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In ministry today, many young leaders begin with vision and zeal — but too often, burnout creeps in. Restoring the Rhythm helps emerging leaders build sustainable patterns of spiritual, relational, emotional, and physical renewal. By cultivating a healthy rhythm of retreat, rest, and reflection, they can lead from abundance instead of depletion. Discover how to care for your soul so you can shepherd others well.

Music without rhythm is chaotic—unsettling, jarring, and hard to follow. In many ways, our lives can feel the same: full of activity but lacking flow, balance, or peace. Jesus offers a different way. “Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life….Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace….” (MSG)

Some of the deepest spiritual growth I’ve experienced in my life with God has happened during retreats focused on silence and solitude. So, what happened on the retreat I mentioned in the last blog?

I truly needed that time alone with my own heart and with the Maker of my heart. It would take me several more years to learn that a regular practice of silence and solitude with God is not a luxury, but a foundational habit of grace for those who desire to live an abiding life in Christ Jesus.

Several years ago, when I first got involved in ministry, I was passionate about people knowing Jesus. I loved introducing others to Him and helping them grow (as I still am today). The juggling of trying to meet the endless needs all around me, along with managing work, relationships, education, and the tasks of daily life, was a lot. It was a challenge that often left me feeling exhausted. Over time, the joy of life in Jesus became a burden of 'shoulds.” These ‘shoulds’ dr

As a pastor, I was tired of the volunteer culture where we placed people into positions at church to fill voids but really didn’t take...

Many years ago, when I was a new Christian, Marilyn, a woman who had walked with Jesus much longer than me, spiritually took me under her wing. As I met with her in the coming years, I learned more about knowing and following Jesus. Marilyn led me to the truth of Scripture and modeled how to have a dynamic relationship with God, which was invaluable. But she also did something else that greatly impacted my heart and life. She listened. Marilyn provided a safe and grace-filled

George Whitefield once infamously stated: "I am no great Friend to long Sermons, long Prayers, or long Hymns. - They are generally weary instead of edifying, and therefore I think should be avoided by those who preside in the public Worshipping Assembly."* Sadly, we can all, at times, find the church gathering more of a drain than a time of refreshment - and, of course, this can have just as much do to with our own expectations of church as it has with the quality of the serm

Let me tell you my secret - I love Christmas. All of it! For our family Christmas is a special time of carols and cards, parties and...

Mark Ashton-Smith, a thirty-three year old lecturer at Cambridge University, capsized in some treacherous water while he was kayaking off the Isle of Wight in England. As he clung to his craft, his first instinct was to call his dad. At once his father relayed his son’s call for help to the Coast Guard who had an installation less than a mile from his son’s accident. Within twelve minutes a helicopter rescued Ashton-Smith. When you are in serious danger, is your first impulse

The importance and value of prayer can never be overemphasized. It is one of the critical habits of highly effective Christians and leaders of influence. While prayer can easily be reduced to an activity of a believer talking to God, it should be understood as a conversation and dialogue between God and a believer. It is a covenantal communion between God and a believer. At its best, prayer is a climax of one’s walk with God similar to the journey a husband and wife commit to

Discipling must begin with an incarnational relationship. It is essential that it be in an alongside style (not coaching over the phone or in a large group setting). Only in an authentic, loving relationship does a person recognize the power of life-on-life modeling as it moves into transforming the heart. Be disciples. Make disciples. In cross-cultural discipling, relating in person becomes even more crucial. This approach fosters greater understanding since we can observe t

Growing up in sunny Southern California, I often enjoyed the waters of the nearby beach. As a young child, I would build sand castles,...

I spend an embarrassing amount of time thinking about cooking. It was baking that first hooked me when I was a kid – the endless, delicious things that could be created by the simple act of creaming butter and folding flour. It was like magic. At first it was the sweet stuff, but as I grew into an adult the necessity of putting meals on the table introduced me to the wonders of savoury cooking. Now I can’t help but daydream and plan and sometimes even obsess over the new and

Writing laments wasn’t something I had consciously done before. But I have kept a journal in the past to share my thoughts with God. It has always been a very honest and transparent time with Him. During one of the sessions of Journeying Through Grief, we were introduced to a model for writing our own lament. I did what I had done before: I poured my heart out to God in writing. I told Him about some difficult things I didn’t understand. I asked Him questions I had kept insid

We can't go far in life without experiencing the impact of suffering and loss. Although we wish we were exempt, none of us are. For over a year now, the pandemic has thrown us into a swirl of chaos. We've experienced uncertainty, change, and loss, leading us to grieve what we once had, and even the expectation of how our lives would look. For me, I’ve had to let go of some of my hopes of what my newly adopted daughter, Gianna, would experience during her second year of life.

“Do we or don’t we?” That question danced around the edges of my mind for weeks. I so wanted to celebrate our grandson Noah’s High School...

Christmas is a time where everyone loves to come together to eat, catch-up and play games with family and friends. Within sports ministry...

I was born in Germany, grew up in Croatia, then recently moved back to Germany for my studies. I moved 7 times in 21 years, with several...

In the current worldwide crisis, how do we keep going as wave one gives way to a second wave of a pandemic? What may have looked far off to us at the beginning of the year now has impacted those we personally know. Worldwide, life has been altered and coronavirus has squeezed us like a tube of toothpaste as the months drag on in 2020. Stuck at home, minds wander to, “Will this ever end?  When I wake up, where can I go or should I go as I might catch COVID-19? If I catch it, w