John Dickinson understood the importance of being attentive to details. As an elected leader of his local congregation John insisted every decision of the church board follow proper procedure. As the in-house attorney for a small insurance company in a mid-western city, he paid close attention to every word in every corporate contract and insurance policy. John believed that there was a right and a wrong way to do everything. Consequently, he insisted that everything be done “decently and in good order.”

Needless to say, these scrupulous practices extended to his family life. For instance, when first married, John sat down one evening with his new wife and guided her through a stack of important papers — Last Will and Testament, insurance policies, bank information, and so forth. For deca…