He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. Psalm 91:1 I was hiking in Yosemite in late winter, inching my way up to the top of the majestic Yosemite Falls. It had snowed the day before and little white nests of crystallized snow rested in […]
Becoming Present
I was hiking in one of my favorite places on earth, surrounded by looming granite walls, giant towering redwoods, plush emerald-green, moss-covered boulders the size of a house, and spongy forest floor padded with pine needles as long as my forearm, but I realized my mind was somewhere else and I was missing this magical […]
Labyrinth of Intimidation and Delight
Editor’s Note: Recently, The Leadership Institute held a Stakeholders retreat at the beautiful Allegretto Vineyard Resort in Paso Robles, CA, which is where the labyrinth Jan mentions is located. We hope you enjoy Jan’s reflection on her experience of richly connecting with God while at this retreat. If you would like to personally experience a labyrinth in a more virtual way and read a brief description of what a labyrinth is, you can click here to find out more. When I heard there was a labyrinth onsite, I was immediately intrigued. Where am I? What hotel has a labyrinth?! I’m obviously in […]
Confidence Booster
Have a seat on the couch of our virtual talk show. Today’s topic is confidence. You might turn on your TV to find Oprah, Dr. Phil or Tyra Banks giving you all kinds of advice or lists on ways to improve your self-confidence, but I’ll bet this one is not on their list… “You are […]
A Table in the Wilderness
Have you ever endured a desert season? Can God spread a table in the wilderness? Ps 78:19 Things get dry and unsatisfying, frustrating, or just boring. If you are a leader, maybe people around you start to grumble or even blame you for leading them to this arid place where God seems absent. You get […]
I Surrender All
One of the fun parts of my job when I worked at the YMCA was to lead groups through team building activities. I would have them do interesting things like line up in alphabetical order by middle name without talking, or cross an imaginary chasm using two boards and some “magic shoes”. But a classic […]
Asking Questions
I love a good question. I am a life coach and spiritual director, so I ask a lot of questions. The most golden moments are when I ask a question and it is followed by a long, loaded pause. It’s as if that little railroad cart – you know, the one in the cartoon where […]
