Laurie Beth Jones Blog

Reinvent Your Life Workshop. January 14, 2011
By Laurie Beth Jones
Next workshop: March 18, 200 in Dallas Texas

Sixteen people gathered in an intimate theatre in San Diego this past Friday. Among them we had a pastor from Pittsburgh, a photographer from Pasadena, a stylist from Paris, and a police officer whose life was turned upside down by a bullet wound to her spine. We had the head of Asian banking investment firm in Canada, a psychotherapist from British Columbia, an IT genius, and the former marketing director for World Vision International. We also were graced by a woman who runs a third generation nursery, a musician from LA, a graduate from the Naval Academy, a comedienne in the making, an entrepreneur who donates windows and doors to Extreme Makeover homes, and a mother who donates her spare time to giving manicures to women at homeless shelters. Shelly Buckner and I were the designated shepherdesses for the day.

We drew on big art boards with giant magic markers. We put puzzle pieces together one by one. We drew our biggest fears and saw them turned into tiny rubber chickens. We stretched our minds and hearts, opening them to new words and dreams from the Holy Spirit. We wrote out new visions for our lives on handmade watercolor parchment, embossed with my new logo of LBJ, which stands for Live Breathe Joy. We cried a little, laughed a lot, and took time to reflect together what it means to rise and risk and roar, like Fire. To renew, reflect, restore like Water. To remain, return and regenerate like Earth. And to revive, rejoice, and release like the Wind.

Lives were transformed. Old scripts were discarded and new directions were received. It was a wonderful day full of connecting, engaging and extending mission and vision together.
Join the next RYL Workshop on March 18 in Dallas, Texas. We will see you there.
Changing the World One Mission at a Time

Dear Friends,

These boats are gathered in a harbor in a small fishing village in Italy. Cinque Terra, a series of five villages built into a mountain, are inhabited by locals who make their living either by tourists, fishing, or harvesting grapes which grow on the terraced landscape above them.

Whenever I see boats like this I think about possibilities…about just getting in one and heading out into the open sea. Whenever I see boats like this I am also reminded of the verse from the song of Deborah. She perceived danger and tried to rally the tribes to go meet the enemy. But one of the tribes, the tribe of Dan, just kept their boats in the harbor. As a leader sensing danger, she had to ask “Why?”
It says “In the tribe of Dan there was much searching of heart….” but never any action.

Boats just sitting in a harbor, unused, could also simply be inertia, visualized.
Where will this year take you? What harbors? Countries? To sea!

Abundance in Community

Yesterday we had a Path Community Call, with people from around the country connecting for one precious hour around the topic of Abundance in Community.

The theme was what does abundance look like for you? Each person went around and defined either what they had an abundance of, or how they defined abundance.

Some had an abudance of love or integrity. One person had an abundance of imagination to share. Yet another shared abundance meant freedom. One gentleman said abundance was ‘joy in the vertical relationship with God in Christ.’

There was much laughter as we shared our unique Elemental Personality blends, and how we experience or define abundance. Fires said they often felt “it was never enough,” as fires constantly seek fuel sources. Winds likewise said “it” was always over there, the next hill, the next job, the next whatever. Waters defined abundance as listening to the rest of us, and Earths defined abundance as doing the next thing structurally, whatever that looks like.

I asked people what kept them coming back to the Path community, even after they had gotten their own mission and vision. The answers were similar in theme: “We love what we now understand, and we want to share it with others.” Several people said that getting their mission, and using that as a decision filter, had allowed them more clarity in daily decision making, and feeling in the center of the will of God.

I also shared that there would be many “losers” today, having fought a good campaign fight, and yet still fallen short of their goal. We prayed for the “losers,” who decided to stand up and fight for their beliefs, even knowing that the odds were against them. I said “maybe that is the true abundance after all—engaging in the discussions—throwing your time, energy and talents into a path that will make a difference, no matter what the results might look like in the end.

We discussed how sweet it was to be in the middle of the Lord’s pleasure, as well as His Will, and that maybe the two were more inseperable than some religious teachings allow.

It was a great call, and I was moved and inspired by the intelligence, compassion, clarity, and insight of this Path Community. We call ourselves “Pathletes,” and we invite you to ‘connect and engage’ with the Path Community each week. Here are the November topics. Path Trainers, Path Coaches and Path Members will be present to share with you on the call. I will be sharing on the Nov 23 call on the topic of the Elements and Christian Leaders. I look forward to connecting with you.

‘Changing the World One Mission at a Time.’

NOVEMBER COMMUNITY TOPICS

November Topic: Elements and Relationships
Nov 9 The Elements in Family Dynamics
Nov 16 The Elements in Business Relationships
Nov 23 The Elements and Christian Leadership
Nov 30 The Elements in Children

Dear Friends,

Why do we bring shovels to the beach? And why do children love them so? Perhaps it is because we love to work–to be doing something measurable with our hands, even at an early age. This little girl is on a mission–moving sand from one location to another. The seriousness on her face conveys that this is no small task, and has great significance to her. The vast ocean behind her, the innumerable grains of sand yet unmoved, has no bearing on her task. She is undaunted.

I wondered as I snapped this photo if she has any idea how loved she is by the parents who brought her here…who are watching her intently in the background as she takes her self determined steps on the shore.

Where are your self determined steps taking you this week? Are you on a mission?

I wonder if you and I know we are also being watched intently, with vast waves of oceanic love, as we too go about our very important tasks, carrying shovels full of sand.

Blessings as you lead,
Laurie Beth