I’m sitting in a Starbucks early in the morning, burdened and overly processing our and my world.  As I watch the news or patrons, my pain and our world's pain is being experienced in the way we express our opinions.  As a nation, we are in a span of multiple riots where senseless violence has taken place.  Political debates and shock statements continue to stir the media buzz.  Many have lost their minds because of the pain, preferences or opinions of someone else... 

Don’t settle for surviving when you could be thriving. Every once in a while my wife and I try to plan a time for each of us to get away and rest on our own for a few days. It’s a great time to slow down for the one who gets to go away.  It’s truly a gift. However, who ever is left behind, it is full steam ahead with getting kids to school, sports, jobs, after school events, and tournaments on the weekend.  Whew, the work doubles, dishes increase, take out is utilized and the need for sleep increases exponentially!  

After lunch, several years ago, a friend of mine decided to purchase a book for me and have it delivered to my house.   At first, I wasn’t sure what to expect and I was somewhat in denial of my current state of mind.  I still had my superhero mentality that nothing is really affecting me and all I needed was a good meal and a nap.  In reality I was deteriorating from the inside out…

Every time I turn on the news, jump on Facebook/Twitter, or listen to the radio, I hear the opinions of our current leaders talked about on a daily basis.  Honestly, it’s starting to get nauseating.  I’m really fighting the temptation to grow more and more apathetic.  It’s motivated me to look for something else, something better.  What do you expect when you think of a really great Mom?  What’s the difference between a toxic person and one who seems to be flourishing?   All of us have had more than enough experiences with people who drain us and suck the last drop of life-giving breath right out of us...

Let me ask you a few questions. What do you think God thinks of you? What do you assume God feels when you come to His mind? Do you think He is disappointed with you? Do you think he is not satisfied with your life choices? Do you think that He has turned His face from you and isn’t proud of you? Do you think he has removed his love and presence in your life until you get your life “right"?

I’ve been thinking a lot about the term “servant leader” lately.  I’m not sure why, but when I started a Google search, not much was coming up on what a servant leader looks like. Back in the late 90’s and early 00’s this was one of the buzz words in the non-profit sector.  Now, I hardly ever hear much about the phrase “servant leader” used anymore in the mainstream leadership conversation.   I think the term was overused and is now tired.  The presence of a true servant leader in the workplace seems somewhat of a distant past... 

I’ve been feeling numb lately.  It’s a weird purposeless feeling. It’s not that I want to be here emotionally, I just am.  Even after weeks of rest, I’ve been processing why I feel stalled out.  I’ve written lines in my journal asking God to “wake me up inside.”  I need a reboot in my heart and life perspective. Maybe you can relate?  I came across Ecclesiastes 3:11 recently.  God has used this verse as a spiritual defibrillator on my spiritual heart...

When my kiddos were young, they would almost always be asked “why?” to every instruction I gave them.  “Let’s go brush your teeth,” I’d say.  Almost instantly, I would get “Why, Daddy?”  This exercise was the same over and over about pretty much everything.   It’s instinctive in us to ask why.  Knowing the “why” is important for little ones and it’s even more important for us as adults. Have you ever gone through several months of your life on autopilot?

I want to tell you how one mission trip transformed me.  God used a great pain in my life back in 2006, and He healed me in my brokenness over time. I wish I could say that I felt this great calling to go into the world, I followed it and everywhere I walked God blessed it, did miracles, and opened doors that were incredible. In reality, I was numb.  My father had just passed away in February of 2006.  I was a pastor who was supposed to care for people.  I couldn’t feel...

When was the last time you felt broken.  I don’t mean having a bad day like a good ole country song.  I mean completely broken down.  You literally are unable to move without the help of another.  Physically, your arms and legs simply cannot move.  Your emotional capacity has been sitting on empty for months.  Your heart has ached for so long and you have cried so hard that there are no more tears left to express the misery.  Your head has been spinning, and you can find no tangible, logical reason for hope.  You are desolate.  You are numb...

Have you ever been exhausted from making so many decisions?  The day has been full of needs and you have done well to meet them.  However, you are at the end of your day and you are beginning to lose the capacity to focus or even the desire to want to.   I’ve been thinking about this topic for several weeks and studying myself when it comes to decisions.  I’ve noticed that at the end of a day and getting closer to the end of the week, my patience for making decisions has diminished. 

This week has been heartbreaking for me and so emotionally heavy.  We are all forever changed by the evil we witnessed in Las Vegas.  I go from being angry, to despair, to isolation, and back to “I have to do something.”   My heart hurts because I see the hurts of others. Life sometimes has a way of sucking the energy out of us in these times.   Whether you are rich or poor, successful or unsuccessful, young or old, mature or immature, male or female…