Thriving in Christ | Burnout, Stress, Leadership, Faith & High Performance

How many of us feel we don’t have enough time in the day to regenerate and do self-care? One of the most common complaints I hear from people, including myself years ago, is: "I don't have time." And that’s a valid concern, as there are so many things we want to do, so many people to serve in Christ, so many activities to get involved with, not to mention doing self-care. But here are two unique t...

As Christian women professionals and servant leaders busy helping others, we often wonder how to build and sustain meaningful rituals and habits that can help us regenerate & propel us to our next level. And in doing so, it is not uncommon to try to solve this by striving more and more, and put our routines on our ever-growing To-Do list. Over time this can actually leave us more tired and str...

In this episode, I am really honored to be interviewing Kara, an amazing Christian professional woman who loves to give and help other people in such a way to transform the world. Kara has over three decades of experience in the classroom, teaching all levels of high school mathematics and many years of leading professional development workshops for teachers. She has coached nine high school dista...

*Do NOT drive or operate machinery - during this Contemplative practice* We live in an age filled with knowledge but, as you know, there's a difference between information and transformation. So how do we navigate all the information which is available to us, in order to experience transformation? There are many ways to transform in Christ, one of which is using contemplative practices. Contemplat...

Are you familiar with this verse (this is one of my favorites!): "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."" — Isaiah 55:8-9 And (re)reading this verse you might wonder: how do we actually access more of God's thoughts? How do we shif...

As Christian women, we are often more in touch with our emotions, which can sometimes carry negative connotations, especially in social situations. You might have heard comments like, "Oh, women are so emotional." And to make things more complicated, emotions come with their own negative stories and thought patterns, which can make our emotions even more intense. But it is not our fault! God creat...

Our mind produces thousands and thousands of thoughts each day, and based on research, many of them are actually negative and repetitive. So does this mean that we are stuck in our conditionings inside of our mind? Do we need to constantly fight them? What if there's a way God designed our brain to help us with this? Throughout my career in the medical and psychological fields I have seen lots of...

If you have been with me for a while, you know how passionate I am about integrating what seems for some people to be opposites: science/psychology and our Christian faith. And today you will hear an interview with a couple that does the same thing - integrating faith with psychology, this time within their marriage: the Louhs! Fr. Nick Louh is the pastor of a church in the Eastern Orthodox Tradit...

*Do NOT drive or operate machinery - during this Contemplative practice* As Christian women wanting to serve others in our vocation, it's easy to get pulled in too many directions as we often carry responsibilities that leave us feeling depleted. But what if you could find calm and renewal in just a few minutes? Wait, is that even possible? Yes, the fastest way to shift our state of being is throu...

Do intentions matter or not for the Kingdom? And if so, how can I set intentions in a way that feels effortless? Is there a way that God created our brain to support us in this? These are common questions that I hear often from my students and clients, and I am here to say that - YES - intentions do matter - YES - we can set intentions in an effortless way, without adding one more thing on our TO-...

Are you ready to transform the way you think about self-care and renewal? There is a micro mindset shift that you can make today which can have a tremendous impact on your life. The reality that is often overlooked by many is this: renewal and self-care are not projects. Too often, we wait for the perfect vacation, retreat, or weekend to take care of ourselves - turning self-care into a task rathe...

“Is everything really the way it appears to you? Always put a question mark after every thought, since you usually look at things with a negative slant…If you put two question marks, it is better. If you put three, it is better still.” - St. Paisios (modern saint from Mt. Athos). Our mind and thoughts are so helpful in navigating our responsibilities and life, but on the flip side, they can get us...

*Do NOT drive or operate machinery - during this Contemplative practice* Last week I shared about the significance of a Separate & Release routine in order for us to let go of the day effectively and 'put the cares of the world to the side,' as our Christian faith encourages us to do. As a follow up, today I invite you to schedule some time for yourself, a pause in your day, to experience a Se...

As Christian professionals and servant leaders, it is common to have at the end of the day lingering worries, open mind loops, and unfinished inner conversations, 'running' in the background of our minds. Many people do try to separate from them and unwind in the evening, but often partially or ineffectively. Over time, 'unfinished business' accumulates and can lead to a sense of being on a 'tread...

We grow up with many conditioned beliefs and stories, which many times turn out not to be true. In our desire to change and upgrade them, it is common to find ourselves at a crossroad: wanting to change our old beliefs with new ones, to only have a nagging feeling that they don't go away! Then it is easy to feel a bit (or more) defeated and resign to the idea that 'things are just as they are, and...

As Christians, we love to glorify God and share the transformative power of Christ in our lives with others. However, this can fall on 'deaf ears' sometimes, with others challenging our faith especially in our pluralistic society. This can bring grief and can leave us Christians at a loss for words on how to share about our faith. The good news is that there is a POWERFUL DISTINCTION that 'can mov...

If you are interested in looking at the creative process as part of your Regeneration and Self-care, plus learn more about IFS (Internal Family Systems) from a professional who practices it (and wrote about it), then this Renewal Conversation episode is for you! I had the honor to interview again Joel Klepac LMFT-S, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, College Counselor, Artist and Writer. In...

Many Christian women love to be servant leaders, give to others and nurture communities. At the same time, as they do this, they can get pulled into group dynamics such as 'conformity' and 'chameleon effect,' which dynamics, when they later try to take care of themselves and upgrade their habits, can pull them back into the old ways of being. This can feel frustrating and it happens to many of us....

*Do NOT drive or operate machinery - during this Contemplative practice* Here is an invitation to spend some time today with Scripture verse in a short contemplative practice. The Bible verse in this episode I absolutely love, and I pray that it will help you nourish your body, emotions, thoughts, soul, and connect with God - who is the ultimate nourishment for us from the inside-out. As we connec...

You might have heard of the importance of cultivating Gratitude in our daily lives. But extending gratitude sometimes is confusing, especially if we are having negative emotions or experiences. So how does this work beyond needing to repress our less-than-pleasant emotions and needing to strive our way into Gratitude? How can one understand what Gratitude is from a Christian and scientific perspec...

As Christians, we know intellectually that God is 'everywhere filling all things.' But many times, we feel the sense of separation, so how do we move toward experiencing God at a deeper level, in spite our natural doubts or fears? The key is to recognize that God is working not only through external events but also through our inner unfoldings, and not just in our mind and thoughts, but also throu...

As Christian women professionals and servant leaders, we often find ourselves wrestling with the balance between giving and receiving, serving and self-care, especially when we are filled with a desire to give to others in Christ. But, as our guest for this episode wisely points out, 'If you want to GIVE at a high level, you want to RECEIVE at a high level.' In this Renewal Conversation episode, I...

*Do NOT drive or operate machinery - during this Contemplative practice* One of the many limitations we face as Christian Givers, especially as Women professionals and servant leaders is the lack of time, as we want to give so much to others and serve like Christ. And then, it is common to think that we need lots of time to connect with God, when in reality we can do it anywhere and any time, as G...

There are many reasons why one can get into Chronic Stress and Burnout, but there is one reason that is not often talked about, which has to do with misalignment with our values in God and an interesting psychological concept: Cognitive Dissonance. How do we know when we're not aligned with our values and with God? Can we develop practical habits to realign with them? In this episode, we explore t...

Have you ever found yourself sitting in silence and contemplation to only notice lots of things going on inside of you? You might experience thoughts, stories (past or future) emotions or body sensations and even feel confused or dissatisfied at times, saying "why can't I sit in silence quietly? What is wrong with me?" If so, you're not alone, as this is a common experience. And the way around it...