Some Lessons We've Learned

Over the last 40 years of ministry

The value of training

By boblehman / September 26, 2023

1 Timothy 4:8 says “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” When I came into a vital, personal relationship with Christ, I was heavily involved in collegiate track and field. That verse sounded like it was…

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Motivation

By boblehman / September 19, 2023

I try to workout regularly. In fact, I haven’t missed a workout in 4 months. Don’t get too excited. My training times are pretty tame. But I’d like to address something that is truly a “game-changer” for me. I would guess that in the past four months there were many days where working out wasn’t…

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Expect the unexpected

By boblehman / September 12, 2023

“Expect the unexpected.” On a surface level, this doesn’t sound like a leadership principle. It’s more of an observation. Life has a way of throwing you curveballs. Nobody “expects” to be in a car accident or to have a global pandemic foisted upon them. But it happens. So where does good leadership fit? Well, consider…

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“One bell”

By boblehman / September 5, 2023

There is an unseen factor that growing businesses and ministries share. The fact is most people ignore it.  People will look at any business or a ministry in my world and say, “Why is it growing?” They attribute growth to this or that, but one of the factors that is most commonly overlooked is unity…particularly,…

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Good leadership requires good preparation

By boblehman / August 29, 2023

“Tomorrow’s unknown crisis is not something to avoid in fear. It requires our attention and deliberation. We just need to have the courage to face the truth of our future’s uncertainty. We just need to be prepared.” That was a quote from Christopher Manske, an author and investment guru. Good leadership requires good preparation. Even the…

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First impressions

By boblehman / August 22, 2023

First impressions are lasting impressions. We understand this when we’re dating. But this principle applies throughout your lifetime. Years ago I took my staff to Disneyland. But, it wasn’t just to have a fun time. I wanted my team to deeply understand “customer service” in a ministry setting. By the way, how we treat people…

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I love my wife

By boblehman / August 15, 2023

I love my wife with all of my heart. She is the most important person in my life, and I cherish her and every moment I spend with her. Cherishing your spouse is a learned skill as well as a needed component of a successful marriage. Dictionary.com defines “cherish” as “to treasure, to care for,…

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Parkinson’s Law

By boblehman / August 8, 2023

My dad had Parkinson’s disease. You may know someone who has it. I’ll save the conversation about the condition for a later blog post. Something with the same name sounds like it might be related…but it’s not. It’s something called “Parkinson’s Law”. What is it? It’s the old adage that work expands to fill the…

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Great athlete, poor coach

By boblehman / August 1, 2023

Great athletes don’t always make great coaches. It’s one thing to play a sport with excellence. It’s another thing to teach and show someone else how to do it. Wayne Gretzky, known as “The Great One” in hockey circles had major shortcomings as a head coach. Magic Johnson attempted coaching the L.A. Lakers, but was…

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Bad dream

By boblehman / July 25, 2023

It’s the middle of the night. You wake up from a dreadful dream. You shake it off, but you just can’t go back to sleep. It’s a common experience with kids, but how about the rest of us? Sometimes those moments in the “wee” hours leave us filled with fear. Thinking about our health, a…

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Without hope nothing works

By boblehman / July 18, 2023

Without hope, nothing works, at least in the “long term.” Dale Carnegie once said,”Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all.” One of the primary, central themes of the Bible is hope. The need for hope…

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Fortune cookie effect

By boblehman / July 11, 2023

I read about something leaders call the “Fortune Cookie Effect”. I have never heard the phrase, but I sure have seen it in operation. So have you.  Simply put, the “Fortune Cookie Effect”  is a prediction that causes itself to become true.  Some call it a self-fulfilling prophecy. You’re the one that makes it come…

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Connections

By boblehman / July 4, 2023

If you want to influence somebody,  first you need to build a connection. Influence presupposes a link, a correlation, a rapport or a bond with the person. When you’re in sync with somebody, you have a better shot at leading.. The over-used word for this is “relationship.” I’m a bit reluctant to use it because…

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Seeing clearly

By boblehman / June 27, 2023

Is it OK to admit that I need glasses to read? I’ve been blessed to have 20-20 vision my whole life. Now I can’t read anything without help. I have to admit that it was pretty easy to take good vision for granted. Today however is a different story. As a matter of fact, you…

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The fastest path to change

By boblehman / June 20, 2023

My apologies to so many books on change and there on some good ones. “Switch” by Chip Heath is one. “Who Moved My Cheese” is a classic title. They’re both must reads for any leader, but I found that one of the fastest things you can change in any situation is you.  This is a huge…

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Bait and switch

By boblehman / June 13, 2023

Bait and Switch. You heard the phrase, but what does it mean? Webster defines the phrase as “the ploy of offering a person something desirable to gain favor (such as political support) then thwarting expectations with something less desirable.” When you’re told one thing, but are delivered something else, you feel “used” or worse –…

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My dog died today

By boblehman / June 6, 2023

My dog died today. There’s not a person in my world who can’t relate with me on some level. Why so much pain? My little dog wasn’t human, so what’s the deal? Why am I feeling such loss? The simple answer is grief. The Bible speaks often and significantly to the grief we all experience.…

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Small is the new big

By boblehman / May 30, 2023

“Orange is the new black”. It’s the title of the 7 season TV series that began in 2013. Interesting title. Let me clarify. The ‘orange’ in the title refers to the color of correctional uniforms the female inmates wear. The ‘is the new black’ is a fashion reference, meaning the new hot thing. “60 is the…

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Learned helplessness

By boblehman / May 23, 2023

Helplessness has a few sides to it. There is a “cuteness” to it. We’ll say things like, “Oh look at that poor dog, he looks so helpless.” In those situations, you’re almost compelled to act to help out. There is the side of economic and social loss where someone loses their ability to survive and…

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Wait for the marshmallow

By boblehman / May 16, 2023

When I was a kid, I would have loved participating in a chocolate cake-eating experiment, but there was no such thing. Believe me, I would have found it. However, there actually was a famous marshmallow-eating experiment conducted at Stanford University. Children were tested to see if they could resist eating a marshmallow. If they could…

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Find the surprise

By boblehman / May 9, 2023

Things that surprise us are easier to remember.  I was in high school at a Sadie Hawkins dance. Afterward, I took my date for a drive in my Mom’s car. When we stopped, we were leaning against the car. We both commented about how quiet the desert was that night. All of a sudden, above…

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A friend of mine died today

By boblehman / May 2, 2023

A friend of mine died today. He was working on his roof and fell. It looked bad from the beginning, but he got better and better. But in the middle of his first day of rehabilitation, his heart stopped. His family was devastated. So was I. What do you say to his wife, the love…

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Friendship worth pursuing

By boblehman / April 25, 2023

Friendship…how important is it? Does it fall into the “extra” category. Is it something like, “it’s nice when it happens, but it shouldn’t necessarily be pursued.” Or is it something that has profound implications for our lives? I believe it is the latter. Proverbs 13:20 says “Walk with the wise and become wise. For a companion of fools…

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When you’re sick

By boblehman / April 18, 2023

I’m not feeling very good today. It’s just a cold. No big deal, but when you’re home and out of your regular routine it can be frustrating. There are so many things you’d like to do but you just don’t have the motivation.  So what do you do? First, because of the recent pandemic, it’s…

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What do I need to focus on?

By boblehman / April 11, 2023

With every “smartphone” update, there are new features to try out. My latest update features a way to “focus” your attention on a specific project without distractions. This is really helpful for me given my propensity to wander. But, it reminded me of the importance of figuring out “what do I need to focus on?”…

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Try try again

By boblehman / April 4, 2023

If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again. If you’ve heard it once, you’ve heard it a hundred times, right? It probably was an encouragement to you when you were in grade school, but how about now? That phrase really doesn’t motivate me much. I’m guessing the same is true for you. But what…

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I’m especially fond of you!

By boblehman / March 28, 2023

“I’m especially fond of you.” That’s a quote from the 2007 novel “The Shack” by William P. Young. The main character is Mackenzie Phillips and four years prior to the setting of the book, one of his children is abducted and killed while on a family camping trip. It turned him bitter at life and…

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A day wasted?

By boblehman / March 21, 2023

In the Diary of Brooks Adams is an entry about a special day when he was eight years old. He wrote, “Went fishing with my father; the most glorious day of my life,” and through the next 40 years there were constant references to that day and the influence it had on his life. Brooks’…

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The “journey” in journeyman

By boblehman / March 14, 2023

How do you love people in need? Whether you grew up going to Sunday School or not, you probably have heard of the phrase, “The Good Samaritan”. It refers to a parable told by Jesus Christ. The point of His story is a foundational example of what it means to be a Christ-follower. Passing on…

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Visa and answered prayer

By boblehman / March 7, 2023

Before entering many countries, you must have a visa.  A visa allows a foreign citizen to travel to the port of entry and authorizes the immigration inspector to grant admission into the country. An accurate visa is a pretty big deal, right? Well, on a recent trip to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, guess who put the wrong…

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Helpful Links

Soul Shepherding

When you are busy with your work, family, or ministry it can be hard to fit in caring for your own soul. This can lead to burnout or becoming spiritually stagnant. That doesn’t have to be your story. Soul Shepherding offers resources and training for you and the people you influence to thrive with Jesus. Founders Bill and Kristi Gaultiere are Doctors of Psychology and Spiritual Directors who have developed a distinctive approach to intimacy with Jesus, personal wholeness, and fruitful ministry which they teach in their Institute.
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Beggar’s Daughter

: A ministry dedicated to walking with women who have an addiction to pornography.
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XXXchurch

XXXchurch, the largest site online and the most recognized voice on the planet on the issue of pornography, is your resource online to fight porn addiction. XXXchurch uses the web, social media and news media to tell a story often left untold and is committed to help men and women conquer sexual issues like pornography addiction and sex addiction and regain control of their lives.
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Net Nanny

Net Nanny protects families and helps them manage their experiences with digital content. Parents, spouses, guardians, and educators are given visibility and control in managing a child’s online experience.
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Enough is Enough

Enough Is Enough®; (EIE), a non-partisan, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, emerged in 1994 as the national leader on the front lines to make the Internet safer for children and families. Since then, EIE has pioneered efforts to confront online pornography, child pornography, child stalking, sexual predation, and other forms of online victimization. By leveraging its expertise, growing national partnership network, and positive reputation among the public, media, law enforcement, and Internet industry, EIE continues to advance innovative initiatives and effective communication strategies to protect children online.
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Every Man Ministries

With a mission to create a movement of God’s men who are empowered to lead others on a meaningful journey into personal character and leadership, ultimately having a positive impact on generations of women, children and families.
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New Life Spirit Recovery

To educate, equip, treat and deliver Christ-centered solution to struggling addicts and alcoholics and their family members. To take our message and testimony of freedom from addiction through Jesus Christ to the community, church and beyond.
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Freedom in Christ Ministries

The mission of FICM-USA is to resource and equip Christians in America to experience spiritual freedom and spread that freedom to others.
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RickThomas.Net

Helping people by providing practical tools and ongoing training for more effective living.
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PornProof Kids

This internet ministry is the work of Kristen Jenson, mother of three children. Her desire is to help parents inoculate their young children against the destructive and potentially addictive dangers of internet pornography. How? By making it OK to talk about pornography and explaining a little brain science in the process.
Visit Website

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