About the Author

I was born and raised in my early childhood in Carrollton, Georgia. I then attended high school at Woodward Academy and went on to graduate from Presbyterian College in 1990 — which means I have a diploma in the top of my closet that proves I showed up long enough to adorn the cap and gown until they called my name out loud. I’d like to believe both institutions had a hand in polishing me up a bit. Smoothed a few edges and perhaps added a layer of sophistication. But here we are some 35 years later… and I suspect the jury may still be in deliberation.

I was drawn to the mountains as far back as I can remember—first the mountains of North Georgia, then Alaska, then Montana, then Wyoming, then back to Montana for a good long time, and finally Colorado, where I reside today. In other words, I’ve done enough moving around to qualify as either a great adventurer… or a fella who just never got over the fact that flat land is a little suspicious.

Along the way, I found myself in some pretty rare air—sometimes literally. From office manager at a high-end guest ranch in Montana, to a AAA Five Diamond resort in Jackson Hole, to a leadership role at a Fortune 10 privately owned recreational ranch, to general manager of a high-elevation ranch owned by multiple ultra-high-net-worth families, my work has put me around folks who can buy almost anything they want. And here’s the funny part: when you’re surrounded by that kind of “extravagance,” you start noticing what many people are still missing. And it turns out the thing that matters most isn’t the view, or the chandelier, or the thread count. It’s how people are treated. It’s true care and concern. It’s kindness. It’s a warm welcome and gracious good-bye. It’s the feeling of a long, warm hug from someone you don’t want to let go. At the end of the day, it is to the best of your ability reflecting Christ.

And if you ask me where I really learned the best lessons in hospitality, I’ll tell you I should’ve known all of this from a very early age—watching my sweet Grandmother Laster and my Aunt June. If you ever saw their hands working—rolling biscuit dough from scratch, putting up jars of jams and preserves like a winter blizzard was going to be upon us that very afternoon—you’d understand what hospitality looks like when it’s done for the right reasons. They weren’t doing it for compliments, and they sure weren’t doing it for themselves. They were doing it for others, because that’s what real hospitality and service does when it puts on an apron. It was the love baked into the process. It was the steady, everyday decision to serve. It was Christ shining through the way they welcomed people, fed people, listened to people, and made folks feel like they belonged. It was not just the allowance but rather the intention to have someone share in their blessings.

That’s why I believe—and believe it’s rather obvious—the first and best book ever written on hospitality and service was the Bible. 

In "Hospitality HIS Way", you’ll find some practical, tried-and-true insight for doing hospitality right—yes, even in the high-end world I have learned to know well. But you’ll also find something just as valuable: reminders of what we already know deep down, and too often forget. Because hospitality and service aren’t just for the ultra-high-net-worth folks with ranch gates, guest houses and staff quarters. It’s for our neighbors down the road. It’s for the people in our churches. It’s for those you may exchange general pleasantries with at the local hardware store. It’s for the folks right here in our own communities—the ones we pass every day and don’t always truly see. At least not the way God sees them, which should really be the goal.

If you’re already in high-end hospitality, join me in discovering joy in your “everyday” work. Better understand what makes luxury hospitality more than timely room-service and choice essential oils. Find out how it can be a meaningful endeavor, as it should be.

So, consider this your invitation: to discover—or perhaps just remember—hospitality and service to others is a special calling. And while it may take place in a fancy resort or in the service of a high-end client, it may also just happen in the humble service of a local food bank or coffee shop.  In a more perfect world, it really should just happen in the everyday. A lot can be taught and learned. Remembered and rehearsed. But the people who do it best are the ones who already carry it in their heart—a servant's heart. 

So put on a pot of coffee—or brew yourself a good, comforting cup of tea. We’re going to take a closer look into what hospitality really looks like when faith is part of the picture. We’ll also take an honest look at how to serve folks well; share a few stories; and enjoy a laugh or two along the way.

Welcome—and enjoy.

Powell K. Laster