Word for the Week

Nick Stavlund shares two essential insights that have been keeping his heart and mind in the right place during the current global crisis. 1) God is pursuing us, and (2) contentment and happiness doesn't lie on the other side of achievement. He also shares about why he became a CrossFit coach and eventually started a box, CrossFit Chaparral, before becoming an Active Duty Army Chaplain.

Before becoming an Active Duty Army Chaplain, Nick ran a CrossFit box called CrossFit Chaparral

Credits for concluding music: Inspire And Motivate by Mixaund | https://mixaund.bandcamp.com Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com

Mike Krog is the kind of friend that always builds you up with truth, speaks words of encouragement, and offers timely words of wisdom that are insightful and relevant to whatever situation you're in. I first got to know Mike when we worked as Army Chaplains together in the mighty 101st ABN Division at Fort Campbell, and since then our paths have crossed on several occasions in school and at work. I asked Mike to share three thoughts that offer the right perspective, and which offer help and hope in the midst of this current global crisis. What he shares is really good, and as always, Mike draws his insights from a broad menu of personal reading, reflection and study. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I did.

You've got to hear his three thoughts, but I'll list them here for quick reference:

1. Listen to the voices that give you hope and life
2. Find meaning in this time of hardship
3. Go outside

Also, Mike shares a song that has made an impact on him during this time: Crowder, Johnnyswim, Tori Kelly - Because He Lives (Easter At Passion City Church)

"Three Thoughts" is a series of podcasts I'm producing to offer fresh insight that helps us maintain the right perspective in this difficult time, and to find help and hope for the challenges we are facing. I hope these "3 thoughts" episodes with a range of people from diverse disciplines and backgrounds offers encouragement for you today.

Brandon Bayne is a religion professor at the University of North Carolina. We attended seminary together in Boston and have stayed in touch ever since. I have admired his journey through academia and love how passionate he is about pursuing knowledge and understanding the world around him.

As the COVID-19 crisis first unfolded, and universities were sending students home and trying to figure out how to restructure the university classroom, Brandon sat down and wrote out five principles that would guide his approach to his syllabus. He published it on Facebook and Twitter, thinking it might offer several meaningful ideas for other educators, but the response was so broad and receptive, that Time heard about it and asked him for an interview. In our conversation, Brandon shares those five principles and how recently losing his mom to cancer shaped some of his thinking.

Dr. Bayne's first book, Missions Begin with Blood: Suffering and Salvation in the Spanish Borderlands, is forthcoming with Fordham University Press later in 2020. His other publications include:

"Willy-Nilly Baptisms and Chichimeca Freedoms: Missionary Disputes , Indigenous Desires and the 1695 O'odham Revolt."

"Converting the Pacific: Jesuit Networks between Asia and the Americas," Oxford Handbook of Iberian Borderlands (Forthcoming, Oxford, 2016)

"Crossings and Contact Zones: Religion, Borderlands, and Las Fronteras of the Americas," Religion Compass, (Wiley, November, 2014)

Dissertation: "A Passionate Pacification: Salvation and Suffering in the Jesuit Missions of Northern New Spain, 1594 – 1767" (Harvard, May, 2012)

"From Saint to Seeker: Teresa Urrea's Search for a Place of Her Own," Church History (Cambridge University Press, 2006)

I was classmates with Brock Morgan at Bryan College, and the last time I saw him was 26 years ago when he was moving out of his dorm after graduation. Since then, Brock has written 15 books and works as a speaker and youth pastor. His most recent book, Beautiful Rebellion, was written for teenagers, encouraging them to join a movement that brings lasting change to our personal lives, and to the world. He and his wife currently live in Washington D.C. I recently caught up with Brock and asked him for three thoughts on the current state of affairs in the world. I hope you enjoy our conversation, and that it provides a fresh perspective for you today.

You can reach Brock here: @realbrockmorgan, and learn more about his books and speaking at www.brockmorgan.com.

Chris Auger enlisted in the Navy in 1987, earned his Navy SEAL Trident in 1988, then served in the SEAL teams until his retirement in 2015. In his almost 28 years he deployed six times all over the globe. After 10 years of service, Chris came to realize that the man in the mirror was not who his wife deserved as a husband or the man he would like his daughter to marry someday. His bride of almost 28 years help Chris with this revelation with a note she left him one night he came home after midnight. The note and realization began a transformational journey that would forever impact his and his family's lives forever.

Chris retired from the Navy and SEAL community in 2015. His final Command where he was the executive officer was responsible for leadership development and education for all Naval Special Warfare. Chris received his Doctorate in Strategic Leadership with a concentration in leadership coaching from Regent University. He has a Masters in Global Leadership from the University of San Diego with his undergrad in Information Systems Management from the University of Maryland University College. He is a Board Certified Coach from the Center for Credentialing and Education and is certified to administer the DiSC assessment and EQi 2.0 suite of emotional intelligence assessments.

Today, Chris serves with the WinShape Foundation Founded by Truett Cathy of Chick fil A. WinShape named after shaping winners is home to 6 ministries consisting of a College program, Camps for boys and girls, Foster homes program, WinShape Teams, Retreat and Marriage programs. Dr. Chris Auger is a team and leader development consultant with WinShape Teams. They facilitate meaningful and impactful experiences for clients that yield innovative and enduring solutions. In this role, he uses his experience and certifications to specialize in combining emotional intelligence with servant leadership to build leaders, followers and teams that are highly self-aware.

Joey Odell graduated from West Point, and then served 10 years as an Army Kiowa Pilot. After a conversion of faith, he left the Army to become a pastor before God called him back to the military as an Army Chaplain.

His first tour as a chaplain was with 1/327th Infantry, 101st Airborne Division. Joey shares some of his experience as a chaplain serving in combat with Screaming Eagles in the Pech River Valley of Afghanistan during OEF 10-11.

Since that deployment, Joey has served several years in Special Operations and then at his alma mater, West Point. Joey is a father of 13, and recently he wrote a book called Faith Is Not Blind, where he challenges sincere Christians to answer four critical questions. We discuss these questions, fatherhood, and his recent theological transition Anglicanism in this interview.

You can learn more about Joey's book at https://www.joeyodell.com.

If you'd like to learn more about Joey's experience at West Point, you can watch an interview at the West Point Center for Oral History website.

I recently met SGM Jesus "Chuy" Almonte at a leadership conference in Fayetteville, NC. He was asked to sit on a panel of military leaders advising chaplains on how to more effectively care for Soldiers and Families. As I listened to Chuy, two things became immediately clear to me. First, this guy is serious about good leadership, and second, this guy loves his family. As a senior Green Beret, I was curious to know how he and his wife have navigated the challenges of raising a family of 5 children, with 1 on the way, while serving under the rigorous demands of leadership inside Special Forces. I asked Chuy if he'd be willing to sit down after the conference and share some of his thoughts about that journey. In this conversation, Chuy shares about how his faith plays a central role in equipping and empowering him and his wife as they raise their kids within the challenging context of military service. He also shares some of the leadership techniques he and his wife have learned along the way that help keep their family strong and close. I asked him to explain how he views success for his children, and how he is teaching his sons to become men. There's a special bonus included in this conversation: the consummate military professional, Chuy sings a classic old school double time cadence for us. You're going to love it.

Casey signed up to fight his nation's wars the year after 9/11. After 17 years of service—12 of them in Special Operations—and after going on 42 different training trips and combat deployments literally all around the globe, he has gained some perspective on being a husband and father. He's quick to declare up front how failure has played a big role in shaping his understanding of what it means to be a good father, and how much grace his wife and kids have extended to him throughout his frequent absences from home. But it is this grit and determination he and his wife share that has forged the relationships he has with his 4 children today, one of which he and his wife adopted five years ago. In this interview, Casey shares some of the most powerful lessons he has learned, and some of the most valuable insights he has gained, from staying engaged and remaining intentionally invested with his family, despite the challenges of being gone half their lives in service to our nation.

In the journey toward becoming a man, every boy needs to hear that his father loves and affirms him. But sometimes it's not easy for fathers to know what to do or say to express that love and affirmation, especially if fathers didn't grow up receiving it themselves. John Brantley has a vision to equip fathers to do this effectively. He started BAM (or Becoming A Man) Adventures with the mission to provide a healthy and constructive framework for fathers, stepfathers, guardians, and mentors to confidently interact with their boys and provide the guidance and positive accountability needed to build strong healthy men who become leaders in their family, work, communities, and around the world. Using the "Do & Discuss Method", John and his team create memorable father/son retreats that teach fathers how to communicate four essential affirmations every boy needs to hear: 1) I know who you are, (2) I love who you are, (3) You have what it takes to make it in life, and (4) I'm with you every step of the way. You can learn more about John's vision and methodology at www.bamadventures.net.

Chaplain (COL) Keith Croom was 15 years old when he knew God called him to vocational ministry. While preparing to become an Army Chaplain, he met his future wife, Kelly. Three weeks later he told her he loved her. After twenty five years of marriage, they continue to come alongside, and help serve the spiritual needs of Army Families. Currently, Keith serves as the senior chaplain in the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC). Recently, my fellow chaplain, Michael Krog, and I sat down with Keith and Kelly to hear about their perspective on the challenges Army Families face, especially within the Special Operations community.