Every relationship in our life—both present and future—carries with it a degree of risk. If risk-free friendships you seek, find yourself more and more isolated you will. (Written in Yoda-speak) In our increasingly lonely society, I wonder if one way we…
We live in a world that is more connected technologically than any time in history. But I wonder if our technology prowess has resulted in us being lonelier than any time in history? In the Garden of Eden, shortly after…
“Lord, I’m hurting this morning.” Ever prayed that prayer before, or some version of it? I’m not talking about physical pain here—rather, about emotional pain. Especially the variety that issues from disappointing relationships. You know, the kind of pain that…
Do you struggle with the F-word? The last two weeks we’ve been looking at the subject of getting a grip on our anger and learning how to express it in a healthier way. You can’t talk about anger very long without…
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…
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…
When you’re experiencing momentum in ministry or business, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking you are the secret sauce to that success. It’s easy to get a big head when you’re on a roll. It’s tempting to…
Several months ago, Laura and I taught at a church in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. For those of you who are not Michiganders, our state’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas are connected by the five-mile long Mackinac Bridge. If you…
In last week’s blog we looked at 5 Common Stressors Pastors Face: Difficulty separating from work Wear and tear of spiritual warfare Societal dysfunction Raising/maintaining church budget Sensitivity Today I’d like to offer some practical ways pastors can address these…
“We all have blind spots. To deny it is to prove it.” ~ Russ Ramsey Ever been in a conversation with a person who had no idea how their words were negatively impacting you? Ever had a boss who was…
