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Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young

Chasing God's glory down unexpected trails

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Lessons from soaring: A new word for a new year

I fell into a rhythm in December. I didn’t make any real plans or resolutions. I didn’t chart a path. I laced up my running shoes and headed out my front door with one thing in mind: soul care.

After an intense year, I knew I needed to change my pace. This year my husband and I wrote and launched a book baby. We started a podcast while both of us were working from home. We turned our house into a school for our three daughters – one in high school, one in middle school, and one in elementary school. We welcomed my parents to stay with us.

We also navigated a global pandemic. We reckoned with political division and racial tension in our own community and beyond. We serpentined our way through disappointment, loss, and fear. We carried our daily decision fatigue like a heavy backpack filled with boulders.

When I arrived at December 1, I felt the exhaustion in my body and deep in the recesses of my heart.

My feet hit the trail as a reprieve. I’m usually the type who loves to explore new routes, seek out new scenery, and embrace new challenges. In December, I ran the same path three days a week for six miles. I listened to the same Christmas album and playlist every time.

My feet crunched through the golden leaves and my eyes followed the light skipping across the water.

My soul calmed.

There was something truly soothing about finding the cadence of breath and steps again. I didn’t have to think about where to go or for how long. I didn’t push the pace or fixate on the miles. I simply ran.

And my body slipped into muscle memory. I could breathe again. The tightness between my shoulder blades relaxed. The heaviness lifted one run at a time.

Back in January, I chose the word “soar” as my word theme for 2020. This has been a spiritual practice in my life for more than a decade. I listen and look for a word that God might use to teach me. I follow that word through the year. I reflect, read the Bible, copy down quotes, and write about what I’m learning.

Of course, every year I choose a word and by December I am surprised at the lessons I’ve learned from following that word. It’s never what I hoped, imagined, or predicted back in January. It always involves surrendering, reckoning and deepening my relationship with the One who was and is the Word from beginning to end.

I discovered in 2020 that soaring is much more nuanced than I thought. It’s not just spreading our wings and taking off. Soaring involves waiting, preparing, and discerning.

Soaring means laying down our tendency to strive and hustle.

It means less lifting and more letting go.

It means waiting and being watchful for where God might be leading and allowing Him to strengthen our souls before the just-right wind takes us to new heights.

Isaiah 40, the passage that also inspired my new Walk Run Soar devotional, has become a theme for me this year. In each new season of 2020, these verses have kaleidoscoped into more brilliant color:

“He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.”

(Isaiah 40:29-31, NIV).

In verse 31, the word “hope” is also translated “wait” in English. In Hebrew, the word is “qavah,” meaning “to bind together, to be joined, to meet, to expect, to be confident, trust, endure.” In so many ways, this is what I’ve been learning to do in 2020. Tara-Leigh Cobble explains in The Bible Recap, “The image here is more than just an expression of time; it’s an expression of unity. It’s about relationship – knowing Him, trusting His character.”

Hoping and waiting on God is not passive. It’s an invitation to lean into God’s arms, to be joined with Him, to meet with Him regularly. I’ve found that in this active waiting that He restores and renews strength.

Hoping and waiting on God is not passive. It’s an invitation to lean into God’s arms, to be joined with Him, to meet with Him regularly.

-Dorina Lazo Gilmore-YOung

Whether you are waiting for an answer, waiting for healing, waiting for a child, waiting for a job promotion, or just waiting for this pandemic to be over, know that your waiting has purpose.

I’ve learned in 2020 that the real heart work of soaring is in the waiting. Honestly, it’s counterintuitive for me. I’m an activator. My creativity gets revved up in movement, in chasing dreams and casting vision. I’m an external processor, an enthusiast, a gatherer of people. These personality traits have been challenged in 2020. As we have sheltered-at-home for most of the year and limited our travel, I’ve felt disconnected from my people. I’ve felt clumsy and sometimes frustrated like a baby bird bumbling along, trying to learn how to fly.

I’ve turned inward, processing quietly with God, journaling more, sitting in silence, whispering breath prayers in the shower or on the trail. Surprisingly, these practices have served to renew me even in the midst of chaos, uncertainty, and decision fatigue. I want to carry these intentionally into the new year. I don’t want to go back to “normal life” or “life as it was” because of these lessons learned on the journey of 2020.

These last few months, I’ve noticed a new word bubbling to the surface. It always happens this way for me. I notice a word appearing in different places – in the pages of scripture, in art, in conversation, and in my heart.

This year I’m exploring the word “chosen.” The dictionary tells me it means “one who is the object of choice or of divine favor.”

It’s a strange word. I don’t know how I feel about it really except that it’s a concept peppered throughout the Bible. I want to learn more about it. I want to embrace the purpose God has chosen for me. Recently, I remembered that my friend and Bible study leader told me she was praying this word over me this year. She planted the seed of this word in the soil of my heart garden early in the year.

This morning I read these words just a few chapters later in Isaiah 43:

“‘You are my witnesses,’ declares the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he” (Isaiah 43: 10, ESV).

We may have flipped the calendar to a new month and a new year, but the reality is we still have a lot of wreckage to reckon with in 2021. As much as we are longing for a fresh start, there may be a lot of the same. Yet, I hear the echoes of Isaiah’s prophecy calling me and calling you to be witnesses. God will prevail even through our present challenges. We are chosen to know, believe, and understand who He is and to reflect His glory to a weary and wandering world.

Will you join me?

On Saturday, January 30, I’m hosting the Lead Loved 2021 Word Party for women leaders online at 10 am. Join us for this conversation about choosing a word for your year and time of prayer together. Details here.

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January 1, 2021 Categories: Featured, Navigating Grief, RunningTagged: soar, WalkRunSoar

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Comments

  1. Mara says

    January 1, 2021 at 6:58 pm

    I love the idea of soaring as this beautiful blend between rest and effort—both at the same time, almost paradoxically, as with so many aspects of God’s reality. Thank you!

    Reply
  2. Bev Ford says

    January 6, 2021 at 2:23 pm

    I relate to the decision fatigue in 2020 and the wonderful way life-giving rituals can combat that. I have taken to running as soul care as well. I also enjoy lighting my advent candles during breakfast and time with the Lord. Rituals/rhythms allow me to feel some joyful structure in a unpredictable world. They might change monthly, but they are intentional and related to self care.

    Reply

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Meet Dorina

Aloha, friend! If you love stories, you are in the right place. I write about grief, glory, running, food, and more. I hope these words inspire you to chase after God’s glory in your life today!

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Recent Posts

  • Traveling the World From The Comfort of Home: Exploring Armenia January 14, 2021
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We love Pastor Josh Hawley’s perspective on running your own race and staying in your own lane. In Season 2, Episode 2 of the #WalkRunSoar podcast...

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Jan 20

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We love Pastor Josh Hawley’s perspective on running your own race and staying in your own lane.  In Season 2,  Episode 2 of the #WalkRunSoar podcast @hawley.josh encouraged us to pivot away from comparison and run our race to the best of our abilities for the glory of God.
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In this episode, you’ll also hear about: 
👉🏽Josh’s physical, emotional, and spiritual transformation through running and exercise
👉🏽How Josh started a fitness cohort at His church to inspire others 
👉🏽How God created us to care for our bodies, minds and souls
👉🏽Ways exercise can connect us in community
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🎧 Listen to Season 2, Episode 2 of the Walk Run Soar podcast anywhere you play your podcasts! 📺 We also have a YouTube version if you like to see facial expressions! 
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#christianrunner #runningmotivation #runnersofinstagram #runningismytherapy #devotional #runningcommunity #podcast #runningpodcast #faithblogger
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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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