Living Power Life Coaching

When You Need Time, Energy, and a Little Perspective

2012-05-24T17:58:00.004-07:00

In the last post I shared some ways to make a mission statement that paints a picture of you (and your family) at your best. On our Moms Together page that day, hundreds of women loved the idea, but were overwhelmed by two thoughts:

I don't have time to work on something like that.
How would I use it? I mean really use it, like when my kid's melting down, my bills come up short, and I'm too tired to even talk to my husband at the end of the day?

Which got me thinking. "How DO I use it? Is it simply an academic exercise? Or does it have real, rubber-meets-the-road value?"

I pulled it out and re-read my mission statement (made with the letters of my last name):

W - Wear (and wield) the armor of God
A - Add joy where we are
L - Listen to God and others
L - Love God and others
I - Invest our gifts
N - help the Needy

As I read, images - dozens of them - flashed through my mind. Moments where this group of ideas kept me going, boosted morale, inspired and pressed me forward. Here are a few.

Ways to use your mission statement in real-life:

To get grounded. When confidence is shaken, thinking about what I know is true and who I am at my best (a.k.a. the mission statement), helps me find confidence and worth when my kids act out, life feels thankless, or situations press me to the limit.
To find peace. Life can get pretty brutal on us. There's a good reason for that. John Eldredge reminds us, "Until we come to terms with war as the context of our days we will not understand life. We will misinterpret 90 percent of what is happening around us and to us" (Waking the Dead, 2003). Remembering the W of my mission statement refocuses me when things get tough or confusing.
To have patience. When my potty-training toddler wildly melts down as I get to the checkout line with a cart full of groceries, I repeat the first L in my mission statement. I breathe it deep, in and out. It centers me to love my kids when I'm tempted to get frustrated and angry.
To know God better. The longer I've had this set of statements floating in my head, the more I notice connections with scripture, and the more I admire and recognize the ways God lives them beautifully, perfectly.
To pray more intentionally. As I find joy and freedom in having this picture of life at it's best for me, I want that more and more for others. I pray for them to discover the best of who they are, to know God's heart and calling for them. It makes prayers ardent, focused and intentional.
To have energy. If it's 3-4 p.m., I need coffee. Every day. (Probably only slightly connected to having my own business and managing 4 kids, a house, a dog, two cats, and Mount Laundry....) As it's brewing, I breathe in the percolating aroma with the vision of who God sees in me. I linger over each point in the mission statement, hold it, thank God for helping me live it, and I'm energized again.

And that was after thinking about it only a few minutes! There are so many moments when that sense of focus makes life simpler, calmer, more energetic and inspired.

Do you have a mission statement? If not, I'd encourage you to spend a few moments to consider what yours might be - who you are when you're at your best - so you can have a clear picture to look at when life makes you wonder.

Blessings,

- Laurie

P. S. I help people every day to recognize and pursue who they are at their best - to catch God's vision for them. I'd love to partner with you too! Email me to find out more about individual or group coaching to see if it's a good fit for what you need today.

(Photo Source)

Feeling Lost? {Steps to Clarify Your Family's Mission}

2012-05-21T14:58:00.000-07:00

I squealed delightedly as we drove out of our neighborhood. Kids and bags packed in the van, I grinned at my husband who I'd just kidnapped from work. What a transformation from an hour ago! The I-can't-take-it-anymore-mommy-meltdown-of-the-week! In my tailspin, a single thought changed it all: our family's at it's best when we're traveling.

Five minutes and a visit to Priceline later, visions of a pool, jacuzzi and break from the craziness got the kids and I on the same page again for the first time in days. We knew where we were going again, and it wasn't just to a hotel 5 miles away.

"Without vision the people perish." - Proverbs 29:18

Our little jaunt wasn't just for a break (though that part was really nice!) It was to honor something we all have in common. We love to play and have adventures. Sometimes they cost money, most times they don't. Every time they focus us outside our disputes and onto problem-solving, learning and exploring together.... all things we value in our family.

Adventure is so important it's part of our family mission statement. Have you got a mission statement for yourself or your family? If not, how do you know if your family's doing what matters most to them, or what makes them great?

Making a Family Mission Statement

Make it clear. What 5-7 traits, abilities, or virtues mean most to you? Who's input do you need to make this list? Spend a week noticing the answer to this question in all the situations you face at home, work, church, in the community and write them down.
Make it active. When you're at your best, what does each value look like? Write a statement to show that. For honesty, perhaps you'd write "I speak the truth in love." For courage, maybe "I trust God when I'm afraid." Keeping it brief makes it memorable (notice the structure of the 10 Commandments?) So keep sentences active, positive and to the point.
Make it memorable. A mission statement you can't remember is one you're not living. Once you've got those statements for each value, arrange them somehow you and your family can recite easily. Set them to a familiar song, make an acrostic (we did that with our last name, W-A-L-L-I-N). If you're an artsy family, create something with each statement - maybe draw each value statement as a petal on a flower.
Make it official. Have each family member sign it and log the date. Lift it to the Lord in prayer, for His help in living it out. Have a special family dinner to celebrate what you created, and all it reveals about who you are at your best together.
Make it common language. Put it up someplace in the house where people will see it. Make a photocopy for each family member to have in their room. Pick one facet of it each month and decide how you'll make it the focus of your interactions with each other, with God or in the community.

Whatever you do, celebrate this process. The simple act of creating a mission statement reveals how much life and your family mean to you. Enjoy making it uniquely yours, whether that means a one-sentence statement listing your 5 most important values, or a colorful decoupage delight. It's yours, it's you at your best, and it gives you a ready answer to the question:

"How am I going to live today in order to create the tomorrow I’m committed to?" – Anthony Robbins

- Laurie

Overcoming Your Inner Critic as a Parent

2012-05-17T15:56:00.000-07:00

How would you describe your inner critic? Tall and imposing? Outwardly sweet, but dripping with judgment? Adventurous and brave, and taunting you about your careful, steady life?

In today's post, my friend Jennifer shares about hers, found in the inner struggle that's so familiar for any of us raising children with special needs. In it, she discovers a great tool to overcome the inner critics we all face: practical, complete acceptance.

~~~~~~~~

“Is it time to go to the party yet? Is the party today?” she asked again. From the moment she'd received the invitation to the birthday party, my daughter was excited and ready to go.

Days later, party day arrived. She was still ready, excited.

Then we got there. The darkened bowling alley with the glowing black lights, flashing disco balls, and music videos playing (a.k.a. sensory overload in the making).

"You may need the ramp to bowl effectively," I offered.

She refused. "What will they think if I use it?" she asked, "I'll seem different." She tried to bowl without it, but after just two turns, she was exhausted. So I got a ramp and helped her remember how to use it. I knew that was hard for her. I worried how she'd handle it.

Then it was time for pizza and cake. I took her specially prepared homemade food to the table, where she had chosen to sit at the end by herself. She wasn’t talking to the other kids, including her friends from church.

When she wouldn’t even respond to the birthday girl’s parents, my heart broke.

"It seems like she's struggling. Is she okay?" they asked kindly. "If you need to leave, it's okay. Do whatever is best for her," they offered. I wasn't sure yet, so I decided to wait it out. She wasn’t falling apart (yet), just withdrawn.

After the kids ate, the birthday girl opened her gifts. Each child had her picture made with the birthday girl, except mine. She didn’t want her picture made. I didn’t push her, but I was sad she was missing out.

Then something amazing happened. We went back to bowling, and some of the other kids began moving the ramp into place for my daughter’s turn before I could get there. They saw another child struggling and began helping her learn how to use the ramp too.

About twenty minutes before the party ended, my daughter began interacting with the birthday girl and her parents. She responded when spoken to and made a few comments on her own.

Even still, I felt like I needed to apologize to the birthday girl's family. So as we left, I did.

“It’s no problem," they responded. "We just want her to feel comfortable.”

Once we got to the car, my daughter blurted, “That was the best birthday party ever!” I could hardly believe it.

What an emotional day for me! What a roller coaster of emotions from despair to frustration to elation. As I reflected on the day I realized I was the one who got the most upset. I struggled inside with a whole whirlwind of thoughts. The others at the party took my daughter’s behavior in stride, accepted her for who she is and what she was capable of giving at that moment, and moved on.

Then it hit me. In that acceptance and moving forward, they made the day a good one---for my daughter and for me.

I thought about all of the expectations I place on myself and my children, my husband. I realized how much easier life could be if I would accept myself and those around me for who they are and what they’re capable of giving that day, and then move on.

Should we give up on improving ourselves, expecting a little more, change? Absolutely not. But we should be accepting of the fact that it won’t happen in a single day and cut each other---and ourselves---some slack.

It’s time for some of that at my house!

About Jennifer Janes
Jennifer lives in Arkansas with her husband of ten years, two beautiful daughters, two cats, and two pet mice. Her younger daughter’s special needs have made her life more of an adventure than she ever anticipated, but she’s finally learning to relax and “embrace the crazy.” Jennifer blogs at Jennifer A. Janes and is a regular contributor at The Homeschool Village and the Home Educating Family blog. She spoke with Heather Laurie about special needs homeschooling at The 2:1 Conference in April this year.

~~~~~~

I love how Jennifer captured this moment where acceptance silenced the frustrations and helped her enjoy the good in herself and her daughter. Like she said, acceptance doesn't mean we can't or shouldn't grow and change. It means we understand this truth and can live boldly in it:

“Everyone who got to where they are had to begin where they were.” ― Richard Paul Evans

It's tough enough to be a parent without the constant inner battle with the voice of "You're doing it wrong!" If that's you today, I'd love to invite you to my new coaching group online. Come join others who are working to overcome that inner critic, and find and follow their God-given dreams in work, family and relationships!

Take Flight: Find and Follow God's Dreams for You.

This online coaching group starts Monday May 21. Click here for info. Or email me to find out more. Hope to see you there!

-Laurie

7 Ways to Get Rid of Your Inner Critic

2012-05-14T14:40:00.002-07:00

"Laurie, you were a little harsh to your husband just now," she says as she pulls me quietly aside.

"I was?" I feign innocence (when really my frustration wished I'd been a lot more harsh just then).

I receive the words anyway, stow them away, recognize their truth. I apologize to my husband and move on.

At least I think I do. Moments later, when a whole forest of self-criticism seems to have sprouted from that one well-intentioned critique, I'm shocked. No sunshine pouring through on me anymore. Just the dark growing cold of condemning thoughts:

"What a jerk!"
"And you coach other women on how to improve their marriages. You fraud!"
"You don't deserve his forgiveness."
"You should just go eat that 3rd handful of Cheez-its. You're a failure anyway."

It's complete rubbish, I tell you. This inner critic and it's hurtful agenda.

Even though my critic is fighting tooth and nail as I write this ("Whatever, Laurie. Nobody else has this problem! You wimp.") I'm going to just say it anyway:

You've got one too. A critic inside, crouched and ready to strike at your first mistake or sign of weakness.

Ready to get it off your back?

Next time your inner critic slinks up to you, try one of these:

"Thank you." Sometimes our critic is right - we've made a mistake or we're making choices that aren't good for us. In those cases, when your critic says "It's not cool to yell at your kids like that," tell it thank you for the help, change your behavior, and leave it at that.
"My dad is bigger than your dad!" When you've done #1 above and the critic doesn't listen, remind it that it's welcome to hang around, but it might get beat up if it does, since you're a child of the King and you've got grace on your side.
"What do you really need?" Is this a HALT moment (hungry, angry, lonely or tired)? A reader on my Facebook page just shared today that her critic was much calmer after she got a good night's sleep. Meet the need and you might be surprised how quiet that voice gets!
"Time to get a REAL job!" Focus that critical energy on what deserves it: injustice in the world and the enemy's ploys at getting people to hurt themselves instead of live fully. Pray hard and confident against those issues.
"Use your nice words please." Any mom can relate to this one! Reminding our thoughts to think about "what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise" (Philippians 4:8).
"That's nice, but the truth is (fill in the blank)." The truth sets us free - even if it's a tough truth. When you feel guilty, that's your cue the inner critic needs a reality check. Whether it's a verse, favorite quote, or something you've learned in life, answer the critic with the truth.
"I've got issues with YOU too." Hey, it's only fair right? Take a moment and tell that inner voice exactly what you think of it and how sad, horrible and useless it is when it's dragging you down. If it's constantly coming up in certain situations, write your rant on paper and invite God to help you give that voice the boot.

Whatever you say to that critical voice the next time it arrives, don't let it have free reign. You've got dreams to follow, a life to live, and you're worth so much more than that!

-Laurie

Need more support to get that inner critic quiet so you can live strong and follow your dreams? Come join us!

New online coaching group --> Take Flight: Find and Follow God's Dreams for You! It starts Monday May 21. Register by 5/15 for the 30% discount. Click here for info.

Why Your Breakthrough Is Closer Than You Think

2012-05-10T16:51:00.001-07:00

Need a breakthrough today?

Oh friend, I hear you there! We all long in some way for that change, that shift, that important discovery or that pressing through years of struggle with some challenge.

I have good news for you: Your breakthrough is a lot closer than you think.

The dictionary defines breakthrough three ways:

Overcoming or penetrating an obstacle or restriction.
A military offensive that penetrates an enemy's lines of defense.
Making an important discovery that changes an industry, technology or mindset.

It's the first one most of us are hoping, struggling, praying and working for. It's not always something we can control, and the waiting can eat away at us, leaving us feeling helpless and frustrated.

It's the second and third definitions, however, that are the key to the breakthrough you really want.

How is this possible?

The military offensive:

"The story of your life is the story of the long and brutal assault on your heart by the one who knows what you could be and fears it." - John Eldredge (Waking the Dead, Thomas Nelson, 2003)

You are in a battle. Your life is precious and you are amazingly gifted in ways you may not even know yet (if you don't believe me, read here and here). Wars aren't won in a single battle. And they aren't won by hoping either. They're won by consistent attack and defense. That happens by wisdom and prayer, my friend. The kind of prayer that stands in the power of God and breaks through the enemy's lies and schemes in our lives and the lives of those we love. Make the book of Ephesians your next reading assignment. The more you know from that book, the more equipped you'll be to partner with God in breakthrough prayer - today - for the issues where you need it most.

The important discovery:

"All personal breakthroughs begin with a change in beliefs." - Tony Robbins

In other words, the distance between you and your breakthrough is the distance between two neurons in your own mind. We may not be able to change a long-standing struggle with a child, but we can change how we think about it. We might not be able to break through a setback or marriage challenge tomorrow, but we can choose how we'll believe God in those situations. "As a man thinks in his heart, so he is," it says in scripture. Do you believe that today? Because that's one place your breakthrough is perched ready to happen - ready whenever you are.

The surprising truth:

The breakthrough is in you. Right now.

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us." - 2 Peter 1:3

You can break through the enemy's schemes as you stand in prayer against the challenges you've been facing. You can break through the hurts of others with your courage, care and support. You can choose to believe God when the situation looks dire. You can move forward in some way - however small today - and in your faithfulness, move your whole life forward just one more step.

Will you walk in that truth today?

-Laurie

(photo source)

3 Secrets To Fill Those Old Hurts With Joy

2012-05-07T15:04:00.000-07:00

I have this scar on my calf from a college cycling accident. Neat row of puncture marks where gears pierced my leg when his truck grazed me. He hadn't seen me. He wasn't trying to hurt me. But he did, and fifteen years later I still feel the punctures, see their effects. On cold days, they ache a little, and I've had to learn how to work through the stiffness.

I have this scar on my heart too. Puncture from years raising a child bounced home to home from her first months. Who landed in my home at 2 years old, but whose heart never stopped bouncing. Every bounce - every tough behavior and personal attack - breaking pieces off mine. She doesn't notice. She isn't trying to hurt me. But it hurts. And I'm still learning how to stretch through that pain.

Perhaps you can relate? Maybe not to an adopted foster child and their challenges, but perhaps to another wound that just keeps aching.... again and again?

"He lost his job... again."
"She belittled me in front of someone... again."
"They rejected my book proposal... again."

What is your "again" hurt? Is it with a neighbor? A family member? An employer? Someone at your church? A choice you've made yourself?

Are you ready to find ways to stretch through that pain, like you'd learn to do with a physical injury? Here are some tools to do just that:

Lean into gratitude.

Stretch into the pain with an offensive instead of defensive heart. I'll often head straight into a visit with my daughter thanking God for everything I see, all that went well that day, everything He helped me through since waking. Friends, the list gets LONG when we let ourselves go there instead of the wallowing. When we focus on the pain, the ache grows. When we thank our way through the pain, we have the help we need.

Pray from your strengths.

Recurring pain requires fresh prayer. None of these "Dear God, please bless me today, and {insert laundry list of action items here}." Pray from your passion. Let the Spirit intercede for you with heart prayers too deep for your words to conjure. Pray from your strengths. If you're a get it done person, pray decisive, active prayers based on God's promises. If you're a person who inspires others, praise God and pray for life's circumstances to praise Him too. If you're a relater, talk to God about your heart and share like you would with a friend at a coffee shop. If you're strategic and analytical, listen in prayer and find out God's strategy for that pain - and pray right along those lines.

Stretch your understanding.

If you tend to read through the Bible in a year, choose a topical or word study instead. Read all the prophetic books. Get a Bible that is organized chronologically instead of traditionally, or pick up the Harmony of the Gospels (that transposes all 4 gospels into a single narrative). Change the way you read about and it will change the way you know God. For me, reading different meant not reading at all, but listening to it instead. All year I've been listening through the Bible in a year. It's made God and his promises so much more vivid for me, especially those that strengthen me in these old wound areas.

When we're wounded physically, any physical therapist would tell you to practice the exercises and be patient with the healing process. Any physical therapist dealing with someone with chronic pain or recurrent injury would add this: set realistic goals. For chronic pain, it's less about healing, and more about symptom management and quality of life.

These wounds that recur - these long battles that hurt again and again - require that we re-learn what living is. That we can in fact live in the pain and grief with the same joy (and probably even more!) than we'd have without it. After all, if we believe God's word at all, we know He made us, He loves us, His plans for us are good and beneficial, and all things work toward good as we live for Him.

Stretch, lean and press into these tools in your "again" wounds. You might be surprised what joy will come of it!

- Laurie

(Photo Source)

When Your Dream Feels Insignificant

2012-05-03T14:06:00.002-07:00

When you hear the term "God-sized dream," what comes to mind?

How big is it?
How many lives does it effect?
Is it at home or far across the globe?

What if the dream in your heart today is already a God-sized dream? It may be big, bold, and far-reaching in ways people recognize.... or it might be quietly big, bold and far-reaching.

The truth is:

"No dreamer is ever too small; No dream is ever too big." - Anonymous

To which I'd also add: no DREAM is ever small. If it's a dream at all, it's stretching you, shaping you and others, and bringing some aspect of God a little closer to this life. Even if it has to do with the tiniest details you can imagine.

Today's guest post by my friend Karla beautifully reveals this truth: that no detail is too small for God as he grows and works through us.

God is in the Details

By Karla Hoelscher

My interest in fashion started at the age of 14 when my family relocated to the United States. Up until that point, as a child in Mexico, I was either wearing my school uniform or my dance gear depending on the day. So, I really didn't worry about fashion then - I hardly had time to wear it! Once we moved to the Unites States and I was thrown to the wolves (public school), I was not only petrified by a new place, I discovered my need for the fashion police. Fortunately, despite my mom not being available for much of what mattered to me, she DID shop for my clothes. And that was a huge relief!

Flash forward to adulthood.

It was 2005, I was married to a pastor, and we moved to Indiana to help plant a church. Interestingly enough the area we were called to happened to be very wealthy; most of the high school graduates attended elite colleges.

Which meant I had to reengage the fashion issue.

My Children were going to go to school with ‘privileged children.’ Oh how I worried about how they’d be treated!

The truth is, it was challenging. My daughter found out quickly that if she wasn't wearing brand names she’d be playing on the playground by herself. (Cue: my fashion police wounds from childhood!). I wanted so much to rescue my daughter from the superficiality, and I prayed God would show me the way.

A couple of weeks later a friend asked me if I was interested in going garage sale shopping around the area with her to look for toys for the church nursery. I agreed.

It turns out not only did we find what we needed for the church - practically brand new - but I found so many brand name clothes in incredible condition for my daughter! I then realized God saw my fashion plight. I started to see how He wanted us to mingle with "the privileged" because he wanted us to show them Jesus.

For the next three years my little princess was able to somewhat fit in because God provided clothes that were acceptable to her peers. Isabel during this time also lead 2 of her friends to Christ. But the story’s not done there!

God wanted to surprise me too. To show me He is in the details, and it was time for me to heal from my childhood memories.

I’d become an expert at garage sale shopping. After all, the first year as a church plant, Ken was working full time for several months without pay followed by part-time salary for many months. We spent all of our savings on the church, and there were still monthly needs for materials and supplies.

One day, I looked at my purse, threads showing, strap worn, and knew I had to get a new one. I got up on a Thursday morning, dropped kids at school and headed to a garage pre-sale nearby, hoping to find a purse.

As I walked up to the first Garage Sale I saw them: a 5 piece Louis Vuitton luggage set, 2 Prada purses, and another Louis Vuitton bag.

I knew I must be dreaming. I blurted, “Are you really selling these?”

"Yes,” she answered.

Perplexed, I replied, “Why??”

“Honestly, I've grown tired of them,” she said. “I got new ones so I have to make room for them."

Barely containing my squeal of delight, I stated, "Okay, thank you. I'll take them."

I got 3 designer bags and a 5 piece Louis Vuitton luggage set for $40 dollars!!

As I left I couldn't help but be amazed at God's love for me that day. That when He called us to a neighborhood that challenged personal fears and worries, He not only provided for our church, but for me - for those intensely personal needs and wants. For the things I thought were not even important to Him.

That day I hugged him in my mind, and with teary eyes said "Thank you Daddy." Because when the Lord gives us a God-sized dream that stretches us out of our comfort zone, He is faithful to give us everything - everything! - we need to fulfill it.

“Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you.” ~Matthew 6:33

---------------------------

About Karla:

Karla Hoelscher is mom to 2 teens (boy and girl) and 1 tween boy. She's a pastor's wife, church-planter, and Spanish interpreter and translator for Women of Faith. She loves sushi, Greek food, traveling, learning about different cultures and sharing life with her family and close friends. Connect with Karla via Carmel Mountain Church or on their Facebook page.

You're Already Amazing {Interview with Holley Gerth}

2012-04-30T15:53:00.000-07:00

"Psss. . . pull up a chair and I'll tell you a secret. You'd better lean in close for this one. Ready?

You don't have to do more, be more, have more.
I'm sure there are security alarms are going off somewhere. You should probably hide this book when your in-laws come over. But it's true... It's the kind of true that will change your life, set you free, and make you wake up smiling for the first time in a long time. I know because that's what it did for me." - Holley Gerth, You're Already Amazing (Revell Books, 2012)

Life-giving truth for us as women can't be summed up better than that! So I won't try. I'll just say that when I got my copy of You're Already Amazing, I gobbled it up in one afternoon. Not because the book's ideas weren't worth savoring, but because I was so excited to find a kindred spirit in it's author. Not only is she a heart-to-heart writer, she's like that on the phone too! We spent half an hour chatting about her dream for women and vision for how she can help bring it about.

Please welcome my special guest, Holley Gerth!
~~~~~~~~~

Q: What inspired you to write the book?

I wanted to be writer my whole life. As a child I'd read stacks of books in my grandparents' Christian book shop. I worked at DaySpring for a few years, and began to feel led to understand women's hearts better. So I went back for masters work as counselor, then got certified as a life coach. Through that, I'm finding that women's hearts are more alike than different, and that what they're struggling with is what I'm struggling with too.

Along those lines, I had the opportunity to do a retreat just before the book came out. I took women through the process of the book and it was neat to see it all worked out in their lives.

Q: What would you like to see it do in the lives of readers?

It's part of a larger vision I have, and a series of books. This one's about who you are, and there will be 2 more books. The next one is about what you do with the knowledge gained in the first book. And takes it to the next level: living God-sized dreams. That book will launch next March.

I say speaking is the most out of my comfort zone and keeps me praying! Before a recent retreat my friend had to say, "Get out of the car, Holley!" (she laughs). But a full weekend retreat really gives that heart connection that I want with women and I loved it.

Q: Tell us about your new company and how it's extending this vision even further.

Stephanie Bryant and I just launched Squee, Inc. this spring. (Me: And Squee means what?? Holley: "Squeal of glee. It's the sound you make when you're living your god sized dream." Me: LOVE that!)

The vision for the company is to come along God-sized dreamers and "creativepreneurs" to help them go for all God has for them. We're finding women feel alone and don't know what steps to take next or what to do. Squee provides coaching for women to figure that out, and then we work on how to practically move forward in their unique strengths, vision and God-sized dreams.

Q: What's something your readers may not know about you?

I'm married to my college sweetheart who's a great guy named Mark. We have a sweet and silly beagle basset named Katie and we affectionately call her "the beast" for reasons neither one of us can remember!

Q: If you could give one bit of encouragement to women today, what would it be?

Besides you're already amazing? God's mercies are new every morning because that's how often we need them. If taking hold of the truth is taking longer than you thought, that's normal! Keep at it and keep reminding yourself of what is true.

~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks so much for sharing here, Holley! May the Lord extend and grow your ministry and Squee, Inc. I'm excited to see how that grows and helps more and more women make their God-sized dreams a reality!

Connect with Holley further....

Check out her website, Facebook or Twitter pages. Or find her at (in)Courage's website or Facebook page. Find out more about her new company at Squee, Inc.'s website or Twitter page.

Special Giveaway Details!

Holley, being already-amazing as she is, has offered 3 free gifts! (Do I hear a "squee"?!)

1 copy of her book, You're Already Amazing
1 copy of The Mother Letters, produced by Squee, Inc.
1 Redeemed - Truly Beautiful makeup bag (from Dayspring)

To enter to win one of these, leave a comment here or at Moms Together, sharing your thoughts or your answer to this:

What makes you amazing? How does that aspect of you show up in life or relationships?

- Laurie

Taking the Risk to Be Heard

2012-04-26T09:18:00.000-07:00

{"Speak Up" - Photo by motherwarxx}

I'll just come right out and admit it: I'm freaking out. Something in me has shifted and I can't keep quiet about it. On days when the kids, the car and even the pets are acting up, I really wish I could. But I can't.

And it's scary to take a stand.
It's even scarier to speak up about it.
And it's scarier still to help others see what you see.

To help others see - to influence them - means they have to be close. And close is scary.

Especially when you jump off he edge of a safe place into the weirdish-wild space of challenging beliefs.

That's what I've been doing lately. Standing on the mountain tops, telling everyone:

You are perfectly designed.
You are entirely, passionately loved.
Your weaknesses are not sin. They are God-designed strengths that need his power.
Your purpose isn't something you find, it's something you're living even now.
When you trust God's heart beating in you, life becomes not just livable, but invigorating again.

People have challenged, criticized and unfollowed me since I stepped out of safety and into this passion God's been building in my heart. Because it scares people to let go of guilt, shame and anxiety - it's become a part of them and they don't know how to see God if not as a judge and someone who's never satisfied with them.

But I'm not letting up. Because this is MY purpose. One based on verses that kept coming at me over and over for the past 15 years whenever I asked God "Why am I here?"

...because the LORD has anointed me

to bring good news to the poor;

he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives,

and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

They shall build up the ancient ruins;

they shall raise up the former devastations;

they shall repair the ruined cities,

the devastations of many generations. - Isaiah 61:1,4

Not just to bring good news (to encourage, as I've been doing), but to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. To bind up the brokenhearted, proclaim freedom, and do whatever I can to help them rebuild, raise up and repair what life, people and challenges have broken.

Toward that end, I've taken another risk. To join a group of coaches who want to see others LIVE the truth of Matthew 19:26

"With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Why's it a risk? Because I don't know these other coaches all that well. I've never had coffee with them. And I don't even know all their names. But we're all committed to join up under the umbrella of this Matthew 19:26 concept to bring you the No Limits TeleSummit. It started earlier this week, and continues through next Friday May 4.

I'd love it if you joined me next week for my session: Making Your Weakness Your Best Friend (based on 2 Corinthians 12:9).

Would you consider joining in by phone for my 30 minute workshop?

For details and to register, click here.

As a way of saying Thank You, all attendees will be able to sign up for a FREE copy of my new (and first!) e-book: You Are Truly Perfect: Know Your Value and Live Your Strengths.

I'd love to have you there - both to hear the great content, and for moral support!

I'm going all-in to influence others toward all God has for them. It's scary as heck, but you know what?

You're worth it.

How about you? What passion - what calling - is waiting for you to take the risk to be heard? What risks might be necessary?

-Laurie

The Powerful Influence You Have {Yes, you.}

2012-04-23T10:25:00.000-07:00

Influence.

A word that originates "from the medieval idea that a magical liquid emanates from the stars to influence our actions on earth."* Now less about magical liquid and more about the media, influence is all around us.

But it's also in us. Through us.

"Sure," you may be thinking, "I've got a lot of influence on the planet. I can barely get my kids to listen or my husband to pick up his socks!"

Ok, while that may be true (and I can empathize!) here's what's also true: no matter how much you feel like an influencer, you ARE one.

In Time Magazine's Top 100 Most Influential People issue this week, they highlight people worldwide who have impact on others. How?

They innovate.

Like Salmon Kahn (kahnacademy.org) who's reinvented education by simply trying to tutor his cousin online. Or Rene Redzepi, the nordic chef who's bringing a gastronomically uninspiring area of the world to the top of culinary amazingness with his creative recipes.

They raise the bar.

Like Jeremy Lin, the Asian-American basketball star who's rockin on the court and rockin his grades and lifestyle choices too. Or Raphael Saadiq, who's "brilliant... immaculately dressed... [moves] like the soul stars of old [and confirms] great black music is alive and well and not just a string of hip-hop monotony" (Time Magazine, April 30, p. 57).

They challenge our thinking.

Like Henrik Scharfe, who's human-esque Geminoid-DK robot makes us consider implications of where technology is headed. Or Ali Ferzat, Syrian cartoonist who despite the government torturing him and breaking his hands, insists on speaking (or, rather, drawing) truth.

The biggest influencers do what they love.
They take risks.
Help others.
Find a way.
Get things done.
Create.
Give.

They influence not because they strive to, or because they have to, but because they're being who they are. They're doing what they're wired to do. They're living their strengths.

Know what they're NOT doing?

Wasting time wondering if they make a difference. They're just making one. Which doesn't mean they're not mulling over their next moves and how to make a bigger difference. It just means more of their energy is put to actually DOING what they're great at. BEING who they're best at. LIVING what they're wired for.
Trying to make someone else's difference. That wastes energy and time. It spits in God's face and says, "you messed up with me and their strengths are cooler, so I'm going to do what they do and be who they are."
Waiting for an invitation to make a difference. They're finding little opportunities every day to do what they're good at. World leaders and influencers weren't born on the world stage (most of the time :).

They take one step at a time, one opportunity at a time, with one person at a time. A thousand drops make a pretty full bucket of impact on the world.

Which is where motherhood comes in.

You make a difference every day, mama.

As you live your strengths, you're doing exactly what these top most influential people in the world are doing. You're innovating in your home and with your kids. You're raising the bar as you help them succeed in school and have standards in who they date. You're challenging thinking, taking risks, helping others, finding a way, getting things done, creating, giving.

You're being you. That wonderful, amazing you God imagined as he created you. Amazing even in the scars your life's brought.

And that's the #1 thing that builds influence in life.

So don't stop being you. Don't look over the fence at your neighbor and wonder if they're making a bigger impact. Because you're the one who's living your life, with your family and friends and neighbors. You're the only one who can do it exactly like you. And God put you there for a reason.

Will you embrace that today? Because you know, you're always in God's "Top Influencers" issue. It's how he designed you, and it gives you all you need for your grandest purpose in life:

"And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." - Acts 1:8

-Laurie

P.S. Do you know what your areas of influence are? Do you feel confident in them? If not, I'd love to partner with you in living your strengths in dynamic ways. Email me to find out more.

*"A World of Possibilities," Time Magazine, April 30, 2012, p. 6

4 Disciplines Every Dream-Catcher Needs

2012-04-19T13:59:00.001-07:00

{Click here to listen to my message on this topic at Carmel Mountain Church!}

{Photo: "Please Don't Fall Cloud" by Gordon McBryde}

The Tums weren't helping. I stared at the computer screen. Cursor blinking, mocking me: "And you dreamed of being a writer! Where are the words then, Miss Writerpants??"

I had some choice words for the cursor. Especially because it had the nerve to taunt me when I was so disciplined in making time, planning chapters, researching widely... doing all the TASKS to pursue a dream I'd held since clutching that shiny plastic trophy for my "Magic Whale" story in second grade.

We hear a lot of talk about following our dreams and calling. And about being productive. But sometimes it seems like productive only gets us so far. To really dig in and grab hold of a God-sized, envelope-pushing, heart-filling dream, we need to have version 2.0 of Dream-Chasing Productivity Tools (version 1.0 being the nitty gritty of planning, prioritizing and having SMART goals).

Turns out that kind of productivity comes from a special set of disciplines:

Faith

God-sized dreams are just that: God sized. They require faith to pursue and develop, and faith is a discipline. It's a choice to trust what you know is true as you pursue what you hope for. Practically, it means to surround yourself with truth: friends, scripture, books, nature (after all, the heavens declare the glory of God, right?). Faith doesn't develop in a vacuum, and it's a necessary discipline to chase our dreams.

"Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God" ~Romans 10:17

Abundance

We can only pursue dreams as big as we see as possible. Discipline yourself to enjoy fullness in every area that supports your goals. Getting physically healthy? FILL the pantry, fridge, (your purse, glove box... wherever) with healthy foods you love. Pursuing a new endeavor? FILL time with life giving activities - things that reflect what you love and value most. For any dream, FILL your mind with gratitude for what you've already seen God do in your life.

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus." ~Ephesians 3:20-21

Vision

Vision sometimes plops in our heads when we least expect it. But more often, it's something we pursue - something we discipline ourselves to see no matter how circumstances may contradict it. It's the revelation of God's heart for you (see Jeremiah 29:11) and the personalized dreams He's inspired in you. The discipline here is to make time to cultivate vision: regular time to reflect, pray, dream and listen to God's heart for you.

"Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; but blessed is he who keeps the law." ~Proverbs 29:18

Persistence (to stick with - or find - your dream)

Maybe the day-to-day of life has seemed to squeeze out the possibility of a sense of deeper purpose - the kind of purpose that drives and excites you. That plays to your strengths and gives you joy. That's where the discipline of persistence comes in. The tenacity to believe God has a plan for you, it's a great one, and you're wired specially for it (see Psalm 139). And... it's already unfolding. It's just a matter of time before you see it clearly.

"Behold, I am {as in right now} doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert." ~ Isaiah 43:19

So choose it, friend. Live these dream-catching productivity tools. Your dream is closer than you think!

-Laurie

The Unexpected Gift In Discipline

2012-04-17T02:09:00.000-07:00

{Image: the Chinese character for "discipline"}

It's 5 a.m., dark, 40 degrees outside. I huddle with 15 other yawning speedo-clad high school girls on the side of the pool. Steam billows thick off the surface of eerie green water - so thick we can't even see 10 feet away.

My body screams: "Turn around, get your things and get the heck back home to that warm bed!"
My burly stubble-faced Danish swim coach screams: "Everybody in! 1500 meter warm up starts NOW!"

Which is why, ever since Coach Heartless, I've spelled discipline: p.a.i.n.

Pain from loss of something I like and want. My time. My choices. My favorite foods. In the case of swim team, my sleep! Because of my faith, the desire to live after God's heart kept me pressing in to discipline, even when it hurt.

But for the past few years since I became a writer (a.k.a. one who sits for a living), I've insisted on continuing to eat like a high school athlete. Until a very-unpregnant me stood on the bathroom scale at the same weight I was when I delivered my last child (yikes!). I had to get over my hang-ups with the D-word.

The good news was this: I already knew discipline was a good thing. I used it ~~almost~~ every day in a life-giving way with our kids. As readers of my Facebook Page have shared, I knew synonyms for discipline are "teaching," "structure," "guidance," and "boundaries." I discipline my kids to teach them - to mentor them in life and decisions they make. Pain may come because of change or consequences, but it's not the point of discipline. The point is to grow and live well.

The bad news? It didn't matter. I still wanted the chocolate chip cookies.

Until a few weeks ago. I'd finally picked up Lysa TerKeurst's Made to Crave and committed to reading it with a friend. We checked in each week to share thoughts on the book and how we were doing with our weight and nutrition goals. At, I fought the process hard. I agreed with what I read but didn't want to give up anything that added a little joy here and there in the craziness of life.

It just didn't seem fair. To have two kids with special needs who require so much from me, and not get to eat the doughnut. To have to cut back yet again after a financial setback, and not eat the dessert I made for the kids. Why would God ask me to have THAT much discipline? That much sacrifice of what felt good in a season of life where good was tough to come by?

And then I read this:

"What if this battle with food isn’t the curse we’ve always thought it to be? What if it’s actually the very thing, if brought under control, that can lead us to a better understanding of God?” (Lysa TerKeurst, Made To Crave, p. 105).

As a coach who asks clients similar kinds of questions, I had to face the "what if" question. In less than a minute, I started to weep.

The thoughts went like this:

Yes, I'm in a really tough season with one of my daughters with special needs.
Yes, the financial setbacks have gotten worse and it's hard to hold things together at home.
Yes, eating healthy means I'm frustrated and have to beg God for help with each craving, moment by moment through the day.
Wait a minute. In a tough time in my life, having discipline with food forces me to lean hard on God more often than I've been doing for a long time.
This battle is actually a ...gift! God was giving me a circumstance to spend more time with him in a season when he knew I needed it more than ever.

The battle was - is - a gift.

Discipline is a gift, not a loss. It's a way we connect deeper with the heart of God, with healthy choices, with life-giving habits. It's a way to shed not only physical pounds that hinder us, but emotional weight that makes living hard. It simplifies life and struggles - making them about each individual choice in the moment, rather than a slew of unknowns in the future.

Chocolate can't even hope to give that to us. Neither can cookies. Or 2 hours on Twitter. Or watching movies all day. Or any of the other things we think we want when we're struggling. Not that those things in themselves are bad - they just can't be for us what discipline can. They can't set us free.

But God can. And that kind of discipline is not fair at all. It's delight-ful. It's abundant. It's sweeter than anything I've tasted in a long time.

"If the Son sets you free, you are free indeed." - John 8:36

What about you? What's your experience with discipline recently?

-Laurie

(Photo Source)

When Love Hurts You

2012-04-12T13:53:00.000-07:00

Love can sting. What we believe to be love can be a thinly-veiled imitation. What we trust as love may still disappoint. It's always more choice than chance. More give than glow.

And sometimes it shatters us.

Today's guest post, by my friend Diane Bailey, shares her story of that moment and her process of picking up pieces to find joy again. For any who grieve fresh hurt today, this is for you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lying on the floor, I cradle my pounding head in the crook of my arm, drawing the design of the rug with my finger while clutching tissues. In the past twenty-four hours, the thing that I fear has come upon me.

Walking in he announces the promise he made before God, family and friends is a lie. A woman from our Sunday School Class was now the love of his life.

I replay the scene over and over in what is left of the cerebral. Emotions cried numb. Thoughts of all I now had to do race through my mind: Find a job, find a lawyer, tell the children, tell their teachers. Life-changing decisions to make when simply rising from the floor in the morning darkness is too much to accomplish.

Life changing decisions to make while I'm broken…and alone.

I have been a Christian from the womb, hearing and memorizing the Word of God through daily life. But I never had to trust that the scriptures would work in crises.

I'd never had the chance to test them. I call out to God, but all seems quite. He seems to be in a remote corner of the universe inaccessible to me.

Perhaps you can't identify with this crisis (I hope you can't). But I know that many of you, as am I, are part of the divorce statistics.

Were you strong? Did you have what seemed like a failure of faith during that time? I did.

The darkness seemed to swallow my children and me alive. As if a black fog hovered over us, hiding us, with no hope of the sunlight burning it away. I would pray the scriptures but they did not make me feel any better. My sorrow would seem to detour my prayers back to praying the problems, instead of praying the promises.

One day in my frustration, I closed my Bible and went outside. Songs of worship began to flow from my sorrow. Songs from Childhood, songs from youth group, songs of worship became breath to me. I found worship to be a cool breeze to my feverish soul.

I sing contemporary songs, scripture set to song, and some old hymns.

At first my heart looks out and does not feel Him anywhere near me, my heart and mind are filled with clouds and darkness – my emotions rain down. Yet the teaching from youth reminds me that feelings of man are not necessarily the reality of God.

Slowly, the quite songs begin to lift the fog.

Just like Mary experienced in the garden. On the ground she cried not knowing what to do. She thought she had lost the most important person in her life. Then looking up she realized that he was there.

He was there, always there, quietly whispering my name, as He whispered Mary’s name, until I was able to hear him and look up. Rabboni!

Jewish tradition teaches, that the new day begins when the sun sets. The light comes out of the darkness to begin a new day.

I look back on that day when I laid on the rug in the darkness of early morning and realize that it was the beginning of the greatest part of my life with Christ.

Truly out of darkness, came light. A time where Jesus took the scriptures that I knew from childhood and turn them into light to my path and life to my soul.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Diane W. Bailey is the author of, String of Pearls (BorderStone Press, 2011). String of Pearls shares how we can take our sorrows to Christ, and like a grain of sand in an oyster becomes a pearl, our sorrows become a testimony of Christ in our lives. Diane is married to Joseph and they share four children, two stepchildren and two birth children for each of them. They have three grandchildren who they call “Rewards for not resigning from parenthood.” A guest on numerous radio shows, she also shares her story, encouragement, and beautiful photos on her blog, Twitter and Facebook page.

To ponder: When you've been hurt by one you love, what most helped you through it?

Light dawns in the darkness for the upright; he is gracious, merciful, and righteous. ~ Psalm 112:4

-Laurie

Edward, Bella, and what is REAL love anyway??

2012-04-09T23:59:00.000-07:00

Ever been in love?

Where every breath, thought and feeling is for that one person. Time doesn't matter. Sleep doesn't matter. We just want to be with them. All. The. Time.

It's the Edward and Bella (main characters in the Twilight series) phenomenon. Oh! How we love the way Edward loves Bella! His intensity and fervor. The way he honors her. How he cherishes her. His protection, provision, and loving expressions. The unlimited time he has for her (since he never sleeps).

No matter Bella's flaws (we're overlooking Edward's obvious vampire issue here), even when she hurts or offends him - he never lets her go. It's this unrelenting, powerful love that brings out the best in her. Who wouldn't want to run into the arms of someone who loves us so much??

We love the stories because we all know there's more to life. We crave more. To stretch out our hand and find we're cherished by such powerful, fervent, unending love too.

And we love the stories because deep down, we also know it's possible.

God has put eternity in our hearts - Ecclesiastes 3:11

The knowledge that there really is an immortal one who reaches for us - for you - when you stretch toward eternity. To pull you into his arms, take hold of your weary human heart and cherish you so profoundly you will never be the same again.

His love for you is eternal. (Jeremiah 31:3)
His thoughts of you outnumber the grains of sand. (Psalm 139:11)
His plans for you are good. (Jer 29:11)
Nothing can separate you from His love. (Rom 8:38-39)
He knows what you need and long for (Matt 6:8)
He makes you stronger against life's challenges (Psalm 18:34)
He provides for you. (Matt 6:30)
He protects you. (Psalm 18:2)
He designed you - and adores you that way. (Psalm 139)
He always forgives you when you ask. (1 John 1:9)
He waits patiently for you when you lose touch in life's busyness. (Rev 3:20)

In other words, God is our Edward. But infinitely better.

Because He's real.

You are that important to God. Your life matters that much to Him. When He looks at you, He sees someone amazing. Someone He loves like crazy.

When life drains you, drains the color right from your cheeks and the hope from your heart, will you fall into His arms today? Let Him love you fervently and strong and beyond all comprehension? Let Him remind you that to Him you are beautiful beyond words?

I hope so.

- Laurie

Parenting Changes Us. Let's Change it Back! {GIVEAWAY}

2012-04-06T11:07:00.000-07:00

Before I got married I had six theories about bringing up children; now I have six children, and no theories. ~John Wilmot

Nothing changes us like parenthood. It's reduced me to a bumbling blathering idiot more times than I can count. My house is a mess, even if it's clean. My kids have recurring amnesia about rules and responsibilities. It takes a lot to stay proactive as a parent because we live in the reactive milieu of no-it's-not-morning-yet-so-please-stop-waking-me-up-at-4-a.m.

Which is why I'm thrilled to feature a friend and her new devotional-style book today! Carey Scott is an inspirational speaker and fellow Moms Together team member. She's got a handful of kids, a heart-full of wisdom and will make you laugh like crazy in her new book, Let's Get Real: Raising Godly Kids.

We chatted on the phone earlier this week and here's what she shared:

Laurie: Hi Carey, how are you?

Carey: I'm clean. That's a good day! (she laughs)

L: Your book Let's Get Real: Raising Godly Kids just released. How has the process been to write your first book?

C: This journey has rocked my world. It has opened up so much crud about where I am and I keep thinking "I just told people my parenting and what if they hate it??" I'm all about being vulnerable and sharing, but this is like vulnerable on steroids. I keep thinking "nobody's going to think this is good. What if they read it and say, 'I could get these ideas off a cereal box!'" When it hit Amazon, I was scared and raw and vulnerable.... that's just my issue - feeling worthy.

L: How'd you get through that fear?

C: I felt God saying back to me, "Even if nobody reads this book, you were obedient. If nobody finds value, you were obedient. This is your life, your journey and you're wiser on the other side of it. I've called you to share that with women with younger kids, newer to the faith, maybe they don't know.... isn't that what I've called you to do in the Bible? Pass on wisdom to the younger women you know?"

And I realize, I AM an authority in my own struggles as a parent. I can speak on my parenting and my family. That freed me up a tremendous amount. It's a weird thing, I'm probably in one of the toughest stages in my personal life, working through some past struggles, and add to that putting out ideas about my parenting and it's the perfect storm. In that is God, and He's given me the confidence and strength and insight and resources. Actually... I think it's a divine setup!

L: (Laughs) Tell us more about that "divine setup."

C: He knows me enough to know it's not going to take 1-2 things to motivate me, it would take a storm to get me to look at some things. To overcome some fears and do things I could put off and hedge around for a long time.

L: Who do you want most to have this book?

C: Everyone. I wish I would have known this younger, earlier in the journey. It's a valuable tool for young moms, new moms, and those about to be moms. But it's also for moms new to their faith at any stage of parenting, and for each of us as we face new phases of parenting.

L: What was your favorite part to write?

C: The chapter on speaking a blessing over your children - I'm just coming into the understanding of how powerful our words are, when we release something in to the atmosphere it's not just effecting our kids, it's like we're calling it into our midst. words are powerful and i love the idea of speaking life and power and affirmation over our kids as they leave for school. I was not raised in a home where words were spoken over me in a positive way. I wonder what my life would have been like if someone has spoken life over me and let me know how valuable I was.

L: If you could give a bit of encouragement to women here, what would it be?

C: We all operate in these lies that keep us complacent and keep us from doing what God wants us to do. I want to challenge women to run out there and face it because Greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world. And that my favorite quote would be true for each of us: When I wake up in the morning and put my feet on the ground, I want the enemy to say "Oh crap, she's awake."

If this is the first you've heard of Carey Scott, you've gotta check her out! As she says on her site, she's excited to help women "stop living a mediocre, risk-free life and instead step onto the battlefield and engage!" Check out her website and blog. Connect with her on Facebook. And find her new book here!

Thanks so much, Carey, for sharing your heart here, and for pouring your experience and humor through your book so we can all manage the changes of parenting with grace and purpose.

GIVEAWAY!
What wisdom would YOU share if you had the chance to write your own book on parenting? What would have helped you as a new mom or a new believer at any stage of parenting? Leave your comments here or at my facebook page to enter for a free copy of Carey's new book! Winner will be selected Monday 4/9.

-Laurie

Keep the Change. {How to love life's twists and turns}

2012-04-02T14:22:00.000-07:00

"It is not necessary to change.

Survival is not mandatory." – W. Edwards

Over the past few years since my husband lost his former job, and both of us took turns starting our own businesses (not an incredibly brilliant idea during a recession!), we've been riding the wave: new schedules, responsibilities, finances... and helping our kids navigate the shift too.

It's unsettled us all. But then, that's change, isn't it? It's like getting thrown into a blender.

What if that unsettling could be more like the shaking of a snow globe - letting loose beauty and wonder - and less like life in a MixMaster? What if it could actually become a friend instead of a foe? Here are a few ways it just might:

Respond instead of react. Whether it's expected or unanticipated, something we see as positive or negative, change brings stress. Physiological stress in the not-yet-comfortable nature of the new. Emotional stress of managing the emotions that come with change. Mental stress due to the energy fueling heightened awareness in a new situation or relationship.

Knowing this doesn't make it easier, but does make it less of a surprise, so we can respond intentionally instead of reacting defensively when change happens.

Look for the gifts. Every change brings a gift, an opportunity. It might take a while to locate the gift if it's a change you didn't choose. One friend of mine gets really intentional about this aspect and actually makes it like a treasure hunt, actively searching for the good in new situations, communities and relationships.* Ann Voskamp masterfully addressed this shift in perspective in her book One Thousand Gifts - a book I highly recommend if life seems low on good things right now.

Honor the past. It's hard to celebrate what we've had when what we've got now seems like a dud. But celebrate we must. Here's why: remembering the before reminds us of our whole story - the one where God, through time, even in the dips and setbacks, shows His love and glory. If we take the time to look back - through what we miss and what we're glad to leave behind, we see life there. It shines from the good memories. It may be quietly hiding in the harder ones, but it's there. Choosing to celebrate it all brings continuity and a sense of God's presence that we can't afford to miss in life's shifting.

Believe God. Nine years ago, after 3 years of infertility treatments, we began the adoption process. While I waited to hear from the adoption agency, I lead a group through Beth Moore's Believing God study. The whole idea is to not just believe IN God, but to BELIEVE HIM. Through the weeks of studying many passages of faith in practice through the Bible, I realized: believing God didn't mean trusting life would work out. It meant trusting He would work through it. That He'd be there every step of the way. It became less about the situations and more about knowing God in them.

As these shifts began to happen in me, change just couldn't be as scary. Because nothing would ever be able to change His love or His presence in my life, no matter how much anything else around me changed for better or worse.
Change is tough and ever present. Seasons are changing. We are changing. The very surface of our planet is shifting as you sit reading this now. Life is change.

And it doesn't have to throw us into chaos.

In God's hands, change - the unsettling - can indeed be beautiful, wondrous. Join me in choosing that today?

-Laurie

* Join my friend, Alycia Morales, our guest tomorrow on Moms Together! She's spending the day with us to discuss packing and relocating with kids: how to make the changes joyful for everyone in the family. Come join us Tuesday April 3!

(Photo Source)

Send Fear Packing and Invite Faith For a Visit Instead

2012-03-29T11:32:00.000-07:00

Ever felt like the more courageous you get in life, the more fear messes with you? This week, I'm living right in that struggle. Doors opening for ministry like crazy - things I've longed to be able to do - and in the quiet moments I want to curl up in the fetal position and cry out "ACH! It's scary! I'm not sure I'm ready for this!!"

It's the classic Peter moment. Big courage to step out of the boat in the midst of the storm. Big fear the second a toe hits the reality of the waves.

Today's post addresses this battle with a sweet twist. Our guest blogger, Kelli Wommack, has, as she puts it "the awesome privilege of rallying others to find their unique place of ministry." (A.k.a. she gets to help people step out of the boat and deal with fear every day!) Love the ideas she shares today on sending fear packing.

FEAR. I know it well. We hang out together from time to time. The more I entertain it, the more it becomes familiar with me and begins to cater to my weaknesses.

The fear of ridicule. The fear of failure. The fear of embarrassment. The fear of the unknown. To just name a few. Sometimes it creeps in like a quiet wave. Other times it is more like a freight train.

And when I try to ignore it, it stalks me. It shows up in my dreams at night. It is there when I find myself in deep thought. Even while I listen to music or watch TV, a lyric or scene will beckon its entry.

I have tried to tell fear to leave me alone. At times, I have even thought I conquered it. What I am realizing is that the only way to get fear to leave me alone is to invite faith to hang out. You see, fear and faith don't really get along too well. Faith is bossy and tells fear what to do and so it leaves.

Now, don’t get me wrong. Fear and faith can co-exist in the same room. You’ve heard the quote, “Do it scared.”

But even then, the mere action of “doing it” takes courage and faith. That very choice marginalizes our fears.

How can we live a life characterized by faith and courage and not by fear?

Clean our front entry of fear clutter. Remove ideas and messages in our hearts and minds that trigger fear in my life. Keep discouraging people at bay by setting up healthy boundaries. For example, if I am afraid of moving forward in my writing, I don’t need to hang out with people who think I am crazy for writing a blog or pursuing publishing.
Buy a new welcome mat for FAITH. In response to #1, we want to replace those destructive ideas and messages with truths of God. When fear creeps in, we want to have truths that will stop it at the door of our minds. “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalm 139:14) “God has a plan for me.” (Jeremiah 29:11)
Have a party with FAITH FRIENDS. We need to foster those supportive relationships in our lives by encouraging others and celebrating the faithfulness of God.
Give out FAITH favors. Share our stories of God’s faithfulness. This encourages others' faith and strengthens ours as well. Encouragement is powerful and much better than candy!
Allow FAITH to move in and take up residence. We must realize the power of faith. I love it when Mark writes in his gospel that a father whose son was demon possessed admits, “I believe. Help my unbelief!” Let us beg for FAITH to be a greater presence in our lives than fear.

Fear loses its power when faith takes over. So, go ahead, let faith move in. When you make it your primary resident, fear doesn’t stand a chance.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kelli is a motivational speaker, writer, and blogger and loves seeing people reach their full potential in Christ. In her role as Serve Minister at Christ Community Church in Georgia, she has the awesome privilege of rallying others to find their unique place of ministry. Her favorite home team includes her loving, funny, yet quiet husband, and her two loving, funny, and not so quiet children. Connect with Kelli on her Facebook Page, Twitter, and her Website.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks Kelli! What a great perspective. And you, sweet reader friend, what fears are trying to camp out in your living room right now? What steps could you take today to send fear packing and get Faith to move in?

-Laurie

P.S. If fear - or anything else - is limiting you right now and you're ready to move past that, I'd love for you to join me and an amazing group of experts for the FREE No Limits Tele-Summit starting 4/9. Click here to find out more and register to receive a whole lot of free tools to get unstuck and out of that boat in every area of your life!

(Photo Source)

Darth Vader, Churchill and Defeating Your Fears

2012-03-26T15:49:00.001-07:00

My family jokes that my first boyfriend was Darth Vader. I'd run wild through the house in my Underoos, ~~blanket~~ cape flying in the air, belting refrains of the Star Wars theme. I'd alternate between fighting Vader and acting imposing like him as I played. What girl can resist the powerful, strong, tall dark and handsome type, right??

Our relationship was doomed from the start though. As soon as I understood that "dark" meant evil-killer-and-suppressor-of-everything-good-including-cute-puppies, I'd dig my face in to the couch pillows whenever he showed up (which, fortunately, was always preceded by the breathing. Thank you, George Lucas.)

Not all our fears are as easily escaped or even buffered. The biggest couch pillows in the world aren't enough when we're facing a divorce, job loss, financial crisis, or debilitating illness.

Or when you're pressing into that purpose you know is inside, but don't have a clue how you'll live it out.

How do we face and defeat fears that catch us off guard like that? Or worse, ones that just linger on and on, with no hope for relief?

Churchill said it best, when confronting the fears of a war-ravaged Britain during WWII:

"When you're going through hell, keep going."

You can't go through scary places and seasons in your life without turning right around and facing them head-on. So, in honor of my first boyfriend (ehem) here are some tools to beat your fears:

View the issue or situation from God's standpoint. Know the truth. Know His word. Hold on to the promises. Listen to it. Read it. Speak it. Memorize it. The more of God's truth is in your mind, the more you'll view the situation from his standpoint of power and hope.

Adjust your expectations (of yourself and others). Put a little margin back into your life so you can process the feelings, see things from God's view, get the rest you need during that added stress.

Decide to never ever ever give up. (Because seriously, if you think it's scary where you are now, imagine how bad it will be if you just decide to build a house and live there!)

Envision you: with courage. Think thoughts like this: If I wasn't scared out of my pants right now, how would I feel? Or if I wasn't shaking in my boots right now, where else could I invest my energy? Fear paralyzes us, but the underlying or accompanying feelings of grief, sadness, embarrassment, or disappointment are ones we can process without the adrenaline onslaught.

Rely on your team. The rebels in Star Wars lasted as long as they did because they were a team. They met together regularly, discussed strategies, encouraged one another and went to battle together. Fear preys on us most when we're alone, so stick to your team (which includes God who's assured you "I will never leave you nor forsake you.")

Don't let that scary Vader breathing keep you from moving forward today. Use the View-Adjust-Decide-Envision-Rely tools and beat him at his own game.

The Rebel Alliance (a.k.a. your family and friends) will thank you for it!

- Laurie

(Photo Source)

If God gives good gifts, why'd I get a DUD?

2012-03-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder what God's thinking. (Ok, lots of times.) When prayer seems to fall fruitless to the floor, and battles rage unabated, and I'm frustrated with something in myself, it's easy to wonder if what God's thinking about includes me at all.

When I'm in those modes, those Eeyore "Nobody loves me. I'm no good. Might as well curl up and succumb to the bag of chips" moods, it takes something big to jolt me out of it.

Which, fortunately, happened the other day as I read something in my morning not-so-quiet-(does ANY mom ever have "quiet time"? Ever??)-time with God.

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;

you have loosed my sackcloth

and clothed me with gladness,

that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.

O LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever! ~ Psalm 30:12-12

Our church is doing Rick Warren's 40 Days in the Word program, so I found myself reading that passage with one of the tools he recommends for devotional study: the "Pronounce It" method. Which basically means you read a short passage, systematically accentuating one word of the sentence at a time. As you emphasize each word, something different about that truth, about God, or about life pops out of the page at you.

For example, using that tool on the passage above:

"YOU have turned..." It's God who makes this happen. Not me.
"You HAVE turned..." It's already done. In the past. The issue isn't getting it to happen, but realizing it has.
"You have TURNED..." This is where my breath caught in my throat. And where that whole "design and purpose" issue came jumping off the page at me.

He has turned my mourning into dancing. It doesn't say He's REPLACED my mourning with dancing. It says He's TURNED it. Like "my mourning" - that intensely personal grief over the unanswered prayer, the battles, or my own weaknesses - actually somehow BECOMES dancing. And dancing is dancing from everyone's perspective (unless it's modern dance, which is debatable. But I digress...)

That God can shift one part of us or our lives - something tough, yucky or frustrating - to become something else without even scrapping the raw materials... that's just unbelievably cool.

What DESIGN, to make us and the situations we face completely reusable like that. He doesn't waste anything in us or our lives. Not. One. Thing.

Like I've been saying (here, here and here), you are - truly - amazing.

Will you rest in that today where life's hurting? Will you let God mold that hurt into something beautiful?

I do hope so, dear friend.

-Laurie

(Photo Source)

The Secret That Ends Insecurity

2012-03-19T13:56:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love my walks! Fresh air. Gorgeous skies. Heart pounding with movement. But my favorite part by far is what I see on walks.

DESIGN.

Everywhere design. Beautiful, elegant, patterned art in trees, flowers, the whirl of clouds above and pine cones beneath. Even in the way my heart beats different when I walk downhill versus up.

It's design we can miss in our over-crowded lives of child-toting, toddler-tantruming, teen-mentoring. Design that takes my breath away. And with it, the fear, the anxiety... and more than anything, the insecurity.

Because when we see - really see - the world around, how can we feel unimportant? How can we slip into the depths of wondering if we matter? Or if we're making enough of a difference?

Did you know that in the pine cone so easily kicked to the side of the street lives a pattern seen just about everywhere in the universe? A pattern of spirals based on numbers named for a 13th century mathematician who first discovered them. These Fibonacci numbers form patterns in much of nature - from galaxies to ocean waves, pine cones to your own ear's form.

That's right, you've got that design too. On your body. Inside it. All around you.

Because you're part of the grand design. You were worth designing to begin with. Your life, your work, your presence here matters.

The pine cone's not sitting on the side of the road crying because it's not good enough. Neither is the Milky Way galaxy.

So why are we crying? Why are we struggling with insecurity?

Why, when we look at our lives full of the mundane - the seemingly unimportant - do we miss the elegance of it's design? How can we look at our bodies and see flaws, when the fact that our hearts beat independent of anything we do makes us a miracle (and don't get me started on all the other miracles going on in that body of yours!)

Why do we look at our homes and see chaos in Cheerios on the floor and shoes strewn not-quite-where-they-belong, when they reveal the gift of life between our walls?

The next time insecurity creeps up on you, it's slimy tendrils wrapped ever tighter around your heart, go for a walk and pick up a pine cone. Notice the petal patterns on a flower. Or the spirals in the cauliflower on your chopping board. Better yet, look at the whorl on your own finger - that elegant, helpful little thing you know as a fingerprint. Those ridges totally unique to you, that share patterns with much of nature's art.

And choose instead to see the truth:

"Are you not of more value than they?" (Matt 6:26b)

God says you are. More valuable than any of that unbelievable, perfectly-designed elegance around you. In the face of that truth, can insecurity even stand a chance today?

Then why let it?

-Laurie

P.S. If you love learning (me too! :), check this out about Fibonacci numbers in nature. (If you can't view it in your email or feed, click the post title above to view directly on the site).

Why So Serious?? {Guest Post}

2012-03-15T08:56:00.000-07:00

Do you ever feel that your life is just one crisis after another and only on occasion you catch a glimpse of joy?

Today's guest blogger, Tammy Karasek knows that feeling well! She's balancing life as a wife, a mom and daughter to aging parents, whose needs together could overwhelm... if not for that amazing laugh of hers! I met her at She Speaks last year and can I just say? This woman practices joy no matter what. And it's my joy to share her post with you today.

Wait! What’s So Funny?

Here we are in 2012. To say the last five years have left me feeling like there is no reason to laugh is an understatement. Here’s what I mean:

January 2009 began and all was well. And then came February, and life forever changed.

In ONE year:

My in-laws moved to nursing home

Mother- and father-in-law had hip replacement

Mother had severe stroke-lost left side and mobility, requiring long days at the hospital from me, and the need to consider a nursing home for her

My husband, daughter and I begin emptying her condo to sell

My lower back started hurting, then developed into pain that brought me to tears and left me hardly able to walk, (cue lots of time-intensive tests and scans... the verdict: SEVERE herniated disk)

3 days before my 50th birthday I had a mouth cancer scare, and ended up with my mouth stitched so tight after the biopsy I could barely open it

Mom’s condo got sold and we applied for her Medicaid (cue hours of paperwork)

My 99 year old grandma started failing

Mom was emotional because I wouldn’t take her Christmas shopping, (and in denial that she can’t walk) and she wanted to go “home” (which no longer exists)

Brought meals over every holiday to keep everyone's spirits up, to no avail

My back was killing me most days, making it tough to walk

Christmas came and NOBODY was happy!

That’s just one year!

Having to manage the well being of our four family members besides our own, people constantly ask, “How do you do it, you’re always laughing and smiling?”

Well, I’m quite the silly bird I suppose, always chasing a good laugh since I was young, always trying to get people to laugh even at the most inopportune times. (Okay, maybe more than I should admit to in print!)

My favorite question I’m often asked, “Don’t you wish it were someone else?” I grin and say, “Seriously? I don’t dislike anyone enough that I would wish this upon him or her!!”
Besides, I am confident that God has me going through this for His glory and my training to help someone else that will need to know how to do this all! You see, I am well trained; I’ve done it four times already! Sure, I usually get a puzzled expression as most say they think I’ve lost my mind! To which I say, “that could be, but I’ve learned to lean on God because He knows everything that is going on and whether I get in His way or not, He is still in control.”

You see, I can’t change things by whining about them, and don’t want to be known as the complainer.

A question you may have is, “but how do you find humor in bad things?”

Honestly, I find humor in everything. I’m not kidding! Something someone will say or do will “tickle me” and off I go! When I’m smack dab in the middle of a serious situation, I may or may not bust out laughing, but I guarantee you that shortly, I’m finding something funny and the giggling begins.

I believe laughter is a wonderful gift from God. As with all gifts, if we don’t use them, they are wasted.
That is not something I intend to let happen! As it says in Ecclesiastes 3:4, “there is a time to weep and a time to laugh.” And I laugh out loud and often!

I am not telling you to “suck it up” and deal with the hard stuff of life alone. What I’m trying to say is that when you are not able to see a little glimmer of joy and happiness in all things, pretty soon, life just doesn’t have any joy or happiness at all for you. It’s in your perspective.

How about you? Are you willing to try to find humor everywhere you can? I would love to hear from you and help you find that humor. Seeing people laugh brings me such joy!

Happy Giggling!

About Tammy
You can find Tammy seeing humor and laughter in every aspect of life and then sharing it on her blog. Tammy’s rough childhood as an only-child who received much criticism from family is the driving force in her passion to encourage others and make them smile. She is a Christian who resides in Ohio with her husband of 30 years, Larry. They have a grown daughter, Kristen, and a 4-pound Teacup Yorkie, Toto. You can also connect with Tammy on her Facebook page or by email.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It can be such a tough choice - to live joy-filled in life's challenges. But with joy comes unbelievable strength. Choose joy today!
-Laurie

P.S. If you're interested in sharing a guest post here, let's talk! Please email me for info.

(Photo Source)

Who Are You? {4 Ways to Find and Live Your Purpose}

2012-03-12T12:01:00.002-07:00

Do you wake up every morning and know - deep inside you - why you're here?

Not just what you do while you're here. But really, WHY you're here? Without over-thinking it, can you answer these questions quickly and clearly about yourself?

What's unique and wonderful about me?
Why does that matter to people in my life?
How can I invest my talents daily?
How do I maintain balance and get rest so I can consistently use them?

I've always liked the story of Esther in the Bible. Young girl, captured by the enemy, rises to become queen and save her people. What's not to like about that??

But even Esther didn't always know what she was about. She had some natural gifts: she was gorgeous, articulate, gracious. And like most of us, it took a little thinking to figure out what these talents meant for her, and WHY they might be helpful to the world.

Beautiful... to attain the notice and heart of the king.
Articulate... to convey a message.
Gracious... such that respect and hospitality filtered through even her dealings with the enemy.

Who are you?
You're not Esther, that I know. And neither am I. Like our fingerprints, not one of us is a copy of another. Are you a wordsmith? A giver? A bearer of mercy? Someone who listens particularly well? A dreamer? A thinker? A strategist? One who sees others' potential, even if they don't?

How are you using that right now?
Your gifts aren't for you, after all. They're to make this rock we're on a place worth calling home. They make what would be a flat, black-and-white life a life full of color and joy.

4 ways to grow your gifts

Learn about them. Read books and blogs. Watch YouTube and TED videos... and other people who reveal an aspect of what you know is a gifting in you. Take notes. Keep a journal with little snippets of insight you gain along the way. If you're not a paper/pen person, check out Evernote (I love it and it works on phones and laptops).
Ask God to show you His design for your talents. In that same journal you're keeping, write your questions. "What could that situation reveal about who I am?" "How can I use what I'm good at in different situations?" "What about X activity makes it so easy and fun for me?" The Bible's pretty clear: ask for wisdom and God will give it. After all, He wants you to live your purpose even more than you do!
Seek out a mentor. Someone who's clearly doing what they love and are good at, even if it's not the same talent as you've got. Just watching how someone develops their purpose will give lots of good ideas for your own journey. And having someone to encourage you when you hit bumps in the road is an invaluable asset.
Practice them, even if it's awkward at first. (And it will be.) Keep looking for ways to use those talents. When a volunteer opportunity arises, consider it against what energizes you and what you do well. If it's not a match, ask for another role or make one up! I do that all the time in things I'm involved in, and it makes for a richer event/project when everyone's investing their gifts well.

As you learn and live your life purpose, your own weaknesses can seem like a major distraction. Check out this 3 min video for a little inspiration there!

(If unable to view this in your email or reader, click the post title to view directly on my site.)

Do you believe you have a deeper purpose? What might you do today to step into it more fully?

- Laurie

(Photo Source)

2 Questions That Make Any Relationship Great

2012-03-07T23:06:00.000-08:00

"If we treat people as they are, we make them worse. If we treat people as they ought to be, we help them become what they are capable of becoming.”
—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Six years ago my husband walked into the kitchen when he got home from work and said something that almost blew up our marriage:

"Honey, let's rearrange the kitchen cabinets. What if we put the glasses in this one? And..."

The glass whizzing by his face interrupted him.

"6 p.m., dinner on the stove, preschool WWF ensuing, and a crying baby wrapped in a sling around my torso, and the man wants to add a task to my life?" I fumed.

He was lucky only one glass came his way just then. His suggestion seemed so insensitive, so clueless, so hurtful to a mom of 2 then-foster kids who was still trying to figure out which way was up.

It was God's grace that within the week, a friend at church pointed me toward the idea of living our strengths. I read a book on that and did some work to figure out my own strengths over the coming weeks. And something miraculous happened. I realized my husband must have strengths too!

(Yeah, I know. How can that be, with the comment about the cabinets? I mean, really??!)

But it was true. And that moment - that realization - saved my marriage. Because it opened my eyes to the two questions that can make any relationship great:

What strength are they trying to live right now?

How can I see it so we're on the same team?

Goethe's quote above says it all: when we see people as they are (or as they appear to be, as was our case), we make them worse. But if we treat them as they ought to be - as if they're coming at us with good intentions - we help them become who they're capable of being. We give them a chance, in their frailties, to be great. And we open our eyes to see God's power working in their weaknesses and goofiness.

When we ask the right questions the relationship can go beyond survive, and truly thrive.

As we learn to join the ones we love (even when we don't like them just then!) to somehow "boast in their weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on them" we help them be amazing, too.

As I started to see my husband's seemingly heartless comments for what they really were - him musing and thinking of ideas, a strength of his - I made an important discovery. Since one of my strengths is "get 'er done. NOW" I heard "let's do this" as "get it done yesterday." Which isn't what he meant at all.

That's where the second question comes in: How can I see it so we're on the same team? Turns out that was simple: ask him "Honey, is this a fully baked (ie. "get 'er done!") idea? Or a pondering?" It shocked me how many times he answered the latter. And over time, I learned to relax when he thought out loud. To see it as his mind and heart working as God designed - a beautiful gift of creativity and imagination (and gracious forgiveness for my hot-headedness!).

Some will read this and immediately think, "No, this won't work. You don't understand. That person isn't actually good, and they've hurt me deeply." And that's true. None of us are good like God's good.* This one may not deserve a place in your inner circle right now if their choices and behavior aren't lined up with God's heart.

But that doesn't stop you from thinking in line with these questions. It just might mean that being on their team means holding the line with some strong boundaries and natural consequences for their behavior.

For the rest of your relationships,

I dare you to start asking these two powerful questions today.

It might just unlock the connections that you long for, like it has for me.

-Laurie

*Romans 3:10

You are, truly, perfect. {Don't believe me? Read this.}

2012-03-05T11:54:00.003-08:00

You. Are. Amazing.

Perfect, actually.

God says He knit you together in your mother's womb,* and last time I checked, He doesn't make crappy stuff.

So why do so many of us look at ourselves and say

"Well, He must have made His first mistake on me"?

Every day, I hear and read things from friends - laments about how they relate to God and the world. Fighting who they are, and begging God to make them different.

We all do it. We mistakenly read scripture like the one that says "lay down your life for Christ" and think it means "stop being who I am."

What if who you are is EXACTLY what He meant to create? What if you - like Esther - are here for such a time as this? You and your over thinking, over planning, worrying, intense, big-feelings, nutty self. Made on purpose, to reveal God to the world around you.

In. Your. Weakness.

Not in spite of it. IN it.

Let's test this against Scripture, shall we? What do you read here?

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." - 2 Cor 12:9

Weakness, in the original Greek, refers to our frailty as humans. Ok, we can all agree that's true. What about perfect? What does that mean? It's not flawless, as we might be tempted to read - and as we often think this is asking of us. Nowhere in the Bible does the idea of perfection, when paired with humanity, mean flawless. It means COMPLETE.

Truly, "in Him we live and move and have our being," and "apart from [Him] we can do nothing."**

In Him, we are complete. Lacking nothing. Perfect. Not in spite of our weaknesses. IN them.

It's IN OUR WEAKNESS that this completeness - this perfection - exists.

When God's in our tendency to over think, over analyze, over plan, get too emotionally wrapped up in life, constantly think about the future (or never think about the future!)... His strength shines brightest.

Your weakness - maybe the one that seems to be the most off-the-mark as a Christian - is an opening for the most powerful strength God wants to use in you.

In the past few years as a life coach, I've seen this truth play out in lives over and over again.

Ministries have been born.
Marriages have healed.
Parents of intense kids have new energy in a role that's drained them until now.
Life-draining jobs got ditched and thriving, successful ones replaced them.
Life-draining jobs became life-giving jobs when clients invited God IN-to their weakness instead of asking Him to make them someone else.

These people decided to stop fighting who God made in them, and instead started asking Him:

Why did you make me this way?
What is your vision for this aspect of me?
Would you please fill this part of me with life - with your power - instead of frustration?

It can be a scary shift. To stop fighting yourself and start following God in a weakness. To start letting Him cultivate it as the strength He intended when He built it in to you at the start.

But what power it will unleash in your life! Can you even begin to imagine what God could do when you let Him mentor you in using that innate quality - that thing that comes easy to you, and right now you wish it wouldn't?

Think about it.

Don't waste another day fighting yourself. You're too amazing for that!

-Laurie

If this post sparks your interest, you may want to check out the new coaching group I'm starting soon! Click here for more details.

*Psalm 139:13
**Acts 17:28, John 15:5
(Photo Source)

How Can You Fit Friendship Into Life?

2012-03-01T13:55:00.000-08:00

{Image: "Friendship isn't one big thing, it's a million little things." ~ Author Unknown}

Friendship makes life livable, bearable, semi-understandable and often delightful. Friendship makes... a life. After my last post, and the discussion that day on Moms Together, one of biggest hurdles many mentioned was this: how do I meet a new friend or even make time for "old" ones?

A book club is a great way to do just that. Having a common activity and goal, as well as shared vocabulary around each story, makes connecting with a new friend easier. And combining a relaxing pastime you love with friend-time can ease the "when do I have time?" conundrum.

Please welcome another of Living Power's new guest bloggers - my amazing friend Laura Polk - as she shares about her book club and this month's selection. Let's build some friendships!

~~~~~~~

Isn’t it ~~awful~~ funny how nothing ever turns out like we planned? From the tiny things like making a cake, to the big things like building a family, we are likely surprised with what we get in the end.

The beauty of course, is that the end is a surprise.

And, though our plans may not have played out as we hoped, there is One whose plan is always played out, and always perfect for us.

In this month’s She Reads selection, Far from Here by Nicole Baart, Danica Greene’s life is a well placed plan. After growing up in an unusual family, she finds the perfect husband, Etsell, and is building the perfect life. Though they have their differences, she excuses them as “part of the process of coming together, the way we dulled our sharp edges on each other, made promises we had no intent to keep.” Even as she and her husband drift apart, she remains determined that everything is fine.

But, when his dream opportunity to pilot planes in Alaska for a few weeks presents itself, Etsell readily agrees without consulting Dani. The plane disappears in the rough terrain, leaving Danica’s life turned on a dime as she wonders if he is missing, or has he simply left her?

She Reads would love for you to join us this month as we read and discuss this book together online! We post a reading schedule on the 1st, and begin discussions on the 7’s (7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th). Each month, She Reads offers a featured selection that is as varied as the readers themselves. We make sure to present diverse genres and authors, for a total of twelve books a year.

We connect with fellow readers via our blog, newsletter, local She Reads book clubs, and –my favorite—the online book club which allows you to read and discuss at your own pace. (Ok, it’s my favorite because I lead it, but still.) Oh yeah—did I mention we have awesome giveaways? Check in each month as our featured book’s publisher often has fun and generous surprises to share!
You can find us at SheReads.org.

About Laura
Laura Polk has a passion for bringing other women closer to Christ through stories that speak truth to their lives. Her blog DesignHer Faith strives to do just that. She leads the online book club at She Reads, is the Friday host at Moms Together on facebook, and tweets at @laurapolk. She is also a co-founder and regular contributor at Samie Sisters, a ministry for tween girls of faith. She lives in eastern North Carolina with her husband, three children, a dog whose tongue is too large to fit in her mouth, and a lengthy black snake in the crawl space (please kill it).

~~~~~~~

Are you ready to invest in regular time or activities with friends? It might seem like an impossibility, but really, we spend time on lots of things that don't fill us up with the good stuff in life. Maybe for you it's checking out Laura's group at She Reads. Maybe it's a monthly girl's night with friends at a local restaurant. Whatever that looks like for you, I hope you'll take the risk with your time and energy to invest in friends. After all, don't we all know, deep down, this truth:

"My friends are my estate." - Emily Dickinson

In friendship,
~Laurie

(Photo Source)