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Random Thoughts

Goble Properties, Random Thoughts,

Winds of Change

One of my first projects at Goble Properties was to build an industrial complex on a piece of land in San Jose. It was a weird shaped parcel, but a good location. The project was big enough to test me but small enough to get my arms around.

A curious thing happened when the buildings were framed. A huge wind storm came through and knocked everything over. Boards and planks were piled up like so much drift wood pushed ashore by rough seas. Nobody had ever seen anything like it, and the consequences set everything back by weeks. Not to …

Random Thoughts,

Rollercoaster Retirement Year

The year is done, thank goodness. Not that it was all bad — some really wonderful things happened in 2023. Those were the highs. And then there were lows. It was a rollercoaster year.

One event of the year was my 65th birthday. Typically it’s the age a person moves into retirement. Not me. The form filling lady at Medicare kept asking me why I continued working, and when I answered, “Because I enjoy working,” she was truly flummoxed. I suppose I’d be flummoxed too if I filled out forms for Medicare all day.

But I did wonder, what would …

Generosity, Philanthropy, Random Thoughts,

Theological Fatigue

I’m tired of theology.

To be more specific, I’m tired of seeing theology wielded as a weapon against supposed “enemies,” the way an attorney might use court precedents against an opponent. When theology is nothing more than a logical position to be argued, then real people get hurt. When theology is used solely to judge and exclude others, then love—the primary action Christians should be known for—becomes an afterthought. 

I’m fortunate to know a few world-class theologians, and to have been a student of a few more. They have offered me insights into the meaning of Scripture, yes, but more …

Philanthropy, Random Thoughts,

Love or Temptation?

I recently attended a conference with a lot of young, driven, smart, faith-driven entrepreneurs. From time to time, someone in this group asks me how they can best make a difference in this world. They usually have a great job, but they don’t feel like they are really contributing to the world. In their minds, their faith isn’t being fully expressed through their work. At the core of their question is something more specific: they wonder if they should quit their jobs, move to a developing region of the world, and serve the poor. 

I’ll be honest – sometimes I …

Junkyard Management, Random Thoughts,

The things we don’t know

Not far from the Goble Ranch, a couple hundred feet down the side of a steep hill surrounded by oak trees, sits the ruins of what is probably a 1940 Ford. Not much is left – just the body and frame. The serial numbers and license plates are long gone, as is the engine. 

Nobody knows how or when it got there. But it’s been at least 50-years because that was when I first found it. It was an old wrecked junker even then. 

We’ve made up stories about the car for years. It was used by bootleggers, or it …

Apocryphal, Generosity, Leadership, Philanthropy, Random Thoughts,

Five Ways to be Countercultural

Last week I attended a conference with a plenary session featuring two Senators (one Democrat and one Republican). The facilitator, a former Governor, led them in a conversation about how our faith can inform our public engagement.

A lot of the conversation focused on how we can transcend the worst aspects of partisan politics. The idea of vilifying and demonizing those who disagree with us was rejected, and the politicians shared examples of how to disagree with respect. It was a good reminder for all of us, and the Senators navigated the conversation beautifully. They received a standing ovation.

An …

Leadership, Random Thoughts,

The Sack of Constantinople, Sorta

Three events in the last few months has reinforced an idea that’s been percolating. They have also reminded me how much we can learn from our past.

The first event was during my book promotion. I was a guest on a podcast, and the host was amazed to hear people of faith actually lived and worked in Silicon Valley. Seriously, he was stunned to hear bible studies actually happened in the corporate offices of places like Google, Facebook, and Apple. I was equally stunned that this informed and well educated man in the Midwest perceived Silicon Valley as so, well, …

Junkyard Management, Random Thoughts,

Deconstructing

A bit of advice for my friends deconstructing their faith.

The junkyard is where things are taken apart. There’s a reason people in the business called them auto dismantling centers! We earned our living by stripping cars of every valuable part, then selling the bits and pieces to our customers.

And what did our customers do once they bought those parts? They fixed their car. They made something better.

I admired our customers. They had a finished product. It ran well, or it looked good, or was more whole. They didn’t just strip something apart in a few moments of …