Aug 10, 2017 | Burnout, Calling, Fatigue, Leadership, Ministry Leader, Missionary, Pastor, Spirituality
Working from the home office today and listening to the rhythmic beat of rain landing on the roof. Why do I love that mesmerizing sound so much? Why is it so soothing? The steady pounding of rain takes me back to fond memories of vacations with Laura and the boys....
Jun 22, 2017 | Leadership, Ministry Leader, Missionary, Pastor, Stress, Uncategorized
What drives you? Passion? Or adrenaline? Also called epinephrine, adrenaline is a crucial part of the body’s fight-or-flight response, but over-exposure can be damaging to our health. A 2004 article by the Table Group points out: “There is something...
Jun 15, 2017 | Fear, Leadership, Ministry Leader, Missionary, Pastor, Work
Most kids battle childhood fears. Fear of the dark, the closet, strangers, loud noises at night, monsters and ghosts, etc. Growing up in Saginaw, our three-bedroom ranch had a menacing room in the basement we called: “The furnace room.” Back in those days furnaces...
Jun 8, 2017 | Abuse, Anger, Forgiveness, Ministry Leader, Missionary, 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 to...
Jun 1, 2017 | Calling, Leadership, Ministry Leader, Missionary, Pastor, Uncategorized
This past Sunday was my last as campus pastor at our church’s Washington Township location. In last week’s blog I identified six surprising things I’ve learned as a campus pastor: Pastoral ministry possesses an invisible pull to the micro (tactical) at the expense of...
Mar 23, 2017 | Calling, Depression, Ministry Leader, Missionary, Pastor
I’m a ministry leader who has been on meds to help with depression, and still uses those meds on an as-needed basis. Whew, I said it! Leaders tend to be a proud bunch. We lean toward projecting an image of having it all together. This false image includes: faith that...
