Nancy Reece

Leading from a reservoir of calm

Faith, Hope and Love

The Trophy or The Towel: 5 Keys to Servant Leadership

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5 Keys to Servant Leadership

Are you reaching for the trophy or the towel? A checklist for Christian business or ministry leaders that examines 5 keys to servant leadership.

I used to reach for trophies.  I set goals that included promotions, awards, recognitions, and things designed to advance my career.  Today I have a much deeper desire to pour into others through mentoring, coaching and discipling.    I call it reaching for the towel, and it’s an important question for the Christian business or ministry leader.  Jesus didn’t reach for trophies. He reached for a towel to wash his disciples’ feet. He modeled servant leadership.

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Avoiding Soul Insanity

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Monday, October 29th found me in Nyack, NY waiting for the arrival of Hurricane Sandy.  As the day went on, the wind picked up, the chimney in the old brick house I was in along the Hudson River rumbled, and the trees swayed.  Power went off twice that afternoon and each time came back on within 20 minutes.  At 6 pm the power went off – the wind started screaming and howling, the trees bent to the ground, and Sandy was here.  I taught the group in a circle of candlelight.  When a power substation or transformer would blow, we’d watch through the windows as blue balls of flame and light illuminated the dark and stormy skies.  [Read more…] about Avoiding Soul Insanity

Tough Sloggins

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Years ago, my husband and I spent 3 weeks canoeing in Canada’s Quetico Park.  There were 5 of us, and we portaged 24 miles and paddled 150.  We went in to the park before it officially opened, so the ice had just melted.  It rained constantly for the first 10 days.  I would wake up each the morning, praying for sun.  By day five, the only way to cook supper was with our little cook stove since it was too wet to start a campfire.  On day eight, we arrived at a portage called Tough Sloggins.  In normal condition, it was a path of muck and goo that made the portage difficult.  With all the rain, we paddled through the portage, found a beaver slide to ride the canoes on, and went on our merry way. [Read more…] about Tough Sloggins

How to Turn Stress into Rest

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“The absence of quiet in a man or woman’s  life leads to a state of soul insanity.” -Dan Webster

Since integrity is doing what you say you will do, and because  my core value is faith, I believe in the value of rest and quiet.  So in our home, Sunday is a protected day of rest.  I don’t fire up the computer from work and check email or work on projects no matter how overwhelmed I may feel. [Read more…] about How to Turn Stress into Rest