• Fred's Blog

    The Beginning And The End

    Listen to “The Beginning And The End” By Fred Smith   I have worked with a number of entrepreneurs over the years and there are a few common themes and characteristics in their lives. One of them is an extreme focus and a personal identification with projects. They start things, grow them, and then look for exit strategies. In fact, the exit strategy is built into the plan from the beginning. In non-profit work, there are very few exit strategies – especially for founders. A familiar and common characteristic of entrepreneurs founding ministries is, for a variety of reasons, they sooner or later start looking for other partners. Sometimes they…

  • Fred's Blog

    A Picture Or A Thousand Words?

    Listen to “A Picture or a Thousand Words” by Fred Smith   Several years ago I read an article in the Boston Globe about research being done on the reasons people give and motivating them to give more. This week, ten years later, I found an update and new insights. “What we find is when people are thinking more deliberatively . . . they end up being less generous overall ” said Deborah Small an associate professor of marketing and psychology at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. Is it possible to be both generous and smart about it? A lot of donors would like to think so but new…

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  • Fred's Blog

    Never That Far Apart

    Listen to “Never That Far Apart” by Fred Smith.   In 1977, it was not common to hear a young man in his 30’s considering giving away a fortune.  But, there we were, Bob, Linda and me, all three of us in our thirties having dinner at Nieman Marcus in downtown Dallas, the flagship store, talking about just that. Seven years passed before we had dinner again but this time it was more than musing.  That same young man had decided to act on his intentions and invited me to join him in the adventure.  Who in their right mind would say no to that?  No one mentioned what great…

  • Talks

    Bob Buford’s Memorial Service – Northwest Bible Church, Dallas TX

    In 1977,  it was not common to hear a young man in his 30’s considering giving away a fortune.  But, there we were, all three of us in our thirties having dinner at Nieman Marcus in downtown Dallas, the flagship store, talking about just that. Seven years passed before we had dinner again but this time it was more than musing.  That same young man, Bob Buford, had decided to act on his intentions and invited me to join him in the adventure.  Who in their right mind would say no to that?  Well, here is a snapshot of me at my desk after six months.  No one mentioned what…

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  • Bible Studies

    2 Samuel: 2-3 David, Abner and Joab

    We need a bit of context before jumping into the text. At the end of 1st Samuel Israel is at war again with the Philistines. David, thinking the only safe place to escape Saul’s determination to kill him was with the Philistines, left Israel and lived with one of the Philistine tribes. He would have gone into battle with them against Saul and Israel but the Philistines armies did not trust him. During the final battle, three of Saul’s four sons are killed. Saul is wounded but to avoid being abused by the Philistines he kills himself. When the Philistines find his body he is beheaded and stripped of his…

  • Fred's Blog

    Shower The People You Love

    Listen to “Shower the People You Love” by Fred Smith   An article in the Baylor Magazine investigates the factors in father-daughter relationships that make the most difference. These are called “turning points” and when asked what key experiences improved closeness in their relationships both fathers and daughters mentioned events typical of those that you normally think of as helping to cement father-son friendships. The most frequently mentioned turning points by daughters and fathers alike were participating together in sports, work and vacations. It’s really a wonder I have any relationship with my two daughters at all given those results! Neither of them showed much interest in sports and that suited…

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