BWFLI team stretching and blessing the next generation of leaders at East Texas Baptist University

Cliff Shiepe, best-selling author, inspires students

ETBU students gathered at midnight to discuss “What’s Next” and job market tips

Former All-American, All-Pro Bill Glass stirring the athletes

ETBU Steering Committee Chair Emily Prevost and BWFLI President Brenda A. Smith sharing a celebratory moment

BWFLI team stretching and blessing the next generation of leaders at East Texas Baptist University
Cliff Shiepe, best-selling author, inspires students
ETBU students gathered at midnight to discuss “What’s Next” and job market tips
Former All-American, All-Pro Bill Glass stirring the athletes
ETBU Steering Committee Chair Emily Prevost and BWFLI President Brenda A. Smith sharing a celebratory moment

The Power of Possessions

Weekly Thought – September 1, 2026

Fred and Mary Alice sat in their chairs, side by side, watching the devastation of 9/11/01. Fred loved New York City. During his consulting years with GENESCO and Mobil, he spent happy hours with Maxey Jarman or Harry Peckheiser exploring the wonders of the city he dreamed about as a young boy.

The destruction gave him opportunities to think about the nature of man. He also looked at questions he asked a group when talking about “things” as part of a Christian’s life. As we remember one of our country’s greatest losses, it is appropriate to share these “points to ponder.”

The Power of Possessions

My friend and mentor Maxey Jarman wrote a long memo to me responding to a question I posed about the loss of “things.” His summarized it: “A time of reversal and loss is a good time for a person to take stock of himself to see what he really wants out of life, whether he wants things that have eternal value, real value, or whether he particularly wants to have the kind of things that the world puts great value on.” He experienced great financial reversal, yet saw the blessing. Things were temporal; he built on the eternal.

In preparation for a men’s retreat on excellence, I thought about the power of possessions and asked myself and the group the following questions:
1) Am I obsessive about things, being either materialistic or antimaterialistic?
2) Do I use things as an escape from boredom?
3) Do I substitute things for accomplishment?
4) Am I able to “sit loose to things,” as Chambers says?
5) Is my view temporal or eternal?
6) What do things symbolize for me?
7) Am I accumulating things that appreciate or depreciate?
8) Does my anticipation of acquisition match my enjoyment?
9) How often do I use things to impress others?
10) How do I define the Christian view of possessions?
11) What traditions am I building as a legacy?
12) Do I acquire by plan or by impulse?
13) How do I define my lifestyle?
14) How high a price will I pay to be accepted?
15) Would I sacrifice excellence for wealth?
16) How would I respond if I lost everything?

This week carefully consider: 1) Which question made me stop? 2) What is my relationship to things? 3) Where is my security?

Words of Wisdom: “Things were temporal; he built on the eternal.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19 NET Bible)

Praying Leaders

Weekly Thought – August 25, 2026

Fred was born on September 1, 1915. This year would be the 111th anniversary of his birth. He was the third of five boys. His Mother and Dad taught him the value of integrity. Matthew Bunyan Smith and Amye Anderson Smith were praying parents. Fred followed their example and until physically unable, he knelt by his bed nightly asking for wisdom and “talking things over” with God.

Praying Leaders

Prayer alone will not produce a leader. The Apostle Paul was a leader before meeting Christ, but he was leading in the wrong direction. But no one can become a competent Christian leader without prayer. As healthy plants require rain, so powerful leadership requires prayer.

There is disuse, misuse, and abuse of prayer. I want to talk about four steps of useful prayer:
1) Positioning – Prayer positions me. It reminds me I am not the ultimate leader; He is. I am ever a steward and never an owner. Sometimes kneeling helps me to physically experience this step.
2) Shifting into neutral – Prayer is most effective when I shift into neutral gear. This means I come willing to accept divine leadership. This is the toughest part of my prayer life. Leaders are usually strong-willed and feel extremely uncomfortable, even awkward, if they aren’t in a forward gear. “Your will be done” is so much harder than “this is what I think we should do.”
3) Dynamic peace – Tournament golfers standing over a crucial putt, block out the crowd, the money, and focus on nothing other than the pure stroke. Often, as leaders we must block out our fear of failure. We must avoid second guessing our decisions. Prayer helps us to find a dynamic peace – not a sleepy slumber, but an exhilaration. Confidence comes and concentration follows. Prayer does not improve our basic skills, but it gives us concentration that permits us to do our best.
4) Acceptance – When I’ve done my best, only then in prayer can I peacefully accept failure and success, “treating those two impostors just the same,” as Kipling said. A leader prays himself into the conscious presence and will of God so that he accomplishes “my utmost for His highest” and hears the welcoming benediction, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

This week think about: 1) What causes me to pray? 2) Who is my model as a praying leader? 3) How can I deepen my walk with Jesus?

Words of Wisdom: “Prayer alone will not make a leader.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Now Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he stopped, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord teach us to pray.” (Luke 11:1 NET Bible)

Destruction to Reconstruction

Brenda’s Blog – August 25, 2026

“The artist has determined the presence of the Tower has destroyed his work, so it is closed.”

One of the most interesting exhibits at the Nasher Sculpture Garden in Dallas is a building which features a large hole in the ceiling. Visitors, seated on concrete benches, stare through this hole at the sky. “Trending Blue” is the title.

A Dubai-like office tower now looms over the garden and obscures the purity of the artist’s vision. Rather than compromise, the artist closed access to his work. “It is destroyed.”

Gratitude flowed over me as I read those words. Not because the room was closed, but because we have a God who doesn’t post a sign on me saying, “She is destroyed.” There have been towers, strongholds, and fortresses which loom over my life, blocking the view of His face. There have been times when “Trending Black” seemed the appropriate title, BUT, our God reached down past the obstructions and reconstructed.

The second part of the notice says, “The artist is working to design something that will not be affected by the tower.”

Jesus is the way of escape from the terrible tower. Our God created a way for a clear view of His face.

What if my bad decisions had no means of remediation? What if my choices were written indelibly with no possibility of correction? Praise God He doesn’t mark us “damaged goods” and put us on the trash pile.

How do we apply this to leadership? We are called to lead imperfect, flawed, and sometimes aggravating humans. When plans aren’t executed perfectly, is it tempting to take out the “work destroyed” sticker? What strategies are built in for alternative operations? When do you go into reconstruction phase?

Leading with hope is the sign of greatness. Leading with realism is the sign of effectiveness. Towers may loom over us personally or professionally, but there is always a way to adjust and see the sky.

Our Father

Weekly Thought – August 18, 2026

Fred understood the human condition. When talking about commitment he wrote, “Another escape is perfectionism. Waiting for perfection in relationships, causes, or jobs may sound sensible but it’s utter foolishness.” He also understood the importance of prayer in the life of imperfect human beings.

Our Father

Prayer is a critical element in the devotional life. Sadly, too many see it as an exercise in getting God to go along with whatever is desired. I once heard it described as the “divine bellhop” approach. I would like to mention three points which seem important to me in considering prayer:

1) Prayer is relational. When I asked my friend Ray Stedman what it meant to have a personal relationship with Christ, he wrote, “Christ has a personality, is knowable, and has the qualities of love, care, and understanding.” When we talk with God, we are approaching Him through the person of Christ. We are able to talk with Him because we are accepted through Christ. Gratitude is a crucial part of this relationship. When I come to the person of Christ with a thankful heart I am much more prepared for the time. I come with open hands, not a shopping list.

2) Prayer is positional. I always think of prayer as a way of getting into proper tune with God like the orchestra tunes up. The musicians line up with A440; the Christian is in tune when he gets in the position of saying, “Not my will, but yours.” I find that I struggle until I can get to that point of relaxed comfort with God. I once spoke with a plumber who goes into tiny spaces. “Don’t you get claustrophobic? Before I crawl under the house, I get my body into a relaxed position and stay that way. If I don’t I get inflexible and seem to swell up.” When I find myself swelling up and becoming spiritual inflexible, I remember the position of letting go of my will.

3) Prayer is directional. Father Cavanaugh, President of Notre Dame, used to say to other leaders: “Be right.” Prayer is a great way to get our direction pointed right. When we are going the wrong way, prayer recalibrates our compass. My friend Steve Brown told me a man came to him asking for prayer. The topic? Whether he should give up his mistress or not. Steve told him to get lost. “Man, you and I both know you’re wrong and there is no need praying about it.” The witness of the Spirit lets us know when we are out in the weeds.

This week think about: 1) How has prayer changed me? 2) What is my definition of a personal relationship with Christ? 3) When is prayer most meaningful?

Words of Wisdom: “The witness of the Spirit lets us know when we are out in the weeds.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored.” (Matthew 6:9 NET Bible)

Working Worship

Weekly Thought – August 11, 2026

Fred appreciated mothers. His Mom, Mrs. M.B. Smith, was the wife of a Baptist pastor who raised 5 boys in the mill district of North Nashville. Her consistency formed Fred’s view of parenting. One of his favorite conversations was overheard in Blowing Rock, NC. “It’s time to leave, come on.” The little girl responded, “I don’t like you anymore!” The Mom quietly said, “I will always like you and we are going home.”

Working Worship

Work is worship (or it should be). This was very much part of our early American beliefs, but as churches became more organized and staffed by vocationals, we moved away from this idea. We secularized our work and left worship to the professionals. Is this the best approach?

The Shakers, for example, were known for the perfection of their woodworking because they believed the work of their hands was praise from their heart. I think it is time to get back to that.

When we take this view it does not mean our only option is “full-time Christian service.” Our skills, training, and talents should be used for the common good. If I am a Christian architect, I don’t have to limit my work to churches. It is the motivation that counts.

The word “excellence” has become part of the modern lingo. Long before, it was a craze it was the modus operandi for God. He is the author of perfection. I guess we could say, “He wrote the book on it!” He wants our work to represent Him through our integrity. I believe “a fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work” is part of my worship. If I accept money and not fulfilling my responsibilities, I am being dishonest. That is not worship.

Honesty, loyalty, and credibility are critical to me. We once built a house and hired a tradesman who was a pillar in the community church. I visited the job site, found him resting, and inquired about his condition. “Well, Mr. Smith, I am fasting and praying this week, so I am too tired to really do much work.” When I mentioned he should be exercising these disciplines on his own time and not receiving my money, he was quite incensed. He thought I would be pleased with his spirituality. That was a workman not worthy of his hire.

Paul wrote to his converts that whatever they did, it should be to the glory of God. I don’t think he just meant this for church service. When Christians segment their lives they lose the joy of wholeness. I see people who live like grapefruit – with little sections for each area. Until it becomes unified, the value of work as worship is lost on them.

Think carefully about: 1) How often do I stop and think of my work as worship? 2) What tempts me to do “grapefruit living?” 3) Who can I encourage with this idea today?

Words of Wisdom: “He wants our work to represent Him through our integrity.”

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)

Drawing the Line

Brenda’s Blog – August 11, 2026

“Basta, basta, spare me a complete Hakluyt!”

That was my one line in the eighth grade play about new world adventures. I was Queen Elizabeth 1, costumed in velvet, pearls, and heavy wig. Try giving great meaning and depth to those seven words, especially when you have NO idea what Hakluyt meant. I stood in front of the mirror practicing each syllable carefully, striving to look regal and authoritative.

Years later I learned what the Queen was saying. Basta= enough. But Hakluyt? Richard Hakluyt was a geographer, chronicler, and explorer. His efforts to open up the new world, especially the colony of Virginia, were well-known. He was a talker, writer, talker, journaler, and talker!

His reports were particularly verbose and developed a reputation for their length. Thus, long-winded speeches were known as “Hakluyts. Queen Elizabeth was saying to the eager explorer standing before her, “Enough, enough, spare me this tiresomely long report – just get to the bottom line.” Or, as my Dad would say to me, “Brenda, show me the baby, don’t tell me about the labor pains.”

I don’t know all that information would have helped my prize winning performance, but over the years I appreciate more and more her leadership in saying “Enough, enough!”

“What causes you to say enough?” “Where do you draw the line?” “What are your deal breakers?”

These define moral boundaries. Strong leaders answer these questions early in their lives. They lay a foundation upon which they build their careers, family life, and ministry. Effective leaders form answers before they ever confront volatile or compromising situations.

Good leaders don’t like surprises and especially don’t like surprising themselves. Our value structure must operate as a knee jerk reaction. “Basta, basta” is part of a leader’s toolbox. “Basta, basta” is a well-honed and well-used line.