Roberto Ponce

Many times, in the busyness of life we move forward a little bit like the Energizer Bunny. We keep going and going and seldom stop to rest. We just don’t have enough time, it seems, and we find comfort in this reality so we never stop. I confess that I have worked myself sick before. Although in the West, we highly value productivity, overworking can become detrimental, as it could lead to exhaustion and burnout. The church is not excluded from this pressure.

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Kailey Bradley-Thomas, M.A., L.P.C.

by Kailey Bradley-Thomas

As counselors, we (attempt) to facilitate change for our clients on a regular basis.  A critical piece of this is acknowledging that change and transition are gateways to growth and healing, a natural part of life.  This sounds lovely in theory, but in practice, change can be exhausting for both client and counselor.  Outside of the counseling arena, change is also exhausting. However, I would like to argue that change is an essential part of what I think it means to be a good leader. It is also a key part of the faith journey.  Change reminds us that we are not in control and forces us to humbly bow our heads stating, “maybe we don’t have this whole thing figured out.”

The metaphor of seasons is one that has defined my faith journey more than anything else. I have experienced seasons within my faith journey of both spring and winter. It is a part of the natural cycle of our world.  However, we grit our teeth and grasp onto a notion that we can avoid change.   Despite our best efforts, leaves change and fall and summer turn to winter and then back into spring again. I used to think that being a leader means having all the answers in competently displayed Excel spreadsheets. I used to think that a good leader handled change with elegance, finesse, and detailed powerpoints.  However, when my life is in a time of change I am a bundle of anxiety and my elegantly meticulous spreadsheets begin to look more like squiggles.                                                               Continue reading