It's happened more than once during the course of a conversation. Somehow, we get to the topic of "formal education" and next we're talking about the Masters degree my husband earned. Discovering that he has one is always of great interest, and after the usual questions as to what subject it's in and from which graduate school it came from, etc., etc., ...

Earlier this summer, my husband, Rafi, was the target of a series of blog "attacks" (Is there a word for this? Blattack? Blogack?). The raging blogger was a woman who wasn't thrilled that Rafi had written letters to the editors (yes, he is one of those people) of some local papers offering a version of a presidential candidate's closed-door event (which ...

There is a difference between being peaceful and being a peacemaker. A fellow pastor told me about an elected church leader who refuses to become involved with anything controversial. This leader is a no-show on big issues and justifies his behavior as "a desire to be peaceful."

Being peaceful, however, is different from being a peacemaker, which we are all ...

Here's a good question: Does God want you to have a better sex life?

This week my teammate and friend Brandon O'Brien posted an article on Out of Ur that we thought our Gifted for Leadership friends might like to discuss. Read the article below and post your thoughts. You can also read it in its original context on Out of Ur (you might join the discussion there as ...

Do you do Facebook? Are you LinkedIn? What about a MySpace page, do you have one of those?

I have to admit, I came into the whole social networking scene a little late. I only started a Facebook page this year (gasp!). I honestly just didn't feel like I had the time or energy for it. But after much peer pressure, I gave in. And of course now that I have one, I enjoy ...

What a relief to know I no longer need to fight this battle myself, since the Lord stands ready, willing, and able to conquer my sin through the power of his Spirit. "The Lord is sovereign, and we cannot add one inch to our stature, physically or any other way," a good friend recently reminded me. "He guides us every step and his ways are perfect. It has ...

Eleven women huddled on the paint-chipped picnic benches of a state park about an hour away from their homes. It was a beautiful day, and we all looked with anticipation on the 24 hours that would follow. Once a year I take our Children's Ministry Staff away on an overnight planning retreat to prepare for the coming ministry year. They were ready to have fun, ready ...

I climbed on a bright green trolley and instantly heard calls of "Suz!"

Twenty-seven freshman girls were perched in the seats, waving. The driver put the trolley in gear. And off we went.

We traveled to a refurbished theater from the 1950s and watched an independent film. Then we hopped back on the trolley and traveled to the Music Hall of Fame. The students ...

Even the most dedicated people often shy from being called into "leadership." So instead, when one of our current leaders (we like to call them "servants" or "coaches") sees someone passionate about a ministry, he or she approaches that person with an invitation:

"Beverly, I've watched you get passionate about God's purposes. ...