Live. Love. Lead.

     This week was filled with challenges to overcome...and the biggest challenge was quieting the busyness around me enough to hear Him.  Too often I get caught in the pace of my career and I let the immense speed of it climb into my soul. Whenever this happens my ears and my heart become dull in listening for and hearing His voice.      This week the Lord laid it on my heart to slow myself down.  The pace of the work may not change; but by His grace I can change my speed...and I did.  Here's how: I prayed and I prayed out loud.  Instead of allowing the silent anxious thoughts to race and re-race in my mind I prayed...out loud.  In my office I prayed out loud for wisdom on decisions that I had no idea how to handle.  While baking, I prayed out loud for the courage to say what needed to be said.  On the way to a meeting while walking outside I prayed...out loud for the ability not to succumb to the defeat that relentlessl...

     Today was a day where the Lord's kindness was so evident.  It truly resembled the verse that states, "Let me hear Your kindness in the morning for in You I have placed my trust..." (Psalm 143:8).  In some very critical situations today the Lord graciously and so kindly gave me courage in some challenging situations.  And I had to ponder the question? Why do we lack the courage that we need to speak with intention and purpose, to lead with clarity and vision, and to initiate with courage?  Sometimes we are weighted with fear of rejection or perhaps even more so the gravity of imperfection.  Often the keen awareness of our own shortcomings will force us into silence and it is then that we must dig into our Heavenly Father's grace that indeed makes all things new! He has conquered all that enslaved us like: sin, fear, guilt, shame, and much more.  He freed us so we can run this race with endurance with our eyes ever toward Him. He is our li...

     Leadership.  This term has been something that I have struggled with for a few years now.  I can remember being a senior in college playing basketball and the term "leader" made me cringe.  I thought about a player who out-hustled, out-worked everyone and most importantly did not make mistakes.  I thought of a player of perfection; not necessarily one who pursues excellence.  And although, I should know better, even years later as a leader in the work place I am still sometimes plagued with a similar mentality...leaders should equal "mistake free".      This is not nor has ever been the case.  Consider Moses...the man of God who was God's instrument in bringing the people out of Egypt and through the trials of the wilderness.  This man was the quintessential leader.  The leader that knew what is was to face tribulations and triumphs.  Yet, he was a leader who made mistakes...and sometimes really big ones. ...

     This week I was re-reading through the book of Joshua. The message that stood out to me during this challenging and hectic new chapter I am currently living is-- "Joshua conquered...because the Lord God of Israel was waging war..." (Josh. 10:42). God was the one fighting the battles for Joshua and the nation.  At the same time, make no mistake, Joshua and the people had to use their weapons of warfare, strategy, and intentional walking by faith in the will of God in order to achieve what God intended.  There was no "rely and relax" kind of faith.      This week when I confronted situations that initially instigated fear, the Spirit continued to bring this message of God waging war on my behalf, just like He did for the nation of Israel, to mind. This renewed mindset in turn disabled the paralysis of fear and awakened the "fight" in my soul.  This message girded me with such a resolve to aggressively confront and defeat the things that s...