Peaches and Rest: Using Family Code Words
“Mommy, you look like you need some peaches”, my four-year-old tells me at the breakfast table this morning, which prompted me to take a deep breath. “Why did he say this?” You ask. Let me tell you about our family code words. About a month ago, our oldest son Matthew had a croup cough. He also […]
A Crazy Kind of Love
God’s love for us is described by the Hebrew word “chesed.” Chesed is similar to the Greek word “agape,” but chesed is agape on steroids! Chesed means a kind of love that is: Steadfast Loyal Active Robust Unrelenting Fierce Strong Vital Kind Merciful Covenant In Chris Coursey’s newest book, Transforming Fellowship, we read, “Chesed is […]
Quieting as a Life Skill
As a Life Coach who specializes in working with people that desire to grow in the skills associated with Life Model Works, I have noticed a very common thread amongst my clients. I see the same missing life skill in many of them that I also see missing in my friends and extended family. It […]
Relational Skills Aren't Just for My Benefit
This past weekend I was in line at Wendy’s for a quick lunch and I noticed the cashier was looking a bit frazzled. I heard her speaking to the person in front of me and she sounded angry and gruff. My first thought was, “Yikes, someone is in a bad mood!”. But almost instantly in […]
The Overlooked Discipline of Having Fun
During a coaching session not too long ago, I received an unusual answer to the question “what do you want to work on today?” My client had worked on several leadership and discipline challenges and chose this day to respond “Scott, I don’t have any recreation in my life. I don’t do anything for fun.” He […]
IT’S NOT ABOUT FEELING BETTER—IT’S ABOUT FEELING
I had a great discussion the other day with a friend who asked some probing questions about ministering to someone in deep grief. We tossed around some thoughts about the differences in every-day negative emotions and deep emotions from grief. It’s my opinion that they are a bit different although there are some parallels. The […]
Turning On Your V-C-R
Last week I had an incident that caused some emotional pain and I wasn’t sure if I was triggered or not. The gist was that I felt accused for something I did not have in my heart, and it hurt. Most of the time, I tend to think of these kinds of painful bumps as […]
10 Ways Life Model Works Builds Relationships
Over the years, many people have been attracted to Life Model Works for the benefits of joyful relationships. Here are 10 ways Life Model Works helps relationships build and grow. We each do our own inventory of our relational health, growth, points of irritation or stagnation, freely deciding with new safe and loving support to […]
3 Steps to Avoid Relational Speed Bumps
There is no way to avoid it, we all need relational skills. The problem is most of us don’t realize that we are missing some! Not until we start having problems in our relationships; or we notice that we keep repeating the same relational speed bumps over and over again. When learned in the early […]
Share Joy – Relational Skill #1
It’s all about JOY. Every time I begin to work on my own relational skills, and every time I recommend a client to begin working on relational skills, I always start with Skill 1: Share Joy. Yes, there are 19 Relational Brain Skills that we can grow and master, but without Skill 1 the […]
Relational Skills for Real Life Relationships
Before I can talk about relationships, we need to look at relational skills. Before I can look at relational skills, we need to understand joy. Every time I write about joy, I feel a compulsion to define it. We all long for “happier” lives but we make a huge mistake when we switch out those […]
Don't Worry: What You Need is a Learned Behavior
Healthy minds are full of appreciation. Appreciation creates belonging and changes stress to contentment. What are you thankful for today? What makes you smile? Pause for a moment, and reflect on something you appreciate. What do you notice? Appreciation is Joy A gift we share with others. Created from unexpected acts of kindness. Born out […]
Relief from the Taboo Ailment
Chances are, everyone who reads this will either have suffered themselves, or known someone who has suffered from depression. This blog is for both of you. Depression isn’t usually something people like to talk about. Those that suffer from it stay isolated with it and those that don’t are totally unaware of what to say […]
Relationship Basics: Three Skills as Essential as Keys, Wallets & Cell Phones
Have you ever left the house and remembered you forgot your wallet or your phone? Or worse, forgotten your keys inside on the counter behind the locked door? I’ve done all 3. It didn’t take me long to get that “uh-oh” feeling in the pit of my stomach and each time I returned to grab […]
Video: How Thrive Completely Changed One Life
After attending Thrive people ask Barb “Where did you go and what did you do?” Watch this video to find out just how much it could change your life! Register Today for Thrive
Avoiding Unforeseen Disasters
Time after time churches, ministries and missions experience unforeseen disasters from the inside out. No one pays attention to the enemy within their gates. Well-meaning but untrained congregants and church boards place highly educated individuals into positions of authority. These men and women are likable. Their sermons are inspiring. Their personalities are alluring. These new […]
Relationship Skill: Stop Overwhelming People (and being overwhelmed yourself!)
Have you ever been around someone who talks endlessly? I think we’ve all met that one person who never even seems to breathe between sentences, let alone allows you to respond in between streams of thoughts. Have you ever sat in a classroom or a conference or even a sermon and had the speaker/teacher just […]
This is how your brain activates creativity and helps you live like Jesus
Our brain works best when synchronized. The executive system of the brain regulates our emotions and keeps us connected with other people. We calm our emotions and repair ruptures. We focus on what is important and shift our attention as necessary. We control our cravings and quiet our impulses. We stay proactive to complete commitments […]
How storytelling holds the key to a joy-filled lifestyle
The human brain has the remarkable ability to craft coherent stories and create meaning from personal experiences. At Life Model Works, we call this skill “telling four-plus stories.” These are stories that engage all “four levels” of our brains. When engaged this way, the right hemisphere of the brain synchronizes with the left hemisphere. The left hemisphere relies […]
Want Sustained Joy? Become a better mind reader.
Are you looking for mutually satisfying relationships and sustained joy? Learn to read minds. At Life Model Works, we call this the “Level 3 of the control center.” It is what helps us synchronize energy levels with other people, read their body language, and gauge their well being on a moment-by-moment basis. The result is, we feel […]