To Serve well

Serving with Excellence for a Life of Excellence

Adventures

13 WAYS OCTOBER DELIGHTS!

blog_842944_2962369_1475513529

(Photo Creds: We Heart It)

I think October is my favorite month. I know I have a few that I have grown over time to love, but October is delightful… I’ve listed below some of my reasons why I say that. Take a moment to add yours in the comments! I think it would be fun to share and who knows, you might just get a great idea to refresh your own list.

  1. My No. 1 for sure… the COOLER weather: My dog is relishing in longer walks and gentle breezes. HIKING, and CRUNCHING IN THE LEAVES… INVIGORATING!
  2. The COLORS: The leaves, all manner of pumpkins and vegetables that look like pumpkins to me!
  3. COMMUNITY: It feels like everyone comes out and “GATHERS.” I like that idea of gathering. And with pop-up options like cider mills, pumpkin patches and corn mazes, what better time to hang out with old friends or make new ones!
  4. FOOTBALL! I do in fact love football, from little league, high school, college and the NFL! It’s just plain FUN!
  5. SOUP: My friend Nan always brings me soup. I love that! I also love finding a great butternut squash or pumpkin soup recipe. A bit of crusty bread and it’s the perfect meal, and as an added bonus, it soothes the SOUL!  (I promise my trainer, Amy, that I’ll add some protein in there!)
  6. BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH: I love how America has embraced this and over time the rates of SUCCESS if you get an early diagnosis are greatly improved. Research is necessary and this campaign showcases how, if we galvanize the troops, WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
  7. HOLIDAY SEASON SNEAKS IN: We get a glimpse but we aren’t fully deluged yet.
  8. HALLOWEEN: To be perfectly honest, until my boys were born I didn’t really embrace Halloween. I mean it’s okay and I loved to fill my pillowcase when I was in 3rd grade, but then it sort of faded. Now that my boys are in college, it’s fading again, but OH HOW FUN IT IS if you have little kids! EMBRACE EVERY MOMENT OF IT! Make fun punch with dry ice, set up a bobbing for apples activity, host a neighborhood pre-trick-or-treating party… It’s a BLAST!
  9. OCTOBER BASEBALL: Last year in particular, but I still LOVE MY BOYS IN BLUE! FOREVER ROYAL!
  10. BONFIRES, S’MORES, ETC.! Being around FIRE IS PRIMAL and screams connectedness. The smell of the smoke… the whole thing is just perfect fun!
  11. BOOTS, SWEATSHIRTS, SWEATERS: If you are a gal, need I say more? If you are a guy, ask your favorite gal! She’ll fill you in!
  12. APPLES! Apple orchards, apple picking, cider, cider donuts, apple crisp, apple pie…         It’s fully AMERICAN and fully AWESOME!
  13. Last but not least… HAYRIDES: YEP, HAYRIDES. I need to find one this year. There isn’t anything more fun to me, than a simple trailer, some HAY, and family, friends and complete strangers! I hope you’ll find one too!

“Fall has always been my favorite season. The time when everything bursts with its last beauty, as if nature had been saving up all year for the grand finale!”  – Lauren DeStefano

Add this to your bucket list! Happy 100th anniversary National Parks!

blog_828739_2946969_1472072978

Folks we are going light today since we were heavy with the pain topic Tuesday…

Today, August 25, the National Park System (NPS) is 100 years old. President Woodrow Wilson signed the official act and since then we have expanded their services to include 412 areas and 84 million acres of land in all states except Delaware. When prepping for this blog here is what I found is included in the footprint… some surprises for me here:

  • National Parks
  • Historic Sites
  • The White House (who knew?)
  • Lake shores
  • Sea shores
  • Battle fields
  • National Trails

My son Tucker and his friend Hunter went on an adventure this summer that included a trek through Zion National Park in Utah. He absolutely LOVED IT. The pictures are stunning. My friends, Susie and Sid Womack, took their adult children on a national park tour ROAD TRIP also this summer. VERY COOL. Between these two stories, I decided exploring these was a pretty cool idea.

In fact, I can’t believe it, but I haven’t really even explored deeply any of our national parks. That’s just plain wrong! I’m one of a few, because last year a stunning 307 million people insisted a national park. Here are the top 10:

  1. Great Smoky Mountains
  2. Grand Canyon
  3. Rocky Mountain
  4. Yosemite
  5. Yellowstone
  6. Zion
  7. Olympic
  8. Grand Teton
  9. Acadia
  10. Glacier

I’m officially adding this to my life goal list: I want to fly fish, hike, and view the beauty of my own country… the National Parks are the perfect place to start.

For those of you who want to join in on this ADD TO BUCKET LISTS NATIONWIDE, here is some additional information.

blog_828739_2946971_1472072980
(Photo creds: We Heart It) 

Things the Olympics teaches us about UNITY

blog_823768_2939774_1470706658

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach kicked off the games with an important message: “In this Olympic world, we see that the values of our SHARED HUMANITY are STRONGER than the forces which want to divide us.” His remarks focused on UNITY and how the games provide the setting for an attitude of peace and hope.

In 2010, I had the opportunity to attend the winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, with my boys and my sister. (If the games are ever that close again, I recommend you stop what you are doing and make a plan to attend if at all possible.) What we witnessed firsthand was that every country we encountered were more than kind, generous and willing to thrive together during the games. I remember most the Netherlands and their enthusiasm toward their national sport, speed skating, and their jovial hugs as their team went ahead in the race. It was fantastic.

While I promise I won’t write about the Olympics every time over the next three weeks, I may use the opportunity as the games play out to share a story or insights that may be relevant to the blog. I definitely don’t want to miss this chance to SHOWCASE UNITY AT ITS BEST! Here are some thoughts I had as I worked through this blog…

  1. Unity happens when everyone lays aside their personal interests and races toward a common goal. Unity can get disrupted at home, in the workplace and of course we have seen the terror when unity is threatened during war. But what if we all truly did see the world from someone else’s viewpoint. You know, the “don’t judge until you have walked in someone else’s mocassins…” (Or something like that)  That’s pretty darn good advise. Lay your personal interests aside and remember we are here to use our best gifts. Don’t get tied up in someone else’s drama. The athletes don’t lay aside their goal to win the race, but no doubt during the month they live among those with cultural differences, they surely experience a host of differences and lay those aside to achieve peace
  2. Unity is possible. There are those that believe unity isn’t possible. “I can’t get a long with this guy at work, I cannot stand that lady, their religion really bothers me… etc.”  I was devastated when I saw the news this week of the young Muslim couple being asked to leave a Delta airline flight home from Europe.  We must all INVEST OURSELVES FULLY in the FACT THAT UNITY IS POSSIBLE. Watch the games over the next few weeks. These athletes are living in the Olympic village together and they are in full community together and they LOVE IT. The fun of the Friday ceremonies with all countries taking selfies together etc. was magical. Watch specifically for those moments. You’ll see what I mean!
  3. UNITY IS EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY. I hear so many people right now due to the national election talking about how our country is in disarray and the concerns with ISIS and the refugee crisis and… You get the picture. Everyone is looking to a leader to solve our issues to somehow step in and create a world where we suddenly are all singing “kum ba ya” together in harmony. The reality is, every athlete, every volunteer, every leader of the games and every one of us is responsible. We have to realize that we can’t sit aside. We must use our voice and our time and actions to strive for unity in all things. I will spend some time again this month on some opportunities here locally to step in and use your voice.

Have a better than great day!

Dear summer, please SLOW DOWN

blog_821588_2937294_1470144059

I am so excited to be back blogging. It was hard not to write each week because, well, I LOVE IT!

As you know, my great hope and prayer is that I touch someone with each post! I am often surprised when I hear from someone that I didn’t even know read the blog that they really appreciate the writing. So, in the past month I pretty much am thankful I made that decision even if it did create a disruption to this Type A personality.

We moved out of our home that we have lived in since the boys started kindergarten and you can imagine the drawers and closets that require attention. (For the record, I always felt like I purged along the way and much to my surprise, I am awful at this apparently because the gremlins just kept coming out of literally every corner, haha!) That project alone made it almost necessary to give it my full attention where it was needed. Can I say that I am feeling my age and disappointed in that as well. No one bothered to tell me that moving is equivalent to a marathon, or at least a half marathon at my age, and I WANT A STICKER FOR MY CAR for God’s sake! Ha!

Okay, so enough of that – Who is with me on the fact that we need to slow summer down!? I would normally say that fall is my favorite season, quickly followed my spring, but summer is gaining ground with me. Thanks to social media, we have access to all of the great things there are to do, as friends and family share their personal rituals from picnics to Theater in the Park to live music at a variety of venues each week to the coveted lake weekends. These ideas give us INSPIRATION to get out there and soak up the moments. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR SHARING YOUR ADVENTURES!

So, I know that school is starting soon, but let’s make a pact that we are going to ignore that little factor for this month. When I was young, you never started back until after Labor Day anyway… And that was clearly the best plan!

So regardless if some have to get their kids fired up early… Take advantage of the late nights, and make long weekends. Cranky and all… It’s worth it! Unless you have a junior in high school, then I recommend you takeaway a couple of those extra days… They catch up quickly and trust me it makes no difference. Kidnap the grandkids, have extra ice cream or frozen yogurt, make your Tuesday’s your Saturday’s and enjoy SUMMER all of the way until the cold sets in!

What will you do this month? Please share and give everyone inspiration!

American’s Liberty, A Gift to the World

blog_812524_2928983_1467556834

I wrapped up a week or so ago the best book of the year, If You Can Keep It, by Eric Metaxas. I will feature more details later in my book review posts, but for now, this quote gives you a great look into the book’s central idea.

I had not noticed before reading in the book, that Lady Liberty in New York City, faces outward, carrying her torch high… As if she is a light house, welcoming others toward America and TOWARD LIBERTY and the FREEDOM our great country represents.

As the well known scripture says, “To whom much is given, much is required”  (Luke 12:48), American has been given much, and it has been and continues to be our role to serve as a steadfast world leader. A country that represents the greatest character qualities of a Christian, shining our light for others… to help and to serve… And to welcome and enrich lives along the way.

As you celebrate Independence Day this weekend, be grateful to be a part of a country that has been called to SHINE God’s love on our entire world.

(Photo credit: Pinterest)

THE JOY A PET BRINGS! HAPPY BIRTHDAY CINNY!

blog_811411_2927593_1467197091

Today is my amazing dog’s 14th Birthday!

Depending on how you calculate it and whose theory you use, she is either 98 (7 years X 14), or 78 (via webMD.com). I’m going with 78, well, because I’d love to have her around as long as possible.

This picture was in the last few days, so I know you’ll agree she’s pretty awesome looking still! (After all, there are a lot of youngsters in their 70s: Racquel Welch, Harrison Ford, Gladys Knight, Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand…to name a few!)

She has been nothing short of PURE JOY and I know my fellow pet lovers will agree that there is nothing like a pet! Seems this summer PETS are a popular topic. “The Secret Life of Pets” is coming out in the next two weeks, and promises to be a summer block buster. One of the local pastors in our area did a sermon series, just these past two weeks on “The Gospel According to Dogs.” My son shared that one of these messages was a pretty darn good summation of just why DOGS bring us so much JOY. Here are a few thoughts from that message:

Like God, dogs provide us with…

  1. PROTECTION… Regardless if it’s a possum, the fed ex man, or leaves rustling… THEY ARE ALL OVER IT!
  2. LOVE… No better LOVE than a DOG’S! Even after being locked up for 12 hours they couldn’t be more excited to see you!
  3. LOYALTY… Like a good friend, DOGS don’t care much about what you wear, or if you worked out today. They see your heart and they want to be with you regardless of good or bad days!

Have a great wrap to your week. Take a moment to END THE MONTH STRONG BY SPREADING JOY TODAY to a few FOLKS that made your MONTH TERRIFIC!

What is your pain?

blog_810292_2926041_1467111865

I was on a flight back last week from Seattle and had a great conversation with my seat mate. Those of you who know me well may think I would normally “chat it up” with a passenger, but truthfully I am the one to throw on the headphones (even if I don’t have anything on) and try to relax and think and maybe even take a nap! Not really a big fan of plane conversation. Anyway, I’d been flying all week and this was one of the last legs, and she was really great. We got to talking about how we are currently in the process of selling our home, and I was sharing with her the inspection report and subsequent negotiations. In short, the new owners want to take a bit more out off of the price to deal with some minor issues and that I didn’t really think was fair, but also didn’t want to upset the apple cart so to speak and ruin the deal. Her response was great and WORTH SHARING.

“SO, WHAT IS YOUR PAIN….?”

I didn’t get it right away, but ultimately it was PURE BRILLIANCE. We all have our own pain points. How much pain are we willing to endure…to experience?  It can be emotional or physical dollars as in this case. It can be both of course. I had to think through this with her. In this case, if the deal fell through because I didn’t concede, I would be out perhaps a couple or more months of a mortgage payment, on top of my new payments relating to the move etc. Once I thought of it that way, their ask didn’t seem too much and would quickly add up to the amount they were asking for.  Decision made. Once I realized the amount of what my pain could be, it wasn’t hard.  (Side note: Why in the world had I never thought of this process?)

Some after thoughts I had or other possible scenarios…

What if you have someone at work that is a challenge… What is your pain? What happens if you address it or not?

What if you need to make a big purchase, a new refrigerator, or something expensive… What is your pain if you do or don’t do it now? It may help you to understand if you just can’t tolerate the pain level, you may need to consider other options, perhaps a Craigslist fridge for now….?

What if you have a friend or relative that is about to make a bad decision… What is their pain? Can you help them out by using this as a problem solving mechanism to frame up the real issues they may have based on their choices?

I hope this resonates with some of you all!  I thought it was a tremendous insight and worth the time to think on for a bit… I will be using this now when confronted with a decision.

(Photo Creds:  I’m not sure…It’s been on my “reel” for awhile..)

Sling a little mud

blog_809009_2924615_1466635856

Kids of all ages love the thrill of mud. The dirt between your toes (haven’t felt that in a while) is good for the soul. Boys and men love the idea of going “muddling” in a super cool Jeep and feeling the mud hit the tires.

When we went to Pine Cove summer camps (my son Sam is a counselor there this summer… Love you Sam!), they have a game for the kid campers called “Buffalo Hunt.”  While I don’t know the particulars I do know that the pictures are sooooo much fun! I really never understood why we didn’t get to play as adults, but I’m guessing it’s something to do with the liability of hip replacements and alike – ha ha.

So why is play important? It just so happens that getting out in the dirt, and really nature is primal. It’s something we were meant to do… This article has some fun reasons why. Here are the two I loved:

  • MEMORIES! I think we all need to be mindful that creating memories are critical in our relationships, families, and to our legacy. Did we have fun? Why not get the whole team at work or the family around a big game involving dirt, mud and ADVENTURE. I think that is why the “mud” runs/5Ks, obstacle courses, etc are becoming so popular.   (ToughMudder.com is a great site if you are looking to launch into a true effort) Our souls CRAVE nature, play and togetherness. I dare you to go build a mud pit this weekend in the hot sun and sling a little mud.
  • Creative Thinking! For many of us, our best thinking comes when we are around the lake, mountains, long walks and just being out under the BIG SKY. I consider this a great take away and an inspiration for me to do more of this. As we often talk about here, living with intention is the path to GREATER DAYS and FULLER LIVES of EXCELLENCE AND JOY!

The weekend is upon us soon… What can you do to “stir” up a little fun?

Lessons on the Playground: “Is that all you have?”

blog_808433_2923537_1466504974I am huge fan of all manner of swings. Tire swings, rope swings (especially the version where you jump into a lake), and even a good old playground swing!

This idea of not forgetting to “play” captured me, because while I try to inject fun into my life, there is something invigorating about just swinging, legs pumping and going as high as you can.  It’s symbolic of life. You start out needing to be pushed and then as you get a bit more comfortable you ask “push” me higher and then…it’s up to you, to pump and push to achieve your goal! The sky is the limit!

This weekend, my sister was telling me how they watched their neighbor’s boy for a few hours and took him to the playground. Since it wasn’t their child, and he was small, they didn’t want to push too hard… The young man was adamant, “IS THAT ALL YOU HAVE?… I want to go HIGHER!” That’s awesome! At 6 years old he was ready to “fly” and he was being held back due to both his readiness and of course they were holding him back.

What a great lesson for us all… We can either not be ready and God won’t allow us, OR, we simply have someone or something that’s holding us back.  After we discern which one, we can either learn, grow and prepare or decide to get a new “champion” or in this case a new person to “push us.”

Let’s get out to the playground this summer literally and figuratively and see how far we can go!

(Photo credit: Pinterest)

Happy father’s day!

blog_807853_2922706_1466343528Happy Father’s Day to the many great men I know. No matter if it is your own child, or one you have adopted or simply a child you “stand in the gap” for because their dad isn’t there at the moment, today is the day for all of us to express our gratitude and honor you!

This blog is often about “honoring” those that God has put in our paths, and today is perhaps one of the best days of the year for just that. Since this goes out on Sunday night, I’m guessing that the celebrations are well underway or have passed, and my hope is that you will spend some time tonight thinking about all of those “other” men that have impacted your life. Some men never had children, but they have made an impact on your life. Reach out to them and thank them or drop a note in the good old fashioned mail!

My uncle is one of those men. He’s loving, kind and always encouraging. Though not my dad, whom is by the way down right hysterical and the best story teller I know, my Uncle Gary has been there for me and my sister and brother from day one. I can think of several others, from teachers to pastors to mentors who at some point helped me to grow much like a father would! I am thankful today that God put those men in my life.

For those of you have lost your fathers, my prayer tonight is that you will be filled with God’s love and know that your father loves you today as much as ever and can’t wait to run and hug you some day! I know I am looking forward to the day to jump into my grandfather’s arms!
Have a fantastic week!

(Photo credit: Pinterest)