Mentor.
When you hear that word, what do you think of? Perhaps right away a certain person pops into your head. Or maybe you get a panicky feeling and start searching for the nearest rock to hide beneath, because mentorship seems plain scary.
Well, today I am delighted to be chatting about mentoring alongside Liz Curtis Higgs on the first ever (in)courage Community Conversations (moderated by Crystal Stine). We’re talking about what mentoring means to us, the doors that may have been opened, and what bridging the generation gap looks like.
Liz is 60, has been speaking, writing, and blogging for almost 30 years, and is the author of 31 books. I am 20, have spoken maybe five or six times, have been blogging for less than a year, and am the author of approximately zero books.
And though we seem at opposite ends of the spectrum, we can – and have – learned loads from one another.
Because it’s not about age, and it’s not about experience, and it’s not about this looming gap between us. It’s about linking arms as sisters, one a step behind, one a step ahead, all of us marching forward together.
Let’s forget the word mentor and focus on friendship. May we embrace, may we invest, and may we accept one another, just as we are. {click to tweet this}
I invite you to grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and come join the conversation! {Email subscribers, click here to view.}
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This conversation was like someone handed me a cup of cold water — *thank you.*
Lizzie, your easy warmth and generous friendship and deep wisdom, has mentored me a thousandfold. Love you so much my heart hurts happy ((you))
Such precious words, dear Ann. You have encouraged me as well, and mentored me in many significant ways. Love and hugs and joy to you this summer day, my friend! xox
So impressed with your wisdom and insight. Thank you so much for sharing today.
Thanks for reading/watching today, Marty!
Ladies`Bless you for mentoring and (in)courgaing me this morning! Your transparency and joy are a blessing indeed. God’s timing is amazing as I am off to a birthday lunch with ladies I don’t know well, but wish to know better. We all celebrate a common birthday…I turned 60, my friends 76, and 52…can’t wait to enjoy their wisdom and strength! We all met over 2 decades ago in a doctors office and IV room…each has been afflicted with a disabling chronic illness but these ladies persevere and shine for the Lord. I can’t wait to learn from each of them!
Wow, Karla. I went to a birthday luncheon today too! Long-time friends are a special blessing, aren’t they? May the Lord continue to strengthen you and see you through!
I call mine “prayer partners” because they are not really girlfriends or best friends as much…So, so blessed with the entire conversation! Feel like I can face whatever God puts in front of me. please pray for me as I begin a new job on the 22nd. God bless all of ya’ll.
Such a delight to sit down and listen in on you lovely ladies! Such words of wisdom and I’m thankful for those that have mentored me in formal and informal ways!!
This was good! Thanks! Love the whole relaxed friendship thought. 🙂
Thank you for this. I just moved back to the West Coast from the East Coast where I had put down roots for 25 years. In the process I left some very good friendships with women ranging from 20 somethings to 70+. I am 61. They have all been “mentors” to me in one way or another and have influenced the woman I am today. Now I need to tell them all and will use “snail mail” because sometimes it’s nice to get something like that from the postal service instead of just bills and junk mail. 🙂
Love this. Both generations need each other as friends. I’ve been working slowly on developing a series on my blog about mentoring because I have been incredibly blessed by my relationships with older woman. I think we should always be spending time with someone wiser than us and always be spending time giving away our love and wisdom to others.
I loved this! Thank you so much for taking the time to do this Liz and Aliza. And Crystal! You all are awesome. I will definitely be sharing this with friends.
BTW, Crystal, I have the same print in my office. The one with the heart and the hand. I smiled when I saw it.
Thanks so much ladies!
I love that, Lisa! My daughter (who is 2) gets very confused that it’s not her artwork and keeps asking me which friend of hers did it 🙂
Wow ladies this has been wonderful!! Thank you for having this time with us today and sharing what being a mentor really is. In these times that we live in today it is just plain hard to build friendships. People seem to busy to want to have friends. We women need to remember that we should not close ourselves off. Women NEED EACH OTHER. Blessings to each one of you!
Women need each other – amen, Lori – amen. So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Thank you for your video Community Conversation! There is something much more intimate in hearing your voices and seeing your expressions….just like you said Crystal….being a part of the beach type community.
Blessings!
Woot!! Well, I’m glad y’all loved it because I simply CAN NOT wait to do it again 🙂
This was really cool! I really enjoyed it. I actually listened to it at work! I figure if people can listen to music at their desk, why not a little inspiring conversation? I hadn’t ever thought to listen to podcast-esq things while working, but it really provided an encouraging boost to my afternoon, especially around the 3pm brain lull. I paused it the couple times people popped in or the phone rang, but it was very easy to pick back up again. Really cool! I liked the idea of sitting at my desk working listening to women literally all over the place sharing their thoughts related to life, God, work, relationships etc. I like what both women said – how Aliza talked about overcoming the desire to avoid vulnerability and open up to women and mentoring is friendship. I liked that Liz is so naturally approachable and makes you feel like you can hang with her 🙂 I liked how she said mentoring is mutually edifying and can be shown and inspired in little ways like the Amy Grant example. Look at that – inspiration for the working woman – I actually got work done today and all that on the conversation, yea technology! Thanks to all three of you! btw – Liz – can’t wait to see what book 32 is and Aliza – have a great time on that upcoming conference you are speaking with your mentor/friend!!!
Oh I love this so much! I’m so glad you were able to listen as you worked and we could sneak into your day 🙂 Don’t you just feel like you could grab a cup of coffee with Liz & Aliza and it would feel like hanging out with life long friends? We had so much fun and I just loved imagining the faces of the sweet (in)courage community sitting around the table with us as we talked 🙂
Thank you for sharing your beautiful hearts, ladies. Your encouragement to be in community with other women has warmed my heart so. I am beginning a mentor relationship with a woman from our church small group. The enemy has definitely tried filling my head and heart with lies, trying to stop this relationship from developing. I will not let him steal what good the Lord is planning in and through this mentor relationship. 🙂
Praying for you this morning, Robin – hold firm to the call God has given you! What a blessing your intentional pursuit of relationship will be for that sweet friend 🙂
Brilliant advice, Aliza: “Let’s forget the word mentor and focus on friendship. May we embrace, may we invest, and may we accept one another, just as we are.” So true! Everything good that comes from a helpful mentor/mentee relationship is also true of a good friendship–listening, support, encouragement, empathy, and maybe a word or two of wisdom. Thank you for simplifying what it means to be a mentor, and elevating what it means to be a friend.
Wow! Here I am sitting at my home computer in Australia on a Sunday morning, having my hearted warmed with your encouraging words, sisters. Thank you x
I loved listening in to this conversation! I’ve never had a mentor, or mentored someone else. It sounds so scary to jump in and try!
Very interesting! I can wait to learn. Inspire, n grow.
Thank you for this ministry. I have been longing for a mentor and have been struggling to find one. It seems like people are too busy to spend time to build relationships beyond the superficial level. What can I do to find a mentor? Any guidance sould be appreciated
A great big thank you! I just now got to watch your bridging the gap video, but the timing was perfect. This past Sunday a young lady asked me to mentor her. I am in the middle of life and I have had friendships with younger women that have richly benefitted me, and I believe I have been an encouragement to them. But when I was asked directly to be a mentor I wondered what exactly does she expect. Thanks for this honest conversation. I have come away with treasures to consider and bring to the “mentoring” relationship.
Thank you everyone!! Growing up I never really had a mentor. My sisters were all older-much and were doing their own things. Also was super shy due to hearing problems, so I did not have many friends.
It would have been nice to have a mentor to walk me through life and some of the problems you face. In (Courage) is a kind of mentor to me now as I hear others problems and realize mine aren’t quite as bad and that God is always there to get you out of them. He will guide and lead you through anything and everything!
Thanks 🙂