Giving Up Normal

This is the final episode of the Women in Ministry United Podcast.   If you have skipped over the last few episodes you are probably thinking, "What in the world???"  I apologize if it feels sudden. I debated long and hard how long I could or should keep going and how much runway I should give us as this part of the journey comes to an end. Sometimes a long goodbye isn’t the best thing and what’s awesome is this isn’t goodbye, it’s a new beginning.   In this final episode of the Women in Ministry United Podcast, I share with you ways you can get resources and stay connected as well as some details about the new Margin Maker podcast.   If you want to make sure you stay up to date on all that is happening in the community as well as launch details for the Margin Maker podcast and other community events make sure to sign up below.   Connect with Jen Facebook Instagram Book A Discovery Call  

“Good is the enemy of great. And that is one of the key reasons why we have so little that becomes great.”   -Jim Collins   What a powerful quote. And I know this to be true in my own experience. I try to hold on and do everything. I don't want to let go of good things that are valuable and serving people. But sometimes have to let go of good in order to open our hands to receive the new thing God is calling us to.   Last week, I shared with you the difficult decision to quit something good, something I love, in order to make room for something great. If you haven't already listened to that episode, you can HERE.   *SPOILER ALERT...I have been invited by God to launch a new podcast and I've said yes to that new thing...which means I am bringing this show to an end.   When I first started to sense this I came up with every reason in the world why I should keep the WMU podcast going and just do both projects. And in today's episode I share with you the fears, lies, and limiting beliefs that I've been wresting w

I’m sure you’ve heard the saying that the good can become the enemy of the best and I have found that to be true. Maybe you have too. I find it especially to be true as God is inviting me to something new. Sometimes I find that in order for me to take a hold of something new, I need to let go of another thing. And that’s hard. I want to be able to do it all. But I have learned over the years that when I try and do more I become less… I become less like Jesus…less patient, less wise, less compassionate, less loving. I spend less time with God and more time doing. I become less effective and more stressed and strained by the demands and expectations.     Sometimes we have to choose to stop the good so we can take hold of what is better.   This is where I find myself today.   In this episode I share with you a decision I've made to give up what's good and it impacts you, the listeners of the Women in Ministry United Podcast.  

Do you keep track of the things God is saying and revealing to you? What verses of scripture just keep coming up? What words, phrases, or concepts rise to the surface? What dreams has He planted? What types of invitations has He given to you?   Finding a way to record our spiritual insights helps us grow in intimacy with Jesus. But our growth doesn't stop there. Sharing our insights with others helps us grow in community and is a way that God often speaks to others.    My pastor always said, "God comes to people through people." How many times has someone shared what God is teaching them and you've thought to yourself...I've been thinking of that same thing! That is a common way that God works and speaks!   In today's episode of the podcast, I am sharing spiritual insights that God has been teaching me over the last year. You may find that God speaks directly to you through what He is teaching me.   Here's a brief list of what I share: I reap what I sow. If I don't like what I'm reaping, I need to change wha

In today’s show I am interviewing my friend Jill McCormick as we talk about grace for the try-hard girl, especially when we sense we are in a season of change.   Anyone feel like a try-hard girl? You know, the one who loves Jesus and her people so she tries hard to get it all done, to not disappoint, to do everything well, to always be there, to help fix the problems and right the wrongs? That try-hard girl lives in me and I don’t know about you but the idea of living in the freedom of God’s grace is something I desperately need. And I believe you will find so many things you can personally relate to and take away from my conversation with Jill that will fill your soul with grace.   Some Things We Covered Who is the try-hard girl? Understanding how we can extend grace to ourselves. Accepting we are human beings, not productivity machines. Why it is so hard to admit that something needs to change? Ideas about how to create space to be with Jesus in the midst of the chaos. How false beliefs and a distortion of

Are you running from one thing to the next? Has the pace of life and ministry become unsustainable?  It is so easy to constantly be on the go, to always be "on" and available and many pastors and ministry leaders are feeling the impact. Maybe you do too. Maybe you know that you are running yourself into the ground. You are keenly aware that you can’t keep it up much longer. It’s not a question of loving God or even loving what you do...it’s a matter of the relentless pace in which you are doing it. You can be unrelenting in your love for Jesus, your commitment to sharing the gospel and serving your ministry organization without a relentless pace.   You probably know that deep inside. You know that you were not meant to go like the energizer bunny. You were not designed to keep your foot on the gas and keep going no matter what. That’s what gets celebrated in our culture...it’s what is valued and praised...it is even what gets promoted in the church as a caring, Jesus-loving, committed leader. But, you weren

Are you praying but God is silent? Are you listening but don’t hear a thing? Are you searching, seeking, leaning in and just can’t seem to find God at all? You are not alone. I’m right there with you. And in this episode I’m going to share with you some of the things I’m learning along the journey.    What is this place? Sometimes this is referred to as what St. John of the Cross called the dark night of the soul, the place where beginners are being led to a place of growth and maturity. God is intentionally taking us from a sweet place in order for us to commune more deeply with Him. St. John of the Cross likens it to a mother who weans a nursing child intentionally so that they can feed on something more substantial.   As St. John of the Cross looked at this process (he was a Spanish mystic from the 1500’s, Carmelite monk, a follower of Teresa of Avila) he explained that it was necessary for the soul to go through a purging process in order that the person may be brought into what he called, Divine union of

When I started talking about feeling far from God a few weeks ago, I had no idea how much that would resonate with so many of you. You have shared that you too feel like you are unable to connect with God. You feel like He is distant.   It’s confusing, it’s frustrating, even disappointing...and it feels lonely.   There are many reasons why we experience a season feeling far from God. Last week in episode 114 we talked about being in a spiritual rut and some things we can do to connect with God in a meaningful way. If you haven't listened yet you can check it out HERE.   What should you do when you find yourself struggling to hear from God?    There are many things that can keep us from hearing from God. Spiritual and emotional fatigue and exhaustion can play a factor. Busyness and constant work in ministry and other activities in life can impact our ability to hear. Our own sin and desires of the flesh, our worries, fears...they all can play a part.   While it is hard to give an exhaustive list or a quick ste

O God, you are my God;      I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you;      My whole body longs for you in this parched and weary land      where there is no water.   Can you relate to these words written by David in Psalm 63? Do you feel like you are searching for God? Maybe you can feel the dryness of your soul and you know it is impacting your life and leadership. Maybe you are worn out. The journey has depleted you, it’s made you tired and even though you search for God you can’t seem to connect with Him. He feels distant and you feel lost.   We all go through times when we feel less connected to God and there can be a variety of reasons for it. Maybe you feel stuck as you seek to grow in intimacy with God. Nothing you’re doing right now makes you feel like you are growing closer to Him. Maybe you are not able to hear Him because you are distracted or not stopping to listen. Or maybe you have hit what Pete Scazzero calls, "the wall" and you are in a deeper place of distress because of God’s sile

Do you feel far from God? Is it hard to hear Him? Do you struggle to see the ways He is working around you? When we feel far from God it plays a role in our soul health. And when we feel depleted, worried, even alone, it impacts the way we relate to God and others.   In this episode, I'm sharing a call that I recently had with a group of women taking the Margin Maker Workshop. We just completed the first session, "Getting Ready for Change" where we asked the question, "How's your soul?" In this conversation we talked about how we might be feeling and what assurances we can take with us on the journey to wholeness in our relationship with God and margin in life and ministry.   Scriptures Referenced Isaiah 53:6 Psalm 25:8 Psalm 23   If you'd like to join me for our next Margin Maker Workshop in a few months, you can get on the waitlist HERE. Or, if you're not quite sure what your next step should be but you know you need to make a change, let's have a discovery call. This is a free call that you can book with

You are loved by God. Not because you are in ministry. Not because you said yes to leadership. Not because you are compassionate. It is not because of anything you have ever done or will ever do. It is because of who God is. As the song Jireh, says: You have never been more loved than you are right now. God loved you and chose you because it gave Him great pleasure to do it! Many of us struggle to anchor ourselves fully in the complete love of God. We worry about disappointing Him. We want to make Him so glad that He chose us. He does choose you and He would do it over and over again because He is love. And His love and acceptance has nothing to do with your ministry.   If you struggle with the idea that you are loved by God apart from ministry, this episode is for you. Scriptures Referenced Ephesians 1:4-5 Ephesians 2:1-6 Romans 5:8 Romans 7:22 Isaiah 30:15-18 (verse 18 in the Amplified Version) Isaiah 43:4  

Are you feeling marginalized as a woman in ministry? Is your contribution and leadership not valued? Are your ideas ignored? This is a common challenge that many women face, even in denominations and churches that say they welcome women in ministry. If you haven’t experienced this, I’m thankful and I would encourage you to listen to this episode because I am willing to guarantee there is someone you know who has, even if they are in a denomination or church that embraces an egalitarian model of ministry.     Boundaries are intricately tied to the challenges of being a woman in ministry.   If we aren’t careful we over extend ourselves. We will try to prove them wrong if they question our leadership. We will over compensate and do more. We won’t stop because we are afraid that we’ll be judged or we won’t be seen. And we can spend endless amounts of time and energy trying to fight and make our case for why we belong in ministry. We can spend an exuberant amount of time and energy trying to figure out what we s

Are you spending time on things that are working in ministry or are you building structures, programs and paradigms that simply just don’t work anymore?   This is a question that continues to come up in conversations with pastors and leaders around the country. We are all feeling the loss of community. We are grieving what church once was or what we hoped it would be. People have drifted away. Others remain on the sidelines. The programs we did and the way we did them don’t seem as effective.   Some of these shifts are temporary but many of these trends may be here to stay. The church has changed. The truth is, it was changing before COVID and now the pandemic has accelerated trends that were already unfolding. And it has become incredibly difficult.    Our tendency is to try and figure out how to get people to come back. How do we fill the room again? How do we get people back to what used to be? It’s exhausting. It’s painful. Because of our own fatigue we are defaulting to what we knew, what worked or sort

There is so much going on in our lives, in our communities, and in our hearts. Our lives are full…full of overwhelm, full of responsibility, and full of worry. Today we are going to trade in our overwhelm for thankfulness by doing the 5 for 5 Challenge. All you have to do is write down 5 things for 5 days (and it will only take you about 5 minutes!)   5 for 5 Challenge Each day write down these 5 things:   Something you can celebrate. Something that made you laugh or smile. A way God loved you or you experienced His grace. A person you are thankful for in your life. A ministry win. This easy exercise will shift your mindset and help you see the ways God is working in you and around you. As you are able to shift your perspective it will relieve the burden, give you room and space, and help you experience Christ's joy, peace and power.   Connect with Jen Facebook Instagram

Do you have everything you need for ministry? Many of us feel like we don't have everything we need in order to do ministry. We often think, if we just had: more tools more programs, people attending more engagement more resources more education and training more time more energy more ideas more help ...then we would be able to make some progress! What if I told you that you have everything that you need? That's right, everything is available to you in order for you to share Jesus and build the Kingdom. Would you believe me? If you are feeling discouraged, if you feel like you just don't have enough, then this episode is for you! Scripture from Ephesians 1:15-23 Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will

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 because of a particular event or season in the life of the church.   But here’s the thing, that’s no

"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. 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 they wanted to? What worked well? What got in the way?   They are looking for a quick fix. Making margin

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 completely To be inundated To be too much Some similar words are: swamped, satu

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 conversing with her guests about faith, ordina

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 is faint for you, in a dry and weary land wh