Through the years, speaking has become a “sweet spot” for Dorina. She is passionate about sharing her story and teaching people how to become glory chasers. Dorina’s speaking is story-driven and Biblically-sound. She is relatable and engaging.
Dorina enjoys speaking to a diversity of groups. She shares for women’s conferences, MOPS groups, women’s luncheons, and church events. She has also served as a keynote speaker for women’s retreats, non-profit events and banquets.
Dorina teaches 6-week or 10-week bible studies using her Flourishing Together and Glory Chasers workbooks. Dorina also speaks in the education setting through classroom visits, writing workshops and school assemblies, sharing her cooking and children’s books.
If you would like to book Dorina for your event or inquire about her availability and fees, fill out the form below or email dorina [at] dorinagilmore.com.
Speaker Topics
“Walk, Run, Soar: Learning to soar through life’s challenges”
Have you ever wondered if He’s really listening? Have you ever cried out to God in the darkness? Using Isaiah 40, Dorina invites her audience to walk, run, and soar with her through grief, disappointment, and discovering new purpose. She uses the metaphor of running life’s race to talk about the difficulties we all encounter on the trail and how we are called to pursue the finish line with Jesus as our Pacer.
“Glory Chasing: Discovering God’s glory around us and in us”
Do you feel parched? Are you thirsty for more of God but not sure where to begin? Dorina leads her audience to explore the idea that each of us is called to be a “glory chaser.” She unpacks ways God reveals His glory to us through creation, relationships and everyday circumstances. This talk especially reaches out to the woman who feel trapped in the mundane or longs to rekindle her faith.
“Flourishing Together: Cultivating a Fruitful Life in Community”
Are you tired of feeling like you are just surviving? Do you believe you were made for more? Do you long to flourish? In this talk, Dorina shares about the process of flourishing described in the Bible and how each one of us was designed by God to help others flourish in their talents and gifts. This talk covers seasons of cultivating, pruning, growing, and blooming.
“Grief Journey: How to help your children navigate grief and transitions”
Are you facing a loss? Are you wondering how to help your child navigate grief? One of the challenges as a mama is how to deal with our own grief, while also leading our children on their own journeys. In this talk, Dorina shares about her grief journey after the loss of her husband to cancer and some practical tips and resources for helping navigate grief with kids.
**Details about Dorina’s kids books and children’s author talks: Click www.dorinakidsbooks.com.
Videos
Podcasts
Meet Dorina
Short Bio
Dorina Lazo Gilmore is a blogger, speaker and author of Glory Chasers and Flourishing Together. She specializes in helping people navigate grief and flourish in community. An award-winning children’s author, Dorina has served as a journalist, missionary, social entrepreneur and Bible study teacher. She and her new husband are raising three brave girls in Central California. Connect with her at www.DorinaGilmore.com.
Running Bio

Dorina Lazo Gilmore is a blogger, speaker and author of Glory Chasers and Flourishing Together. Dorina is a “glory chaser,” who meets God running trails through the mountains or near the ocean. Dorina is passionate about helping people discover God’s glory on life’s unexpected trails. She and her husband started the Glory Chasers running group on Facebook where they serve up coaching, courage and community for Christian runners. Dorina is publishing a devotional and training journal for runners called Walk, Run Soar with Bethany House/Baker Publishing group, releasing in Fall 2020. She is also an award-winning children’s author. Dorina and Shawn are raising three brave daughters in Central California. Connect with her at www.DorinaGilmore.com.
Extended Bio
Dorina Lazo Gilmore is an accomplished writer, speaker and blogger. She specializes in grief recovery, helping women who’ve suffered loss to chase God’s glory. In addition, Dorina has traditionally-published three multicultural children’s books and a collection of poetry. Her book, Cora Cooks Pancit, received the Asian American Librarian’s Association Picture Book of the Year. Dorina and her husband Shawn have recently written a devotional/training journal for runners called Walk, Run, Soar with Bethany House/Baker Publishing group, releasing in Fall 2020.
Having successfully blogged at Self Talk the Gospel, AlohaGilmores and Health-full for more than a decade, Dorina recently shifted her efforts to her own site, DorinaGilmore.com, and is already seeing great results. Dorina is a regular contributor at (in)courage with an audience of more than 60,000 subscribers. A former reporter for the Chicago Tribute, Arizona Republic, and Fresno Bee, Gilmore’s essay on grief “This is a story I never would have written for myself – ever” was recently picked up by twenty national newspapers. Her articles, “Permission to Grieve” and “Standing at the Intersection of Fear and Faith” received the top hits at Self Talk the Gospel in 2014 and 2015. Dorina attended Calvin College for a bachelor degree in English Literature and Journalism and Hollins University for a Masters of Fine Arts degree in Children’s Literature.
Dorina is passionate about helping women from diverse backgrounds flourish in their God-given callings. Raised in Chicago, Dorina was transplanted to Fresno, California in 1999. She considers herself a California girl now as she raises three daughters to love the cultural diversity, beautiful landscapes and unique food of the state. In 2016, Dorina married a long-time friend, Shawn Young. They still consider themselves newlyweds dancing in the beauty that rises from ashes. When Dorina is not writing or spending time with family, she’s out on the trails running marathons and chasing God’s glory.
Dorina chases God’s glory as a mama, foodie, runner, and a weaver of words. Her essays have been published at (in)courage, Kindred Mom, For Every Mom, The MOPS blog and in more than 20 newspapers. She specializes in helping people navigate grief and flourish in community.
Dorina is passionate about raising up women from diverse backgrounds to thrive in their God-given callings. For more than 12 years, she has been leading Bible studies and developing leaders. Her gift is delivering authentic, Biblically-sound messages that engage audiences through story. She has published two Bible studies, Glory Chasers: Discovering God’s Glory in Unexpected Places and Flourishing Together: Cultivating a Fruitful Life in Christ.
With an MFA in Children’s Literature, Dorina has published three multicultural children’s books and a collection of poetry. Her book, Cora Cooks Pancit, received the Asian American Librarian’s Association Picture Book of the Year. Dorina also has experience teaching college students, speaking in elementary schools, and coaching youth.
Dorina is the granddaughter of Filipino-Hawaiian and Italian immigrants. Raised in Chicago, she was transplanted to Fresno, California in 1999. She considers herself a California girl now as she raises three daughters to love the cultural diversity, wonder-filled landscapes and unique food of the state. After her husband died from cancer in 2014, Dorina married a long-time friend, Shawn Young. They still consider themselves newlyweds dancing in the beauty that rises from ashes. When Dorina is not writing or spending time with family, she’s out on the trails running marathons and chasing God’s glory.
Connect with Dorina at www.DorinaGilmore.com, where you can sign up for her Glorygram letter. You can also find her as @DorinaGilmore on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.
Dorina’s writing featured around the web
- A Recipe for Hospitality // The Art of Taleh
- Chasing Hope through Grief // Shauna Letellier
- Dorina Lazo Gilmore // (in)courage
- Easter’s promise: How to wait through the winter of grief // Fresno Bee
- How to Talk to Kids about Anti-Asian Racism // Asian American Christian Collaborative
- How To Talk To Kids About the Coronavirus // The Mops Blog
- Savoring Time Around the Table // Kindred Mom
- This is a story I never would have written for myself – ever // Fresno Bee
- Pita Piata Party // Sandi Sutton
- What Grandma Taught Me in the Kitchen // The Mops Blog
- When you need permission to grieve // Jill E. McCormick
Dorina has spoken at these events
Someday is Here live event & conference
Santa Ana, California
Website Link
Esther Women’s Conference
Pignon, Haiti
Women’s Christmas Brunch (with spoken word)
New Covenant Church
Fresno, California
“Redeeming Ruth: God’s Heart for the Vulnerable”
Action Community Church, 9 a.m. & 10:45 a.m. services
Clovis, California
“Flourishing Together” College Church of Christ Women’s retreat
Cambria Pines Lodge
Cambria, California
Embrace: A faith-based gathering for to encourage, equip and empower local women
New Covenant Church
Fresno, California
Website Link
“Discovering Peace in the Chaos of Motherhood”
Cornerstone MOMS group
Glendora, California
“Flourishing Together” women’s event
“How God Calls Us to Use our Gifts to Help Others Flourish”
Cross City Church
Fresno, California
“The Speed of Seed” spoken word, “Mothers of All Kinds” spoken word, “The Mosaic Maker” spoken word (3-week series)
Bridge Church
Fresno, California
Dorina has taught these Bible Studies
Glory Chasers Bible study
Her Space
Fresno, California
Flourishing Together Bible study
The Bridge Church
Fresno, California
Glory Chasers Bible study
Onramps Covenant Church
Fresno, California
Dorina has done these multicultural children’s book assemblies
- Clovis Elementary School, Clovis, California
- Boris Elementary School, Clovis, California
- Cedarwood Elementary School, Clovis, California
- Cole Elementary School, Clovis, California
- Aspen Meadow, Fresno, California (pending)
- Aspen Valley, Fresno, California (pending)
Dorina has done these multicultural classroom visits/cooking demonstrations
- Kepler Neighborhood School
- Fresno Christian Schools
- Fugman Elementary School
What others are saying
Dorina is a wise, refreshing, articulate, and grounded bible teacher. Her love for God and for His Word is evident as she brings Scripture passages to life and helps draw out practical principles for our daily lives. I have learned from Dorina’s rich words and her life of integrity, passion, and grit. It’s a joy to sit under her teaching.
-Vivian Mabuni, speaker, author, and host of the Someday Is Here podcast
“Dorina has been one of our favorite women’s retreat speakers. The way Dorina weaves her own honest and vulnerable story along with deep truths about God so powerfully affected our women, giving us courage to invite God to write our own stories for His glory as well. It was clear that the Holy Spirit was present with us! I don’t know how many times I heard one of the ladies comment, ‘This was one of the best retreats we have ever had!’”
“Though my story and Dorina’s are different, she became my Sherpa in the journey to gently walk back through some of those difficult times in my life and find God’s glory there even in the midst of loss. And her creative framing of the glory theme through the weeks of the study challenged me to face the future with faith and trust. So glad I got to go through this study with a group and process what we were learning together. Dorina is not only a great writer, but gifted speaker and leader, too!”
“This is a study of how to discover God’s glory – what that means, how He reveals it to us through the scriptures, and how to search it out in our everyday lives. The study is beautifully interwoven and illustrated with Dorina’s personal story.”
“Loved the study and will recommend it to others!”
“Dorina helped me understand the gift of His presence in darkest times. Her study opened the ‘eyes of my heart’ to appreciate the wonder of His creation and be open to what He wants to reveal to me.”
“Very good study on God’s glory full of biblical truths and wonderful perspective experienced by Dorina Gilmore as she shares her very difficult road of supporting her husband through his cancer experience at a young age before entering Glory.”
“What happens when the unthinkable happens in your life? Where is God when you lose your soulmate? Is HE still good when bad things happen? Dorina opens her heart and soul to the heart-wrenching journey of losing her husband and facing widowhood with three young daughters. Her story will strike you with grief and then sweep you with hope and gratitude in the face of death. What is most amazing through it all, is that she never lets go of her Creator. We need to face more of life’s tragedies with this modern day, Job-like courage.”