Are you busy in ministry?  Is it ok to be busy in ministry?

I will admit that there was a time when I didn’t think it was ok to be busy and I’m now rethinking this idea. I think it depends on what we mean when we say “busy.”

Here are some definitions of busy:

• activity or fully engaged or occupied
• Crowded with or characterized by much activity
• Constant at work, diligent; active.

My friend Amber doesn’t use the word busy. She substitutes the word busy with productive. For her, busyness means a time of increased productivity.

So, if we think about those definitions and concepts of busy there is really nothing wrong with being fully engaged, productive, diligent, and active. Jesus was all of those things. He was active in the work God gave Him. He was focused. There isn’t anything wrong with having seasons where there is a lot to do. Even seasons where you might have to make adjustments for the short term...

"Margin is the space between our load and our limits." -Dr. Swenson

We all need margin. We were built for it. We need margin from things like being in change, constant activity, overwork, noise, running around, the news, and social media.

We also need margin set aside for things like rest, relationships, play, silence, God, eating uninterrupted, processing our feelings, and moving our bodies.

We want margin but sometimes we struggle to make it a reality in life and ministry. Here are some reasons why.

4 Mistakes Ministry Leaders Make When Creating Margin 

They don’t have a vision. They know they can’t keep doing it the same way but they don’t know what they want and if you don’t know the target, you’ll miss it every time.  

They rarely evaluate. They rarely reflect and see if they are living into that vision. Did they honor the commitments they made to the things that mattered most? Did They spend their time the way...

Do you feel like your time and energy is being taken over by all there is to do? Is the pressure from all the things weighing heavily on you? Do you feel like you’ve lost control? Are you in a constant cycle of putting out fires and feel like you’re trying to keep your head above water. Do you sometimes feel like it is just too much? 

That's overwhelm.

Now, I realize that overwhelm is a word that you may not use readily in your vocabulary.  In fact, you may shy away from it or flat out deny that you are dealing with overwhelm. The idea of overwhelm has been connected to weakness because one of the definitions of overwhelm is to be overpowered by something that is stronger. And we like to think we’re in control, even when things are out of control. We think that as long as we manage the mess, we’re not overwhelmed. 

Let me share for a moment, a bit more about what overwhelm can be.

• To bury or drown beneath a huge mass
• To defeat...

Is the pace of life and ministry unsustainable? Are there too many things to manage? Do you wish you could slow down? 

In today's episode, I interview Jodi Grubbs who is a slow living advocate. Here are some of the things we talk about:

• What happens when you don't slow down
• The importance of soul care and community
• Slow living in the scriptures and how it relates to our relationship with God
• The role of people pleasing
• Tips to slow down the pace
• Obstacles to watch out for as you slow down

Favorite Quotes from Jodi

If you're passionate about something, slowing down will help you.

You are not going to hear God say, "I need to hustle more!"

If we are doing this for God and not for other people, we need to take seriously all the slow living that Jesus did.

More About Jodi

Jodi is a former island girl and is passionate about coming alongside women who long for that shift to slower living. She is a writer and the host of Our Island in the City Podcast where she loves...

Do you feel like you are trying to manage all the chaos of the world? Are there things in your life and ministry that are challenging and cause you anxiety? Are you searching for answers?

Whether we face problems that need to be solved or tensions that need to be managed there are many places where we experience trouble.

• Marriage
• Relationships
• Ministry and church related challenges
• Our schedule
• Physical health 
• Emotional health
• Finances
• Kids/family

There are things that contribute to our lack of peace:

• Messages from the world
• Expectations of others
• Taking on more things to do for God than our relationship with God can handle
• Busyness
• Fears
• Wrestling with challenges and being unsure of what to do
• Coping by grasping and clinging to other people or circumstances...even a feeling.

There is chaos around us and chaos within us. Here is where we can related to David as he expresses this shared experience in Psalm 63:

My inner self thirsts for you, my flesh longs and...

Are you having trouble figuring out what healthy rhythms and boundaries would work for you? Most pastors and leaders I talk with know that they need to put boundaries in place but they are just not sure what will work. And not knowing is what’s keeping them stuck in the unhealthy patterns of leadership.

How do you gain clarity so that you can make progress?

1. Ask God. God, what do you want for me? What’s your vision, God? What do I need to focus on? What do I need to make time for?
2. Write down what is most important to you in this season. What relationships are most important in the months ahead? What events are important? What roles, responsibilities do you need to make time for? What parts of yourself need time/attention/nurturing?
3. Start small. Pick one thing but start. We tend to try and do much too quickly. Do one thing, but do it! We tend to think about things over and over again. We'll talk with colleagues and friends, we'll meditate on what we...

Do you like to plan? 

I know I do. It makes me feel accomplished. Productive. In control. Planning eases my anxiety because I know what to expect. Plan the work then work the plan, right?

The problem is we rarely actually work the plan. We spend time, energy, resources getting everything we need to create a long term plan...we plan the work, but rarely do we work the plan.

God may have given you a vision, a word, a calling, and unless God tells you otherwise, that doesn’t change...but how we live it out does. Things change. We don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow.

I am already hearing the anxieties from many leaders about what will happen this fall. What will be possible in a world where we are living with COVID-19? And we spend a lot of time thinking, wondering, worrying, and trying to plan.

Here's the thing: We don’t know what will happen tomorrow. 

This week I started to read the book Win the Day, by Mark Batterson. I only got through...

Let's celebrate!

This is episode 100 of the Women in Ministry United Podcast!

From the launch in March 2019, the journey has been filled with twists and turns. If you've been with me for a lengthy period of time, you know that this began as the Giving Up Normal Podcast where we focused on giving up the normal things that are hurting your soul so that you could live as the person God created you to be. 

While that heartbeat continues, God's call for my leadership got more specific and as my ministry focused on helping women in ministry break free from the cycles of busyness and overwhelm and create healthy rhythms and boundaries...the name of the podcast changed to simply, The Women in Ministry United Podcast!

Today, as we celebrate the 100th episode, I share with you 4 lessons that I've learned from you, the community, as you share your experience creating and maintaining healthy rhythms and boundaries in your life and leadership. Exposing these common realities...

Compassion fatigue is a reality for many caregivers in ministry. In this episode I sit down with Laura Howe from Hope Made Strong as she shares her insights and strategies on how you can tell if compassion fatigue is affecting you and what you can do about it.

Laura defines compassion fatigue as "the physical and mental erosion, the wearing down, of your hope, empathy, and compassion." It is something that develops overtime and can compromise our compassion for others as well as ourselves.

Compassion fatigue is not a sin, failure, or weakness. It is a result of being a caring person and doing good work. It shows up when we haven't had the opportunity to refuel.

Resources from Laura

10 Signs Your Experiencing Compassion Fatigue

7 Keys to Build Resilience

More About Laura:

Laura loves to equip you and your ministry team as you support and care for others in your community. Founder of Hope Made Strong and the Church Mental Health Summit Laura is a mental health clinician and community...

There are three rhythms that everyone in ministry should have: A rhythm of rest, rhythm of retreat, and a rhythm of review. Today we are going to talk more about the rhythm of review.

Effective ministry leaders have a regular rhythm of review...weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly. That may seem like a lot of reviewing! But you’d be surprised how transformative this practice is and it doesn’t take a particularly long time to do. Although you could spend hours if you’d like, setting aside just 30-45 minutes of intentional time to look back and remember what you committed to, what God did, what God said, reviewing how it went, and looking forward, seeking God on how He wants you to spend your time...it’s a game changer. It really helps you draw closer to God as you constantly seek Him and ask Him to speak to  you.

Last week we had a chance to look back, remember, thank God for all He has done and remember the things He’s asked of us that we...