Who's on your gift list? Maybe we can help you with a meaningful gift that could shift someone's life, helping them find traction on their faith journey!

Got any recent retirees or upcoming graduates? We recommend Destiny by Design. We've seen all sorts of people make significant life course choices once they understood more about their divine design. Use the code: MEANINGFUL for $100 off any of the offerings. Check out the webpage for more information. (This course has also been helpful for those considering a career shift and empty next moms wondering what is next.)

Got any singles on your list? Recently released Playing with Matches is a guidebook of sorts for Christian dating principles. It is chock full of real stories and includes practical and authentic advice for how to navigate an ever-changing world with age-old faith-based principles. Might be the best $15 you spend this season.

Love to give someone the gift of coaching. Here's the best bang for your...

We've been talking about coaching and the biblical model for growth. 

We started with how God wants to interact with people directly. 

Next we talked about adult learning, "Aha" moments and discipleship.

And finally, today, we will focus on how God made each of us differently. 

We are really big on this at Bridges, we even have an entire course on discovering your Destiny by Design!

1 Corinthians 12 is one place we see God sharing about our individual design.

⁴ There are different kinds of gifts, but they are all from the same Spirit.  ⁵ There are different ways to serve but the same Lord to serve.  ⁶ And there are different ways that God works through people but the same God. God works in all of us in everything we do. 

There are many more places in the Bible that talk about our individuality. Some of us are more evangelistic and some are more inclined to teach or to serve. Later in 1 Corinthians 12 people are compared...

Let's talk about middles. 

We all have them. We are all in the middle of something. 

Maybe we are literally traveling, but more likely we are in the middle of a project, or a life change, or making a decision.

Every actual accomplishment has a start and a finish. 

It's the middle where the work happens though. Or where we get stalled out.

In Proverbs 4:11 God says, "I am guiding you in the way of wisdom, and I am leading you on the right path."

It's a matter of discernment isn't? Figuring out how He is guiding us takes savvy. We get an inkling of where we should move toward something and we either heed it or we don't.

There's discernment needed for timing too. Sometimes we put things off that we should invest right away, or we jump the gun and put our energy into something too soon.

But most often we lose heart after we get started and stall out. Middles can be costly or boring or just plain take too long.

Good...

April and I were talking and we believe in this course so much we want to try something drastic to get more people involved!

FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS THE GUIDED DESTINY BY DESIGN COURSE WILL BE ON SALE FOR $697! (That's more than half off!)

Here's how we are making that work - this next cohort will not include personal coaching sessions and will not complete the needed hours for a Bridges Coaching Certification, however, you will get the same great content, processing, and facilitation! (You can always hire April to coach you on the side if you like!) 

It's a lot really.

Personal Aha moments abound. Future goals are clarified. Alignment is realized. Trajectoires are shifted!

"Save Your Seat" for this kingdom opportunity!

Want more - Read these!

Does God actually have a personal plan for us individually?

Five True Stories - Does this really work?

4 Reasons People Put Off Destiny By Design, And How They Felt Later

REGISTER HERE!

Wherever you are in life - God wants to meet you there and walk with you toward your next!

He is always for us, He is nearer than we realize and He has good plans for how to move forward no matter what we are facing.

You may be in a season of transition  - many of us are these days.

Or maybe you have had that one thing on your mind for a long time, maybe so long it only whispers to you now. 

Can I just encourage you? DON'T STAY STUCK! 

If you are not moving forward let it be because you believe God wants you to wait on something, or because you feel He has led you to a season of active rest. 

But don't let it be because you are stuck or you have given up. 

I've seen both Coaching and Counseling work for various end goals, but in general, the focus of Counseling is the past and the direction of coaching is the future. 

The question usually comes down to the issue at hand. What are you facing right now?

     Is there something you...

Ever wonder "When"? Or maybe you are stuck on "If"?

Is now the time?    Should it wait?    Should it happen at all? 

Here are 6 clarifying questions you can use for yourself or to help someone else discern timing!

1) What would a "yes" give you?

If you said yes to this option, how would it benefit you in the end?

What is the value add you are hoping for? Is moving forward worth it?

Sometimes you can tell a lot by exploring the gain you would receive. If you find yourself explaining how good this could be, maybe that is a sign.

2) How would a "no" or "not right now" feel?

Is this something you would want to put off, or something you have been putting off? 

Do you feel relief when you think of not doing it now, or not doing it ever, or do you feel convicted that it is something you simply need to do?

If there is a sense of sadness, or of missing out, when you think of not doing it at all, that could also be the telltale sign you need that...

Imagine the surprise when certain specific people groups emerged and started taking our Destiny by Design course.

Originally the course was designed for college students discerning what God had next for them, but what a surprise when these other people groups started jumping in and gleaning insights as well:

• Empty nest Moms wanting to find meaning in the next season of life.
• Retirees looking for more than golf or fishing to fill their time.
• Ministers or missionaries transitioning to the marketplace.
• Businessmen or vocational workers looking to get into ministry.
• Niche seekers wanting to hone their future.
• Pastors on sabbatical.
• Young adults seeking clarity rather than just doing college because everyone else is.

Destiny by Design helped clarify the pathways for each of these types of people.

So, which category do you fall into? 

Whether you fall into one of these categories or are the original college student, the course was designed to help you identify what God has...

Four stories of destiny development from our Destiny by Design alumni.

Story 1 is about a pastor who took the course after being "released" to pursue his faith elsewhere from a church that no longer wanted him there in ministry. It had come to light that the minister in question had differing beliefs about God moving personally in people's lives.

He actually used his Destiny by Design portfolio project as part of his interview process before moving to serve at a new church that welcomed and valued his views on God's personal connection.

Story 2 is from a woman who thought her passion was to become a speaker on a circuit. When she realized the motivation under the desire was to bring refreshing to people, her dream shifted to a goal of launching a non-profit that would serve ministers and front-line givers, like health care professionals or first responders, by providing respite places. It's a big vision that will be her ultimate contribution.

Story 3 has a main character...

We all have them. 

Limiting beliefs that nay-say to us whenever we want to move forward. 

They mock us with things like:

• "You could never do that. It's too big for you to consider."
• "You don't have what you need to even get started."
• "You are not enough to even contribute toward that..."
• "You don't even know what you are doing."

If we listen to these voices our potential future, our intended contribution to the kingdom of God can be thwarted before it even gets started.

Identifying what these limiting beliefs (lies) are and then learning how to diminish or eliminate them is the difference between having a dream and actually seeing a dream become a reality.

Limiting beliefs are lies that cloud our vision of ourselves, our circumstances, and how God wants to mee us right where we are at!

"Good" lies are like good poison. They seem good. They taste "right", but in the end, they can kill you.

Let me explain. 

You may actually not have what you need to get started, but...

Or maybe the question, "What keeps you up at night?"

"What raises your blood pressure?"

or "What makes you emotional?" - angry, or excited, or sad.

Learning to define your passion areas is just one of the markers in your divine design, your internal DNA.

Maybe you have a people group you really care about, or maybe it's a cause that needs investment. It could be that you are the type of person that wants to partner with another and be the hero that helps them get to their goal - your passion is helping! 

In the Destiny by Design course one of the projects is to look at your passion verbs, your own personal core desires. This was very insightful for me personally as I realized more about where I should be investing my time and energy.

You'll learn to write your own Life Purpose Statement and how to make decisions based on whether the available option is the best choice for you, and honestly whether you are a good fit for the option.

Getting traction to move toward whatever God...