You still see his handsome features, the ones that attracted you to him when you first met. You see the lines that are forming on his face, just as they are on yours. You know that look when one eye brow seems to clamp tighter around his eye, while the other one remains the same- as if one part of him was uptight and the other part relaxed.
You look at her, years of motherhood and caring for a family and her world have changed her. But peering from behind all that are the eyes of the beautiful, young girl that won your heart so long ago. She still reaches up and plays with that small tuft of hair right by her ear as she is deep in thought or developing some creative vision.
You love him! You love her! Really love from a place so deep you never knew it existed.
The beginning of the next- a new page, a new start! We did or didn’t make resolutions about our health, our job, and our future. We set goals for our projects for the year. We chose a WORD to focus on. We clarified our vision! All great stuff! And probably you either feel invigorated by the process or it has left you feeling a weight that seems overwhelming!
What keeps us from Keeping our New Year’s Resolutions?
We make resolutions or goals that are NOT true to ourselves.
Often goals are task oriented- which is great for the task oriented person who loves to check off a list of things done, who does a task for the sake of the task needing to be done.
But that doesn’t work for the person who is relational at the core- like me. I don’t do things just because they need to be done. I do them because it affects a relationship I care about.
Simple example, a task oriented person does the dishes because they need to be done.
A relational person does them because their spouse or their family benefit from having them done.
So lets use ‘health’ as one of our resolutions for 2015, because chances are it is on everyone’s list to some degree. The task oriented person will likely choose that goal because they see that this needs to be done to do life well. The relational person will choose this goal because they want to be in the lives of the people in their world.
Now I know that is over simplifying because many of us have a bit of task and relationship in our personality. But understanding this about yourself can be very freeing. You begin to realize you are not right- or wrong- just different.
I am reposting this excellent blog about the marriage dance from Linda Dillow, friend and mentor in life, marriage and worship. You can read more from Linda at www.authenticintimacy.com
I know- you are looking at this title and wondering if I just dissed my mother! Well, let me tell you about her!
Mom was born October 23, 1936 (Yep! Today is her birthday). She grew up on a farm in Kansas, the middle of three sisters with a lone older brother.
She trusted Christ as her Savior at the age of 11; at the end of her freshman year of High School, Mom made a commitment to prepare seriously to serve the Lord. In one of her letters to her grandchildren, she shared Continue reading My Ordinary Mom!→
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!→
Nonsense! You are a woman! You were created as a sexual being. You were created to desire intimacy.
Whether you are:
Married and want to grow your marriage
Married and want out of your marriage
Formerly married and dealing with the loss of a marriage
Never been married and wishing you were
Or single and glad of it
We are all longing to be known and loved for who we really are. The thing is that our view of intimacy has been skewed in so many ways. What we think is true is nothing but a distorted view of what God intended for us.
What if you could see intimacy & sexuality for what God really meant for us to experience? No, it doesn’t mean life will be perfect- but it can mean that we will be seeing ALL of life from a new vantage point. It can mean that we will understand how cherished and loved we really are- and the freedom we have to be deeply loved.
The message of this conference is powerful- pointing us to God in every area of our life- but especially our sexuality. We are all created as sexual beings. That’s not negative or derogatory- THAT’S GOD DESIGN! Chances are – married or single- we have ALL dealt with issues related to our sexuality. Linda Dillow and Juli Slattery are brave enough to speak God’s Word into this discussion.
SO HERE’S THE CHALLENGE: Who do you know that needs to be invited to this conference? What church or organization needs to get a promo pack with brochures?
A few days ago, a business woman asked me if I thought I was doing the right thing by focusing so much of my coaching business/ministry these days on someone else’s ministry. She was referring to all the Facebook sharing and blog posts I have written that have to do with Authentic Intimacy. Her concern was that I was building their business and not my own.
At the time, I told her that this was something I have wanted to be part of for a long time and it was worth it for me. But as I’ve thought about it- it is much more than that.
You see, 35 years ago, I was given a book called Creative Counterpart written by Linda Dillow. It was a book I went back to time and again early in my marriage and have reviewed often since.
Through the years I’ve had several opportunities to not only hear her speak – but spend time with Linda. I’ve listened as she lived out in her spoken words what she had written in several books by now, including ‘Calm My Anxious Heart” or Intimate Issues, Intimacy Ignited or more recentlyWhat’s it Like to Be Married to Me, and Passion Pursuit. (See titles below)
Kathy with Linda Dillow 2002 – Ukraine Retreat
In 2002, I was invited to lead a worship team for a women’s ministry retreat in Kiev, Ukraine. I was thrilled when I learned the speaker was none other than Linda Dillow.
Her topic was worship- it was the beginning of her book called “Satisfy My Thirsty Soul”.I was the so-called worship leader- but she was the one who led me in into the Presence of the Blessed Controller.
Just the two of us kneeling at her couch.
Just the two of us sitting on her big rock near her home in the foothills of Colorado.
Then with my team in Ukraine!
Precious, intimate moments with our God!
For me, this opportunity to bring Linda Dillow and Juli Slattery to the Lima area for the NAKED TRUTH conference is an answer to a 20 year long prayer. I told Linda then that someday, I would build a platform for her to speak her voice, God’s message to the people in my world.
It’s not just her books,
or the times she has emailed me
or the times she has cried with me,
prayed with me
worshiped with me
always showing up in my life just when I needed her message.
But that is just the point- for 35 years, she has shown up in my life through her books,
her speaking,
her friendship
with a consistent message.
A message that pointed me time and time again to see the Lord; lifting my chin to see His face.
That’s a message I want to be part of!
It’s an act I want to be known for!
It’s a voice I want to not only have- but build a platform for when I hear others speaking that same message.
This isn’t about my ‘business’ – or even Linda’s ministry.
It’s about what God is saying and doing in the heart of women all over the world.
Those are the voices I love listening for!
How about you?
I challenge you to listen and heed the message that Linda & Juli have to give all of us in October. Click here to find out more!
Mom was born October 23, 1936 (Yep! Today is her birthday). She grew up on a farm in Kansas, the middle of three sisters with a lone older brother.
