General

Hidden deep in the soil of your heart…..

Posted by Merrill on Feb 12, 2011 | 0 comments

I had someone say they had some “Feel good transitions going on, like when you are pregnant but no one knows it.” This made me giggle! One, because this someone was a male, and second because I know how this feels having been prego 5 times. It is great to know something is growing inside you and no one knows it yet. The excitement of something new, planted deep beneath the soil, but not knowing what it will grow into…. Boy, Girl, Friendship, Love, Flower, Tree…..The key is to just be quiet and allow it to grow into what it was intended to be. To be content with the new seedling, knowing it’s there. Not needing to share this secret yet for...

safest conversations of all…..

Posted by Merrill on Feb 1, 2011 | 1 comment

So, today I was talking to a friend about prayer and how so many are not comfortable with praying. They are not comfortable praying out loud, in front of others or even alone. Then some struggle with the thought of praying to someone they cannot see. “Hello, is anyone out there?” (that’s the faith thing) My friend laughed and said, “Why would prayer be comfortable when we don’t even know how to talk each other.” Ding Ding Ding! And the lady with the correct answer will be leading us in prayer! kidding….She would die! Communication is tough. We don’t say what we mean, we are scared to speak the truth, we want others to...

last Friday of January 2011….

Posted by Merrill on Jan 29, 2011 | 0 comments

TGIF So how much can a Friday hold? Let me see…. It started with bloggin, then meeting 2 new clients who are young and ready to do the work (a life coach’s dream), lunch with a much loved sister, found a lost, very loved dog that brought joy to a young man who’s heart was hurting (biggest high of the day!), a client who might be rubbing his eyes and waking up to the fact that taking ownership of his life is his only option, emails…emails…emails, phone tag with my Mom, smiling kids with report cards in hand (always nice), phone calls, A bath for Sunshine, one last client who I love and have not connected with a while…lots of laughter...

LOVED

Posted by Merrill on Jan 28, 2011 | 0 comments

This week I read something that JUMPED OUT AT ME like nothing has in a long time. I read….. “Your problem is not that you don’t love God enough. It’s that you don’t understand how much He loves YOU.” WOW! I loved this so much I felt like shouting it from the roof tops, sharing it with strangers, or at least the “line buddies” I make each week. This is definitely one of the biggest problems I face with the wonderful people I work with day in and day out, and in my life too. We struggle and still have not grasped how much God loves us, or we get so busy that we tend to forget and make it about us again. We find ourselves...

The Waiting Room and Hallways……

Posted by Merrill on Jan 19, 2011 | 1 comment

I love my girls group and this season we have so many new interesting girls to bring real, honest challenging discussion to the hour we meet. Today we were discussing the book, One Month To Live, Thirty Days to a No-Regret Life by Kerry and Chris Shook. We talked about risk and the areas in our life that we tend to “Play it Safe”. Yes, even me the cannon-baller has an area where I choose to stay on the dock and play it safe. We winced at the thought of the pruning process stages of our lives. OUCH! We also talked about dreams, what stands in our way of pursuing them and how God is able to do far more that we could ever dare to ask for or dream...

My Will or Yours?

Posted by Merrill on Jan 13, 2011 | 0 comments

Last night I asked a group in my workshop, “Do you really trust God’s will for your life?” I had a very smart (and a bit sassy) girl respond with, “I am too willful to let His will be done. My own self-will gets in the way of letting him lead the way in a “no thanks, I’ve got it from here, God” kind of dialogue.” Honesty, something I love. I love her too. How many times do we say, “Okay God lead the way, I will follow”, only to find ourselves totally at the wheel again thinking we are in full control….”Hey scoot over big guy, I got it from here. I know where I am going and the best (easiest, fastest,...