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 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...
Mar 8, 2018 | Calling, Career, friendship, Growth, Leadership, Mentors, Ministry Leader, Missionary, Pastor, Relationships, Success, Uncategorized, Work
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 quit listening to outside voices because you either...
Feb 15, 2018 | Calling, Career, Emotional Health, Fear, friendship, Leadership, Loneliness, Ministry Leader, Missionary, Pastor, Pastor's Spouse, Relationships, Uncategorized
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 don’t like bridges,...
Jan 11, 2018 | Burnout, Calling, Career, Emotional Health, Fatigue, friendship, Leadership, Loneliness, Ministry Leader, Missionary, Pastor, Pastor's Spouse, People Leaving, People-pleasing, Relationships, Rest, Stress, Uncategorized
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...
Oct 26, 2017 | friendship, Leadership, Likeability, Loneliness, Relationships, Uncategorized
“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 clueless about how their angry rants were demoralizing you...
