When obstacles come our way, they can throw us for a loop. If we are stressed already, even the smallest obstacle has a way of seeming overwhelming. And friend, I know you are stressed right now. Current statistics show that about 80% of the people in our country are experiencing heightened stress and anxiety. And I honestly think the other 20% are babies, hermits, or just have no idea what’s going on around us. Stress is part of life. How we deal with it, and how we deal with obstacles we face is what’s important. I’ve written before about ways we...

Life is strange right now, don’t you think? Some days it doesn’t feel quite real. One thing about having to stay home is that we have time to think, to plan, and to get started on making the changes we want to see in our lives. Lately I’ve been thinking about success, and the many definitions of the word. For some, success is making a lot of money. For others, it’s raising their children and providing them with a good life. Many want to start businesses, finish school, help others, become doctors, or travel the world. What does success mean to you? Here’s...

What situation in your life could benefit from forward movement if you were willing to open your mind? Take a minute to really think about this. Is there an area in your life where your thoughts are what are holding you back? You might be: In a job that doesn’t fit with your goals, but you think you have to stay for security. Ready to go back to school and get a degree, but you are stuck on the idea that college is for young people. Want to find a way to help your community, but you don’t know what you...

Are you living your purpose in life? Our desire to find our place or purpose in this life has led to a multi-million-dollar marketplace. We can buy books, fill out online surveys and tests to discover our talents, find our “true personality” through quizzes in magazines, take classes on goal setting and defining mission, attend seminars, or work with a life coach. Those items may help us learn more about ourselves, but they don’t help us Live with Purpose. Purpose is from God and living that purpose leads to FREEDOM. He created each of us to live out our part in fulfilling...

Life has changed suddenly for all of the mothers I know. They went from kids in school or going on playdates to being with them, in their house, 24/7. These amazing women are trying to work from home and care for their babies. They are making meals, doing laundry, keeping kids entertained, and still leading their teams at work and managing the household. Mothering is Hard At six months old, our son Graham was stricken with spinal meningitis. I had rushed him to the hospital at the urging of my mother, who refused to believe he only had the ear infection his...

  GOD’S PURPOSE FOR YOUR PAIN – A PATHWAY TO PROMISE We are in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic, friend. The threat of COVID-19 has led to a temporary, new way of life for almost all of us. I’m writing from my home office instead of my church office. I haven’t seen my church family, whom I love dearly, in weeks, and I miss them. But I’m still working hard to serve each of them! How about you? How has your life changed? What are you missing right now? Are you feeling uncertain and off-kilter because your plans aren’t coming together as...

J.P. Morgan was one of the most powerful and respected bankers of his time. He financed railroads and helped organize U.S. Steel, General Electric, and other major industries that helped the United States become a world power in industry. Morgan was a man who knew about success! One day a man walked up to him and held up an envelope. The man said, “Sir, in my hand I hold a guaranteed formula for success, which I will gladly sell to you for $25,000.” This was not chump change, even to a man as successful as Morgan. $25,000 in the early 1900s...

As we celebrated Father’s Day this past weekend, I thought a lot about my father and the lessons I learned from him as I was growing. My dad was a warm, affirming father. He supported my call to ministry, and I feel incredibly blessed to have learned my leadership basics by watching how he lived his life. He gave his all to his God, his family, and his ministry. He loved his work so much that he worked full time as pastor until his eightieth birthday! In his retirement, as pastor emeritus, he continued to go to work every day to...

Dr. Robyn Wilkerson outlines a coaching strategy to help women overcome self-limiting beliefs about leadership in her new book Shattering the Stained Glass Ceiling. Listen to her discuss her book with Influence magazine executive editor George P. Wood on episode 111 of the Influence Podcast. Listen Online Now   Download the Podcast to iTunes   Shattering the Stained Glass Ceiling is available for purchase now at MyHealthyChurch.com and on Amazon....

I can’t think of a single time in history when someone accomplished something great by themselves. That’s because no one operates in a vacuum. Our support systems and those we partner with contribute to our success. They help us build the foundation we need to succeed! DOWN TIME is PREP TIME We all hit rough patches. Have you ever experienced one of these situations? The company downsized and your job was one of those they cut. The loss of a loved one sent you in an emotional tailspin. You made a mistake that led to the failure of whatever project you were working...