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My Prayer For You This Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving from Loaves and Fishes Coaching

 

My prayer for you this THANKSGIVING:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

I am reminded of one of the first sermons I actually HEARD. The pastor said “If all we receive is our salvation, it should be enough.” Amen? Amen!

So, this Thanksgiving, as we remember all that the Lord has blessed us with, may we begin with gratitude for our salvation. All else is OVERFLOW.

And, as with the cornucopia, may your overflow flow over to all you meet each and every day from now until you see Jesus face-to-face.

In Jesus’ Name!

Be blessed to be a blessing!

Thank you for all you do.

My Father: Experiencing God's Love A-Z

Pamela Taylor invites you to join her in this interactive acrostic devotional journal designed to draw you into the extremely personal and abundant love God has waiting for you. Experience the "Just ask..." of His love for you!

My Father: Experiencing God's Love from A-Z by Pamela A. Taylor

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,Spiritual Life,Strengths Mentor Coach — Tags: , , , , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

God, Where Are You?

Homeless Man in Subway

The disciples wanted to know the answer to that question. They thought they had it all figured out.
Their Savior (from the Romans) had arrived and would conquer their enemy. But, then He died. He left them. Why? Why did He leave them? How could they ever go on without Him? How could they have been so wrong about Him? He died! And worse yet, they thought someone must have stolen His body from the tomb! They were lost. They were purposeless. Can you relate? I know I can!

And then, He appeared ALIVE in their midst

“The touching part of this story is where and how Jesus appears…He doesn’t call the disciples to the temple, or to some other place to see Him. He comes to them where they are, both literally and spiritually. He shows them that He’d kept His promises.” – Anchor devo, July 2022

I love that Jesus meets us where we are, just as we are. No pretense. In real life right where we are, spiritually and literally.

Object lessons

God is faithful to send object lessons along the way in order to solidify any lessons He is currently teaching us. Often, for me, it comes in the form of a song, a devotional, a comment from a friend, a radio Bible lesson, or a movie. And often, it comes in all of those things one after another. I guess I am a bit dense, so He has to repeat His messages to me in multiple ways. THIS week, it is about God meeting me right where I am.

Movie title

The title of this post is actually the title of a movie I watched this week: God, Where Are You? The man—the subject of the story–had been on top of the word. Famous. Rich. With lots of “friends” and admirers. And then his world totally fell apart and he was homeless, filthy, hungry, and absolutely alone.

Kindness reminders

The movie is actually a great reminder of our mission on earth. To help those God sends our way to see that God does indeed meet us right where we are. Everyone. Always. We don’t have to wait to be (almost) perfect, in order to help others (as we discussed last week in the post.) To LISTEN to their story. To feed them when they are hungry. To NOT TAKE OFFENSE when they get angry with our lame attempts to help. To be PATIENT with them in their inability to trust that we don’t have a hidden agenda in our helping them. There are so many lessons in this movie. I hope you will take the time to find it online and watch it with an open heart to what God might be teaching you through it. We all need kindness reminders that God is in our midst. Always. Sometimes the smallest act is exactly what is needed to begin a mindset shift.

A dark tunnel

One of the characters is a woman that had found her way out of the dark tunnel of homelessness. Malachi encourages each of his “customers” (as he refers to them) to keep a gratefulness journal and to write down each thing that BY CHOICE they are grateful for. This woman had learned “Being grateful for all that I have is the biggest step to get away from what I didn’t have”.

It reminded me of life coaching. Yes, it is important to look at the past because it made us what we are today, but it is important to not stay there. Rather, to look to the present and what we can be grateful for and then to look forward to what is possible. To NOT GIVE UP!

We CAN. With JESUS

So when we ask: “God, where are you?” He responds: “I am right here with you every moment. Look for Me and you will find Me!”

All things are possible…

ALL things are possible. All THINGS are possible. All things ARE possible. All things are POSSIBLE. Always! To God be the Glory! Don’t give up!

Gratefulness Journal

Those of you who know me well, know that I have kept an Ebenezer (Thus far God has led me) Journal every since I went through a very difficult crossroads. It can be like throwing a life raft to a drowning person. To choose to walk in an attitude of gratitude and keep a gratefulness journal to read when you go through dry seasons…as a reminder of what He has done and so will do again! To help those God sends our way, to see that God does indeed meet us right where we are. Everyone. Always. Whether we realize it or not. HE is faithful. We don’t have to wait to be (almost) perfect…We can start today…

Amen? So be it!

Discover Living From Your Strengths (LFYS) Life Changing Mentor Coaching.

Do you have questions? Through the Ministry Insights assessment, you will Discover your strengths. And then, through mentor coaching, you will learn how to daily Embrace and Live out your strengths. You can contact me by clicking on the blue button beside the signature line. Or leave me a private message on Facebook.

Leading from Your Strengths

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,Spiritual Life,Strengths Mentor Coach — Tags: , , , , , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

Legendary Super Hero.

My Dad was a legendary super hero. He was also a single parent. That’s part of what makes him a super hero. Parenting is tough. Single parenting is tougher!

He used to say, “When my ship comes in, with my luck, I’ll be at the airport!” Then he always laughed! (My Mom’s medical bills had undoubtedly taken a toll on the bank account.) In my eyes, my Dad was a rich man. Not from wealth, position, or possessions. Rather, he was rich with integrity and steady resolve.

I knew I was loved. I knew what his values were. He lived his values. He was his values. He was deeply respected in his community.

I also knew things I could count on about him.

  • He always straightened up the house before bed.
  • He’d be there waiting for me when I got home from school.
  • He showed up no matter where I was when I was with my friends. (I liked that.)
  • He cared enough to be sure I was safe. (My friends were jealous.)
  • He never forgot a holiday.

(Whether Valentines Day, birthday, or whatever holiday…there was always a card and a gift on the kitchen table waiting for me when I came down for breakfast.)

He wasn’t a hugger, and he didn’t speak his love much, but his actions spoke volumes. I felt safe, secure and loved.

I’ve been wondering something lately…

When we read and hear the dogma about what parents should be, should do, should not do, etc., do we lose something precious and important by not rather focusing on and appreciating what our Moms and Dads did well? Does our “idea” of the “ideal” bring us into a continual state of disappointment to the point of dis-honor/anger/ & distance?

What if we step back a bit and take an honest look. If this were someone else’s parent, would we be jealous…as my friends were of me because my Dad was so predictable, available, and “protective”?

“Knowing what we are called to do is a greater blessing than striking it rich.” (Turning Point devo. 8/16/12)

My Dad knew he was called to be a single Dad when my Mom died…and he did it really, really well!

Thanks, Dad! You will always be my super hero. I miss you terribly.

 

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

Make Your Bed. A Book Review.

Make Your Bed book cover

Make Your Bed.
by Admiral William H. McRaven
A Book Review.

This book will make you rethink your life.

Your values. Your dreams. Your possibilities. How many times do we blame someone else or circumstances, whine that life is not fair, or play the victim card? How many times do we believe we can’t do something because it is too hard? How many times do we make excuses, rather than take the bull by the horns and look to God to help us. To follow the dreams that He has given us. To believe He is our strength. To remember that with Him, all things are possible. Here, in this book, are lessons learned in his Navy SEAL training, and taught to us in story form. Like Jesus taught in story form. Lessons taught that way seem to remain with us and inspire us toward action.

Admiral McRaven says change can begin with one simple daily task. Making your bed. If this sounds silly to you, then you most definitely NEED to read this book as soon as possible. Because you are in for a delightful experience of re-thinking…

Big things come in small packages.

Little tasks completed can change your life. They can bring a sense of order and a feeling of accomplishment, which can move you forward and onward with a more positive outlook on your life. These are most certainly tough times. We can feel like the whole world is a mess and yet by implementing these 10 lessons, we can change our lives and maybe our little pieces of the world as well.

Book subtitle: “Little Things That Change Your Life. And Maybe The World”

This is without a doubt, one of the most unique and inspiring books I have ever read. It’s written by Admiral William H. McRaven, (U.S. Navy Retired). The title is: Make Your Bed. The book is small in size (5×7). 130 pages of timeless wisdom. Practical advice. Based on his Navy Seal training. It offers encouragement even in the darkest moments. Admiral McRaven’s bio says he: “served with great distinction in the Navy. In his thirty-seven years as a Navy SEAL, he commanded at every level. As a Four-Star Admiral, his final assignment was a Commander of all U. S. Special Forces. He is now Chancellor of the University of Texas System.” He has something to say that we would be wise to listen to and put into practice.

Here’s a short summary of the treasure you will discover in this powerful book.

Ten Lessons (Chapter titles)

  1. Start Your Day With A Task Completed
  2. You Can’t Go It Alone
  3. Only the Size of Your Heart Matters
  4. Life’s Not Fair—Drive On!
  5. Failure Can Make You Stronger
  6. You Must Dare Greatly
  7. Stand Up to the Bullies
  8. Rise to the Occasion
  9. Give People Hope
  10. Never Ever Quit!

Each chapter tells a story to illustrate the lesson in that chapter.

So…If you want to change the world…

  • Start off by making your bed
  • Find someone to help you paddle
  • Measure a person by the size of their heart
  • Get over being a sugar cookie and keep moving forward
  • Don’t be afraid of the circus
  • Slide down the obstacle head first
  • Don’t back down from sharks
  • Be your very best in the darkest moments
  • Start singing when you are up to your neck in mud
  • Don’t ever ring the bell

Page 103

”Life is full of difficult times. But someone out there always has it worse than you do. If you fill your days with pity, sorrowful for the way you have been treated, bemoaning your lot in life, blaming your circumstances on someone or something else, then life will be long and hard. If, on the other hand, you refuse to give up on your dreams, stand tall and strong against the odds—then life will be what you make of it—and you can make it great. Never, ever, ring the bell!

“Remember…start each day with a task completed. Find someone to help you through life. Respect everyone. Know that life is not fair and that you will fail often. But if you take some risks, step up when times are toughest, face down the bullies, lift up the downtrodden, and never, ever give up—if you do these things then you can change your life for the better…and maybe the world!”

Commencement Speech

The book ends with the May 17, 2014 University of Texas Commencement Speech. The University slogan is “What starts here changes the world.” The speech is super inspiring. And down-to-earth … exactly where we all live. The book is based on that speech.

He said that on that night 8,000 students were graduating from that University. And if every one changed the lives of 10 people, in five generations (125 years), 800 million lives would be changed! It’s the little things that build up and make a difference. And, if you are a Christ follower, you also have the power of the Holy Spirit to guide you. So, what are we waiting for?

Final thoughts

First of all, I recommend you purchase the book. And read it more than once. And gift it to many! What a great graduation gift it would make.

All my life I have made my bed every morning. It really, really is a powerful way to begin the day. I never knew WHY until reading this book. It makes sense that it is a perfect way to give yourself an immediate sense of order and accomplishment. Our God is a God of order. This is a way to reflect Him from the very start of your day.

When all strung together, it is the multitude of small things accomplished throughout the day, every day,”that can change your life and maybe the world.”

This is an amazing little (but POWERFUL) book with lessons taught through STORY. Enjoy! And pass it on…

Personality and Jesus

Do you know who God created you to be? Have you ever stopped to think about how your personality affects the way you interact with others? Find out more in this new book by Pamela A. Taylor.

Personality and Jesus

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,Strengths Mentor Coach — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

How Do I Get What I Want from God?

Woman in coat walking down street
The book of James says that if I resist the devil he will flee from me. Well, that sounds easy. But IS it?

It must be a conscious choice to not only receive the salvation of our Jesus, but to be certain He is on the Throne as Lord of our lives.

There are immediate and serious challenges in our world today. Challenges we cannot ignore.  We are now and have always been in a war for our mind. And the mind is the devil’s playground. He loves to manipulate Scripture to get us to stray away from God. Just think about his manipulations of Scripture with Eve in the garden and even with Jesus in the wilderness. The first step to get the devil to flee, is to submit to God. So, the “formula” is this:

  1. Submit to God (turn toward God) SO THAT you will have the power, the strength, to…
  2. Resist the devil (turn away from the devil) SO THAT…
  3. He will flee from you.

It sounds simple and is truly is. But this is also very serious business. It takes daily deliberate thought and action. And even moment by moment.

The devil wants you to fail. Remember, he wanted Eve to fail and he wanted Jesus to fail. However, the Lord God wants you to succeed and to have that inner peace and joy as you walk in the midst of His will. Our relationship with God must be our priority.

So, how DO you get what you want from God?

ASK

In the beginning verses of chapter 4 of James, the Word is clear that when we don’t get what we ask for it could be because we don’t actually ASK God. We don’t take the time to talk it over with Him. To seek His will. To ASK. Crazy, but I know I am guilty of that. I can’t believe I still, after all these years of walking with Him, I actually forget to do the actual ASK. Lazy? Preoccupied? Pride? (We think we can do it ourselves.) Is that why God tells us in James 4 verse 6 that He resists the proud but gives grace to the humble? When we find ourselves coming up short with anger, irritability, confusion, could it be we just forgot to ASK God for His help and His will? It never ceases to amaze me that I can actually forget to ask! What about you?

Wrong motives

And sometimes, we don’t get what we ask because, when we DO ask, we ask with wrong motives. Selfish motives. Only to satisfy our own desires. We have our SELF on the throne. Wanting what will make others’ lives or our own lives easier. I am actually guilty of that as well. But God has a bigger plan. I am so glad He is patient to teach us the same lessons over and over again. Isn’t He amazing? He wants us to ask Him what HIS plan is for our friends, family, co-workers, our town, our state, our country and our world. Our big assignment is to train ourselves to remember to always ask God for HIS heart for all the things I mentioned…and MORE!

We are merely instruments through whom God works. It is not about YOU. It is not about ME. It is about GOD and HIS plans.

Now, let’s go back to specific points

He tells us we must first humble ourselves before God. What does that look like to you? Humbling yourself. That’s really what we have been talking about throughout this whole post. Choosing a Godly mindset. Asking for the unselfish Mind of Christ. Humbling ourselves. Getting ourselves off the throne. Seeking God before moving forward. Before speaking. To take control of our thoughts. Turn them toward God. And then we can walk in the light of the following verses…

Let’s look at the surrounding verses in chapter 4 of James in a version you might not be familiar with. (The J B Phillips New Testament version.) I’m sure like me, you’ve also realized that when we look at the same verse in different versions, it gives us fresh insights. It expands the meaning for us.

“But resist the devil and you’ll find he’ll run away from you.
Come close to God and he will come close to you.
You are sinners: get your hands clean again.
Your loyalty is divided: get your hearts made true once more.
You should be deeply sorry, you should be grieved, You should even be in tears.
Your laughter will have to become mourning, your high spirits will have to become dejection
You must humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord before he will lift you up.”

James 4: 7-10 (Phillips)

Pretty stiff conditions, huh? But all for our good. All for our peace. Our joy. God created you and me, and He knows how to bring out the best in us. He made the rules of the “game” of life. Of Eternal Life with Him! And if we want close fellowship with Him, we will stop trying to make our own rules for this earth-bound life. So that things will go well with you and me.  And THAT, my friends is how we get what we want from God. Because we come to realize that what we want is actually what He wants.

Just like if you play a game of Monopoly. You can play by the rules—OR–you can decide you are going to make up your own rules. I am pretty sure making up your own rules will NOT go well with you in Monopoly. And, the “game” of life eternal has much more serious consequences than a game of Monopoly.

Choose wisely, remembering God adores you. He even sent His son to die for you. Let’s talk…

My Father: Experiencing God's Love A-Z

Pamela Taylor invites you to join her in this interactive acrostic devotional journal designed to draw you into the extremely personal and abundant love God has waiting for you. Experience the "Just ask..." of His love for you!

My Father: Experiencing God's Love from A-Z 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,Freedom,Strengths Mentor Coach — Tags: , , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

Life Is Like an Elevator

Elevator Display

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

I Thessalonians 5:11

This world is not our home. We are merely passing through. It is a journey.To encourage one another is to give courage where it is needed. The Christian life requires moral courage. That’s where we come in. Encouragement can come through prayer or in speaking the truth in love, and through blessing others with words and deeds.

Life is like an elevator

When you are in an elevator and another person gets on, you say, “What floor?” If they tell you “2”, you know they want to get off on the 2nd floor. You know their destination and you know how they are going to get there. What if you don’t pay attention or you think they should get off on 4 (the 4th floor), so you push 4? You will have done them a dis-service. You are not the elevator operator. You merely pushed the buttons. But you have affected their lives one way or the other. Either for good or not.

Life is like a spiritual elevator

The same thing happens when you try to push someone to a level in their spiritual life before they are ready. They may do all the right things but their heart is not ready and they fall down. They will get discouraged. Some quit and fall away. Only the Lord knows when they are ready for the next “level” of their walk with Him.

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

Ephesians 4:29

What are we to do?

  • Discernment and encouragement are needed
  • Encourage—give courage—to the fainthearted in each step they take toward maturity
  • Look for ways to bless those who are floundering
  • Discern what they are saying BEHIND the actual words
  • Pray for them and with them
  • TRUST that GOD is guiding them. YOUR job is to encourage and to bless and walk alongside with your “atta boys” ringing in their ears

GOD is the ELEVATOR OPERATOR

You are merely along for the ride in each person’s journey to their DESTINATION. TRUST them to take the right floor. GOD will take them there. Sometimes we just need to get out of the way.

Until next time…

God Loves Aardvarks: And God Loves Me

"Thank you, God, that you love all the animals and bugs. You love funny looking aardvarks and you love me."

Thankfulness through the alphabet. That's what this fun book will teach the kids in your life.

God Loves Aardvarks and God Loves Me

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,Strengths Mentor Coach — Tags: , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

Walk. Sink. Cry Out. Reach Out. Grab Ahold.

Jesus and the Disciples in a Storm

Wow! I’ve been resting on Matthew 14:16 the last few days. For days I couldn’t seem to get past this single verse: “But Jesus said to them, ‘They do not need to go away. YOU give them something to eat.” (emphasis mine)

Confusion

What was I supposed to glean from that verse that would be applicable to my life now. My “nest” has been ruffled up. My comfort zone is not “comfortable” right now. What do I have to offer…to GIVE…Feeling off-center and a bit like I was sinking.

What Do I Have to Offer?

Meditating on this single verse has been a lifeline…pointing me to clarity of purpose once again.

There were leftovers

This verse is part of the story of the 5 loaves, 2 fish. AND of the 12 baskets full left over. (After feeding 5,000 + people!)

The disciples were frustrated with all the people that would need something to eat. Unfortunately, there was no fast food restaurant nearby. They were concerned. So, they went to Jesus to tell Him the problem (because maybe they thought He didn’t realize the problem. 🙂 All they had was a little boy’s lunch. They had their own ideas what needed to be done, but Jesus had a different plan. That is where Matthew 14:16 comes into the picture.)

Blessing and breaking

Jesus had taken the 5 loaves and 2 fish that the disciples had brought him. He then looked up to Heaven, blessed the food and broke it into pieces and gave all of it to the disciples to distribute to the MULTITUDES. (Do you ever wonder what they were thinking right then?? I do! Kinda funny to think about!) So, back to our story…They gave Him what they had. He multiplied it, but THEY had to “give them something to eat.” THEY had to distribute what God had multiplied. (Reminds me of a poem by Annie Johnson Flint “Hands and Feet for Jesus”.)

They ate what had been multiplied and were FILLED. No more hunger. Filled. Filled with what was first given to Jesus and blessed by Him. FILLED…with much more left over than they even started with. Twelve baskets full LEFT OVER!!! (Here’s where I have been stopping to talk to Jesus a minute. Will you join me?)

Thank You, Lord, for the LITTLE I have to offer. Thank You, that when I give it up to You for Your purposes, You will multiple it to meet the need…and sometimes with some left over. You multiple my LITTLE for others’ sake! Not to hoard, but to give out…to the multitude!

Resting and chewing

I seriously have been resting on this story for days! There is so much there to “chew on”. (Sorry…I couldn’t help myself there!)

After the Offering

Then, after all were fed, Jesus sent them all away—even the disciples—and then He went away—alone—to pray.

He prayed MANY hours. It is stunning that He went away alone. He didn’t “work” the crowd. He didn’t seek glory, attention, or honor or praise for all He had done. Rather, He went to talk with His Father…to spend time alone with His Father. He had merely been doing what He was created to do.

They still didn’t “get it”. Nor does Peter, the Otter personality.

Even after the miracle of the loaves and fishes, the disciples still didn’t “get it”…which they prove by their reactions while in the boat, without Jesus,  experiencing a storm with strong wind. Note they all were very fearful. Even Peter. Let’s call this the “Peter walking on the water” story.

Peter was different than the others. You know Peter. He often spoke whatever came to his mind, and often acted impulsively. Peter was an Otter personality type (Leading From Your Strengths).  He liked to be right in the middle of the action. The party doesn’t start until the Otter arrives! They are FUN!

Without thinking it through, Peter couldn’t wait for Jesus to come into the boat with them. He wouldn’t wait! So, he  stepped out of the boat. And, he was actually safe UNTIL he took his eyes off Jesus and onto the stormy seas.

Typically, Otters love adventure, new things, and get excited about every new opportunity.  They don’t have to think about it. OF COURSE NOT! After all, what could go wrong, right? 😉

They want what they want NOW. They don’t like to wait. It is not surprising Peter did not evaluate the options before flinging himself into the middle of the action. So he stepped out of the boat and walked on the water. BUT when he took his eyes off Jesus and onto the turbulent water, he began to sink! And then he cried out for help. Then he reached out his hand to grab ahold of Jesus. And Jesus saved him. He did not drown. And they got in the boat together.

(Otters are wonderful adventurers, but often bite off more than they can chew, and right smack dab in the middle of their adventure, they just might need some assistance. And then, they let you take over because they are on to the next adventure. You can’t keep a good Otter down.)

And now the storm is past and all was well…

UNTIL the next time Peter and friends forget what they have learned from the provision of the loaves and fishes and on the stormy sea…

What Do I Have to Offer?

Are you like me?

I think there’s an obvious reason why God impressed on me to call my business Loaves and Fishes Coaching., so many years ago. I have always loved this story. And that theme of the loaves and fishes is on my mind often:

What do I have to offer? Am I willing? Do I trust GOD to do with it as He sees fit? It is a timeless principle. A theme that I have to keep re-learning. I have to ask myself. Do *I* REALLY “get it”???

What about you?

Do you have to keep re-learning things about Jesus’ trustworthiness that you thought you already knew?

Can you honestly answer the question, “What do I have to offer?”

My Father: Experiencing God's Love A-Z

Pamela Taylor invites you to join her in this interactive acrostic devotional journal designed to draw you into the extremely personal and abundant love God has waiting for you. Experience the "Just ask..." of His love for you!

My Father: Experiencing God's Love from A-Z 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,Living From Your Strengths,Personality Strengths and Weaknesses,Strengths Mentor Coach — Tags: , , , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

The Rewards of Training Faithfully

Run Your Race

“In a race everyone runs, but only one person gets first prize. So run your race to win.” ~ 1 Corinthians 9:24 TLB

Marathon-ers are a dedicated bunch

They train faithfully, in all kinds of weather—always with that focused attention to detail that produces winners. Some hire coaches to help them train, stay focused on the goal, and endure to the end. Coaches are encouragers, but sometimes they are tough and tell you what you don’t want to hear, in order to help you be the best you can be, because they believe in your potential.

Marathon running

It can be grueling before, during, and after the event. One friend actually lost a toe as a result of being determined to finish the race. She persevered in spite of the pain. Maybe even because of it. She had worked so hard to get to this point. She simply could not give up! Would not give up!

Water stations

The water stations along the way are an oasis. Along with the refreshment of the water, they are also a place to receive encouragement to persevere from friends, family, and your coach. People cheer the runners on at these refreshment stations. It is critical to be reminded of the goal to finish.

Related Post: Marathon Running

Run Your Race

Isaiah 40:29-31

“He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might, He increases strength…But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength…
They shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”

Time on this earth

As followers of Christ being “earth-bound” can seem like training for a marathon. It is critical to keep focused toward the goal. Like running coaches for the marathon runner, Christian Life Coaches help Christ-followers to hold their focus toward their goals: “Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead…the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14). Paul also said in that same verse: “…but one thing I do…”

Is that the one thing we do?

Do we earth-bound humans press on with our eye toward the goal of spending eternity with Jesus? Is that our joy and focus? Do we love Him enough to go through what is sometimes the loneliness that accompanies grueling training before, during, and after the event of “going home to be with the Lord”? Are we willing to lose a toe—or worse—in the process? Or are we distracted toward the worldly prizes more than the heavenly ONE? Do we try to take shortcuts because the training is so hard?!

Are You Running Your Race?

Today is a new day!

Let’s keep cheering one another on. This is a great day for a fresh start with a fresh perspective. Which marathon are YOU running? And which prize do you most value?

I’d love to hear from you.

Have you done any marathon running? How have you found it to compare to the walk of a disciple of Christ? Would you like a coach to cheer you on and help you stay focused?

My Father: Experiencing God's Love A-Z

Pamela Taylor invites you to join her in this interactive acrostic devotional journal designed to draw you into the extremely personal and abundant love God has waiting for you. Experience the "Just ask..." of His love for you!

My Father: Experiencing God's Love from A-Z 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,Strengths Mentor Coach — Tags: , , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

Finding the Place of Victory Over Self-Condemnation

Fireworks - Freedom and independence

For many years, I condemned myself

I could only see what was WRONG with me. And there was no lack of people to reenforce that mindset. I didn’t know that it was OK that I was different than the people I longed to be like. In fact, it was not just OK but it was a very GOOD thing. It took awhile, but I began to realize that God wanted me to embrace who He made me to be. To be used for His glory.

What is self-condemnation and how do we get victory over it?

Self-condemnation is self-absorbing. Sadly, it prevents us from fully loving others. And that is sad, because that is exactly why we are here. First, to love God, the One Who made us. And then we are to love others with God’s kinda love!

Self-condemnation prevents us from having a God mindset towards others AND towards ourselves.

God’s desire for us is to have self-compassion

I needed to understand that on a deep level. Along the way, somewhere, I heard a story that helped me to change my mindset. And I’m going to tell it to you right now. So that you can join me in that place of victory!!

Before I tell you the story, please find quiet place alone. This won’t take long, but it is more effective if you give this story your FULL attention.

Ready for the challenge? OK…

Here’s we go…

Imagine.

(Pleeeeasssseee…I am serious about this. In order to fully benefit, you have to totally stop everything right now and take a few minutes to truly imagine with me…No multi-tasking :-))

Ok. Ready?

Imagine a time when you’re tenderly and compassionately caring for someone that is ill. You lovingly put her to bed. A little later, you go in to check on her and you are relieved to see that she is asleep. You know that sleep is good for her.

You just stand quietly in the doorway, watching her as she sleeps. Just loving her as she sleeps. She isn’t doing anything to earn your love. You just love her because you love her. And you pray for her to be well again. It hurts you that she is suffering. You will her to be well again. You have deep compassion for her suffering.

Then, she turns over, she looks at you, and you realize…

That person…

You realize that…

It’s YOU!

Now…if you can just purpose to stay in that moment of time until you sense something “shift”, a time of personal healing is waiting for you there!

THAT is exactly how God loves you! He just loves you because He loves you. You couldn’t EARN His love by anything you do even if you tried. Will you. Right now. Accept that love and LET Him love you unconditionally?

Daddy, Daddy! Guess What I Saw Today?

From a flock of geese to a dog on a leash, the pages of this winsome little book are filled with things we see around us every day. Pamela A. Taylor takes those everyday items and looks at them through the eyes of a child; making them seem exciting and new while also teaching children how to be grateful for the God who created them. Take a walk with Pamela through the pages of this book and help your little ones see God’s hand in the beauty of life.

Now take it one step further

Our children model what they see in us. So if we raise “healthy” kids, and we only love them, but we don’t love ourselves, they too will have difficulty loving themselves, because that is what was modeled for them = NOT loving oneself. THAT was their example.

Disclaimer

Of course we are not referring to the model that embraces the thinking that the world revolves around oneself, but rather we are referring to a good healthy love of what the Creator decided we would be. He chose our personality, our spiritual gifts, our talents, and skills. To not embrace who we were created to be, is an affront to our Father. We owe it to our children to know the difference between self-pity vs. self-compassion. And to teach them by example. Ahhh…now there is the challenge, ‘eh?

I’d love to hear your thoughts about this. Have you found this to be true?

Here is what I would like to end with:

I’d love to help you discover your God-given self to love as He loves you. And the best way to do that is through the Leading From Your Strengths process. It was designed to strengthen the Body of Christ by helping each individual person discover what God had in mind when He thought you up. Through the process, You can gain freedom and independence from the discouraging comparisons and learn to embrace the beauty of who you really are.

I stand ready to help…I’m only a click away…

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

Marathon Running

People that run marathons are a dedicated bunch.

They train faithfully, in all kinds of weather…always with that focused attention to detail that produces “winners”. Some hire coaches to help them train and to endure to the end.

Marathon running…it can be grueling before, during, and after the event. One friend actually lost a toe as a result of being determined to finish the race. She persevered in spite of the pain. Maybe even because of it. She had worked so hard to get to this point. She simply could not give up! Would not give up!

I know that the water stations along the way are like an oasis in the desert. Along with the refreshment of the water, they are also a place to receive encouragement to persevere. People cheer you on at these specially prepared refreshment stations. It is critical to be reminded of the goal to finish.

Marathon Running

Time on this earth–as followers of Christ–can seem like running a marathon.

It is critical to keep focused toward the goal. Christian Life Coaches often help people to hold their focus toward their goals: “Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead…the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14). Paul also said in that same verse: “…but one thing I do…”

Is that the one thing we do?

To press on with our eye toward the goal of spending eternity with Jesus? Is that our joy and focus? Do we love Him enough to go through the grueling training before, during, and after the event of “going home to be with the Lord”? Are we willing to lose a toe …or worse…in the process?

Or are we distracted toward the worldly prizes more than the heavenly ONE? Do we try to take shortcuts because the training is so hard?!

Run Your Race

Today is a new day! Let’s keep cheering one another on. This is a great day for a fresh start with a fresh perspective. Which marathon are YOU running? And which prize do you most value?

I’d love to hear from you. Have you done any marathon running?

How have you found it to compare to the walk of a disciple of Christ?

Filed under: Christian Life Coaching,Spiritual Life — Tags: , , — Pam Taylor @ 2:01 pm