What Finnish Kindergarteners Know About Joy
As the father of 5 and 3-year old boys and a co-developer for Thrive Training, I wondered what would change in the world if every child went to school and discovered joy. “What if teachers used joy and play to educate our sons?” I then asked my wife. Jim Wilder sent me a recent article […]
What does it mean to "Share Joy"
At the core of Thrive, a week-long, immersive training experience are 19 essential relational skills. The first one you’ll learn about is called “Share Joy.” How do we know when we’re sharing joy? When Facial expressions and voice tones amplify, “We’re glad to be together!” Signs of Joy Facial expressions. Change in body language. Positive verbal […]
Connexus Super Deal!
The world doesn’t need more churches. It needs the body of Christ to spread his joy around the world. Connexus will teach your congregation to experience and spread the joy of the gospel. This 24 week program combines scripture, spiritual formation and science to convert your congregation into a force for transformation. Struggling to experience […]
Huffington Post Story on Appreciation and Gratitude
Recently, the Huffington Post blog reported a story on how key Life Model Works skills, Gratitude, were central to the success of a growing startup. You can read the whole story in their story Driving a Culture of Candor in Business (And How My Therapist Helped) here. If we lost that, I thought, we were sunk. […]
How God Refines Us and Makes us More Capable
When I was young, I wanted to be able to spring instantly into being good at the things I knew I had some talent. But I didn’t want to do the painful learning process, the trial and error required. It was a classic symptom of what Life Model Works calls “Trauma A”. I did not […]
Sharing the Life Model Skills (and how it brought me even more joy)
This is a story from Chris, a missionary in South America. He shares how he used the skills and training he learned through the Life Model to empower others to find joy and make a difference. I have been involved with pastors and leaders in Latin America for over 30 years. I met Jim Wilder about […]
Tuesday: Sexual Addiction Roundtable with Darrell Brazell
It seems that every day we wake up to hear of new scandal surrounding sexual addiction. Why is this epidemic taking over our world? How can we use joy and maturity to help us combat these temptations? Join Pastor Darrell Brazell on September 29nd at 12 pm CST for a Roundtable discussion about this crucial topic. Register Here! […]
Vote Now: What Should We Name Our Next Book
Dr. Jim Wilder and Marcus Warner have written an new book which will be published by Moody Publishers and launched at our Annual Gathering in April 2016! This book is written for Senior Pastors, as well as other leaders, especially in the business world. In order to find the perfect name, we need your help! Think […]
Six Ways to Kick Fear to the Curb
Joy is the ultimate fuel for your brain. You are designed to run on joy. Your brain was built to experience joy as it’s life-giving substance. Having “glad to be with you” experiences is the high-octane fuel that provides the smoothest ride for your life. However, without joy, the brain uses a different fuel. This […]
Drowning Relationally? There's a Lifeboat In-Between Your Ears!
Imagine you are on a ship at sea when, suddenly, piercing sirens jolt you. A blaring voice over the loud speaker announces there is an emergency. Directions ensue: Passengers must quickly reach the deck for a life-saving exit strategy. Lifeboats are available to save you from the demise of the damaged vessel. Would you want […]
Fostering or Adopting? Learn How To Raise Joyful Kids!
Several years ago, I heard Dr. Jim Wilder explain that even an infant who is adopted at birth will have life-long attachment pain for its birth mother. During the nine months in utero, children attach to their mother. They hear the mother’s heartbeat, sensing her rhythms, and feel her emotions. They share more with mom […]
Maturity: The Key to Joyful Missionaries
This story describes how two missionaries in Estonia have used The Life Model Works resources. When we moved to serve as missionaries in Estonia in 2012, we had little idea what we wanted to do beyond helping those who are emotionally wounded and bankrupt. With no clue how to do that, we began serving in a local […]
Tuesday: The Joy of Education Roundtable Discussion
Tuesday, we’ll continue our discussion of how to go back to school with joy! “School” at least, how we do it today, isn’t for everyone. But education should be. Join us Tuesday, August 18 at Noon PST for Education: The Art of Bringing Up Children of Any Age, a Roundtable discussion with Dr. Bill St. Cyr, Executive Director of […]
TODAY: Help Write Our Next Book
We have all seen how leadership can make or break a great organization. What makes a leader great? What makes a leader particularly Jesus-like? How can a leader avoid burnout, or worse? We believe the key lies in leaders’s relational skills. Life Model Works’ Dr. Jim Wilderand Marcus Warner of Deeper Walk Ministries are writing a book on […]
How You Can Help Spread Joy in Korea
The Life Model is being applied to help people—literally, around the world—live a joyful, thriving life! One of our joys is to travel the world helping teach relational brain skills in a variety of settings. This September, Jim and Kitty Wilder will be traveling around Korea for a number of exciting opportunities. Their first stop […]
How To Go Back to School with Joy!
Days of laying out by the pool, lazy vacations and fresh watermelon will soon come to an end. The Fall is a bittersweet moment for parents and teachers. Kids are thrilled to reconnect with friends. Families are excited to get back into the rhythms of the school year. For many kids, school is not a […]
Dr. Karl Lehman Addresses "How long does it take to get healed?"
The following comes from Dr. Karl Lehman’s upcoming Immanuel Approach. He addresses the question “How long does it take to get healed” in his Frequently Asked Questions. You can read more here. The short answer is that this can be tremendously variable between different people with different healing agenda. A person with a phobia of driving […]
Resurrection: What it Feels Like Know God is With You
In my last post, Jesus Loves All of You, I wrote about the incarnation, about Jesus meeting us in every aspect of our humanity. Today I write about the resurrection. Revelation 1:12-18 presents us with a vision of the radiant, resurrected Jesus: I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And […]
Today: How to Be a Joy-filled Parent
As a parent, you want to give your children everything. You work hard to make everyday great. No matter how hard you try, you can’t ensure that everything will be perfect. But you can fill each day with joy! Learn how at today’s Roundtable Joystream featuring Barbara Moon, the author of “Handbook to Joy-Filled Parenting.” Barbara […]
Oxytocin and Human Connection
The brain science behind human connection is getting a lot of attention lately, from the Huffington Post, to the stage at the TED conference to this recent piece in Christianity Today magazine. In “The Shalom of Neurochemistry” counselor Krispin Mayfield describes his experience leading a men’s recovery group. He describes how some brains are less capable […]