Overcoming Ministry Guilt
A special thanks to Katy White for sharing her notes with me. I was blessed to have you as my GoCorps mobilizer and am even more blessed to call you my friend. Defining the Problem Have you ever heard of Ministry Guilt? It’s when a ministry worker feels obligated to live more scarcely than others because of their profession. I can easily see the rationale behind the mindset: As a ministry worker, your livelihood comes from the generous donations of others. Working for a charity or a church is not like working for a corporate business. They’re called “non-profits” for a reason,… Read more >>
Fill Your Cup: Self-care on and off the field
“You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons.” 1 Corinthians 10:21 NIV That’s a verse that’ll slap awake. You can always count on the Apostle Paul to give you the honest truth. In fact, the uncomfortable directness of this verse may be why I’ve heard many sermons asking “How are you filling your cup?” It seems like a simple question, but the meaning is deeper than any cup I know. On the field, ministry workers are encouraged to partake in self-care frequently. If your “cup” runs empty… Read more >>
The Power of Gratitude - Part 2
In February I made a post about how gratitude is pride’s Achilles heel. I sure hope I didn’t come to France with an arrogant attitude, but I sure did take a hearty slice of « Humble Pie » this month. This month, my story is more than common among global ministry workers. You pack all you own, move to your target country, and think the four years you spent studying your country’s language in high school (or perhaps one year in university) will make a huge difference. Don’t get me wrong, it does. I would be TOTALLY lost if I hadn’t studied français in the United States… Read more >>
False Peaks and Rebounds
One of my family’s favorite vacation spots is a small town named Cave Creek near Phoenix, Arizona. If you’ve never been to the Southwest US it’s a hot, aired, dry climate. Some areas like Sedona have beautiful rock formations, cliffs, valleys, and gorgeous desert hiking trails. Cave Creek has one small mountain, Black Mountain. Each time my family visits Cave Creek my Dad and I hike to the top of Black Mountain. The entire trek, from bottom to top and back again, takes about a few hours. At times though, the journey can become quite discouraging.… Read more >>