Chris and Carol Green Honored on Capitol Hill

Chris and Carol Green (Doctors Honoris Causa)

Washington, DC (Capitol Hill) ---Community Life Coaches, Chris and Carol Green were part of a special Honors and Distinctions Ceremony held in Washington, DC in the chapel of the U.S. Capitol Building.

In this year's event, the Greens received their second honorary doctorate degree (see 2016 ceremony) in as many years. This time it was the Latin University of Theology conferring upon them, honorary doctorates in Society and Human Rights to acknowledge their 25 years of ministry and service in the urban community.

"We are humbled by this honor and very grateful," the Greens responded afterwards. "We don't know how we came to be included with such an elite list of highly esteemed people. You never know how far your calling and passion will take you. From our perspective, two kids from the 'hood' were honored on Capitol Hill."

Hosted by iChange Nations™ and Dr. Clyde Rivers, this non-political event featured several honorees from across the United States and from Africa. The list of honorees included:

* Dr. Ruth Mizell, is a former campaign manager for President George Bush Sr., who also served under President Ronald Reagan and President George H. W. Bush as adviser to the U.S. Peace Corps. During those years, she served as liaison to the White House for the American Christian Trust, served on the Board of Directors of the National Prayer Embassy, and was active in several Christian ministries. In 1994 she became active in Capitol Hill Prayer Partners and became their liaison to the Capitol.

* The Honorable Simona Broomes, serves as the Minister of Natural Resources for the Republic of Guyana, Africa; recognized for her work to stop human trafficking.

* Natasha Stewart, MS-LPC, currently serves as the director for The Center for Counseling and Behavioral Health at The Potter's House of Dallas, under the leadership of Bishop T.D. Jakes.

* Dr. Jason Renville, is an Author and Empowerment & Human Development Facilitator at Jason Renville Ministries.

* Chaplain Allen Perry, is a powerful motivational speaker, who is a certified Chaplain with the National & International Chaplain’s Association through Florida Theological Chaplain Academy.

"This couple is effectively changing lives in south central Pennsylvania!" stated Dr. Rivers as the presenter of their latest degrees. "They are making a true impact and creating a new narrative in the arena of  Life Coaching. We decided to bring them to Capitol Hill for this recognition because we believe they are the best of the best in what they do. They are on the front lines of a completely new way to serve communities and equip leaders in human services."

Since 2004, the Greens have been able to establish a network of community leadership-supporting services that have been essential to their work with the unemployed, the homeless, to human service advocates, educators, pastors, and all who are seeking to inspire a higher and greater purpose for living.

They served in local church pastoral leadership in Saint Louis, MO and Harrisburg, PA for a combined 27 years, before launching out full-time to encourage, support and strengthen leaders from all spheres and aspects of life. They are:

• the founders of the Fruitful Life Learning Community,
• the owners of C and C Connections, LLC, and
• the producers of the Fruitful Life Family Media reference and resource website.

For their community life coaching service, the Greens have also received a United Way 2017 Volunteer of the Year Nomination, Urban Leadership Awards (2016) and Community Ambassador Awards (2015) from iChange Nations™, and Goodwill Ambassadors of World Peace Awards (2015), as part of an interfaith peace-building initiative to the United Nations, by Golden Rule International. 

Together, they are the authors of 14 inspirational life-building books, and the creators of several blogs and eNewsletters. They are also accomplished songwriters, having penned and produced over 150 songs since 1992.

As the world's leading producers of CARE-Ready™ Life Coaches, Chris and Carol Green teach and train community, government and education leaders, human service organizers, business visionaries, and neighborhood dreamers how to be much more effective by embracing the principles of CARE (Compassionate Accountability with Respect and Empathy) in their professional and personal lives. They LISTEN to people, LIFT people and LAUNCH people. Then they equip and empower them to do the same for others.

Many coaching, mentoring and community outreach programs employ what is known as a "deficit model" of working with people. That's where you focus on the problems (deficits) of a person, and then apply a set of pre-determined, cookie cutter steps and treatments to address their issues. The deficit-based model is what many well-meaning Helpers use, but it rarely works long-term, leaving Helpers wondering why their clients fail to break the cycles of addiction and recidivism.

However, CARE-Ready™ Life Coaching mirrors the principles found in the proven, Best Practice strategies of Strength-based, Solution-focused models. CARE-Ready™ life coaches are trained to connect with people in order to build a relationship/ partnership that empowers the client; thus allowing the client to discover the solutions that will work best for them.

Also, while many coaching programs focus on how to target potential high-paying affluent clients, and high-paying speaking opportunities, the Greens train, equip and empower Care-Ready™  Responders and Life Coaches, who are willing to take on the most often overlooked people of society; those who live in under-served communities, who can least afford, but benefit the most from professional guidance.

If you want to be trained and empowered to coach or mentor with a purpose that's greater than yourself, EXPLORE THAT POSSIBILITY at https://www.fruitfullifelearningcommunity.org/care-ready-certification 

*****

Launching Servant-Leadership, Spiritual Wellness Hub

Pennsylvania, USA - Chris and Carol Green, hosted a leadership summit to officially launch Fruitful Life Learning Community as the educational, inspirational and spiritual wellness hub of an alliance and network of home groups, outreach organizations, and community leaders.

In an evening highlighted by personal testimonials, professional endorsements and "flash-back" video clips that documented the special moments that led up to this historical opening, leaders from various sectors of the south central Pennsylvania region joined together to lend their support of the Green's vision of equipping servant-leaders.

"We intentionally did not advertise this event," the Greens told their audience. "We're not trying to gather a big crowd. We don't need the unnecessary battles that come with notoriety, fame and curiosity seekers. We're trying to connect with like-minded people."

They likened their summits to the gathering of school district superintendents, stating how a meeting might consist of only a few individuals, but those individuals can represent hundreds and thousands of people including principals, teachers, students and parents.

"When we hold leadership summits and leadership training, a group of 10 or 12 leaders can easily represent hundreds and thousands of people that they will impact through the training that we are going to be providing for them."

Coach Carol Green reveals, "This unique Servant-Learning initiative will resource, equip and empower leaders and heads of households to facilitate healing within their own hearts and homes and then extend their extraordinary transformation to their neighborhood and community."

The Learning Community includes an innovative strategy of training and appointing Community Care, Ready-Responders and certifying CARE-Ready Coaches and Ministers, who are creative, compassionate, and capable of guiding hurting souls past their poverty and pain to their divine purpose.

"As a community-supporting faith family, Fruitful Life is patterned after the 1st-century Followers of Christ, who continued steadfast in the Apostle's teaching and fellowship, in Breaking of Bread, and in Prayers," explains Coach Chris Green; "They met in small groups within their homes and they also gathered as a community in a more sacred setting as well. They were especially known for taking care of the neighborhood's widows and orphans, while experiencing miracles, signs and wonders."

​

Before there was a religion called Christianity, there was a movement known as THE WAY.  Chris and Carol Green launched the Fruitful Life Learning Community to help people of faith and Christian leaders return to that simple mission and lifestyle that demonstrates God's love and healing to hearts and homes.

Learn more at http://www.fruitfullifelearningcommunity.org

​

Special Note - Additional Media

John and Kerry Shuey endorse the Fruitful Life Network with high recommendations for community leaders, organizations, churches and businesses to consider investing in their leaders and teams by utilizing the people-building training and certifications that are available through Chris and Carol Green.

Denise Britton endorses the Fruitful Life Network with high recommendations for community leaders, organizations, churches and businesses to consider investing in their leaders and teams by utilizing the people-building training and certifications that are available through Chris and Carol Green.

Fruitful Life board member, Traci Carter-Burker, endorses Chris and Carol Green with high recommendations for leaders, organizations, churches and businesses to consider the people-building training and certifications that are available through the Fruitful Life Learning Community.

Dr. Joe Green endorses the Fruitful Life Network with high recommendations for community leaders, organizations, churches and businesses to consider family and spiritual life coaching that is available through Chris and Carol Green.

Five Kinds of People That Are Part of Your Process of Success

 

By Christopher Green

Best-Practice Principles for Your Path of Success

One of my spiritual daughters called and asked for some advice. I had just written these thoughts earlier that day, so I was able to share what had just come to my heart. I'll share with you what I gave to her.

There are at least five kinds of people that will come along as you journey through life and they are part of your process of success.

You will encounter the:

1. Curious – They just observe you and watch you. They may hang around for a couple of weeks or even months, but they eventually move on once they discover that you are not going to allow them to drain you. Others leave when they realize you have nothing that they want or need anymore.

2. Critics – After observing you, they begin to make assessments and evaluations based upon their own standards or personal preferences. They are usually comparing you to a person they know, to a person they would like to be, or to the mythical person that no one can be. They are not the same as  a close friend who will tell you the truth about yourself or give you constructive criticism. The negative energy that the “Critics” bring into your space can be so strong that you can begin to doubt yourself.  Every time they are around, you feel you should check yourself in the mirror to see if there’s something stuck in your teeth or hanging from your nose. You always feel self conscious around them and not self confident. If you wait for them to leave your space, they never will.  You have to politely clear them out of your path.

3. Crazies – They are consumers and never producers. They are the pretenders and the time wasters (blood suckers and leeches), who do nothing more than collect from you and never contribute to you. They bring confusion and drama. They seek attention and demand being the star on the stage of your life. Their behavior is often bizarre with no obvious rhyme or reason for being in your space, other than the fact that they are miserable and misery loves company.

4. Close, but not quite right -  They may seem to be close to you, but you know in your heart of hearts, that there's no real connection. They may be interested in what you do (and what you can do for them), but not in you. They seem to be in full support of your dream, but proceed cautiously because they will never fully support you.  You will be great for them, but don't expect them to be great for you. You will definitely help them in their journey, but the contributions they will make to your journey will be primarily in the area of lessons learned from having these type of people in your life. 

This relationship is neither good or bad, positive or negative. It is what it is. It can start great, but end here. Most of us have been these type of people in someone's journey at some point. We needed more help than we could offer to them. Most of the Close-But-Not Quite-Right people don’t know this about themselves.  However, you will realize it when you begin to withdraw from one another, the more you realize you're not in agreement with one another.  Even though they are in your space, you will eventually see that you're not quite right for one another, nor for where you are all going. 

5. Commissioned – They are ones that were sent by God to YOU. They will be committed to you, complementary to you (not competing with you), and feel connected to you. They will use their creativity, competencies, and compassion to benefit you and your journey. The best part is that you will discover that you are a good fit in their life as well.  Your creativity, competencies, and compassion will be beneficial to them and their journey.  You were sent by God to connect with them in the same way. In most cases they may not be with you for very long, but when you part ways, you will both be better off, for having been in one another's lives.

Chris Green is a Certified Professional Life Coach and co-founder of C and C Connections, LLC.

United Way 2017 Volunteer of the Year Nomination

Pennsylvania, USA ----In an award ceremony held in Harrisburg on Thursday evening, April 20, 2017, Community Life Coaches, Chris and Carol Green, received one of United Way's 2017 Volunteer of the Year Nominations for their work and services in the Shalom House Women's Shelter.

“When I first met Chris and Carol and learned of the work that they do, I knew they could have a significant positive impact on the lives of the residents we serve at Shalom House, “says Executive Director of the shelter, Denise Britton.

“Without hesitation, they jumped in to begin engaging the residents and furthering the potential of turning an experience of homelessness and often hopelessness into hope and possibility. Further, they committed to helping us raise the bar of effectiveness for our staff, offering their coaching expertise (and encouragement) in regular staff training sessions. Our gratitude is unending.”

A little over one year ago, the Greens were merged into the Shelter's calendar to provide life coaching support for both the staff and residents of this special outreach situated in one of the City of Harrisburg’s high-crime neighborhoods.

"We're honored to be named among so many great people." said the nominees following the event. "We learned of many others who are donating hundreds of hours per year to worthy causes in the community. It's humbling to be mentioned among them."

Chris and Carol Green became part of the Shelter’s strategy to transition the residents out the shelter and back into everyday life. Their coaching tools proved to be vital in enhancing the resident’s life coping skills; enabling them to take confident steps toward rebuilding their families and recapturing their lives.

Chris and Carol Green are certified master life coaches, urban family advocates, marriage and family advisers, and community leadership consultants. This couple created and implemented a proven coaching model that empowers people to push past the temptations to give up, and instead, make intentional, thoughtful and positive responses in spite of the devastation and obstacles in life.

For their community service, they received a United Way 2017 Volunteer of the Year Nomination. They received Urban Leadership Awards (2016) and Community Ambassador Awards (2015) from iChange Nations™ and were appointed Goodwill Ambassadors of World Peace, as part of an interfaith peace-building initiative to the United Nations, by Golden Rule International.

World Peace Ambassador, Dr. Clyde Rivers, calls them leading skilled experts in rebuilding, restoring and renewing hearts and homes; and innovators and pioneers in the empowering and equipping of today's community care, ready responders.

Chris Green is a social media veteran and an award-winning  producer of a local cable TV broadcast (1999).  Together, they are international columnists/ writers with the Global Journalism Award-winning team of Dr. Clyde Rivers and iChange Nations Social Media News™.  They are the authors of 14 inspirational and life-building books, creators and principal writers of several blogs and eNewsletters.  They are also accomplished songwriters, having penned and produced over 150 songs since 1992.

They are both licensed and ordained ministers with honorary doctorate degrees in Christian Leadership (Chris) and in Humanities (Carol), conferred upon them in acknowledgment of 11+ years of building and implementing a new urban outreach model that combined Participatory Teaching methods with evidence-based principles of Life Coaching, to produce an effective, quantifiably successful, and family-impacting ministry in south central Pennsylvania.

They are currently based in south central Pennsylvania where they established a community outreach that focuses on hearts and households, along with several life coaching and community spiritual care initiatives through their non-profit organization, Fruitful Life Network, Inc.

Launching New CARE Coaching Matrix for Human Service Providers

Pennsylvania, USA - Today, Community Life Coaches, Chris and Carol Green, introduced their new Life Coaching Matrix to human service providers, during a monthly staff training at a local Women's Shelter in Harrisburg, PA. This new coaching matrix shows human service organizations how to adopt life coaching skill-sets within a case management paradigm.

The innovation came through a year-long series of monthly training sessions with the staff of a local women's shelter, and culminated in the presentation of a strategy the shelter could implement to ensure that every employee or volunteer is introduced to a Golden-Rule-based approach in their daily service to their clients and residents.

"We have been strategically introducing the staff to human value core beliefs," explains Coach Carol Green, "Then we took them through personality assessments and self-awareness exercises, which proved to be necessary to get the needed buy-in for changing the way one has been doing things.  It is a huge challenge to get people, who have been involved in human services for many years, to adopt a life coaching approach within a traditional case management system."

The Greens have learned that organizations and agencies across the United States are recognizing the need to change and improve their training in helping their workers make a better connection with their clients. However, many case workers are still struggling with their own personal demons and inner barriers, which come rushing to the surface when they reach moments of frustrations with difficult clients.

"Our CARE Coaching Matrix provides a practical way for a human service organization to ensure that their staff is empowered and equipped beyond the regular job-skills matrix," adds Coach Chris Green. "The typical job-skill matrix is a checkbox that indicates how well the staffer can do her job. The CARE Coaching Matrix is all about ensuring that you have a healthy healer, who is more than just an employee who can handle her case management load."

As the world's leading producers of CARE-Ready Life Coaches, Chris and Carol Green teach and train community, government and education leaders, human service organizers, business visionaries, and neighborhood dreamers how to be much more effective by embracing the principles of CARE (Compassionate Awareness with Respect and Empathy) in their professional and personal lives. They LISTEN to people,  LIFT people and LAUNCH people. Then they equip and empower them to do the same for others.

Many coaching, mentoring and community outreach programs employ what is known as a "deficit model" of working with people. That's where you focus on the problems (deficits) of a person, and then apply a set of pre-determined, cookie cutter steps and treatments to address their issues. The deficit-based model is what many professionals and well meaning Helpers use, but it rarely works long-term, leaving Helpers wondering why their clients fail to break the cycles of addiction and recidivism.

However, CARE-Ready Life Coaching mirrors the principles found in the proven, evidence-based strategies of Strength-based, Solution-focused practices.  CARE-Ready life coaches are trained to connect with people in order to build a relationship/ partnership that empowers the client; thus allowing the client to discover the solutions that will work best for them.

Also, while many coaching programs focus on how to target potential high-paying affluent clients, and high-paying speaking opportunities, we train, equip and empower Care-Ready Responders and Coaches, who are willing to take on the most often overlooked people of society; those who live in under-served communities and can least afford, but benefit the most from professional guidance.

If you want to be trained and empowered to coach or mentor with a purpose that's greater than yourself, explore the possibilities at https://www.fruitfullifelearningcommunity.org/care-ready-certification


***

Responding to Smear Tactics, Warn Other Community Leaders

We Forgive You 

How does one respond to a year-long series of attacks and harassment that include having the tree in your front lawn poisoned and three of your automobile's tires punctured? Then how do you respond when you discover that someone has opened a subscription to Playboy Magazine in your name?

Community Life Coaches, Chris and Carol Green chose to go public on social media to say, "We forgive you."

For over 12 years, this couple has served in the Harrisburg community as local pastors for 10 years and community life coaches the past two years.

"The attacks were just an annoyance at first," explains Chris Green, "In fact we thought it was just pranks, but each time, things began to get worse and more personal."

The Greens are certified master life coaches, urban family advocates, marriage and family advisers, community leadership consultants, the principal instructors of the Recapture Your Life online courses, the principal instructors of the Urban Potential Innovative Life Coaching Certification program, the founders of the Fruitful Life Network, and the creators of the Urban Life Family Connections resource website.

"I was very surprised to receive something in the mail from Playboy Magazine," Green stated "I don't have and have never had a subscription to Playboy or any other magazine like it.  I almost threw the envelope away as simply being random marketing, but the mailing was addressed to my nickname and not my full name. You don't usually get marketing mail to your nickname. So I became very suspicious right away. Plus, it had a POSTAGE STAMP on it instead of the presorted bulk mail postage, like you see on mass mailings. So I knew that THIS WAS PERSONAL!"

Green disclosed how he discovered that the letter was written as a subscription renewal and even indicated that he had already been assigned an identification number with Playboy.

"So I knew that this was a set up to destroy our reputation in this community," he declared.

So their first step was to GO LIVE on social media before the perpetrator could "LEAK" the false subscription to local news media.

Green reveals, "I'm very much aware of this tactic of creating false narratives, using false documents, releasing it to the media, and leaving the victim in a position of defending themselves, and losing their message and mission in a sewer of scandal."

Their other concern was that the attackers might attempt to use this strategy against other community leaders and pastors. 

'They should watch their mail!" Green advises, "Watch for odd or strange mailings. They should also watch their email inbox and be aware that there is online malware and viruses that can download pornographic images onto one's hard drive, similar to what happened to a gentleman in the U.K. This poor guy lost everything when he was accused of possessing child pornography on his laptop. It took 8 years for him to prove that it was all due to a virus on his computer.

"Another cyber attack to be aware of is called Swatting. This is where a hacker picks out an address, and then tricks the police to send a S.W.A.T. team to that location. We just want our colleagues, families, friends, and supporters to be aware of what we're up against in the 21st century."

The Greens decided to utilize social media and address their families, friends and supporters BEFORE their attackers could unleash their smear campaign.

"And we chose to take the road less traveled in our social media release," said Chris Green. "We chose to forgive them. We pray that our attackers find healing for the injuries that were inflicted upon them; that would lead them to attack us in this way. We pray that they find peace."

The Greens have built a solid reputation over 27 years of community service. This couple created and implemented a proven coaching model that empowers people to push past the temptations to give up, and instead, make intentional, thoughtful and positive responses in spite of the devastation and obstacles in their lives. 

"We volunteered our services as local pastors," Chris Green explains, "We never took a salary and the only time we received any personal compensation was if we were speakers in an outside venue, or if someone gave us something personally as a gift. The past two years, we volunteered our Life Coaching services in the PA Career Link's Job Club, offering free monthly workshops to help the unemployed. Then we started volunteering our Life Coaching services to the residents and staff of a local women's shelter."

World Peace Ambassador, Dr. Clyde Rivers calls Chris and Carol Green leading skilled experts in rebuilding, restoring and renewing hearts and homes; as well as innovators and pioneers in the empowering and equipping of today's community care, ready responders.

Chris Green is a social media veteran and an award-winning  producer of a local cable TV broadcast (1999).  He is the producer/ technical director of 70 social media video channels (1100+ online videos) and three audio podcast channels; creator of 15 social media brands; and the designer and host of several business and organization websites.

He and his wife, Carol Green, are international columnists/ writers with the Global Journalism Award-winning team of Dr. Clyde Rivers and iChange Nations Social Media News™. They are the authors of 14 inspirational and life-building books, creators and principal writers of four blogs and numerous eNewsletters. They are also accomplished songwriters, having penned and produced over 150 songs since 1992.

They were commissioned as 'Community Ambassadors' and Urban Leadership Ambassadors by iChange Nations™ and appointed Goodwill Ambassadors of World Peace, as part of an interfaith peace-building initiative to the United Nations, by Golden Rule International.

They are both licensed and ordained ministers with conferred honorary doctorate degrees in Christian Leadership (Chris) and in Humanities (Carol) for nearly three decades of urban community service and innovations. Additional certification, training , education, connections, and endorsements have come from Metro Associates, Inc, the Urban Pastors & Leaders Alliance, American Association of Christian Counselors, and the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

They are currently based in south central Pennsylvania where they established a family-focused, small-groups outreach, along with several life coaching and community care initiatives through their Fruitful Life Network.

Please keep us in your prayers!

Watch the FULL Version of the Original Video Post on Facebook at

https://www.facebook.com/chrisandcarolgreen/videos/1922644171305363/?pnref=story

Return to Civility: Can We Agree in our Disagreements?

It seems bullying is the way to get things done in the world today.

We condemn the kids who are harassing, tormenting, and beating up other kids who are different, and not of the same or accepted beliefs, preferences, orientations, politics, religion, etc.

But then, we (the adults and leaders) have the audacity to feel justified in doing the same thing (bullying) to anyone who does not agree with our views.  We go out of our way to destroy their business, livelihood, reputations and families.  We call for boycotts, resignations, and firings, as we resort to physical and social media mob violence in the process.  We don’t check facts or seek to understand anything.  We thrive on hear-say, speculation, fake news and gossip.  Things are so bad now that anyone who tries to bring healing and unity is seen as a traitor, collaborator, and sell out.

We have redefined the terms, changed the definitions, and raised a generation that actually believes that anyone who disagrees with them really hates them.  Anyone who critiques them is critical of them.  Anyone who tries to correct them is someone who is trying to destroy them.  Anyone who differs from them is a threat that needs to be eliminated from the surface of the planet.

There is no more civility that simply agrees to disagree and just move on.

There yet remains a very simple solution that has historically crossed the boundaries and lines of race, religion, politics and economics. You find it in the words of Christ who said: "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another the way I have loved you."

I still have hope that we will find a way to return to civility in our revolution to a new world. If not, we will merely step back in time, to eras of barbaric domination of one human being over another.  If that is what we choose over the next ten years, we will have only returned to square one and realize that we have made no progress at all.

Coach Chris Green

************** 

If you want to be trained and empowered to coach or mentor with a purpose that's greater than yourself, EXPLORE MORE at http://www.CandCconnections.com/lifecoachtraining

The Differences Don’t Matter

Life Coach Christopher G. Green

Many years ago, in the early days of our community outreach, there was a particular Sunday on which our family went out to eat at one of those all-you-can-eat-smorgasbord restaurants. People from other churches, fellowships and assemblies were scattered around the room, all sitting at their tables laughing and talking.
  
Suddenly I heard the awful sound of someone gagging and choking. Children began to scream and without hesitating, I jumped up and ran over to that table across the room. When I got there, a woman leaned back in her chair, her eyes bulging and a horrible noise, like a gargle, was coming from her throat. The people at the table were yelling and the children were crying. I quickly got behind her and tried to lift her up to perform the Heimlich maneuver to dislodge whatever was stuck in her throat. My effort was futile as fear and despair began to fill my heart. 

Then, out of nowhere, a rather tall and husky young man was standing next to me and helping me to lift the woman. Once we got her to her feet, he got behind her, wrapping his arms around her, and with a couple of powerful thrust, dislodged the food. She began to breathe and burst into grateful tears. 

There are no words to describe the tears of joy that came to everyone at that table. The young man and I just shook hands. Eventually, the paramedics arrived and we all returned to our tables, gathering with our various families, where we rehearsed the event over and over again.

It occurred to me as I rejoined my family, that in that moment of crisis, that none of our differences mattered. It did not matter what church the woman attended. The young man did not stop and ask me about my religious or political beliefs. We did not ask the woman her religious or political beliefs. All that mattered was that her life was slipping away before our eyes, and we could not just stand there and watch it happen. 

I remember how my wife hugged me and told me how proud she was, and even though that did a lot for my confidence as a man, even that was not the reason for trying to help the woman. All that mattered was the saving of that life. An actual crisis changed our lives forever. It changed the very reason we’re working in the urban community today.

That day in that restaurant, it became clear that this is the way we are to see life. People are choking and dying all around us, yet those of us who have the power to change things, are spending our time fighting over our differences instead of saving the lives of those who are choking on injustice, poverty, strife and division. My wife and I work with the homeless and the unemployed, so we’re always around people who are choking on despair, disappointment, and discouragement. Wouldn't it have been ridiculous for me and the young man to have gotten into a fight with each other instead of working together to help the choking woman?

I tell you this true-life event from my life because I felt you needed to understand a little more about the Golden Rule Movement. You see, when we say we really don’t focus on the division and strife amongst people, we really mean it. We realize there are people who won’t agree with all of our religious beliefs, our core values and our strategies for connecting with people in the urban world. We won’t agree with all of theirs. But it doesn’t matter when we hear that choking sound coming from hearts and homes. 

We realize there are people groups who have had negative clashes and personal conflicts in their history with one another, but we’re working for the time to come when we can lay down the social, economic and political weapons that are pointed at one another and start responding to the choking people all around us.

I feel the same way now as I did that day when I ran over and tried to help the woman. The key was that I couldn’t do it all by myself.  I needed the help of another man, who was most likely from another religious or political background, who probably did not agree with all of my beliefs or all of my core values. We didn’t even ask each other any questions after saving the woman’s life.  It just didn’t matter.

Golden Rule Ambassador Christopher G. Green

_____________________________________________
World Peace Ambassador, Dr. Clyde Rivers calls Life Coaches Chris and Carol Green the leading skilled experts in rebuilding, restoring and renewing hearts and homes. The Greens are certified master life coaches who founded the Fruitful Life Network, Inc. an innovative community care and coaching outreach. They are international columnist/writers with the award winning team of Dr. Clyde Rivers and iChange Nations Social Media News™.  

All I See Is Beautiful

I find it amazing how my wife, who is such a gorgeously beautiful woman, does not see what I see when I look at her. She eats right, exercises regularly, and has impeccable taste in clothing. Sometimes I walk up to her and simply say, "Hey beautiful..." 

Still, every time I say it, she blushes and blinks in complete astonishment. She has told me that I have a habit of telling her that she's beautiful when she feels like she's looking her worst.

Have you ever wondered how a husband can kiss his wife after the trauma of childbirth and tell her that she's beautiful? Isn't it funny how it can be a T-shirt and sweat pants day and a husband will tell his wife that she's pretty? There are times when everything is going wrong, the makeup is not working and the hair is not cooperating, but a husband, fiancé or boyfriend will say, "You are just so beautiful."

One day I heard Carol telling someone that now that she's getting older and battling with time, she doesn't understand why her husband keeps chasing her. I waited a while before picking up on that conversation. We were sitting on the sofa together when I told her that I heard what she said about herself. I just looked at her and said, "All I see is beautiful."

This made me realize that when true love is present, you don't focus on the flaws. You see with the eyes of love. You see who your wife truly is inside and outside. It's not just her hairstyle, but her hair is beautiful. It's not the makeup or the room lighting that makes her eyes beautiful. Even when there are tears and weariness in them, it does not take away from the reality that her eyes are beautiful.  

Then I had the most wonderful thought. If I can feel this way as a mere man about my wife, then how much more does Creator/God feel about mankind.

Unfortunately, since a lot of human to human interaction is focused upon fault finding, many people find it difficult to see differences and flaws in a healthy way. Instead of seeing the beauty in a person of another ethnicity, culture or nationality, we make pre-judgments about them. We even question their mannerisms, customs, practices and speech, comparing them to our own, through the filter of our life’s experience.

This is where I see the Golden Rule as a most vital key to help us see that which is beautiful in another person. The Golden Rule is always there to remind us that we must treat others the same way we want to be treated. We must respect another person’s culture in the same way we want them to respect our culture. If someone has customs, practices or speech that is very different from ours, we must be very careful to never assess their expressions as being inferior to our own.

This failure to see the beauty in the culture of others has been part of the root cause in our cultural and ethnic wars all over the world. 

Just think how different the world would be if a cross-cultural golden rule was embedded in hearts and homes. Children would never be told they should not play with that other child because they are different.  Instead they would learn to see the beauty.

These same children would grow up to become adults who carry the golden rule into every sphere of their lives. Even though there will be times of trauma, conflicts and disagreements, they would still possess the ability to see what is inside of others; past the external flaws and differences to declare from a genuinely golden-ruled heart, “All I See is Beautiful!”

Golden Rule Ambassador Chris Green




World Peace Ambassador, Dr. Clyde Rivers calls Chris and Carol Green the leading skilled experts in rebuilding, restoring and renewing hearts and homes. The Greens are certified master life coaches who founded the Fruitful Life Network, Inc. an innovative community care and coaching outreach. They are international columnist/writers with the award winning team of Dr. Clyde Rivers and iChange Nations Social Media News™.  

The Golden Rule in Marriage

We stood before a minister, taking those sacred wedding vows, but five months later we were beginning to feel like this was not going to work.  Our marriage was in the first stages of disintegration. No matter how sincerely we were trying to communicate, we could not connect. Words, phrases and actions said something different to one than what the other was meaning. We didn’t have the same language because we didn’t have the same words.  We didn’t even have the same alphabet.

Chris’ A was not the same as Carol’s A. Chris’ B was not the same as Carol’s B. Chris’ C was not the same as Carol’s C. If our letters were not the same, then certainly our spelling wasn’t the same. If our spelling wasn’t the same, then our words were not the same.

We had to find a way to stay connected with one another while we engaged in this process of understanding one another.

We cannot recall the exact date and time, but following another one of those frustrating and futile moments of trying to communicate, we sat down together to try to reach some agreed place from which we could deal with one another.  It was really out of desperation that we came up with an agreement.  We weren’t trying to be deep or super spiritual. We were just trying to find some common ground.

So we made a PACT and it went something like this:
“I choose to believe that no matter how you say, what you say to me, that you are not intentionally trying to hurt me. I choose to believe that no matter how you say, what you say to me, that you meant it for my good. I choose to believe that no matter how you say, what you say to me, that you love me.”

Our pact was simply the golden rule being applied to our relationship. When we made this pact, we had no idea how significant it was going to be. We just felt a new sense of peace. It was like we were finally, really married. We had slowly moved beyond the soaring emotional connections of love and advanced to a solid unconditional acceptance of one another.

We had forged the Golden Rule into our marriage. We had each said, “I will treat you the way that I want to be treated. I will trust you the way that I want to be trusted.”

We had a new security. We had tapped into a secret place from which we could begin learning one another’s alphabet; and thus begin to piece together words and sentences.  Simultaneously, we could build a stronger connection between us. It was like working on our health while working on an injury at the same time.

The golden rule has been a huge part of the foundation of our marriage for more than 35 years. For many years we have been teaching it as a healing prescription for the couples that we coach.

Sometimes our family and friends comment on our present ability to communicate in a manner that seems almost telepathic. We can just say one word or give a brief glance across a room and we are able to conduct an entire conversation in a few seconds.

This new level of communication began when a couple that had only been married for six months, in a moment of desperation, made a golden rule choice for their relationship.

Marriage Coaches Chris and Carol Green

World Peace Ambassador, Dr. Clyde Rivers calls Chris and Carol Green the leading skilled experts in rebuilding, restoring and renewing hearts and homes. The Greens are certified master life coaches who founded the Fruitful Life Network, Inc. an innovative community care and coaching outreach. They are international columnist/writers with the award winning team of Dr. Clyde Rivers and iChange Nations Social Media News™.  


***

The Creative Download

Countless mornings I have awakened with all kinds of wonderful thoughts and ideas. Sometimes it’s a single idea or it might be lyrics to a new song. It’s amazing how you can wake up with fresh new thoughts. Then as you become even more awake, all those wonderful ideas fade away with the realization of the bills, the deadlines and the various struggles you may be having with the people. Then you spend the rest of the morning simply rehearsing the monotonous movie that can sometimes be your life. 

I have written 14 books and well over 100 songs. I’ve produced 70 online video channels (1100+ videos), I’m a blogger, and I write for a Global Journalist award winning team. 

How can I possibly keep my creative flow when, at the same time, were running life coaching initiatives through our NPO (Fruitful Life Network) and our business (C & C Connections, LLC).  We have the constant pressure of fundraising and seeking customers, so that our work can do more than survive, but actually thrive.  

I have learned to pay attention to the overnight download.  Those first thoughts that come to me as I wake up, are usually pure creativity. It’s as if though my brain was given a total reset while I slept. Often the thoughts have nothing to do with what I dreamed. Many times they are simply ideas, images, impressions that just come in the very first seconds and minutes when I wake up or in the early hours of the morning while the house is quiet and the sun is just peeking over the horizon. I learned, through the years, to get up and write what’s coming to me.

I don’t try to organize the thoughts. I just write them down. I don’t know if it’s going to be an article, a song, a poem, or an idea for our business. That’s not the point. I’m not trying to edit, organize or categorize. That will come later. The only thing that’s important in the moment is to get the overnight download on to paper.   

Most of our best articles, songs, or business strategies have come from last night’s download. So I encourage you to do the same. Before you let all the cares and concerns of your life drive away that creative flow that fills your first-awakening thoughts, pay attention to the download. Exercise the discipline of getting up and writing it down.    

I realize the wonderful, rapturous feeling of enjoying the last seconds of the snooze. You may want to simply roll over and go back to sleep. I’ve lost some million-dollar ideas when I did that. I always assumed I would remember it later, but it never came back.   I discovered that hidden within those downloads, were solutions to my problems. When I was actively trying to come up with a solution, many times I simply could not find it. But many of those overnight downloads had answers buried within the thoughts. It was amazing.   

Besides, it is far better to get up and continue in the creative flow, than to allow yourself to just lay there drowning in worry, fear and all the negativity that you can’t change anyway. Why waste the moment with worry, when you could have seized the creative download and released ideas that can often times, provide the solution to many of our problems.  

It may not happen every time you wake up, but when it does, it’s important that you recognize it and get up immediately to write it down. You could be on the verge of the greatest breakthrough in your life.  

They are Still Just Lost Souls

As the election draws closer and the lines of division increase, we have found ourselves privy to a wide variety of views and opinions concerning Black and Brown people in the cities of America. With their often-times violent responses to police actions, reactions from many Christians have ranged from “Shoot to kill” to “They’re just getting what they deserve.”

In this era of very low social media IQ, I won’t waste time trying to explain the negative history that has led to the explosions of violence and the eruptions of protests that we have watched on our televisions and mobile devices from the comfort of our homes and offices.

A couple of years ago, a brother in the Lord asked Chris if it was true that Blacks get stopped by police officers for no reasons. Tears filled this man's eyes when Chris told him that it was just a normal part of our lives. He was one of the few who have actually tried to understand what was happening beyond the headlines, sound-byes and the 10-second video clips of riots.

For the record, Chris grew up in the city where the Black Lives Matter movement got its launch, following the shooting of Michael Brown in the same St. Louis suburb and apartment complex where we lived as a young couple trying to make our way in the world. Although we do not agree with all of the ideologies of the movement, you need to know that in some cities in America, these terms are synonymous: KKK, Christian, Republican, Conservative, Racists. Chris' home town is such a place. Following the shooting of Michael Brown, the KKK was passing out flyers that read: Be a Good Christian Brother and Join the Klan.

Our personal history there is very, very negative. It is nearly impossible to describe what it is like to live in a city where the following words were spoken from its downtown historic courthouse: “The black man has no rights, that a white man is bound to respect.” And the spiritual powers and influences of that statement dominate all aspects of society there; be it business, education, media, government, family, law enforcement, etc.

Just last month, a black employee came in to work, in a major downtown corporate office, to find a noose hanging over his cubicle. That just happened in 2016!  So there are many pockets in America where many things have not changed since the 1960’s. So we simply cannot sit in judgment of people’s reactions, basing our verdicts solely upon our own personal experiences from our small parts of the world. 

It was the late 1980’s, when we lived in Ferguson, and police pull-overs were regularly part of life. It was frustrating. It was humiliating. Did you hear me? It was humiliating. What do you think happens to a person who has to endure constant and persistent moments of humiliation?

It's easy to judge from the outside and say,"All you have to do is just comply." But you don't know what happens to you over months and years of this type of humiliation. And somehow, you’re supposed to try to maintain your composure and not give any officer, any reason to mistake your actions as aggressive or threatening, because in all fairness, he or she does not know if you are carrying a weapon or not.

Now we fast forward thirty years and from our perspective, things are far worse for everyone. Another generation of young adults has come forth and they are not like us at all. Many of them are not optimistic and hopeful for the future like we were at that time. The systems have failed and they have been raised on a steady diet of fatalism and despair.  They have grown weary of the stories of their parents, grandparents and great grandparents. We’re the ones who were alive in the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80, and 90’s; and we have passed on that history to them. 

Special note* - the phrase, “Slavery and racism was a long time ago.” - has no meaning in our communities. It wasn’t a long time ago. It was yesterday. It’s today. It’s tomorrow.

Many of our family members, since they were not necessarily Believers, could not pass on any spiritual understanding regarding the future. So we must stop expecting a Godly, biblical, or spiritual response from desperate, hurting people.

And that’s what many don’t understand or choose to ignore. The historical disconnect is REAL. There is a reason for the unrest. It’s not just a bunch of lawless, wild and out of control animals. This is a multi-generational outcry of lost and hurting souls, who are desperately searching for peace and justice. We are not condoning their methods, but we are asking for TRUE Believers to stop this ungodly reaction where there is no compassion, love, or mercy for lost souls. 

Do you see them as lost souls, or have you allowed the media and your personal prejudice to make you hardened and indifferent? 

When you blast away at what is happening in our community, you are talking about OUR people and OUR families; the same people God called us to reach with His love and power. We do not and cannot see them as a problem in society. We feel like Moses did about his people, who were under the heavy hand of Pharaoh. Our people are under the heavy hand of satan, and true followers of Christ must see it that way or else, they will become just another st of religious executioners. 

When we hear Believers say that a kid deserved to be shot because they talked back to a cop, ran from a cop, or was disrespectful to law enforcement, then I wonder if that’s the way God responded to you when you were rebellious against Him.  Did the Holy Spirit take on the role as Judge, Jury and Executioner when you lashed out against Him in your moment of hurt, anger, rage and despair?

As long as Believers see the emotional responses of people of color as merely acts of lawless rebellion, instead of an agonizing cry for help in the midst of unimaginable despair, then they are no different than the religious folks who wanted to stone (execute) the woman who was caught in adultery. 

Jesus saw a woman who was so desperate for love that she was willing to risk death, just to be with a man who was not her husband. Do you see hurting people who are willing to risk death, just to experience what it is like to have peace and justice?

Many Believers say they live by the Golden Rule; wherein we are supposed to treat others the way we want to be treated. That does not mean you wait until people of color respond to life in the same way that you do. It means just what Jesus said. In fact He actually gave Believers a new commandment under the golden rule. He said we are to love others in the same way He loved us. 

If we actually live by the Golden Rule, we will realize that we’re called to reach the lost. Why is it so easy to reach across the globe and help the less fortunate on the other side of the world, and yet remain callous and unfeeling with those who are trying to survive only a couple miles away?

After all, they are still just lost souls.

For the least of these, 

Chris and Carol Green (doctors honoris causa)



World Peace Ambassador, Dr. Clyde Rivers calls Drs. Chris and Carol Green the leading skilled experts in rebuilding, restoring and renewing hearts and homes. The Greens are certified master life coaches who founded the Fruitful Life Network, Inc. an innovative community care and coaching outreach. They are international columnist/writers with the award winning team of Dr. Clyde Rivers and iChange Nations Social Media News™.  
***