Bob Goff and Frank Blake on Leadership: Goff talks with former Home Depot CEO Frank Blake about company culture, leadership, etc. Blake is down-to-earth, insightful, and challenging. Listen here on Bob Goff’s Dream Big Podcast.
My Ph.D. Work is Published: I can’t believe it: my Ph.D. work which I started in the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh in September 2017 is finally published. I completed my doctorate in May 2020, received a contract offer from Wipf & Stock in January 2021, and have worked off and on for since then (a total of 5+ years) adding additional material that I came across that was important to my argument, removing parts of the Ph.D. dissertation that I thought were weak, reorganizing the entire work from four chapters to nine which required new transitions at the beginning and end of each chapter, and many other tasks. Also, through a mentor, the Lord spoke to me in last August: “Finish the book!” This served as a strong inspiration and motivation to stay focused and work hard even when I didn’t “feel” like it. The Lord is faithful. As of three days ago, the book is published: The Possibility and Role of Supererogation in Evangelical Ethics. It is available now on Wipf & Stock’s website and will be available on Amazon and other websites (Barnes & Nobles, etc.) in the weeks to come. Paperback is available now, but it will also be available in eBook format as well as hardback in the weeks to come. I am so, so happy. Doing what God puts in your heart, no matter the cost, is so deeply satisfying. I do hope that the Lord uses this work to bless others.
The Simple Things: My wife has done a wonderful job teaching our kids about how to identify different kinds of birds. The other day she created a special little book for each of our two older kids. They check a box for each type of bird they see each day. Eastern bluebirds, robins, cardinals, cranes, herons, titmice, blue jays, and others are on the list. This morning, both kids decided to put down a cozy blanket by our two back doors, sit still with their pen and books, and mark birds as they appear. Nature in all of its forms is one of God’s many gracious gifts to us. I have even found in the past that when I don’t recognize birds singing when on a walk, it is a sign that I am too absorbed in a thought rather than being present in the moment. Hearing birds is a sign that you are not too engrossed in overthinking.
B.J. Condrey, Ph.D. 