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Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young

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How we are designed to flourish in community

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” – Jeremiah 17:7-8, NIV

She hung in the back of the sanctuary until most of the women cleared out from the event. She waved me over and asked if we could talk.

“I’m looking for someone to mentor me,” she said with dark eyes shining. “I know you are really busy, but would you consider it?”

I had just finished emceeing a two-day women’s gathering with the theme of discipleship. I paused at first because I didn’t feel “old enough” to be her mentor. What wisdom did I have to offer? The more we chatted, the more I realized she really wanted someone to run alongside her in this race called life. She was a mother, a leader, a woman of color, who was longing for accountability and deeper friendship.

That courageous question changed the course of both of our lives. Although Yazmin and I are from different cultures, different upbringings, different personalities, and have different ministries, God brought us together to sharpen each other. Our differences are our strength. We’ve done some deep heart work together – sharing vulnerably, confessing our sin, praying together, and encouraging each other, especially on the hardest part of the trail.

We have learned the power of presence. Although I am 10 years older, we journey shoulder-to-shoulder together. We don’t waste time comparing ourselves to each other. We think of ways to collaborate and spur each other on to good choices. Our friendship is marked by mutual edification.

The prophet Jeremiah talks about how those who trust in the LORD are like trees planted together near the water. He paints a picture of these trees with leaves that stay green. They do not fear when the heat comes. They are not anxious when the water is low. They have confidence in God’s provision. They continue to produce fruit.

Friend, we are designed to flourish in community. He brings beauty from our brokenness when we share our stories and bear each other’s burdens. Sometimes it’s awkward and uncomfortable. Sometimes it’s messy, but God meets us there.

After almost eight months of social distancing and Zoom calls, many of us are trying to figure out how to re-enter into community. It might look different from how it did before. We might need to put in a little extra effort to rebuild our friendships. We might need to extend grace and meet people in their raggedness and fatigue.

This I know for sure: God does not want us to run through this life in isolation where the Enemy can speak lies and distract us. God wants all of us to experience His abundance by flourishing together.

Yazmin and I set our eyes on the finish line together. Finishing well and leading our people to God’s glory is the goal. Some days we run; other days we kneel.

*This devotion was originally published in Take Heart: 100 Devotions to Seeing God When Life is Not Okay. This beautiful devotional just released in October 2020. If you use this affiliate link, you are helping with costs for our blog at no extra cost to you.

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November 5, 2020 Categories: Featured, GeneralTagged: flourishing

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✈️ This year our family is traveling the world from the comfort of home. We are sharing stories, recipes, and resources in case you would like to ...

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Jan 20

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✈️ This year our family is traveling the world from the comfort of home. We are sharing stories, recipes, and resources in case you would like to join us and explore a country and culture along with us. The goal is simply to make memories and explore the world through food, books, music, and movies. You have freedom to make this experience your own! 🌎
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This week we would like to invite you on a “trip” to Armenia. My mother-in-law’s family is originally from Armenia so we invited Grandma Chris and Grandpa Larry to join us for this adventure. We picked out a few recipes to try making from scratch and Grandma picked up some favorites from Nina’s Bakery, which is one of the top spots in Fresno for Armenian delights.
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My late husband Ericlee Gilmore’s great-grandpa was Garabed Bedrosian. He was born in 1883 into extreme poverty in Armenia. His father died when was 9, and he helped his mother to care for the family of five children. Three years after his father’s death, Garabed witnessed the Armenian Genocide. Many were killed. His own village was set on fire, but the family managed to escape to the home of an uncle in a different village.
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When the crisis passed, they returned to their home to see what was left. Through that winter, Garabed watch his brothers and sister pass away. He and his mother were the only survivors. {For the full story of how Garabed and his family immigrated to the United States, check out my blog at www.DorinaGilmore.com}
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For our Armenian feast, Grandma Chris made her signature pilaf. I made chicken kebabs, hummus, and paklava with my girls. The rest we ordered from Nina’s Bakery. As Grandma Chris describes it, this is a legit Armenian bakery complete with the grandmas in the back rolling the dolma. Yummy!
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👉🏽Do you know your family’s story of coming to the United States or landing where you live today?
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#foodie #globalfamily #goodeats #armenia #armenian #paklava #dolma #yum #worldtravel #familytime #glorychasers #makingmemories #multicultural #pandemiclife #immigration
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🏃🏽‍♀️Hey, friend! If you are a walker or a runner who has a hunch that running and faith are intricately connected, you’re in the right ...

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Jan 19

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🏃🏽‍♀️Hey, friend! If you are a walker or a runner who has a hunch that running and faith are intricately connected, you’re in the right place.
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If you’re a runner who wants to accomplish your physical goals, but also longs for a more personal connection with God, then we
need to chat.
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If you’re a runner who deep down wants your training to engage the body, mind, soul, and spirit, I am with you.
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If you have ever felt out of breath or stuck in life, I am here to help you find new strength to press on. I can certainly relate.
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My heart is to run alongside you this year and help coach you to connect with God, develop muscle memory, and catch a second wind to soar to the finish line. Whether you are a walker or a seasoned
runner, my new book Walk Run Soar was designed with you in mind.
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In this 52-week experience, I encourage you to read one devotional at the start of each week, and then spend time journaling and taking the faith steps throughout your week. Let’s walk, run, and soar together in 2021!🏃🏽‍♀️
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👉🏽More details at www.DorinaGilmore.com
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#walkrunsoar #christianrunners #runnersofinstagram #runnerslife #runningmotivation #runningismytherapy #runforgod #bookreview #devotional @bethany_house_nonfiction
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“No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until ‘justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.’
...

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Jan 19

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“No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until ‘justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.’
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...I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. 
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I have a dream today!
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I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.
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I have a dream today!
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I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; ‘and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.”
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💬Tonight before bed we listened to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “I Have a Dream” speech again with our girls. We talked about the context and history behind these words. We talked about the things Dr. King stood for and believed. We talked about how he was a man of God who led from Scripture.
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My youngest had lots of questions: “Where was he when he said this?” “Why were people against him?” Why did they kill him?” “Have things changed?” They were good questions and hard questions. And together we searched for answers.
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👉🏽We remember these words today. We honor this dream. We must wade into the water and do the hard work together for this dream. In 2021. And always.
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#mlk #glorychasers #mlkday #mlkquotes #mlkweekend #justice #justicejourney #letjusticeroll
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Five years ago today, our family stood at the altar and said “I do” to a redemption story only God could craft. We chose love in the midst of our ...

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Jan 16

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Five years ago today, our family stood at the altar and said “I do” to a redemption story only God could craft. We chose love in the midst of our deep grief.
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People talk about the “dumpster fire of 2020,” but our dumpster fire was in 2014. That was the year my beloved received a devastating diagnosis. Four short months later, the girls and I stood at the graveside surrendering him to Heaven. That year I walked away from a ministry and work that we had built together over a decade in Haiti. The loss was unimaginable. Not only had I lost my husband, but I also lost my community, any sense of normalcy, my confidence, and my livelihood. I buried many dreams in that dumpster fire.
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But God promises to bring beauty from the ashes. And we stand a testimony today that He is faithful to His promises. For five years now, Shawn and I have been a couple. Two became one at that altar. And defying all math, five became one. For five years, my girls have experienced a new earthly father. We have stepped into a new sense of family.
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God has planted new seeds in our garden of ashes. We watered these seeds with tears and laughter through the years. Our family has cultivated new rhythms and watched new life spring from the grave. 
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Friend, I know you have walked through the fire this last year. I know you are worn and weary, broken and bruised. I know your loss is unimaginable. Today I want to give you permission to grieve. I also want you to know that hope is always on the horizon. Even in darkness there is a glimmer of glory. May you and I be like phoenix that rises from the ashes and spreads her resilient wings. May we sing in our loudest voices the redemption story God composes over and over again.
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Happy 5th anniversary, @shawnyoungruns  I’ve said it all year, and I’ll say it again. I’m so grateful to walk through the dumpster fire with you. 🔥 
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#beautyfromashes #redemption #redemptionsong #hopewriterlife #newsong #phoenix #widow #grief #griefjourney #anniversary #fiveyears #allthingsnew #chosen2021 #glorychasers #flourishingtogether #walkrunsoar #weareincourage #1000gifts
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We're ba-ack! We just kicked off Season 2 of the Walk Run Soar podcast this week with an interview with Dr. Ray Winter, who is the head Track ...

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Jan 14

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We're ba-ack! We just kicked off Season 2 of the Walk Run Soar podcast this week with an interview with Dr. Ray Winter, who is the head Track & Field and Cross Country coach at Fresno Pacific University. 🚶🏻‍♂️Ray shared about his story of coaching now at his alma mater. 
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🎙 We also chatted about:
-coaching through the challenges of Covid times
-connecting with God through nature and running
-how Scripture and mantras can be used to augment workouts
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We love how Ray talked about running as his "soul food" - where He goes for spiritual and physical nourishment regularly. 
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🎧 Listen in here: https://anchor.fm/.../Walk-Run-Soar--Season-2--Episode-1...
🍎 Or on Apple podcasts here: https://podcasts.apple.com/.../walk-run.../id1493567998...
📺 on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/7zEfh4Rtvvg
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#runnersofinstagam #runners #christianrunners @FresnoPacificUniversity #runningmotivation #glorychasers #runforhim #runners #runningcommunity @the1protagonist
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