Follow Well. Lead Well.
Last time the focus was on not losing heart. We continue this theme in facing the impossible. What feels a little impossible for you right now? An assumption is made that good leaders are sort of fearless. And great leaders make the impossible possible. In reality, even the best leaders have challenges they would rather …
Overwhelmed. This is one word to describe how I often feel at the beginning of something new — a new school year, a new week, a new project, or even the first few days after coming home from a trip. If I am honest, it is a common and unwanted companion when I feel disappointed …
Today is a pivotal time for the church. What do we do with Jesus’ commission? Uncertain times do make us hesitate. When the church scattered in Acts 8, they probably did so out of fear. Though we may know Jesus’ commission is not suspended, we can feel stuck.
Part 2 Fear filled the air, as a result of the martyrdom of Stephen. Within a few chapters, the church went from gladness and gathering to fear and scattering. The whole church was in crisis and lives were in danger. “That day a severe persecution began against the church in Jerusalem” (Acts 8:1). Living here meant …
Part 1 As I study Luke and Acts, a theme I notice is one of uncertainty in the early church. Yet Luke, the author, also brings in a sense of assurance in the midst of it. It was the most certain of times. It was also the least certain of times. It was an unprecedented …
Today is a challenge. It is a challenge to know if what we are doing is the right thing. What we do, does it matter? Are we being “successful” though we are working from home, schooling our kids, meeting virtually, and tentatively planning for the future? In my questioning, I came across 3 women in …
By Brian White Because of constantly changing times, as leaders we might find ourselves or our teams tired and in need of rethinking how we find rest. My husband Brian is going to share today about this. Recently I read Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport and was challenged by it. I have had a …
I can’t do virtual,” I heard another person say recently. ” And I don’t know if I can continue in this work if everything now is online.” Their work is in ministry with college students; and they do their work to be in the same space as students. “Why continue, if this is not what …
Do you ever feel puzzled if asked about the Trinity? I know I have. It seems safer to sidestep a question about the Trinity, change the subject or say something like this, “That is a good question, the Trinity is a mystery and hard to understand. I can’t really explain it.” I grew up in …
Updated note: This was written before many of the challenging issues that followed 2018. I realize how much I don’t know still. I am also reminded that the heart of this post is still true for all my relationships. Being a learner of others, hearing others, and listening is always a good place to start. …
As a leader we solve problems. It is discouraging though when too many issues need a solution or need our attention. It can be a challenge to know which holes to fix. As I mentioned in the previous post, Identifying the Big Rocks, I came to to the end of the year and into planning feeling this …
“What do we want to focus on so that we can see our goals reached?” Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just ask that question and rattle off our plan for the next year? Well, it can be a challenge for any of us to effectively identify our next steps for moving forward in …
This is an older post, but I thought it was worth bringing back… Ours is a world fueled by likes, influence, followers, numbers, and appearances. We are consumed with ourselves and making ourselves known, heard and followed. It is easy for me to feel like I never quite measure up, depending on which way I turn. …
I have a small painting from China of an apple harvest. The painting is dotted with lots of red round juicy apples and of workers diligently picking and packing the apples. The apples are plentiful and the workers are harvesting. I have thought how odd the picture would be if the harvesters were instead, sitting …
