Creation Care Chronicles, no. 1 – Restoration I am sitting in the Hotel de Wereld in Wageningen, The Netherlands. It is an historic place, where the Germans surrendered to the Canadians in 1945. As a Canadian of Dutch extraction, it holds a special place in my heart.  The surrender ended years of war and famine. It was the beginning of restoration. At that moment, this hotel stood with shattered infrastructure and...

Devotions for a Busy Business Person, no. 276 – Restoration I am sitting in the Hotel de Wereld in Wageningen, The Netherlands. It is an historic place, where the Germans surrendered to the Canadians in 1945. As a Canadian of Dutch extraction, it holds a special place in my heart.  “I will bring my people Israel back from exile. They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink...

Devotions for a Busy Business Person, no. 275 – Succession I have been reading of the succession of Henry I, king of England and Normandy (reigned 1100-1135) after he died. Let’s just say it did not go well. That reflection has made me  consider succession in my own work. Many of you have shared in the success (all glory to God) of Regen.Global. I’m now thinking of how that success can continue as my time at the helm is over...

Devotions for a Busy Business Person, no. 274 – Create I was listening to Diary of a CEO with Stephen Bartlett as he spoke with Dr. Deepak Chopra. Dr. Chopra talked about how we find our true self through creativity. In the quote below, he suggests the relationship flows both ways: our true self is also the source of creativity. “The true self, once discovered, is the source of creativity, intelligence and personal...

Devotions for a Busy Business Person, no. 273 – Respect A month or so ago, I breakfasted with my cousin Jason, one of my favourite entrepreneurs. Over coffee and eggs (his treat!), he said something that still sticks with me, “Respect, if you have it, things work, if lost, they don’t.” “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.” Proverbs 11:3 Jason builds respect in his...

Devotions for a Busy Business Person, no. 272 – Lunch I was once speaking to an Afghani colleague and talking about long-term plans and building reputation for his business. He looked at me and said, “Mark, here, we only worry about whether we can put lunch on the table.” Given what he, his family and his country are going through, his view was quite understandable.  “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry...

Devotions for a Busy Business Person, no. 271 – Seed Terri and I were speaking with our advisor and friend, Janet, praising God for those who have given their time, talent, and financial resources to help ReGen.Global flourish. Your generosity enables us to help others flourish spiritually, in restored social environments, and a replenished ecology. Janet said that we had been given seed capital. The phrase struck me like a...

Devotions for a Busy Business Person, no. 270 – Water I had an accident when I was twelve, leaving one leg significantly shorter than the other, and a knee that—well—isn’t much of a knee at all. It’s more gristle and pins and screws than bone and muscle. These facts made it difficult to excel in demanding terrestrial sports. But once I was in water, things changed. It did not matter how short my leg was, how wonky the knee; there was...

Devotions for a Busy Business Person, no. 269 – The path you build Terri and I just got back from a four day break at Nekinan Lodge and Victoria District National Historic Site, where we learned about the peoples that first forged a home in this land. “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?I am making a way in the wilderness…” Isaiah 43:19 As we walked the prairie hills and on...

Devotions for a Busy Business Person, no. 268 – Resilience As you have probably surmised, I do not see business as a secular pursuit solely for profit. Since you are a reader of this post, I suspect you think the same. Bringing value to this good earth and its people is a spiritual endeavour, infused with environmental and social purpose, aimed at the financial goal of flourishing. It’s challenging work often marked by setbacks. So...