As we approach Thanksgiving and Christmas, many of us will have the opportunity to gather with family and friends. There is so much joy this time of year.

Whatever the makeup of your family, everyone feels a little stressed during the holidays. Some of you may feel a little more like Marge Simpson than Carol Brady as you entertain or attend large gatherings.

Expectations are formed, finances and gift giving come to the forefront, perfectionism can sneak in–any one of which can lead to...

On winter mornings and evenings (if you can say that Southern California has a winter) you’ll often find me in my recliner. A fire crackles to my right, and to my left, pressed up against my leg, is Lex, our faithful companion dog. Various activities go on in this chair. Praying, reading, journaling, watching shows on my iPad, scrolling through Instagram, laughing with Alan about some random post.

But this morning, I lift my eyes from the book I’m reading and I stare at my living...

Today is the 100th episode of The Unhurried Living Podcast! Over the course of our previous 99 episodes you’ve heard us utter the same six words every single time:. Rest deeper, live fuller, lead better. And in episodes 95, 97 and 99 we’ve addressed these core values specifically. Today we’re going to pull it all together as we give you a vision for a lifetime of transformation that is rooted, intentional and strategic. Welcome to the 100th episode...

What does it look like to become more securely and deeply rooted in Christ, to become confident in him? I think of how Eugene Peterson paraphrased Colossians 2:6-7 in The Message: 

“My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You’re deeply rooted in him. You’re well-constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been...

When it comes to our kingdom influence, insecurity is one of our great enemies. But there’s a practical question to ask: What will we do with our insecurity? Where does our confidence come from? Where is it rooted? This is what we’ll be talking about today’s on the Podcast.

Today, we’re talking about the interaction of our two Unhurried Living values: “Rest Deeper” and “Lead Better.” We’re saying this interplay is the dynamic of our...

I’ve had the treat of having many mentor-like people in my life who were ahead of me on life’s journey. They knew more than me and they readily shared their knowledge and wisdom. They believed in me and my potential and were willing to help draw me into the next level. 

Maya Angelou once said, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” 

It is certainly true that...

Welcome to an Inhaling Grace audiobook episode of the Unhurried Living Podcast. 

Following are the next three devotionals from Inhaling Grace. May you sense the real presence of God shepherding you as you listen.

If you haven't already done so, you can purchase the Inhaling Grace Devotional here.

In July, Gem and I had the honor of leading a two-day retreat for the House of Bishops of the Church of Uganda. Present were the archbishop and his wife along with about 35 bishops and their wives. About one-third of today’s 43 million Ugandans are part of this national church. It was encouraging to discover that our important insights about Christian life and leadership were life-giving to them as well. 

At the end of our two days, the Archbishop expressed his appreciation for...

Many talk about the importance of leadership, in the church and in the world in general. In fact, I wrote An Unhurried Leader because we really care about good leadership.

Now there are those who want to talk about leadership hacks—quick, easy things to do that will make a huge, unexpected difference. You’ve probably noticed that in Unhurried Living, we have a bias for action that often takes longer, but produces fruit that lasts longer, too.

So today, we’re talking about...

Recently, we read a study on stress statistics published by the American Psychological Association back in 2014. The numbers from even five years ago are sobering.

77% of people regularly experience physical symptoms caused by stress. 
73% regularly experience psychological symptoms caused by stress. 
48% feel their stress has increased over the past five years. 
And 48% reported lying awake at night due to stress. 

My guess is that things haven’t gotten better in these...