Category: women

destiny, finding God, gifts and talents, God, journey, Life Coach, life worth living, mission, purpose, the butterfly journey, women

I Want to Die Empty

livingwholecoaching

I admire those famous people in history that used their entire life serving people and making the world a better place. Those that we had the opportunity of knowing because their lives were showcased to the world. Some that come to mind are Martin Luther King Jr. and Mother Theresa and there are countless more, many more.

But there are ones who we didn’t get an opportunity to know through history or Are you living your life fully on purpose,mainstream media. Those that weren’t written about in books. Those ordinary people like you and me, just living out their purposes, using their God-given gifts, talents and life experiences to serve others and making their communities something better than what it was before them.

I always knew that I was born for something. I just couldn’t believe for a minute that God would create me just to exist. It took me almost a lifetime to figure out what it was, but here I am today striving to live my life until I am empty. No not empty in the way you may be thinking, but empty of everything that God gave me and created me for to complete while here on this earth. I wish that I could have had someone to come along side of me to help m figure it all out before now. But God always had a plan. (Jeremiah 29:11)

When I first saw the words “die empty” it confused me; as I asked myself, “Why would anyone want to die empty?” But see God has given me a mind that is able to look at things from a whole different perspective.

To die empty to me means to use all that God has blessed me with and all that He created me to be to serve people in a unique way. It means to be passionate about using my gifts, talents, skills and every life experience (good and bad) to help someone else. It not only means to make the world a better place, but ultimately it means to build up God’s kingdom for His glory!

The discovery of my purpose came during one of my life’s storms. Yep, I discovered my purpose through my pain. It wasn’t very clear at first, but the revelation came after the storm, during my healing process. I went through a lot during that time and even though it was a painful experience, I am glad that God allowed something beautiful to come out of it. (Romans 8:28)

For me to find my purpose, my reason for being here was the most wonderful thing to happen to me! It gives me a specific reason for living, it gives me direction and it gives me peace!

The more I seek God, study His word and follow His guidance, the more I learn about life, my life that is connected in Him! I know for sure that I am here to help people “die empty” and most importantly to know God, for He is who we live and die for!

Love Lisa

The Butterfly Journey

http://www.thebutterflyjourney.com

brokenness, encouragement, God, health, the butterfly journey, women

Heart Healthy

livingwholecoaching

brokenheartFebruary is heart health month.  During this month you can find helpful information about how to have a healthy heart, or about warning signs when something is wrong with your heart.  It is all about the well-being of your physical heart.

February is also the month of Valentine’s Day.  A day set aside to show love to your significant other and others you love in a special way.  Usually we adorn each other with chocolates and roses.  Valentine’s Day is one of the most celebrated and lucrative holidays that we engage in.

What about your spiritual heart?  Is it healthy, do you know the warning signs that something may be going wrong with it?  Do you have the information on how to keep it healthy?  Or have the arteries of life circumstances caused plaque to build up and the flow of love and joy are having a hard time reaching your heart to keep it healthy?

Have you been exercising your heart muscles by showing love to keep your heart strong and in a position to receive love?  Your spiritual heart is just as important as your physical heart.  It warrants your every effort to make sure that nothing foreign comes in to make your heart beat irregularly or cause damage.

We place things in our heart from experiences that we have encountered in our lifetime.  Some things are good, others are bad, but God wants us to make sure that what we put in our hearts are things that will help us live life to its fullest.  Good things that will catapult us into a relationship with Him and others.  When we have experienced something that was not good and we place it in our hearts, it stays there until we release it.  As long as it stays there the more miserable you may become.  You will live your life not fully being free to love or receive love.

That’s why God said in His word: Proverbs 4: 23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. NIV

The good news today is that God can help you release the bad things that you have placed in your heart.  The things that will keep you from experiencing a true flow of love and joy, but you have to give God all the pieces of your brokenness.  He will replace those things with wisdom and love.  Trust Him, I do!

Blessings Lisa

 

change, coach, purpose, the butterfly journey, women

The Coach

livingwholecoaching

As I am completing my certification as a Christian Life Coach, I am learning a lot of great wisdom about coaching.  The concept of coaching dates back biblical days.  There are numerous accounts of coaching relationships throughout the Bible.  Jesus was a Master Teacher and today He is still guiding us (if we allow Him) with His teachings and wisdom for our lives!

If I wasn’t too sure about what my purpose was, I am 100% sure now after studying the profession of Life Coaching.  I have always been a natural motivator and I love to help people see the potential in themselves.

A coach comes along side of you to motivate you and hold you accountable to those things that you want to accomplish in your life.  I love that!  Coaches don’t make decisions for you or do things that only you can do for yourself, but we come along side of you to challenge you to do the things that you desire to do.  It is an awesome tasks, but very rewarding all at the same time.

Of course as a Christian Life Coach, our perspective is biblical-based with the ultimate desire to help people to have a closer relationship with God.  For me that is who I am, I am a believer in Christ, so it was no question that I would gravitate to this type of coaching.  And I want to stress that this type of coaching is not just for those who are Christians, it is for anyone.  I believe that everyone should have a life coach.  I myself am starting a coaching relationship with a Coach for myself.  I also need someone to come along side of me to help me to stay focused to the things that I want to accomplish.

The Butterfly Journey has decided to develop and launch its first program called STAGES.  The name was a perfect fit as we are on our “butterfly” journey and the caterpillar goes through STAGES to reach his/her final destination – a butterfly.  This program will focus on 5 STAGES: Spirituality, Discovering, Visioning, Goal-Setting, and Accountability.

STAGES was created directly from a need that I have observed over the last year or so with my encounters with different women that I have met.  Many women (and men) alike are searching for more for their lives.  They have a deep desire to fulfill an urge to make a difference in the world.  That is what happened to me one day, I woke up and said to myself, “There has to be more to life than this.  What did God create me for?”  But as I sought out the answer what I found out was that it is deeper than that.  It is a true need to connect with God.

Whether we acknowledge it or not we have a natural void that will never be satisfied with anything else, but a relationship with God.  If we all take an honest look at our lives, we will notice that what we thought would be the “thing” that would complete us or fill our void ended up not measuring up.  Trust me I know because I have done it too!

So we are super excited to offer this power-packed 5 week program to anyone who is trying to figure out what their purpose is and to accomplish their life goals.  We want to help as many people as we can, we are offering the program at an introductory price of only $150 (payment options available)!  This offer is time sensitive so join us today and tell a friend!  We love referrals and offer great discounts for them.

For more information and to sign-up please contact us at lisa@thebutterflyjourney.net, it’s time to change your life!

The Butterfly Journey ~ Lisa

depression, God, Joy, people pleaser, purpose, women

Women It’s Your Time!

livingwholecoaching

When I began my “butterfly journey”, I didn’t realize how many women in the world were suffering with the same issues that I myself had dealt with for so long.  But I am noticing that it is a common theme for most of us to lose ourselves, our worth, our purpose, and our faith while doing life.

You know when I think about life it is so much more than just working, cleaning, taking care of others etc.  God created it to be a time to understand who He is, understand of ourselves, our worth, our purpose and each other.  One of His greatest commandments is to love thy neighbor as thyself.  But we fall short on this because we lose the ability to love ourselves.  Our society is full of the message that it is selfish to do things for yourself, especially women.  But we must if we are ever going to reach the full potential of our lives as God has planned.

We are expected to have a career, raise a family, be competitive, have a great shape, complete our education, do the laundry, clean the house, serve in the church, take care of our extended family and whole host of other things!  Whew, that made me tired just typing it out!  And nothing is wrong with any of this, we do have responsibilities, but then where do we fit God in all of this?  That’s the missing link!  We end up doing all this and more and we lose our relationship with the one who can give us everything we need.  That’s what happened to me and I am not proud to admit it but it’s the truth.

My personality is one of “people pleaser” or so it was.  I had to fit in and make people pleased with me and my abilities.  What happened was I could finally take no more and I shut down; emotionally, spiritually, intellectually, and physically.  I was a wreck!  I suffered a deep depression for over 2 years and tried desperately to figure out what happened to me.  That’s when my “butterfly journey” began. When I could suffer no more, God showed me my life using the analogy of a caterpillar’s journey to becoming a butterfly, to illustrate where I had gone all wrong. (The Butterfly’s Journey book to be released April 2012)!

The main thing (a relationship with God) had become a secondary, or really even third or fourth place in my life.  I was literally in a place of hell (separated from God) and it was horrific to say the least!  I didn’t understand my “true” worth in Him; I only knew what my worth was to others and to them I was disposable, even to some I was garbage.

I let the God of my creation heal me from the inside out and my life has never been the same.  Through my pain He gave me my purpose, through my tears He gave me joy, and through my newly established relationship, He showed me my worth!

It’s time ladies to take your rightful places in life and live a transformed life with purpose in God!

The Butterfly Journey – Lisa

destiny, God, journey, life, love, prayer, purpose, seeking God, the butterfly journey, travel, women, worthy

The Journey Part I

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Today a group of adventurous women have set out on their “butterfly” journey!  Our first trek is “Down the Path of Worthy”; were we are seeking clarity and understanding of what our “true” worth is.  Until we understand this foundational point we will not understand our purpose.

We live in a world full of things to connect our worth to, but unfortunately those things are not our “true” worth nor do they hold any substance.  They are temporal and once they fade away then our worth goes along with it.

That is why it is so important to understand what God ordained as our worth.  The way He classifies us as worthy is much more than anything or anyone in this world.  It is of an eternal substance and will not wither away with the passing of time.

Our “true” worth is directly connected to our purpose.  So once we understand that pivotal point we are well on our way to understanding our destiny!  There is no better feeling than to walk in one’s destiny!  Until you are walking in your destiny your life is ordinary and feels like it has no basis.  Do you ever ask yourself what is it all for?  Waking up, going to work/school, back home to start all over again.  If God created you don’t you believe He had something marvelous in mind for your life?

Well He does, but you need to get deep into the things of Him to understand  and start living it.  That is what the butterfly journey is all about.  This month is only the beginning of a series of journeys that we will take.  There is a definite process to finding your true destiny.

I pray that you will join us on one or all of the journeys as we discover life!

The Butterfly Journey ~ Lisa

be all you can be, change, comfort zone, Faith, God, hope, Jesus, journey, life, live, New, prayer, purpose, the butterfly journey, travel, women

The Change Zone

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Traveling to a new place is sometimes a little scary.  You don’t know what to expect.  You don’t know if the people will be friendly or will you make new friends.  It is just a big unknown.  That is how it is changing your life from one level to the next.

We don’t know what the new level  will be like because we have become accustom to where we are right now.  Most people tend to stay in their comfort zone; well because it is comfortable.  To me the thought of never trying to reach that new level is even more scary.  Never trying to be all that you can be; just living the ordinary life.  For me if I didn’t ever try, I would always wonder if I could have made it to the next level and actually enjoyed the benefits of living that extraordinary life.

I believe you go through a series of emotions and growing pains when you decide to launch yourself into the new level of life.  It isn’t an easy process; that’s why so many of us will decide not to venture out into the new zone.  No one wants to fail, so we stay comfortably in the place that we may or may not be excited about being.  The thought of stepping out is too daunting.

When I decided to walk a life of faith in God and allow Him to grow me into a new level; I never thought I would feel so indifferent.  I know God is great and would always lead me to a better place in life with Him.  But the journey isn’t easy and each day is a challenge just to stay on course.  I can only imagine what Jesus felt as He walked through His journey on earth knowing His ultimate assignment was to die.  I am grateful that He did complete the assignment for you and me!  It allowed us to have hope and  a future!

God is not asking me to die for Him, but He is asking me to walk into this new level with Him.  When I think about Jesus, He didn’t have many who understood His journey and at the end some of the ones closest to Him would betray Him.  But that didn’t matter to Him, He knew He must fulfill His calling.  He did suffer; and we too sometimes will have to suffer in this life in order to reach our full potential in Him.  To complete our assignments.

My prayer for each of you is that you trust God in your journey whatever that may be.  You are better off  finding your true self than remaining in a place of unfulfillment.  More so, I pray that you will have someone there to encourage you through the tough spots that are sure to come.  I vow to be that someone who will come along side you when things get unbearable and pray you through.  I will be that one who you can express your feelings to that will understand, because I too am on my journey and I can relate to the rollercoaster of emotions that come with growing into that person that God would have you to be.

The butterfly’s journey isn’t easy; what you see when you see it fluttering freely through the flowers is the end result of its journey to become what it was meant to be.

Don’t stand still in the place that you are in right now; God has something greater for you!

The Butterfly Journey ~ Lisa

 

book, change, coach, Faith, God, journey, New, one day at a time, purpose, success, the butterfly journey, women

Just One Day

livingwholecoaching

I have been missing in action and I apologize to my faithful subscribers.  My life is about to turn upside down or right side up depending on the perspective that I take.  I will be venturing into a total new dimension of my life and while it is all exciting it is terrifying at the same time.

I am leaving my current job of 17 years to pursue my passion of being an entrepreneur.  My friend took a quantum leap of faith earlier this year to pursue her dreams and she is doing well.  I envied her, but I know the decision and the action to actually do it had her going in circles.  I know I have the skills, talents, a great business plan, and a great service that I am offering, but still there is this little voice deep inside saying; “You can’t do it!”  I am trying to push the little voice away but it has become a part of my subconscious mind and it is slowly developing into stress.  As we all know exposure to long-term stress is not good or healthy for you and I am a living testament to that.  Been there, done that!

On top of that I am finishing up my first book and now I need to prepare for its distribution in the spring.  That whole process is a job in itself!  Again, I am excited, but stressing about all the details that I will need to complete in order for its success to prevail.  And just to add a little spice to the mix, I am studying for my Christian Life Coach certification as a part of the service that I will offer through the ministry – The Butterfly Journey!  Yes, I started a ministry that is in direct connection with my book.

It seems as if I should be gearing up and my body and mind feel like taking a vacation.  My spirit is ready to move forward into my destiny!  I am just not sure how all this will play out.  But I do know that God is able!  So I am going to lean on Him for everything.  I know it all is going to work out, I just need to stay faithful and focused.

The other day I came home exhausted as usual (as I found out recently that I have severe insomnia) which I already knew and I just began to cry to the Lord.  I literally cried with every word that I spoke out to Him in prayer.  Graciously, He gave me instant peace and I rested that night.  Each day is going to have to be dealt with individually.  One day at a time.

Have you ever faced challenges that seemed to much to handle?  Please share your stories of how you got through it.  I know that it will encourage me and someone else who is facing a huge endeavor.

Continue on your journey, it is well worth it!

The Butterfly Journey ~ Lisa

a place for you, book, depression, God, grace, Healing, healing and deliverance, journey, land of Oz, life, live, love, purpose, the butterfly journey, women, worthlessness

A Place for You

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There have been times in my life when I thought I wouldn’t make it to another day.  The feeling of endless sadness and pain.  So many disappointments, far too many to count.  And this feeling of pure worthlessness.  But I knew intellectually that people cared about me and loved me but this feeling grew larger than my common sense.  It drowned my rational thinking like it was nothing.  It had me teetering on the edge of life itself.

I know I have talked about my depression a lot because it was one of the most difficult times in my life.  I never had experienced something so strong that was not a tangible thing that it baffled my normal thought process.  The more I tried to figure it out the more elusive it became.  You can’t even articulate the feelings in real words.  The more you try the more frustrated you become and you just begin to give up.

I suffered in this place of depression for over 730 days and I know other people have dealt with this terrible sickness for years and never really have come full circle from it.  I pray for those people everyday, for the strength to battle this monster with no face.  This enemy of mind and emotion.  This life threatening fog of doubt, fear and loneliness.

Once I received my full healing and deliverance from God.  I was inspired to write about my journey to this place of darkness and back to a place far better than what I left.  A place of purpose and confidence.  A place of undying love and grace.  I am forever grateful to God for saving me from this place of torment.

You really don’t realize that people all around you suffer from some sort of pain that they don’t openly share with others.  We work beside people who have suffered emotional and physical abuse from their parents.  Others that may have been damaged by things that happened to them in relationships.  They hide these things that have shaped who they are today because it is not accepted.  But we all are in the same boat, yet none of us want to open up and cry for help.  We would rather suffer silently and die a slow death inside ourselves than look like a failure or  be judged by the very ones who say they care.

My story, coming soon in a book form is for those kindred spirits that are lost in the land of Oz (depression) or some other sort of terrible place with no avenue of escape; nowhere to run to; to find release.  The Butterfly Journey is a place where you can share and feel safe that no one will judge where you have been or what has happened to you.  You can come to us and get the encouragement and rest that for so long you have needed.  A place of peace!

We can’t walk this path of life alone.  God is always there and we are his vessels in which to show you that you can be free of all that “stuff” and walk down a new path with your head held up, shoulders back and with an assurance that you do matter and you have purpose in this life.

Won’t you join us?  www.thebutterflyjourney.com or www.facebook.com/thebutterflysjourney

We have a place reserved just for you!  The Butterfly Journey ~ Lisa

autumn, change, God, journey, life plan, message, October, purpose, seasons of change, the butterfly journey, travel, treasures, women, worthy

Come Journey With Us!

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Well autumn will officially be here next week!  I love this time of year, when the air is crisp and cool.  The trees begin to change colors and the earth is preparing to go to sleep for the winter.  I love the seasons of change.

Years ago, my mother spoke at a women’s retreat about the seasons of ones life path and it was amazing!  Some of those attendees still stop her on the street and tell her how that message impacted their lives.

So we, (The Butterfly Journey Ministry) have decided that it is time to begin our journey of change.  In the month of October we will guide you on a 30 day virtual journey called “Down the Path of Worthy”.  We are excited about what the Lord is going to do in our lives.  Each day each participant will receive a journal exercise to complete and explore.  Along our journey we will find the understanding of our “true” worth.  We will collect treasures of wisdom that only God can show us.  It’s going to be amazing!  Once you find your worth, your purpose is just around the corner!

Please consider traveling with us.  In order to get your ticket, please register on our website www.thebutterflyjourney.com and put “I’m on my journey!” in the comments section.  This is one trip you won’t want to miss!

The Butterfly Journey ~ Lisa

connection, danger zone, depression, destiny, God, life, live, people pleaser, purpose, the butterfly journey, women

Danger Zone!

livingwholecoaching

I have realized after a tragic break-down in my life that I was a people pleaser.  While it is not all bad to want to make people happy, or help them fulfil their destiny or reach their goals, it can be a danger zone for you-the pleaser.  I was talking to a woman the other day that was suffering from a typical case of people pleasing and I noticed it right away once she began to tell me her story.

What I discovered about myself is that I was a high level people pleaser, not your normal good friend that wants to help but I wanted to please every person that I connected with no matter what level of connection that we had.  It could be my family members, my boss, my boyfriend, my friends, and sometimes  strangers.  I really was living in a danger zone!

The danger comes because as people pleasers we don’t have a cut-off valve.  We will continue to pour out of ourselves until we fall over dead – literally!  We don’t have an internal stop button that tells us that is enough you can’t do anymore.  Well we really do but we ignore it for the sake of not disappointing others.

Unfortunately, people pleasers will find themselves surrounded by others that will feed on their desire to please.  They may not realize it but those type of people will develop an unhealthy connection to the pleaser and begin to “use” them to their own benefit.

The terrible lesson that I had to learn after my 2-year bout with a deep dark depression is that I needed only to please God!  He loves me  enough to not allow me to pour out more into Him than He was pouring back into me!

He showed me that it is okay to say “no” to some things especially if you know it could possibly take you over the point of being overwhelmed.  You just need to explain your situation and most people will understand.  It is up to the pleaser to stop the pleasing, because we are the ones who know how we feel.

Now I take it very serious about what I involve myself with; if I start to feel overwhelmed with too much stuff to do or being involved with I stop myself.  I am blessed that I have someone in my life now that can see if more clearly than I can and will tell me “you’re doing too much”.

Take an inventory of your life today and make sure you are not on the edge of a danger zone.  Make sure that you are not pouring out more of yourself than you are being poured into.  Let God show you how to line up your life and activity with what pleases Him and live a healthy balanced life.

I would love to hear from other “people pleasers” and I would love to help you get to a place of purpose and balance.

The Butterfly Journey ~ Lisa