Category Archives: life stories

Lovely Traces from Sarah

My friend Sarah, over at Simply Sarah: A Seer of People, has recently shared some of her memories of Leisha as we have talked about the soon to be published book Lovely Traces of Hope.

I asked if I could share her most recent post.  I thought you might find it interesting as well.  Sarah shares her story in the book Lovely Traces of Hope, due out August 2016.  If you have other memories or comments, I’d love to hear them in the comments below.

Thank you Sarah! You are Simply Breathtaking!

“Your Smile Made Me Smile”

by Simply Sarah, June 14,  2016
Seerofpeople.com

“I believe that once it lives, beauty never dies. I’ll never forget those eyes.” – Leisha by Josiah Gillespie (Written by Josiah Gillespie, 2006)

A lot of tragic things have been happening lately, in my personal life (as I talked about in my last post), in our city (3 shootings in 3 days), and in our country (Christina Grimmie’s murder and the shooting in Orlando). This has only added on to what I have already been feeling since March.

You see I experienced a great loss in my life almost ten years ago, and I relieved that experience by reading about it from the perspective of another back in March. Ever since then I have thought about it from time to time. I have the past (almost) 10 years anyway, but especially these past few months as I relived it in a way and God brought me to deeper healing with it.

For those of you who do not know, when I was 15-years-old one of my best friends, Leisha, ran out of this world and into the arms of our Savior. Continue reading Lovely Traces from Sarah

Grateful for this Woman of Influence

This past weekend I received an email from this special lady pictured Linda Dillow- wrote forwardwith me in the photo. Her name is Linda Dillow.  The email is the forward she has written for the book, Lovely Traces of Hope.

Linda has been my mentor in life, marriage, and worship most of my adult life, though we have only met a dozen times or so.  I received her first book  as a wedding present in 1979.  I have read all of her books since.  (I’ll list my favorites at the end of this post.)

It has seemed that just when I needed to take a next step, she was putting out the next book.  When I was invited to lead a worship team to Ukraine, she was the speaker at that same conference.  No, we didn’t plan it.  When Rennie and I were on sabbatical, she invited us to stay in their home for 10 days while they were away.

For whatever reason God chose to place her in my life over and over again, I am eternally grateful.  She led me in a journey of contentment, worship, marriage, sex even.  She encouraged me to find contentment in my life and see my words, attitudes, work, and my waiting -even my pain – as an act of worship. She led me in worship, not in songs of worship, but in worship of two hearts bowed at the sofa, remembering who God is, recalling what he has done and praising him from the core of our beings.  She invited me to see that my marriage was a reflection to my world of God’s love for us.  She challenged me to want more for my relationship with Ren.

Linda is one of my heroes!  No, this is not hero worship.  This is gratitude.  I trust her.  I know she is a woman who pursues God and points others to him, because I have seen her do it.  Not to one or two women, but to thousands, perhaps more.  Not for a short time, but for her lifetime.  I know. I’ve been watching her for 37 years now. Linda is the real deal. She is a woman of influence!

That is why I am humbled and grateful that she has written this forward for the book.  I could make you wait to read it in the book, but I just had to share it.  Take a peek. Here’s what a woman you can trust has to say.

FORWARD for Lovely Traces of Hope.

What does a mom do when her beautiful, vibrant fifteen year old daughter is suddenly, harshly, instantly gone? Grieve? Of course. Go on a long journey of seeking God and healing? Yes. Kathy did these things but also did something very unusual.

After Leisha died, she opened her daughter’s journal and found Leisha’s “book.” If she flipped Leisha’s journal over and upside down and opened the cover, Kathy found her daughter had started to write her own story. She even included the title page.

Lovely Traces

So Kathy began writing to finish Leisha’s story.

The Burrus family: mom, dad and three girls came to have a vacation in our basement in Colorado Springs in 2002. It was a special time to get to know Kathy, Rennie and their three lovely daughters, Caitlin, Brielle and Leisha. A few short years later, Leisha was singing in heaven and Kathy was finishing her story. As I read Lovely Traces of Hope, I smiled, I cried and I wrote these words to Kathy about the book she and Leisha had written.

Thank you for walking through the dark tunnel to His Light

Thank you for writing so honestly and vulnerably for me and others about grief and pain and how to walk….believing that there is HIS Light somewhere ahead

Thank you for “taking your clothes off” and being real

Thank you for revealing the beauty of walking the Christ walk

Why do I think you should read this book? Let me use Leisha’s name to tell you.

L egacy

Both Leisha and Kathy have much to share about building your legacy. Kathy says, “When we intentionally NOTICE what really is happening, it gives us an opportunity to reflect on what we are learning from it. More importantly we see what God has been doing. We NOTICE His fingerprints, HIS HAND on our everyday, ordinary lives.”  That is especially true when we reckon with the painful areas that may leave us paralyzed in some way. Many times just “noticing” allows us to reframe the events and their effects on our future.

E ncouragement

As a mom, Kathy gave me hope, showed me how to face problems with teens, how to reach inside myself and be willing to look honestly at “me.”  We all face loss. Loss is not the defining moment of our lives, it is how we respond to loss that matters. Kathy helped me see in a new way that healing is a progression.

I nfluence

Not many fifteen year olds think about being an influence—they are too busy thinking about boys, clothes or the Friday night party. Leisha wanted to be MAD (Make a Difference)! At her tender age, she thought about being an influence and leaving a legacy. Teens need to read this book!

S incere

Kathy is honest. Listen to her sincere words. I hesitate to write these next pages. Offering them here is a risk. What will you think of me if I tell of the places in our lives we didn’t have it all together? What if I take off the mask enough for you to see me as I really am?

H oly

Leisha and Kathy’s book points you to the Lord God Almighty. In pain. In grief. When life is a dark tunnel, Kathy discovered that God is still Light. She says, I had to learn to NOTICE God showing up differently.

A dvance

This book is an advance. It takes you forward in your thinking, in your faith, in your personal journey toward the legacy you are creating. Books have been written on grief. Kathy achingly walks you through how she processed her grief. Books have been written on how to help your teen and whole family walk through trials, Kathy shows you how her family did it.

Leisha and Kathy’s combined story is for every mom, every teen….really for everyone. I highly recommend Lovely Traces of Hope to you. I promise you it will lead you to hope as it did me!

LINDA DILLOW
Author
Calm My Anxious Heart
Satisfy My Thirsty Soul
What’s It Like to Be Married to Me?

Co-Author
Intimate Issues
Passion Pursuit
Surprised by the Healer

Want to get updates or join the launch team for Lovely Traces of Hope? click here!

That’s Influence!

This past week, my daughter lost a mentor.  Denny Griffith had been the president of CCAD, Columbus College of Art & Design while she was a student there.  She describes him often as such an instrumental person, a spectacular man, an artist, and a person of influence.

I always marveled at the closeness she felt toward him.  And then I read one of her Facebook posts this week.  She wrote: Continue reading That’s Influence!

Hope in the Midst of the Storm

Rennie Burrus was asked to share his Leisha story through loss to hope at Cable Road Alliance Church on Sunday, August 2. Ren asked me to share a bit of mine as well. You can listen in at the link.

Hope in the Midst of the Storm –
Podcast by Rennie and Kathy Burrus

Cable Road Alliance Church’s Podcast

BUZZSPROUT.COM

Life’s Too Short!

Today I’m sitting in a booth at Panera people watching mostly.  I had visions of writing- a blog, a chapter, even an email, but I’m just not into it.  I’m tired! Discouraged! Weary!  Yet I’m not!

Do you ever have those days?  When you feel like you can’t do the next thing even though you are excited about it.  You even like what you are doing!

A college team of girls and their coaches came in for dinner. I didn’t ask if it was volley ball or basketball, but immediately the space around me was filled with conversation.

As I sat watching I reflected back on my own journey.

When you are young, you don’t think about life ending.  You are  young!  You expect to have all of life ahead of you! You live and dream and plan as if there is nothing stopping you.

When  you are in your 20’s, you get a job or marriage that keeps you focused.  The job wasn’t what you thought it would be- but hey, it’s a job.  You marriage isn’t the fairy tale you dreamed it would be, but hey you are in love. You still have the energy and the stamina to tackle anything in your way, so you keep on with determination.

You hit your 30’s and 40’s and suddenly thing gets harder.  You get the promotion you thought you wanted and the family you always dreamed of.  Now you have trouble remembering what your dream is because somewhere, someone else is telling you what to do.  Your boss, the needs of your kids, the bills that must be paid. You can’t imagine what it would look like to stop what you are doing- if you drop one ball the whole thing will be crashing in on you. So you keep going!

You turn 50! You either lost your passion for The job you had or you got laid off.  Now you are starting over again. The kids are going to or finishing college, you are prompted to remember the dreams you had when you were their age.  You long for that ability to face the future with such vibrancy and freedom.

i’m not sure about the next 60’s on up.  I’m not there…yet!

But what happens if at any point along the way- life would end unexpectedly.  What if you die? at 94, or 68, or 27, 15 or maybe 8? Continue reading Life’s Too Short!

What? Me? Worry?

If you are a regular follower of www.greenhopecoaching.com, you may have noticed that there was a great deal of time that lapsed between my blog on April 28th- and my post last week.

Considering the fact that I am a blogger, that space of time concerned me.  You see, it wasn’t just the blog, but I wasn’t writing original content for much of anything, including the book that I told everyone about in my April 28th post.

I must admit I was overwhelmed by the response to that post on my website and Facebook.

  • Nearly 13,000- yes, that many 0’s- were reached with that post thanks to several of you who shared the post to your own Facebook friends.
  • 1,200 of those friends visited my website and actually read the blog post.
  • Over 350 of them engaged with me some way; leaving a message, a prayer response, a memory, a picture.
  • plus there were almost 75 others who signed up to support me and the project with prayer.

I have been overflowing with gratitude.  While overwhelmed is not quite the right word, I do have a confession.  As the responses started coming in, I found myself writing less and less on the book.  Honestly, in the last 8 weeks, I have not written much at all.

What- Me-Worry-As I have pondered my action- or lack of it, I realize that I was worrying!

I just listened in to an interview with Mitch Matthews of Dream, Think, Do over at the Self-Publishing Summit going on with Chandler Bolt.

Mitch talked about how worry keeps us from focusing.  Worry strangles the ability to see ahead or to think through options.

I felt the weight of expectations that others might have on me – on this book- and I just stopped writing. I felt paralyzed almost.  The more I tried to get in the right frame of mind, the more stress I felt.  And if you know me- stress puts me down faster than anything.  I spent much of early spring sleeping.  Some of you know what I mean.

But Mitch gave a great outline of how to overcome worry.  I was grateful to realize that I had been taking some of those steps without naming them.  But I did want to share them.

3 Steps to PUNCHING Worry in the face

Step 1: Acknowledge it

Step 2: Address it by Replacing it

Step 3: Do Something Intentional

I had to ACKNOWLEDGE my worry finally.

  • What am I concerned about?
  • What if I’m not a good enough writer?
  • What if I can’t tell my deeply personal stories of my life in a way that helps anyone?
  • How will the book be received by others?
  • Can I really pull off the cost- both money, time, etc.

They are real, tangible things to be concerned about. But Mitch reminded us that most issues can be dealt with and overcome with a little training.  Or with knowing the right people to make it happen.

Yet, most people get so caught up in the fear, they don’t acknowledge the fear and overcome it.

There is good and bad worry!

Good worry- keeps you out of dark alleys!  It flips the light on so you can see what ‘s out there!

Maybe the thing that causes you to worry is something you need to give attention.  Sometimes worry is a precursor to identifying something that will help you do great.

For instance, look at my worries above

  • I can take classes and workshops to become a better writer.
  • I can work with close friends and coaches to help me tell my story in a way that is full of hope for others.
  • I can break down tasks of writing or research into smaller chunks of time.  If I do a little everyday, it won’t be so overwhelming and yet I can make a great deal of progress in the long run.

Bad worry hold you back like mine was doing for me. There are things that you can do nothing about .  That is the worry you must let go of.

So using the worry I have above about how others will receive the book, I have no control over that.  I know there is interest from the responses to the April 28 post I shared earlier.  But I can’t control how those same people my respond to the book.   So I need to let it go.

But  how….!

TO BE CONTINUED>>> Click Here! 

Part 2: Doin’ Something about Worry!

Happy Birthday Leisha!

the trioTwenty-four years ago, our daughter Leisha appeared in our world.  She messed up all of our plans that day.

Rennie was supposed to be leading a huge dedication service of the new worship center at our church in Pennsylvania.  She was being born just as they ended the service with a dedication of the new generation that would grow up in this place. Others had to fill in for Rennie!

She messed up lots of days since then too!  Just like every baby does when they grow up in our family.  Days become messy and nights interrupted. Plans get changed and that is expected!  You know, or at least you realize quickly when you bring a child into your life they will forever change you.  All three of ours have left a mark on us so significant that we know we are better, stronger, even holier as we have spent many more hours on our knees. You have too if you are a parent.  It is what we do when we come to the end of ourselves and want more for our child.

Leisha also messed up our lives the day she died. That was eight and a half years ago. Another mark on all of us that have forced us to look at all of life from a new, yet broken perspective.

It is out of that perspective that I write today and ask for your prayers.

Days after Leisha died, we gathered every picture we could find of her and discovered her tapes and journals. It was in her most recent journal that we found ‘her book’.  If you flipped it over and upside down and opened the cover she had begun to write her own story.

Chapter One

Once Upon A Time…

By Leisha D. Burrus

How many stories do you know that begin with ‘once upon a time”?  Well this is one of them, or so I thought.  I was born April twenty-eighth, nineteen ninety one.  But wait!  I am getting ahead of myself.  I guess I should start where it all began.

My parents met in high school. …  she begins to tell the love story of her dad & I.

leisha As I sat there reading it for the first time, I could imagine this book was to be full of adventure and relationships and truth. Such truth! Because even in the short chapter that was written, she had spoken much truth to my heart. But just as Leisha had penned these few words to begin writing her story, she died.  Not only was her story unwritten, but her life unlived.

However her words “I should start where it all began” was a telling of my story and of the journey of her mother and father and all that was her heritage because she was born into this family.

I knew the moment I read her words that it was meant for me to finish.  Her story started mine. It was as if she knew I would need a jump start.  Earlier that morning I had picked up my Bible to continue reading where I had left off the day before. I read these words from Revelation 1:

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet as if I were dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, “Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. 18 I am the living one. I died, but look—I am alive forever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and the grave.

19 “Write down what you have seen—both the things that are now happening and the things that will happen.

I felt as if Leisha was writing these words to me.
“Mom! When I saw him, I fell at his feet…and He put His hand on me and said…! Now Mom you’ve got to write!  Write down what you have seen- what’s happening right now and all the things are that going to happen. You can do it Mom!”

So I am!

Yes, I’m writing to finish the story Leisha started; her story and mine. I don’t know how this story will impact yours, but it is my prayer that it will give you hope. Because my primary goal is to write about the many ways this Living One who died showed up in our story. Click To Tweet

That’s the real story- in my life and yours!

So this birthday, I am asking for your prayers as I do just that! Will you pray as I finish the story! I have set my heart to finish writing, and publishing it by Leisha’s 25th birthday on April 28, 2016.  I have much to process, record and learn before that time.  But it is a thing I must do next.

Would you be willing to be on the prayer team for Lovely Traces of Hope! That’s her name for her book! Whether or not it is the final title, I don’t know yet.  But it seems fitting.

If you will join me, please sign up here.




I will add you to the group and send out periodic emails with updates and requests.

Whether you sign up or not, will you pray right now that I see this to completion.  My heart needs it done.

Thank you from a fledging author!

Kathy

Happy Birthday Leisha!

The People Who Marked Me

I have been working on material for the new group which starts May 6th called UNIQUELY U: MAKING THE DIFFERENCE YOU WERE MADE TO MAKE. 1

I ran across this quote that stood out in my mind.

Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.
― Shannon L. Alder  From https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/legacy>

I have recently thought much about the legacy people leave as both my mother-in-law and my father are celebrating their 80th birthday within a month of each other.  So much of what we have remembered together with them and friends who came to celebrate with them are the stories.  Stories of people who left their mark.  Stories of events that significantly changed the way people thought or behaved.  Stories of a life lived in such a way that it made a difference in the stories of others.

So I can’t help but ask the question of myself, and now you.  What are the stories of people who have made a difference in my life? In yours?

“Your story is the greatest legacy that you will leave to your friends. It’s the longest-lasting legacy you will leave to your heirs.”
― Steve Saint From <https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/legacy?page=2>

For me,  I have bee thinking a lot about the people who have most influenced my life.

Besides being my parents, my father was my Pastor, since I was 2 years old. But he also had side jobs to provide for our family.  He had a lawn business when I was young and would plug us kids into ‘jobs’ as soon as we were old enough.  He  taught me how to work with integrity and the value of a dollar, since it took a while to start making $1 an hour.

My mother was my Sunday School teacher, piano teacher, sewing, baking & cooking teacher.  She taught me to love people- and their stories and the love of planning events that connect them to each other.  She also taught me a love of writing- most recently several years of writing her “Grandma Remembers” letters to her grand kids each month.

My mother in law was also my favorite teacher.  English, Speech, One Act Plays, Literary coach, and Class sponsor were some of the ways she influenced my life.  That was even before her son became my boyfriend.

My father in law was the county agent and he was involved with my 4-H group and other events I participated.  He was a tall man and everyone looked up to him physically.  But he also had a way of connecting with a shoulder squeeze and a laugh that made you feel like this ‘big’ man liked you.

My Aunt Rosalie and Uncle Flick mentored me through college life, even as Flick was my college professor, voice coach, choir director.

But there have been many other stories that have surfaced too.

  • One hero was my 6th grade friend, Gina. When I was in the 5th grade, our basketball team was playing in a tournament and it was a tie game.  In the last 10 seconds of the game, Gina scored the winning two points.  We were ecstatic.  I spent the night with Gina that night.  I kept saying, “You won the game for us Gina!”  Just before we fell asleep she rolled over and looked me in the eyes.  “Kathy, my two points wouldn’t have mattered if the other girls hadn’t made their points, or the guards hadn’t kept the other team from making some of theirs. We won because each member of the team did their part.  I just got to make the last two points.  That was my role.”  I knew she was right and have called on that memory many times in my life.
  •   Or Lavetta, the woman who believed in me enough to encourage me to be in the 1974 Miss Lipscomb County pageant when I was 16.
  • Or the worship team that traveled with me to Ukraine. the night they came to lead me in worship was the night I was diagnosed with Addison’s and was finally feeling better.
  •  Or Doris who made the Thanksgiving Dinner for us that night- the best meal I have ever eaten.
  • Or Janice who said yes to helping me plan work out my end of the details for my girls weddings.
  •  Or Barb who helps me SEE so much of my life and emotions tied to it.
  • Or Pat who asks me the kind of questions I ask my clients!  And listens to my answer.
  • Or Christy who encourages me to do the next thing I need to do.
  • Or Lydia and Lisa who are/were pastor’s wives and shared life with me.
  • Or Cait and Brie who love me- and notice things no one else does in my life.
  • Or my dear husband of 36 years, who cares for me more intimately than I ever dreamed possible.

Each person – and many I didn’t share about here- has left a mark in my life.  They have made an extraordinary difference being their ordinary selves.

  • What about you?
  • Who are the people that have made a difference? 
  • What was that difference?  Did it change your thinking, your behavior, or attitude?
  •  What will you do to tell them thank you again?
  •  Who will come to you with thanks for something you have done in your life? 


We don’t usually know who those people are.  But we can be intentional at leaving the kind of difference we were meant to make.

Do you know what yours is?

Let’s have that conversation.

greenhopecoaching.com

The actual questions and answers will depend on you!

  • Your story
  • The messages playing in your head
  • the truth you live by
  • Your skills, abilities and talents
  • Your calling

Cost for the class is $20 per session or $150 if you pay for all 8 sessions by May 1st. (that’s a $10 savings)

will include:

  •  8 weeks of group coaching, which means
  1. you benefit from your own coaching,
  2. as well as learn as you listen to others process as well.  (Tremendous growth occurs in the synergy of authentic community. )
  3. Yes, it is a risk you take.  But it has powerful potential for encouragement, support, and accountability.
  4. You get to experience the benefits of coaching at an affordable price.
  • Materials used in the class, including book, worksheets and possible assessment.

Register by emailing Kathy@greenhopecoaching.com. Write I’M INTENTIONAL in the subject line.

Let’s be intentional about making the difference we were made to make!

Intentionally Making A Difference

I just had a birthday! It is one of the middle ones not ending in a 0 or a 5.  It’s a non-consequential birthday!  Not one we celebrate in a big way. Just another birthday.

But birthday’s always make me stop and think.  Perhaps they do you as well.  Another year has passed.  I find myself asking,

What did I do in the past year that made any difference?

What do I need to be about in this next year to make the difference I was meant to make? Click To Tweet

1

Sometimes we get caught in the trap of being so busy we don’t stop to ‘ponder’!  I love that word ponder because it denotes a slowing down, maybe even stopping to sip a favorite cup of tea.  We take time to notice.  We look around and see the new buds on the trees and the new blooms in the garden.  We breath in the air, still crisp, yet warming.  We feel the sun on our arms that have long been covered by winter coats.

Birthdays, Holidays,  especially the New Year cause us to ask questions about our life. I know I’m not the only one pondering questions.   I talk to many who are.  Friends, Family, clients- so many are asking questions like:

  • How do I know if I’m doing what I’m made to do?  It doesn’t feel like it.
  • Why don’t others see my value?
  • Shouldn’t life mean more than this?
  • How is the meaning of my life best lived out?

Or we find ourselves saying things like:

  • I feel like I’m so busy, but not going anywhere.
  • I just don’t feel inspired to do anything.
  • I thought this is what I wanted, but I’m not satisfied.
  • I feel too old, but like I have more to offer- but no one wants it.
  • I don’t want to just do anything- I want to do something that makes a difference.

Even this week as Rennie was listening to the trailer for the new movie  Batman vs. Superman (No, I’m not endorsing here- just using as an example) I heard a woman say something like,

 “We get so caught up with what we can do, we haven’t asked what we should do.’

How do we know what we SHOULD be doing?  Who says what we SHOULD be doing?  How do we know when we are doing it? Or not doing it?

Sometimes life gets so busy doing things we feel we SHOULD be doing.  But somewhere after doing that for a while, we are suddenly forced to stop and ponder!

Were we so caught up with what we SHOULD be doing, we lost sight of what we were MADE to do? Click To Tweet

That’s a question we will be asking at the new group Green Hope Coaching  is offering in May!

greenhopecoaching.com

 

We will be asking the questions

  • Who?
  • What?
  • When?
  • Where?
  • And How?

The actual questions and answers will depend on you!

  • Your story
  • The messages playing in your head
  • the truth you live by
  • Your skills, abilities and talents
  • Your calling

Cost for the class is $20 per session or $150 if you pay for all 8 sessions by May 1st. (that’s a $10 savings)

will include:

  •  8 weeks of group coaching, which means
    1. you benefit from your own coaching,
    2. as well as learn as you listen to others process as well.  (Tremendous growth occurs in the synergy of authentic community. )
    3. Yes, it is a risk you take.  But it has powerful potential for encouragement, support, and accountability.
    4. You get to experience the benefits of coaching at an affordable price.
  • Materials used in the class, including book, worksheets and possible assessment.

Register by emailing Kathy@greenhopecoaching.com.
Write I’M INTENTIONAL in the subject line.

You have much to offer you world!

You make an extraordinary difference in your world being your ordinary you! Click To Tweet

Even if you don’t see it!

But … there are many things we can do to intentionally make the difference we were meant to make.

Are you ready to take the challenge?

Join us! Email me today!

Lessons from a Musical!

Last Friday night, Rennie treated me to a night at the Elida High school’s presentation of Beauty & the Beast. These aren’t always his favorite things to do so it was a very neat treat for him to ask me out to “the theater”!

However there was another special thing about this one. Our former pastor’s wife was the director and Pastor Randy played Maurice, Belle’s father.

Pastor Randy, also known as  Maurice, inventor of wacky but useful things.
Pastor Randy, also known as Maurice, inventor of wacky but useful things. (Photo courtesy of Doug Boquist)

I loved everything about the evening.

The atmosphere was buzzing,

We sat near people we knew.

We watched children with excited expressions.

The set was so well done and costumes fantastic.

But of course, I loved the watching the story come to life!

One character after another made their first appearance on stage, adding their personality and flare to the dynamics. Continue reading Lessons from a Musical!