The Journey of Becoming

Be it a second-half-of-life move, a shift from fluid to crystallized intelligence, or simply living life with less hair — much more of it now gray — I no longer desire to strive to prove myself through achievement. I wake up desiring to move toward living with freedom, clarity, and depth, rooted in the truth of who God created me to be. With the helpful insight of my wife, Robin, I don't just see myself as a leader, but a specific type of leader: a Builder. As I think back, this has been true ever since I was a young boy. But as the journey continues in this phase of life, I'm learning to build not in my own strength, but in partnership with God and through the work of the Holy Spirit.

As I look back, I also recognize that God has formed me with a particular way of seeing — an instinct to notice patterns, imagine possibilities, and connect ideas that are often held apart. This divergent, creative way of thinking has long been a quiet companion to my calling as a Builder. It allows me to envision what could be, not as an escape from reality, but as a faithful response to what God is already doing. Over time, I am learning to steward this creativity not as a source of striving or control, but as a gift to be offered humbly, in service of people, organizations, and the Kingdom.

I still have a tendency to gravitate toward gaining my identity from being a leader. However, I am growing — and gaining more now as a husband, father, and son — loving and being loved instead of purely productivity. These closest relationships are not interruptions to my calling; they are the primary places where God forms my character, forges me from the inside out, and teaches me how to love as Christ loves. Who I am becoming is the language of transformation, and the journey I am on.

This spiritual formation journey — being with Jesus, becoming like Jesus, and doing what Jesus would do if He were me — is starting to shape everything I do. I am learning to embrace the unhurried work of God, knowing that transformation moves more slowly than producing and achieving. This slower pace is not about doing less, but about doing what matters most, with deeper presence and faithfulness — even as the world idolizes and rewards speed and efficiency.

For me, being a Builder is joining God in the cultivation of Tov — what is good, whole, and aligned with His will. God's personal will is often revealed not as a detailed plan to be discovered, but as a simple, guiding word that shapes a faithful life over time. Builder is a way of describing how I am called to live and respond to God in this season. It includes the imaginative work of seeing what does not yet exist — holding space for new ideas, creative solutions, and faithful experiments that serve God's purposes while remaining rooted in Tov.

My calling is to build faithfully and wisely, beginning with my own life and extending into family, people, teams, organizations, and the Kingdom. This kind of building honors God's slow work of formation and trusts that what is rooted in Tov — goodness, wholeness, and love — will endure.

Before I can join God in building externally, I must continue to invest in and build my relationship with Him, while allowing Him to continue His work in me. Through the Holy Spirit, I seek to be continually transformed in my inner life, leading to deepening trust, surrender, and Christlikeness. This ongoing formation keeps me grounded in humility and ensures that what I build flows out of who I am becoming in Jesus.

This formation is lived out most honestly in the wholeness of everyday life — starting at home, then at work, among friends, and in the ordinary rhythms that shape my days. As a husband, father, son, colleague, leader, and friend, I allow God to use these relationships and responsibilities to form patience, presence, forgiveness, and ultimately love.

In partnership with God, I come alongside others through friendship, coaching, encouraging, advising, and servant leadership. I love calling out the gifts God has placed in others, and encouraging and challenging them to flourish. I invest relationally so people know they are seen, valued, and loved.

I have long carried this calling most easily into leadership, friendships, and competitive spaces — places where I feel confident and at home. Yet living this calling within my own family remains essential. It is in the daily, ordinary faithfulness of loving, listening, serving, and leading with humility and presence that I am shaped most deeply. From that place, my leadership with others emerges from a grounded, well-differentiated self — not from anxiety, overfunctioning, or the need to control outcomes.

I join God's work in strengthening organizations by caring for people, bringing teams together, solving complex problems through creative and divergent thinking, innovating by connecting ideas across disciplines, approaching challenges with curiosity rather than fear, and stewarding resources wisely. I help clarify vision, strengthen structures, and create ecosystems where growth can be healthy and sustainable — so that organizational strength never outpaces spiritual health.

I believe organizations flourish when leadership is shared, strengths are integrated, and no one person is required to be everything. Healthy cultures protect trust, value diverse contributions, and resist short-term wins in favor of long-term faithfulness. I approach organizations with a stewardship mindset — seeking not merely to win, but to build something that endures. In this way, leadership becomes an act of wisdom and humility.

A core passion of mine is to co-labor with God in building for the Kingdom through my daily work and leadership. I bring my gifts, talents, and experience to connect vision with execution, form healthy teams and organizations, steward people and resources wisely, and lead in a Tov way — good, whole, and life-giving — so that the love of Jesus takes root in those I serve.

I believe the Kingdom is made visible not through grand gestures, but through faithful presence in ordinary work. As heaven and earth overlap, God's renewing work is expressed through unhurried, Spirit-formed leadership — shaping decisions, systems, and relationships that reflect goodness, justice, and love. In this way, daily leadership becomes participation in God's ongoing work of new creation.

My life is becoming deeply rooted in Kingdom-oriented formation — being with Jesus, becoming like Jesus, and doing what Jesus did if He were me. I believe this is the foundation from which all great leadership flows: Tov leadership.

I am deeply committed to a leadership that is good, whole, and life-giving because it is rooted in Christ. This stands in contrast to much of today's leadership culture, which often prizes speed, control, image management, and results at the expense of people and formation. Tov Leadership is not simply about healthy practices or better techniques; it is about embodying the full gospel and being a Christlike leader.

Tov Leadership joins that Kingdom reality as an unhurried, Spirit-led way of life. It trusts God's slow and steady work and seeks to nurture cultures of goodness and wholeness — even as we live among the noise of Babylon, where hurry, production, distraction, efficiency, and empty promises clamor for allegiance but cannot rival the lasting hope of new creation. This resistance begins not only in leadership systems, but in the rhythms of daily life: choosing presence over productivity, and love over hurry.