On Pain and Healing
WHEN RICH DIED I don’t often talk about my experiences when Rich, my first husband, died. It has not been for a lack of dear, sweet people who ask me about it. In the months and years after his passing, I have found myself tongue-tied again and again, retreating into private grief. I felt awkward […]
The Purple Velvet Hammer
My husband is a boxing and MMA fan. This means that from time to time, to be a loving wife, I am subjected to a few hours of wincing and mild nausea. Every so often, there will be a pair of girls who jump into the cage and try to tear each other apart. It just feels awkward […]
Why Getting Paid by Your Church Doesn’t Make Serving Easier
When I was a little girl, I watched the woman who played the piano on stage and the ladies who led worship and knew that’s what I wanted to do. Before I even knew that you needed money to live, I wanted the church to be my profession. I started serving in church as a […]
When Things are Bananas, Focus on the Fruit
It’s inevitable. We all face seasons when life is less than peachy. Our leadership is producing nothing but lemons. All our pretty, pretty pleas for help must be lacking the cherry on top, because no one is responding. As hard as you try, you just can’t find that sweet spot; and all that hard work […]
Instagram, Self-torture, Measuring Tape, and Pineapples
INSTAGRAM AND MENTAL SELF-MUTILATION The latest apps like Picflow or Video Story sew a bunch of photos together into one Instagram slide show—perfect for your year in review. My photo stream is full of them today. I can see the 2013 highlight reel of any number of friends in snapshots. It’s funny how fantastic this […]
Balancing the Scales: Ministry and Family
Figuring out how to be both a good mom and a good leader has been a challenging journey for me. I made a calculated change to my lifestyle last spring when I resigned from my staff role at church after twelve-plus years. My husband John and I now travel full-time together with our youngest and […]
The Final Frontier For Feminine Leadership
Today’s post is foundational. For anyone who has gone to Bible College or researched the topic of feminine leadership, this isn’t anything revolutionary. I am going to simply add my voice to the conversation in value and celebration of women who have stepped up to lead in the church. For anyone who hasn’t put a […]
When Mommying Isn’t the Best Way
Women have actually always been leading. Females may be relatively new to professional leadership environments, but leadership is nothing new to us. We’ve had to develop some serious leadership chops for parenting. Moms everywhere have had to learn how to lead. We have used a variety of leadership skills, both great techniques and some maybe-not-so-great […]
When He Isn’t As Into Church As She Is
My dad called me today about a sticky situation. One of the young women who leads in our church is having marriage trouble, and not the infidelity kind or the abuse kind, but more of a respect issue. She’s been growing in her leadership and her personal identity through the last ten years, went to […]