Sep 5, 2013

Writer's Conference, Edward's Heart, and Genealogy

So, it's been a bit and I thought I'd go ahead with a quick update.

In August, I was blessed to attend the Oregon Christian Writer's Conference here in Portland. I met many interesting people, learned a ton, and am quite thankful for having had the experience. I met with a mentor and an editor, attended numerous classes, and got to re-connect with a former boss.

I also finished up and have the first three edits done on my first full-length manuscript, a novel titled Edward's Heart, and began two more books during the month. One is book two in the same series as Edward's Heart, which seems like it will be five, possibly six books in length.

I've been busy, to say the least. For aside from writing and getting in a lot of reading and some Pinterest-ing, I've also done much genealogical research, including finding some information people have been seeking for over 50 years, much to my delight.

It has been intense; it has been a thrill; it has been exhausting, but it has been worth it.

I hope to get back to Coaching Tips soon. :)

Blessings,
Harmony

Jul 26, 2013

On Campmeeting, or Not...

So, sometimes we, as people, even followers of Christ - perhaps especially as His followers - have difficult decisions to make. Should I go to this event, or sponsor that one? Should I give here, there, or the other place, or possible all three? Where will my time be spent most wisely? What about my finances, my talents, and other resources?

For those in the Pacific NW, and part of the Church of God (Anderson, IN) movement, this week was Campmeeting, held over at my own alma mater, Warner Pacific College. And over the years, the meetings have changed, shifted, morphed some; we've been three or four different grounds since I began attending even before I was born (though I was close!).

This year, I had to make one of those coach-y decisions: work on researching and writing the book I've begun, go to Campmeeting, or try for some happy medium of the two.

While my aim was this third angle - to research and write but also attend some of the conferences, I found that I was getting more out of what I was researching - related to Christianity and history - than most of the conferences sounded than they would. For the first time ever, I only attended two, and I am thankful for those.

On Monday, I went to hear the man I had known as school chaplain, as well as a ministry partner of his, on a discussion on unity. And today, I had the privilege of listening to, for the first time, listen to a fantastic speaker and theologian on the topic of holiness, and more specifically, as it went on, Wesleyan Holiness, of which this movement is a part.

For me, these two topics are the laces keeping the shoe on, or as some would say, the girdle set. Unity, and Holiness. We really can't have one without the other, can we? Not if we are Wesleyan, and not if we believe that God set us apart to be holy as He is holy.

This week, I set myself apart. I worked on my book - more than a hundred pages of it - and I interacted with others through the process, spending time in conversations, not only about the book, but the movement, about holiness, unity, life. This week was like a full-length examen that didn't stop, and it was wonderful.

So, while this may be the last time Campmeeting is the way I will remember it from the time I was a child, and though they may change the name aside from the format, I will remember this week. I will remember the unity, and the holiness, the fellowship, the writing and research accomplished, and I will remember the faces of loved ones, new and old, who have walked the path of examen with me; the path of life.

To all of you out there, I hope it was a blessed week...

Jul 16, 2013

Coaching Query Time

Hello there! How are you coming along with your goals? I hope you have found encouragement here and been walking toward a better life these past weeks! If not it's not too late to go and look at earlier posts for Coaching Query Time and work your way through the list to begin a journey toward better fulfillment in life and a deeper walk with the Lord and a way to get to know yourself more fully.

 Today I want to talk about something a little different. I want to discuss LIBERATION with you!

Not only do we all have things we tolerate in life, we also have times or things where we just plain get STUCK!! Don't we?

Maybe we get stuck on a goal. Maybe on getting freed from a toleration, or from something we've been holding on to for too long. Possibly, we've gotten stuck in the mire of other people's stuff... So, here are a few things to think about and consider:

Where does your life feel stuck?

What have you done so far to get UNstuck?

If the situation seems impossible, what change in beliefs would help make it believable that you CAN get unstuck? What shift in paradigm do you need?

Make a list of the options open to you in ONE area where you feel stuck.

Now, look at your list and ask yourself, which option seems the most feasible? Which am I most drawn to? Is it helpful, or will it hinder?

Then, if it's a helpful option, aim to spend TEN minutes a day working toward that action. Begin NOW!

Jul 12, 2013

More on Prophetic Artistry Coaching and Prayer Mapping

So, there is one aspect of overlap between Prophetic Artistry Coaching and Prayer Mapping, and that is the world of dreams and visions. As such, I invite you to come check out the dreams tabs on both of my other blogs, The Color of Faith, and Honeylis Dreaming. I'm sure there are other things of interest for you to check out there, too! Happy reading, and happy learning. :)

Jul 9, 2013

Coaching Query Time

We've been talking about goals and tolerations these last weeks...

Going back to the goals you've set... I have two questions for you today!

The first is, what resources do you ALREADY have to help you achieve your goal? (These can be people, qualities, skills, tools, etc)

The second is like it, but asks, what resources do you still NEED in order to achieve that goal?

I challenge you to make a list for each question. Looking at your lists, and knowing your tolerations, which do you think you can do something about TODAY? Which can you do something about before the end of the week? Give yourself a deadline for each item that still has NEED attached to it, even if the deadline i toward a baby step. This way, you are that many steps closer to your goal!

Use your imagination; think outside of the box. What can you do? Where do you need confidence to walk into filing those needs in an appropriate manner, where possible?

Jul 5, 2013

Books I Recommend... for Coaching Clients

The following shortlist of books are recommended for those who are considering signing up for coaching, or Prayer Mapping, through Kura Kimanna.

Unless otherwise noted, the book covers shown here are from GoodReads.


Deepen YOUR intercessory prayer life with some context from Beni Johnson's wonderful little book, The Happy Intercessor!  Insightful and inspiring, Beni gives some examples of how intercessory prayer has worked in her life and impacted the places God has drawn her to pray for. This book is recommended for those who already know they have been called to intercession, or those looking to gain a better undertanding of the gift.


Hosting the Presence, by Pastor Bill Johnson of Bethel Church, Redding, California, is one of the most profoundly simple and illustrative books I have found on how to interact with the Holy Spirit of God in an appropriate fashion and to yeild to God's plans for our lives, and that of the world. Recommended for both Prayer Mapping clients and those looking for Prophetic Artistry Coaching. May also be great for those seeking Self Image and Esteem or Relationship Coaching.


Gifts Differing. This book is good for those who have already taken the MBTI test, which can be found in varying forms, including free ones, online and in person. It is a guide to help you understand your personality better, and the personalities of those around you. Keep in mind that with the MBTI, you might have a frame of reference, but this is by no means a "box" to put you in. What I really like about the Myers-Briggs is that there is always room for change, but those changes generally stay within the same basic personality.

This text is good for anyone looking to better understand who you are, and if you know the MBTIs of others, it will help you in relationships, if you are working with rather than against them. Relationship Coaching, Self Image and Esteem Coaching, Time Management Coaching (most especially!), and even Prophetic Artistry Coaching and Prayer Mapping, will benefit you more with this understanding.


Dr. Caroline Leaf's great little book, The Gift in You, is packed with insights into how we all think and how toxic thinking, emotions, dreams, behaviors, etc. affect who we are and how we interact with others. On top of this, it looks at how we, individually, think. Within the book is a test that looks at which order someone's thoughts are processed, and therefore with this realization, the reader is better able to understand how or why they do certain things or think in varying ways. Like Gifts Differing, it can be utilized to not only help ourselves but better understand those around us.

I highly recommend this book for Self Image and Esteem Coaching, Time Management Coaching, Prophetic Artistry Coaching, Prayer Mapping, and Creativity Coaching and Consulting clients!


Style Statement: Live by your own design, by Carrie McCarthy and Danielle LaPorte is one of those "extras" that helps for some people when it comes to further defining who you are as a person. While it is primarily geared to women, there are examples of men in the book who have also been helped with this process. And the book is definitely a PROCESS. lol

I've actually gone through this process more than once, just to be sure I came up with what is most "me". This book is good for those going through the Self Image and Esteem Coaching, Prayer Mapping, and/or  Creativity Coaching and Consulting.



Geared specifically to women, Bradley Bayou's The Science of Sexy is more of a reference guide than anything else. If you can find it at the library, that's great. You take a few measurements, do a little math, and find where to look according to how the guide is set up. This is really helpful even for someone who, like me, is between two different sizes that the book is categorized by.

This is good for Self Image and Esteem Coaching clients, and may be helpful for Relationship Coaching or Creativity Coaching and Consulting, depending upon the goals you have in mind.


Who doesn't love Randy Alcorn's books that's read them? This is a short text, and it is packed with insights on how we are to balance being full of truth, and full of grace, as that is what Jesus modeled for us in His walk here on earth. This would be good for those seeking Relationship Coaching, Prophetic Artistry Coaching, and/or Prayer Mapping.


Good for Time Management Coaching clients, as well as anyone who is just plain busy, Too Busy to Live: the Addiction America Applauds looks at how people have become more busy than is good for them. With Time Management Coaching through Kura Kimanna, there is no emphasis on MORE to do... there is an emphasis on looking at what the highest and best use of our time is... and this text looks into why we don't always think that way.


Mark Batterson's The Circle Maker is a definite read for those coming in for Prayer Mapping or Prophetic Artistry Coaching. While Beni Johnson's book focuses on intercession, Pastor Batterson looks at prayer in general, and the emphasis, in some ways, is on how individual prayer affects the corporate world around us... the corporate church, the government, and more. But it is more than that... it looks at how our prayers affect our own lives.

Beginning with a story of Honi the circle maker, who prayed down ran in the midst of a drought, Batterson looks at how we can use the same principles to hep build our prayer lives and challenges us to get OUT of the box we've been living in. Great book!


What have you been called to do that you've never stepped into? What have you allowed fear to keep you from doing?

That is the basic premise, the question posed with The Risk Factor, by Kevin Dedmon and his son, Chad Dedmon. What will it take to get YOU to step over the chicken line and into you destiny?

A must-read for those coming to Kura Kimanna for Prayer Mapping, for Prophetic Artistry Coaching, and for Creativity Coaching and Consulting!


Just as in the natural world we have seasons, we all have different seasons of life according to the spirit world. Mark Buchanan's Spiritual Rhythm is a must-read for those coming in for Prayer Mapping or Prophetic Artistry Coaching.

This photo from amazon.com since goodreads didn't have one.
Prayer: More Than Words, by Leroy Eims, is great for those looking to gain a better understanding of prayer in general. For those coming in for Prayer Mapping or Prophetic artistry Coaching, this is a highly recommended read.


God calls us to trust Him. In Charles Swindoll's Perfect Trust, there are insights to helping us learn to trust in God more and more. A must-read for those coming in for any of the services here at Kura Kimanna!

Thank you for taking the time to come check this list out! I really appreciate it. And of course, these recommendations are good for anyone, not just potential clients. :)