Hope as a character trait
Family businesses are remarkably rewarding. The chance to pursue your entreprenurial instincts, to be your own boss, to work alongside family members, to make a difference for your employees and...
Faith & Family Business
Land as legacy
June 15, 2025
I don’t often write about a specific industry in this newsletter, but many readers know I work with family businesses in agriculture. On June 5, the theologian Walter Brueggemann died, and it...
Breaking the cycle of negative family interaction
June 8, 2025
While I’m working on my next series about “wilderness” in the family business, I’m posting a few popular reflections from the past. For much of of 2022 I wrote about King David, and this week I’m...
A blessing for letting go in the family business
June 1, 2025
While I’m working on my next series about “wilderness” in the family business, I’m posting a few popular reflections from the past. Last week I offered a blessing for parents and grandparents in the...
A blessing for parents and grandparents in the family business
May 25, 2025
While I’m working on my next series about “wilderness” in the family business, I’m posting a few popular reflections from the past. Last week I offered a blessing for the younger generation’s return...
A blessing for the next generation's return
May 19, 2025
While I’m working on my next series about “wilderness” in the family business, I’m posting a few popular reflections from the past. This week and next week I’m offering a couple of my “family...
Repairing relationships in the family business
May 12, 2025
While I’m working on my next series about “wilderness” in the family business, I’m posting a few popular reflections from the early years. Last week, and this week, I’m reposting my reflections on...
Reconciliation in the family business
May 4, 2025
While I’m working on my next series about “wilderness” in the family business, I’m posting a few popular reflections from the early years. This one is about reconciliation between Jacob and Esau....
Commandments for the family business
April 27, 2025
The scene at Mt. Sinai is overwhelming for the Israelites. Thunder, lightning, smoke, and earthquakes. Threats and warnings to keep their distance. Moses disappearing into the chaos. What comes next...
Setting the stage for something big
April 20, 2025
In my last reflection, Moses and the Israelites arrive at Mount Sinai, where the shift in Moses’ role to lawgiver begins to take place. God’s specific instructions reflect the significance of what is...