Some of my favourite reads from around the net this week:

Understanding Identity & Calling

In other words, your identity is what makes you uniquely you. It encompasses the characteristics, strengths, weaknesses, gifts and other traits you possess. Your understanding of these aspects may unfold over time, but they are constant. No matter what you are doing, these elements are with you. Identity is who you are.

Calling, on the other hand, refers more to what you do. The dictionary defines it as “vocation, profession, or trade; a call or summons; a strong impulse or inclination.” It is a particular path or series of actions.

Perhaps it seems like I’m splitting hairs here, but I believe the distinction in these two terms is significant, and that understanding the difference can alleviate some pressure. Contrary to what many may think, your calling—what you are supposed to do—changes and shifts with various seasons of your life. Your identity—who you are—is a constant.

 

 

10 Ways to Graciously Say No When You Feel Pressured to Say Yes – Lysa Terkeurst

Now lean in and let me whisper something I’m trying desperately to teach myself,

No isn’t a cuss word.

It doesn’t have to be hurtful. You will survive and so will they.

Saying no is not a rejection. It’s a necessary protection of your Best Yes answers.

 

 

 

STANDING NAKED IN A FIELD – Melissa Hawks

And I could breathe but I was also reminded of the story of Jonathan and David in Scripture. They were true heart friends. Theirs is a friend love so strong they made covenant with one another three times. It began with standing vulnerable before one another. They actually stripped and Jonathan gave David his robe and weapons. He was saying, “I trust you completely. I will lay down my sword and be naked before you knowing that you will honor me.” Let’s take out the physical representation of that and just think about it from a metaphorical standpoint.

Do you have people in your life that you can stand before emotionally naked, lay down your defenses, and say, “I trust your heart to care for mine?” We need that. I Samuel 18:1 talks about David and Jonathan having an immediate bond, how their souls were knit together. I think there are some people you will meet and have that bond with quickly. You will fall for their heart and then stay for all their other pieces. I Samuel 20:16-17 talks about the second time they made this commitment. It says they swore their love to one another. This isn’t everyone. Learning who to trust with your heart and vulnerability is an important part of growing up. It is learning who your people are.

It is part of finding home.

 

 

 

8 Leadership Principles from my first 90 days at Saddleback – 

Relationships are key to organizational influence.  They help you grab the real values of an organization. Relationships help you understand how things REALLY get done. They help you feel at home, like you’re a part of a family. They help you learn what people do intuitively that needs to be made known. Relationships help you move further, faster.