Churchill Mortgage Corporation NMLS # 1591

William Seward was supposed to lead the Republican Party in 1860. He was more experienced, more established, and confident everyone knew it. Then Abraham Lincoln won the presidency. The difference wasn’t intelligence. It was leadership. Seward built arguments. Lincoln built teams. Seward needed to be right. Lincoln was curious enough to listen. One led by position. The other led by influence. To Lincoln’s credit, he brought Seward close anyway — valuing his ideas, making room for disagreement, and turning a rival into one of his closest advisors. I see this same dynamic constantly in leadership today. Two equally capable people: - One talks to prove they have the answer. - The other listens to bring people into the solution. One creates followers. The other creates buy-in. If you spend your life trying to be right, you may end up doing it alone. The better question for leaders is: Are you trying to be right, or trying to be effective?

It wasn't part of our weekend plans. In fact, our entire weekend plans consisted of having no plans to do absolutely nothing. We had been going pretty hard for the last few months, had a big week ahead of us, were tired, a little burnt out, and feeling behind. We had closets to clean, some work to do, and a list of things to take care of at home. But when our friends reached and invited us over for lunch we immediately said yes. We have been friends for a long time. They have been through some life recently. His mother, who I have known for 50 years, was in town and, quite frankly, we just wanted to spend some time together. Plus, they were cooking so that was a win! The food was great, the conversation all over the board, and we left energized and happy that we went. Our bellies and hearts were full. All those menial tasks we had on our to-do list...well, they are still there and just as unimportant as they were before. Did you realize that one of the big contributors to burnout is isolation? Constantly running, carrying a heavy load, feeling like you are the only one, and then holing up alone or with a screen with no relational outlet to offload it. Even if others are around, you mentally and emotionally isolate yourself, with the inner pressure just building until it finally blows your top. It is dangerous and all too common. On the flip side, fellowship is a key part of living a joyful life—eating together, laughing together, sharing burdens with each other, and enjoying the goodwill of God and others. It is part of our design. As humans, we need other humans. We are all so different and complete each other, filling in gaps that alone we just feel empty. I love that in the book of Genesis, God says he created man in his own image, both man and woman together. It is in togetherness we are in His image. If you are feeling burn-out, exhausted, or on the edge, rest is important for sure. But be careful not to isolate yourself under the illusion that rest alone is enough. Isolation is the devil's ploy. Find people to share a meal with, go to church and worship with others, catch a ball game, spend time in fellowship with other people. Doing so will inject you with the goodwill and joy that only comes from spending time with friends and God, giving burnout a cooling-off period. #Churchillleadership #coolingoffperiod #surroundyourself #fellowship

We tend to tie our identities to our jobs. What we do for a living can become who we believe we are. I learned this lesson in one of the hardest ways when I found myself losing a successful job that I loved. I thought I was at the pinnacle and very quickly things changed. I admit that change sent me into a depression in my life. I thought my success and the money I made was who I was, forgetting who I was at my core. I felt lost and hopeless. Thank God, for my godly parents and good friends. They reminded me of who I truly am. They reminded me, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” from Philippians 4:13. I could live without a great job and making a lot of money. But I cannot live a meaningful life without a relationship with the Lord. It was one of the biggest lessons I had to learn. I knew I had to rebuild and renew my faith in God. He loves me just the same no matter what my bank account looks like or what my title is at a job. With his help, I knew I could walk through anything. That is where my true identity lies—being a child of God. He is going to guide, even through mistakes, and He brings the true meaning to life. #Churchillleadership #trueidentitiy #job #careeer #whoyoureallyare

As I have spent more time at Churchill Mortgage, I have been refreshingly energized by the culture I have seen here. It is not just talked about but is lived out as well. The focus of the leadership aligns well with what I believe is valuable. It is about the whole person being healthy and not just performing at work. They prioritize faith, family, and fitness, including mental, spiritual, and relational health. When any of these areas are out of balance, it inevitably impacts work. So, the priority is on the whole person and not just the performance of the employee. This has benefited me to be in this environment, and I also have seen how it benefits my team. These ideals are in everything we do, from training and daily conversations to employee enrichment programs. We don’t always realize how stress management, exercise, nutrition, and more affect us daily. When people are healthy, they perform better. This culture reinforces that when people are valued first, success naturally follows. #ChurchillMortgage #Churchillculture #culture #peoplefirst #wholeperson #health

What a great weekend celebrating the Masters with my brother and some friends. We started with a great round of golf together on Saturday, then watched the Masters after. Sunday was a full day with the tournament coverage and time together at our Masters-themed party! Congratulations to Rory McIlroy on making history with back-to-back wins! #Golf #Mastersweekend #playinggolf

The first thing I did was make a list. Before I started reading, I could feel my mind was already full, and nothing new was going in until I created some space. So, I wrote down all the things that were spinning in my head that I needed help with or had to make decisions about. Starting the process with "Lord help me with…”, I then started writing down everything that had blocked my mental plumbing. I followed that up with a quick prayer asking God to allow me to hear what I needed to as I stepped into my morning reading. That process alone didn't fix or take away anything, but it did take captive those anxious thoughts so that I could process them from a healthy mindset and focus on what I was doing in that moment. It allowed me to think about whose advice I wanted to seek in some of those situations, remembering that the Bible says in the multitude of counselors, there is safety. It also revealed one or two things that I hadn't been thinking about that I needed to. Louder things were simply in the way causing me to have forgotten them, and now they were back in focus. Doing that first gave me the space needed to organize my thoughts, slow down my mind, and start the day with the ability to choose what would guide me—the Holy Spirit, not my anxious thoughts. Then God gave me the gift of a smile. An unexpected text message hit my phone. It was a picture of my son Ethan sitting on a box, totally gassed after a morning workout. It made me smile because I have been in the gym where it was taken and remember feeling the same way. Also, because I was proud of him for getting up and getting at it, even when I knew he was traveling for work. Simply receiving that text lightened my heart and injected me with energetic joy. Never underestimate the impact you can have through random acts of sharing good things with other people. Many times, we think that we don't want to be a bother, or that they wouldn't appreciate it. I say don't make that choice for them. Let them decide. If you have something good or fun to share, do it! You may be just the refreshing drink someone needs in the moment. With a clear mind and a smile on my face I can now move into the day, better than I started. That is the power of an intentional morning. Clear the mental plumbing so things can flow more freely. Fill the heart with joy so light can guide you, not darkness. And care for the body that will carry you and give you energy and confidence throughout the day. Thanks for the reminder, Ethan, if you can get up do it, why can't I? #Churchillleadership #bringasmile #sharegoodthings

What’s a qubit? Other than being a great word, it is also the basic unit of quantum computing. I know, you are thinking, "Is he really going to try to explain quantum computing?" Well... a little, but it blows my mind. Traditional computing is based on bits of data. Each bit would represent either one or a zero, strictly binary and limited to two possible states. Qubits (quantum bits to my pea brain) flips that theory on its side, as a qubit can exist in both one and zero states simultaneously. Imagine flipping a coin. Typically, it can be either heads or tails. Quantum theory would say it can be both heads and tails at the same time. That's a qubit. It defies our traditional way of computing and offers endless possibilities when linked together and processed in ways I don't understand. But my lack of understanding it doesn't make it less true. We have been using quantum physics for over 100 years. Science has proven that energy and matter can exist in multiple states at once. “I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.” (Revelation 1:8) This blows my mind also. How can something be the beginning and the end at the same time? Well God can. He isn't limited to the traditional binary way of processing the world. Ask Einstein. Science has proven it is possible. Just because I don't understand it, doesn't make it less true. As I consider how my faith and quantum theory interact, I surrender to the reality that I don't have to understand it. I can be free to experience God as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit simultaneously in my life. I am released to be linked together, to cooperate with all three which offers unlimited possibilities of love, grace, wisdom, forgiveness, and direction. And that is pretty cool. I don't understand how radio waves work, how my TV receives content through the air, or how planes fly either, but I still board them on the regular. Spend less time trying to understand God and more time experiencing Him. It will change how you see the world, interact with the people around you, and open up unlimited possibilities. Qubits are real. Just because you don't understand it, doesn't make it any less true. #Churchillleadership #wisdom #science #faith #quantumtheory