I want you to consider pre-ordering the incredible book Wonderstruck by Margaret Feinberg before it's release December 25th!  Great gift for YOU or someone you love!

And ... a GREAT way to start the New Year 2013!

On Margaret's Website www.MargaretFeinberg.com here is a quote:

"In Wonderstruck, Margaret invites you to toss back the covers, climb out of bed, and drink in the fullness of life. Wonderstruck will help you:

• Recognize the presence of God in the midst of your routine
• Discover peace in knowing you’re wildly loved
• Identify what’s holding you back in prayer
• Develop a renewed passion for God
• Celebrate the extraordinary moments in everyday life

Pre-Order a copy of Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God TODAY (releases Christmas Day) at amazon.com or margaretfeinberg.com."

I have had the privilege of Pre-reading a copy of Wonderstuck and was blown away! I didn't want the book to end! It is seriously that good! I have read and used a number of books and DVD Bible studies which Margaret has written and loved them!  

I personally believe that Margaret has been given special grace from the Lord as an author in using her skill of communication to point others to a closer walk with Jesus!

If you order before the 25th release they are adding to it $300 worth of resources. Excellent deal! Check out their website!

Blessings and happy ordering!
Coach Kathleen

  

How is your Hope and Joy Level this Christmas Season?

Hope. Hmmm. Sometimes illusive. Sometimes sure. Sometimes mysteriously just out of reach. Hopelessness can be a dull sick feeling in the pit of your stomach, unidentifiable but it is there.

How about you? Has there been a lack of hope in your life lately? Maybe someone you love is ill? Maybe you are concerned about finances or a relationship has gone south? Maybe the News is getting you down?

Proverbs 13:12   “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life”. New Living Translation

As I was researching this verse I Googled and found this on the Nehemiah Project website: 

“Hope is an anticipation of a desired future.  Hope keeps you going when nothing around you seems to work.  Hope is the heartbeat of future dreams and goals.  When you have no hope, no matter how realistic your goals or how rewarding the promise, you will not continue to persevere.  You will quit.
What causes our hopes to be deferred?  Our hope is deferred when we put our hope in the wrong thing.  Whenever our hope is bound by anything tangible it is at risk of being deferred.  We live in a sinful world and no matter how comprehensive our plans, how righteous our walk or how worthy our goals, they will not always come together the way we envision them or when we plan.  Our hope must always be based on the unchanging nature and character of Jesus Christ.”

Wow. Yes! A resounding Yes!  

Foundations. What foundations do I … do you … base your life on? What do we base our hope on? If our hope to be solid and unshakable as Believers we can base our hope ONLY on our Lord Jesus Christ. The Truth of His Word can be the only foundation … the only grid on which to place our hopes and dreams and goals and to submit to His sovereignty in our lives. 

So, even though there seems to be plenty of hopelessness to go around right now this is the PERFECT time of year to consider our foundations and the very soil we “sink our roots” into which feeds and forms our values, beliefs, attitudes, thoughts, our very lives! Want to go “back” to a simpler time? Let’s you and I go back to the foundations of our beliefs during the Christmas season. Remember the simplicity of Jesus, the Son of God, coming in the form of a baby as the Savior and Messiah of … well, you and I.   

So, if I may … It has been scientifically proven that we cannot mentally focus on two things at once such as fear and trust, joy and hopelessness, anger and surrender, etc.  We are told in Philippians 4:8  ^“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”  Instead of focusing on why we are feeling hopeless what about if we CHOOSE to focus on what we are told to in Philippians 4:8? What if we CHOOSE to focus on Jesus (after all it is Christmas season … let’s focus on what we should be year round!J )  What if we CHOOSE to focus on why we are grateful rather than hopeless or what we have to be joyful about rather than why we are depressed or why we are  blessed instead of why we are afraid? Hey! Remember that Blessings Journals we have “talked about” in past editions of Gentle Nudgings?  

(Gift #1: How about buying a special Blessings Journal for yourself for a personal Christmas Gift to YOU? )

Let’s choose to be proactive about CHOOSING Hope, Joy and focusing on the grace of Jesus and all the blessings He has poured into our lives instead of allowing our minds to drift down a lazy (and unproductive) river of hopelessness and depression. The enemy of our souls loves to destroy, depress and discourage. We can CHOOSE to both obey our Lord Jesus and His Word and defend against the enemy by CHOOSING to discipline our minds and our hearts to focus on what is right about our lives and being grateful! 

(Gift #2:  Choose a New Attitude focusing on and being changed by Truth and Jesus starting December of 2012!)   

Simplify your Christmas Season this year!  Give yourself a gift!  Choose to focus on Hope, Joy and your Savior Jesus!  

 2013 can really be a very different year!  How about beginning today!  

Two verses for us to meditate on together as we are reflecting on what you are "reflecting" in life. (from Biblegateway.com)

1. Romans 12:2
   Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
   
   
2. 2 Corinthians 3:18
   And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

 We get to choose what we think on and if we obey the Word of God. What and WHO we reflect because of those choices is one thing we need to pay attention to as Disciples of Jesus Christ, as His ambassadors. If our hope is in ourselves, other people, work, politics, our health, our figure, our perfectly decorated home or coming up with the perfect Christmas gift, event or card ... we will be sorely disappointed at some juncture. If on the other hand we are transformed by the renewing of our mind by staying in His Word daily, memorizing His Word, choosing to put all our HOPE on Him and being disciplined to stay focused then the JOY that comes from that lifestyle WILL reflect on our faces, in our eyes and authentic smiles!   

 If someone looks, really looks, at us will they say ... Oh!  "She has her Father's eyes"  as Amy Grant's song says? I pray so for both of us!  Let's reflect our Heavenly Father's eyes this Christmas season and more daily until we step into eternity with Him!
 

Blessings,
Coach Kathleen 

39.3 miles WALKED for the AVON Walk for (against) breast cancer! Thank you for your help!

Well, you may or may not know yet but  with the grace of God and the sweet fellowship of some new friends I made the 39.3 mile Avon walk for (I think AGAINST) breast cancer a weekend ago!! Whoo Hoo! 

I intended to blog soon thereafter but was in preparation to leave for a Coaching Conference and class in Florida and I ran out of time! I learned so much for my coaching practice and had the privilege of speaking for the coaches there from all over the USA! Special time with great new friends!

The Team the Lord brought together to walk the walk! (I am in the cap) This was the last of the 2nd day 13 miles and the end of the 39.3 mile, two day walk!

Back to the Avon Walk!  

My TWO hats! My training hat (worn out like me but still with a "little bling!") and the AVON Walk hat my main training Sister Sarah lent me for this special event! Here I go!

 
Thank you for supporting me in this goal of ours as together, you and I, worked against a formidable foe, breast cancer.  Whether you prayed, talked me through trainings on the phone, walked with me in training (Coaching Moment: Make sure to DO the training for your goals along the way BEFORE the day of your "Event" so you'll be ready!), gave financially to the goal or came to Santa Barbara to cheer and encourage I appreciate(d) you and needed your love, support and encouragement to finish the goal! I received encouragement via emails, cards, notes, phone calls, text messages, a balloon bouquet ... in more ways than you can imagine!

 

 We started the day in Santa Barbara
 6:00 a.m. on the Beach in Santa   Barbara! 

Sunrise on the Beach in Santa Barbara! Beautiful!

                          Ready to go!  Yep, a little ... nervous? Oh, it will be fun!

 I thought of you as I giggled watching groups of women with pink wigs, tu-tus and dancing to the music with their pom poms! I smiled as we passed motor cycle gang folk sporting pink facial hair at the intersections. We waved to the little ones out on their lawns in the "jammies" and the families handing out sweets, water or high fives along the route in Santa Barbara and Carpenteria! What an amazing time!

I mentioned to one of my new friends Maria, as we walked along at some point, how WONDERFUL it would be if in real life, every day we all had people along our "route" of life high-fiving us, encouraging us, calling out to us that we could do it! Wouldn't that BE FANTASTIC and ... why can't we be those people to those the Lord put into our lives? (Coaching Moment: Yes we can and we shall!)

All along the route Dennis would surprise me ( but it blessed all of us :) with signs of encouragement on the Note Pad! So very fun for us as it was like the game of  "finding Waldo" as we looked for him around every corner!  Iced coffee was one of my personal favorite "rest stops" and I think he had several "takers" as other women begged for their own cup! I absolutely couldn't have done it without him, from the beginning of my commitment to train to the very last mile! 

Damon, Michele and our little Jayden came up for the weekend to cheer me along as well and that was sure fun and meant so much! Nothing like having your own cheering section and I had the privilege of sharing the encouragement with my other "Team" members that the Lord brought along! We enjoyed a little beach/ocean time after the event as the Lord provided a home for rent exactly ONE block from the beach and ONE block from the end of the Avon Walk! (WONDERFUL home ... let me know if you want that location to stay! Happy to pass it along!) A God thing for sure! Kyle and Steph were a text and phone call away as we shared several times during the weekend as well as they kept up with where I was and offered their long distance cheers! :)  I am one very very blessed wife, Mom, Mom-in-law and Granma to have such love showered on me! I enjoyed the texts and phone calls from our Moms and Dad, siblings and spouses, nieces/nephews and friends too!

 
Our friends Christine and Bob met us at one of the rest stops to cheer us along as well and it was such a blessing to have them join us! :)   

As we prayed together ( you and I) prior to the event for whoever the Lord might have for me to encourage in some way ... the Lord answered our prayers and graciously provided some sweet walking friends! We walked together, we prayed together, we wept together, we laughed together, we HURT together, we held each other up and cared for each other. We shared life stories and deep hurts. Two were from Chicago and three from Southern California and each had an amazing story. Two of us were survivors, two had done this walk a couple of times, several were walking for friends and family. The toughest for me was those that were walking for their Sisters. One has TWO, yes TWO sisters currently battling breast cancer. One sister got a mammogram because she was over 40 and hadn't yet. She found out she had breast cancer on both sides and had to have a double mastectomy.  She promptly insisted her sisters (5 girls in all if I am remembering correctly) get mammograms. The youngest (under duress) got a mammogram and found she not only had cancer in both breasts and her lymph system but it was already in her bones and now she is fighting for her life. I got to meet these two brave women, hug their necks and whisper we are praying for them encouraging them to battle on. Who knew how MUCH my heart would be GRIPPED by the stories I heard and the NEED for prayer for these precious women AND for the need for mammograms. Of course, a mammogram saved my life ... and thus may I encourage YOU to get yours this Breast Cancer Awareness month! Get er' done gals! It will give you a baseline if nothing else. It may save your life someday as it did mine.

 

 I got to share my heart about Jesus with several along the route! What a blessing! He is alive!!

My friend Maria and I did the entire 39.3 miles together, well ... after we found her at mile 5 or so and gather her up into our little group! She being 28 years old had LOTS of energy and I am so grateful we walked together as she kept us moving! :) We came over the last hill to see a "sea of pink tents" at the Wellness Village and although our toes (and hips, etc.) were hurting we were GRATEFUL to have gone the distance for sure!  


 I was told by my AVON walk representative that together, YOU and I, raised enough money to allow 19-20 women who would not be able to get mammograms to have this life-saving medical procedure! Now THAT blesses my heart! CONGRATULATIONS and THANK YOU for working with me in this endeavor! 

No kidding! A WORTHY cause! 

At the end of the day and the event ... I was blessed, encouraged, exhausted, my feet were very sore, my heart was super FULL, my eyes were wet with tears and my mind was alive with ideas and fresh memories. I was amazed, excited, sad,  determined ... oh, so full of prayers for some I met and some I didn't. The peace was overwhelming and almost palpable!

It reminded me the need to encourage even more women and men to come see Joni Eareckson Tada at our event October13th at church where she will share about her breast cancer journey and the HOPE she has in the Lord! Where faith and life-heart- aches meet in the middle and Jesus alone makes the difference.  

Please join us if you are local and register at www.churchinthecanyon.org as we have limited seating (due by October  8th). If you cannot I urge you to go to www.JoniandFriends.org and consider ordering her brand new DVD about her Cancer Journey. I spent most of yesterday watching, re-winding, watching ... AWESOME DVDs. Very educational as well!

At the end of the walk they had a moving closing ceremony. They gave everyone a T-shirt that walked but the survivors that walked got a special t-shirt (see left) and everyone was introduced as groups.  When our group walked up to the front of the event people were cheering, high-fiving us, pom poms were waving, music was playing! Yes, I was crying like a baby.

 It was SO very moving but you know what?

I felt pretty much the same feeling when I was going right through the middle of the battle with breast cancer with all the love, meals, visits, cards, emails, flowers, gifts, notes, balloons, phone calls, text messages, Caring Bridge posts and especially the prayers!  You all might as well have been hooting and hollering and cheering and high- fiving me! Those hugs (literally and figuratively) were precious and I will FOREVER be in your debt and will remember always!

I am blessed to have each of you in my life!

Blessings and hugs and thanks for reading this loooong blog! 

Coach Kathleen 
MCLC

Do You Like the Mountains? Want to Follow this Life Coaching Blog ?

Do you like the Mountains?

  * By the way ... I neglected to add the "Follow" feature when I debuted my first post. Should you desire to know when my blogs post you can sign up to be notified! See the side bar to the right if you are interested.

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Some days walking has been a journey of peering into my heart.  Especially when I am walking alone.  Lately I have had SUCH fun walking with some girlfriends and always enjoy those evening walks with my husband and our little Ber pup but when I am alone … I am not alone. :) My walks alone are more prayer walks and I do enjoy sharing my heart and requests with my King and Lord and listening.  Listening ? Oh, yes,  in my heart.  He works on me transforming my heart. Yes, please! I pray He never stops until I go Home to be with Him in Heaven!

It occurred to me one day when out walking alone looking at the Santa Monica Mountains in my area and I was  reflecting on missing my Colorado Rocky Mountains and the mesas in New Mexico where I grew up.   All of the sudden it occurred to me that I should perhaps practice what I preach? (Novel idea don’t you think? :) ) Perhaps, in obedience to my Lord, I should be “content where I am planted.” I can see the Santa Monica mountain range ... I have much to be thankful for!

Philippians 4:11 New American Standard Bible “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.” 

Content: Am I? Are you? We are called to be as we submit to His plan for our lives and rest in that plan and trust Him.  He is our loving Father!  So … there is beauty (incredible beauty!) in all the types of mountains the Lord has created and personally mountains ARE my thing! IF I am focused on finding beauty in these local "mountains" then I will see it! If I am focused on historically thinking back on the more grandeous beauty of the past mountains in my life then I am anything but content! Disobedience and grumbling? Yep!  I need to make sure I am THANKING Him for planting me right where I am and not be complaining about what I do not see ... the Rocky Mountains!  I am not the "PLANTER" ... I am the "PLANTEE." Pretty presumptuous to complain about where He sovereignly PUT /PLANTED me don't you think? "Be Grateful Shortcake" is what I hear in my heart!  Be content!

(Below: Dennis and I went to the top of Pike's Peak mountain when we were in Colorado for our niece and now-nephew's wedding this summer! Never had been there! Pretty spectacular!)      

Santa Monica Mountains! Gorgeous too!

Psalm 121 NLB

A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.

¹ I look up to the mountains—
    does my help come from there?
² My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth!

³ He will not let you stumble;
    the one who watches over you will not slumber.
⁴ Indeed, he who watches over Israel
    never slumbers or sleeps.

⁵ The Lord himself watches over you!
    The Lord stands beside you as your protective shade.
⁶ The sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon at night.

⁷ The Lord keeps you from all harm
    and watches over your life.
⁸ The Lord keeps watch over you as you come and go,
    both now and forever.

    

One of my favorite verses! Enjoy where you are planted today! You are "there" on purpose! His purpose!

Blessings!

Coach Kathleen

Welcome to my Personal Retreat Coaching Blog site!

  I am looking forward to sharing via blog interesting things I am learning about growing as a woman in my walk as a follower of Christ! This blog will be a new addition to my Personal Retreat Coaching as a Life Coach for women and my Gentle Nudgings Newsletter will continue to be emailed periodically. If you are not on the subscription list and would like to be let me know! :)      

One of the major focuses in my world lately has been WALKING! I am training for the AVON Walk against breast cancer  September 22 and 23rd for a total of 39 miles. Yikes! There is a whole training schedule and it has been quite a challenge! It has been delightful to walk with Dennis, family members and Girlfriends! And ... of course Ber :) for the short walks!

As I was walking through my home town on my 12 mile walk praying for family, friends, neighbors, our country, etc. and it was ... HOT ... I was struck by the fact that the Lord always sends refreshment in one way or another! Sometimes it is actual water or walking by a beautiful water fountain or a beautiful rose or tree or a park with a water fountain. IF we are looking for how He IS refreshing us then we will absolutely find them! I also found out I am a "shade to shade" walker! I am just NOT crazy about the sunshine even though I live in sunny Southern California! If I FOCUS on how HOT I am and sometimes... honestly just miserable ... it drags my attitude down and makes the walk crazy-long! If on the other hand I focus on how I am being refreshed generously by God's beauty, by the things I can be grateful for and am blessed by, if I spend time in prayer or calling someone I love ... my attitude shifts to actually ENJOYING those long walks!

 Life is about choices.  I sure don't always choose JOY but that would be my goal! Being disciplined about not only walking but how I am thinking is a life choice! I choose JOY!        

(Dennis walking across a beautiful bridge on the end of our 7 miles walk that day! 4 miles earlier!)

We went to a darling Farmer's Market! Best I have ever seen! (above) and watched pelicans diving into the Pacific Ocean! (below)

The above photos were near the Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort as my husband Dennis and I enjoyed several splendid walks up to the tippy-top of a very steep hill for a gorgeous view and along a wooded path to the ocean where we enjoyed watching pelicans diver for their dinner!

So, may I say there are lots of beautiful moments when walking! It has been a lot of hard, hot work. It has moments of WOW and it has moments where I just have to be disciplined because it is hard or I am tired. It has been a choice. But ... just like deciding to (for example) go to church ... I made the decision to go to church every week ONE TIME, that way I don't have to decide every week!  I made the decision to walk for this worthy cause ONE TIME to fund raise for those that cannot do so themselves and to give GLORY to the Lord for allowing me to live and to walk! So although I don't always WANT to go I have already made that decision and I WILL go!

     It has been wonderful to walk and feel better. It has been a blessing to have the physical goal of being able to walk some distance for the Avon Walk. The BEST part has been the blessing of fundraising along side of family and friends to give to an organization which helps women who cannot afford mammograms and toward research to stop the vicious BEAST of breast cancer.  

Well, enough for my first post. I will post again soon! Thank you for join me!

Blessings,
(Coach) Kathleen :)