There are a few guaranties in this life. One of them happens to be pain. It’s not a subject we like to dwell on because pain is not something we look forward to. We occasionally use the adage, “no pain no gain.” When we recite those words we are implying there’s something good at the end of the pain. And while that’s true in some scenarios, how do we live with pain that seems to have no gain?

Problems are guaranteed in life—some problems need to be solved, some problems need to be managed, and ultimately all problems need to be given to God. One of the hardest leadership tasks we can tackle is deciding whether something is a problem to solve or a tension to manage. Some challenges we face in life and ministry are just the reality of the world.

This is the first of three blogs that will list key ways to make your time with the kids even more effective.

If you’re like me when I first started out in ministry, I didn’t think about follow up. All I focused on was doing a great event or service, and then move on to the next. But just like following through when you swing a bat is key, follow up is as well. It doesn’t feel necessary but is essential to pulling off a great event.​ Here are 7 steps to a great follow up plan for any event.

My husband Scotty was injured while playing college football more than 20 years ago. He wasn’t supposed to get sacked as the quarterback, but he did. He tried to move on with his active lifestyle, but one surprise cut under him while he was playing a pickup game of basketball was the final blow. Four back surgeries later, physical pain plagues his life 24 hours a day.