A Few Suggestions For February

A Few Suggestions For February

* Smile at a friend. Thank them for the many blessings they bring your way.* Smile at a stranger. A glance from eyes of one displaying God’s love is such a contrast to the common look of anger.* Forgive someone who hurt you. Realize how our Loving God has forgiven...
Conversations with Dr. Mark Rutland

Conversations with Dr. Mark Rutland

I’ve enjoyed various conversations and meetings with Dr. Mark Rutland through the decades. I’ve appreciated how he communicates, and the powerful words he declares. His sermons, his stories, his wisdom, his humor: they all merge into moments worth receiving,...
The Leader’s Notebook

The Leader’s Notebook

Join me for an intriguing interview with Chris Maxwell from Emmanuel College. This is one seriously creative man who has dealt with and overcomes brain damage and epilepsy. One of his secret weapons will really surprise you.  —Dr. Mark Rutland  CLICK HERE FOR THE...
Listening. Much Listening.

Listening. Much Listening.

I’ve been doing a lot of listening. Counseling students before they leave for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Engaged in conversations with pastors who are struggling to adjust to this new season of life and ministry. Hearing stories from others who are battling life with...
A Few Suggestions For February

Things Can Change Quickly

November brings back many memories.  Thanksgiving meals when I was a child. Mama laughing. People talking, all at the same time. Cold days in Georgia. Watching football games with family. Shivering hands, thick coats, big smiles, delicious deserts.  Thanksgiving...
Love

Love

From my book, Pause for Pastors: Finding Still Waters in the Storm of Ministry. Love, the decision to care, must guide our choices no matter how we feel. Love, as Paul eloquently and accurately and practically describes in 1 Corinthians 13, is so much more than a...
Needing a Little Laughter

Needing a Little Laughter

Life hasn’t been very funny lately. Humor hasn’t seemed to fit. I hear the news. Most isn’t good. I read the reports. Most aren’t good. I notice the debates, feel the tension, observe the division, and worry about the next person to become ill. So much is so sad. Too...
A Brief Important Reminder

A Brief Important Reminder

Sad news comes to us. Often. Bad news stays nearby. Always. But amid the difficult days, I pray we remember the good opportunities we have. I hope we live well while alive. What can we do? *Love one another.*Be kind to people no matter how they treat...
A Brief Important Reminder

Let Change Begin with Us

Summer is nearing her end. Schedules change. But how are we changing? What decisions are we making to bring healthy change? We find it easy to complain about others. Are we doing what we should to let change begin with us? Here are a few suggestions from chapters 13,...
Faith and Wisdom

Faith and Wisdom

From the book Pause for Pastors: Finding Still Waters in the Storm of Ministry. I believe in the balanced diet of faith and reason. I reject selecting one of those components while rejecting the other. Most groups and individuals—most pastors and churches—accentuate...