An invitation to join Tom Horvath and the Wisdom Academy ministry on a journey to explore how to live an integrated life
It was supposed to be different this time. You planned the summer to be a time of refreshment and connectedness. You limited what the kids were involved in, the family vacation was planned with a purpose, and your spouse actually said “no” to some seemingly important work trips. But, only several days into the summer, it felt like all of the ones before it. You found yourself stressed out with last minute plans, kids needing to be in two places at once, growing work demands, no room for date nights, and the all-too-familiar whirlwind started to sweep up your best intentions. This time, however, your disappointment hurt even more when you realized that you had failed despite all attempts to bring balance into your life.
If this sounds familiar, you are not alone.
Striving to achieve a “work-life balance” seems like an admirable undertaking, and many are in hot pursuit of it. There is a common belief that achieving this elusive “balance” holds the key to a healthy, harmonious, fulfilled and happy life. This belief is fueled by numerous self-help books, leadership seminars, and articles offering just the right step-by-step guide of how to get there.
The wisdom of this world tells us we need a work-life balance, but fails to identify what it means, leaving many well-intentioned people, Christians included, working hard toward an unattainable and unidentifiable goal.
Tom Horvath can relate. A couple of decades ago he, too, was trying to attain balance in life. Tom shares, “Instead of things getting better and easier, I felt like I was carefully walking a tightrope stretched between work and life, where with each step, you become more unsure and unstable because you don’t want to fall off. My life felt like a constant tug-of-war, full of tension.”
Tom suggests that it’s not balance, but rather “an integrated life” that most of us want. “An integrated life means that you are combining or coordinating different elements to provide some type of harmonious or interrelated whole, where everything in life has its part.” He further points out that it looks different for everyone, based on our individual or family goals, ambitions, values and passions.
Tom is husband to Janet, father to Jordan and Jono, a leadership development consultant, and Northland elder. He is passionate about teaching people how to live integrated lives by applying godly wisdom and biblical principles.
Please join Tom and the Wisdom Academy ministry on Saturday, August 25, 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. at Northland for the introduction and overview of the “Chasing Wisdom with an Integrated Life” course, where you will:
· Learn the dichotomy of work-life balance and where it originated
· Discern the difference between a balanced life and an integrated life
· Reflect on whether Jesus lived a balanced life or an integrated life
· Examine the elements of an integrated life and how you can begin the journey to define your integrated life
The course will meet for four additional sessions at Northland on Saturdays: September 8, 15, 22 and 29. All sessions run from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. We will search ourselves and Scripture to explore worldviews, personal purpose, and the resulting actions that can lead to living an integrated life. Register for free here.
The Wisdom Academy is a ministry that exists to ignite a transformation in business people everywhere to serve as wise leaders, successfully blending biblical and business principles in the workplace for the glory of Christ and for good business. For more information on the ministry and the resources it offers, visit: northlandchurch.net/wisdomacademy or email: wisdomacademy@northlandchurch.net.