It's summer time, and the living is easy! Well, not exactly. Not in ministry. But for many church leaders, the pace is somewhat slower. Over the summer small groups re-group. Fall initiatives are planned. We may even begin to plan for Christmas. There's work to be done, but generally speaking, it's not as intense. Not as "hands-on."

I worked through a long series of challenging end-of-the-ministry-year commitments in the month of May. All of them were energizing to me personally, and successful according to participants. Just what we prayed for.

But amid those ministry moments lurked additional challenges: medical drama, end-of-school complexities, relatives visiting, siblings in crisis, and even the sudden death of a close co-worker's father. Behind-the-scenes chaos.

Why am I dumping all of this? One simple reason: I suspect your life is no different. You too have made it through the end of the ministry season. And in the midst of the high-fives, "only God" victories and great joys, you've ...