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TIM Testimonies – Introduction
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TIM Testimonies – The Lord Provides
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TIM Testimonies – Trust and Obey
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TIM Testimonies – The Lord is never late.
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Book Review: The Wisdom of a Bullfrog by William H. McRaven

I thoroughly enjoyed this quick read on leadership. None of the concepts are new, but the stories and color from the perspective of a career Navy Seal was unique and inspiring. The following are some of my notes and take-aways that may encourage you.
- Honor – The most tragic thing in this world is a man of genius that is not a man of honor.
- Honor is who you are. Death before dishonor.
- Doing the right things for the right reasons.
- If you dishonor your company, family or faith then your legacy of leadership will be forever tainted.
- We owe honor to those that have followed and supported us.
- Have a personal code of honor. Uncompromising integrity is our foundation we stand on and the anchor that secures our position.
- Doing what is right matters. It develops culture.
- Having a set of moral principles and being a person of integrity are the most important characteristics of leadership.
Trust
- How we earn trust. We show up early, work hard, stay late, have a plan, deliver on promises, share hardships with our team, show that you care and admit your mistakes. Work hard.
- Trust = Character + Confidence
When in command, command.
- Command comes with responsibility.
- You must be confident, decisive, smile, be passionate, engaging, be in charge, instill a sense of pride. You are their leader.
- Never look beaten.
- Be humble
- Do the best you can even in little jobs.
- Measure strength of employees by how well they do the little jobs. See Luke 16:10 He who is faithful in a little thing is also faithful in much. He who is unrighteous in a little thing is also unrighteous in much.
“The only easy day was yesterday”
- Every day requires your full effort. Git each day your best.
- The day you think you are entitled to special treatment or the day you think the all the hard days are behind you is the day you are not the right leader for the job.
- Leadership requires energy, enthusiasm and stamina. People feed off of your energy.
- Not every day requires exhaustion – just don’t give up.
- You are not entitled.
Run to the sound of the guns.
- Leadership – When things go bad. You must be out front. Remember the BP CEO following the disaster with the Horizon saying, “I’d like my life back.”
- Embrace the challenge – never retreat.
- When the problem comes. Be aggressive, move to a place where you can assess and lead, communicate along the way.
Initiative = Doing the right thing without being told.
- Doing what needs to be done when it needs to be done.
- The leader must create a culture that allows rank and file to “act of their own accord” or they will get stuck in indecisiveness.
- Foster a culture of action.
- Accept people will screw up.
- Praise those that attempt to solve problems.
“Who Dares Wins.” Better to air on the side of daring than the side of caution.
- Opportunities exist because others are not willing to take the risk.
- Who plans and prepares wins. – Managed risk.
- Seek the opportunity to take risk.
- Mitigate risk with planning.
- Learn from your mistakes and be prepared to take the next big risk.
If you like these notes. Buy the book.
Posted in Contemplations
Tagged leadership, The Wisdom of a bull frog
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A Treasure Found-My Fathers Notes


Today is August 28, 2024. My father passed away of covid-19 on December 12, 2020. My father and mother built their home over 30 years ago. It is a large, beautiful and stately home on the lake in a secure neighborhood within one mile of my home. In today’s world where families are spread across the country, it was a privilege to have my three children grow up with grandparents just a few minutes walk away. Their home contains memories of every holiday, birthday and many other celebrations and family gatherings. It is the only home my children have ever known.

The time has come for my mother to start a new chapter in her life and she will be moving to Dallas, Texas. She will be close to my sister’s family that includes three grand daughters and my mother’s older sister. The process of going through and parting with the collection of a life of memories and things that we hold on to and remind us of special occasions, places or memories is difficult. Yesterday, my mother was sorting through my fathers office and came across a number of treasured items. One of which was a note pad that contained quotes and sayings that my father recorded over the years. Reading through this notebook, I recognize quotes and sayings that were connected to meaningful decisions, events and the life experiences of my father. My father was the constant encourager, patient listener, consummate gentleman, competitive salesman, was not afraid to dream big dreams, always cheerful during difficult times, was a true friend to all, loved my mom unendingly and lived sacrificially. He was true treasure and these notes are just a few of the wise nuggets and expressions that shaped his life and will continue to encourage all. There are too many to include all in this blog, but I felt it worthwhile to share some of these that I am sure will resonate with you.
- The most valuable gift you can give another is a good example.
- A company is known by the people it employs.
- Personality can open doors, but only character can keep them open.
- Uncertainty and expectation are the joys of life.
- The time to make friends is before you need them.
- You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.
- People can be divided into three groups: Those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what happened.
- People rarely succeed at anything unless they have fun doing it.
- The goal of criticism is to leave the person with the feeling that he or she has been helped.
- The best way to forget your problems is to help someone else solve theirs.
- CAUTION: Be sure the brain is engaged before putting your mouth in gear.
- Once a task you’ve once begun never leave it till you’re done, be the labor great or small, do it well or not at all. – Alice Applegate
- Nothing happens until the sale is made. – Steve Applegate
- Greatness, excellence, honesty, integrity, beauty, dignity are qualities not quantities. They are qualities that include the intangible and immeasurable. They can be judged, but not calculated. Like dignity, greatness must be earned. – Texas Monthly, Pres. University of Texas.
- If you want to sell us something, give us an idea that makes us want to buy it as much as you want to sell it. – Brown and Root, Robby
- Success – The steady progression towards a predetermined goal.
- What this nation needs is integrity, truth and personal accountability. – Warren Berger
- Third and long. – Armco in it’s last days. They did not make it.
- Let discouragement harden your determination not your heart. – Greg Silva
- Where you come from is not nearly as important as where you are going. – Spring Forest Junior High
- You can do business with anybody but sail only with a gentleman. – J.P. Morgan – 1900 N.Y. University Club
- The pursuit of wealth of itself was reprehensible, but the attainment of it as a fruit of labor was a sign of God’s blessing. Wealth was once perceived as an enemy of religion, was not it’s ally. Thrift, industry and their rewards were signs of God’s providence. – The Protestant Ethic & the Spirit of Capitalism, Max Weber.
- Exhaustion makes cowards out of the strongest men. – Vince Lombardi
- Unions are the result of poor management. – Joe Coors.
- The most powerful thing in life is one’s opportunity; it is also the most irretrievable. We must have clearness of vision, courage and a quiet mind if we are to see it and lay hands upon it as it hurries past us on very quiet feet.
- Stand before God on your own merits or on what Christ has done for you. Either meet him as your judge or as your savior. – Carla Applegate
- The quality of man’s life is in direct proportion to his commitment to excellence. – Tom Landry
- Leadership is more important than management.
- The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teach demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.
- Opportunity has the uncanny habit of favoring those who have paid the price of preparation.
- Love forgets mistakes, nagging about them parts the best of friends. Proverbs 17:19
- Many of life’s failures are men who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
- Any enterprise is built by wise planning, becomes strong through common sense, and profits wonderfully by keeping abreast of the facts. -Proverbs 24:3-4
- A true friend is always loyal and a brother is born to help in time of need. – Proverbs 17:17
- The most important works you and I will ever do will be within the walls of our own homes. – Harold B Lee
- Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning. – Bill Gates
- You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. – Wayne Gretzky
- Epitaph for our generation: Here were decent godless people: Their only monument, the asphalt rock and a thousand lost golf balls. – T.S. Eliot. Materialism: Be as healthy as you can. Live as long as you can. Get as rich as you can.
- The ultimate good will no longer be our own self fulfillment, but pleasing God even if it involves painful self-denial or suffering. Insist on truth, do not back down on moral issues. Do not bow to the notion, however strongly impressed on us, that spiritual convictions are “just your opinion.” We are people under Good’s authority and that authority is expressed in the Bible. – Bible Study notes, Lesson 24.
- Success in business – Openness, honest with employees, give chances for them to have pride, reward them, promote a company personality, respect for employees, celebrate superior performance, clean working conditions, excite people about what they are doing, insist on quality.
Treasure indeed. These are but a few of the nuggets of truth and wisdom that forged the person who continues to be an inspiration to me and hopefully will encourage you.
Thank you dad.
Posted in Family Leadership, Family Vision, Mission, Core Values, Meet the Applegates
Tagged Steve Applegate, Words of wisdom
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A Reversal of Roles, A gift of a few days with my son on the Yampa River

In 2011 I wrote a blog entitled Giving the Perfect Christmas Gift. Now 13 years later, I received the perfect Christmas gift from my son, Ben. Ben is 25 and works for the Larval Fish Laboratory at Colorado State University as a Wildlife Biologist. For Christmas Ben invited me to come to Colorado to see and experience the work and life he lives. Ben has been a wildlife biologist since he saw his first creature and later declared he wanted to protect the animals in an elementary school program about what I want to be when I grow up.
It is late May, Ben picked me up from Hayden/Steamboat airport and we started our adventure at Echo Park in the Dinosaur National Park. Ben had spent more than 200 nights setting nets and sampling fish in the Yampa River during his first couple years with the Larval Laboratory. He showed me the campsite that he spent those nights, Whispering Cave where he would escape the heat to eat lunch, the petroglyphs in the surrounding rocks, and the amazing views of the confluence of the Green River and the Yampa River around Steamboat Rock as we hiked along the river. It is a magical place with stunning beauty, and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the sites, learning about the work he did and hearing the stories of places he had explored, the experiences he lived and the things he found in Echo Park.





Ben meticulously planned our trip, shopped for provisions, rigged and packed the raft making sure we had everything covered. The Yampa river is one of the few free flowing rivers in the U.S. and is fed from the snow melt at the headwaters of the Flat Top mountains. In late May, the river was full flowing, and we could easily make the 33 mile journey in a couple days. We traveled 15 miles the first day down the Yampa River along farmland and into the canyons. As Ben navigated the river, he called out river mile markers and explained the work that he did at each spot. This is Ben’s second season on this long-term research effort doing targeted removal of invasive species and tagging and recording of native species. Ben will spend over 100 days on the river in the coming months. Our first day was cold, damp and windy. Stopping for a shore lunch was a welcome opportunity to add a couple layers, build a quick fire and warm up with Ben’s fabulous grilled Reuben sandwiches. It is a dream job for Ben but make no mistake this is not easy work. Weathering the early morning cold, long days, mountain winds, scorching sun, and ever-changing water and weather conditions would challenge anyone that does not have a passion for this work. I feel like a wimp working in an airconditioned office where a little traffic or rain seem to be my only hazards. I have a better appreciation for those in ranching, farming, construction or any work that is completed day in and day out in all environmental conditions.
As we completed our first day, we pulled up to a beautiful spot to set up camp and get a fire going. Ben cooked up “shakshouka,” a fabulous fresh warm vegetable stew, as the clouds gave way to a clear night sky. We had time for a quick hike up the mountain to see the sunset before heading to bed for the cold night. I buried deep in my sleeping bag and awoke to find my water bottle frozen, but a toasted bagel with smoked salmon and cream cheese and a bright sun made for a great start for the day. The warm sun was a welcome change as we snaked through the canyons talking about the details of the work Ben did with fish, career plans, and all things of life and creatures. We made a couple stops for lunch and exploring the narrow canyons seeing wildlife, more petroglyphs, and remains of many rodent, deer, and elk. Bald eagles, golden eagles, ducks and birds of many colors flourished amidst the river and canyon walls. What a difference to have calm winds, clear skies and warm sunshine. We made another shore stop for Ben’s grilled Reuben sandwiches sharing our lunch with an angry killdeer chirping and dancing about showing her feathers. She was rightly concerned with our presence as we found she had 4 eggs just a few feet from our lunch site.





We finished our journey as the canyons gave way to farmland and took out at the same spot where his team finishes their work day. It was no surprise when on the dirt road out from the river Ben stopped the truck and quickly jumped out to grab a snake. He has been doing this as long as I can remember. We returned to the cabins where Ben and his work partners live during the season. You can sure see how the team builds deep friendships and become family as they work long days together, share the shopping, cooking, eating, cleaning and living together for months at a time. It is a special place and a unique time in life to work hard, gain valuable experience and build life-long relationships. I encouraged all of our children to pursue what they love, and it is certainly rewarding to see Ben thrive in following his passions for wildlife and conservation.

For so many years, Julie and I have been the ones to plan the details, set the agenda, make the provisions and lead the way. On this trip, the roles have reversed. Ben made all the plans and all the preparations. He insisted on buying groceries, lunch at his favorite dive, and taking care of every detail. He was an outstanding host, and I could not be prouder of the man and servant leader that he has become. There are two things that make for a perfect gift. First, it must meet the need of the recipient. Ben’s gift to me of an outdoor experience, sharing his life, and creating memories is priceless. Second, a perfect gift must express the personality of the giver. Nothing could express Ben’s personality more and genuinely communicate how much he desired me to experience his world more than to join him for the only 4 days he had off in 24 days of scheduled work on the river. Thank you, Ben, for courageously pursuing your dreams and sharing them with me. I love you.
Posted in Family Adventures, Family Leadership
Tagged Craig Colorado, Role reversal, Yampa River
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Celebrating Life’s Major Milestones
Graduation from college is a significant accomplishment and marks another life transition. Each of our three children worked hard to have jobs lined up before graduation and found a few weeks following graduation to rest and celebrate this milestone. It occurred to me that in the coming months and years there would be much competition for one-on-one time with my children and that I should seize this opportunity to take a “You and Me” trip. I will forever treasure this limited time together and the memories that we shared.
After graduation from Auburn University with a degree in Industrial Design, Drew accepted a position in Edgewater, New Jersey to design consumer products. Typically you must plan a year in advance to book a float trip on the Grand Canyon, but the Lord provided a last minute cancellation and we were able to helicopter into the Grand Canyon to meet Arizona River Rafting for a fabulous experience. Our boat captain, cook, guide and entertainer was none other than Brian Dierker who has been rafting the Grand Canyon for 50 years and starred in the 2007 movie, Into the Wild. Following the rafting trip, we stayed an extra day and fished Lake Mead and killed the striped bass.




After graduation from Colorado State University with a degree in Wildlife Biology, Ben earned a coveted full-time position with the Larval Fish Laboratory at Colorado State University. Following his graduation, the Lord provided a last-minute cancellation at the Alaska Sportsman’s Lodge for 5 days of amazing fishing, wilderness views and wildlife. Ben wanted to catch an Artic Grayling, Dolly Varden, Rainbow trout, Sockeye salmon and Silver salmon. We got’em all! We also shared the fishing with the bears and had a fabulous adventure.






Following graduation from Auburn University with a degree in Philanthropy and Non-Profit studies, Summer found a spot with a couple Auburn alum in Santa Rosa Beach Florida working at Array 30A. They work with realtors to shoot photography and video of homes for sale or vacation rentals. Summer had planned a trip with a couple friends to travel to London, Paris, Switzerland and Italy. Julie and I combined the trip with our 29th anniversary for a few days in northern Croatia and later met Summer in Split Croatia for a fun celebration. We spent a few days on Stari Grad and did some hiking to ruins and had a private boat to tour the coast, hit some swimming holes, lunch spots, touring the small villages of Hvar, Istria and ended up in Dubrovnik. What a special time celebrating Summer.









Posted in Family Adventures, Family Vision, Mission, Core Values, Meet the Applegates, Rites of Passage
Tagged milestones, parenting, rites of passage
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What is the difference between “making disciples” and “equipping the saints?”

In Christian contexts, the terms “making disciples” and “equipping the saints” refer to two interconnected but distinct aspects of ministry, rooted in the teachings and commission of Jesus Christ.
- Making Disciples: This process refers to evangelism and the initial and ongoing teaching that helps people become followers of Jesus Christ. Disciple-making involves sharing the gospel, baptizing new believers, and teaching them to observe all that Christ commanded, as outlined in the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20. It emphasizes reaching out to non-believers or new believers, guiding them to accept and follow Jesus, and nurturing their faith and understanding of Christian doctrines. The goal is to help individuals grow from being new believers to mature Christians who can then make disciples themselves.
- Equipping the Saints: This term comes from Ephesians 4:12, where Paul talks about the roles of different leaders in the church like apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, who are given to the church “for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ.” Equipping the saints refers to the development and training of already committed Christians to carry out various forms of ministry effectively. This involves teaching deeper theological truths, developing spiritual gifts, and providing practical training that enables believers to serve within the church and in their everyday environments. The focus here is more on strengthening and deepening the faith and skills of existing believers.
While disciple-making is more about expanding the number of believers and nurturing their initial growth, equipping the saints focuses on deepening the spiritual maturity and ministry effectiveness of those believers. Both are crucial for the health and expansion of the church, and they often overlap and reinforce each other within the life of a church community.
Posted in Family Leadership
Tagged equipping the saints, Making disciples
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Exegesis Romans 8:1-17
Posted in Seminary
Tagged overcome evil, power of spirit, Romans 8:1-17
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