Leadership

3 Reminders From The Tough Side of Ministry

Ministry is tough stuff, isn’t it? Some days things are great and other days it’s just enough to put one foot in front of the other. I guess that’s true of life in general but there is a uniqueness that’s associated with ministry.

Some of us may be in the middle of a difficult week. discouraging month or depressing year and feel like we have given up more ground than we have taken. Negative emails, face to face disagreements or general attitudes of discontent from others. Maybe some folks haven’t complained at all, they just left, disappeared, gone! They left your church or ministry and you take that personally and internalize it.

Heck, I go into minor depression when someone unsubscribes from my blog! Here are the quips that fly around my mind, “What did I do wrong? Did I not meet their needs? Where are they going? Why wasn’t I good enough? Am I ok? I guess I really

,

You Need These 7 Things If You Want To Make A Change This Year

,
You Need These 7 Things If You Want To Make A Change This Year

Some personalities thrive on change, taking risks, high diving, sky diving and bungee jumping. Other personalities wrestle with change questioning not only the why but the what, when, where and how.

Regardless of your personality or preference that doesn’t stop change from happening. I guess when it comes right down to it, we must be “all things to all men” and without a doubt that requires some change.

Sometimes change happens to us and sometimes it happens through us and sometimes they both happen at the same time! So, if you are currently in the process of leading change, here are seven items you will need to initiate change.

The 7 Items

1. Vision
“Without prophetic vision people run wild, but blessed are those who follow (God's) teachings.” Proverbs 29:18 GWT. You may be more familiar with the King James Version of this verse which says, “without a vision the people perish.” Someone once said that without a vision the people will find a new parish.” Vision requires responsibility to act. Remember, “We cannot become what we need to be

,

3 Ways To Avoid A Christmas Malling This Weekend

,

This weekend is the last before Christmas. There will be stress on the street, panic in the parking lot and mayhem at the mall. We are about to run into relentless rush in just about every aspect of our life. All of this to celebrate The Prince of Peace.

This weekend, in particular, there will be more people on the street, more people in the parking lot and more people at the mall. Who doesn't love the mall a few weeks before Christmas? Especially those people who want to rub face cream on you, braid your hair, fly a remote helicopter, clean your shoes or thread something.

I know when I’m under stress I get short with people. I get  temperamental and have a general sense of entitlement that translates into

,

How To Find The Missing Peace This Christmas

,

Peace doesn’t come looking for us. Instead, like a game of hide and seek, he stands just out of our reach, out of our sight, hiding quietly in the corner. Our job, if we want it, is to find him.

I’m not talking only about finding a balanced approach to a hurried holiday season, I am also talking about finding peace in the middle of busyness and brokenness. This is a season that should be filled with joy but even though we may not always feel it.

So, if you feel broken, beaten, battered or busy this time of year take a look at how God has a plan of peace for you.


A child has been born to us; God has given a son to us. He will be responsible for leading the people. His name will be Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God

, ,

3 Ways To Keep Your Thank-Full This Week

, ,

How full is your “thank tank” today? Are you running low? Are you running on empty? Are you asking, “What’s a thank tank?” During this season of “Thank-full-ness” from Thanksgiving to Christmas I find myself moving a little faster than usual and with a longer to do list than normal.

As I hurriedly cross off my to do list, get Christmas Cards out, make a list, check it twice…one of the things I forget is to watch my fuel gauge. Amidst the hurry I often forget to refill my “thank.” How about you? If you are looking for a few ways to refill you thank this season here are three ideas.


3 Ways to Keep Your Thank-full This Week


1. Keep Perspective

Notice the word perspective. It comes from the Latin per (meaning “through”) + specere (meaning “look at”). Each of us has a set of lenses that we look through that either cloud or enhance our perspective. This week spend some time focusing on what you have, not what you don’t.

When He saw them

,

How To Face Your Biggest Fear And Win

,

"Don't be afraid!" Easier said than done, isn't it? When nothing is threatening me I can usually roll those words off my tongue in the general direction of others with such eloquence there appears to be a sense of sarcasm in my words. However, when fear has it’s grip around my throat I can’t quite choke out the words “don’t be afraid” because I AM afraid!

A friend of mine, Martin, reminds me often that “nothing is a threat to me today.” That’s a great reminder and good advice. The idea behind the words is this, there is nothing that comes into my life today that God has not already allowed. God has “prescreened” my life today and if that is true then nothing is a threat to me today because God is in control.

Now, with that in mind, how do we take steps to lean into the fear and let it have it’s perfect result in our lives? I would like to suggest a four step process found in

, , ,

3 Reasons Why You Aren’t Getting It All Done

, , ,

There is always something else to do. Another meeting, another appointment, another practice, another game. We have dinner to cook, dishes to clean, a floor to vacuum and bills to pay. 

Restlessness, anxiety and worry are often byproducts of the way we live life, which, simply stated is overloaded. There have been times in my life when I would look at my schedule and feel a sense of panic. Rapid heart beat, shortness of breath and a sinking feeling of "How am I going to get it all done?" Questions would bounce around my mind...

  • Why am I always behind?
  • Why can't I ever catch up?
  • Why am I doing this to myself?

The answers to the above questions may vary slightly from person to person however, when it comes to "Getting It All Done," there seems to be a few common denominators that link