I have never really been able to establish a good routine when it comes to prayer. Just like most other disciplines in my life (exercise, healthy eating), a practice like prayer has come in fits and starts. One step forward, two steps back. Usually a week of exuberance and zeal is interrupted by a trip…
Wheat & Tares
the church in the world: mission, justice, good news
Dear "Sign Guy"…
As I drive north on 380 from home, there is a field right by the interstate that has a homespun billboard. For five years, I have been disappointed by the trite, sometimes offensive, and always partisan slogans that grace this sign. Maybe part of my disappointment is there is no opportunity for relationship or conversation.…
Light Still Shines…
In the last two weeks, I have been talking with a lot of folks across Iowa. I spent some time with clergy in Des Moines and then in Hampton at Laity Day. I preached in DeWitt and organized folks in Mount Pleasant. I worked with folks in Tama. And I’ve made phone calls to at…
Praying on an airplane
Friday I took an early morning flight home. I had been in Nashville for a few days to train some new field coordinators for Imagine No Malaria and get refreshed myself on the latest info. But that flight came early. My cab arrived at 4. I was done with socializing around 1. So… yeah, not…
Honey Badgers, Anxiety, and the future of the church
At our conference Orders Event a few weeks ago, we talked a lot about being anxious. The talk was from a systems theory perspective and focused on how pastors need to be non-anxious participants in the system to effectively lead change and help the system to be healthy. I’m not going to comment on the…
Why you shouldn't share goals in fundraising
I made a rookie mistake during my first donor visit a few weeks ago. I announced, proudly and out loud, what our conference goal was. To me, it seemed like a no-brainer. People what to know what you are trying to accomplish. They want to see the finish line and know how far we have…
My Book of Resolutions
Resolution 2013.1 WHEREAS, my change in job has caused some stress in my family life WHEREAS, stability is sometimes more important than flexibility WHEREAS, I need to remember this job is a marathon, not a sprint THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that I will prayerfully (and with consulatation from my husband) discern my schedule in the…
Mission Makes Disciples
I knew that Imagine No Malaria was about saving lives. I knew it was about God’s mission. But the more I sit in training, the more I hear the stories of people impacted by the campaign, the more I understand the training and empowerment of both church folk in the U.S. and the on the…