Be All There by Glen Schneiders

Glen Schneiders is the Lead Pastor of Crossroads Christian Church

Are we fully anywhere anymore?  As I walk into a meeting or church gathering, I note the number of cell phones in texting mode. I can’t help but wonder how many of us are fully engaged – in anything; that includes the meetings at work, the family dinner, or church services. With wireless on computers and emails arriving by phone day or night, there is no such thing as a vacation. (Unless you have had the misfortune of a company imposed furlough, then you could lose your job if you responded to email.)

I am not anti-technology.  The conveniences of bringing the world to us cannot be ignored.  But what if we want to be truly off for a day or a week?  What about the biblical concept of Sabbath rest (one day in seven that is designed for rest, refreshment and reflection)?  Do a number of stress related illnesses that affect more and more get propagated by our constant availability to people?  Have you ever received an email on the weekend that you wished you had waited to read until Monday morning?

Allow me to make some suggestions for being all there:

• Turn off your phones at dinner.  Refuse to let something less important distract you from what is most important.  If you are really brave, refuse to read email for at least one day of the weekend.  If that goes well, you might be ready to try it for some portion of your next vacation.
• In meetings, determine to be fully there.  No texts, no emails.  As an aside, I believe as leaders we owe it to people to not waste time.  Get started on time, get to the point, and then get out.  We are all busy.
• In church, sit enraptured by the amazing words of wisdom by the preacher.  Okay, at least give the guy a chance instead of tweeting about him.  Remember God spoke through a donkey in the Old Testament.  He might want to do it again!  Come to think of it that analogy might apply to your boss as well.  

Ecclesiastes 9:10 (New American Standard Version) “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might…”  (Hard to do when diverted by multiple inputs.)

Jim Elliot observed, “Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God." 

Determine to be all there this week … at work, at home, at church.

Five Secrets that Turn Good Intentions into Real Results by Betsy Ringer

I pulled up to the red light and glanced at the van positioned next to me, slightly forward. The woman in the driver’s seat was on her cell phone. Her head was looking down like she was searching for something in her purse. Three kids were in the back seats with school papers and one was putting on soccer shoes. The mother flung her arm back with an object for one of the kids. It looked like she was talking frustratingly to someone on the phone or maybe she was on hold and reprimanding the kids. I don’t know. But as she snapped the phone shut and our eyes met, we recognized each other. Her frazzled face turned into a broad smile and she waved as the light turned green and she quickly zoomed away - probably a bit embarrassed.

This scene reminded me so much of myself when I was about that age. I had a full life with work, husband, kids, home, friends, and a to-do list that kept me in constant turmoil. I carried around a sense of discontent and felt guilty about it. I seemed to look at what wasn’t quite right rather than really realizing how great things were nor feeling equipped to make things better. I found a quote that popped me into awareness, “What a wonderful life I’ve had! I only wish I’d realized it sooner!” (Collette, French novelist who wrote Gigi)

Since then I have learned many secrets about shifting from living to thriving. I have worked with thousands of women sharing tools, stories, insights, resources and perspective shifts. Gradually they move from feeling like life is slipping away to the ability to manage important life areas and then focus on what really matters. They learn how to turn good intentions into real results that brighten their lives.

Today, I’d like to share just five of those secrets:

1. Develop a compelling vision for how you want your life to go. Before you take a trip or drive to a new city you consult a map and decide which route you will take. Do the same for your life.

2. Find resources that help you be the strong person you know you are. We can’t know everything so find the “experts” and let them guide you.

3. Make friends with time. Craft today – truly the only day you have – so that it is well-lived. Guard against being in a hurry – it’s a sickness.

4. Give yourself permission to be happy. Get healthy, de-clutter, embrace your inner Pollyanna, and choose to manage your life a way you can thrive.

5. There are some things you must give up to get what you truly want. We have been brought up to be consumers and addicts - shopping, food, email, busyness, perfection, activity, etc. It’s so difficult to let go of what’s destroying us but when we do we make room for what God truly has for us!

This is just the beginning. You no longer have to ask, “But how do I start?” NOW is the time to invest in others by investing in yourself. You can begin this month to turn your good intentions into real results in 12 key areas of your life.

I have a new iThrive group starting April 27. Monthly, you will receive materials that break down the important life areas for success into manageable, bite-sized pieces. Then you meet once a month with a fabulous group by phone for coaching and encouragement to make lasting change. You can realize the wonderful life you live and gain tools and resources to manage it so you can focus on what really matters.

I really want to see you in my group. I’d love to see you finally make the breakthrough you’ve always dreamed of! It's not too late to begin.

CLICK HERE to find out more and register.

Please LEAVE A COMMENT if you would like to be part of my group but need another time slot. I’ll be starting another group soon.

FINALLY – SOME REALLY GOOD NEWS! by Betsy Ringer

I have some GREAT news for you!! I mean REALLY great news!! This is particularly refreshing news after being weighed down by depressing TV news and circumstances and people around us. Ready? You can be POWERFUL through unfavorable circumstances!!! YES! You can THRIVE not merely survive!

Are you exhausted or overwhelmed?

Do the pieces of your life need some de-cluttering, sorting through, and recalibrating so you can experience joy through all circumstances?

Do you feel like the days, months, years are slipping away and you WANT to make your life count – REALLY COUNT – for something?

If you are ready to stop letting life slip by and live a life of passion, balance, purpose, and fulfillment, it’s time for you to THRIVE!!

iThrive is a 12-month holistic approach that empowers you to get healthy and thrive in all areas of your life. Each month you receive a packet of materials with information and exercises. You create an action plan for intentionally living the life you love in a variety of areas, including your unique purpose, physical health, finances, spiritual intimacy, family roles, support system, career, home environment, service, your life legacy and more.

Believe me, you are not alone! LOTS of women realize their lives aren’t what they want them to be, but don’t quite know what to do to move forward. Let me give you an analogy. When I was about 7 or 8 I went to a local amusement park with my family. I wanted to go into the FUN HOUSE – well, that’s what it was called, but it was more like a FRIGHT HOUSE to me! The rooms inside were slanted and contained lots of weird illusions and the hallways moved and air blew forcefully at you and things popped out when you least expected it.

It was really quite horrifying to me. Maybe I was presented with situations that were different and I just didn’t have the perspective to know how to handle them. I wanted sooo much to just find my way out. I remember coming to a very small room in an octagonal shape. It had lots of doors with mirrors and you had to find the right one to go through. If you opened a door that wasn’t the way out, something would pop out at you or there would be a loud sound or simply something weird would confront you. I remember being so frightened because I just didn’t know what to do.

Well, I have to say sometimes life is like that as an adult!! There are so many choices to make and we feel like if we make the wrong choice life will only be more complicated or we will have to deal with something even MORE frightening.

iThrive is meant to help you look at those “doors” in a strategic way and make sense of the obstacles that are keeping you from truly enjoying life. We don’t have to succumb to what’s going on around us. With the right tools, a plan, and people we value, we can be powerful.

iThrive is an opportunity to learn with a group of other women; to receive guidance, encouragement and a gentle push when we are having a tough time pressing through an issue. Don’t go it alone. You CAN be powerful even during this time when circumstances seem to sabotage our efforts or when there are so many choices that clutter our daily living.



iThrive can be a self-study process or a group coaching opportunity where you journey with a small group of women from around the world. If you are part of the coaching group, we will meet once a month for you to receive Life Coaching in the topic for the month. We will also correspond by email. You can work through the materials on your own, but I must say there is a GREAT advantage to being part of a coaching group.

I have a new group starting up on April 27. We will meet by phone the fourth Tuesday of the month during your lunch break or coffee break, 12-1 PM EST. I want to personally invite you to join my group. CLICK HERE to get more information and/or sign up for a group.

I know that as women, we don’t mind spending money on our families and other people. However, for some reason we feel guilty spending money on ourselves. But think of it as an investment in the lives of those around you. You want to be the healthiest that you can be in all areas of your life so you can give others your very BEST self!! For the cost of a small coffee or a soft drink per day, you can make a wise investment in your one wonderful life!

So take steps now to THRIVE not just survive!!! Be powerful and live the life you love!!




To share your story, question or encouragement CLICK HERE

iThrive Membership Giveaway

I am SO excited to announce a special giveaway just for YOU! iBloom has recently launched a new coaching program that is receiving amazing reviews. iThrive is a proven, life-changing method where you’ll evaluate where you are today, where you hope to be, and then create an action plan to start living the life you were created for. We are helping women move beyond the mundane and live a life they love! YOU can live a life YOU love!

iThrive offers a self-study coaching program or a group coaching program where you can journey with other women from around the world. A new coaching group will begin on Tuesday, April 27th from Noon-1pm EST. Visit http://www.ibloom.us/ithrive.html to learn more about iThrive.

So, we have a special offer for one lucky (blessed) woman. We want to giveaway a FREE 1-year membership to iThrive. Yes, this giveaway even includes the group coaching. It's a package valued at $550 and we want to give it to YOU as our FREE gift. The winner will be randomly selected on Tuesday, April 13th.

To enter the drawing for this amazing gift, please do the following:

1) Click here to leave a comment telling us why YOU want to win this free membership.

2) Click here to download a FREE gift that we'd like to offer all ladies who enter the giveaway- "10 Ways To Get Inspired in 2010."

3) Go to www.ibloom.us/facebook to become a fan of iBloom.

4) Follow iBloom on Twitter- www.twitter.com/ibloom

5) If you Tweet, Tweet this: I just entered a giveaway from @iBloom to receive a FREE membership to their new coaching program, iThrive! Contest ends at 9am on 04/13/10.

6) Facebook this: I just entered a giveaway from www.ibloom.us/facebook to receive a FREE membership to their new coaching program, iThrive. Contest ends at 9am on 04/13/10. www.i-bloom.blogspot.com

Best of luck!!

Who do you want to become?

Our Blog Talk Radio show this week discussed the question, “Who do you want to become?” You can listen to our radio show online from Noon to 1 PM EST each Monday by going to CWA or you can listen to the recording after the show on our iBloom website.

Here is the recording from today’s show http://www.blogtalkradio.com/ibloom/2010/01/18/who-do-you-want-to-become

Have you ever really pondered who you want to become?

Recommended Resource: The Next Generation Leader: 5 Essentials for Those Who Will Shape the Future by Andy Stanley.

I highly recommend this book! The final chapter of the book, “The Leader Worth Following” is dedicated to inspiring leaders to invest in the health of their soul. Andy says, “Have you determined what you want to become? Your doing will flow from who are you. The outer man (woman) will reflect the inner man (woman). The inner man (woman) determines the legacy of the outer man (woman).” I can remember reading and re-reading that statement (and the entire chapter) over and over.

As a leader, I knew the responsibility God had entrusted to me. I knew that people were watching me. I knew that I didn’t want to disappoint or betray anyone. I knew that I didn’t want to become like other leaders who fall, and fall hard. However, I had never really decided who I wanted to become.

I began journaling through questions like:

1. Who do you want to become?
2. What do you want to be remembered for?
3. How do you want the people who knew you best to describe your life?

I created my personal definition of success. I narrowed it down to 10 words that I wanted to describe me: Servant, Generous, Humble, Balanced, Authentic, Passionate, Relational, Loyal, Grateful, Compassionate

As Andy says, your personal definition of success “forms the moral perimeter around your behavior.” He goes on to say, “You must come to grips with the fact that, ultimately, success is defined in terms of who you are and how you treat the people around you.”

I would encourage you to create your own personal definition of success. In fact, we'd LOVE to see your personal definition. In the book, Andy says, “Once you have determined what you want to be, tell somebody. Go public with your intentions. Is it really anybody else’s business? You bet it is. Character is personal, but it is not private. Everybody who knows you has an opinion about the kind of person you are. You might as well let them know the kind of person you are striving to become.” Click here to share your definition or comments!

We were also grateful to have Jen from www.thankfulfor.com as our special guest this week. Jen shared about a new online gratitude journal where you can keep a private journal or share your public gratitude via Twitter and Facebook. Be sure to listen to the show to hear specifics on how and attitude of gratitude can change your perspective.

Jen, also shared a fabulous quote:

"You simply will not be the same person two months from now after consciously giving thanks each day for the abundance that exists in your life. And you will have set in motion an ancient spiritual law: the more you have and are grateful for, the more will be given you."

~ Sarah Ban Breathnach ~ Simple Abundance

Be sure to tune in next Monday (01/25) at Noon EST as we discuss our 2010 Themes! Check out Betsy's recent blog entry "Create Your 2010 Theme" We encourage you to create your own 2010 theme and then call-in LIVE to next week's radio show to share your 2010 theme. Go to http://blogtalkradio.com/cwa-radio for our call-in phone number!

Have a blessed week!

Kelly Thorne
iBloom Founder & President

What's Stopping You From Living the Life You Love? by Betsy Ringer

Our Blog Talk Radio show this week answered the question, “What’s stopping you from living a life you love?” You can listen to our radio show online from noon to 1 PM each Monday by going to CWA or you can listen to the recording after the show on our iBloom website.

Here is the recording from today’s show CLICK HERE

We had some great tools from today’s show that I’d like to share with you.
First of all, we talked about major life situations where we were completely stopped from living the life we loved. Then we listed some “daily stoppers” that hinder us from living life to the fullest. Some of the things on our list included:
1. Grumbling rather than being grateful
2. Reacting to your day rather than being proactive.
3. Taking on too much so we don’t have some margin in our lives.
4. Not planning.

We decided that some tangible things we can do to avoid the stoppers include:
1. Being mindful of the words we use – say, “I get to” rather than “I have to.”
2. Have a plan for my day, week, month and year!
3. Schedule time for fun, friends exercise, and enjoyable activities.
4. Catch yourself on the run; stop and breathe; savor the moments.

Kelly shared a wonderful quote from Chuck Swindoll that I remember having up on my bathroom mirror for years and years!

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you... we are in charge of our Attitudes.” Chuck Swindoll

We all admit that it’s not necessarily EASY to have this attitude ALL the time, but when we are conscious of it we will make the effort to make a shift when we find ourselves slipping into a non productive attitude!

We invite you to consider these Five Ingredients to Living a Life You Love and then come up with your own list!
1. Have a vision. What do you really want your life to be about? Who do you want to be or become? What do you really want to accomplish? Who do you want to invest in?

2. Discover your uniqueness! God has created you with a unique blueprint. What are your strengths (weaknesses)? How is your personality unique? What are you passionate about? What drives you? What is your purpose? Why are you here? We have just the book for you coming out in February called iDiscover with lots of exercises for you to discover your design.

3. Cultivate an Intimate Relationship with Christ! Meditate on scripture, pray, and be still and listen!! He just might want to tell you that you are the apple of His eye and that He will provide for your every need!!

4. Invest in yourself. Take some time for YOU to do something you like to do, relax, plan, read, and dream. Ahhhh!!!

5. Invest in deep, meaningful relationships. Surround yourself with relationships that breathe life into you; people who love you for you and believe you can be anything you want! Schedule time with them!

I had several friends share with me their ingredients for living a life they love, how they know their lives reflect that as well as red flags. You will want to hear their stories and think about the answers to these questions for yourself. Having quality relationships, creating margin in our lives and taking time for ourselves are common themes. Red flags include:
• Being snippy with others
• Complaining
• Feeling like a victim in circumstances
• Experiencing stress and fatigue

We also had a great interview with Jennifer from List Planit. Be sure to check out her website where she helps you put mental chaos on paper to sort through it and make sense of it. There’s just something comforting about being able to put things down so we can relax and enjoy!!

To sum up our show, I have a list of inspirations for living a life you love:
1. Laugh – find humor in all situations
2. Do it afraid – don’t let fears rule you!
3. Live with a sparkle in your eyes
4. Be playful
5. Have one meal you cook that is delicious; one outfit that looks fabulous on you; and one funny story you tell really well.
6. Give compliments generously.
7. Know you are God’s Beloved – disregard the other voices
8. Teach someone how to do something
9. Be a Life-Long Learner
10. Get acquainted with the Inner YOU!
11. Take time to breathe.
12. Really enjoy the simple pleasures of life.
13. Engage in meaningful work.
14. When you complete a task, celebrate!
15. Guard the nourishment of your mind.

Visit us at iBloom or contact us. Life is waiting to be lived and loved!

iBloom Blog Talk Radio – Live a Life You Love! By Betsy Ringer

Our Blog Talk Radio show this week was about stepping into 2010 and live the life you love. You can listen to our radio show online from noon to 1 PM each Monday by going to Christian Women Affiliate or you can listen to the recording after the show on our iBloom website.

Here is the recording from this week's show.

We had some great tools from today’s show that I’d like to share with you.

NOW is a great time to reflect on 2009 to celebrate and learn from the events of the year. This reflection helps prepare you for looking ahead to 2010. We encourage you to grab a notebook and answer these questions for yourself:
1. What has gone well?
2. What have I been most proud of from this past year?
3. What was the biggest challenge that I overcame?
4. What am I most grateful for from 2009?

Next, think about 2010 and write your answers to these questions:
1. What do I hope to change in the upcoming year?
2. What are my biggest aspirations/dreams for 2010?
3. What is it that I “really” want to accomplish? Do? Become?

Now, craft 3-8 personal and professional goals for 2010. Be specific so you’ll know whether or not they have been accomplished.

For fun you might want to try this great no fuss goals and wishes idea with your family.


iBloom wants to inspire you this year to live a life you love. That means we want you to know and live into how God has uniquely wired you. It means deciding what you want your life to look like and living into it! Just think about how much you would love your life if you took time for the things that matter most rather than being stuck going through the motions of life. And it means being INTENTIONAL about how we live!

Are you familiar with the concept of living intentionally?

• Living intentionally means having a vision and setting a course for your life.

• Living intentionally allows us to create a broader vision for our life…God’s vision

• It’s taking our priorities (those things we value most) and creating a plan that is flexible; it's like a road map showing us how to get from point A to Z.

• When we don't have a clear, pointed vision we tend to just drift through life - moving from one thing to another.

• Intentional Living is the map that we create for our life.


The big takeaways from today’s show:
1) STOP and reflect on 2009!
2) Seek God’s Face!
3) Decide what you want your year to look like & CHOOSE to live intentionally!

Can you do this on your own? Certainly! But if you want someone to walk you though the steps, help you actually take action and to celebrate you, the iBloom Life Coaches are experts at helping you live intentionally so you can live the life you love.

Visit us at iBloom or contact us by clicking here. Life is waiting to lived and loved!

OH!! And if you are interested in ordering the great devotional we used today, Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young, click here.

2010 is going to be YOUR YEAR!