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We had a memorial service this week.

Seven warriors had lost their lives in service to our country, in service to you. 

The cowards we are fighting had set an ambush for our warriors.  The cowards can’t meet us face-to-face on the battlefield like men, they use use devious ways to inflict harm and fear.  They are desperate, using children and women with bombs strapped to them so that they can stand back and detonate them remotely from a safe distance. 

Photo Credit: SAC Neil Chapman/UK MOD

Our formation stood in the rain, stoic and soundless, in honor of our fallen comrades and true warriors.

Their brothers-in-arms described them to the assembled task force: sons, fathers, brothers… funny, devoted, skilled… loved, respected, missed. 

The chaplain then stood to address the formation and put it all into perspective:

Our enemy does not simply threaten our lives–our enemy is at war with our entire way of life.  He does not fight for land, or for honor, or for justice or retribution, he only fights to see us dead and our way of life destroyed.  He will not negotiate, he will not capitulate, he will not reason with us.  It is not sufficient to simply defend ourselves, though we must.  Our enemy will only stop when we go on the offense, we take action, and destroy him before he can attack us.

The chaplain then went on to reassure the assembled formation that we do have a calling and hope that is greater than ourselves, we act in the knowledge that the daily, physical battle we face in Iraq is not the greatest battle.

I thanked God that we live in a Christian country.  There is no better place to understand that than in war, to begin to really value our shared heritage and beliefs.  As the old adage goes, ‘there are no atheists in a foxhole’.

Psalm 34: 12-16:

12 Whoever of you loves life
       and desires to see many good days,

 13 keep your tongue from evil
       and your lips from speaking lies.

 14 Turn from evil and do good;
       seek peace and pursue it.

 15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous
       and his ears are attentive to their cry;

 16 the face of the LORD is against those who do evil,
       to cut off the memory of them from the earth.

Take time today and this weekend to honor the fallen, and to commit to not standing idly by when men, women, and children are dying every day.

The post Remembering the Fallen first appeared on Warrior Shepherd.

On the plains of hesitation lie the blackened bones of countless millions who at the dawn of victory lay down to rest, and in resting died.” – Adlai Stevenson

I’ve been on summits in North Wales and the Scottish highlands, and deep in caves in the Cheddar gorge in Somerset, and I’ve found a common trait for those who are feeling uneasy, frightened, and out of their depth: They sit down.

I’ve seen people scoot along on their butts, leaving little butt impressions in the snow. I’ve seen people descend a mountain that has clearly defined steps (just like those in your home) step by excruciating step… on their bums. I’ve seen men who are able to stand and walk decide that the safest course of action is to slide on their backside. None of these techniques are effective, mind you. They are slow, destroy your pants, and in many cases–more dangerous than simply walking on two feet.

Why Sit?

What is it that brings people to their butts? It’s fear–plain and simple–brought on by heights, depths, and unfamiliar terrain. I get that. During Global Adventure events, we have people of all abilities, backgrounds, ages, and outdoor experience, so we’re not used to someone who is pushing their comfort zone. In fact, we encourage it!

And we understand that not everyone is as comfortable with heights, darkness, cold, wet, depths, etc. But what is most frustrating is that people won’t trust. Trust their equipment, trust their leaders, or trust their smarts. We strive to teach people new skills and give people new experiences in a safe but challenging way, but that’s the easy part. The third part of that puzzle that we focus on, to develop relationships in communities and families, is the hard one.

As Tim Miles and I lead groups “into the unknown,” we have to deal with those are struggling with fear and doubt. And sometimes, this means literally pulling people to their feet and forcing them to walk rather than to sit. But this mirrors what is happening in people’s hearts – they are sitting down, wallowing in fear and depression, when they should look up, enjoy their surroundings [and blessings], and trust in their friends and family around them.

Stand Up And Walk!

One of our goals as leaders should be to equip others to walk through challenges successfully. On the mountain, we literally equip them: with a map to guide their way, with boots to give them grip, and with some personal skills to stay safe in the outdoors. But in a family or a community or a church, that means parents and leaders have to equip others with emotional support, mental toughness, and spiritual guidance.

Emotional Support

That might mean a shoulder to cry on, or a sounding board to shout at. It means a heart to serve and some backbone to stand up for what we believe in.

Mental Toughness

This is massively lacking in people today: that grit, tenacity, just plain guts to wrestle with something difficult and see it through until it’s done. Our attention spans have been trained by society, news, media, and the internet to fizzle out after 2 minutes, but we must convince people that the reward is worth the incentive, no matter what field you’re in.

Spiritual Guidance

And here, the reward gets bigger, much bigger than ourselves or selfish desires. As leaders, we’re giving others direction and inspiration that transcends our immediate surroundings. We understand that we mess up all the time but we can still be forgiven and we have a Father that wants the best for us. As leaders that “father-heart” is what we want to role model.

Keep Going, Don’t Stop!

As the Adlai Stevenson quote states, it’s often on the cusp of victory that we decide to sit. It’s only those who are willing to fight through the pain and the fear, in the hopes of a glorious summit, that will reach their goals. Don’t be part of those countless millions who have sat down–be one of the ones who trust in their leaders, trust in their equipment, and trust in their God!

The post Don’t Sit Down! first appeared on Warrior Shepherd.

I’m normally too busy these days to keep a steady blog going, but I do like to share items as they inspire me with the hope that you’ll feel the same.

The following poem, Invictus, which is Latin for “unconquered”, talks of having strength through adversity and a resolute will.

After a pretty rough year last year (check out this post), this year is off to a great start. I hope you can stand with me and proclaim that you are, still, Unconquered.

Invictus

-William Ernest Henley

Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

The post Invictus first appeared on Warrior Shepherd.

The 300.

We have created a network of men across the UK and US called The 300. Fashioned after David’s Mighty Men, the Spartans at Thermopylae, and Gideon’s army, this is a group of men who are committed to stand shoulder-to-shoulder to strengthen and encourage each other. We think that one or two men in a church or community can spearhead a grass-roots movement of men who are looking for something different.

Men that are ready for something that will challenge them physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

Men that have had enough of sitting on the sidelines and letting culture, their jobs, their wives, their children run their lives.

Men that are ready to lead, but only from a place of honesty and trust.

Men that will go deeper in relationships — with each other, with God, and with their families.

We’re looking for 300 men.

Exclusive Content

We have created a curriculum for men’s small groups and men’s ministries — leader notes, guided discussions, ebooks, social media resources, hiking maps(!), even workouts — for the members to use to lead their groups. This content, exclusive to The 300, will be distributed in monthly SITREPs. The 300 will also have access to a private web page in order to share successes, lessons learned and other notes and resources.

How to Join The 300

Membership is easy. For a recommended minimum donation of £3/month (which will increase soon) you will get access to the exclusive content.
Click here to join: www.global-adventure.org/three-hundred
You probably won’t even notice £3 a month … but the combined power of the 300 means that the money raised can have a real impact on men across the world. Your membership will also give you discounts on Global Adventure events and gear, as well as invites to “300 only” events.

Sneak Peak: The first month…

Here’s a sneak peak at the first SITREP: Six Essential Elements for a Men’s Ministry. We’re talking about how we want to start a Global Adventure-themed men’s group with our friends.

Click Here To Sign Up Today

The post The 300 first appeared on Warrior Shepherd.

The following is written by Frederick Beuchner, I read it in his book Listening to Your Life: Daily Meditations with Frederick Buechner:

We weren’t born yesterday. We are from New Jersey, or Nottingham. But we are also from somewhere else. We are from Oz, from Looking-Glass Land, from Narnia, from Middle Earth. If with part of ourselves we are men and women of the world and share the sad unbeliefs of the world, with a deeper part still, the part where our best dreams come from, it is as if we were indeed born yesterday, or almost yesterday, because we are also all of us children still.

Who can say when or how it will be that something easters up out of the dimness to remind us of a time before we were born and after we will die? The child in us lives in a world where nothing is too familiar or unpromising to open up into the world where a path unwinds before our feet into a deep wood, and when that happens, neither the world we live in nor the world that lives in us can ever entirely be home again any more than it was home for Dorothy in the end either because in the Oz books the follow The Wizard, she keeps coming back again and again to Oz because Oz, not Kansas, is where her heart is, and the wizard turns out to be not a humbug but the greatest of all wizards after all.

The post The Child In Us first appeared on Warrior Shepherd.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5

These past 12 months have been the toughest of my life.

After the highs of moving to a new country, and talking to hundreds about the vision of Global Adventure and the value of “The Church of the Kitchen Table,” it seemed like everything was falling apart. Promises gone undelivered, huge opportunities coming to nothing, closed doors in our faces—and most of this was from our “Brothers” in the church!

I waved my fist to God — “Why have you brought us here?!?”

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. Psalm 56:3

On top of the year of disappointments, recently there was a span of about ten days where it felt like I could do nothing right. Every decision I made, wrong. The paths I chose, dead ends. The chances I took didn’t pan out. The limbs I stepped out on, all broke under my weight. Murphy’s Law was in full effect: Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

I rubbed the tears of frustration from my eyes, the dust from my shoulders, and sucked the blood from my raw knuckles. I had nowhere to turn. I had to make some drastic changes.

The next Sunday was a rarity in England: sunshine. The girls were out with friends and Bec took Ben to a play date, so I had the sunshine to myself. I poured a cup of coffee, grabbed my Bible held together with duct tape, and got outside. I opened to Psalm 22. You know, the one that starts with “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?!” It was exactly the cry of my soul.

But of course it’s followed by Psalm 23: “… even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…”

I kept reading… Psalm 24. “…lift up your heads, you gates, be lifted up, you ancient doors… Who is this King of Glory? — The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.”

It was getting good now. I read on to Psalm 25: “In you, Lord my God, I put my trust… do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. … Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.”

Wow. Thank goodness for that well-worn path back to the Tree of Life. My junk is not all fixed, but boy did that smack me out of it. The sun burned brighter. My future seemed secure, if not clear—but at least secure. I had my wife, my kids, and those men I could turn to when life seemed the worst. I just simply needed to trust Him.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9

The post The Fight of My Life first appeared on Warrior Shepherd.

As friends, leaders and mentors, this principle continues to apply.

As Friends.
There’s always that one friend that you get around and turn into a different person. For me, it’s my brother… whenever we get together, it’s like we’re teenagers again, being goofy, cracking jokes, poking fun. But he’s definitely “Good People”. Do you have that friend that whenever you’re around them, you don’t like the person you turn into? The choice is obvious. Make the choice to hang out with people that make you a better person, or make the choice to be the good influence in the relationship.

As Mentors.
Obviously, the reason we mentor/disciple/train is to develop and inspire young people to higher levels, to better things and bigger dreams. But even in this role, we we need to find those who are good influences to those around them. Another point this brings up is that we need to put our main effort to those who are striving to learn, contribute, and build. It’s the 80/20 principle [again]… we need to put 80% of our time into mentoring the top 20%. Those who are not just the most skilled, but those who are dedicated to continually learning, showing initiative, and operating at their best. So we choose that 20% to disciple… and we teach and instill this principle of “good people.”

As Leaders.
Not only must we be “Good People”, we must surround ourselves with “Good People.” People who are contributing, people who are building, people who are learning. Our inner circle, our core team, must be filled with people that we trust and have similar goals. Our inner circle must be people that bring value to us and to our team, whether that’s a non-profit or for-profit, a temporary project team, or long-term partnership. Your team is important…General Colin Powell once said, that when picking people for your team,

Look for:
-intelligence
-judgment
-capacity to anticipate
-loyalty
-integrity
-high energy
-balance
-drive
…everything else can be trained.

What a great list of attributes… Does your team have these qualities? If they don’t already possess them, are you cultivating these qualities? I’m not saying I’ve got all of these covered, but It’s what I am trying to build and work on in my own life, and on “our team” at G42.

Photo credit: Svilen Milev

The post Being “Good People” first appeared on Warrior Shepherd.

Our group touched down early in the wee hours of the morning at our destination, stretching our legs and backs after 8+ hours sleeping under trucks or in any flat and smooth spaces we could find in a cavernous C-17 transport aircraft.

We were met by the Sergeant Major, who got us settled and gave us a quick tour of the compound, as best he could in the pitch black morning. He was a typical Sergeant Major: gruff, no-nonsense, and wouldn’t put up with rookie mistakes or attitudes. We rode around the compound in the back of a pickup truck, stopping only to drop off our bags or to talk to someone important we needed to know from the Task Force. I assumed we were already being scrutinized for our as-yet undecided jobs, so I started asserting myself as the leader of the group and made some decisions. Just little things, mind you…

Photo Credit: U.S. Air Force

After our familiarization on the compound, our inprocessing was very in-depth and designed to make sure we could hack it at our jobs for the next 6+ months. To say it was an intense, high-ops-tempo place doesn’t begin to describe it.

There were two Captains in our group, so I felt I had to beat out the other guy for a position on the leadership team. The final step of inprocessing, about 72 hours after we started, was an individual interview with the OIC [Officer In Charge], OPSO [Operations Officer], and SGM. [Sergeant Major, come on… keep up!] The result of our interview (and previous rigorous testing) was that I was selected as the new Operations Officer, second in command of the entire organization. The other Captain floated around with nothing to do for about 2 weeks while the rest of his team was set up–while I was quickly involved in the daily ops of the place.

So why the vague reference to an early morning ride through a dark compound?

Because I was being tested. It turned out that the first impression I had was spot-on–I later found out that the Sergeant Major had started our job interviews the minute we stepped off the plane. He was scrutinizing our every move, our handshakes, our drive, and intelligence from the start.

Spain, Orientation Day, 0930:

Fast-forward six years to January 2013: It was orientation day for the new interns at the G42 Leadership Academy. I talked about our style, our background and ethos, and the policies and details of the program. One of the themes I was especially focused on developing and encouraging in our interns is Initiative. And in each intern house, we posted a list of jobs to be done. Not your normal daily or weekly housekeeping jobs, but projects that would take some time, planning, and hard work to accomplish. It was a simple list, with items like “Weed the Yard,” “Paint the kitchen wall,” or “Install a new pole and hang a new clothesline.” There were no names attached, no due dates, just a list of jobs that needed doing.

The idea was that interns, during their down time, had the option to pick up the list and do one of the projects. They also had the option of serving their neighbors, teaching English to kids, or watching movies, surfing Facebook, or a million other time wasters. We don’t regulate study hours, or time on the internet–we leave it up to them. They’re adults and have self-discipline and their conscience to guide them.

But it’s all a test. It helps the leadership at the Leadership Academy determine who really understands the heart of servanthood, who is willing to take initiative, and who is worth investing in. But, like life, there’s no grade, and it all hinges on whether you step up to the challenge.

Everything is a test

…From the minute your alarm rings in the morning until you kiss your wife good night… will you workout each morning like you challenged yourself to, or will you hit snooze? Will you work hard through the day or will you do the minimum amount required? Will you carry a grudge to bed or will you go to bed with your debts all paid?

Everything is a test. There’s no report card, there’s no one looking over your shoulder… but it’s still a test.

Will you pass?

The post Everything is a Test. first appeared on Warrior Shepherd.

So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart.

Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place.

Show respect to all people and grovel to none.

When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.

When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.

Tecumseh, of the Shawnee

Art: *We are a Horse Nation” by Roy Anderson

The post Like a Hero Going Home… first appeared on Warrior Shepherd.

Silent night, Holy night
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord at thy birth
Jesus, Lord at thy birth.

Imagine the nostalgia when I heard this same verse on a national radio station this week. The dawn of redeeming grace!–how awesome is it that this time of year, popular culture is “allowed” to sing about faith, and the entry of the Son of God onto our small sphere:

Hark the herald angels sing
“Glory to the newborn King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild
God and sinners reconciled”

God and sinners reconciled! …how can we, or anyone for that matter, forget exactly why this holiday is celebrated? It’s everywhere for all to see: To remember, to proclaim, the entry of Jesus Christ onto this earth. There is no doubt that Jesus was a historical figure, and no arguing that his birth was a pivotal moment in the history of mankind. (Yes, no matter how the PC-police want to change it, our dating system uses his birth as its center point!) There’s no doubt that his teachings have changed the lives of countless millions, but as C.S. Lewis has eloquently said, he can’t simply be a “great teacher.”

A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronising nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.

What Would Jesus Do?

So let’s remember what Jesus did that made him such anathema to the religious leaders of the day. The media doesn’t like to point at one religion over another, but let’s be honest. The things that set true Christianity apart from religions around the world are grace and love. A free gift–that must be shared to be enjoyed. One thing that strikes us these days is a distinct lack of love. Whatever the politics of the age, whatever the anguish going on, let us remember how Christ truly flipped leadership on its head: he brought love, rather than hate; freedom and joy, rather than control.

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother;
And in His name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy name.

Christ is the Lord! O praise His Name forever,
His power and glory evermore proclaim.
O night divine, O night, O night divine

The post Christmas and the Pivot of History first appeared on Warrior Shepherd.