This article advises businesses how to relate to employees with mental illness in their families. There is so much common grace in this article that it actually puts some Christians and churches to shame. Pastors and other church leaders could really benefit from reading this and doing it. The main points are:

1. There are real costs associated with employees having to carry this heavy weight of worry and responsibility,

2. Mind your attitude

3. Watch your words

4. Model behavior

5. Change the culture

1. Accept praise, but never believe it totally. 

2. Listen to your best friend.

3. Reflect on your shortcomings.

Read more here.

According to the University of California the average American consumes 34 GB of data a day including 100,000 words of information.

How many of these bytes or words sanctify us?

Read the rest and view the graphics here.

One of the hardest words for pastors to say is “No.”

“Will you join this committee?” “Can you write this article?” “Will you visit this person?” We think “no” but “yes” is what comes out.

“Pastor, should I marry this person?” “Pastor, should I take this job?” “Pastor, do you think I can preach?” We start saying the letter “n” but somehow end up saying “nyes.”

Here is some good advice on how to say “No.” In summary:

• Use a neutral no
• Be consistent
• Explain the real reason you’re saying no
• Don’t give false hope
• Avoid a battlefront attitude
• Know your triggers
• Practice staying with no

Tom Davenport argues that no one cares about information overload any more. And the main reason he gives is that we undervalue our most important resource – our attention.

We open junk mail, we watch junk television, we read junk email. It would take investment of attention to save our attention, and most people just aren’t willing to invest.