While I was pursuing and wooing Stacey I made it a habit of being sneaky and romantic.

No date was all that conventional.

It was my goal to keep things fresh and interesting and sweep her off her feet.

It worked.

The problem was I might have set the bar a little to high for myself. When it came to being romantic there was nowhere to go but down.

Surprise notes, flowers, and chocolate were becoming routine.

I vividly remember telling Stacey’s mom one night while waiting for her to come downstairs for our next dating adventure that I wanted to, “keep Stacey on her toes.”

The element of surprise was my best weapon.

I believe it was a huge help in winning the heart of my wife and I also think it can help in leadership.

I love consistency. There is strength stability. Reliability is a requirement for strong leaders.

I’d also like to throw in the idea of a surprise every now and then.

Let’s keep things fresh.

Let’s be adventurous. Let’s try something new. Let’s be unconventional.

Let’s keep people on their toes.

Jesus was the master of using the element of surprise.

Born in a barn.

Sabbath law-breaker.

Hung with the nobodies.

Greatness by becoming the least.

Victory through death.

Jesus laid his life down and gave us uninhibited access to God.

Be consistent, stable and reliable.

Just remember to keep things fresh every now and then.

Use the element of surprise.

Surprise someone with kindness, love, and compassion today.