Danny Reding

I recently took another look at the portfolio of someone who invested in me many years ago. The return on the investment Dr. Warren Angell made in me—and in countless other musicians over the course of his career—is incalculable. I sang in his choir as a student at Oklahoma Baptist University for only one year, but his influence guided me throughout my career. I'm tempted to think he didn't remember me very well since I wasn't one of his standout students. Yet the last time I

Note: While recently browsing some files, I came across this article I wrote in January 2020. It may seem somewhat naive now but I'm still hopeful that there will continue to be a place for us humans. As a child, my imagination was sparked by science fiction. As a young adult, I discovered Frank Herbert, Isaac Asimov, and a few others. I’m generally inclined to look forward to new advancements in technology. So, I admit that I’m excited about the innovations that may come fr

A few years ago, I was writing out remarks for a wedding where I would be officiating and casually asked Lynn, “what would you say is important for a happy marriage?” She paused, but only briefly, and said, as if she had been preparing for this moment for quite some time, “Be nice (brief pause) Work it out. (another brief pause) Get over it.” Whatever I had in mind to write next faded in the light of her insight. I sat, silent, leaned back from my desk and thought, “I’m gonn

A Tale of Two Musicians (A Love Story . . . sort of) I was one of those kids who loved band and didn’t notice that it kept me from being one of the cool kids in school. I loved everything about it. Well, almost. I tolerated marching band but I truly loved everything else. Band camp was the best. It was band on steroids. One summer’s experience stands out though and left me with an enduring lesson on leadership. This particular camp lasted for two weeks with a different

First, a disclaimer. I’m not advocating drinking any brandy. I hope you don’t feel misled. The question comes from something I read by Michael Novak who, in describing some rather difficult conversations in which he was engaged, said, “It takes several cases of brandy before you can understand someone well enough to disagree with them.” His point? It often takes many conversations before we truly understand one another, especially when the topics are difficult and controv

On a weekend home from college I borrowed my parent’s car and drove to the small town of Pryor, Oklahoma to run and errand. On my way home, soon after I passed the city limit sign where the speed limit increased from 35mph to 55mph, I noticed I was approaching 65 and let my foot off the accelerator. The car went faster. I tapped the pedal a few times hoping it would engage but the car continued to speed up, along with my heart rate and breathing. Now it was 80+mph and in

When was the last time you had a conversation about virtue? Maybe it started when someone said something like, “Great to see you! You’re looking particularly virtuous today.” No? I can’t remember any conversations like that either but I have been increasingly intrigued by the topic of virtue. I’m particularly interested in whether virtue is something that we can develop or if we’re forever bound and restricted by our genes from birth. Is it possible to become more virtuo

I read an article some time ago about the youngest self-made billionaire in the world. Yes, that’s BILLION with a “B!” After dealing with a brief moment of envy, a few thoughts came to mind. On the one hand, I get it. It’s inspiring to hear stories about people who become successful through a combination of talent and grit. We usually think of a “self-made” billionaire, millionaire, or anything else, as someone who has achieved remarkable success against exceptionally challen