Weekly Thought – July 7, 2026

Fred loved exercise, if done by others. He teased Dr. Ken Cooper, founder of the world-renowned Cooper Clinic and Aerobics Center in Dallas one of his favorite activities was driving through the donut shop, parking, and eating while he watched others run. But he believed serving others meant taking care of himself. He chose manual “temporary” projects around the house as his favorite outlet for fitness. He was the king of duct tape!

Head in the Game

As a way of starting, let me ask you to take a piece of paper, draw a line from top to bottom, dividing it into two columns. On the left, list those emotions which you must discipline in order to stay mentally healthy. These are the ones that bring us mental discomfort or even make us sick. On the right, list the one that move us toward healthy living. For example, unrestrained anger, jealousy, greediness would be on the left; gratitude, excitement, and positive tension would be on the right.

The next step is to use our willpower to focus on the healthy and avoid the unhealthy. Until we identify them and their affect on us, we cannot do anything about it. But we need to recognize that emotions vary in their affect. Fear may be paralyzing and immobilizing to one person, while it is only distracting to another, or even energizing. I cannot make a list for you, nor you for me. But we can think about it together.

One important point is most emotional problems are not sin, per se. they are the result of being human and living in a human, fallen world. But we have to recognize that sin does play a part in some situations. When this is true, willpower isn’t the answer – repentance is. We must take responsibility for emotional difficulties that are sin-based. I cannot handle my rebellious spirit by calling it an unhealthy attitude. No amount of counseling will cure me. I must confess, repent, and go God’s way.

I wish there were an easy way to maintain a healthy mental life without discipline, but there isn’t. In many ways our will is who we are and who we will become. Actually, a harmful emotion can be turned into a good one by the action of this will.

Scripture talks about self-control and it speaks of it as a purposeful action. That is the way to emotional health. I found out a long time ago, if you decide to live with the unhealthy emotions, decide also to indulge and suffer. Health is a choice.

This week consider: 1) How do I handle negative emotions? 2) Which emotions are the best for my mental health? 3) Who models emotional health for me?

Words of Wisdom: “If you decide to live with the unhealthy emotions, decide also to indulge and suffer.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is worthy of respect, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if something is excellent or praiseworthy, think about these things.” (Philippians 4:8 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – June 9, 2026

Fred loved golf. He began playing when he was 50 and never stopped studying the game. At one time they had a weekend home on a golf course. He started picking up lost balls – when he ended up with 1000, Mary Alice called a halt. And, just like every other area of his life, he grew by asking questions and by continually learning.

Boy in the Mirror

When I wake up at 2:00 am and the little boy inside won’t speak to me, I know I am in trouble. For me, self-respect is measured by my relationship to that little boy. I like to stay on good terms with him.

Self-respect is the basis of excellent internal relations. It calls us to fulfill our mission, to use our talent, to improve ourselves, to become a person we enjoy living with. Self-respect must be a permeating influence in our life, centered in our heart and radiating out through our actions.

I was active in the development of 26,000 acres in Colorado which drew families from all over the country. The grandeur of the mountains, the beauty of the lakes, and the mountain climate attracted many who came for tranquility. Too bad many of them thought the surroundings and the excitement of a new development would ensure a fresh start and a peaceful life. Instead, the contrast between their external environment and their internal turmoil drove them away. They looked into the mirror and only saw ugliness. So, they packed up and took their problems to the next place.

There are some questions we can use to measure (or at least approximate) the state of our internal relationship:
1) Is my self-respect increasing? Where are the hollow spots? Are they growing or decreasing?
2) Am I content with who I am becoming?
3) Am I willing to be known for who I am rather than an acquired mask?
4) Do I have to maneuver my relationships to avoid closeness?
5) How deep are my relationship roots? Can they withstand adversity?
6) Do I feel alienated from my own relational history?
7) Am I trying to buy my way with others, binding them to me with a golden chain?
8) Am I making peace with my own mortality?
9) Is gratitude a growing emotion knowing I have nothing but what I have been given?
10) Am I increasingly willing to give before I get?
11) Do I feel my life becoming more integrated, bound together by my faith?
12) Can I love?

This week think about: 1) Which question is the hardest to answer? 2) How am I doing with the little boy (little girl)? 3) Where am I growing?

Words of Wisdom: “Self-respect is the basis for excellent internal relations.”

Wisdom from the Word: “May grace and peace be lavished on you as you grow in the rich knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord!” (1 Peter 1:2 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – June 2, 2026

Fred believed in discipline. Those four words are a powerful understatement to those who knew him. He lived his life considering and paying the price to make a contribution and to steward his uniqueness. He didn’t believe in “happy talk” which fooled people into believing accomplishment came without work. The wish ethic took a total backseat to the work ethic. He believed in motivating himself to “love and good deeds.”

Urged and Spurred

As humans on earth we are motivated and gravitated. The weight we can lift is the amount we can overcome, whether it is the press of gravity or the pressure of negative circumstances. Unfortunately, we sometimes underestimate the power of both and assume we are weightless. Mythological creatures crashed to earth when attempting to fly and human beings fall flat when they neglect to assess the need to overcome.

When the positive motivation for accomplishment is let go, the negative motivation for immobility takes over. This is why we cannot stand still.

It is important to measure our motivations. Here are three pegs for our thinking on this subject:
1) How do I define enjoyable activity? Have you ever attended a function and noticed some who were clearly miserable? They felt obligated to be there, but didn’t enjoy a minute of it. Positive motivation must be healthily enjoyable. As individuals, we have the right, even the responsibility, to decide what we healthily enjoy and avoid the unhealthy.
2) What am I doing that matters? So much of what we do makes such a little difference and it drains our energy and spends our time. I decided a long time ago to invest my time, not just spend it. What I mean is this: I invest my time in the people who are closest to me, the causes that are most important, those things that use my unique talents, and those efforts that accomplish meaningful contributions in the lives of others.
3) How am I implementing the needful? For example, I believe it is needful to do something every day that I don’t want to do, simply to continue developing my willpower. The will is a muscle. It may be our most important one and it must be exercised to be ready when called upon. Will power becomes flabby in a hurry. It cannot be made permanently strong. Another need is to take time with people from whom you get absolutely nothing but with whom you need to be human. Ridding ourselves of negative emotions is needful. The farmer must chop the weeds not just because he dislikes weeds, but because they use resources in the soil necessary for profitable crops.

This week think about: 1) How motivated am I? 2) What matters most to me? 3) Where am I most disciplined? Least?

Words of Wisdom: “One of the secrets of self-motivation is realizing when something doesn’t satisfy, more of it still won’t satisfy.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Finally then, brothers and sisters we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received instruction from us about how you must live and please God (as you are in fact living) that you do so more and more.” (1 Thessalonians 4:1 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – April 28, 2026

Fred rarely allowed himself to wallow in the blahs. “There’s nothing wrong with me a little excitement wouldn’t cure.” And that excitement often came in later years with a phone call from friends, a visit, or preparation for his Fred in the Bed sessions. He refused to accept life as a dead end.

“I learned what it looks like to finish well as I watched Fred,” said one of the faithful Fred in the Bed folks. Each minute of life is a teachable moment.

Tired of Boredom

Boredom is the dry rot of our soul. It comes when we feel we’re not doing something worth the time. Or when what we are doing isn’t interesting, meaningful, or challenging. Boredom can also be the result of living life too efficiently and not effectively enough. When life becomes a series of habits and routines, our creative juice dry up and we prune up.

I remember hearing our children say to Mary Alice, “I am so bored — there’s nothing to do.” She generally offered a dish rag or a dust mop which generated a flurry of “let’s get out of here” activity. I usually said, “Well, what are you going to do about it?” We need to learn early on the solution to boredom is our responsibility, not that of others.

The pseudo-sophisticate who feigns boredom just to look suave wears me out. The danger of allowing ourselves to live in that mood is that melancholy waits at the door. We can spiral down by refusing to lift ourselves out of the emotional quagmire which grows out of constant boredom.

Here are three suggestions if you are bored:
1) Break up the repetitions of life. Sometimes the slightest alterations can create interest. When I was speaking constantly and a talk became routine, I would rearrange the points to pique my own interest and increase my concentration. Routine is necessary for efficiency, but life is more than efficiently managed time.
2) Add something to your life. Start a new activity, begin a new hobby, see the old things in a new way, cultivate a new friendship, do something specific for others each day. Don’t forget — the more bored you are, the less interesting you will be to others. As you add more dimension to your life, others will notice.
3) Take something bad out of your life. We all have junk that weighs us down and holds us back. For Fat Fred it is often those 20 pounds that pound away at me. The sedentary life is a doorway to boredom. Professional “goofing off” probably needs to go. Mary Alice and I spent a New Year’s Eve in Naples, Italy. Their custom is to throw everything they don’t want into the street so they don’t carry it into the next year. Bored? Try junking the junk.

Boredom is the sure sign of poor self-management and lack of personal responsibility.

This week carefully consider: 1) How do I respond to “I’m so bored.”? 2) When is the last time I felt bored? 3) Who needs some encouragement to take personal responsibility?

Words of Wisdom: “Bored? Try junking the junk.”

Wisdom from the Word: “When Jesus saw him lying there and when he realized that the man had been disabled a long time already, he said to him, ‘Do you want to become well?’” (John 5:6 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – April 21, 2026

Fred’s influence on others continues, even 5 years after his homegoing. “I find myself using his phrases and quoting his thoughts,” said JH. “He was so down to earth and the things he said just seem to fit in.”

Joy and Respect

Joy comes to those who can truthfully (yet humbly) know they deserve respect. We have an inner reading on our personal attributes which measure up. Feeling respect for oneself is somewhat like feeling we belong. Sadly, some people never feel the satisfaction of understanding their place in life. Some of this comes from never gaining self-respect.

Becoming respected begins with becoming respectable. Living life worthily is the way of joy and respect. Gandhi understood this.

Bill Glass, my friend who dedicated his life to prisoners, speaks often of the way the incarcerated think of themselves and others. Unfortunately, positive respect gets perverted into admiration for criminal behavior. He believes their path began with a lack of human respect. Most of them never understood respect is earned because of our human potential for being a contributing, loving person. And just as important, that we exercise self-restraint in preventing harm to others.

I always say service is the rent I pay for the space I occupy on this earth. Too often we measure worth in dollars. Respect doesn’t come through accumulation alone. For example, mothers who may have never made an outside dollar in their life but raise children well and hold their families together deserve great respect and honor. Some of those who deserve great respect earn the least. I think of teachers and preachers.

Once I talked to a retiring executive who said his lifetime ambition was to “leave a better team on the field than the one I joined.” He built a lifetime legacy. A boy scout told me they were trained to leave their campground cleaner than when they arrived. That is a tremendous way to develop respect for oneself and the organization. I love the story of the old man who donated his eye to a young man so after he was gone he knew the eye would go on seeing. Purposeful giving garners respect.

The wonderful thing about joyful respect is the opportunity to weigh ourselves daily as long as we live. If the scales show us a bit short, we can do something about it immediately. Those who show no interest in earning respect by making a contribution have very little joy and usually a lot of guilt.

This week think about: 1) What do I most respect about myself? 2) How am I paying my rent? 3) Who models respect most profoundly?

Words of Wisdom: “Purposeful giving garners respect.”

Wisdom from the Word: “The hope of the righteous is joy, but the expectation of the wicked will remain unfulfilled.” (Proverbs 10:28 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – March 31, 2026

Fred wrote for Leadership Journal from its inception. He created interest by choosing subjects which most avoided. He worked with Harold Myra, Paul Robbins, and Marshall Shelley for years as they brought cutting edge material to the marketplace. This week’s thought is excerpted from a 1984 article titled “Why Peacemakers Aren’t Popular.” In today’s environment, a word about peace is helpful.

Encouraging emails this week comment on the ongoing value of Fred’s thinking. “It could have been written last week” is a frequent expression. That is the benefit of principle-based work. “Only the illustrations change,” said Fred.

Have you been stretched by Fred’s words? Who else needs to know about the Weekly Thought? Help us expand the reach and deepen the impact of Fred’s lifework by sharing.

Making Peace

Nothing I know starts fights faster than the subject of peacemaking. In principle, of course, everyone is for it. But it’s amazing how defensive and hostile people get trying to make peace.

One of the reasons peacemaking isn’t popular is simply because some have a vested interest in conflict. We see this in union/management negotiations, and sadly, even in the church. I have seen leaders take up the “purification of the church” cause thinking they are defending God. Personally, I don’t think God needs help, especially from the hostile.

Peacemaking is an action springs out of the right attitude. Sure, we will have differences, but they shouldn’t create anger and separation. Mishandling differences just raises the emotional temperature. We aren’t supposed to be fever-makers, but peace-makers.

We don’t redeem situations by changing organizational structures. We redeem them by bringing in a different spirit – the spirit of Christ – even if it means we’ll lose. As difficult as this is for me personally, it’s still true.

The Spirit of Christ eliminates the inflammation and inflammatory.

It’s amazing with the nearly universal desire for peace, very few people are willing to pay the price it requires. Like the rest of the traits mentioned in the Beatitudes, peacemaking is admired as an ideal and ignored as a reality. Too many of us prefer power to peace.

What Christians must remember is power does not come by vanquishing others. Power doesn’t even come by defending the right causes or the purity of our theology. No, true power (and peace) come through humility and obedience. And that’s a price few are willing to pay.

Think about: 1) How interested am I in peacemaking? 2) What price am I paying for peace? 3) What do I “go to the wall” for?

Words of Wisdom: “Too many of us prefer power to peace.”

Wisdom from the Word: “The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:26 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – February 24, 2026

Fred believed in self-analysis, but not navel-gazing. He created templates for measurement. “I miss Fred,” wrote a BWF follower. “I often think, ‘what would Fred think about this?’” Interestingly, most people say, “How would Fred think, not what would Fred do?”

Self-Improvement: A Way of Life

When considering the possibilities of success, I measure myself in several categories:

1) Likes. What would I do if I didn’t need a paycheck?

2) Dislikes. What ideas, methods, people, and things do I dislike?

3) Reaction of others. Are people receptive to you and your goals? When you join a new group, how do the others react to your ideas?

4) Personality traits. It is critical to understand how you are wired. Are you quiet or talkative, big picture or detailed, interested in individuals or the big group, quick to make decisions or more contemplative? Find your constructive strengths and your destructive weaknesses – focus on one and bolster the other;

5) Mental capabilities. If you want to be a big frog in a big pond, you better be able to croak as loudly as the other frogs. Mental energy provides the fuel. Is your mind constantly active? Are you a constant learner? Have you continued studying since formal education ended?

6) Physical abilities. Some goals have a high physical price tag. How prepared are you to undertake such a task? Few people can go farther than their health will permit. A goal that costs physical or emotional health is foolish.

7) Patience. Sound progress is most always slow; therefore, patience is required. Gladstone said the key requirement of a great prime minister is patience – the second is patience, and the third is patience. How able are you to postpone gratification for the accomplishment of a greater goal?

8) Determination. In my opinion, this is the element which sets those who achieve goals and those who don’t. How many jobs have you started and left unfinished? The determined know there is always a way around obstacles.

9) Vision. This doesn’t mean just having a dream. Seeing others achieve seemingly impossible goals gives a pattern for personal accomplishment. Vision invigorates the work ethic; daydreaming just energizes the wish ethic. Vision means seeing and doing.

10) Character. the foundation of all success which consists of integrity, self-control, perseverance, and truth. And, I believe a proper spiritual outlook is the cement which holds a true, happy, and successful life together.

This week think about: 1) When did I last evaluate my goals using Fred’s 10 categories? 2) What does my life say to my family and my associates about character? 3) How real are my expectations?

Words of Wisdom: “Vision invigorates the work ethic: daydreaming energizes the wish ethic.”

Wisdom from the Word: “May he grant your heart’s desire; may he bring all your plans to pass! “ (Psalm 20:4 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – February 10, 2026

Fred took serious questions seriously. A young executive wrote Fred asking, “Can I really be a Christian and succeed in business?” Fred answered with a 39 page, typed letter. Wouldn’t it be interesting to know what decisions this young man made in the 36 years since he sought Fred’s counsel?

Ron Glosser’s book, The Genealogy of Friendship, explores a lifetime of stretching experiences. His chapter on Fred shares insights and personal stories.

Move To Do

Make results your measure for activity. A friend hung these words prominently on his office wall: “Results is the only excuse for activity.” It sounds obvious, but surprisingly few people are really results oriented. Most are satisfied with activity and best effort. They forget there are no medals for “best effort.”

Results count, not activity.

The best way to stay results oriented is to keep asking “What am I really trying to accomplish?” Those who tell you how hard they work, how many miles they travel, how tough the job is, and expect appreciation for activity alone are not results oriented.

One of my more caustic friends listened to a young executive go on and on about how hard the job was and how tired he was. My friend interrupted, “Please show me the baby, don’t tell me about the labor pains.” I immediately adopted this phrase. Activity and effort are necessary, but rewards are awarded for results.

As a young man at General Shoe Corporation, I was given the task of creating a summary for the military manning table. (This was during the Second World War). I accepted this assignment from the President with great fervor, staying up nights, creating a magnificent chart with hand-lettered categories, and neatly drawn boxes. I could hardly wait to dramatically present my blood, sweat, and tears to Maxey Jarman. Did he applaud me? No, he took one look, and drew a big red line from one corner to the other, making a giant X. “Mr. Jarman, I was up til three AM working on that!” To that he answered, “I’m sorry to hear you say that because I really believe you could have done a lot better in a lot less time.”

Many today would use that as a case study for poor employer/employee relations. But I always felt he taught me more graphically to think of results over effort better than any other experience in my life.

To this day I still begin each day asking myself, “What are you really trying to do today?” And I remind myself that results are the only excuse for activity.

This week consider: 1) How do I keep focused on results? 2) Who models this for me? 3) Where can I apply this right away?

Words of Wisdom: “Activity and effort are necessary, but rewards are awarded for results.”

Wisdom from the Word: “In the same way, the promise that I make does not return to me, having accomplished nothing.No, it is realized as I desire and is fulfilled as I intend.” (Isaiah 55:11 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – February 3, 2026

Fred often counseled distressed couples: “Even when you can’t feel like you are in love, you can treat each other with civility.” He was a fan of Scott Peck’s writings. One of his favorites was A World Waiting To Be Born: Civility Rediscovered. Fred grew up without material sophistication, but was rich in graciousness.

Incivility to Civility

Scott Peck says, “Our illness is incivility, the morally destructive patterns of self-absorption, callousness, manipulativeness, and materialism.” For some time I have studied the emotions of incivility. Here are four that are eroding our civilization:

1) Anger – You can randomly ask any American, “What are you mad about?” and get a quick response. There’s a depth of ire in our society. Unfortunately, I think a great deal of it is being fostered by the demagogues of special interest. Sadly, much of it is the result of spiritual malnutrition. Anger is eating us up, from the inside out. It is the “sweet wine of poison.”
2) Aggression – I don’t mean competition. I like to use the definition from Dr. Will Menninger: “The willingness or even the desire to hurt someone.” I hear aggression dismissed as a response to stress. No, stress results from aggression. We see it on the road everyday. We even see it in the grocery. Mary Alice and I were in the grocery last week and I watched sweet, elderly ladies turn into Rambo creatures driving carts like military tanks.
3) Discourtesy – We are generally courteous to our friends. We treat strangers and too often, our family, with discourtesy. How does this square with the scripture’s admonition to offer hospitality to strangers? Discourtesy in our families doesn’t make sense, but it is very prevalent. I don’t buy that adage, “You hurt the ones you love.” Baloney!

When George Washington was fourteen he made a list of 110 items which denoted a civil life. Here are “Fred’s Four” which, when used regularly, take us a long way. These four help the gears mesh without the scraping sounds of incivility.

1. “Please” – Have you noticed when you use this simple word your phrase changes from command to request?
2. “Excuse me” – We are quick to transfer fault to someone else. When we genuinely accept responsibility, we lubricate our social interactions.
3. “Thank you” – Have you ever heard someone truly and authentically express appreciation? It gives me a warm feeling and makes me want to pass it on. It’s a verbal bridge between individuals.
4. “After you” – Billy Graham and I spent a few days together. I mentioned how he deferred to me at each doorway. He was surprised and when we talked about graciousness, he attributed this trait to his father. Heartfelt deference is a powerful habit.

This week think about: 1) What am I mad about right now? 2) Is the “after you” attitude part of my mindset? 3) What can I do to promote civility in my family this week?

Words of Wisdom: “Heartfelt deference is a powerful habit.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Do not be angry and frustrated! Do not fret! That only leads to trouble!” (Psalm 37:8 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – January 20, 2026

Fred’s reputation for strategic thinking on spiritual matters began early in his life. This week’s thought is an excerpt from an article in Decision magazine (Billy Graham Evangelistic Association), June 1963. The bio identified him as a “Baptist layman, a native of Tennessee, and a nationally known business speaker.” At the time he was 48 with 44 years of influence to go.

Good or Bad?

In all of life there is always one key question. Airplane engineers need to answer: lighter or heavier than air? Donut shops need to answer: on-the-way-to-work or on-the-way-home side of the street? We as individuals have to answer: “What is the tendency of man: good or bad?”

Do people tend to be good with a high potential for bad or do they tend to be bad with a high potential for good? Until we get the answer to this fundamental question, we can never understand ourselves or the universal need for the Gospel.

As an executive, I never have to teach supervisors to fight with their employees. Never have I had to run a course on “goofing off.” As a parent, I never find the need to teach my children the word “no!” or discourage them from sharing too much. Left alone, an organization always tends to deteriorate. Because of this, we are constantly building up, encouraging, and challenging others toward constructive ends.

Experience teaches me people tend to be bad, even though they have a tremendous potential for good. I feel safe in trusting my experience because it squares with the Bible. Knowing this, what is our responsibility? It is seeking to bring others to Christ. This is Billy’s message night after night.

Conversion is basic to man’s ultimate progress. It turns him around and focuses his radar on the Lord. Conversion changes the human pull of gravity from Satan to God. This is what happened to Saul of Tarsus: he had the same drive and intensity as before, but now his motivation is God-ward. The motive changed. After conversion comes the need for challenge. Scripture doesn’t talk about saved sitters. The Apostle Paul said his life was about “apprehended that for which I was apprehended.” The deterioration of natural man is overcome by the invigoration of new life.

This week think about: 1) What am I seeking to apprehend? 2) How do I view the nature of man? 3) Who do I know who needs to think about this?

Words of Wisdom: “I feel safe in trusting my experience because it squares with the Bible.”

Wisdom from the Word: “He is the one who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not based on our works but on his own purpose and grace, granted to us in Christ Jesus before time began.” (2 Timothy 1:9 NET Bible)