it most deeply in their lives. It reminds me of the scripture, “He who is forgiven most, loves most.” He or she who understands the release from the bondage of sin through Christ, revel in the gift of grace.

This week think carefully about: 1) How would I answer Fred’s questions? 2) When have I chosen to keep going whether I felt like it or not? 3) What questions are key in my personal assessments?

Words of Wisdom: “By an act of the will we overcome the draw of pleasure and the satisfaction with mediocrity.”

Wisdom from the Word: “So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Galatians 6:9 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – March 30, 2021

Fred believed in prayer. Their daughter Brenda remembers seeing him on his knees beside the bed at night before going to sleep. On Mary Alice’s nightstand was a spiral notebook containing her prayer list, kept current with notes, additions, and subtractions.

Please continue praying for the ministry of BWF Project. Thank you for words of encouragement and financial support. Fred’s words only grow in relevance during seasons needing perseverance and wisdom.

Prayer Changes Me

Prayer definitely is a key element in the faith walk…even though I don’t understand it. I pray because it pleases God and changes me. When Mary Alice had brain surgery many friends called to say, “We are praying for Mary Alice and the family.” I started thinking about what effect prayer had on the operation.

First, it created a community of overwhelming love. We felt the care and support of friends. After the Gulf War General Schwarzkopf appeared on Bob Schuller’s Hour of Power program. He said he came just to express appreciation for the tremendous prayers of the American people which the soldiers felt during the military action. “We felt the upholding love and the community it formed around us.”

Many of my doctor friends tell me how importantly related are these feelings of love and the will to live. As Mary Alice prepared to go into surgery, we were all conscious of her strong will to live. The entire family traveled to the Jacksonville Mayo Clinic to be with her. The morning of the operation we traveled caravan style from the hotel to the Clinic. She and I knew in each family car there was much prayer being expressed for her well-being. In ours we were playing the Elvis Presley CD singing gospel hymns – a favorite of ours.

Second, I think the more people who are praying are then inclined to engage in worship, wanting God’s will, and acknowledging His sovereignty. I believe this pleases Him. Did the large number affect God? I certainly believe it pleased Him, but I do not think it affected God’s will for Mary Alice’s surgery. To say that God is impressed or influenced by the number of those praying for something is to humanize Him and make Him into a politician.

Some are tempted to create an environment in which they expect Him to perform. They almost threaten Him with displeasure if a large number gather with a specific desired outcome and He doesn’t grant the request.

Third, well-known people and Christian celebrities have no special standing with God – and no “in” for answered prayer. I often resent those who proudly announce the celebrity status of those praying for their cause. Scripture tells us God is no respecter of persons. It also says the prayer of a righteous individual accomplishes much, but it does not say the number and status of the person is key to that accomplishment. God is just as concerned with the prayer of an orphan in the slums as He is with the most celebrated of individuals. Thankfully, God doesn’t operate according to our social pecking order.

Our prayer pleases God and changes me by aligning me with God, not Him with us. It creates a community of love, and an opportunity for corporate worship. It is the unseen, but clearly experienced vertical and horizontal connection. In prayer we are wired to Him and to each other.

This week carefully consider: 1) What wrong thinking have I cultivated about prayer? 2) Who is the subject of my most fervent prayer this week? 3) How has God changed me through prayer?

Words of Wisdom: “Prayer definitely is a key element in the faith walk.”

Wisdom from the Word: “With every prayer and petition, pray at all times in the Spirit, and to this end be alert, with all perseverance and petitions for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:18 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – November 24, 2020

Fred dedicated his life to learning – and encouraging others to grow. Before it was a popular phrase, Fred exemplified the “lifelong learner.” He believed part of the answer of God’s purpose for our lives is identifying where we hunger for deeper understanding.

Evidences of an Educated Heart

One evidence of an educated heart is the realization of self-worth. I like to hear a Christian say, “I feel good about myself.” Understanding the difference between self-worth and self-esteem is critical. We can appreciate who we are because we are given gifts by God.

A friend of mine who is a professor at a Catholic university told me “true dignity happens when genuine pride and genuine humility unite.” We in the evangelical community think of pride and humility as being antonyms when actually they are two sides of the same coin. Don’t you feel you can be justly proud of being a child of God – a member of the family.

A wealthy business friend in Boston with his wife invited a young girl living on the streets to move in with them for a year. Each night after dinner he would repeat the catechism he developed for her. “Why does God love you?” She would answer “Not because I am good but because I am precious.” Then he asked, “Why are you precious?” “Because Christ died for me” was the response. I told that story to an audience in East Texas. Afterwards a small woman in her 80s came up and said, “Thank you. All my life I wanted to be precious and now I know I am.”

You unite that pride with genuine humility and you have a truly educated heart. I like to define humility as “not denying the power you have but admitting it comes through you and not from you.” Denying the gift is lying; attributing it to God is truth telling. Some people think they are showing humility by bad-mouthing themselves. That is disrespecting God. In this we dignify what God has given.

Another evidence of an educated heart is a homing sense. That is, a sense for home. Just as the homing pigeon never loses their direction the educated heart never loses the sense of the Father’s house and our spiritual home. It is too easy to get lost chasing the dollar, or fame, or even service. Christians will be brought back through the homing instinct built into us by the Spirit.

I once met a CEO who talked about climbing the corporate ladder and putting his faith aside as not applicable to his business life. As he made decisions he started to see a relationship between the good decisions and the “old time religious principles” he learned growing up. He told me he finally made the decision to “come home” and realign himself with his faith.

An educated heart understands that he or she may have tremendous success, piloting bigger and bigger ships in larger and larger waters. But the largest vessel still bows to the instruction of the lighthouse. Never neglect the lighthouse in your harbor which marks your way home.

This week carefully consider: 1) How clear am I on my God-given gifts? 2) What reminds me that I am precious to God? 3) How strong is my homing instinct?

Words of Wisdom: “Humility is not denying the power you have, but admitting it comes through you and not from you.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Do not let mercy and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.” (Proverbs 3:3 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – November 17. 2020

Fred worked hard all his life. He grew up in the home of a Baptist preacher in the mill district of North Nashville. He understood the relationship between effort and results. He didn’t live asking for miracles to “fill in the gaps” created by the wish ethic. He believed strongly in the work ethic.

The God of Process

I’m disturbed by the number of people who talk about God as a miracle worker. I believe in the miracles of the Bible. I believe that He is capable of miracles today. But I do not believe the majority of His work is done miraculously. All that He does have wonder and awe; but I am leery of those that use miracle I the sense of “I am special.” I have encountered young people who are eager to tell me they’ve had two miracles in the morning and are looking for another in the afternoon. Spiritual immaturity.

On the other hand, we have those who believe that everything can be done by devotion alone. By that I mean a verse of scripture and a rote prayer substitute for hard work. I believe in devotion; I practice devotion. Too often those who espouse this formulaic mindset come up to me with a very pious tone to tell me, “Brother Fred if you are in trouble, read Job. Tell me and I will put you on my prayer list.” I am thankful to be on prayer lists, but I don’t believe in this simplistic approach. I believe problems need to be analyzed and answers found. A sad example is my good friend whose “devotional” wife took away his medication needed for a serious stomach ailment telling him he just needed to pray more. I don’t believe God works that way.

The danger of making everything miracle based is that it is egocentric. Too many who lean on devotion are actually operating from denial and escapism. I am convinced they are looking for the product while ignoring the process.
Here are a few principles I find for process thinking:

1) We are positioned in grace, through faith; we share the glory of God by His gift.
2) We are to rejoice in sufferings for trials and many times fiery trials) will come. We don’t rejoice in anticipation, but in participation. Paul rejoiced as he shared in the sufferings of Jesus.
3) Suffering brings endurance. My Mother, who brought five boys out of the slums would say at family devotional time: “Be not weary in well doing, for in due season you shall reap if you faint not.” She was tired. She was doing constant work, even in ill health. But she was determined to bring the boys out of the slums. Let me say to you mothers: she paid a price for that, but even in today’s affluent (especially in today’s materialistic culture) you are paying a price to raise Godly children, as well. Endurance is not measured by a balance sheet.
4) Character comes from endurance. I didn’t say personality, but character. God isn’t interested in building sparkling personas but in conforming our inner core to that of His Son.
5) Hope is a quality that permits my friend Steve Brown to say as he hangs up our frequent phone calls: “Hang tough; hang in there, babe.”
6) The ultimate object of hope is the unconditional love of God.

His process moves us from grace through faith to His unconditional love – not a bad way to invest our lives!

This week think carefully about: 1) How often do I slack on the effort and then expect a miracle? 2) How clearly do I understand the passage from salvation to glorification? 3) What excites me right now about being a Christian?

Words of Wisdom: “The problem with miracle-based thinking is that it is egocentric.”

Wisdom from the Word: “So we must not grow weary in doing good, for in due time we will reap, if we do not give up.” (Colossians 6:9 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – November 10, 2020

Fred believed in maturity and the growth process. He thought and wrote often about personal and spiritual development. He lightly regarded any systems which were “overnight success stories.” Faith, as other aspects of his life, was grounded in principles.

Promoting Spiritual Growth

Several years ago a friend was in deep trouble, even facing bankruptcy. He asked a pastor friend to pray for him. Before praying, the pastor said, “I will pray if you will promise me you won’t be mad at God even if you go bankrupt.” My friend told me that was the beginning of his serious spiritual growth.

Not only should we avoid being mad at God during adverse times, but we should also avoid the “spoiled brat” syndrome expecting God to protect us from the normal problems of life. Wanting God to make exceptions for us is immature.

A top executive came to me during a business downturn saying, “Why me? I have been a good Christian. I don’t drink, smoke, or chase women.” I don’t think those behaviors define “good Christian.” A more mature attitude would be “why not me?” We can’t expect a pass from human troubles.

It is important to develop a right image of God. Lecturing at a conservative seminary one of the students approached me and said, “Mr. Smith, God has me right where he wants me.” “Where is that?” “Broke,” was his answer. “My wife and I have a son. Do you think that is the way we want him to think about me as his father?” This improper view of God hampered his spiritual development. Ray Stedman said his life turned around when he found out “God is for me.”

Another key element of spiritual growth is a proper concept of how God works. God’s plan for us is conforming and transforming us. He has a purpose and is not an absentee landlord.

Phil Yancey, in his book Disappointment with God, writes of questions people often ask “Is the Father listening to me?” “Can He be trusted?” “Does He even exist?” I am convinced God is not afraid of these questions. Too many Christians believe they have to protect God. His integrity is worthy of every challenge. Learning to appreciate God’s silence is part of promoting our growth. Oftentimes in the depths we feel like God is silent, not giving us clear direction. God’s delays are not God’s denials. True faith does not require sight and sound productions of Hollywood proportions. Oswald Chambers says “God honors us with His silence.” Faith is an act, not just a theological concept.

The deep-rooted answers come through the struggle. He is serious about our growth so we shouldn’t be surprised at the process.

This week seriously consider: 1) How am I doing in my spiritual development? 2) What is He working on in me right now? 3) When He is silent, how do I respond?

Words of Wisdom: “Wanting God to make exceptions for us is immature.”

Wisdom from the Word: “So that you may live worthily of the Lord and please him in all respects – bearing fruit in every good deed, growing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:10 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – October 20, 2020

Fred emphasized learning as a critical element in maturity and healthy living. One of his friends told him, “Fred, you should go to bed each night knowing less than you knew when you woke up.” He meant we should recognize the vastness of knowledge, never thinking we have mastered it.

During this year the BWFLI campus visits were put on hold. Plans are being made for 2021 and a format which will allow students nationwide to participate through ZOOM and other online chat platforms. Please continue to pray. Thank you for your ongoing support.

Expanded Realization of God

A dilemma arises when thinking about what life in Christ means. I feel smaller as the realization of my Christian identity increases. It never makes me feel bigger but always smaller, and we live in a society that resists anything that reduces our individual identity. An interesting thing happens as I feel smaller, I feel more a part of the Christ-life. I fit in better.

As I increase my realization of God I also increase my ignorance and so the focus moves from knowledge to ignorance for on the periphery of expanded knowledge is always increased ignorance. This ignorance that gives me my excitement and expectation. It is not reviewing what I know but learning what I don’t know that makes life exciting.

1) I am a living soul. One of the most important people in my life was an illiterate woman who worked in a cotton mill for $2.50 a week and lived in a little row house. Shortly before Mrs. Carter died she said, “Fred, pretty soon you’ll hear that Mrs. Carter is dead. Don’t believe it. I’ll be more alive than I’ve ever been in all my life.” I believe that. This living soul of hers and mine will live eternally. This is too big for me to comprehend, but it is the first consideration of my Christian identity.

2) I am a child of God. I am more than a servant, more than a representative, not merely a creature of God, but through the new birth in Christ I am a child of God. Jesus is my brother. I am now a member of the family.

3) My body is the temple of the Spirit – “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” This is the story of Pentecost. This is what the disciples waited for. The spirit is resident, not a consultant. Nor a visitor, but a permanent resident. The spirit is the enabler who lets me say “I can get divine help.” The spirit’s filling means I can be fulfilled. I can overcome temptation, for none comes my way that doesn’t also bring at least one escape hatch and exit ramp. The spirit facilitates conversation with God. And it lets me verify truth by the “witness of the spirit.”

4) I am a witness – We too often talk about giving a witness, meaning a testimony. But life in Christ makes me a living witness. I can wish I were not a witness or even try not to be a witness. I can be a bad witness, but all the same – I am a witness. My friend JoyLynn Hailey Reed, the PhD professor says, “You cannot not communicate.” If you are His, you are a witness to what you are becoming.

This week think about: 1) What shows me how my realization of God is enlarging? 2) Which of Fred’s points can be lived out this week? 3) How am I strengthening my witness for Christ?

Words of Wisdom: “We too often talk about giving a witness, meaning a testimony. But life in Christ makes me a living witness.”

Wisdom from the Word: “He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that everyone might believe through him.”(John 1:7 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – September 15, 2020

Fred-in-the-Bed was a weekly event drawing anywhere from 17 to 36 participants who listened to his accumulated “dialysis university” thinking. Chairs were placed around his hospital-style bed and he held court. He taught for 90 minutes, enjoying every single minute! The binder of notes from 2004 and 2005 assembled by Donna Skell and JoyLynn Hailey Reed reflect the breadth of his thinking. The cover of the binder bears a metal plate with the words: “a teacher inspires.” This is the third of five excerpts featured in September, his birthday month.

November 27, 2004 Fred in the Bed, part 3

“We should have the feeling of progressing in life,” There are five disciplines in life:

a) Financial – Money is important because it gives you options, Money is like blood in the body. “I make blood to live; I don’t live to make blood.” It is healthy to live on 80% of annual income. When Mary Alice and I married we had $5.00. I always kid her saying if she wanted more, she should have saved more! We committed to living on 50% of our income until we had a year’s income in the bank. We believed in giving 10% as a minimum and definitely saving at least 10%.

Learn the difference between saving, investment, and speculation. Investment is playing WITH the odds, Speculation is playing AGAINST the odds. Make friends of compound interest. Don’t spend interest, invest it.

We used the rule of putting deposits in our “memory bank…” We invested in experiences through travel, associating with interesting people, and education. We knew that children learn financial management based on what they see their parents do.

b) Physical – I laughingly say my favorite form of exercise is stopping by my favorite donut shop, parking on Willow Lane, and watching my friends run the track at The Cooper Center. I have been blessed with good health until my kidneys decided they needed extra attention 3x a week. Childhood exposure to lead based paint slowly deteriorated their functioning. I am not disabled by dialysis, but only “delightfully dependent.”

c) Mental and associations – My good friend Charlie “Tremendous” Jones likes to say “Except for the people you meet, the places you go, and the books you read, you will be the same person in 5 years as you are today.” I know travel, reading, and associations are the pillars of my development plan.

d) Emotional – Maturity is stretching your wheelbase. Think of going over a road bump in a Smart Car then think about going over in a stretch limousine…what a difference. In the Smart Car you almost climb the bump with front and back wheels simultaneously. The limo gives a long space between front and back. Children’s emotions change from laughing to crying in just moments… they have a very short wheel base. My grandson Jeff Horch and his wife have a baby son named Jack. When he starts fussing they say to him, “Jack, SYW!” meaning stretch your wheelbase.

e) Spiritual – Know what you believe. Know what your standard of belief and truth is. I accept the Bible as the compass which indicates true north. I can wander through various intellectual forests, but still find my way home if the Bible is my source and guide. Have a clear answer for “who do you say I am?”

This week carefully think about: 1) Which of the disciplines requires significant thought? 2) How do I build memories with my family? 3) How would I measure my life progress?

Words of Wisdom: “I never think of myself as disabled, just delightfully dependent.”

Wisdom from the Word: “I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, will give you spiritual wisdom and revelation in your growing knowledge of him.” (Ephesians 1:17 NET Bible)