Blog: be a blessing

Courage for Authentic Relationships – by Heidi McLaughlin

Posted: June 5, 2026

We all long for “heart connection” relationships—places where we can finally exhale, where we don’t have to impress or pretend. Places where we can be what I call “spiritually naked and unashamed.” Yes, the kind of relationship where we don’t have to hide the unpolished parts of ourselves or cover our fears and struggles behind a carefully orchestrated mask. Masks protect us from rejection but also genuine connection. Throughout Scripture, God is always inviting people into something deeper—something more intimate. He never asks us to bring our perfected selves; instead, He welcomes us as we are. David’s honest laments, desperate pleadings, and even his anger before God, along with Peter’s failures, reveal a God who meets His people in their weakness and lovingly draws them into deeper, more authentic relationship. So how do we do this? This quest for authenticity? First of all, we have to want it. Authentic relationships…

Posted in: ask questions, authentic, be a blessing, beauty and joy, Best friends, circle of friends, Commitment, community, companionship, courage, don't give up, empathy, Encouragement, find the simple joys, Finding Truth, finding yourself, friends, Friendship, girlfriends, good conversation, happiness, happiness needs to be shared, happy heart, honesty, how do you spell LOVE, hugs, intentionality, Kindness, laughter, Lifter-uppers, Listening, love lives here, make time for each other, mutuality, one-another, Prayer deepens relationships, Praying divides our burdens, praying with friends, relationships, spiritual friendships, Understanding each other, vulnerable, we are made for relationships, we need each other

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Your Inner Circle-by Heidi McLaughlin

Posted: December 17, 2024

There are moments and words that impact us profoundly and change our way of thinking and life. One of those times was when best selling author Gordon MacDonald spoke at our church on his book A Resilient Life. What stuck with me was on his chapter of friendships and challenging us to have an “inner circle” of friends who will help us finish well. After his presentation I spent some time with him and we continued that deeply satisfying conversation. The process starts with honest conversations. Within the next week I put Gordon’s words into action. I contacted three friends and arranged to meet them for breakfast once a month. We continued these lovely times of intimately sharing our lives, our joys and disappointments. Around that same time I also asked two other women to join me for a Bible Study and we continued these beautiful connecting times for over…

Posted in: accumulate experiences, adventure, all alone, ask for help, ask God, ask questions, authentic, be a blessing, Best friends, blessings, Christmas joy, circle of friends, companionship, Covid-19, Forgiveness, friends, Friendship, girlfriends, growing old, happiness needs to be shared, honesty, introvert, loneliness, make time for each other, Prayer deepens relationships, relationships, resilience, resilient, spiritual friendships, we are made for relationships, we need each other

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Be a “Lifter Upper” – by Heidi McLaughlin

Posted: September 17, 2023

Beware of the deadly 3 “D’s”. It starts with discouragement, catapults into despair and may end up in depression. Some how you’ve ventured into a dark cave and found there was no light to guide you out. Your aching body feels heavy and fatigued. Your mind is ruminating, you can’t focus and you keep chewing over the scene of your mess, failure, loss or disappointment. I know every one of you reading this has experienced at least one of the deadly “D’s”.  It’s a horrible place to be in, and we need to help one another getting out of our cave. That’s where you come in. We all need to take part in being God’s hands and feet on earth to lift up those going through one of the 3 “D’s”. If you are the one going through one of the “D”s right now, I pray that someone reading this…

Posted in: adversity, ask for help, ask God, be a blessing, caves, companionship, cover each other's backs, darkness, depression, despair, disappointment, don't give up, Encouragement, failures, faulty thinking, feeling bad, Finding Truth, Friendship, Making Wise Choices, one-another, Overcoming Struggles, power of words, Prayer, rescue, seasons of darkness, self worth, show up, we need each other

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BEYOND ORDINARY-by Heidi McLaughlin

Posted: March 12, 2023

What does it even mean to be “beyond ordinary?” The last 3 days I’ve been involved in a Global Conference with women around the world from 45 countries with the theme CALLED: BEYOND ORDINARY. I know we would all like to wake up one day, look in the mirror and reflect a woman that is smart, capable, enchanting and beautiful. After hearing many testimonies and keynote speakers, here’s what’ve learned about becoming “Beyond Ordinary.” BECOME UNCOMFORTABLE. Well, that’s not what we want to hear. To become something “more than ordinary” we have to step out of our comfort zone. Often times it’s with fear and trembling as we step into the unknown. Like stepping out of a plane and soaring effortlessly as Miss Wheelchair Canada Vahen King did so courageously. LOVE ME TO DEATH SO THAT HE CAN KISS ME TO LIFE. That’s a radical powerful statement made by Kathy…

Posted in: achievements, be a blessing, be a follower, Beauty through Boldness, beyond ordinary, brokenness, circumstances, Come to Jesus, comfort zones, disappointments, Encouragement, God's creation, God's goodness, God's love, Hope, hurting world, kiss of life, Lord, Overcoming Fear, Overcoming Struggles, pain, praise, seasons of darkness, success, thanksgiving, transformation, trouble, uncomfortable, victory, worship is a weapon

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A Sweet Fragrance-by Heidi McLaughlin

Posted: May 9, 2021

Beauty pulls me into its orbit like a magnet. Whether it’s clothes, art, shoes, dishes, candles and especially book covers, I’m helpless and hopeless. And when I’m God’s creation and see the glistening water, traverse the hills and hear the birds, my heart is in awe and overflows joy. Springtime in British Columbia, Canada is a mosaic of colours, sounds and fragrances. The last month I’ve been hitting the trails and hiking in hills and groves covered in yellow balsamroot flowers, and white Saskatoon berry bushes. Often I stopped to lean in and smell the sweetness of the blossoms. What joy! We need to lean in to smell the fragrance. Which makes we wonder. In our present tumultuous and painful world where do we find beauty? These days certainly not in the news, social media or conversations. Most of us can’t go to church and get infected with spiritual uplifting…

Posted in: be a blessing, beauty, beauty and joy, Christ in us, Covid-19, fragrance, fragrance of Christ, hurting world, Prayer, relationships

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