Dianne Timmering

“Turn your ear to me, Lord, and hear me.” Psalm 85 (86)

My almost three year old niece, Lola, takes my head into her little hands when she wants to speak to me while I hold her resting on my hip. Those little hands come up and press into my cheeks and she positions my face so that our eyes meet and she is certain that I can hear her.

When she does that, I am reminded of the scripture that God so loves and if He “does” for and takes care of the birds of the air (Matthew 6:26), how much more will He do for His children who love Him. I truly don’t think there is anything I would deny Lola if she asked me–so precious, so earnest, so attentive to what she is trying to convey and wanting to make sure I understand just what she is asking.

So I envision myself putting God’s glow into my hands and positioning His face just in front of mine. And we talk, and He listens and He smiles and we are together and nothing frightens me and blessings arrive.

Tell Him your thoughts, your deepest hearts desires. Tell Him what scares you, ask Him for help in any situation. Be specific. Tell Him what you need. He is listening.

Lord, you are magnificent, I tell Him today. Because He is and I feel like telling Him this. And then I ask: bless all our people and their families with protection, healing and the favor of plenty. Amen.

Love to all,

Dianne

Dianne Timmering, EMBA, MFA, CNA
Vice President of Spirituality
Signature Consulting Services, LLC

Our 2^nd annual Interfaith National Day of Prayer after almost a decade from our earliest beginnings: What we have learned

by Dianne Timmering

The National Day of Prayer on May 2, 2013, our 2nd annual Inter-faith prayer day, was about the faith of a mustard seed; like the tight center of a wheel, we were the spokes of faith.

As we built the Spirituality Pillar, we began to uncover the power of the listening ear, the lending of compassion toward the empathy of the ailment and the simpleness of time to mend a suffering heart.

Prayer or a good game of checkers could heal we discovered; after all it was about time and the bravery of kindness. Prayer and the Spirit were about the essence of unconditional love we found even in the unavoidable imperfections of our existence.

We have learned it is about celebrating the dignity and beauty of faith traditions long established, the abolition of assumption; it is about the ancient roots of “crying out” like David in the Psalms for something bigger than the self; it is about the breaking off of caged conceptions and the pressing into new wisdom; it is about the outpouring of love . . . just love because that is what God is.

We found that the sanctity of respect could bring different faith traditions together – not watered down or diminished, but thriving in who we are as peoples, with boldness and a shine for the world; a world with no need for strife, but for dialogue, collaboration and a willingness to hear one another. It is in this secret beauty of one voice that is perhaps the best language of love.

And finally, maybe this national day of prayer, a government ordained moment, a heritage of our nation almost 240 years old saw the merging of public/government works, business innovation and spiritual pursuits, not just in service and works but as three points of integration to establish thriving communities in our city, prolific job opportunities, and domestic tranquility and justice for all.

And we welcomed our honored guests from numerous faith traditions—Baptist, Jewish, Muslim, Quaker, Catholic, Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Bahai, Unitarian, and Native American-Sioux.

And we were one voice crying out for many in need of hope. A theme began to emerge as the power of the divine sang love and healing in magnificent harmony. Tradition made us beautifully different. Love made us the same.

We were souls praying with one voice. And we shared moments of faith and the culture of the beautiful and all were welcome.

“The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands.” Deuteronomy 28:12

The power of the hand. It moves in every minute, even fidgets in a restless sleep. It occupies the air and space around us. Its fingers direct or count. Those fingers are the spokes of its core, sculpting, reaching for Kleenex, opening a carton of milk, dressing a wound.

Hands toil and wipe tears. They mine the soil and scrub the clothes. They do hard work and they do soft work. They get dry and cracked and burned from the sun. Over time they age and spot. They hold arthritis, and don’t function as freely as before. So one looks at the hand to direct or coax it in one way or another, but it doesn’t go the way it once did.

And so we depend on another’s set of hands–a CNA’s clutch of a toothbrush, the squeeze of toothpaste across the bristles, the gentle handing of it to a resident, positioning it just so, the CNA closing the resident’s frail hand around it so that her dignity is restored as she brushes her own teeth, up and down, up and down, like when she was young, the motion familiar, normal, real.

God bless the hands.

Dearest Lord: We thank you for our nursing team, and their empathetic choice to be one. We thank you for who they are and we thank you for their determined hands of care, hope and love.

Dianne

Dianne Timmering, EMBA, MFA, CNA
Vice President of Spirituality
Signature Consulting Services, LLC

Then the LORD said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. Exodus 16:4

Team: I wanted you to see this follow-up from the Miracle of Spring Daily D sent earlier this month. Your prayers and tenderness and power of hope in healing goes beyond our four walls. You are a revolution for the impossible because He can do all things.

Let us take a moment today to pray for Shaun Kern, a man in need of a cure for that which the world has deemed inoperable, incurable. May God show the cure to the doctors who surround him. May God bless all of you this day with the miracle hope of a long dead dream, where old promises have weakened and endurance has shut down, where the cells of fatigue are all that remain. Believe today for resolution in a situation in which you have lost faith. Raise up your head and smile at the heavens because Manna comes.

May God bless this man and his family for this kind of impervious faith. Is this the faith of a mustard seed? We are souls praying–many voices, one community of hope, a moving mountain. If we all cry out is it a symphony of certainty for total healing? Are we his shield of protection? Because Shaun reaches out and touches the magnificence of Presence around him will he be instantly well? I believe, yes.

Love to all for the perfect weekend for it is possible. Luke 10:19; Psalm 91 always. Dianne

Your prayer is your power. Pray Ask Receive Restore Heal Miracle Now . . .

On Apr 11, 2013, at 7:33 PM, Karen B. wrote:

Thought you would like to read what my neighbor wrote after reading your Miracle of Spring today.  Melanie’s husband Shaun is 43 and has an inoperable brain tumor, with 3 children under 8.  She keeps a journal on Caring Bridge for all family and friends and her strength and faith are truly an inspiration.  God’s timing is always perfect.  So glad I was able to share this with her today.

Many blessings,

Karen

From: Melanie K.
To: Karen B.

Subject: Re: My Miracle of Spring

Thank you for sharing this. As our friend and Sunday School teacher just checked on us today I said, “Praise God for sunshine, rain, & warmer weather! As I was in prayer for Shaun today a peace came over me as if God was telling me everything’s gonna be alright. I know God is going to allow Shaun to live because researchers are too close to finding a cure.”

You sending me this today is even more confirmation that HE is listening! What a great day!

Love,
Melanie

On Apr 11, 2013, at 2:44 PM, Karen B. wrote:

Wanted to share this.  From VP of Spirituality at Dave’s company

Behold, I make all things new. Revelation 21:5

The miracle of spring always astounds me. Just before it arrives, the world seems gloomy and the trees stretch lifeless into the sky as if hanging on the air for their only balance. The grass is dull and vague and angry, stomped by the weight of heavy cold.

And then the air begins to breathe and the grass freshens, the dew nourishing its frozen paleness. And we have life. The first bud. And then another. The flower blooms, and yellows and pinks begin to live in the wild again, and life arrives. But then life was already going on. Underground, in the air, in the hope of nature, the violin of rain, the cello of the storm, the flute of snow, the viola of the budding seed, which builds into this perfect crescendo of orchestrated love, its symphony entitled: My Miracle of Spring.

Maybe that is how some miracles occur, and some mountains are moved with the faith of a mustard seed, all things working out for the very best good. The law of nature is your miracle proof; it is coming, it must, you asked and it always does.

Love to all. Psalm 91.  Dianne

Dianne Timmering
Vice President of Spirituality

“Behold, I make all things new.” Revelations 21:5

The miracle of spring always astounds me. Just before it arrives, the world seems gloomy and the trees stretch lifeless into the sky as if hanging on the air for their only balance. The grass is dull and vague and angry, stomped by the weight of heavy cold.

And then the air begins to breathe and the grass freshens, the dew nourishing its frozen paleness. And we have life. The first bud. And then another. The flower blooms, and yellows and pinks begin to live in the wild again, and life arrives. But then life was already going on. Underground, in the air, in the hope of nature, the violin of rain, the cello of the storm, the flute of snow, the viola of the budding seed, which builds into this perfect crescendo of orchestrated love, its symphony entitled: My Miracle of Spring.

Maybe that is how some miracles occur, and some mountains are moved with the faith of a mustard seed, all things working out for the very best good. Your miracle, your own symphony of orchestrated moments. The law of nature is your miracle proof; it is coming, it must, you asked and it always does.

Love to all. Psalm 91. Dianne

Dianne Timmering, Vice President of Spirituality
Signature Consulting Services, LLC

Our next Spirituality in the Workplace lunch is set for Friday, April 19th 2013, starting promptly at noon, at our Home Office at 12201 Bluegrass Parkway, Louisville, KY, 40299.

We are pleased that CEO Joe Steier and Vice-President of Spirituality Dianne Timmering will lead the discussion on building and sustaining the concept of spirituality as a core
competitive advantage in a for-profit environment of the business world of 2013.

All are welcome, but for planning purposes, reservations are requested for the event and may be made by emailing Stephen Bowling at sbowling@signaturehealthcarellc.com.

All attendees may feel free to come by any time after 11:30 AM on the day of the event, this will provide an opportunity to get to know some of the other attendees.

King David says to his son, Solomon when he takes over the throne of Judah and Israel: “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong . . . and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him . . . as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go and that the Lord may keep his promise to me.” 1 Kings 2:1

Recently, I couldn’t hear God. Just couldn’t hear Him–in direction, guidance, solutions. I got busy, knowing His voice would eventually come to me. But I found I had to seek it to find Him. For He was there all the time. It was I who was distant. It was I who had settled into the business of the day and assumed His voice of discernment would come. But when it didn’t, I realized how powerful distance could be; how it could take me away from his beauty of magnificence. How He is there, but not to be assumed.

Seeking Him is where the answers are found not in the assumption of expectation. Assume nothing. Find Him. The answers are there in the nectar of His love. Always have been and always will be. Ask too, that helps. Ask and you will receive, He says.

And if the answer is to “wait”, it is still a good answer. Love to all. Dianne

Dianne Timmering
Vice President of Spirituality
Signature Consulting Services, LLC

We have been rescued from our enemies so we can serve God without fear . . . Luke 1:74

We do not need to fear. So hard to really commit to this. To understand this. To realize the truth of this. Fear surrounds us. We worry about our families, the instabilities in the world, the noise of the negative, secret fears which we keep deep and no one hears . . .

Why is it this morning that it felt like I was putting on war paint when I was applying powder upon my cheeks. Healthcare is hard. We face hurting stakeholders, tough surveys, an angry family member, and our beloved residents, who are sick and suffering and in need of so much.

The need around us drips like moss on a weeping willow.

So if we need not fear, why are we so good at it? Today, at this moment, right now, we say NO to fear and we claim God within us, hearing our deep secrets of worry, lost hopes, the impossibles that can’t get done or resolved. We get to step out in fearlessness in this healthcare world and not fear the swirl of the wild twirling around us, and know He is there, guiding, directing, taking care.

We are warriors. And we can be. We can be fierce, and loving. Stand up, with His sword in hand. Be bold. Like a Moses, a Joshua, an Elijah. Activate the warrior, for God is with you; He is in you; and we do NOT fear.

May you all be kept safe. 1 Thessalonians 5:23

Dianne Timmering, Vice President of Spirituality
Signature Consulting Services, LLC

I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these . . . John 14:12

Dearest ones: In this seasonal time of Lent, the coming of Passover and Easter, and the advent of the Jewish holiday of Purim next week, I thought I would take a moment of reflection about going deeper with God. Some consider the power of Prayer as well as Fasting as a way to deepen their relationship and discernment for greater life fullness in its totality without the bonds of limitation, for increased overflow of blessings, for an incredible re-centering of body and soul, for the richest closeness to precious God, for the deepest desires of your heart, for mass healings of our people or the dedicated healing of one, for personal change management or professional strategic planning.

Fasting for example (as is prayer) is at your own discernment, time discretion, in your own way, in your own faith practice. The spiritual discipline aspect of fasting, the practice is also seen as having a redemptive quality as well. The practice is prevalent in the Old Testament and is common in Jewish and Muslim traditions even today as well, and is seen as a means of atonement for sins as well as an offering to God for his intercession in our many needs, both as individuals and as members of communities. (from the document, The Practice and Spiritual Value of Fasting)

Continue to be bold my dearest ones for your lives are worth it. You are most brilliant to me.

The best way to say it is this: God’s love explodes for each of you. And I love you too.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

Dianne Timmering
Vice President of Spirituality
Signature Consulting Services, LLC

A question was recently posed about what would constitute “genuinely effective ways” in promoting a “compliant culture” in a healthcare business setting. Below are some thoughts on how this might be accomplished.

To transition the nursing home healthcare climate from one that has been historically “closed” to one of openness does not happen overnight.

It is the leadership declaring and standing by a new culture of transparency;

It is creating a safe environment, like a “triage line” to call and openly state when something goes awry so the company can address immediately and proactively;

It is “training modules” reinforcing ethics;

It is creating a platform for spiritual freedom of right choices which encourages morally right action from the beginning; and

It is a climate of collected grievances addressed with a consciousness of compassionate deliberation.

Moving from closed to openness in a scary highly regulated industry is possible with courage. Which we have.