Balanced Spirituality
“The boy didn’t make it snow – God did!” My three year old grandson Will had it right. The story told of a little boy who badly wanted snow. His Grandfather told him to try all sorts of silly things to bring down the white, fluffy stuff. Nothing worked. Finally, he did a snow dance and sure enough, the rain turned into flakes and covered the ground. “I did it! I made it snow!”
Without even a word, my grandson looked me in the eye and reminded me of the true truth.
His candor reminded me of a cold, snowy Christmastime in Dallas when I parked the car in a crowded mall lot, went in with my grandson Andrew to enjoy time together. When we left it was dark, and I couldn’t remember where I parked. We walked and walked and walked. Finally, Andrew spotted the car! “Thank you, Jesus” was my response. “How come you thanked Jesus? I found the car!”
There is a balance, isn’t there? Taking credit for weather conditions is foolish. Failing to acknowledge the diligence of a 9 year old is negligent.
I truly believe God is evident in all things. I believe He allowed Andrew the joy of finding the car. And, I also believe He gave Will the insight to understand who is the true maker of weather.
Showing Andrew the power of prayer and the joy of being the beneficiary of God’s providential grace was the “teachable moment” that cold December night. Celebrating with Will in his belief in our sovereign God allowed us a time to share the goodness and awesomeness of this same God.
As the Mom of three young ones I didn’t have the patience or strength to look for these spiritual vignettes. Aging brings the blessing of perspective. I thank the Lord for these “wee bites” which strengthen my heart and stretch them.
Prayer Network
by Brenda A. Smith, BWFLI.com, BreakfastWithFred.com
“We can tell you are praying for us — keep it up.”
This comment from a school President encouraged me. The mystical relationship which occurs in prayer allows us to intercede for others. What a privilege!
We are seeing college students following the pied piper of entitlement thinking, walking away from personal responsibility. The students at our Christian colleges and universities are challenged to weigh Biblical truth against the loud voices of our culture. They need us to be in prayer. God calls us to stand in the gap. We are given the assignment of being “knee deep” for them.
This month would you please lift up: 1) students on Spring Break; 2) financial needs; 3) legislative and judicial decisions which influence staffing and faculty; 4) boldness to hold firm to the truth of their missions and 5) joy in their journey.
As we pray may we make our petitions to our Father God in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Divine Wisdom
by Bob Deffinbaugh, Bible.org, BWFLI.com
“8 But it is a spirit in man, And the breath of the Almighty gives them understanding. 9 The abundant in years may not be wise, Nor may elders understand justice. Job 32:8-9”
These are the words of Elihu, the youngest of Job’s “friends.” By his own admission, he waited to speak until his fellow friends were out of words, and out of advice for Job. In the words above I believe that Elihu states a truth that is reinforced elsewhere in the Bible:
“97 O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. 98 Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, For they are ever mine. 99 I have more insight than all my teachers, For Your testimonies are my meditation. 100 I understand more than the aged, Because I have observed Your precepts (Psalm 119:97-104).”
One of our goals is to create an atmosphere where the wisdom gained by years of walking with Christ may be passed on to the next generation. We see much of this exhortation to heed the counsel of one’s elders in the Book of Proverbs. But there is also that other side to wisdom, to which only Christians can lay claim – the divine wisdom that comes through the Word of God and the Spirit of God.
As we pray for this younger generation of college students, let us pray that they lay claim to all sources of divine wisdom: the counsel of mature saints, the instruction of the Scriptures, and the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit.
Let us pray that we who are older would possess this kind of wisdom, would practice it, and would willingly pass it on to those who come behind us. And let us pray for our colleges and universities, that the administration, faculty, and staff would reflect divine wisdom to the next generation.
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Mentor Search
Weekly Thought – March 10, 2026
Fred’s book, You and Your Network, influenced generations of leaders. Editors often chided Fred for his “packed to the gills” writing style, urging him to dilute the material. He was told his books could easily be stretched into two. He preferred stretching people, and not content. This was appreciated by his readers.
A comment from California reflects this: “The main thing that really keeps our attention with You and Your Network is that it cuts out all of the fat, boilerplate, and extra information most authors are so compelled to put into their books just for the weight of it.”
Mentor Search
Over the years I identified seven qualities I look for in a mentor:
1) Do they have wisdom from experience? Scripture says young men are for strength and old men are for wisdom. A mentor must understand the principles of life which I believe, comes from scripture.
2) Do they feel noncompetitive toward younger people? You need a mentor who can relax and say, “This person is a race horse and I am now just the trainer. He’s going to go to the winner’s circle and get the money. I will be happy just making a contribution to that.” Mentoring brings vicarious accomplishment.
3) Can they spot talent? In my first meeting with someone I look for that “unscratchable itch.” Good mentors can assess your current skills and take a good guess at your potential. A good mentor wants to contribute to accomplishment.
4) Is there chemistry between us? One way I check chemistry is to stop and say, “Please repeat to me what I just said.” Sometimes you heard the darndest things. If a person isn’t listening well, there probably won’t be a profitable chemistry.
5) Will they take the responsibility seriously? Does it have meaning to them? Does the relationship count? Can they feel hope? Are they willing to invest the time?
6) Are they willing and able to confront? Confrontation is surgical. If you’re afraid of blood, you should not be in the operating room. And if you primarily want people to like you, you’re not good at confrontation. But a good mentor pauses before confrontation to ask, “Am I saying this in love willing the ultimate good for the other?”
7) Do they ask good questions? My mentor, Maxey Jarman, told me, “Management is supposed to have the answers, but the board is supposed to have the questions.” Likewise, a good mentor should be able to ask good questions. The job of a mentor is to open a window – the right window. And then, point to the best path.
Think about these things: 1) Who is mentoring me? 2) Who am I mentoring? 3) What message do I have to communicate?
Words of Wisdom: “Mentoring brings vicarious accomplishment.”
Wisdom from the Word: “Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?” (Job 12:12 NET Bible)