Category: Stewardship of Self
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A Prayer For The Journey
Life with God in Jesus Christ is a gift and it is a journey. Home exchanges can help remind us that this is so. The following prayer was included recently during worship at our local church. It is one of those wondrous and blessed gifts that attend the simple gathering together with other Christians for…
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Let Me Please Breakdown
I remember the first time a pastor colleague told me that he had a breakdown, requiring hospitalization and therapy. It was 35 years ago. He blew my mind. He was successful—the pastor of a large church. He was very matter of fact about the incident. It was Sunday morning. He was, at home, getting ready…
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Slow Down To Stay In The Game
Bill figured out how to slow down and stay in the game. The game was racquetball. Bill was one of three pastors with whom I regularly played racquetball at the YMCA in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, back when I was in my mid-30s. Bill was retired. As I near retirement, I find myself still looking up…
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God’s Will For My Life
Christian Stewardship is the human response of faith in Jesus Christ and gratitude for God’s Blessings. Two questions help us in our mission as faithful stewards: 1. Who am I? 2. What do I stand for? (Or why am I here?) It is virtually impossible to claim personal responsibility for one’s mission as a steward…
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We Can Change With God’s Help
So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into…
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It’s Time To Get Out Of Town
You know the definition of “insanity,” right? Doing things the same old way and expecting different results. Sometimes we defend our insanity by insisting that we are victims. Now, that is perhaps the worst kind of “insane rut” we can live. In fact, some would say this way of living barely qualifies as “existence,” much…
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The Successful Life
To laugh often and much;Â to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or…
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Stewardship Of Self And Clergy Sabbaticals
Ministries increasingly encourage stewardship of self for pastors. In his book, Clergy Self-Care, Greg Sumii writes, “Pastors are human with limitations and yet many are ministering beyond their limitations.” Stewardship of self is something pastors need to model for others in the parish as much as we need it for ourselves. In an online article,…
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Pray, Floss, Travel: The Good Life With A Christian Home Exchange
Who you are determines how you live. Praying daily begins by being who you are in God’s eyes and spending time in God’s presence. As a child of God, I have a personal relationship with God. I grow in this relationship by taking time to pray and read the Bible daily. My relationship with God,…