May 2009
Leading Through Downsizing
I’m an old pro at downsizing. It’s true.
While the rest of the world has watched recent events with anxiety at the possibility of losing their job, I’m quite familiar with this life of uncertainty. A veteran of the textile industry for 15 years, I’ve spent the last five watching the companies ...
Sotomayor, Sexism, and the Supreme Court
When I was in sixth grade, a classmate told me that his dad told him that a woman could never be president because she'd "get all PMSy and probably ‘push the button' in one of her mood swings." This was in 1983, so that button she'd push was the "nuclear-war starting" button we all imagined on the big red phone next to ...
Who Do You Follow?
I don't often have a strong reaction one way or the other to people's Twitter updates - or "Tweets" - but this one from a friend of mine got me. He wrote: "Twitter is one of the few places where you need to be a good leader & follower at the same time - a unique dynamic."
Huh?
I thought about this throughout the rest of the day - because ...
Julia Mateer
Julia Mateer graduated from Liberty University with a Masters in Professional Counseling and is a licensed mental health counselor as well as a board certified Christian counselor specializing in women's and adolescent girls spiritual and clinical issues. Currently, Julia works as a therapist at a school for at-risk adolescent girls and has a private practice. Julia is the ...
Renee James
In her regular job, Renee is the communications director for Canadian Baptist Women of Ontario and Quebec and the editor of its award-winning magazine LIVE. She's also a regular contributor to Today's Christian Woman.
Prior to that, she scaled mountains at a Convention Baptist church in downtown Toronto where she served as administrative pastor for seven years. While in that ...
Mindy Caliguire
Mindy Caliguire first encountered the power of a community of faith in her sophomore year at Cornell University when she attended a Bible Study in a frat house. She developed a new appreciation for the Christian faith, and wound up marrying the leader of that Bible study, Jeff Caliguire.
After graduating from Cornell University, the Caliguires moved to Texas where Jeff attended ...
Angie Mabry-Nauta
Rev. Angie Mabry-Nauta is a theologian, writer and ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Reformed Church in America. She served two congregations in six years of pastoral ministry – one as solo pastor, and the other as interim Pastor of Preaching and Worship. Angie is passionate about empowering women, and writes about many aspects of womanhood in church and secular ...
Praying for Our Prodigals
Satan plays dirty. Really dirty.
He is so clever at finding our weak spots, to trip us up as we walk the paths God has for us. He whispers not-so-sweet nothings in our ears. He beguiles us with our best temptations. He spray paints the nearby grass a beautiful shade of green. He tells us we deserve the best. But we have grown strong and mature in the Spirit and we keep ...
Walking With Grace When You Have No Grace
We've all encountered those moments in ministry and life when we feel spent, empty, with nothing else to give. Maybe lived on exhaust one gasp too long. Maybe burning the candle on both ends and in the middle wasn't such a great idea. Maybe a series of sleepless nights got the best of us. Whatever the cause, we have nothing left to give and for just a few more hours ...
What's Your Story?
Lately I've been walking a 5-km route through a residential area where I pass lots of houses. I take a good look at the gardens, see who is on the porch, and what I can see through the window. It occurred to me the other day that each family in each house has a story to tell. How long have they lived there? Why would they pick that house of all of them on the street? ...