“I’m Not Stressed!”
“You are very sick. Are you under a lot of stress?” The doctor leaned over my hospital bed, waiting for my reply. I responded, “I don’t think so.” At 28 years old, I had – in six months time – lost my grandmother, with whom I was very close, and my father-in-law, who died in our home. The mother of two toddlers, I was also the caregiver for my mother-in-law through her aortic bypass. I was in graduate school while teaching full time. My husband’s health was failing and we were losing his business. That’s when I was hospitalized. Self-awareness is an essential leadership competency – and I…
Lessons in Rest and Renewal from My Walk by the Lake
I first shared this blog post back in 2019. Life looked a lot different then. The kinds of busy and stressed I felt that year look a lot different – though not necessarily milder – than they do 7 years later. The lessons I learned that day at the lake have clung on during the years, with God gently reminding me to heed their wisdom. I hope they speak to you today, too. I like to see a lot happen in a hurry. I’m wired for productivity. An ordinary walk for me is usually spent multi-tasking – phone calls, podcasts, audiobooks. Today’s walk was different. I was reading…
10 Ways to Make Time for Rest in Less Than 10 Minutes
Want to learn how to make time for rest and rejuvenation like a pro? Whether you need rest when you are recovering from being sick, exhausted, or just looking for a healthier routine, here are ten ways to make time for rest in 10 minutes or less. In my global organization, we know that the spiritual practice of rest and refreshment is key to personal and missional growth. We were created to do our best work out of God-ordained rest. As a leader, I want to always seek to nurture and steward our staff, our strategic volunteers, and our global mission well. That’s why we offer a full-month sabbatical for…
[SPEAK] K is for Keep Growing
Whenever I lead a session at our Summer Institute training shifts, I give the students who participate a chance to ask me questions about anything they want. Last summer, one young leader raised his hand and said, “Do you ever want to quit?” I laughed and responded, “Every Tuesday!” Another student leader replied, “Wow, what happens on Mondays?” There wasn’t anything actually bad about Mondays. It just seemed like about once a week, I would question things. Am I doing any good? Is it worth it? Is it worthwhile? Does that feel familiar to you? In this series we’ve explored the power of encouragement and the power of…
[Esther] Before You Are Ready To Speak – Are You Ready to Listen?
Last week, I mentioned Moses as an excellent example of what it means to be ready – able and available – to speak. Another great case study is Esther. Like Moses, Esther knew her people were oppressed and in danger. A decree had been passed to kill all the Jewish people in the land. She had to speak up to save them. In fact, as you read the book of Esther in the Old Testament (it’s only ten short chapters – and a fascinating read!), the fact that she needed to speak was clear. The message she had been asked to deliver was also clear. However, before…
[Moses] Before We are Ready to Speak, We Have to be Available
Let’s say you’ve got a GIGANTIC problem. And – lucky you – I happen to be the world’s foremost expert in solving that problem. And you’ve got my personal phone number. As the meltdown begins, you rush to your phone and call me. I’m the only one you know who knows how to fix it, and I am 100% capable of helping you do just that. Except I don’t answer your call. You hear that pleasant little voicemail recording: “The person at the number you dialed is unavailable right now.” I may have all the answers, but that’s absolutely unhelpful to you if I’m not available. That’s…
What Story Will They Tell?
Original article published in Outcomes Magazine by the Christian Leadership Alliance. “Our board would like you to come fix our Millennials.” The administrator of a small nonprofit was on the phone explaining that her organization established a “Junior Board of Millennials” as part of their succession plan. The Board of Directors, composed of Baby Boomers and Traditionalists, wanted these Millennials – at the time a group of 20-somethings – “fixed” so they would embrace the organization’s mission and operational strategy Board’s way. The catch: Board members didn’t want to invest their own time or resources in the fix. You can guess what happened. Every invested Millennial volunteer left that organization –…
Advent: Joy in the Darkness
Depression. Anxiety. Crime. Suicide. Darkness. If you’ve watched the news at all during the past 3 years… if you have teenagers…. if your teens have friends…. There’s not a lot of talk about joy. But there’s a whole lot of talk about how hard life is. So how do we talk about joy at Christmas? I’ve recently asked myself that very question. My husband of 36 years this month is gone. He’s never coming back here. I know he’s out of pain. I know he’s in a better place. But where does that leave me? Mental health professionals tell us the holidays are the hardest time of year for many…
