Smiley Saturday: Heart Smiles

I define a heart smile as that strange little twist you feel in your heart and the beginning of tears in the eyes when you witness something so precious to you.  And of course, heart smiles almost always spread to your face!

Here is a list of things that give me heart smiles:

1.  Eskimo kisses from my Little Man without be asked.

2.  Little Man saying excitedly ” ‘mon, Mommy!  ‘mon!”  as in “Come on, Mommy!” because he is so excited to show me something.

3.  An elderly couple holding hands

4.  Hearing that a friend or client has done something that they have always wanted to do but have been hesitant to try.

5.  The look on the face of a groom as he sees his bride for the first time as she comes down the aisle.

6.  The special bond between a dad and his daughter.

What are some things that give you heart smiles?

Resources for Moms of Toddlers

I am on a Mommy Mission to find great Christian resources that help me entertain and educate my toddler.  I am sure that I am not the only one that desires to engage my Little Man’s brain and stimulate creativity and learning without having to recreate the wheel.   I am not one that wants to start “formally” educating my son just yet but I do want to interest him in learning in a fun way and not in front of the TV set.  These sites provide endless possibilities that you can simply print out and use.  So I wanted to share a list of great sites that I have come across that have truly made me believe that I can achieve this mission!  If you choose to accept this mission, join me!

Totally Tots – My favorite site!  I even purchased the Songs for Saplings CD that sets Scripture verses to song.  My 2 1/2 year-old loves it and can sing several of them already!  He’ll even cry out “again! again!” on his favorites!

Tot School – Just discovered this today and I am in complete awe at the work that this mom has done and is offering on her site for free!  I know that I will be visiting this site again and again!  In fact, I wish I could take the rest of the afternoon and print, organize and plan for the next few weeks!

No Time for Flash Cards – Great and simple ideas for crafts and games!  Love this site!

Bible Crafts -  Enough said!  If you are focusing on a certain Bible story, this site can provide corresponding activities to reinforce what they are learning!

DLTK’s Crafts for Kids – I love these ideas and they are very easy to go through and pick what you need for your child’s learning level.

If you have some favorite toddler sites, please share with me!

In Case You Missed It…

I wanted to re-share this post from earlier in the month.  I pray God uses it to speak to your heart like He did mine!

Wordless Wednesday: Guidance

Five Critical Questions

When I start with a new life coaching client, there are five critical questions that I have to know the answers to before we can proceed with coaching.  They set the stage as to what needs to be addressed and/or where the client is coming from when I am trying to help them with something.

I want to share these with you as a self-evaluation tool.  This is not a test but just to see where you in your thinking at this stage of your life.  Ready?  I promise it won’t hurt a bit…um, well, maybe a little sting here or there.

1.  How do you know that you are a Christian?

2.  What are some characteristics of God that you believe are absolutely true?

3.  What do you believe you were created for?

4.  What do you want your legacy to be?

5.  What is burning in your heart that you want to accomplish?

I will be doing a follow-up post on these to help you dig deeper if you are stuck and need help moving forward in any area.  Look at it as kind of a mini-coaching session!

If you are comfortable, post the answers to one or more of these questions below or you can post a request for me to email you for your answers.  For those that give me permission, I will use some of your answers as examples (anonymously of course!).

What is Christian Life Coaching?

When I first started blogging for Women by Grace, many of you commented asking me just what Christian Life Coaching was and how I got started in it.  I must admit that I had never heard of life coaching until about three years ago.  Even then I had no idea how it could be used for God’s glory.

What Christian Life Coaching Is

There are many “life coaches” out there in the world.  All you have to do is a Google search for Life Coach and you will find someone for every need you might have:  business, career choice/change, life transition, life purpose, etc.  The possibilities are endless.  What sets Christian Life Coaching apart may be obvious.  Christian Life Coaches (CLC) help people based on a Christian worldview and from the perspective that only God can make the changes in people’s hearts and lives as they allow Him to do so by submitting to Him as Savior and Lord and using the Bible to guide them.  The job of a CLC is to point people back to Christ and the Word for the changes they desire to see made in their lives.   We inspire, encourage and equip you in your growth in Christ and in your dreams, desires and goals.  We help you set goals and help you develop and execute steps to reach those goals.  We walk alongside you, helping you navigate obstacles, mindsets, roadblocks and detours with the help of God and guidance of the Bible.

What Christian Life Coaching Isn’t

CLCs are not counselors or psychologists.  We do not try to handle any issues such as depression (or other mental illness), addictions, abuse, etc.  In addition, CLCs do not and will not tell you what to do.  We help you look to Christ to guide your way on the path He has you on.  For instance, if you wanted help finding out what God wants you to do in a certain area of your life, we help you in the process of discovering that through prayer, incisive questions and assessment tools but it is not our role to give you answers.  As CLCs, we believe that is all up to God, not us.

We are also not replacements for your pastor, elders or your local church.  God has created the institution of the local church and its leadership for a reason.  We in no way wish to replace any of those.

Christian Life Coach Niches

There are as many niches, or specialties, for CLCs as there are life problems to tackle!  Here is a short sample list:

• Finances
• Marriage
• Parenting
• Life transition (empty nest, change of jobs, etc.)
• Career guidance
• Ministry guidance
• Health & Wellness

The list is endless and within each niche is a countless variety of subniches!  For instance, my primary niche is parenting (although I can and do work with all types of women at different phases of their life and with different goals) and my subniche is Christian moms of children ages 0-10.

How I Got Started

I “stumbled” upon Christian Life Coaching while talking with a friend who had read a book titled “Pathway to Purpose” by Dr. Katie Brazelton.  This friend knew that I had a burning desire to be used by God to help women in some capacity.  She told me I should check out the Life Purpose Coaching program offered by Dr. Brazelton.  I did so and did some introductory life purpose coaching sessions with Kelly Thorne, Founder and President of iBloom.  It was during those sessions that I knew that this was an avenue that God could use me to touch women’s lives for His glory so I went through the training and became a Certified Life Purpose Coach through Life Purpose Coaching Centers International.  This certification means that I can coach individuals and groups, serve as a speaker, facilitator and/or coordinator for events and conduct individual and group life plans.  But as a CLC, I am not limited to just coaching.  I also get to do my first love – writing!  And there are many other avenues that a CLC can use either as a supplemental part to coaching or in place of coaching.  The sky really is the limit!

Kelly then asked me to become one of the first four associates with iBloom.  After much prayer and soul-searching, I agreed.  This is an organization whose goal is “to inspire and empower every woman on the planet to live a life of passion, balance, purpose and fulfillment.  iBloom is dedicated to helping women live intentionally and ultimately have a significant impact with their lives.”  This is a huge goal but we trust God to have His way with it!

Being a part of iBloom has been a tremendous time in my life!  God has taken me on a personal and professional ride that has been exhilarating at times and a rough molding process at others.  But I know that He is using me to touch women’s lives for His glory.  And that, after all, is what it’s all about.

What questions do you have about Christian Life Coaching?  Please post and I will reply!

Jesus, Thank You!

Such a wonderful and appropriate song for the Lord’s Day!  Don’t forget why it is that we go to church to worship Him!

Accidental Takeoff

The news headline about a 6-year-old Fort Collins, CO boy who was supposedly in a homemade air balloon when it accidentally became untethered and went airborne has captured my attention this week.  When the balloon landed, the boy was not in it.  Even though this is now being investigated as a possible hoax, as a mom of a young son, this story makes my palms sweat and my stomach twist.

Unexpected & Unwelcome

Aside from the mommy terror I was feeling when the news broke,  it also makes me wonder about the way we handle unwelcome & unexpected things in our lives or the lives of those we love.  When something happens to me or my family, I used to go into full-on panic mode and imagine worst-case scenarios.  Finding peace and refuge in the One that I call Lord didn’t ever really occur to me until I was at my wit’s end of all that I could do myself.  Now that I have gone through several of these types of experiences (loss of my step-dad to brain cancer, loss of my biological dad unexpectedly, miscarriage of my first pregnancy, my son’s facial injury when he was one, my husband choosing to walk away from our marriage, etc.), I realize there is really only one place to go – on my knees, physically and spiritually, to my Father who holds the world in His hands and is in complete control.  Nothing that happens is unexpected to Him.  Nothing catches Him by surprise.  And He can handle the situation and He can handle me in my weakness and fear.  And only He is big enough to handle me!

My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him.  ⁶He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken.
⁷On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God.  ⁸Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah. – Psalm 62:5-8 NASB

Is there something unexpected or unwelcome you are dealing with?  Share with us so we can lift you up in prayer!

Friday Funny!

The following was found posted very low on a refrigerator door:

Dear Dogs and Cats,

The dishes with the paw prints are yours and contain your food. The other dishes are mine and contain my food. Placing a paw print in the middle of my plate and food does not stake a claim for it becoming your food and dish, nor do I find that aesthetically pleasing in the slightest.

The stairway was not designed by NASCAR and is not a racetrack. Racing me to the bottom is not the object. Tripping me doesn’t help because I fall faster than you can run.

I cannot buy anything bigger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think I will continue sleeping on the couch to ensure your comfort, however.  Dogs and cats can actually curl up in a ball when they sleep. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other, stretched out to the fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straight out and having tongues hanging out on the other end to maximize space is nothing but sarcasm.

For the last time, there is no secret exit from the bathroom! If, by some miracle, I beat you there and manage to get the door shut, it is not necessary to claw, whine, meow, try to turn the knob or get your paw under the edge in an attempt to open the door. I must exit through the same door I entered. Also, I have been using the bathroom for years — canine/feline attendance is not required.

The proper order for kissing is: Kiss me first, then go smell the other dog or cat’s behind. I cannot stress this enough.

Finally, in fairness, dear pets, I have posted the following message on the front door :

TO ALL NON-PET OWNERS WHO VISIT AND LIKE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT OUR PETS:

(1) They live here. You don’t.

(2) If you don’t want their hair on your clothes, stay off the furniture. That’s why they call it ‘fur’-niture.

(3) I like my pets a lot better than I like most people.

(4) To you, they are animals. To me, they are adopted sons/daughters who are short, hairy, walk on all fours and don’t speak clearly.  Remember, dogs and cats are better than kids because they: (1) eat less, (2) don’t ask for money all the time, (3) are easier to train, (4) normally come when called, (5) never ask to drive the car, (6) don’t hang out with drug-using people; (7) don’t smoke or drink, (8) don’t want to wear your clothes, (9) don’t have to buy the latest fashions, (10) don’t need a gazillion dollars for college and (11) if they get pregnant, you can sell their children.

Share your favorite funny about life with your pet!

Guilty As Charged

It was after a long self-imposed spiritual dry spell that the fresh in-filling of the Holy Spirit had been so refreshing in so many ways. But I had somewhat hazy memories of how it felt when the Holy Spirit convicts. Man, it stings!

However, as much as I don’t like it, I need it, want it and respect it.

But have you ever seemed to be harder on yourself than the Holy Spirit is being? Not that He isn’t serious about conviction of sin – I don’t mean to minimize the sin at all. What I am saying is that once I feel that conviction, I get so angry at myself because I know better than to do the things I’m being convicted of! (like pride, frustration, health habits, etc.)!! And the Holy Spirit used to have the control over those areas in my life but the flesh has reigned supreme for a while and I guess I need to go through another surrender process for my Spirit to subdue my flesh again.

I am so very thankful that the conviction and correction are there for us as God’s children through Jesus Christ!  I could never be good enough on my own no matter how hard I try!  Through the saving work of Jesus on the cross, I can know that I am secure in Him no matter how many times I fall short.

And I am continually reminded that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is as our Counselor, Helper and Revealer of Truth!  He does His job well and I am convicted of my sin.  I need His grace to surrender, confess, repent and get up again.   I feel like I am starting over again in a lot of areas! But then again, maybe that’s what Abba wanted all along.

What area is the Holy Spirit pointing out to you that is in need of surrender, confession and repentance?

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