May 3, 2018 | Abuse, Anger, Bitterness, Difficult people, Emotional Health, Forgiveness, friendship, Relationships, Uncategorized
One of the hardest things to do in life is to forgive a person who has deeply wounded you. When a somebody attacks us, forgiveness is not usually the first thing on our mind. For some of us, our initial impulse may be to retaliate. For others of us, we may tend...
Apr 26, 2018 | Burnout, Calling, Depression, Emotional Health, Fatigue, Leadership, Loneliness, Ministry Leader, Missionary, Pastor, Rest, Stress, Uncategorized, Work, Workaholism
Emotions can be funny things. Some people let their emotions control them. Others refuse to acknowledge they even possess emotions. Some leaders, to their own peril, ignore the important role a full emotional tank plays in longevity. According to a Barna Study of...
Apr 19, 2018 | Disappointment, friendship, Relationships, Uncategorized
Disappointment is the gap between our expectations and our reality. The bigger the gap, the more disappointment we feel. The more disappointment, the more pain we experience. Nowhere does disappointment seem to rear its head more than in relationships. When I take...
Apr 12, 2018 | Calling, Career, Change, Leadership, Ministry Leader, Missionary, Pastor, People-pleasing, Quitting, Work
“John, I can’t take the pressure anymore . . . I’m thinking about resigning.” You’d be surprised how often those words or some variation of them travel across the cellular airwaves to me each month. Lead pastors who feel desperate, tired, emotionally beat up, out of...
Apr 5, 2018 | Burnout, Calling, Depression, Emotional Health, Fatigue, Leadership, Ministry Leader, Missionary, Pastor, Rest, Uncategorized, Workaholism
The rhythmic pounding of ocean waves might be one of the most relaxing sounds God ever created. A couple of weeks ago, Laura and I spent a week vacationing in sunny, warm Florida. (Michigan weather, please get a clue). We took in Venice Beach on a windy day, and the...
