by Sam Rainer | Mar 2, 2014 | Uncategorized
She was adamant about going through with the baptism. I tried to convince her to put it off a week. The heating element in the baptistery had gone out. It was January. The morning’s temperature was somewhere below zero. It wasn’t a crisis, but it felt like it. We... 
by Sam Rainer | Jan 26, 2014 | Uncategorized
Followers can bring distractions to leaders. A few years ago, I received a phone call I’ll never forget. It was someone telling me a prominent and faithful church member had died suddenly. He was a doctor, well-respected in the community. The town was already talking... 
by Sam Rainer | Jan 12, 2014 | Uncategorized
The best follower is not always compliant. It may seem counterintuitive, but no leader should want complete compliance all the time. Such a situation produces zero accountability. Orders are given. Orders are followed. No questions asked. That works so long as the... 
by Sam Rainer | Dec 17, 2013 | Uncategorized
I’ve had a few dramatic stumbles when I stand quickly, only to realize one of my legs has mysteriously fallen asleep. The numbness makes it feel like the leg has suddenly gone missing, only to give sharp tingling reminders that it indeed is still there. A foot, arm,... 
by Sam Rainer | Nov 24, 2013 | Uncategorized
My Facebook news feed recently captured several images of gas pump prices. Ubiquitous posts of ubiquitous subjects are nothing new to social media images. Purchasing gas below $3 per gallon, however, was worthy of a little celebration. So I clicked like. I’m not old...
