Leading from Your Strengths Certified
Leading from Your Strength Certified

Fear Not! Rejoice! Christmas is Here!

Nativity Scene

God loves you. God loves me. Fear Not. Rejoice. THAT is the Christmas message God wants us to embrace!

David Jeremiah said that the opposite of fear is not courage. Rather, the opposite of fear is love. Fear is the opposite force of faith. Faith comes from meditating on the promises of God. His promises are all borne out of love for His creation. Fear entered the human race at the same time sin entered in the garden. God wants His people to be free of fear. But for that to happen, there must be a renewing of the mind. And that renewing takes time…WITH the Creator in prayer AND in His Word. And it also comes from purposefully observing Him in action all around you.

When you and I really, really realize how much God loves us and wants the best for us, we learn to trust Him; and fear is overcome by faith and the knowledge of His absolute love for you and me. And THAT is why we celebrate Christmas! We remember the loving sacrifice of our Creator. If you have ever seen a child suffer, you will have a small inkling of the pain it caused the Father to see His Son, Jesus, suffer on our behalf. For you and for me! That should cause us to pause a bit. Soak that into your heart. He did it out of love…to show us the way HOME.

(AND BTW, I am just reminding myself and you that we know that Christmas is not complete without Easter!)

“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.”

I John 4:18 (NKJV)

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV)

God still answers prayer.

Sometimes the answer is long in coming. And it may not be what we asked for, but it is undoubtedly what our Father knows we need.

Immanuel.

Father God. Lord of lords. Prince of Peace. King of kings. God with us. Always. Every moment You are WITH us. Thank you for hearing my prayer for my friends:

Lord, please keep us from a complaining spirit. Grow gratitude in us. Remind us to not take things personally. To NOT take offense. Cleanse us of everything not of you. Give us a hunger and determination to spend more time with you in 2023. Show us more of You this Christmas season and then, more and more each day. Thank You for Your patience with us. Thank You for your providing for our daily needs. You are more Glorious than diamonds, as the song goes. Thank you, dear Father, for Christmas! Thank you for Love. Thank You we can pray in Jesus’ Name and You hear our hearts’ desires. To God be the Glory!

Onward Christian soldiers! The battle rages on. However, our Commander-in-Chief is the Blessed Controller of all things.

God bless you bunches. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Discover Living From Your Strengths (LFYS) Life Changing Mentor Coaching.

Do you have questions? Through the Ministry Insights assessment, you will Discover your strengths. And then, through mentor coaching, you will learn how to daily Embrace and Live out your strengths. You can contact me by clicking on the blue button beside the signature line. Or leave me a private message on Facebook.

Leading from Your Strengths

Let's Connect!
Awaiting His shout,
pam_signature-c49a6c

Christian Life Coach
Leading from Your Strengths Mentor
www.loavesandfishescoaching.com

Filed under: Christian Life Coaching,Holidays — Tags: , , , , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

Guest Post: Christmas is Coming. A Christmas Healing.

Christmas Is Coming book cover

With gratitude to my friend and Author, Heather Hart, for giving me the opportunity to share this guest post with you.

This is Chapter 11 from her wonderfully blessed book, Christmas is Coming. A Devotional For The Holiday Season. It is currently free on Kindle and audio; and is just a little over $6.00 in paperback. Don’t miss out on this great gift idea.

You can find it here on Amazon.com.

“If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.”

Matthew 9:21

For the past twelve years the woman had been bleeding and that made her an outcast. Still, she heard the whispers…there was a man who could heal anything. Because of Him, paralytics walked, lepers were healed, the blind could see, and the dead were raised. She had heard the stories and she believed each and every one of them. He was the answer to the desire of her heart. He could make her well.

Yet she was an outcast. Who was she to approach the Messiah? Nobody; she was a nobody.

As the stories swirled around her, one day she heard that Jesus was coming. Christmas was coming. He was surrounded by a huge crowd, but that was fine with her. All she needed was to get close enough to touch Him. She knew that with as powerful as He was, that was all she needed. So, weaving through the crowd, that’s just what she did.

She made her way to Jesus, reached out, and touched the hem of His garment. And it worked. Instantly the woman was healed. She could feel it. And so could Jesus. But Jesus didn’t let her just walk away…

“Who touched me?” He asked, and the woman startled. She knew she wasn’t worthy, but it was done. What would He say when He found out that it just her? She had no right to even be there.

Jesus waited for her to come forward, but He already knew. That’s the thing about Jesus: He doesn’t heal those who deserve it, none of us do. But still He wants us to come.

Jesus may or may not heal our physical ailments, but He will always heal our hearts when we bring them to Him. When we trust Jesus with our problems, He can move mountains. He can heal our broken hearts and mend our wounds. He can miraculously heal us or give us peace and strength for whatever lies ahead. All we have to do is reach for Jesus.

And the woman who reached for Jesus isn’t alone. The pages of Scripture are filled with accounts of people who were running to Jesus when He came to town. They came running because Christmas was coming. They had faith that He had the power to help them, and He still has the power to help us today. We just have to have faith and bring our problems to Him.

The people in the Bible had so much faith that they tore through the roof of someone’s home, so they could get their friend to Jesus. I want to have that kind of faith. Not just for myself but for my friends and family. To know that Jesus is the answer no matter what the question is.

Christmas is coming, and I am bringing my heart back to Jesus. This season may not be picture perfect or storybook worthy, but those things don’t matter to Jesus. This Christmas and always Jesus wants our hearts. He wants us to have faith in Him, because it’s by our faith we are healed.

Taking it off the pages…

Whatever is weighing on your heart this Christmas, I encourage you to bring it to Jesus. Lay it at His feet and let Him heal your heart. Whenever you start to grow weary, pause for a moment and cast your cares on Jesus, because He cares for you. (I Pt 5:7)

“Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

Luke 8:18

Discover Living From Your Strengths (LFYS) Life Changing Mentor Coaching.

Do you have questions? Through the Ministry Insights assessment, you will Discover your strengths. And then, through mentor coaching, you will learn how to daily Embrace and Live out your strengths. You can contact me by clicking on the blue button beside the signature line. Or leave me a private message on Facebook.

Leading from Your Strengths

Let's Connect!
Awaiting His shout,
pam_signature-c49a6c

Christian Life Coach
Leading from Your Strengths Mentor
www.loavesandfishescoaching.com

Filed under: Christian Life Coaching,Holidays,Spiritual Life — Tags: , , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

Christmas. What Difference Does It Make?

Woman in coat under snow and lights

Christmas!

Are you like me? Do you ever get caught up in tasks and forget the purpose of Christmas? It can be easy for me to forget the other-centeredness plan Jesus taught us by His example. The joy. We can even lose sight of the Savior.

WHY do we do this to ourselves year after year? Every year we promise ourselves that this year will be different, and yet here we are, just days before Christmas and many of us are beginning to feel like failures. Overwhelmed. With more tasks still to do than we have days left.

And then—just like it came, it is gone! Another year is GONE!! The REASON for the SEASON got lost in the decision to try to make it PERFECT. Better than anyone else. MORE. Seldom LESS.

Single People. No “prospects” in sight. Divorced. Widowed

This is the time of the year when single people feel empty. Lonely. Disconnected. Nobody’s “First choice”. As my Dad used to say, “Feeling lower than a snake’s belly.”

The holidays are definitely for couples and families. And to be left out hurts, no matter how spiritual you want to be. So, what’s a person to do? I’ve been single more years than I have been married now. And I still don’t know the answer to that one!

Sometimes, what I do is just withdraw from everything until the holiday has passed. Not ideal, but it keeps me from going into a deep depression! I plan “projects” to keep me busy. And make sure I have “comfort food” on hand. I watch the Christmas movies … ALONE. (It’s really not so bad for an introvert! I’m learning to look for the silver lining.) 🙂

Dysfunctional Families. Old “baggage”. Betrayals. Disappointments. Anger.

Comparisons. Single-ness vs. couple-ness. Creativity vs. being all thumbs. Families vs. singleness. Each has its down side. Each has its benefits.

Much of my life was spent wanting our family to be healed. Wanting us all to live close geographically. Wanting to be loved. Believing I needed to be something I am NOT. Trying to be an extrovert. Trying to be easy-going. But that’s not me. I spent many wasted years condemning myself. Wanting to be different. I knew God loved me. But I was not able to accept WHO I am. I focused on the ways I differed from you. I wanted to BE like YOU!!! Or anyone else but me!

So, I was prone to be very critical of myself. Dissatisfied and depressed. But then…

God stepped in and changed all that for me.

In the blink of an eye. It was like Christmas to me. God With Me in a fresh new way. Immanuel. Truthfully, my eye-opener was the Biblically-based Leading From Your Strengths consultation. It was so life changing that I decided to take the training to get my certification as a consultant. I wanted to be a “change agent”. Leading others to embrace who God made them to be. Like He did for me. I am a different person. I am now content MOST of the time. I now embrace WHO I am. And WHY God created me. His PURPOSE for my life.

Are you asking: Who am I?

That is a good question to ask! Not just when we are at crises points or major life change events. (Like graduating college or getting married or being hit blindside by a divorce or a death!) None of that takes God by surprise; and it does not anger Him for us to ask questions. Because we know that when we ask the Lord, He promises He will lead us. He will be there in the midst of the “whatever” that takes us by surprise!

And since God has purposefully equipped each of us with carefully chosen traits, personality types, and spiritual gifts, when we learn to embrace who He created us to be, that’s where contentment is birthed—being true to our God-created selves. Some call it “staying in your lane”. (Rather than moving into someone else’s lane through envy, discontentment or disillusionment.)

I was in my 60’s when that happened.

I pray for you, that you do not wait that long to discover how to “stay in your own lane”.

Contentment.

It comes when you embrace WHO you are and WHY you are here on this earth at this time in history!! The Leading From Your Strengths assessment and consultation is a great place to start. What do you say? Are you “ready” to move into your destiny? Why wait another day to be all you were meant to be…by God’s design.

Contact me today to set up a FREE inquiry call. Just click here:

YES! I’m ready!

(FREE assessment included with your scheduled Leading From Your Strengths consultation.)

Merry Christmas! God bless you bunches!

Personality and Jesus

Do you know who God created you to be? Have you ever stopped to think about how your personality affects the way you interact with others? Find out more in this new book by Pamela A. Taylor.

Personality and Jesus

Let's Connect!Until next time,
Awaiting His shout,
pam_signature-c49a6c

Christian Life Coach
Leading from Your Strengths Mentor
www.loavesandfishescoaching.com

Filed under: Christian Life Coaching,Holidays,Living From Your Strengths — Tags: , , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am

Lord of the Loaves and Fishes

Lord of the Loaves and Fishes

The Lord of the Loaves and Fishes meets the needs of His children.

“And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19 in the New Testament of the Bible)

What’s your life look like right now?
Are you facing one problem after another? Feeling unfulfilled in your life’s work? In your family life? In your church life? Inside your own skin? Does it seem like something is missing?

Maybe something is missing. Maybe you are looking in the wrong places.

Are new needs arising?
Are you even thinking “And now there is Christmas with additional financial needs and relationship needs”? Do you feel pulled in all directions and do you feel like you simply cannot make ends meet?

What if it is true that you simply can’t make ends meet on your own?

And…what if there is a better plan?
!. What if you decide to talk it over with the Lord of the Loaves and Fishes?
2. What if you truly and honestly seek HIS plan for your life?
3. What if you ask HIM for help?

When we daily/moment-by-moment consciously and deliberately look to God for help, (“Give us this day your daily bread.” Matthew 6:11), we are acknowledging our own inability to meet our own needs. We are looking to Him as the Lord of the Loaves and Fishes.

How can we bless the Lord?
It blesses Him to know that we realize that He is the Source for all that we need. And He loves blessing His kids. (Of course, sometimes HIS idea of blessing is not what we were thinking would be a blessing, but it’s also true that: Father knows best!)

The foundational principle of my business:
There are true stories in the Bible that teach us about God multiplying what is offered up to Him. I believe that so strongly, that it’s actually the very foundational principle that my whole coaching business is based on.  loavesandfishescoaching.com  You will notice that theme in many of my blog posts as well.  Joyfully, I can testify that the Lord has empowered my clients to experience and then also reflect that foundational principle, as they travel the coaching and mentor/coaching journey. I am truly blessed by each uniquely individual  person that God sends my way.

Acknowledging God as provider
The very first step that Jesus took when he fed the hungry multitudes in the middle of nowhere, was to acknowledge that God Almighty is the One True God. He worshiped God the Father. He knew the Source of the provision of the needs of the people that were hungry. And–in response–God provided more than enough for all.

God responds
Over and over again in my own life, I have seen God multiply the meager offering I have to give. Whether it be time, money, or possessions. Jesus is the Lord of the Loaves and Fishes, and He’s with you in the boat on the rough sea of life. He’s promised to supply all your needs. Yes! He PROMISED! And He keeps His word. He can be trusted. The real question is: Do YOU Trust HIM to supply those needs?

The first step after giving
We need to ASK. To ask. To seek. To knock. We have to acknowledge the Source. He will do it even when we don’t see how it is possible. In fact, the Lord of the Loaves and Fishes…the Lord of the stormy seas…He is the Lord that loves the word IMPOSSIBLE!

I’d love to hear your stories of how God has met you at your point of need. What Loaves and Fishes has He supplied just when you needed them? Share your story. We all want to hear from you!

Merry Christmas!

The season of GIVING! Don’t let it end in January!

God bless you bunches!
Awaiting His shout,
Pam Taylor

Filed under: Christian Life Coaching,Holidays,Spiritual Life — Tags: , , , , , , — Pam Taylor @ 7:00 am