Tag Archives: green hope

Fresh start, LIFE, life stories, Living Intentionally, Pay Attention

Delight for 2015!

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I have struggled to find the right WORD for the new year!

I usual pick one, or a few to remind me what I want to be about.

For the last two years I chose

  • GIVE the gift of PRESENCE
  • EXPERIENCE VITALITY
  • GENERATE INSPIRATION
  • GRAB HOLD of FREEDOM
  • TAKE PLATFORMS to INFLUENCE

They have been good words which continue to remind me what I want to be about. I made progress in each area but have significant steps that remain. You may not know what I mean by them. But I do. I read them over regularly in an effort to stay focused on my purpose.

But I was struck yesterday morning as Rennie was preaching for a pastor friend was on vacation. He used Psalm 1 “Blessed is the one who….” Continue reading Delight for 2015! →

grief, healing, Hope, LOSS, Lovely Traces, prayer

Living Open Handed: Dear Grief

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I was challenged by my story partner friend to take Kate Motaung’s challenge to write a letter to grief. Since it ties in with my recent series on Living Open Handed, I choose to share this here also.

 

Dear Grief,

I don’t think I want to talk to you!

I’ve spent so many years struggling to survive your choke hold on my life!

I’ve crawled through your tunnel

Filled with muck- dark and slimy

So deep that with each step I sunk farther

O

Until it began to paralyze my legs

Then my torso and my arms

Finally my face

Silencing my voice

Blind folding my sight

Dulling my ability to hear as you filled my ears with your lies.

I could barely find my next breath

OH

let alone move.

Continue reading Living Open Handed: Dear Grief →

fear, GHC opportunities, Green Hope Coaching, Hope, LIFE, Linda Dillow, Living Intentionally, Offering Hope, prayer, Questions?, worship

Living Open Handed: Pivot to See God

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Open handedThis is the 4th and final post in the series Living Open Handed in a White Knuckle World. If you have missed the previous posts, it would be helpful to go back and read them in order to understand how we got to this post.  Links are provided below.

1. Living Open Handed in a White Knuckle World
2. Living Open Handed: I have a need!
3. Living Open Handed: Express Honestly

Through these posts,

  • we have identified our fears that cause us to create fist
  • then opened the little finger to admit or acknowledge we have a need.
  • Next we lifted the ring finger and wrote a psalm including those fears and needs.

Now we are ready to open the middle finger which stands for P: PIVOT. Continue reading Living Open Handed: Pivot to See God →

grief, Guest Post, LOSS, Offering Hope

To Offer HOPE to a Hurting Friend this Christmas

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I would like to introduce you to a new friend Sarah Knepper.  I have asked to share a recent post here today.  Sarah is a stay-at-home mama of four and an engineer’s Sarah Knepperwife. She is a lover of words, encourager of women, and redeemed by a grace-giving God. She holds a Master’s Degree in Elementary Education and is the Volunteer Coordinator for the women’s events at her church. And she firmly believes that Jesus and coffee can get you anything.

Continue reading To Offer HOPE to a Hurting Friend this Christmas →

30 Day Challenge, Broken, GHC opportunities, Hope, LIFE, Living Intentionally, Pay Attention, worship

Healing of a Broken Place

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My NOTICING for this day!

The NAKED TRUTH event took place early this month- and that had been an answer to a prayer that was 20 years old.  I felt a FREEDOM that I have not felt for a long time.  I wasn’t afraid of what others would say because I sensed so strongly that God had not only called us to host this conference but had grabbed me by the wrist and led to the next person, or thing to do since the day I first heard his voice on this.   I was focused on women I love and care for.  and I was certain of God’s presence and pleasure as we built the platform for Linda and Juli to come to Lima.

Real healing came in the way women were responsive to the truths at the NAKED TRUTH event,  I continue to hear from women – married or single, young or old- that God met them and is taking them to a new place

  • in their understanding of themselves,
  • in their relationship with their mate, or understanding of a relationship in the past or of the future.
  • in their relationship with God.

 But healing came for me

Continue reading Healing of a Broken Place →

30 Day Challenge, GHC opportunities, Hope, LIFE, Living Intentionally, Lovely Traces, Pay Attention, Questions?, worship

30 Day of……………….!

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Thirty days isn’t a long time!  But it’s long enough!

I just went through a quick study of the last 30 days of my life.  I encourage you to consider your life over the last 30 days.

You could ask questions like:

  • Are you where you thought you’d be?  Did you set goals for yourself and did you work your plan for those goals?  or did they go by the wayside like lot’s of New Year’s Resolutions?
  • Did you tell anyone about the goals you had for yourself?  Were you willing to be accountable to what you hoped to accomplish?
  • What were the obstacles that got in your way?  Did you anticipate them or did they surprise you?

I know that style of evaluating life is popular with many.  You may be one of those.  Especially if you are task oriented and working hard toward a goal.  I’m not saying I don’t do that at times in my life- it’s important to ask these questions.

But this time I only asked ONE Question:  What did you notice?  Continue reading 30 Day of……………….! →

Fresh start, Hope, LIFE, Living Intentionally, Pay Attention

Fresh Hope!

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Did you know HOPE can become stale?  I didn’t!  In fact it never crossed my mind to think about it.  I understood that sometimes we lose hope- or it wanes in comparison to what it once was even.  But stale?

This weekend, at a prayer service I attended, a pastor in attendance prayed over me.  Part of his powerful prayer for my life-mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually- spoke into my need for “fresh hope”.  I sense your hope has become stale.

I was STRUCK!  Yes!  I knew immediately what God was saying through him! Continue reading Fresh Hope! →

LIFE, Living Intentionally, LOSS, Pay Attention, Uncategorized

The moments that will change us!

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I hesitate to write this blog post today- let alone publish it.  I have so many intimate emotions still tied to it.  As I’ve pondered the passing of Robin Williams last week, I realize that to not share is to not tell my whole story.  I want to be authentic in my story.  I believe as I share, perhaps someone else will be helped.

This week is the 8th anniversary of our daughter’s death.  Leisha died August 16th, 2006.  I’ve known it was coming.  I’ve shed many tears over the last few weeks feeling different aspects of her absence  and celebrating her life as well.  Each year has been different when her birthday or anniversary rolls around.

But yesterday, for some reason the intensity of that loss squeezed in on me so tightly I thought I couldn’t breathe another breath. Continue reading The moments that will change us! →

Family, Green Hope Coaching, LIFE, Living Intentionally, LOSS, managing life, Pay Attention, Uncategorized

Discovering my own shade of GREEN!

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I try not to publish posts that contain all my random thoughts- but I’m processing what they have taught me.  Thought they might stir something in you too!

Recently I’ve been doing some observing about my style, energy, walk, closet, makeup, etc. with a program called Dressing Your Truth by Carol Tuttle. I haven’t done the full video program but their free class is very informative.  I was intrigued by their interesting  tagline: How to be Beautiful Everyday!

Do you feel beautiful everyday?  

I would love to tell you I do.  That everyday I wake up confident and  smiling and eager to get dressed for the day. But some days…well, they don’t seem worth the makeup! Continue reading Discovering my own shade of GREEN! →

Green Hope Coaching, Heritage, Intimacy, LIFE, Linda Dillow, Living Intentionally, LOVE, Pay Attention, Questions?, The Naked Truth Conference

FAQ: I’m too OLD! NAKED TRUTH isn’t for me, right?

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FAQ: The Naked Truth
I’ve got questions

Really?  That’s the reason you are giving?

You are too old?

Now if you said,
“It’s too hard!
I don’t want to try!” or “I’ve given up!”
– I would understand those answers. I  have been there and done that. There are times when that is the most honest answer we can give.  I would be sad for you and try to encourage you!

But no matter what your age, as long as you have breath, God wants to have an intimate relationship with you, and He wants for you Continue reading FAQ: I’m too OLD! NAKED TRUTH isn’t for me, right? →