All posts tagged: God

F.O.M.O. It’s not what you think!

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F.O.M.O. –  A new psycho-babble buzz term, or is it a real condition affecting spiritual fitness?  If you’re reading this right now, you might find yourself suffering from F.O.M.O.  When we unpack the acronym, it translates neatly to “Fear of Missing Out.”  It is the driving force behind social media obsession, whether it’s scrolling through Facebook, Instagram, Snapchatting, or perusing through network news feeds and “talking head blabber.”  We are constantly in search of what we might be missing, or lacking.  Oddly enough, the focal point seems to involve what’s going on in someone else’s life.  We envy that other family’s  gathering, as opposed to appreciating the one we had that might not be so “photo worthy.”  We see shots of a friend frolicking in St. Croix, and feel our day at beach pales in comparison. Ever since the days of the O.J. Bronco-hovering helicopter, it’s no longer enough just to hear about breaking news. We find it necessary to insert ourselves into  the event as it unfolds.  It becomes, in some cases, simply a …

Surrender and Acceptance

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  When we think of surrender, the first thing that comes to mind is weakness. It usually indicates that someone or something is bigger and better than we are. It suggests to us it’s time to give up. We’ve been beaten. Acceptance on the other hand doesn’t have such a negative connotation. We are thrilled to have a loan application accepted. A letter of acceptance for a college applicant is a time for celebration, right? In terms of our spiritual life and relationship to God, both of these terms take on another meaning all together. St. Paul felt that his human weakness, and self-admission of that to God, actually gave him strength. In the same way when we surrender our will to God, and admit that we don’t have all the answers or have it “all under control,” we endear ourselves to Him even more! The acceptance part comes in when the “light bulb” finally goes off and we finally figure that out! In the final analysis, these two words have different meanings to different …

Building a Self-Disciplined Offspring

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    When a child, (or even an adult for that matter), travels through life undisciplined, a key ingredient of character building is missing.  No matter how faithful a Christian we may be, resistance to the temptations of the flesh and worldly trappings will always plague us.  Because we may lack self-discipline skills ourselves, it’s that much harder to pass the principal on to our children. When my son and daughter were in grade school, I spent many years coaching them and their peers in basketball.  I always incorporated quotes into practice sessions from successful people on the importance of being a good self-observer, and one who practices self-correction in all aspects of their lives.  I explained that when everyone is running around in a panic and falling apart under pressure, the person who remains calm and focused will separate themselves from the rest of the pack.  They will emerge as a trusted, natural leader.  The same is true of our daily experiences from the mundane to the traumatic.  The way we react to events …

Strengthening Your Roots

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  When I was growing up in Louisiana, our property was dotted with many beautiful trees.  Some were tall and majestic with dangling moss while others were obviously younger, not quite as magnificent, but healthy and striving none the less.  I often wondered why the both weathered the thunderstorms, and seasonal hurricanes with equal success.  No matter what the battering or damaging winds might inflict, they survived.  The reality is that the trauma a tree sustains actually makes it more resilient because it serves to strengthen the root system below the surface. Much like these trees, people come in all shapes and sizes.  We may appear frail or perceived by others as lacking in emotional strength. Others might see us a “rock”, stable and dependable with a handle on this thing we call life.  We weather many storms of disappointment, loss, failures, and personal set backs.  When times get tough we may feel like we don’t have the physical and mental strength to move on.  Some of us even blame God for our troubles because …

Are You A Martha Or A Mary? (not just a chick thing)

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  Dynamic tension. That’s what most of us struggle with in terms of accomplishment versus contemplation. We work hard, strive for our personal best, and expect praise and accolades in the process. It’s human nature.  I can’t help of thinking about the story of Mary and her sister Martha in Luke 10:38-42.  Martha was feverishly serving her guests, with Jesus being one of them.  Feeling a sense of resentment, she approached Him asking that Mary be reprimanded for not doing her part in helping her with her tasks. He simply responded to her in this way, and I love it, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about so many things.” Do we live in such a way that we are meeting ourselves coming and going?  We become wobbly, losing a sense of balance between work and worship. Is it that we are so driven to make a living that we really aren’t living? Are we trapped in the never ending cycle of trying to  “keep up with the Joneses“? Do we even know who …

Life and Unavoidable Pain

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  Life is a constant dichotomy between ups and downs, joy and pain, triumphs and failures. It’s been said that we can’t truly appreciate the peaks unless we have the “valley experiences”. Really?  This isn’t the most comforting sentiment when we are in the grips of grief or loss! When bad things happen, some people turn away from God, even blaming God. Although we may never see a justifiable reason, there IS a purpose in the grand plan. The security we have in the Father is indomitable. The failure exists in OUR part of losing faith and not trusting in God’s plan. As Life Coaching Partners, we are well versed with loss and the grieving process. Collectively, we have suffered through the death of parents, a spouse,  failed business ventures, and financial set backs. We have also had the misfortune of losing all earthly possessions in the wake and destruction of Hurricane Katrina. We are poised and ready to share our experience, strength, and hope. In addition we bring to the table our life coach …

What’s Holding You Back Today?

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    We’ve all heard the term, “No pain, No gain.”  For those of us who aren’t fans of a workout at the gym, these are not words of encouragement. In the same way, when we look at areas of our life that need improvement, we lack the same motivation. It’s going to be inconvenient or time consuming. What will people think if I  suddenly change directions or explore a new career? I want to have a deeper relationship with God, but I can’t get beyond past disappointments and anger. My relationships are so strained, I think they’re beyond repair. Much like the physical analogy, a body has to be challenged, stretched,  and pushed to certain limits in order reach a goal.  In the life coaching process, you are challenged to dig deeply into the areas of your life that have you feeling less than fulfilled. If you desire optimum, long-lasting results, the first step is to have that desire to explore options. The second step is is an honest self-appraisal of strengths and weaknesses. (We …

Starving Inside? Feed the Spirit

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How many times have you found yourself feeling alone or rejected? Perhaps you’ve experienced periods of feeling worthless or insignificant. Maybe you’re going through a number of those days strung together simply feeling “out of sorts”. When you end up in any of these places, what’s your first thought?  My first thought is, “How the heck did I get here?” to be followed by, ” How can I turn this thing around?”  At this point it’s usually time for me to do some soul-searching and inner reflection, all a product of being HONEST with myself.  In actuality, my first thought should be to check my God Connection making sure it’s plugged in properly! HONESTY is the key to deeper understanding by recreating the” mental bread crumb trail” of the things I’ve done and those I’ve failed to do. The second phase is creating a modification plan with realistic and attainable goals. The main objective should be enhancing the spiritual life and feeding the inner man, thus setting all the other goals into motion. Here are …

Needs Vs. Wants

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 Jan M. Drury, M.S., C.L.C. Life Coaching Partners, LLC All of us have basic physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.  When we attempt to meet all of these needs alone, we find ourselves driven by the things of this world. To be alive means that we have to be driven to some extent. The problem arises when we demand control of every aspect of our lives. As soon as one want is satisfied, we jump right into the next. What we fail to recognize is the difference between needs and wants.  If we think about it, our physical needs are met for  the most part, barring illness. The areas of our lives that we continue to exert the most control involve our wants. This desire for control spills over into the emotional and spiritual realm causing a deficit. The results are disappointment, resentments, and unnecessary stress because it basically becomes a bottomless pit!  There is certainly nothing wrong with working hard to have the things that make us happy. But, what is truly enough when it …

Weakness+Humility=Strength

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 Charles W. Drury, C.L.C. “God does not withdraw His mercy, nor permit of His promises to fail.” (Sirach 47:22) Uncertainty is an ever-present reality to the Christian believer. The paradox is that we have faith but also possess doubt. It’s in our human nature. Is God really there? With a world filled with billions, Is He really interested in me?  Does He really at work in today’s troubling world?  Does He keep His promises even now? The Psalmists faced those questions with a resounding and courageous YES! The questions are the same today as they were for the people living in 100 A.D. They experience tyranny, sadness, failures, violence, inequality, death, and shortages of food and opportunities. When the early Christians were under attack from all sides, it must have been really hard to remain faithful believers. When we are on top and everything is going our way, faithfulness is pretty easy. When things begin to unravel, and we realize we aren’t in control of every aspect of our lives, we find strength. Yet another paradox …