Oct 31, 2019 | Family, friendship, Leadership, Likeability, Ministry Leader, Pastor, Relationships, Self-Awareness
“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 and your...
Oct 3, 2019 | Anxiety, Doubt, Fear, Peace, Relationships, Spirituality, Uncategorized
We live near a busy road, one that my son Chad and I jokingly call “the drag strip” The noise pollution from the “drag strip” is substantial, consistent, and—if I can be totally honest—a bit annoying at times. Enter Plains, Montana. A curious name for a...
Jul 18, 2019 | Anger, Criticism, Emotional Health, Family, friendship, Marriage, Pastor, Relationships, Uncategorized, Words
I like to play golf. Golf isn’t super-exciting. In fact, it’s kinda boring. But hitting a little ball hard with a club can be therapeutic. I’m a below average golfer. Golfers at a below average level use mulligans occasionally. If you’ve never played golf, you...
Jun 27, 2019 | Anger, Anxiety, Assertiveness, Depression, Difficult people, Forgiveness, Relationships
We live in an increasingly angry world. If you don’t believe me, drive during rush hour in any major city in the U.S. Or watch cable news for thirty minutes. You’ll be convinced. Anger is a human emotion common to all of us. It says: “You’ve taken something from me,...
Apr 4, 2019 | Calling, Difficult people, Emotional Health, Leadership, Ministry Leader, Missionary, Pastor, People-pleasing, Relationships, Uncategorized
If you want to lead well for a long time—you have to figure out how to handle difficult conversations. In last week’s post, Leadership & Difficult People we stated that longevity in ministry requires pastors to occasionally make tough people-decisions, and from...
Mar 28, 2019 | Abuse, Calling, Criticism, Difficult people, Leadership, Ministry Leader, Missionary, Pastor, Relationships, Uncategorized
Difficult people go to church. I wish it wasn’t true . . . but sadly, it is. Not all people who go to church are difficult. The vast majority are not. But the few who are can make life miserable for a leader. I graduated from Oral Roberts University a...
