Sometimes life surprises you.

A tear fell down my face as I entered a restaurant recently with my daughter. We had decided to go out for soup and salad, and to talk. We love to joke and laugh and sometimes dive into deep discussions. So why the tear?

I realized at that moment that I had hit another anniversary. Exactly 14 years ago to the day, a doctor gave me a cancer diagnosis. His words: "You need to press pause on everything you have going on now so you can fight for your life."

My daughter was 3 years old then. Today she's 17. As we raised our water glasses to toast the special day, she asked, "What's that thing you say about learning from cancer?"

"When you believe your days are numbered, you commit to making them count."

Those words apply to anyone. The challenge lies in approaching days differently—maybe a little differently for some people, for others much more. They certainly apply to leaders—whether in a church or other faith organization. What leader doesn't want to ...