I was on a mission as I walked down the hall to the other side of the school. As a first year principal, I needed to know something and I wanted to ask the person face to face rather than through an email or phone call. It would also give me a chance to get to know this teacher a …
WF Pride: Discipline and Accountability
‘If you always do what you’ve always done you’ll always get what you always got’ – or put another way – ‘If you change nothing, nothing will change.’ Have you ever tried to break a bad habit? Or start a new one? It’s very hard to do. Why is that? Experts say that it takes three weeks to make or …
WF Pride: Integrity
“Stupid idiot! This person doesn’t know how to drive! Get out of the way!” I yelled as I tried to maneuver the traffic jam on the S-Curve in Grand Rapids; all while my wife and daughter sat listening to me have my selfish outburst, like a baby without a bottle. What was I doing? Why was I so mad at …
WF Pride: Recognition and Respect of Others
Respect has become an endangered value over the past few decades. We live in the “Age of Irreverence,” where sarcasm rules the day and everyone loves a good put down. Yet the Bible makes it clear that stable families — and stable societies — are built around respect. The Bible commands us to honor our parents, respect civil authority, and …
WF Pride: Positive Attitude and Passion for Life and Work
After spending two years in Ethiopia as a member of the Peace Corp, potato farmer and crop scientist Dr. Charlie Higgins had a vision and passion for the people of Ethiopia. Dr. Charlie, as he’s called by the Ethiopians, knew something needed be done to help the agrarian nation – a nation in which 85% of its people are farmers. …
WF Pride: Willingness and Desire to Sacrifice and Serve
I had just had a long, hard week at work. The chores and ‘honey-do’ list were piling up like leaves in the fall. I did not want to spend ‘my’ Saturday doing work for someone I did not know with all I had to get done. I reluctantly loaded the car with tools, tarps and the entire family. We were …
WF Pride: Excel in Communication
I don’t quite feel as safe in America as I once did. The fear of terrorist attacks, the racial division that has turned violent on those meant to serve and protect, the internet predators using social media to stalk our children, the nut jobs shooting random people, etc… The list goes on and on. Safety is one of the most …
WF Pride: Discipline and Accountability
I sat under the shade of a huge pine tree, trying to catch my breath and cool off after a long hard work out. I leaned over to the lady sitting next to me, told her good job, and then asked how often she works out each week. “Every day, I’m training for a triathlon,” she says. Trying to hold …
WF Pride: Recognition and Respect of Others
As I woke up Sunday morning and turned on the news, I was sickened by what I saw. Another senseless attack by a radical Islamic terrorist. As it unfolded, it’s revealed that fifty people were killed and another fifty-three were injured – one of the largest single attacks ever on American soil. So many families destroyed, altered and changed forever …
WF Pride: Positive Attitude and Passion for Life and Work
For a couple of summers during college, I worked for a local construction guy roofing and shingling houses. It was hard, backbreaking work, but a very valuable skill that I learned. Mark went to my church, but other than that, I didn’t know that much about him. As we climbed into his truck at 6am that first day, he popped …