Sometimes I'm taken aback by how much gossip has become an acceptable part of our culture. Whether it's learning the 411 on the celebrity of the hour or following the latest political gossip on Twitter, it's hard to turn on the television or walk through the checkout lane of the grocery store without catching a whiff of some juicy news that may or may not be ...

Christian leaders love to talk about strengths. Want proof? Just ask your pastor to list her spiritual gifts, talk about his areas of passion, or tell you her Myers-Briggs profile (any other ENTJ's out there?). You're sure to get an enthusiastic response. But ask that same leader to tell you about her areas of weakness, and she might be slightly less excited to engage with ...

How's your memory? More specifically, how's your faith-memory, your ability to remember and hold onto powerful moments with God long after they've passed? Turns out that reminding ourselves—and helping others do the same—builds the kind of faith that pleases God.

Recently my friend's grandmother passed away. In her final hours, God pulled out all the stops to get my friend ...

"I understand how to tell people that I can't meet with them soon," I said to my pastor over coffee several years ago, "but how can I possibly tell them I can't meet with them ever?" I was experiencing my first round of influence-itis, the toxic, nagging feeling of being needed by too many people.

The first time I asked this question, I was a volunteer women's director with ...

There's an idea floating around Christian women's circles. I'm hearing it more frequently. I've heard it from missionary colleagues and women at church. I've read it in books and seen it posted in comments on blogs. It goes something like this: If God has gifted and called a woman to lead, teach, pastor, or preach then he will make a way for her to fulfill ...

Every once in a while...especially in busy seasons of life or ministry, I hit the wall.

I know I've hit the wall when:

• I've reached my compliant quota. When one more complaint, question, or criticism will put me over the edge.• Questions become personal attacks. A simple question for clarity feels like a personal attack on my judgment or character.• The idea of being with ...

Hurricane Irene blustered her way up the East Coast, downing trees, toppling cars, and leaving seven million people (including our family) in the dark. We were without power for four days. I missed it desperately–my laptop, smartphone, televisions, refrigerator, hair straightener, and garbage disposal. (Yes, I missed my garbage disposal.) But now that I'm back on the grid, ...

My favorite Christmas song growing up was "Do You Hear What I Hear?" With each verse, the anticipation grows: Do you hear what I hear? Do you see what I see? Do you know what I know? Listen to what I say! The person singing longs for someone with whom to share the joy of Christ's birth.

As leaders, we find tremendous joy in sharing ministry with others. Ministry ...

Ten years ago my husband and I embarked on a year-long adventure at sea with our four sons. One leg of our journey took us to Albany, New York, where we docked our boat at a marina on the Hudson River. We'd planned to be in New York City by then, but we'd made a spontaneous decision to take a road trip to Boston for the weekend instead.

The morning after we returned to our ...