When I was first invited to write an article for Gifted for Leadership on the topic of "health," my initial reaction was hesitation.

It's not that I don't love the topic. I have long been a strong proponent of intentionality in the areas of physical, emotional, spiritual, and relational health. These areas are all interrelated. God has created us as whole persons. When one ...

Busy leader, do yourself a favor. Stop to breathe.

Before reading past this paragraph, take three slow, deep breaths. Notice the sensation in your body each time you inhale, then exhale. Notice what happens in your inner being as you pause to take those breaths. Now…breathe.

Busy leader, did something within you resist stopping to breathe? Even if you did it, did something ...

Before a new year begins, I choose a one-word focus for the year to come. For me, the chosen word serves as a declaration of sorts: "In the new year, no matter what, I will be/will have ___." For example, my word for 2014 is "bold." In 2014, no matter what I am facing, I will be bold.

A few years ago in 2011, my word for the year was "healthy." ...

Christian leaders struggle with all sorts of temptations. We fool ourselves if we think otherwise. It's how we handle those temptations that determine whether or not lives will be destroyed.

Often when we think of Christian leaders and their temptations, we think about the so-called "big" sins, those usually having to do with sexual immorality. But there are many more temptations ...

In an op-ed column in the New York Times, Frank Bruni had these admiring words to say about Pope Francis on the heels of the pontiff's interview with Fr. Anthony Spadaro, S.J.: "It was the sweetness in his timbre, the meekness of his posture. It was the revelation that a man can wear the loftiest of miters without having his head swell to fit it, and can hold an office to ...

I remember sitting at the lunch table with one of my friends in college when he dropped a bomb on me: "I'd say that at least 50 percent of the Bible majors are addicted to porn."

"What? You mean to tell me that half of those seeking to be pastors are addicted to porn?"

"Yes," he said.

I was thoroughly upset and demoralized. "Well, they'd better not enter the ministry until ...

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Over a holiday dinner once, I heard one family member tell another that drinking wine was forbidden by Jesus.

"Forbidden?" the first person asked.

Here we go, I thought.

"Forbidden," the second person said.

"Wasn't Jesus' first miracle turning water into wine?" the first asked.

"Oh yes," said the second person. "But it was weak ...

Most of the last two decades of my life have been spent as the "odd woman out": out of love, out of hope, and out of control. As the "odd" one, I found myself either ignored by others or noticed, but regardless, I found pain waiting for me. Thankfully, I did not remain "out." God's mercy, hope, and love found me, leading me to become the "odd woman in."

Webster's Dictionary ...

Ever sit in solitude with hopes of drumming up a sound mind—only to be interrupted by inner-voice chatter? As in, "Get up. Go. Do. Come on already."

When did the "still small voice" start sounding so grouchy?

It seems that even beautiful and spiritual disciplines like solitude, silence, and meditation can have a discerning counterpoint that sounds something like "Dude. Get a ...

When I was in corporate America, my company's leaders would use fear as an incentive to get the young consultants to work hard. I had attended an orientation session with the top graduates from Harvard, Stanford, Cornell, and MIT, which meant I was surrounded by people who were used to succeeding. The pressure to perform and the pressure to outperform myself stressed me out. ...