Conquer Corner | January 2026

Core Value: Recognizing God

As we begin a new year, we also begin by focusing on our most important core value at MTN OPS, that of Recognizing God. We know and feel that His influence can be the most significant influence in our lives as we seek to Conquer More. Every good thing in our lives begins with Him, and His presence strengthens every meaningful journey. 

In my book The Conquer Code, I begin on the first page by sharing a story about my youngest daughter, Savvy, often affectionately referred to on my social media as Savvylicious. It is a simple story, but one that has shaped the way I try to recognize God in my own life. As we start this year together, I want to share that story again as an invitation for all of us to be more intentional about finding the Lord throughout the coming year.

The sun burst through the windows on an early Sunday morning. My wife and our four children were all sound asleep. Peace filled our home. I woke with excitement in my soul and a desire to dive into the scriptures while the house was still quiet. To me, there was no greater way to start my day, especially on the Sabbath.

I left my bedroom and headed to my home office. As I walked down the hall, little Savvy, who was four years old at the time, came out of her room and ran past me toward the kitchen. That is when a very distinct impression and clear words filled my heart and mind:

“While she is still young and learning to read, you can teach her to find the names of God in the scriptures.”

Feeling moved, I told Savvy to grab her scriptures, a copy her grandparents had given her in her first year of life, and to meet me in my office. When she came in, I took a small colored sticky note and wrote the names “Lord, God, Jesus.” I then gave her a red pencil and said, “I want you to open your scriptures and find these names. When you do, circle them with the red pencil.”

She studied the three names, opened the pages of her scriptures, and went to work like she was reading a Where’s Waldo book.

Then, with excitement in her voice and joy all over her face, she said, “Dad, I found ‘Lord’!” and circled it. We were both so happy about her discovery. She looked at me with a questioning expression, almost asking, “Now what?”

So I said, “Let’s see if you can find Him again.”

She flipped the page and, with even greater amazement, said, “I found the Lord again!” We were both even more thrilled than the first time. Just moments later, I heard it again. “I found the Lord again.”

From that point on, she focused on the word “Lord” and continued to find Him on every page. Savvy followed this pattern until it was time to go to church, but she did not stop there. As we sat in the congregation that day, for nearly the entire worship service, every few minutes she would lean over to me with the same expression of success and joy and whisper, “I found the Lord again.”

It ended up being the best babysitting tool we had ever discovered.

When we arrived home, Savvy’s seeking continued and only gained momentum throughout the day. When dinnertime came, she sat with her plate of food in front of her, but her scripture feast sat beside it. She did not stop eating up all that she could from her search for some of the most sacred and fulfilling words known to man.

Each time she joyfully declared, “I found the Lord again,” our family laughed. But we also recognized the profound learning that was taking place in the heart and life of this precious four year old.

That night, as I tucked Savvy into bed, kissed her forehead, and told her how much I loved her, she looked at me and asked, “Dad, do you want me to do this every day?”

With all the emotion I could share as a tender parent, I replied, “Yes, Savvy. I want you to find the Lord again and again and again every day of your life.”

What powerful truths our little children can teach us.

I begin this year with this story to testify that if we choose to, we can and will find the Lord again and again on all the pages of our lives. If we choose to have eyes to see and hearts to feel, we will continue to recognize Him in our homes, in our work, in our challenges, and in our victories as we seek to Conquer More.

That is my challenge and my prayer for each of us in 2025.

Now let’s go Conquer More.