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Dorina Lazo Gilmore-Young

Chasing God's glory down unexpected trails

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My refuge: Resting under the shadow of His wings

One of my favorite things to do when I’m running is to listen and watch for birds. I have often witnessed birds take a few steps across the trail, then run and begin to flap their wings, and eventually take flight. It’s a beautiful process to watch them uniquely walk, run, and then soar to new heights.

After my husband’s death from cancer, a group of my girlfriends came over to my house and totally redecorated our bedroom. They painted the furniture, added new light fixtures, rearranged the room and found new art to spruce up the walls. They helped me to transform a place that had been like a hospital room for several months into a place of peace and refuge.

One of my friends, Bergann, sewed a beautiful blue and white throw pillow for my bed with these words stitched on it: “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge,” (Psalm 91:4). A pair of embroidered birds is perched on a branch next to the verse. This special pillow has moved with me to two new houses now. The pillow bears a message I hold close to my heart, reminding me of God’s comfort and faithfulness on my grief journey.

The psalmist uses several images in Psalm 91 to express the ultimate sense of security we can find in relationship with God. Verse 4 paints an image of a baby bird covered by his mother’s feathers and goes on to say, “His faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.”

Bird feathers are known to be a fantastic form of insulation against the cold. This is why many people love down pillows and comforters. Some feathers are coated with oil, which also creates a waterproofing effect to protect birds from rain and snow.

Throughout the Bible are many examples of imagery related to birds, feathers, and wings. In Ruth 2:12, Boaz encourages the young Moabite widow Ruth with these words: “May you be richly rewarded by the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.” In Psalm 17:8, David writes, “Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings.” Later, in Psalm 57:1, David says, “I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.”

These verses emphasize God’s character as protector, comforter, shelter, and strength. When we are hidden in His shadow or under His wings, we are protected like a bird from the elements and from the Enemy who hunts us down. We are not left vulnerable and out in the open but protected in a safe place. The Bible does not promise us there will be no trials or heartache in this life, but it does assure us that Immanuel will be with us.

Running has been a kind of therapy throughout my life, especially through my grief journey after my husband Ericlee’s death. When I am on the road or a trail, God is faithful to meet me there. He runs alongside me. He covers my broken heart with His feathers and provides a safe shelter to share my feelings, my emotions, and my fears. He has been my refuge like He was for David, Ruth, and countless others in the Bible.

The other day I saw a photograph of a mother bird with wings extended like arms around her two bird babies on either side. At a quick glance, the babies looked like they were an extension of the mama’s body because they were enveloped by her feathers. The mama bird protectively wrapped her wings around her chicks in the same way God wraps His arms around us.

Friend, rest today under the covering of His wings. Let Him shelter your heart and provide the strength you need to heal and eventually soar through whatever difficult circumstances you are facing today.

How has God been a refuge and shelter to you? Can you think of any examples of times where you felt His comfort? (Please share in the comments.)

Dorina has written a book called Walk, Run, Soar, that will release in September 2020. Subscribe to her Glorygram newsletter for weekly encouragement and all the behind-the-scenes details about the book!

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February 12, 2020 Categories: Featured, RunningTagged: abundance, rest, soar

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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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🥳 I’m celebrating this little book baby is 11 years old and just came out in its 8th printing! Whaaaaat?! A huge thank you to all of you who have...

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Jan 28

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🥳 I’m celebrating this little book baby is 11 years old and just came out in its 8th printing! Whaaaaat?! A huge thank you to all of you who have given Cora Cooks Pancit wings by sharing and buying her for your people! 📚
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Today I got to do one of my favorite things: read my picture book to a room full of kids! And even though we were on Zoom, I still felt the warmth of their smiles and delicious curiosity.
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We talked about our favorite ways to prepare noodles, the music we can hear in the kitchen when we are listening to the ingredients, and what we discovered about the story through the illustrations.
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I was reminded anew that this is why I write -> for my readers! Sending a big shout out to @localpassportfamily who is inspiring cultural exploration in kids of all ages. More of that please!
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👉🏽If you don’t have a copy of Cora Cooks Pancit, she’s back on Amazon (finally!) or you can support a local bookstore!
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👉🏽Tag a friend or teacher who might like this story! 
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👉🏽If you know of a school class, homeschool group or reading club that could use a guest speaker, send them my way! Booking online visits for the 2021!
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#coracookspancit @leeandlow #multicultural #filipino #kidlit #yum #kidscancook #pancit #bookclub #aapi #filpinofood #globalchildrensbookclub #pandemiclife #zoomlife #aapifamily #representationmatters
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🎧 It’s podcast day! 🥳 You don’t want to miss this episode all about REST! That’s right, rest is important for walkers, runners, and all of...

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Jan 27

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🎧 It’s podcast day! 🥳 You don’t want to miss this episode all about REST! That’s right, rest is important for walkers, runners, and all of us!
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Today we are interviewing my friend and fellow author Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith. She is an amazing woman who is a national and international media resource on the mind, body, spirit connection. She has been speaking and publishing in so many places, including CNN, Women’s Day, CBS.com, MSN.com, to name a few! 
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Dr. Saundra is an internal medicine physician and the author of Sacred Rest, which we talked about in our interview. She lives in Alabama with her ultra-marathon running husband, Bobby, and their two sons.
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We chatted with her about:
👉🏽the 7 types of rest
👉🏽the gift of rest created by God
👉🏽tips for resting from technology
👉🏽how to incorporate rest in your weekly rhythms
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🎧 Listen to the Walk Run Soar podcast, Season 2 Episode 3 today! Connect with Dr. Saundra at https://ichoosemybestlife.com/ and check out her Rest quiz there!
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#podcast #faithpodcast #walkrunsoar #rest #restmentor #podcastersofinstagram #runningismytherapy #runnersofinstagram #christianrunners #flourishing @drdaltonsmith
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“The LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me], I shall not want. He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still...

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Jan 26

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“The LORD is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me], I shall not want. He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still and quiet waters. He refreshes and restores my soul (life); He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.”
-‭‭Psalms‬ ‭23:1-3‬
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Meditating on these words this morning as I stare down a busy week full of projects, speaking events, meetings, and more. This amplified version of Psalm 23 is a sweet reminder of all the ways the Good Shepherd cares for me even on a Tuesday in January.
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I’m imagining the still and quiet waters this morning. He leads me there to a place of refreshment and restoration.
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I love this quote from my new Bible study,  Courageous Simplicity: “We cannot expect to experience the simple life by merely offering a nod of acknowledgment to Christ before moving on with our own agendas. We must focus on Him and courageously seek His wisdom as we remove unnecessary distractions and make difficult decisions about what you keep in our lives.”
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This is the constant challenge for me in the mornings. I always feel pulled in so many directions from the moment I open my eyes. The call is to rest in Him near the quiet waters first before I step into the rushing stream of my day.
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💭What about you? What is a distraction you regularly battle that leads you away from the still waters?💭
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#psalm23 #chosen21 #faithblogger #devotional #courageoussimplicity @incourage #heleadsme #restore #jesusgirl #womenoftheword
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I grew up in the kitchen with my mama and grandmas and aunties. My mama was not afraid to let my brother and I make a mess. She taught us her tricks ...

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Jan 25

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I grew up in the kitchen with my mama and grandmas and aunties. My mama was not afraid to let my brother and I make a mess. She taught us her tricks and techniques.
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I loved swirling the meat sauce in the pot with my Grandma Sara and rolling lumpia with my Grandma Cora. The kitchen had a centrifugal force in our family. It was the place where the best stories (and probably the best arguments) unfolded.
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One of my treasures of these strange pandemic times has been more time in the kitchen with my family. Especially on Sunday afternoons after home church, we love to make up a big feast and linger long at the table.
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Yesterday we “traveled” to Italy with my parents. My mama’s family hails from Calabria, Italy. We dreamed about going there together one day. This menu included: Caprese kebabs, homemade focaccia, stuffed-spinach shells, salad, and my all-time fave dessert tiramisu!
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Italian food is my comfort food! How about yours? What do you find yourself craving on a rainy day when you miss your people?
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#globalglorychasers #comfortfood #italian #italianfood #yum #foodie #foodiesofinstagram #foodiefamily #traveltheworld #tiramisu #familytime #sundaysupper #kidscancook
114 23

🥂Shawn and I celebrated our fifth anniversary this weekend with another epic running + foodie adventure. 🏃🏽‍♀️This time we stayed ...

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Jan 22

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🥂Shawn and I celebrated our fifth anniversary this weekend with another epic running + foodie adventure. 🏃🏽‍♀️This time we stayed closer to home and hiked three waterfalls - Red Rock Falls and Corlieu Falls on the Lewis Creek Trail and the new-to-us Chinualna Falls at Yosemite National Park!
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The weather was pretty amazing for January! ☀️ Grateful to live so close to all this glory and for some much-needed quality time with my hot hubby! 🏞 
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We were reminiscing about the fun anniversary running adventures we have had through the years together: {Swipe left for a few pics from the past!}
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4️⃣ Along the Embarcadero and piers in San Francisco
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3️⃣ Up to the top of Airport in the Sky on Catalina Island
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2️⃣ Along the Pacific Coast to Fiscalini Ranch in Cambria 
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1️⃣ Across the Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii Volcanos National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii
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0️⃣Around the Colosseum in Rome, Italy!
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Yes, we are crazy! In love! 💞 Friends, we are not promised tomorrow so date your spouse, get outside, and chase His glory today! 
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#anniversary #memories #dateyourspouse #5years #covidadventures #chosen2021 #sanjoaquinrunning #christianrunners #runnersofinstagram #runningismytherapy #runningmotivation #epic #runcouple #glorychasers #walkrunsoar
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