Hi, Natalie here. I am Cindy Scott’s third daughter.

She gave me the privilege of writing a guest blog for her. I promise to be brief but I have to brag on my mom a little first.

She and I have only 1 letter that matches in Myers Briggs, N. When I was growing up, she could’ve shut me down for all my feelings, instincts and impulses. Instead, she championed my different personality and helped me understand that who I am is a gift.

I know she has done that for a lot of people reading this blog and if she has, you should drop her a thank you because she doesn’t get enough of those! 

I am done bragging now.

I am a Feeler and I am learning to be proud of that.

For those of you out there who are also feelers, sometimes it can feel like you are a slave to your emotions. Today my goal is to help you see your emotions as tools instead of feeling like a slave to them.

Feelings can be triggered by lots of things.

When they are happy, you feel like the crab Rangoon...

People can get stuck… some get stuck in a mood and feel depressed or just sad, some get stuck in an attitude and feel angry or confused. Others get in a rut and think there is no way out. Still others mess up somehow and believe there is no way to move on.

It’s not new.

Over and over we see Biblical characters getting stuck.

• Noah let his guard down and embarrassed himself and his family.
• Elijah felt alone and depressed right after he was involved in two major miracles.
• David got distracted and totally messed up when he wasn’t focused.
• Thomas doubted.
• Peter denied.

And the list could go on and on…

But thanks be to God – He always offers us a way out! 

So, whether it’s you yourself that needs an assist out of a pit, or you need tools to offer that assist to someone you are working with, here’s 4 key steps to moving forward.

The first one sounds religious, but hear me out!

Repent – It’s kind of a church word isn’t it....

If you’ve never led a group online these tips can help! (Many work for live groups as well.)

1) Pray for your group as you prepare. Even if you are preparing on the fly, shoot up a breathe prayer for God to guide.

2) Open up with a greeting and give a quick overview of what is going to happen. 

For us at Worship Center - that’s easy! We walk through the pathway provided just after the message notes in the app. (Here's an example.)

3) Inform, or remind, people of a couple best practices.

• How to mute your mic and when that is important - like if there is any background noise at all: children, animals, traffic, etc.
• Where to find the gallery view or speaker view.
• Highlight the chat option, if your online service offers that.

(I LOVE the chat option for online groups. It provides an opportunity for everyone to participate at the same time. Try using it with a question like: “Of the three things mentioned, which one stands out to you and why?” Everyone can...

What an odd time we are all in! Few would have seen this coming and yet here we are.

I don’t know about you, but when this all first came down I dreamed this could be a time of leaning into some changes I had been considering.

Okay I’ll be vulnerable…. 

What I wanted to do was to get serious/consistent about logging my food daily, make a new habit of doing my physical therapy, set some intentional time aside for Bridges development (my side hustle), send out a handwritten card each day and be intentional about connecting with family during this season.

What actually happened, so far, was extra time with family…

Here’s the 3 reasons I think motivation is lacking in this season:

1) A new normal syphons a lot of energy. Even though most of us gave up a commute, depending on our situations we now have other things on our plate – online everything, meal planning, taking care of kids, checking in with compromised family members.

Needing to be...

When I was learning about writing I was taught to treat each topic like a reporter would and ask all the questions: Who, What, When, Where, Why and How. Let’s look at this situation with those questions in mind. 

Where is God in this?

             John 16:32-33 “Listen to me; a time is coming when you will be scattered, each to your own home. That time is now here. You will leave me alone, but I am never really alone, because the Father is with me. I told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have trouble, but be brave! I have defeated the world.

Jesus was referring to the early church, but the echo of His presence being with us remains throughout all time.

God is WITH us! That is where He is. He has not abandoned us.

He’s not worried,

He is not overwhelmed.

He always wants to use all things for good. (Romans 8:28)

How could this be used for good?

Whenever...

“Coaching” is a buzzword in today’s society – business and ministry alike, but what does it really mean?

In Bridges Coaching we talk about how coaching gets you from here to there, like Cinderella’s coach or stagecoaches in the Wild West. There are a lot of different destinies people have as goals and many different types of coaches as well.

Here’s three types we are NOT talking about when referring to life coaching.

1) Teachers – Sports coaches are a type of this model. They are teachers of sorts, educating their athletes in best practices. Teaching them the plays necessary to win. 

2) Consultants – Many business leaders use the word coaching as synonymous with consulting. They hire someone with particular expertise or education in a certain field to direct an initiative. A consultant may help a business focus on a lagging area or on a new enterprise. They pass on their skill or knowledge.

A health or fitness coach would likely...

I kinda love that God gave us free will and I kinda hate it. I really want to do the right thing(s), but sometimes I am not exactly sure what that means.

I’m not talking about moral decisions, getting rid of bad habits or starting good ones, I’m talking about choices that have to do with careers or relationships, where there could be two or more good options on the table.

There’s a third choice too.

And that’s the one we’re going to focus on today. Sometimes when the possibilities are foggy, the future is too…

It’s easy to get stuck in decision fatigue and just put off making a choice at all. This is especially true when we are thinking about pursuing a new dream.

Possible foci could be:

• Saving up for a family vacation
• Addressing that health concern
• Writing a book
• Turning a hobby into a side hustle
• Redoing that room in your house
• Perfecting a craft
• Talking to that person about…

Analysis paralysis can keep us stuck where we are...

Living your best life doesn’t just happen, connecting with God, processing our past and preparing for our future usually requires intentional focus! Choosing good questions helps facilitate connection between what’s happening inside of us and how we live our lives.

Use these questions on your own, with your spouse or small group, friends or family. Pick a few or use them all if you feel moved.

Start with prayer – ask God to highlight what He wants you to remember from this past year.

Reflecting Questions:

• What are some significant events, accomplishments or relationships to acknowledge and celebrate from this last year?
• Where did God meet you in the middle of a difficult circumstance?
• What one character quality did you lean into this last year? (i.e. courage, peace, hope…)
• What name of God did you experience in a new way? (i.e. Counselor, Friend, Father…)
• Who is one person that connected with you in a significant way this past year? How will you let...

We may not know exactly what this hunter is shooting at but we’re all pretty sure it is something? He’s likely not just randomly launching arrows into the woods.

While not all men are hunters, and not all hunters are men, in my experience most men do have a target in mind when they are doing just about anything.

Take shopping for example.

Most men want to identify the item that is supposed to be acquired, and then they want to get in, find it, and get out. If however, the “target” is to take a walk and hang out with their wife, then perhaps strolling through the mall would be possible, but God help the woman who stops to look at something on sale. “Are we walking or shopping?” will likely go through the man’s head, if not come out his mouth.

(Disclaimer: don’t email me and tell me you and your spouse are not like this. Results may vary, but a quick google search or research of any kind will tell you that men’s mind’s are...