By: John Fehlen on January 22, 2024
In the Amplified Version of Ecclesiastes 12:12 Solomon says: “But beyond this my son, [about going further than the words given by one Shepherd], be warned: the writing of many books is endless [so do not believe everything you read], and excessive study and devotion to books is wearying to the body.” To that end,…
By: Kim Sanford on January 22, 2024
Written against the backdrop of the COVID19 pandemic, Rethinking Leadership: A critique of Contemporary Theories by Annabel Beerel succeeds in its stated goal. In her opening pages, Beerel stresses the need for “sharp leaders who are cognitively savvy and emotionally astute” to lead us into the future.[1] She writes to emerging, learning leaders in order…
By: Kally Elliott on January 22, 2024
The world is changing and fast. We’ve been reading about some of these changes, especially when it comes to the world of AI. In her blog post, Eve Poole writes, “Whether or not – and when – the robots will take over is a moot point.”[1] It’s happening. With the pace of my personal and…
By: Travis Vaughn on January 22, 2024
When Pulitzer-winning novelist Cormac McCarthy was asked by leaders at the Santa Fe Institute[1] to help “spruce up” their mission statement, McCarthy took what they handed him and promptly “wadded it up and pitched it in the trash.”[2] He then proceeded to develop a mission statement for SFI in a way that only he could.…
By: Jeff Styer on January 22, 2024
I picked up and began to read Overcoming Barriers to Student Understanding[1] and came across the concept of “Threshold Concept”[2] I began to wonder what threshold concepts I or my department teach. I am an assistant professor of social work at a small Christian liberal arts university located in the corn fields of Central Ohio. …
By: Jennifer Eckert on January 19, 2024
When I think about shiny, rich yellow gold, the mountains of Montana come to mind, especially the Garnet Mountain range that surrounds a tiny ghost town about 18 miles outside Missoula. This once hustling and bustling late 19th-century community now sits quiet and contained, locking history inside herself. To what and whom is her legacy?…
By: Akwese on January 19, 2024
In Tom Camacho’s “Mining for Gold,” he shares his own journey of what I call leading whole, which is leading from a deep belief that who you are, as you are, is complete, whole, and lacking nothing. It sounds easy enough but unfortunately, it isn’t. Camacho talks about this challenge we face regarding believing the…
By: Dinka Utomo on January 18, 2024
As humans we are designed for greatness, and we have the capacity to make far greater creatures, ones that are even more human than us, not less. -Eve Poole- My denomination underwent a significant shift in theological framework. Since its founding in 1948, our denomination has consistently positioned humans as the focal point of…
By: Jana Dluehosh on January 18, 2024
“The Creation of Adam” by Michelangelo “The concept of the Divine Spark has captivated the human imagination for centuries, transcending cultural and religious boundaries to illuminate the profound essence that resides within each individual. Rooted in various spiritual traditions, philosophical teachings, and mystical experiences, the Divine Spark represents a source of divine energy or consciousness…
By: Kari on January 18, 2024
Perched on the edge of the produce stand, the red caught my eye. As I picked it up, I could smell the berries through the packaging. Strawberries, one of my favorite fruits, are rarely seen in my city in North Africa. When they are available, the quality is questionable, and the price tag is extortionate.…
By: Mathieu Yuill on January 18, 2024
As a frequent visitor to the Ontario Science Centre in my youth, I was always drawn to the “Computer psychiatrists” exhibit. These early forays into artificial intelligence, albeit rudimentary, sparked a lifelong fascination with the field. Fast forward to today, where AI has evolved to an extent that it almost blurs the lines between human…
By: Todd E Henley on January 18, 2024
Consider the following headlines, which are all based on true policies: Homeless Shelters Perpetuate Homelessness Drug Busts Increase Drug-Related Crime Food Aid Increases Starvation “Get Tough” Prison Sentences Fail to Reduce the Fear of Violent Crime Job Training Programs Increase Unemployment1 What is going on here? Why do seemingly well-intentioned policies produce the opposite of…
By: Julie O'Hara on January 18, 2024
Tom Camacho’s Mining for Gold took me on a journey. I rode the twin rails of “Julie as a Leader” and “Julie as Human.” These rails were connected by the crossties (sleepers for our friends in the UK) of insights, a-has, and when-will-I-learns from the book. The trip included stops at Unpleasant Memories, Joyful Discoveries,…
By: Jonita Fair-Payton on January 18, 2024
“It is frustratingly clear to those who seek to eliminate mystery from life that the spirit and soul bring us right up to the edge of some of the most profound mysteries of our existence.”(1) Whew! This discussion about souls is a heavy one. I confess that I have a healthy fear of AI. I…
By: Chad Warren on January 18, 2024
When I saw the cover of “Mining for Gold” by Tom Camacho, my mind raced back several years to when my wife and I binged a reality TV show called “Gold Rush,” which follows crews mining for gold in the Yukon Territory. By the end of the second season, we were experts ready to set…
By: Erica Briggs on January 18, 2024
From the title of this week’s reading, I expected to learn how to coach Kingdom leaders. Although, Camacho speaks to this, what I gleaned from Mining for Gold was much different. It affirmed my belief that I’m designed to thrive, not just survive. He confirmed that stunted growth is a result of an empty cup…
By: Scott Dickie on January 18, 2024
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a double-edged sword, a technological marvel that Eve Poole beautifully encapsulates in her insights. Let’s embark on a journey through the positives and negatives of AI, guided by Poole’s wisdom. The Positives: 1. Amplifying Human Potential: Eve Poole eloquently articulates the positive potential of AI, stating, “AI has the potential to…
By: Christy on January 18, 2024
In 2017, our family answered the call to become a foster family. We embarked on the journey with high hopes, unrealistic expectations of adoption, and a desire to be the difference for at least one child. As we entered into foster care, we quickly realized our support network was quite thin and that we were…
By: Elysse Burns on January 18, 2024
There is nothing I love more than being part of the birth of an idea and seeing it come to fruition. However, I find that if I’m not careful, I can easily focus more on the task at hand rather than its substance and the people involved. One of the best pieces of advice I…
By: Ryan Thorson on January 18, 2024
This past summer we spent some time with family in Eastern Oregon. On one of our days together we went to an old mining town where gold is still being dredged from the bottom of the river to this day. At the visitor center, there were large tubs of sediment and sand where anyone could…
