Becoming Brighter: Christian Life Coaching with Tara Wiley

Excited to dig into my friend Sara’s newly released book. If you love the Church (despite her brokenness) and want to be part of equipping Jesus followers to live on mission - this book is for you!

A couple of years ago, Mo and I sat in a large room in the Kansas State student union with several hundred alumni. All around us were individuals whose leadership collectively reached thousands all over the world. What did they all have in common? Experiencing the influence and humble leadership of Bob Anderson.

If you are hungry to live a life of meaning and impact as a follower of Jesus, this podcast is for you. If you think leadership is about celebrity, platform building, and a specific personality type, and that narrow definition disqualifies you, this podcast is for you. If you are weary and wonder how anyone can persistently be fruitful as a Christ-follower for decades, lean in and listen. The answer is profoundly simple (not easy, but simple) and accessible to you today.

This is the first half of my conversation with Bob (you can also find it on Spotify). I can’t wait for next week!

‎Staying Power: Staying Power with Bob Anderson on Apple Podcasts ‎Show Staying Power, Ep Staying Power with Bob Anderson - Jan 29, 2024

We’re so in awe of God’s latest blessing to our family, our grandson Oaks David Wiley born December 26, 8 lbs 3 oz and 21 inches of perfect joy. Heili and Ethan are settling into parenthood with amazing ease and we are breathless with gratitude to be here for this season… to have witnessed Oaks’ first hours… to worship beside him on Sundays and enjoy snuggles and coffees with his parents on random weekdays. What a precious gift.

“they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.“
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭61‬:‭3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

is an account I just discovered and resonate deeply with (these are her images and quotes). I’m a goal-oriented go-getter by nature and I honestly struggle at times to discipline myself to slow down. At the same time, my body craves rhythms that are slower than our culture’s intense pace. It’s an interesting internal tug and pull, and requires me to get still with the Spirit to discern when I’m to run hard and when I’m to pull back. Several years ago, a spiritual director recommended to me that perhaps January was better suited to resting and reflecting than a gunshot-sprint start. That, friends, is wise advice for many of us. So this January, I am busily working to make my fixer upper house a home, but I am intentionally slowing my inner desire to get going on the next season of ministry and giving space for God’s instruction as I reflect and pray. I am beginning to catch glimmers and my soul is on fire with new passion - yet I will continue to embrace slow until He says otherwise.

What is your January shaping up to be? Are there places where you can graciously invite an internal and external rhythm that better reflects the winter season we are in?

This is the heart of lasting life change as a child of God. When our thoughts are in line with His truth, we are set free, and it’s not an exaggeration to say that this begins a transformation that shows up in every arena of our lives. Capture the lies you let live in your head, replace them with His truth, and watch what happens next.

I’ve read through the Bible over the course of a year for several decades now, and done a speed-read like this once before. The fruit of the speed read is different but incredibly beneficial. It’s a deep, holy reset where you see arching themes and the thread of God’s character and love throughout history in a way you’ve maybe never noticed before. Want to join me?

Yes, I want to read the Bible in 90 days! Reading the Bible in 90 days is absolutely possible, but it's made more powerful and attainable alongside others in community. Sign up here to be included in the 90 Day Challenge starting January 2024.

I just finished my annual rereading of the year’s journals. 2023 has been a year of intense tumult and change - for the world, for me… perhaps for you, too? It was almost too difficult to read all at once. And yet I always find this to be a fruitful exercise: to celebrate the highlights. To honor the losses. To practice gratitude. To seal deep lessons learned. To invite a wondering of how this year’s experiences could bear fruit in next year.

It will take some time to fully process 2023. That’s okay. I’m learning to embrace and enjoy the journey even when the destination is still a hazy outline on the horizon.

If 2023 was hard for you, too, here’s an invitation: don’t rush into New Year’s Resolutions and productivity targets and larger than life goals. Perhaps some or even all of January could serve as a simmering of the pot of all the memories and experiences into a deep, rich stew to nourish you before the next season’s demands ask you to pour out new energy.

Be kind to your weary souls, dear friends. This life has time for you to treasure and ponder, reflect and deepen. Not to stay stuck, but to grow. This rest IS productive work. 💞

Ch-ch-ch-changes!! What are your healthy tips for seasons of change? How do you cope when life is more stressful than usual? And - a Staying Power podcast update!

Such a great conversation with Tyler and Callie - a peek into the lives of two busy missionaries who offer wisdom we can all apply to our own lives and leadership! Link in bio. (Note: this episode is currently on Spotify, and will hopefully show up on Apple Podcasts soon. I’ve had all sorts of tech issues this time!)

A unique Christian meditation practice: When I was an elementary school educator many years ago, my students would practice their spelling words using rainbow writing: after writing their words neatly on the page, they would then trace over those words repeatedly with different colors. We know repetition is a critical component to mastery - why not make it colorful too?

One of the greatest struggles of modern day life is being able to focus for more than a few seconds at a time. We have trained our brains to quickly process information with one new square on our screen every few seconds. Retraining our brains to slow down and deeply absorb the truth of God‘s word can feel like a monumental task! Engaging as many of our senses in the experience as we can will exponentially increase our capacity for focus and concentration. So get a little creative today: take the scripture or the prayer that you are wanting to sit with the Lord with and write it down. Then pull out your favorite pens or markers, and ever so slowly trace the words, inviting the Spirit of God to move across the page and into your mind and heart as you offer each word as prayer once more.

And if you try this out - send me a DM of your artwork! I want to celebrate it with you. 🥰

It started off as a stress-relieving creative endeavor… and morphed into this larger than life desire for everyone I know to have not just good recipes, but the setup for success from mindset to shopping list to make ahead prep and hour by hour to-do’s for Turkey Day (one of which includes “Engage in raging debates over politics and religion with relatives you see twice a year - whatever brings you joy.” 😂) I’m silly-excited to share this over at my Etsy shop! Link in bio and stories! Thanks for your editing help!

Is that dream of yours EVER going to become reality? If you’re needing a fresh dose of hope, listen in. You’ll be so encouraged by Desree’s story and wisdom. Links in IG bio to Spotify, Apple, and now YouTube (be kind! I wasn’t originally planning to share the YouTube version of the podcast quite yet, but a smart friend said to take the leap so here we go!)