Jun 14, 2025 | Leadership Lessons
Leadership Philosophy:
Core principles:
- Dignity & Respect: Treat everyone with the same respect you’d expect, regardless of their position.
- Humility: Remain grounded and remember your origins, avoiding the pitfalls of job perks.
- Integrity: Always choose to do what’s right, even when it’s difficult or unseen.
- Transparency: Maintain open and honest communication with your team.
- Compliance: Adhere to rules and regulations, promptly correcting any deviations and owning up to mistakes. He stresses the importance of asking questions to foster learning.
- Relationships Matter: Cultivate professional relationships as they can be invaluable in the future.
- Humor: Maintain a positive attitude, a sense of humor, and thick skin, recognizing that laughter makes life more enjoyable.
Dec 24, 2024 | Chaplain
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.
Isaiah 61:1-3
This message was delivered by the prophet Isaiah during a time when the people of Israel desperately needed a message of hope amid hopelessness. They were living in Babylonian exile, their place of worship had been destroyed, and many of their people had been carried away into captivity.
In a nutshell, they were defeated, depleted, dejected, and rejected.
Just when they felt all hope was lost, the Lord finally gave the people a word of hope that let them know that this would be a momentary affliction. It will not always be this way. Better days are ahead. Isaiah told them that the Lord had not abandoned them and was mindful of their suffering.
This holiday season, no matter what is going on in your life, remember that there is always hope. The turnaround is coming. As you wait for the turn-around, remember others suffering and be to them what you wish someone would be to you. Who knows, perhaps the Spirit of the Lord is upon you to proclaim the good news and bind broken hearts.
In the words of Howard Thurman –
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music in the heart.
Howard Thurman, The Work of Christmas, 1944
Nov 11, 2024 | Chaplain
“Then the Lord answered me and said:
‘Write the vision
And make it plain on tablets,
That he may run who reads it.
For the vision is yet for an appointed time;
But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.
Though it tarries, wait for it;
Because it will surely come,
It will not tarry.’”
(Habakkuk 2:2-3)
When the prophet Habakkuk wrote these profound words, he was experiencing a spiritual crisis. Questioning the goodness of God, Habakkuk observed his home in turmoil and felt a deep sense of hopelessness. He desperately needed a message of hope due to his experiences and the loss of faith he endured. In his despair, he cried out to God:
“O Lord, how long shall I cry,
And You will not hear?
Even cry out to You, ‘Violence!’
And You will not save.
Why do You show me iniquity,
And cause me to see trouble?
For plundering and violence are before me;
There is strife, and contention arises.
Therefore the law is powerless,
And justice never goes forth.
For the wicked surround the righteous;
Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.” (Habakkuk 1:1-4)
God’s response to Habakkuk’s lament was unexpected:
“Look among the nations and watch—
Be utterly astounded!
For I will work a work in your days
Which you would not believe, though it were told you.” (Habakkuk 1:5)
When faced with discomfort and uncertainty, our instinct is often to seek immediate answers and relief. We are reluctant to endure the waiting period, preferring to jump straight to joy. However, this is not the way life unfolds. Sometimes, we must learn to wait and trust, believing that “this too shall pass.”
Life is marked by seasons, and in times of waiting, we are called to trust in the process. As God assured Habakkuk:
“Look among the nations and watch—
Be utterly astounded!
For I will work a work in your days
Which you would not believe, though it were told you.”
In our waiting, we find strength, patience, and renewed faith, trusting that the appointed time will come.
