Monthly Archives: April 2015

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Evolving In My Writing Craft Has Altered My Overall Outlook On Life

Throughout these past four months, I’ve experienced such a gratifying feeling due to the evolving nature of my writing craft, and my overall outlook on life.

For so long, I’ve had writer’s block. The only writing I did for a long while was writing about my day to day routine in my journal. Although I’ve done some writing for various other writing sites, for a long while, I had stopped submitting work, because my well of ideas for stories, poetry, etc…had run dry.

Then, back in October of last year, I got involved with a site that dealt with writing prompts to get the well of inspiration filled again. The writing prompts were done through the use of photographs, or a phrase. Through utilizing the tools allotted from the site, my memory was refreshed on how to properly write Haiku and Limerick poetry with the writing tips they provided. From October of 2014 through January 2015, I created a large body of work.  Read more...

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The Keys To Keep Going When You Don’t Feel Like It

Everybody has a point in their lives when they want to quit. They want to throw in the white towel. They want to tap out like a UFC fighter gasping for air in a choke hold.

While we try to play it off like we’re the first person to experience doubt or dissatisfaction with where we’re at, it’s not true. We’re not the first and we’re not the last.

Since you’re not the first, you know there are people who have gone before you and continued on long after they felt like giving up. They’ve succeeded where they saw no hope before.

That’s because there’s always hope. You can keep moving forward even when it feels like you’ve hit a brick wall.

Fight through it: Our minds can play tricks on us that tell us there’s no hope. It’s better to tap out than to keep fighting.  Read more...

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The Things That Should Break A Leader’s Heart

The longer you’re in leadership, the more likely it is you’ll have your leader’s heart broken. It’s an inevitable fact of life.

Disappointment comes along with the turf.

So, what should break a leader’s heart? I believe these things will do just that.

Seeing other leaders fail: While we may be in competition with other leaders, their failures should not bring us joy. Rather, we should weep with them and let it break our hearts.

Seeing marriages fail: One of the worst things I’ve seen is the dissolution of marriages in the church. This is not the place where divorce should happen but it does. And it breaks my heart.

Seeing a failure to launch: I’ve focused a large portion of my adult life on the youth ministry at our church. Time after time, we’ve seen students who have failed to launch. Seeing so much unlocked potential breaks my heart.  Read more...

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5 Things Every Leader Should Hope For

Leaders, by the nature of their role, need to be hopeful people. They are, after all, casting a new vision for their followers.

Why shouldn’t they be hopeful for what’s to come?

Through the trials of leadership, it’s easy to get lost on the trail. Our hope wanes. We lose our way.

This is why it’s crucial leaders keep their eyes open to the hopeful future ahead.

If you’re one of those lost leaders, see if you can regain your vision by looking for hope in these 5 areas.

1. Faithful followers: You can’t lead if no one is following. Even when people are following you, it can be a difficult path to walk if those followers aren’t faithful.

Leading well results in followers who are true to you. They’ll follow you through thick and thin. Be hopeful you will one day have people who will support your dream and vision as a leader.  Read more...

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Learning To Forgive As A Leader

Our lives are ripe with opportunities to take offense to the actions of others. Even more so, I believe, when you take on the mantle of leadership.

Opportunities For Offense As Leaders

Leading gives us many chances to become bitter. It’s true, especially when you begin to examine leadership and the intricacies involved with leading.

You’ll come across those who:

Want to take your position as a leader

Talk behind your back

Pass your over for promotion

Find opportunities to usurp your position

Try to turn others against you

If you’ve been a situation like these, you know there’s the whisper that’s telling you to hold onto the hurt you felt. It’s your right after all, right?

And that’s how offenses begin to take hold. That’s how offenses begin to hinder your ability to lead.  Read more...