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El-Elyon (God Most High) (Devotion Week #4)

Woman sitting on rock looking over sea thinking about El-Elyon

I’ve been publishing these weekly devotional thoughts and prayers for women on my blog to encourage your heart thru the Easter season, reminding you how deeply your Lord loves you–directing your thoughts toward the names & characteristics of your God. Today’s name of God is, “El-Elyon.” Here’s the link to the first ones. 

Question:

Feeling lonely? Overcome with life? Where do you go when your life feels out of control? When you don’t know where to turn. When all have turned away and you stand alone, forsaken, confused, and angry.Way too often we turn to a friend or to food or our favorite addiction, rather than to El-Elyon, The God Most High.

Are you learning, with me, to turn to the only One who can truly fill that empty void you feel?

But God…

Those two little words are a powerful reminder. All would be lost, but God… HE is the everlasting help you are searching for in those wee hours of the morning when all the world seems to be caving in and you feel absolute utter loneliness.

El-Elyon

I’m asking God to bless you right now, as you read this. That you will find Him whom your heart seeks. That He will fill that void. That He will become more personal to you than He has ever been before in your life. You are created for more than you can think or imagine. Embrace that fact. Is it possible to get ahold of your emotions? YES! Let’s learn TOGETHER. It is time to turn yourself over to El-Elyon and trust that He leads you into His best life for you. Surrender is not a curse word 😉

I’d like to pray for you right now…

Father, we women are guilty of trying to be Super Women. We hate to ask for help. We think in order to be worthy, that we have to be able to “do it all” without missing a beat. We pretend to have it all together.

Yet, You have not created this lovely woman to go it alone. Those early morning, late night times when the world seems to be caving in on her…when she feels like no one cares…and she longs for a knight in shining armor to rescue her and take care of her. How delightful that is exactly what YOU do as El Elyon. You are that One she longs for. And ONLY YOU will fill the void.

Thank you for the times she stumbles and feels empty, because it actually drives her to seek answers. Please help her actually FEEL the change when she surrenders and looks to YOU and only You, to fill the void. Whenever she starts to murmur or complain, remind her to run to her El Elyon, The God Most High, over all things and all people. Help her to trust in Your Name and give thanks.

“…in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
(I Thessalonians 5:18)

You have said that nothing can happen without your permission. And that You work everything together for good for those that love you. (Romans 8). satan can only go as far as you give him permission. And people can only go as far as you give them permission. The story of Joseph and his jealous brothers proves that. You, God, through circumstances beyond his control, used mean-spirited people to get Joseph exactly where you wanted him to be, to do exactly what you wanted him to do. No doubt he felt that utter loneliness we women often feel when the house is quiet and we finally go to bed for the night, and try to sleep. In those times when sleep won’t come, because we forgot you are most definitely there through it all. That NOTHING can happen without your permission. Remind her to give thanks in all things…That is a powerful antidote to discouragement.

Remind her of Job in the Old Testament. satan said to God that Job only obeyed him because his life was so wonderful. God knew otherwise, so he gave permission to satan to see that for himself. Even Job’s wife suggested that Job just give up and die. She even told him to curse God and die. But Job’s response is classic and is excellent for you to remember right now as you prepare yourself to turn to El-Elyon yourself, in all things…

Father, quickly remind this amazing woman when she is tempted to go her own way. Draw her immediately back to you. When she tries to manipulate and dominate the situation that is causing her stress. You are her TRUE El-Elyon. With you, all is well. Help her to trust you more deeply.

You see. You care. You are in the midst of it all with her. Remind her to be like Job in her response “…shall I accept good from God and not accept adversity?” In all this, Job did not sin with his lips.” (The story is in Job 2:1-10) Guard our lips Lord. Our ears hear when we grumble and our mind then believes the worst we are speaking.

Now what?

During this season of celebrating the death, burial, resurrection and ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, do you need help reasoning it all out so you can accept the absolute truth that God is Sovereign Ruler over the universe? Over ALL! “For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his Kingdom endures from generation to generation…He does according to His will in the Host of Heaven and among the inhabitants of earth. No one can ward off His hand or say to Him, ‘What have You done?’” (Daniel 4:34-35)

“If God is not Sovereign, if He is not in control, if all things are not under His dominion, then He is not the Most High, and you and I are either in the hands of fate, (whatever that is), in the hands of men, or in the hands of the devil.” –Kay Arthur

Acknowledge & accept the King of Kings, as your El-Elyon In acceptance lies peace. He can be that for you! I’d love to help you find that acceptance and that peace. You can contact me by clicking on the blue”Let’s Connect” button below.

Continue to Devotion Week #5 – Elohim (The Creator)

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Let's Connect!Until next time,
Awaiting His shout,
pam_signature-c49a6c

Christian Life Coach
Leading from Your Strengths Mentor
www.loavesandfishescoaching.com

Filed under: Christian Life Coaching,Spiritual Life — Tags: , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

Just for You

Happy New Year

 

Why do I write? Because I MUST. Because the Lord who has blessed me so abundantly with His love, compels me. I want everyone to know Him like He has allowed me to know Him. He is my constant companion. And I live to bring Him joy by obeying what He has called me to do. What He has gifted me to do: To encourage you!

We have so much to celebrate, leaving 2020 behind and going into 2021. Let’s start with this: Jesus was born for you! But don’t just listen to me. God said it first!

“…there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” – Luke 2:11b

“Regardless of who you are or where you’ve been; what you’ve done or not done; whether you’re rich, poor, young, or old; whether you’ve been “naughty or nice”…

“Jesus was born just for you!“ *

The weaker I get, the stronger I become

The Lord tells us that His strength is made perfect in our weakness. That is not the way we naturally think.

God’s ways are definitely NOT our ways

That’s why we need so much time in Scripture. To get to know Him. And how He relates to His creation. You and me! To begin to sense His true heart about everything in our lives. What brings Him pleasure and what makes Him sad.

Stepping stones

Life is hard. And 2020 has had unique challenges. But God is bigger than all that. There truly is joy when we embrace our problems as stepping stones to a closer walk with God. To go from knowing about Him, to actually knowing HIM. He is real and He desires a living deep relationship with you.

The storms of life

They help us realize what needs repair in our lives. They change our priorities. They change our thinking. They change our focus. They change our actions.

Have you experienced that to be true?

When you admit to Him that you are weak and need His help, do you sense that you are then strong in Christ? To God be the glory! His ways are NOT our ways. But His ways are best because we are His creation (I’m glad God thought you up!) And He knows what will bring us the greatest satisfaction and inner joy.

Jesus was born for YOU! Invite Him in to be your Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Amen? Amen!

Let me know how I can help you make this a reality in your life, OR how I can help you grow in the DEPTH of your commitment and relationship with the Lord. God bless you bunches, as you journey toward our real & eternal home…Heaven. Where Jesus has gone to prepare a place for His followers. Will I see you there?


* Anchor devotional Dec. 24, 2020

Jimmy Learns about Life

Join Jimmy and his mama in this lighthearted book of character traits for kids. Jimmy is your average 7-year-old. He is going through life, having fun, and learning a lot along the way. Through mishaps, ministry, and more, Jimmy learns that there’s more to life than first impressions. Each chapter of this book contains a character trait Jimmy learns during teachable moments of life.

Jimmy Learns about Life by Pamela A. Taylor

Let's Connect!Until next time,
Awaiting His shout,
pam_signature-c49a6c

Christian Life Coach
Leading from Your Strengths Mentor
www.loavesandfishescoaching.com

Filed under: Christian Life Coaching — Tags: , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:14 am

Benefits of Positive Persuasion

Three women talking and laughing
I am learning about persuasion and perspective from Scott Adams, author and podcaster. In one podcast, I remember that he shared in an interview about one of his pivotal memories. Here is of what I heard him say…

Dale Carnegie

Scott was in a Dale Carnegie training event. They were all strangers to each other and only knew what had been spoken during the training. And yet, the facilitator gave them an “impossible” assignment to write a compliment on separate pieces of paper, for each member of the class. One person complained that they simply didn’t know enough to compliment each other. Nevertheless, the assignment was required.

It seemed dumb

The compliments could not possibly be sincere, because there was no real knowledge about each other.

The next day

So, they each turned in their packet of compliments (one for each person in the class). Then one day, in the mail, each received the pile of “compliments” from their classmates. He was skeptical, and yet imagine Scott’s surprise that with each one he read (even the surface-y ones), he felt his confidence growing. They each had an impact for good, even though he KNEW they couldn’t be heartfelt because they simply did not even really KNOW anything about each other.

Imagine with me

If all that is possible in a secular setting, imagine with me what is possible with God at the center…

Strengths Coaching

I’m a strengths coach. As a coach, I don’t try to FIX you. And we don’t blame others for how things turned out for you in your life. Rather, we look realistically at today. The past is past. You can never have a better past, so NOW WHAT? Let’s work on what you can do today.

Forward Thinking

I help you discover, through a Ministry Insights, Leading From Your Strengths, assessment, what your God-given strengths are. Then, I help you learn to recognize others’ strengths, (like when Scott’s classmates were looking for things to compliment about each other).

The world wants to beat you down and point out what is wrong with you. The world wants to have you concentrate on strengthening your weaknesses. That is like looking at the world through someone else’s glasses. That just makes us a bunch of unfocused, ineffective, partially successful people. God has a better plan. He wants you to look at what is right and good and noteworthy in yourself. And in others. Through coaching, you can learn how it all fits together like the pieces in a puzzle.

It seemed dumb

In my coach training, and my previous training in counseling, we too did exercises similar to what Scott speaks of in his Dale Carnegie course. I can remember an assignment that seemed dumb. We broke down into twos and we asked each other what was called “the powerful question”. It’s used when people are STUCK and can’t move forward. It seemed dumb because we all knew what the question was, so I remember thinking, it would not work on me. I know others felt the same way. Both in counseling and then in my coaching classes, too. And yet, it worked! What about you?

Are you struggling in an area?

Maybe you just don’t know what to do about something in your life!

The powerful question is:

“So…If you DID know what to do, what would it be?”

That question, should not work, and yet it does! EVERY TIME! It worked when I was being coached and it works now. It works when you don’t know it is coming and it works when you do know it is coming. Just like the “compliments assignment’’ in the Dale Carnegie courses. It should not work, and yet it does! EVERY TIME!

It unlocks the brain

Questions like that actually unlock your brain from what has impacted it negatively by life and disasters and relationships. Your brain has believed it must be different than God’s design. A brain impacted by a kinda scary world gone nutty lately. So, these assignments in positive persuasion have amazing potential to unlock your brain, and to open you up to possibilities.  To inner joy and peace. To embracing who God created you to be.

Because God says in the Bible…

Philippians 4:13 (KJV) “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.”

Mark 10:27b (KJV) “… for with God all things are possible.”

Mark 9:23 (JV) “Jesus said unto him, if thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”

Let me know when you want to find out more about your own possibilities.

Maranatha!
Come Lord Jesus!

God bless you bunches!

Let's Connect!Awaiting His shout,
pam_signature-c49a6c

Christian Life Coach
Leading from Your Strengths Mentor
www.loavesandfishescoaching.com

Filed under: Personality Strengths and Weaknesses — Tags: , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

Busted By God

Distributing Communion

It happens to me frequently

(On those occasions, I usually only tell my very closest friends about the details, so because we are getting to be pretty good friends after all this time, I decided it was time to share one of these stories with you.)

Normally, the cause is:

I get a good idea and I spend a lot of time organizing and thinking of every possible scenario and then someone or something prevents it going forward and so I’ll find myself “clearing” with a good friend rather than talking to God about it; and so…since He is listening to my conversations anyway, I get a check in my spirit. Hence…the Busted by God idea. Yup! He lets me know that He’s listening. Is He being mean? No! God is never mean-spirited! He’s just letting me know He loves me and wants what’s best for me! He feels that way about you, too!

One step further

One Saturday, God went a step further…and I love it when this happens! He is intimately involved in every detail of my life. I know that. But it’s really cool when He verifies that love in tangible ways. Ways I can’t ignore. That morning, I had prayed “Lord Jesus, speak to me. I’m ready to listen and eager to obey.”

Grumbling and complaining

It didn’t take me long. Later in the same day, I was on the phone sadly describing a disappointment to a friend and got that check in my spirit and continued to talk anyway. Someone had hurt me and I wanted sympathy. Suddenly, I realized it was nearly time to get to the church, since I was scheduled to assist with communion. So, I rushed off the phone to go get myself dressed and out the door.

Then, I heard that check in my spirit again and thought of my morning prayer, but I was short on time to talk with my Father and to hear what He had to say, so I rushed to the table where my Bible and study tools were still open from the morning. And grabbed up Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest all the while praying for God to “give me a word” that would direct my heart to Him and away from my complaints. So…he did just that!

Taking the lazy way out

I did what is known as “The Open Window Method”…open anywhere and expect God to speak. It’s normally just a lazy way to grab anything. I know. I know. Yes, I was taking the lazy way out. But speak He did! (I LOVE THIS!) I happened to open to June 17. (Click the date for updated version. I have the older version.) The title was “The Uncritical Temper”. And the verse at the top was: “Judge not that ye be not judged.” (Matthew 7:1) I laughed right out loud. Yup! Busted by God! Because He loves me. So, my eyes fell down the page and focused on something I had previously highlighted: “There is always one fact more in every man’s case about which we know nothing…I have never met the man I could despair of after discerning what lies in me apart from the grace of God.”

Is that cool, or what?!

Remember I was on my way to serve communion. It would NOT have been OK to have pride and criticism in my heart. It is never OK, but my heart was feeling the sense of urgency that could not be put off. Rather, I had opportunity to confess on my way there and to receive the forgiveness and cleansing promised.

That was just the beginning

If you think that was the end of my Father’s lesson to me that evening, you are wrong. He gave me an opportunity to see if I took the lesson to heart…or had it merely been head knowledge.

Rebuked

It was time to collect the offering. And, as I passed along the offering plate, a lady with great disdain on her face corrected me (it was so animated that everyone else knew what was happening). She had rebuked me for the way I was serving. Ahhh. I remembered my lesson. I had told God that morning that I was ready to listen. And I did. I felt His love. And I let Him love her by using me….and praying silently for her to be blessed. (BTW, I also prayed for Him to remind her that she, too, was about to take communion…just in case He was so busy with me that He forgot about her. 🙂 )

There is yet another part of this…

It’s the part that happened after church. I walked over to her and thanked her for her help and told her that next time I would try to remember to do what she had suggested. That was definitely God loving her by using me. I would not have thought of doing that on my own.

Being Busted by God is a good thing! And when you are His child, it feels like LOVE!

Have you ever had a time that you were Busted by God?

Maranatha!
Come Lord Jesus!

God bless you bunches!

Let's Connect!Awaiting His shout,
pam_signature-c49a6c

Christian Life Coach
Leading from Your Strengths Mentor
www.loavesandfishescoaching.com

Filed under: Spiritual Life — Tags: — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

Virus Survival Ideas: Let’s Get Practical

Cross in front of a parking lot

Our world is in a mess

And yet, I am encouraged. Odd? Let’s look at what is going on. Everywhere we look, things are changing. Like the picture here, even church parking lots are empty. Life is confusing and a bit difficult to navigate. All things are different than they were even just a couple months ago. We pray. We order supplies. We try to encourage those around us. We have to find new ways to do everything that needs doing. And all while practicing “Social Distancing”.

It can be easy to get distracted

“Faith feels. But feelings can never produce faith…Faith knows God truly but not fully.” (Anchor Devotional March 2020). We cannot know what God knows in the way that God knows it. We do what we can do and we leave to God what only God can do. We put our faith in what Jesus has already done; and we put our HOPE in Him.

The feet of faith is HOPE

Yes. When we feel fearful, we remember we put our faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and ONLY in Jesus Christ. In times like these, when it is a bit scary, we remember. It’s a journey. One step at a time. HOPE is what makes us long for His return. It is like watching out a window for a loved one to return. We wait.

What an amazing time to be alive

It is all so hard, and yet, when we look below the surface, Philippians reminds us that God truly is working all things for good… but, we are also reminded that that working for good is conditional. That promise is for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. This is a great time to re-evaluate our relationship with God.

We are coming up on the Palm Sunday/Easter weeks in the United States. Such a special season for the Followers of the Way.

The issue of faith is not so much whether we believe in God, but whether we believe the God we believe in.
– R. C. Sproul

What do we do while we wait?

O that Christians would learn to live with one eye on Christ crucified and the other on His coming Glory. –Richard Baxter

The Easter season. Passover. Remember I said in the first sentence that I am encouraged? Here’s how and why:  As followers of Christ, we are victors; and part of being a victor is making well-thought out choices. So…

As we sit in our homes and model the faith for our children and try not to worry during this “Pandemic”, we can make some important and lasting choices…

Let’s get practical. Here’s some things I’ve been doing & you can too:

  • Anoint the doorposts with olive oil (Praying for the protection of our homes by the Blood of Jesus Christ. Remembering Passover.)
  • Memorize Psalm 100 (Such a joyous psalm.) And speaking it out loud often.
  • Create acronyms of Names/Attributes of God ( A – Z) You can even make a game of it. Or a poster. Together.
  • I made posters for each room of my apartment. I wrote: S M I L E and a big happy face under the word (I was forgetting to smile).
  • Tired of singing the 20 second happy birthday song, I learned an alternative from mcleanbible.org . (To be sure I washed my hands long enough to get rid of the germs. AND to keep my focus on God.) I put it on an index card that I placed where I wash my hands.

Here’s what it says:

(Jesus said) “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.
Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
– Matthew 28:18b-20 (NAS)

I’m praying for you as I am typing this.
Keep looking UP, brave warrior. The Lord is on your side!

Let me know how you are doing. I really want to know.

Let's Connect!Awaiting His shout,
pam_signature-c49a6c

Christian Life Coach
Leading from Your Strengths Mentor
www.loavesandfishescoaching.com

Filed under: Christian Life Coaching — Tags: , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

Are You Good Enough?

Woman standing next to a wall.

If you are like me, there have been times when you have felt like a failure & unfit for God to use. Maybe this winter or some other circumstance is draining you of joy. Maybe you are weary of feeling NOT good enough. Let’s take a look at God’s list of “losers” …

  • Noah got DRUNK.
  • Abraham was too OLD.
  • Jacob was a LIAR.
  • Gideon was AFRAID.
  • Rahab was A PROSTITUTE.
  • Jeremiah and Timothy were considered TOO YOUNG.
  • David had an AFFAIR.
  • Moses was a MURDERER.
  • Elijah was SUICIDAL at one point.
  • Jonah RAN FROM GOD.
  • Peter DENIED CHRIST.
  • The Disciples FELL ASLEEP while PRAYING.
  • The Samaritan Woman WAS DIVORCED five times.
  • Timothy had AN ULCER.
  • John the Baptist ATE BUGS.
  • And Lazarus WAS DEAD!

So what’s your excuse?

(The list was from: Greg Laurie “A New Beginning” )

Joy sometimes needs pain to give it birth

God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things. That is actually good news because we are ALL ordinary people. God chooses what the world calls “losers” and “failures” and shows us how to be “fit for the Master’s use”. Let us not confound physical weariness with spiritual weakness. During a season of testing, God wants most to prove His faithfulness to you. It’s not who you are that matters. It’s who God is! It’s not what you can do; it’s what GOD can do! It’s not what you know; it’s WHO you know: GOD! God does not call the enabled. He enables the called.

The above list is just a few Biblical examples to encourage you. You can be healed from your past (every one of us has things in our past we wish we had done differently.) With Him, you CAN be fit for the Master’s use. You (and I) are not good enough. But HE is!!! Now THAT is really, really “GOOD NEWS”!!!

No matter where you are in your life with God,

HE is qualifying you for his service. He can even use the mistakes you have made to help others. So, choose to allow Him to do that!

God will not look you over for medals, degrees or diplomas, but for scars. — Elbert Hubbard

The Lord is your strength

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise Him.” – Psalm 28:7

Nehemiah said: “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

A joyful heart causes good healing.

“A joyful heart promotes healing; but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” — Proverbs 17:22

Two peoetple leaping at suns

When you feel you have no strength to go on.

When you feel like a loser. When you are weary of the battle to survive. When you think everyone has forgotten you. Rise up, O woman of God. CHOOSE JOY! Your Savior will redeem the locust eaten YEARS and use you in the midst of all that He is accomplishing.

Surrender to the One who loves you above all others. Jesus Christ, THE LORD!!!

Teamwork

Let’s start TOGETHER this journey of discovery of your strengths and God’s plan for you. Let’s find the path to your EMBRACING your strengths and then LIVING them to the fullest. BE who God created you to be. He has a plan and YOU are part of that plan. Just click the button to connect.

Until next time…

Let's Connect!
Awaiting His shout,
pam_signature-c49a6c

Christian Life Coach
Leading from Your Strengths Mentor
www.loavesandfishescoaching.com

Filed under: Christian Life Coaching — Tags: , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

Coincidence??

Blocking out God

I was just thinking how often I just push through rather than choosing worship. I get in a zone—blocking out everything—even God!

Mini-Crisis

More often than not, at those times, some sort of mini-crisis arises and God uses it to get my attention, so He can bless me with an awareness of His involvement in my life.

Waiting for a phone call

Today was one of those times. I waited for a landline call that never came. I pondered for a few minutes, deciding what to do about the missed call.

Stuck

Since I write a weekly newsletter/blog, sometimes I get stuck figuring out what to write about. This was one of those weeks.

While I waited for the call to come in, I began to praise and worship the Lord. Then, Clarity! I KNEW what I would write. And I created the perfect piece for the need. I was UNstuck!

I had been STUCK…UNinspired. I had been pushing through the day from one thing to the next. Not stopping to worship. AND…Not able to put words on a page.

Cell Phone Backup

And then my cell phone rang. It was a friend that had been also trying to reach me through my landline. She informed me it was not working (this is not good news when you do your business from home…on the phone!)

Sudden Realization

I knew why the calls had not come through. I had a block of time that was uninterrupted and I was able to concentrate and create. And, the phone was again working! Coincidence?

Question:

What brings you closest to God in worship?

Click the Blue Button..

So we can arrange a time for you to call my landline. It is working now. 🙂

Until Next Time,

God bless you bunches!
Let's Connect!
Awaiting His shout,
pam_signature-c49a6c

Christian Life Coach
Leading from Your Strengths Mentor
www.loavesandfishescoaching.com

Filed under: Christian Life Coaching — Tags: , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

The Blessing of Encouragers

An encourager can help you find your voice.

What does that mean?

Each of us has a unique way of expressing ourselves. We are not created to be a carbon copy of another. What we believe that we “ought” to be able to do can sometimes cause a type of emotional or spiritual paralysis and/or an inability to move forward. Finding your voice comes from discovering your strengths. And then using them to grow stronger and more confident each day. It is YOU being YOU. The God-given you. The you that Creator God chose for you to be.

Encouragement is a two-sided coin

It actually is the Spiritual Gift of Exhortation. It is more than encouraging the discouraged or afflicted. The other side of that coin is afflicting the comfortable. Think of the many prophets that displayed that second side of the coin: Afflicting of the comfortable. Think of King David and the Prophet Nathan: “YOU are that man!”

The King’s Speech movie

“When England’s throne is suddenly thrust upon him, amidst royal family scandal and impending world war, King George VI must overcome a lifelong, debilitating speech impediment to lead his nation.”
– from the back of the DVD cover

King George VI’s wife

Elizabeth adored her husband and was an absolute rock of support and encouragement to him. She believed with all her heart that her husband could overcome his speech impediment. He was a stutterer. She had great compassion and continually tried to find someone to help her husband to find his voice and move forward. She was like the first side of the coin (encouraging the discouraged and afflicted king, her husband). He trusted and adored her.

The Speech Therapist

The King’s wife found and enlisted the help of an eccentric man, who had been highly effective with soldiers returning from war, helping them to recover and rehabilitate. But, this speech therapist was the other side of the coin type of encourager. He was a true exhorter. He afflicted the comfortable King. He challenged him. He was absolutely devoted to the king. But, he refused to “baby” him or make excuses for him. He absolutely believed the king could overcome his affliction.

True friends help you overcome your fears

The king (Bertie) and his speech coach (Lionel) learned to trust each other and became great and loyal friends to each other. “…the two men forge an unlikely friendship that will ultimately empower the monarch to find his voice, inspire his people and rally the world.”
– from the back of the DVD cover

Sometimes pain precedes the healing

The King had resigned himself that no one could truly help him. He was thoroughly discouraged. He felt inadequate to lead the nation. And yet, we see it took both sides of the coin to help someone so deeply damaged by his past care-takers and father. People who should have helped him, actually shamed him! And that made him go deeper into the fear of failure.

Who has helped you find YOUR voice?

A Christian life coach is a lot like the speech coach that helped the king find his voice. Sometimes we will be one side of that coin. Sometimes, the other side of the coin, but ALWAYS with the goal of challenging you to achieve the greatness God had in mind when He created you. We work alongside God to help you find your strength…you wholeness. All for the purpose of greater peace and joy.

God bless you bunches!
Let's Connect!
Awaiting His shout,
pam_signature-c49a6c

Christian Life Coach
Leading from Your Strengths Mentor
www.loavesandfishescoaching.com

Filed under: Christian Life Coaching,Personality Strengths and Weaknesses — Tags: , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

Are You On a Merry-Go-Round? I’m Still Grinning :-)

Have you ever had them ruin your day? You know…the people in charge that have power to grant your request or not to.

Them. The ones that don’t really care about you personally. You know what I’m talking about.

The Carnival was in town this last week.

For three years they have told me I couldn’t ride a horse on the merry-go-round. I could sit on one of the benches but not ride one of the horses.

Hmrmph! NOT my idea of riding the merry-go-round!!! So I said no thank you.

Riding the merry-go-round horses has been a pleasant childhood memory. So being told no made me sad each year.

But I knew there was nothing I could do to change the mind of them.

I am not the adventuresome type, so this is the only ride I will even consider going on. (I know. I know.)

Funny, how important it became to me.

Well, THIS year, they changed their minds.

WHY did they change their minds?

GOD used a friend who knows the owners.  He went to them and told them my story. My disappointment.

merry-go-round-web

Have you ever wondered about God’s love for you personally? Whether He cares about the little things in YOUR life?

You’ve heard it said, “It pays to know people in high places.” Here’s proof. Look what OUR God did…

This is just one small story about how intimately God is involved in our lives. How much He wants to bless us.

Sometimes He makes us wait three years. Sometimes it is immediate. But the answer and the timing is ALWAYS from the hand of a Loving Creator God.

God cares about every single silly little thing that matters to us.

He delights to delight His children with tangible proof of His love!

And in this case, His child is me.

I’m still grinning…

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I thought you might enjoy another post about the town where I live:
Are You Living An Orchestra Life?

Filed under: Christian Life Coaching — Tags: , — Pam Taylor @ 7:09 pm

What’s Wrong With This Picture?

lindsay-baby-airport-web

Put yourself in this Mom’s place. Traveling alone with a baby.

Look closely and then tell me…What’s “wrong” with this picture? Maybe “wrong” isn’t the “right” word. Maybe “unusual” is the right word.

I’m pretty sure this would not be what I would look like if I were at a major airport, ready to travel a number of hours with my baby on a plane…ALONE! What about you?

Here is what is (wrong/unusual) = remarkable: She is smiling! She is a real, live person and she is smiling! And at peace! How did that happen?

Lindsay sent me this picture. It inspired me so much that I asked her if I could use it on my website. I figured if it inspired me, it would inspire you, too. (I’m passionate about helping Overwhelmed Moms find their way out of the fog. And this picture speaks volumes!!!) And then…when I heard her response, I just had to share it with you right away.

Because…here’s something else that is remarkable about this Mom: Her response was “Yes…but…I wasn’t overwhelmed.” WOW! She wasn’t overwhelmed??? Astounding!!!

What do you suppose was Lindsay’s secret?

Lindsay had a plan. She had spent the days leading up to this day (as she prepared to move to another continent in a few short weeks) speaking God’s promises out loud to herself as she packed and as she took care of her baby. Her husband was far away…on another continent because of his work. It was unavoidable. This was a fog she was going to have to find her way through without her husband’s help. She wanted to be victorious, even though her life was in an uproar! But you would not know it to look at her, would you?! She had chosen the HIGHER ROAD.

Life is a series of choices. Flesh or Spirit. Which will rule? Which will we “feed”? The Spirit or the flesh?

This Mom had chosen to listen to praise music even though the things in her life were in chaos. While helpers were shouting questions at her. While she had to make a ton of last minute decisions. While she had to remember to eat. While she had to remember to change the diapers and nurse the baby. While movers came and went. While her apartment looked more like a war-zone than a home…with all the sorting and packing materials all around. Lindsay had chosen to have God on the throne, rather than let her feelings rule her. She did what she could do. She fed her Spirit Soul food and it nourished her to the point that her countenance would actually shine! You can see that for yourself!

She did what she could and left the rest to God. He likes that! 🙂

lindsay-baby-cropShe is an amazing woman. She is one of my favorite people and I wanted to share a bit of her story with you. I pray it inspires you to take the time to stop, drop and pray. To remember that nothing is too big for God to handle. IF we let Him.  She made a conscious choice to meditate on the promises of God. To feed her soul with music. Not just any music. She chose music that nourishes and exalts God. Proving: You definitely are what you “eat”. His Word (the Bible) is her nourishment. AND…Praises helped her rise above her circumstances. God has a plan and she followed it. And this is the result!

Please take time to comment and let us know what this has stirred up in you. And please also share stories of times when God’s Spirit has ruled and you, too, have been victorious in a difficult circumstance. We would love to hear from you. And as Lindsay prepares to move from her familiar surroundings, your remarks could be perfect timing and have the same effect on her to encourage her to keep looking UP because GOD is BIG.

“My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to accomplish His work,” Jesus said. (John 4:34 NAS)

{{Lindsay Nichols Estes has a message for women in transition. She walks her talk and more often than not, she comes forth trusting God’s promises. She knows the secret of success. If you are in transition, and want a coach to walk through it with you, you can find her here: http://www.linkedin.com/in/lindsaynicholsestes }}

Filed under: Spiritual Life — Tags: , — Pam Taylor @ 7:45 pm
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