General

7 Days In…

Posted by Merrill on Jan 7, 2016 | 0 comments

Question: 7 days into 2016… How is your ONE WORD working? IF your One Word has not challenged you, stretched you, made you pause, change a course during the day, or made you stop, think, or laugh out loud… You might not have the right ONE WORD. Mine is RISE, and already there have been a couple of circumstances in these past 7 days that were challenging. Why did I pick that word?!?! Oh yeah, that’s right, because I can get stuck in my mess, comfortable with the norm, not see beyond the weeds, or maybe feel sorry for poor pitiful me. You see, Rising is a choice. UGH. sometimes a tough one. But still a choice. It’s a lot easier to whine, cry, and...

Lifting isn’t Loving

Posted by Merrill on Jan 5, 2016 | 0 comments

Keeping it real in the “Ah Ha” moments of owning a dog and parenthood… I have this really cute dog, Moglee. He was little when we first got him and couldn’t get his cute little self up in the car when we took him along for rides, so I would bend down and lift his little furry self into the back seat. Well as he grew, I kept lifting that furry fanny into the car. He would run to the garage, then stand by the car, waiting for me to lift his backside up into the backseat. And I did. Day after day, month after month. He wouldn’t jump. I would do the work and lift. He would ride. One day, when I was not in a hurry, I decided to...

First things First…

Posted by Merrill on Jan 4, 2016 | 0 comments

Hello Monday… Boy did that alarm go off early. RISE A few thoughts to get us up and going this first day back to real life… School, jobs, day to day doings. First blessing of the day, a little cool air to kick it off! Next, let’s show up. Practice mindfulness as you walk through this day. Be ready for change, because we were designed for change. Everything God created changes until it dies, so since we are not dead, we “get to” change. We “get to” become more of what God intended us to be. “He makes all things new..” That’s me and you. What new things need to be created in you for 2016? Start...

Page 1 of 365

Posted by Merrill on Jan 1, 2016 | 0 comments

So, Cheers! The New Year is here… It’s important to take a look back at what worked last year, what didn’t. Where you grew. What you learned and what wisdom you were given in 2015, so that you know HOW to move forward into the 2016. A few tips to kick off the New Year…*Be INTENTIONAL daily about what matters, and where your time, energy and resources go. Otherwise you will find yourself wasting your most precious gifts.*Begin. Quit talking and just simply BEGIN. *Work hard on the ESSENTIALS. Don’t be busy, be productive. Limit distractions and put first things first, daily. *Stay in YOUR LANE. Live your...

At best, it’s a difficult mess…

Posted by Merrill on Aug 26, 2014 | 0 comments

A friend and I were doing the “catch up” text yesterday, you know the, “How are you’s?” When he responded with, “Struggling due to a good friend whose young child has cancer.” UGH. One of the hardest to swallow and make sense of. Then he went on to say, “Feeling, life at it’s best, is difficult.” That stayed with me all day. Boy, is it difficult. I hear it from clients, friends and ones I hold dear in my heart. We all have wounds whether we offer them up to others, inviting them into our lives or keep them hidden in the depths of our being for no one to see. None are wound-less. I believe that one of the keys to...

Good God

Posted by Merrill on Jul 25, 2014 | 0 comments

This week my dad had surgery. I won’t go into the scary details because the outcome was better than we could have ever hoped for. When it was all over we heard lots of, “God is Good!”. I even said it myself and texted it to my family and friends. It made me ponder. Yes, God is good. But, he’s not just good in the happy events, easy moments, and the “margins are clear” times. He is also good in the difficult, fearful, painfully lonely, I can’t catch my breath moments too. Are we brave and faithful enough to believe in his goodness then? I started thinking, why is it that we tend to give shout outs of God’s goodness only...