Ever taken a trip into the woods?  Where I grew up in Alabama, we had some thick woods around us with some mighty tall pine trees.  These woods were safe, but if I ventured in far enough, I felt like I was out in the middle of nowhere – away from civilization.  (If you are reading this and you’re not from Bama, you may be thinking…”Alabama IS in the middle of nowhere, away from civilization!)  Boo to you if that is the case!!

Anyway, venturing into the woods or wilderness can be scary.  It can be isolating and create loneliness.  Sometimes we hit a wilderness in life where we are alone.  God seems silent, temptations are great and we feel all alone.  What do we do with that?  How do we walk out life in the midst of a wilderness?

Jesus was led into the wilderness in Luke 4 by the Spirit …

Sometimes it’s just the simple reminders that can make the greatest impact.

I came across one of those simple, but powerful impacting statements in scripture today.  Luke 1:37.

Mary finds out that she’s going to become pregnant with the Savior of the world.  No big deal.  The reality that she’s talking to an angel….no big deal.  Oh and the fact that she’s a virgin?  No big deal.  Right, no big deal.

The angel Gabriel knows this is a big deal….to us.  God knows this is a big deal….to us.  That’s why Gabriel calms Mary early in their conversation by telling her not to be afraid – she’s found favor with God.  No big deal.

Big deal to us….no big deal to God.

Why?

Because of 1:37.  Right before Mary responds to Gabriel with, “I’m in.  I’m the Lord’s servant.  Go ahead and make this big deal a ‘no-big-deal’”, Gabriel gives Mary, and us, the simple yet …

Another very important leader in my life was my first real “boss” in my first full time ministry.  I started at Southland during my senior year in college and went from weekends to full time that summer after graduation.  My first boss was Todd.  Of course at that juncture of ministry, I learned a ton.  But when I try to boil down what was probably the most important thing I learned from Todd’s influence on my life, it’s a no-brainer because Todd was awesome at this.  One simple, yet incredible piece of learning I received from Todd is a very important important and high priority for me in my leadership today.

Todd taught me the value of excellence in everything we do – setting the bar high and working hard to make excellence a priority.  This is huge.  Perfection is impossible, but excellence is expected.  Although there may have been times …

I want to continue with processing what I’ve learned from those who have invested in me throughout my life from a leadership perspective based on the question I was asked by a staff member recently.

Another very key person in my life was my youth pastor, Greg.  My family moved from Birmingham, back to Louisville during my junior year in high school.  Not the greatest time to uproot and replant.  But, it was God’s plan for our lives and of course, He had it all under control.  Greg was a part of His plan for my life.

Greg understood the challenges such a transition presented to my 16 year old life.  He immediately invested in me.  Much like Stewart, he spent time with me.  But Greg took it to another level.  Greg challenged me to hear God’s call on my life.  He put me in situations to hear the call and answer …

I was asked a great question a few weeks ago by a friend on staff.  In a session together where we talk leadership, specifically executive pastoring type of leadership, she asked me to share with her who some of my mentor/coaches/supervisors have been in my life who influenced me along the way and what are one or two things specifically I learned from each; how and what did these folks invest in my life that has shaped my leadership today?

Great question to cause me to reflect.

Her question sparked great dialogue that day, but it’s also caused me to think through and process after our time together.

One of my mentor/coach type of people in my life early on, was my high school FCA leader, Stewart.  For some reason, Stewart took a liking to this skinny Kentucky kid living in Alabama.  I’m sure for Steward, I was one of many guys who …