WELCOME HEART: Living a Legacy Life

Ep 151 A Legacy of Going Into the Hard Places For Wholeness and Healing with Jolene Underwood

Jolene Underwood, MA, is a trauma and abuse informed mental health counselor as well as a spiritual and emotional growth coach. She believes a cultivated life is one that experiences more of God and more of the life we've been given by God.
Jolene helps individuals cultivate the courage, character, and connection they need to live as the person they're designed to be.
She's offering a one-page printable to all our listeners today to help us dig deeper into Scripture in a unique way. To download, click here: "Cultivate Connection with God." 
Jolene's personal journey towards emotional health, and training in Christian counseling, inform the practical support she provides for spiritual growth and emotional healing. Her tool, Unleash : Heart and Soul Care Sheets, has helped hundreds experience greater freedom and grow closer to God. When she’s not writing, you’ll find her enjoying the journey by laughing with loved ones or adding to her collection of vintage glassware with a 70s flair (see part of her collection on YouTube!)
Want more? Consider Unleash: Heart & Soul Care Sheets for a deeper connection by processing life’s challenges with God and learning to hear His voice in your life. A great gift for yourself and for a friend. 
Connect with her online via YouTube/Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Pinterest at @theJoleneU or via the Cultivated Life Newsletter.
 
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When asked, "What's the greatest commandment?" Jesus replied simply: "Love God, love your neighbor." I imagine He was thinking,"It's not rocket science" or "What's not to like?" or  "It's not complicated."
He was right, it's not complicated.
I make it complicated. I need to pray daily to uncomplicate what He says is best for me and best for others. So I wrote 31 Days of Uncomplicated Prayers, and once I pray them through, I start over again. 
You can too.
Sign up HERE to receive 31 Days of Uncomplicated Prayers to take the "complicated" out of the simple commands of Jesus. Love God. Love your neighbor. It's not complicated.
 
 
 
 

Ep 150 A Legacy of Prayer: 31 Days of Uncomplicated Prayers to Love God and Love Your Neighbor

Today we celebrate Ep 150 by turning our hearts and minds to our great Savior, Lord and King with "31 Days of Uncomplicated Prayers." They are brief—brief holds my attention—I don't think it's my age, but it could be. And anytime I attend to my relationship with God, He pays attention.
God is so very good. He created us to relate with us, and praying is a great way to keep our relationship fresh and strong even when we don't feel fresh or strong.
If you'd like a prayer to drop in your inbox every day for 31 days, sign up here.
My relationship with God isn’t complicated. He makes things simple: “Love Me, Sue. That’s it. And, your neighbor. That’s all.”
He’s clear, even gentle, as He bids me follow and obey. I’m the one who makes it complicated.
 
Hear "31 Days of Uncomplicated Prayers" on today's podcast episode. These simple prayers will help you love God more and your neighbors well.
Some excerpts:
Father, I’m always trying to figure out what’s next. This constant striving to know what’s around the corner shows I have trust issues. With You.
Lord, when I’m about to say something that isn’t really a good idea, please (please) keep these lips closed. Use duct tape, if necessary.
Dear Father, is it wrong to pray for something I want, but may not need? Like, a housekeeper?
Father, it’s totally beyond me how this problem I’m facing is going to get sorted out. I’ve run out of ideas. I’m pretty smart, but You’re wise. And, Your ideas are much bigger than mine. Why does that continue to surprise me?
 
When asked, "What's the greatest commandment?" Jesus replied simply: "Love God, love your neighbor." I imagine He was thinking,"It's not rocket science" or "What's not to like?" or  "It's not complicated."
He was right, it's not complicated.
I make it complicated. I need to pray daily to uncomplicate what He says is best for me and best for others. That's why I wrote 31 Days of Uncomplicated Prayers, and once I pray them through, I start over again. 
You can too.
Sign up HERE to receive 31 Days of Uncomplicated Prayers to take the "complicated" out of the simple commands of Jesus. Love God. Love your neighbor. It's not complicated.
 
Prayer Journal available in SHOP.
If interested in viewing the prayer journal that includes all 31 prayers, view in SHOP.
 
 

Ep 149 A Legacy of Doing the Work You Love with Brian Dixon

Author, speaker, co-founder of HopeWriters.com, entrepreneur and marketing mentor, Brian Dixon speaks today on how he is living out his legacy, for his three kids and the next generation.  
As Brian says, “We are only stewards of our message, not owners.”
I want to be a good steward of all God’s given me. Brian helps me figure out what that looks like. Get a pen. You’ll want to take notes.
As a coach, author and marketing mentor, Brian's biggest message is that God has called us to live boldly, adhere to Scripture, know God and make Him known—and not in a shy way. Check out his book, Start With Your People: The Daily Decision That Changes Everything.
Read more about Brian's journey and how he could serve you and your business well at briandixon.com. 
Brian offers a free 15-minute coaching call. Sign up on his website. Get a pen. Take notes.
Some gems:
What's simple to you is magic to others.
When people pay, they pay attention.
I want to be called a son of encouragement and live boldly bathed in God's Word.
 
How to invest in what matters beyond ourselves. We have one life – let’s make the most of it for God, others, and eternity.
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Need to increase your gathering skills? Try out one of my 25 Theme Gathering Ideas. Use one or several or use the list to launch your own creative spin. The point is people. Ask God. He knows and loves and cares.
 
 

Ep 148 A Legacy to Change the World By a Simple Invitation, Part 1

When we wake up each morning, do we actually think that what we do can change to world in some way? Most of us are grateful to change the sheets on a regular basis, clean the coffee pot with vinegar a few times a year, and water the plants when they show signs of an early death.
Yet, as followers of Jesus, we are not only called to an eternal purpose, to love God and our neighbor, we also get the privilege of partnering with the Son of God to change lives—one life, perhaps—all for His glory and our good and theirs.
Does that sound too hard? Too overwhelming? Too exhausting? It can to me, until I remember how Jesus spoke to many individuals, not only crowds of 5,000 and more. And He met needs one-on-one, as well as breaking bread and fish for hungry men and women and their kids on a mountain more than once. 
I've learned that inviting one person for a cup of coffee can change their world, one which seems frightening, one where they feel isolated when faced with difficulty, divorce, and desperate circumstances. God loves people, and He wants to use our tables and teapots to show people that He does. 
Your cup—coffee or tea, soup or water—can be an introduction to God that they've been looking for their whole lives. As my new sweatshirt reads, "My real home is heaven. I'm just here recruiting." (I don't usually wear that on a first time meet-up.)
Here are three stories of how God changed lives through a simple invitation. Maybe you've been the recipient of an invitation that changed your life. I'd love to hear about it. 
I'd also like to hear if you invite someone over and would like me to pray alongside. Email me: sue@welcomeheart.com. We're partners, after all. 
 
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Ep 147 A Legacy of a Responsible Social Media Relationship with Chris Martin

Chris Martin wrote a book on social media, not to scare us—okay, scare us a little—but to make us ask this question: "Do we use social media or are we being used by it?" His book, Terms of Service: The Real Cost of Social Media out in February asks this question and many more that we need to ask and answer.
Chris, husband and father of a two-year-old Magnolia, formally with Lifeway marketing, now works as content editor of Moody Publishing. He wrote Terms of Service to educate us as to how we can continue to use it for good without begin trapped in its manipulative clutches, while enjoying the benefits of something in our culture that is not going away.
His legacy is delightful--listen to the end. You will be encouraged, I guarantee.
Am I finding my worth in the number of my Facebook likes?
The more Facebook flourishes as a force in social media, the less that people flourish.
Will we allow Social Media more power than it deserves—like allowing it to define our worth, something that has been settled by God and His pursuit of us?
Will we use Social Media for good instead of it using us?
Chris mentions a great resource--ask your questions about faith here: BibletoLife.com You may not have a question, but a friend or family member does so pass it along!
Find Chris Martin here:
Book
Newsletter
Twitter
 
Chris Martin is a content marketing editor at Moody Publishers and a social media, marketing, and communications consultant. He writes regularly in his newsletter, Terms of Service and is the author of his new book, Terms of Service, published by B&H Publishing.
 
How to invest in what matters beyond ourselves. We have one life – let’s make the most of it for God, others, and eternity.
 
Subscribe to Living a Legacy Life: Download app: Welcome Heart Legacy
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Ep 146 A Legacy of Spiritual Growth: 3 Things to Keep Us On the Right Track

With our backs up against the doorframe, our shoulders arched, we stood tall while Dad placed a ruler across the top of our heads, scraped the pencil back and forth, and added the date. “Look at that,” he’d say, “You are officially taller than your sister (or brother or mom.) Clapping each other on the back, we congratulated ourselves for something we had nothing to do with, and asked for another piece of cake.
 “Who’s tallest?” had more to do with DNA than if we took our vitamins (or ate more cake.) Growing happened to us, not because of us.
Pencil marks and dates faded with time and new paint. No longer did we measure. No longer did it matter. What does matter is my spiritual growth. It’s a goal worth pursuing.
God invites me to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (Ephesians 4:1). He had maturity in mind when He created us. God loves us as we are, but too much to let us stay there.
Can a ‘worthy’ life be measured with a pencil and a list? Not really. Some days the mark on the wall shows one thing but my life shows another. I wish all it took was a list. I know how to check things off. But I get discouraged when the same things end up back on the list
I still like to make lists but this is a different kind of list—a short list of three things to keep me on track for growth. I don’t mind that I never get to cross them off til Glory.
I don’t expect to reach a plateau and think: “I am now all grown up.”  But keeping these three things in mind keeps me on the right track: 
KEEP SHORT ACCOUNTS
KEEP A LONG MEMORY
KEEP A QUIET HABIT
Hear more on the podcast on how to keep on a spiritual growth track.
I refer to the God is Faithful party where we remember how God's been faithful in the past. Click HERE to get a list of all 25 Theme Gathering Ideas
 
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How to invest in what matters beyond ourselves. We have one life – let’s make the most of it for God, others, and eternity.
Subscribe to Living a Legacy Life:
Choose one of these popular free listening services, and subscribe there:
  
OR
Subscribe to Welcome Heart’s weekly email newsletter, blog updates, and podcast notes, here!
 

Ep 145 A Legacy of Perfectionism vs God’s Love with Amy Carroll

Amy is a speaker and writer for Proverbs 31 Ministries, the author of Exhale and Breaking Up with Perfect, and co-host of the Grit ‘n’ Grace podcast. She also serves other women who are called to speak through Next Step Coaching Services. She's been married to Barry for over 30 years and they have two grown sons and one daughter-in-love. 
She wrote her first book out of a deep conviction that her perfectionism was ruining her relationships and God needed to do a work in her heart and the book did that for her. Perfectionism is a sin and a burden, and Amy is incredibly grateful for God's great love that covers all our sin and gently invites us to grow more like His son, Jesus. 
 
Follow and find Amy's resources at amycarroll.org.
Amy's latest book is about one my favorite Bible characters, Esther:
Esther: Seeing Our Invisible God in an Uncertain World
 
What do you do when God seems to have vanished?When you have a decision to make, when your stability is shaken, when your sure-fire plan fails—when everything is spinning out of control…Esther is the perfect partner for seeing our invisible God in uncertainty. This six-week, in-depth study of the book of Esther is a gritty dive into a woman’s story that teaches us to:Listen to wise people who fill our gaps of understandingEmbrace your feelings as a catalyst for God-directed action.Do the work God assigns you even when in doubt.Speak up with confidence, knowing that God has a place for your voice in His story.
This study guide includes biblical and historical background insights, Bible study, practical application, and questions for reflection.
 
 
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How to invest in what matters beyond ourselves. We have one life – let’s make the most of it for God, others, and eternity.
Subscribe to Living a Legacy Life:
Choose one of these popular free listening services, and subscribe there:
  
OR
Subscribe to Welcome Heart’s weekly email newsletter, blog updates, and podcast notes, here!
 

Ep 144 A Legacy of Loneliness vs Solitude: One is Negative, One is Necessary

Today we talk loneliness vs solitude—a topic as painful as it is shameful. No one wants to admit (out loud) they may have difficulty making friends, keeping friends, feeling loved with a full dance card every Friday and Saturday night, and lunch date on Wednesday. 
As one of the most extroverted people I know, I have still found myself lonely at times. I don’t like it. It’s a killing feeling. It’s different than solitude because it’s not by choice. And it sucks the joy out of life.
Look what Paul Tillich wrote:
"Language has created the word 'loneliness' to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word 'solitude' to express the glory of being alone."
We all need some solitude, some of you more than others. That’s the good, the positive part about being alone.
We need solitude so we can make our lists, to evaluate our accomplishments, to pray for our families, to read a good book, to get re-energized, to be still know that God loves us and to remember that God is in control. Yes, we do.
Jesus modeled that for us: stealing away from the crowds and even from his 12 best friends to be alone with His Father.
But solitude is not the same kind of aloneness as loneliness.
Loneliness is negative, solitude is necessary.
 
Loneliness can hit you in a crowded courtyard after church or surrounded by family or in a marriage, even a good marriage.
Listen today to hear what we can do when feeling isolated and alone. 
 
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When I host, it can be categorized as sanctified self-serving since sometimes I need company as much as the guests need to be my company. 
If you're wondering how to get started, here are 25 Theme Gathering Ideas to get your creative juices running. Email me if you have any questions. I believe I've done them all. 
 
 

Ep 143 A Legacy of Choices and Do-Overs with Tonya Kubo

Speaker, author, social media expert, Tonya Kubo, joins me today to talk about how we can choose to heal, get help and do life differently from how we're raised. Although Tonya's story may be different than ours—her mom was a hoarder til the day she died—we all have a past filled with mistakes, ours and others', and we all can choose to accept God's lavish grace to help us move forward, and do things differently for the kingdom and for our families. 
Tonya's business is marketing and social media, but it all comes down to connection. She says, "People are just people and human connection never goes out of style." She asks this great question in re: to how toxic social media can be: "How are to going to bring light to social media if you leave? You can't change things if you exit the conversation."
Tonya would love to share her "Family Blueprint" with you HERE. Learn how she and Brian have outlined what they want their family to be and how they use it as a guide to help them flourish as a couple as well as parents to their two young girls. 
You can connect with Tonya on all the socials. Join her free facebook group: The Secret to Thriving Facebook Communities To learn more about her services, go to tonyakubo.com.
 
 
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When asked, "What's the greatest commandment?" Jesus replied simply: "Love God, love your neighbor." I imagine He was thinking,"It's not rocket science" or "What's not to like?" or  "It's not complicated."
He was right, it's not complicated.
I make it complicated. I need to pray daily to uncomplicate what He says is best for me and best for others. So I wrote 31 Days of Uncomplicated Prayers, and once I pray them through, I start over again. 
You can too.
Sign up HERE to receive 31 Days of Uncomplicated Prayers to take the "complicated" out of the simple commands of Jesus. Love God. Love your neighbor. It's not complicated.
 
 
 

Ep 142 A Legacy of Transformation Using the Enneagram with Lisa Lewis

Lisa Lewis talks today about the need for growth and transformation and how using the Enneagram as a tool to help us change into a better likeness of Jesus. As the founder of Let Go, Lean In Podcast where Lisa focuses on women in leadership, she explains how knowing how God has wired us can help us get "un-stuck", get out from the comparison monster, and lean on Him to help us serve the many needs around us. 
We talk about what makes the Enneagram unique as a personality tool, how we can bless others by knowing ourselves better, and why that can be a great part of our legacy.
Lisa was one of my early guests on Living a Legacy and, you can listen to our first conversations here where she describes the legacy she is currently living:  Ep 24 "A Legacy of Connection and Ignoring the Naysayers in Your Head"
You may want to take advantage of a free first coaching opportunity, check it out here.
Lisa says:
I’ve worked as a coach for 8 years.
Prior to coaching I was an educator for 25 years.
I’m also a wife, mom of two and now Mimi to three darling grand-littles
I am an Enneagram 7 who loves learning about people and experiences fun in the outdoors; hiking, biking, and gardening are my three favorites.
I’m also an avid reader and known to take a book outdoors, too.
I’m committed to my own learning & transformation
Transformation takes investment of time and resources. You are worth it.
You can find Lisa and her resources here:
Letgoleaninpodcast
https://lisalewiscoaching.com
@lisa_lewis_coaching
 
 
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When asked, "What's the greatest commandment?" Jesus replied simply: "Love God, love your neighbor." I imagine He was thinking,"It's not rocket science" or "What's not to like?" or  "It's not complicated."
He was right, it's not complicated.
I make it complicated. I need to pray daily to uncomplicate what He says is best for me and best for others. So I wrote 31 Days of Uncomplicated Prayers, and once I pray them through, I start over again. 
You can too.
Sign up HERE to receive 31 Days of Uncomplicated Prayers to take the "complicated" out of the simple commands of Jesus. Love God. Love your neighbor. It's not complicated.