By: Shela Sullivan on November 20, 2024
“The Molecule of More: How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity – And Will Determine the Fate of the Human Race,” by Daniel Lieberman and Michael Long,[1] offers a fascinating exploration of how a single chemical, dopamine can shape the entirety of human experience. The thesis of “The Molecule of…
By: Jonita Fair-Payton on November 20, 2024
I have been working in non-profit organizations for 30 years, beginning my career in my early 20’s as a Youth Employment Coordinator in Oakland, California. I have served as a Homeless Employment Specialist, a Program Coordinator, a Director, a Senior Director, and an Executive Director for organizations with operating budgets ranging from $1 million to…
By: Jennifer Eckert on November 20, 2024
The New Job Offer! Sarah is a single mom and workforce professional who has dedicated years of hard work in a job that doesn’t fully satisfy her, but she needs the income to feed her children, so she stays. The new boss recognizes her and gives her an offer for a new position with better…
By: Adam Cheney on November 19, 2024
“I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree that the law is good. But in fact, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within…
By: Dinka Utomo on November 19, 2024
Our denomination is part of the worldwide reformed churches. As is known, the motto of the reformed churches always reminds us to be willing to make changes and renewals based on the truth of God’s word from day to day. The goal is that God’s name will always be glorified, and many people will experience…
By: Debbie Owen on November 19, 2024
At the beginning of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven it had been during the previous six years. It has been taken over by Death Eaters, under the control of Severus Snape as Headmaster, operating on orders from Voldemort. Harry realizes that Voldemort is going to take over…
By: Scott Dickie on November 18, 2024
Margaret J. Wheatley’s book, Leadership and the New Science (1) now finds itself in that awkward space—not 300+ years old (like the ‘old’ book we had to review earlier in the semester) but also not ‘new’ any longer. Quantum physics and chaos theory were emerging fields 30 years ago, but they are now a common…
By: Jeff Styer on November 18, 2024
One could argue that life is nothing more than a series of chemical reactions. This is a thought that I had when I read Edwin Friedman’s A Failure of Nerve book, especially when he discussed the concept of reactivity.[1] As much as I enjoyed reading this book to discover how neurotransmitters impact my marriage, I…
By: Pam Lau on November 18, 2024
“Hope is not the conviction that something will turn out well. It is the certainty that something is worth doing no matter how it turns out.” – Vaclav Havel At the start of every mediation, I ask the parties this question: “What is your highest hope?” It doesn’t matter if the conflict is between divorced parents,…
By: Tim Clark on November 18, 2024
In 1987, the genre-defying songwriter Steve Taylor released his fourth studio album, I Predict 1990. I loved Taylor’s progressive music, which blended pop, new wave, and a little post-punk, and I was smitten with his intelligent lyrics, which bordered on irreverence. His was one of only a handful of “Christian” artists that I resonated with…
By: Esther Edwards on November 18, 2024
In 2017, as I embarked on taking my very first class in a Master’s in Leadership program, I was introduced to the book “Images of an Organization” by Gareth Morgan. I remember feeling like I was taking a walk back in time as older organizational models were highlighted. It also showed how the organizational landscape…
By: Kally Elliott on November 18, 2024
It was a sunny, warm day, the leaves turning vibrant colors of yellow and red, the Tumalo River, a dance of currents, swirling in harmony as my German Shepherd and I hiked alongside it. Margaret Wheatley’s audiobook, Leadership and the New Science: Discovering Order in a Chaotic World played on my on my Airpods and…
By: Jennifer Vernam on November 18, 2024
In her books Leadership and the New Science[1] and Finding Our Way,[2] Margaret Wheatley encourages leaders to adopt a philosophical change in how they approach leadership: in short, she is asking leaders to accept the unpredictable and the personal nature of work; suspending the traditional assumptions that control is required to achieve order. Counter to…
By: Cathy Glei on November 18, 2024
“If we believe that the universe is on a relentless road to death, we can’t help but live in fear of change. In a downhill world, any change exhausts our store of valuable energy and leaves us empty, one step closer to death. Staying put or keeping our balance is a means of defense against…
By: Travis Vaughn on November 18, 2024
“Leadership, an amorphous phenomenon that has intrigued us since people began organizing, is being examined now for its relational aspects. Few if any theorists ignore the complexity of relationships that contribute to a leader’s effectiveness. Instead, there are more and more studies on partnership, followership, empowerment, teams, networks, and the role of context.”[1] Margaret Wheatley’s…
By: Noel Liemam on November 15, 2024
Introduction “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance,” by Angela Duckworth, has been rated 4.6/5.0 stars on amazon.com and 4.1/5 stars on 4.1/5 stars on Goodreads. Is it a good read? The reviews I watched on YouTube agreed on the fact that it is a very practical book, and it is useful for self-improvement. Angela…
By: Joel Zantingh on November 15, 2024
“Stubborn Dutchman” was a phrase I heard almost weekly as a child. It was applied to grandparents, aunts and uncles, my parents, siblings, and yes, to me. It seemed to be a regular explanation to a tenacity and commitment against all odds, even when the activity or hypothesis was less than iron-clad. Sometimes an insult,…
By: Daren Jaime on November 15, 2024
As we pay homage to our armed military veterans across the United States this week, the sports enthusiast in me would like to pay special tribute to the United States Army football team. They are ranked 18th overall in the nation in college football standings and are currently on a 14-game winning streak, the longest…
By: Jana Dluehosh on November 15, 2024
Darn…5 minutes late in posting! Conversations…what a meaningful word. We have millions of conversations in our lifetimes, some silly, like arguing with your spouse on who changed the last diaper, to life-changing conversations like one that starts with the question, “Will you marry me?” We begin conversations with our parents as we babble back and…
By: Christy Liner on November 14, 2024
Grit is a common word in my household. My husband serves with a missions organization as a mobilization coach and equips potential goers to go to unreached people groups. The organization partners with local churches to help future goers to be developed as church planters to unreached people groups. They have three steps in their…
