The Ugly Tree
When I first graduated from college and was a newlywed husband, I was eager to create a thriving business. Like a good entrepreneur, I looked around for a unique advantage and realized I was living…
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Your Spiritual Handicap
Last week I wrote about junkyard spiritual disciplines—the cobbled-together mash-up of practices from many traditions welded into something that works for me. That was my list. But here’s the thing: your mileage may vary. What impacts…
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Junkyard Monk
An earlier post mentioned that my tools for spiritual growth had stopped working. Don’t freak out. My faith isn’t broken. But the disciplines need a rebuild. I’ve tinkered with just about every brand of Christian…
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The Irony of Safety
Last week I told the story of losing my class ring while Jesse lifted a truck high enough for me to change a tire. I know—it sounds crazy, like I was working with superheroes, but…
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Lose a Ring
Have you ever noticed that sometimes it takes losing what we thought mattered most to discover what we actually need? Last week I wrote about what donors really want out of their relationship with a…
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Flat Tire Theology
For the last few months, I’ve been asking people what they personally want out of their relationship with a nonprofit. I push them past the easy answers—“to make a difference,” “to help those in need”—and ask what…
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Left on the Cutting Room Floor
A few years ago — okay, seven years ago, which I guess is more than a few — my book Salvaged was released. Each chapter told a story, often from the junkyard, with a leadership…
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Living in the Tension
A common theme in my writing is “living in the tension.” This is especially true in Junkyard Wisdom Rebuilt, which focuses on how we need to wrestle with faith, hope, justice, love, and wealth. We…
