Your Authentic Refreshment: Caroline Gavin, Coach and Author

Avid Journal Keeper, Caroline Gavin, Christian Business Coach, speaker, author and radio host and previous special guest of #JournalChat Live, also engages in Authentic Refreshment through several activities that enhance her Quiet Time each day: Prayer, Meditation, Scripture reading, writing poetry, journaling, singing, visualization and communing with nature. Caroline shares how each of these activities helps her to create a refreshing and life-enhancing dimension and spiritual connection with her Creator.


Caroline shares the meaningful elements of her authentic refreshment as well as how and when she discovered them:

My authentic refreshment is my morning quiet time routine in which I pray, meditate, read Scripture, write poetry, journal, sing, visualize goal achievement, recite my mission statement and commune with Nature.

The practice has evolved over time, but I have enjoyed all elements in their separate entities since childhood. God has graciously led me to intertwine these activities into one quiet time routine in order to refresh my soul during the dawn of a new day. Several years ago, when I started my business-ministry Purposeful Pathway, I combined these various activities into one daily morning routine. 

She shares how she engages in them as part of her Quiet Time:

I engage in this quiet time routine every morning, and some elements I practice more than once a day. I pray frequently. I journal often. I commune with Nature as frequently as I can. I sing when I am able. I meditate in still moments. 

Caroline shares her point of view on her "solo" refreshment:

Although I am “alone” in my morning quiet time routine, I am actually never alone. I consider these activities to be direct communion with God. His Living Water is my eternal source of refreshment.

She shares how vital journal writing is as a component for refreshment and reflection:

Journaling is a vital part of my authentic refreshment. I reflect about what God has done in my life, document the visions He has placed in my heart, sort through the challenges I may have, brainstorm the solutions that come to mind, capture the inspirations I feel, and outline the actions to which I commit. Reviewing my journal entries is a powerful tool for revealing life patterns, and it is a launching point for positive transformation.

Caroline expresses how natural her authentic refreshment is to her:

The various activities in my quiet time routine have always felt natural to me. Integrating these activities into one routine has felt like coming home. During my authentic refreshment I feel kissed by God’s presence and filled with His Spirit.  

She shares where her desire to refresh comes from and how she has enhanced it with her specific activities:

The Scriptures encourage believers to pray, read and meditate every day. I have added the poetry writing, journaling, singing, visualization, mission statement recitation and nature-communing over time.

Caroline validates her emotions and feelings, appreciates herself, and nourishes her soul through her quiet time activities:

My morning quiet time routine is a beautiful haven in which my emotions are validated. I freely share my feelings with my Heavenly Daddy. I confide in Him about my challenges. I seek guidance regarding my path. I feel His love for me, and I express my love for Him. I write my feelings in the journaling process and see these feelings clearly on paper. I do not judge my emotions, as even "bad" emotions (such as anger and sadness) are gifts that lead me in the right direction. I embrace my bliss when singing and writing and visualizing. I experience joy when hearing the sounds of the birds, feeling the caress of the breeze, and smiling in the kiss of sunshine. 

I appreciate both my God and my own self all the more during my quiet time routine. I feel in the core of my being that I am meant to love and to be loved. Being fully refreshed by this truth allows me to embrace each day with the purest of heart and the sweetest of joy. 

My morning quiet time routine fills my heart with God's Spirit; my soul is nourished by His Word. “Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” ' " (Matthew 4:4) I pray to align my will with God’s will; in aligning myself with Him, His love, peace and joy flow to and through me. This is pure nourishment and refreshment.

She shares the greatest benefit of her authentic refreshment activities:

Though the benefits of my authentic refreshment are countless, the greatest benefit would be the eternal fruit it bears. The quiet time routine strengthens my relationship with my eternal Father; His Spirit allows me to live in a way that bears eternal fruit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23)

She also shares her anticipation, the joy of engagement and its life-enhancing effect: 

I wholeheartedly look forward to my authentic refreshment each morning when I awake. I savor every second; I sometimes experience joyful tears during prayer and meditation. I feel enriched, encouraged, inspired and blessed after partaking in my quiet time routine. The “glow” continues throughout the day, and it impacts every step of my purposeful pathway. 

Caroline's favorite part of all of her authentic refreshment activities is prayer:

I enjoy all aspects of the quiet time routine. The integration of these various activities is beautiful, special and powerful. If I had to choose just one activity, I would choose prayer. Prayer is my connection to my Daddy, my Source, my Light, my Love, and my Life. He is my Refreshment. “Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." (John 7:38)

A-ha moments have been wonderful life paradoxes for Caroline:

Many an amazing a-ha moment has occurred during my quiet time routine. These moments often come in the forms of precious paradoxes. True victory comes in surrender to God. The torrential rain of tears sows the loveliest blooms of joy. Everlasting life comes in releasing life to Christ. God converts crosses to crowns and trials to triumphs.

Surprising discoveries are happily a part of Caroline's Authentic Refreshment:

Priceless, and often surprising, are the treasures I have discovered during my quiet time. This is one of the reasons I cannot imagine my days without this morning routine. 

Caroline shares how her Quiet Time activities clarify her purpose in life:

My quiet time routine clarifies purpose in life, as prayer, meditation and reading Scripture allow me to hear God's voice. Hearing His voice has provided beautiful clarity regarding my direction. Writing and singing allow me to connect with blissful creativity; this creativity heightens my awareness and aligns me more strongly with God. Journaling allows me to express myself, sort through ideas, discover patterns and define visions. Collectively these activities are immeasurably powerful in propelling me on my purposeful pathway.

The empowerment of refreshment is a great benefit for Caroline:

My authentic refreshment is empowering, as I commune with the Eternal Source of power during this special time. To know that power and love and light are always available to me is both comforting and uplifting. I need only to seek my Refreshment to be filled with God’s Spirit.

Here is a word of encouragement from Caroline for those still looking for their authentic refreshment:

From the depths of my heart, I encourage all who have yet to find their authentic refreshment routines to keep seeking. Yet, in saying that, I believe that your authentic refreshment is closer than you think. It involves those very things that bring you bliss and that feel completely “you.” Still your heart and you will hear God's whispers leading you to the true treasure of real refreshment. 

Caroline Gavin is a Christian Business Coach, Speaker, Author and Radio Host. Having found eternal victory in Christ, she overcame the dark depths of depression and the near-death of an eating disorder. Her joy now is sharing this joy in Jesus. As a Christian Business Coach and the Founder of Purposeful Pathway Business Coaching, she helps faith-based entrepreneurs pave their vocational paths, live with purpose and walk with God’s way. With years of experience in the financial and real estate industries, Caroline blends her passion for God, her financial expertise and her business acumen to create phenomenal results for her clients. She helps them to attract their ideal clients, powerfully package services and systematize efforts so they can enjoy fun, fruitful and profitable businesses. Refresh with her poetry and glean practical wisdom from her Biz Tips at www.PurposefulPathway.com. Connect with Caroline on Google+, Facebook and listen to her shows on Purposeful Pathway Radio. Contact her via caroline@purposefulpathway.com for a free Christian Business Coaching Consultation. You can also enjoy free resources such as the 7-week transformational Journey to Joy and the 21-Day Attract Clients NOW Challenge on the Purposeful Pathway web site. Caroline delights in her purposeful pathway of helping others to pave pathways of purpose, peace and passion for God's glory!

Your Authentic Refreshment: True Turner, Musician

I am excited to share the delightful and insightful Authentic Refreshment Story of True Turner, a good friend of mine whose music CD, Butterfly Emerging, has been a life enhancer for my entire family, especially for my grandboy who sleeps to it every nap and sleep time. True shares the truest of her musical life dimension of composing, recording and performing music. She is a true inspiration, both in music and in life. 

What is your authentic refreshment?  

Music – Composing, Recording, and Performing!  Even playing alone or jamming with friends is an authentic refreshment for me.  Sometimes just listening to music is an authentic refreshment.

How and when did you discover it? Does it hail back to your childhood or is it a more recent activity? 

I started piano lessons between the first and second grade. It was not yet an authentic refreshment at that time. However, when I was 13 years old, I took up the guitar, then bass guitar, and finally moved back to keyboard by the time I was 16. Somewhere between 13 and 16, music dawned into an authentic refreshment and became a life-long passion.

How often do you engage in it? Is it part of your routine or is it more of a spur-of-the-moment, spontaneous kind of activity? 

It’s definitely spur of the moment, but I engage in it constantly…with or without an instrument to play. I’m always hearing things musically and writing melodies or lyrics in my head or going through a tune I’m working on. I do this while I’m at work or out with friends….it’s kind of like a computer program that always runs in the background. Sometimes I even work on music in my dream state.

Do you go solo or do you share it with a friend or group? 

I play and write for myself and for groups. It doesn't matter. Music flows through me and has to be expressed either individually or with others. As far as performance goes, I prefer to work with a group. Composing, on the other hand, is mostly a solo activity although I enjoy composing with others….that just doesn't seem to happen as often as the solo composition thing.

Do you use a journal to record your authentic refreshment time? If so, do you just record what you did or do you also reflect on its benefit to you each time? 

I haven’t journaled about it, but I usually record my new compositions as that is much easier with the advent of computers than it was in my younger years. As far as reflection on it goes, that is [the] part of that always-on program that runs in the background for me all the time. I’m constantly reviewing, analyzing, changing, comparing, upgrading, playing with something that I have written either recently or years ago.

When you first engaged in your authentic refreshment, were you surprised by how much you enjoyed it or did it feel as natural as breathing, like you've come home?  

It felt as natural as breathing, like I've come home…and it still does.

Did you find it from another source and then change it up to suit your preferences?  

That depends. It was my interest in music that caused me to become a musician because I first wanted to be able to play the songs on the radio that I was listening to. That soon evolved into composing my own music. So, in a way, yes, it came from another source and I changed it up to suit my preferences. J

How does it enable you to validate your emotions and feelings?  

Wow! I could write a book about this. Suffice it to say that music has been my unfaltering emotional support system. Many times it has taken me from absolute despair all the way to joy in a matter of 30 minutes to an hour...just playing can do that for me. I have used it in all of my peak moments to stabilize me and in all of my valleys to pull me out of the well of darkness. Music always brings me to the light!

How does it help you appreciate yourself for who you really are at your core?

I feel that music is my core. It is how my soul expresses itself. When I am totally absorbed in playing or writing music, there is no separation…there is only oneness.

How does it nourish your soul?  

Completely! As to the “how” it does that, I don’t know. It feels like music IS my soul and that it is connected directly to the source of all that is (call it God, the Force, Universal Mind…whatever you want). I know that I can be totally depleted energetically, and music has the power to refresh my energy and bring me to an ecstatic energized state.

What would you say has been its greatest benefit? 

Music keeps me sane in an insane world. Music never leaves me in my darkest hours. I can depend on music to always be there to get me through life’s greatest trials.

Do you anticipate it? How does it benefit you in the moment? How do you feel afterwards? 

Usually I anticipate it. Usually I consciously create it. However, there have been spontaneous eruptions of song in my life…pure joy expressed musically because that is its highest expression.  How does it benefit me in the moment? Music is always healing. It always raises my vibration to a higher more in tune level…an at-one-ment. Music leaves me feeling high and joyful. Usually I am highly energized after playing.

What is your favorite part of it? 

Creating in that space of at-one-ment!

Was there an a-ha moment that changed your perspective in a way you didn't expect as a result of it? 

Although I've had several a-ha moments with music, the only one that changed my perspective unexpectedly was the moment I realized I was a musician, that I would always be a musician, and that music was all I really wanted to do. I had denied that possibility to myself for a long time. It finally hit me when I was about 19 that this is a music lifetime and that I needed to follow my bliss.

Has it ever surprised you with the new discoveries you have uncovered?  

Music is a lifetime of learning that always has little twists and turns and new surprises along the way. That’s because music is alive and evolving just like I am….it’s an expression of my soul that has a life of its own.

How does it clarify your purpose in life? 

Music is the universal language. It speaks to everyone. It makes people happy. It empowers people and motivates them to go beyond themselves. I am both a communicator and a catalyst this lifetime…music is the platform for both of those.

How has it personally empowered you? 

Music took me from being a shy introvert into being a strong, self-assured extrovert that really doesn't care what other people think of me.

As someone who has benefited from authentic refreshment, what would you say to someone who is looking for theirs but they haven't found it yet? 

Don’t give up. Follow your bliss! Pay attention to what makes you forget about time and space…that is the dimension of authentic refreshment.  Do more of that!

Short Bio:

I was born in a small town in central Texas, the daughter of a Theology professor and an English professor.  My dad was a preacher, historian, and Greek and Hebrew scholar, while my mother was the English professor, church choir director, and pianist/vocalist.  I grew up in a deeply spiritual and profoundly musical environment.  My parents always encouraged their children to be and do whatever they were passionate about.  They never set limits on us.

I began playing music professionally as a guitarist at the age of 13. By the time I was 16, I had returned to my home base of keyboards.  When I was 17, I began creating a stage persona that would allow me to be more extroverted…I lived into a character that I created and acted the part.  I’ve toured all over the US and Canada with rock bands and played solo in Mexico and Europe.  I have two CD’s out, “Dreams of the Neophyte” (a New Age Instrumental Sampler) and “Butterfly Emerging” (a massage/meditation CD timed to exactly one hour with time signals).  I also have numerous rock recordings that have not made it onto a CD yet  (some can be found on Soundcloud http://www.soundcloud.com/true-tidwell)…still in the works!  I have also written a rock opera titled, “Alien Blue” and am currently working on the book of the same name.  I also have a book titled, “The Lucifer Conspiracy,”  which is almost ready for digital publication.

I am a graphic artist, a photographer, a tarot reader, a player of Native American Flutes, and a lover of animals.  I love to travel the world and love being in nature, both hiking and camping.  I am also fascinated with languages; this probably stemming from having learned the Greek alphabet before the English and having heard my dad speak phrases in many different languages as a child.  I am currently working on learning German.

 Wherever your mind goes, reality follows.