Bill’s small-town business was out of cash and owed the IRS a significant amount of money. Without knowing how he could repay such a large sum; Bill had avoided the issue.  After a lengthy discussion, I shared with Bill some practical steps to move forward. But the hardest issue was the IRS debt.   I urged Bill to call the IRS, […]

The meaning of Christmas has been highjacked before. According to Wikipedia, in the 17th century the Puritans banned the celebration of Christmas, because it became known for drunkenness and other mischief.   Although Christmas was restored in 1660 as a holiday it still was in disrepute and not a prominent celebration until the 19th century thanks to Charles Dickens and other […]

On Christmas Eve 1968 our nation was reeling from a very bad year. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Robert Kennedy had been assassinated, and the Vietnam War raged on. But a bright spot surfaced as three brave astronauts orbited the moon. As the world observed Apollo 8, Astronaut Bill Anders read from the Bible. “In the beginning, God created the […]

In business, I’ve discovered that there are takers and there are givers. Those people who claim victimhood will often have their hands out looking for help, taking whatever they can from others.   These people often borrow as much money as possible with little care about how they are going to repay the debt.   On the other extreme are those who […]

There are certain chapters in the Bible that seem to overflow with pearls of wisdom. For wise business counsel, I find great treasures in Psalm 37.   As a young man, I was frequently around a mechanic who had a quick temper. He had very little patience for people questioning his work.   This resulted in angry responses at times that […]

There are certain chapters in the Bible that seem to overflow with pearls of wisdom. For wise business counsel, I find great treasures in Psalm 37.   One common mistake I’ve seen in business planning is to first develop our plans, then pray that God blesses our plans. But Psalm 37 reveals a progression in business planning God’s way.   First, we […]

There are two verses in Psalm 37 that instruct us to delight in the Lord. One morning I asked the Lord to help me experience delighting in Him.  Later that morning, while driving, I was moved to sing praises and pray with gratitude for the beautiful fall colors around me. I discovered a little better understanding of delight.  As I […]

Musician Chris Tomlin was once interviewed by a reporter who asked how he reconciled the fact that he leads worship to God, but the spotlight is on Chris. After reflection, Chris shared that his job is to “be the moon.”   Chris further shared, “The moon has no source of power, but it reflects the light from the sun. My job […]

When times become lean for small businesses, cash reserves are critical. Business cycles come and go and often leave devastation behind them. Having cash reserves is crucial for surviving those inevitable seasons of drought.   If we study history, we can quickly realize that recessions do happen. On average, recessions occur about every seven years. To prepare for these looming downturns, […]