Because we are people, we have preferences, opinions and a past.  All of those ingredients collide from time to time in our homes, in the work place and definitely within leadership.  Sometimes this collision causes pain, stress and hurt.  I found early in my life and career that I wasn’t really prepared for the heartache that comes with conflict.  I read tons of books and practiced genuine care in hard situations.  I didn't always get the outcome that I had hoped for.  I hope some of these thoughts are helpful for you in your current reality... 

If I am honest, I think the concept of “balance” in our life is a myth.  I am not sure where the term came from or when it arrived on the scene in our society.  However, I think I am coming to the conclusion that I do not believe I can achieve balance...

The Apostle Paul understood the importance of leadership development, as revealed in these instructions to Timothy. If you put yourself in Paul’s shoes, it’s easy to understand why: He was at the helm of a tiny, but rapidly growing movement tasked with changing the world. God gifted the early Church with the life-changing power of the Holy Spirit, but if it had any hope of surviving, it would also need to build a network of local leaders who were aligned to a common goal, capable of caring for new believers, equipped to prevent heretical teaching and mobilized to live out the Gospel...

If you are ever given the privilege to lead other leaders, at some point, you will be forced to deal with the reality that a teammate is no longer a fit on your team.  Sometimes, because of urgency, fear, or convenience, you may be tempted to put a leader in a position in which they are not capable of leading.  In this case, your heart is filled with good intentions.  However, the more time that passes, the more it becomes abundantly clear that it was the wrong decision.  The leader is not a fit for the role. You feel it, they feel it, and everyone who is attempting to lead with them feels it as well..   

I don’t know about you, but I often experience discouragement when I am tired.  Like you, I make thousands of decisions each week.  Those decision accumulate and slowly take energy away from me.   If I am not careful, I get fearful and lose confidence...

I’ve been thinking about the topic of learned helplessness for several weeks now.  I first learned about the topic years ago. I read about it in one of my favorite books that I read at least once a year, sometimes multiple times, called Necessary Endings by Henry Cloud. This time around, I’m challenged, even convicted in my leadership.  I’m also concerned for the leaders I care about and love serving with locally, nationally and internationally.  I’m asking this question: Have I/we settled?  Have I stopped leading and surrendered to helplessness...

We are definitely experiencing a decline in motivation and performance in our house! Everyone is tired and cranky.  I am worn out from long hours at work. We are all striving for some time off.   We simply need a break.  We need a different routine.  We need to be replenished.  Can you relate? 

You and I have an incredible gift.  We get to be involved in other peoples’ lives. Part of our legacy on this earth is to be led by others and to lead others. It might be in the work place, in marriage, or in parenting. It is both a privilege and an honor to have the place of “leader” in a person’s life....

A peach tree produces peaches, an apple tree produces apples, and a pear tree produces pears.  But what does a burned-out peach tree produce? Often in leadership we believe we are the exception to a principle that God himself put into motion...You can only produce what you truly are.  We believe that if we get up earlier, try harder, read more, and plan differently that we can produce a different fruit than what we truly are.  Where does this type of thinking come from?  Why would we think this way?

It’s been a while, but I feel very refreshed from my summer break.  There is something extra special about being on a beach for me. It’s my happy place.  It’s where I feel refreshed the most.  

I have been thinking about the dramatic difference in how I feel when I am well rested verses when I am spent.  Honestly, the feeling of being replenished has opened my eyes to a few things.  I’ve wondered if you can relate also?   

You may have heard the song Turn Turn, by the Byrds at least a 1,000 times.  It’s a catchy tune.  It got me thinking though. I can’t help but ask the question, is there really a time for everything?  Is there really a purpose for everything under heaven? It is easy for me to say “yes” when I am looking at someone else’s life.  I can encourage them to have hope and believe that there is a purpose for what they are going through. However, when I look at my own life, I’m not so sure...

This past week was a hard one.  Maybe you can relate in your home, family or place of work.  When I have a week like this one, I tend to ask my self certain questions: “Am I really making a difference?” “Do I really want to be here and do this?”  “Are we really making progress or just saying we are?”    I know you have been there too. Oftentimes when we are working with others, it kind of feels like a warehouse remodel...

What sent the shepherds back to the fields rejoicing, what made the wise men fall down in wonder in the shadow of that baby? It was the gripping realization that they were in the presence of their Creator, now a baby boy.  The name given, Immanuel, it means “God is with us,” had now become a reality.  What does it mean for God to be with us? Why does the human race need "God with Us?"