Leaders are Followers, Too

by Karen Porter in Leading Hearts

It is important for each of us to be followers of the Good Shepherd because who we follow will determine how we lead.

WHEN I WAS TOURING ISRAEL, THE GUIDE STOPPED NEAR A FIELD OF GRAZING SHEEP. HE SAID, “I WANT TO SHOW YOU SOMETHING THAT WILL MAKE A SECTION OF YOUR BIBLE COME ALIVE.”

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Sharpen Your Writing Skills and More

by KAREN WHITING in Leading Hearts magazine

I IMPROVE WHEN I LISTEN AND APPLY THE WISDOM OF OTHERS. This includes God, my peers, mentors, friends and loved ones.

It’s been especially important in my writing and speaking to let others help me sharpen my skills and keep me accountable in my walk. It’s putting “iron sharpens iron” into practice.

Schedule times to be together and set time limits. Come prepared with what you want to share or ask. Be ready to listen to each person’s needs.

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Stop Stabbing, Start Sharpening

by Edie Melson in Leading Hearts magazine

IN SOCIAL MEDIA TERMS, IT’S A VOLATILE WORLD OUT THERE.

So often, what’s posted online seems more focused on stabbing and wounding than on encouraging and sharpening. Part of that is due to the medium.

Almost 100 percent of the time, online interaction lacks the warmth of a real-time, human connection. It’s an impersonal — anonymous — medium. While we may call those we connect with “friends,” many of them are just faceless names.

When we’re speaking online, it’s far too easy to be so focused on what we want to share that we forget the individual — hurting — hearts of those we’re communicating with.

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Living from the Truth of Who God Is

by Grace Fox in Leading Hearts Magazine

“What do I know?” I asked myself when the thought of writing for publication was a mere seedling. Then it dawned — I knew the importance of living from the truth of who God is.

Gaining that knowledge came with a steep learning curve. It began in a Nepalese village where I spent the first two years of my marriage. My husband, Gene, worked as a civil engineer on a hydroelectric power project, and I taught basic health care. Electricity and indoor plumbing didn’t exist in our wee mud and rock dwelling.

Unfortunately, spiders, scorpions and snakes did. So did culture shock and fear — specifically the fear of death by tropical diseases and receiving unwanted visitations by aforesaid critters.

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