The Grace Narrative

Why am I talking about prepping for what summer entails on The Grace Narrative? It's because even though different seasons may call for different rhythms, our focus needs to stay true to what God is calling us to. The focus He put on my heart at the beginning of 2023 was presence…that means being present in the moment with the people around me and being more aware and living in the power of the presence of the Lord. As the boys are telling me all of the things they have going on this summer, it came to me that if I want to stay present and appreciate my people, and savor this time, I might need to be a little more proactive in setting our family up for a successful summer. Listen in for some inspiration as we prep for summer together!

The thing about expectations is that when they are not met, it creates stress. We have choices in how to react when that happens. We can stubbornly hold onto the unmet expectations, deny reality, and harbor resentment which leads to exhaustion, negative attitudes, and overall defeat- in other words, burnout...or we can discard unmet expectations, accept reality, and reframe how to move forward based on what is most important.

Operating under high demands while feeling low control in our work is a huge stressor that ruins our motivation, exhausts us, and breeds negativity, so we have to address how to look realistically at the demands placed on us and get real about what is actually in our control. It makes a huge difference in finding answers in the midst of burnout. In this part 2 episode we are going to learn how asking and answering these 2 questions can help us: 1) "What really matters?" and 2) "What would this look like if it was easy?"

This is the first installment of a new series we are starting related to burnout. One of the biggest challenges for people like you and me, goal-oriented achievers that pour everything into what we do, is burning out. There are several different ways of thinking and acting that lead to this state, hence the series! I plan for these to be on the shorter side, but no less impactful because we're going to be very focused on our topics, the aim being to answer these questions: How can we overcome burnout? Where do we find grace in dealing with it? That's what we are going to talk about today, specifically as it relates to relationships in our work.

Serving the Seder meal helps our family focus on Easter in a special way. After keeping this tradition for several years now, I look forward to it so very much becauseit keeps us present in the meaning and power of Holy Week. As you listen, I hope you are drawn to remembering and celebrating Easter in the Lord's presence as you embrace God's way in the everday.

Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom (Psalm 145:3, NIV). This episode is short and sweet... and hopefully will serve as a reminder for you to believe that the infinite God of grace wants to work beyond your imagination right now. It is up to us to give Him the room to do so in our hearts- to let Him be bigger!

One of the greatest joys in life is when you find your lane and run your own race. Just recently I was inspired by one of my friends because she is so confident and happy in doing her thing that brings her joy while at the same time using her gift to minister to my family and I'm looking forward to telling you about that. My goal for today is to offer an encouraging reminder that running your race is not only a way that God shows his favor to you but is also a way to enrich the lives of others as you give the gift of grace.

You may have heard me say this before- I am not interested in a faith that has no impact on my everyday life. I am not interested in Lent as another thing to do or some sort of legalistic requirement made up by man to prove something to God. But if it is a spiritual discipline that the Holy Spirit can work through to draw me closer to Him and to sense His presence at work, then I'm all in! And that's what I believe it can be. So with that thought in mind, let me tell you what I feel called to during Lent this year.

As I was collecting my thoughts on this topic, I realized that the Lent discussion needs to be a two- parter. What I want to do today is to put the season of Lent into a perspective that honors its purpose by understanding its origins, and then we can start answering the question about why observing Lent is so valuable as we grow in grace.

Have you ever thought about how many words there are in the English language that are based on grace? There are SO MANY! It's proof of our inner longing for grace as human beings and recognition of how important it is. The references that permeate our normal vocabulary are so familiar, we kind of take it for granted. But whether we realize it or not, God is in the business of showing us His grace... even through unexpected people and in surprising places. Today I'd like to share with you a story of how that has happened recently to me and served as a reminder once again of God's unlimited resources in extending grace to us.