To Serve well

Serving with Excellence for a Life of Excellence

Inspiration

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Spread more joy

(Photo creds: Unsplash.com)

(Another throwback for you on this glorious Sunday, because who doesn’t need a reminder to spread some joy?) 

Joy is contagious! It transmits the type of energy needed to thrive. If you are in the work place and happen to be a leader, this may just help your employee satisfaction or engagement as well. Bottom Line: Folks want to work, live and serve where they are happy!

Joy makes a person more productive! I don’t know about you, but getting a bit more done in my given 24 hours would be a huge positive! I found this great little article to back that up.

Joy can make you healthier!  That same article highlights the great benefits of joy, which include reducing stress, solving problems easier and fighting disease! I am all about all of those! A great blog post here that goes a bit deeper!

As you get ready for another week, remember to take some time to spread joy! I promise you will be better for it.

By the way, don’t put it off until later, stop now and send three brief messages and fire up the joy. It will be the best five minutes of your day.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: A message during ‘Paul’s Journey’

(Photo cred: Unsplash.com)

1 Corinthians 13:13: And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

As I am finishing up my bucket list “Paul’s Journey” trip, I thought it best to highlight Paul’s greatest message. As he spoke across the world teaching, his primary message was love. That is our goal as Christians to LOVE WELL. I believe that is actually the goal of all humans. My great prayer is that we all do everything we do in any given day with this approach.. 

Cheering you all on and thankful that you take time to read these insights. If each day something I write resonates with one person I will have achieved my goal. 

Have the best week this year! 

Never miss an opportunity: Tales of my Uber driver, part 2

I was reminded during this Uber drive – and by the way, thank you for sharing your stories on Part 1 – of our trip to South Africa a few years back. This photo is from a now-local gal, Renee Terrill who has committed her life to the service of the children that we visited through her role as Global Impact Coordinator at Westside Church in Lenexa.

Her story is a great example that any of us can go deep if we choose to in whatever calls to us that needs to be improved.

I don’t know Renee well, but I cherish her work. It is gritty and real.

I chose the photo because I feel it provides the best visual of what I walked away with on our trip and it stays with me today… PURE JOY. I wear a bracelet that I don’t take off from this great country, and it serves as a reminder of TRUE CONTENTMENT AND JOY.

Here’s the thing: In this particular region in South Africa, scarcity is an everyday reality.  From a lack of protein to feed the children, to consistent good water, to poor transportation. You would think there would be great sadness, but it’s really just the opposite. The people seem to EXUDE JOY. They are, quite simply, CONTENT.

I asked my driver about this, and he said it was because they didn’t know any better. This “land is all they have known.” That made me realize once again that here in the United States, assuming you are reading this from there, that the many choices and opportunities we have may be doing us a disservice.

I could get in a philosophical conversation right now, but I should probably just stick with the point: True contentment and joy is a CHOICE. No matter our situation, or where the world places us in any given season, or moment, we can find JOY if we look. My prayer is that you will indeed find JOY and CONTENTMENT today!

Don’t miss an opportunity: Tales of my Uber Driver, part 1

Travel often offers us the opportunity to meet some great people. Some not so friendly, but thankfully the good wins.

I was reminded on Sunday night, as I was traveling from the airport in Denver, of the tremendous opportunities we have to CONNECT with some AMAZING people. It is always great to put the headphones on and get lost in our own thoughts, but that’s a choice that may result in a miss. I generally do the headphone thing on airplanes, but when I’m at someone’s mercy as they drive me around unknown territory, I like to be aware and also engage. (Mom, I’m sure that makes you quite happy.)

Sunday, the driver was a local attorney from Nigeria, moonlighting with Uber to make money for a foundation he has created to send back home to help provide educational opportunities for students in his native land.

He had two children at home ages 10 and 14, so I know this extra effort is a sacrifice. How many of us would work a part time job JUST to send money to a cause we love and know will change the world?

We had a truly meaningful conversation, and I think we both walked away as better humans – I for sure did. I like the idea of of being “BETTER HUMANS,” don’t you?

As you go through your days, don’t miss those opportunities we have to learn, connect and as a result GROW.

Don’t forget to say THANK YOU… I SEE YOU… I APPRECIATE YOU…

(Photo Creds: Canva)

I had a recent LIGHT BULB moment that really should not have been one, but it was. Honestly, I thought I had been pretty good at this, but not sure I’ve done it enough since college started, maybe even a bit before. As our children age, I think we need to get out the “basics” playbook. This is especially true I think with teenagers and young adults.

The insight is simple…

Don’t forget to CALL OUT the GOOD… Say THANK YOU… I SEE YOU AND RECOGNIZE YOUR EXTRA EFFORT.

My example is simple. One of my boys is really helpful with our dogs. With my crazy schedule, his help is incredible. Here’s the thing: I kind of take it for granted. Not intentionally, but I do and hadn’t realized that. One evening I was telling him how much I appreciate his extra help and attention and he said “thank you for noticing,” and it hit me. (He said it in a nice way, but still… OUCH.) He is one who doesn’t require a lot and honestly I think those are the people that we should intentionally recognize more. So, I’m dusting off the playbook and going to try to incorporate those basics more often.

At all ages we need someone to say “I see you.. I recognize you… Your efforts are not going unnoticed…” If you don’t have your own kids, this of course is applicable in all settings. I hope I’m not the only one who needed this reminder, but alas, if so,  perhaps it’s something you can pass on.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Go deep: We need to build our root system

(Photo Creds: Canva)

If you’ve ever stood under a redwood tree, you know that their height is something magnificent. The extent of their root system is shockingly not deep at 6-12 feet. So, how do we account for the crazy growth, with many reaching 300 feet tall? (The tallest pine measures in at 268 by comparison.)

“Redwoods create the strength to withstand powerful winds and floods by extending their roots more than 50 feet from the trunk and living in groves where their roots can intertwine.”

Perfect! Another very cool illustration for just how important going “DEEP” in your relationships is to your ability to grow and optimize your gifts. Of course… I LOVE THIS – and so should you!

“Community” is what allows us to live a joy filled life. (“Community” also defined, as families, friendship groups, circles, tribes, colleagues… you get my drift.) To SERVE WELL, it is almost required that we are encouraged, held accountable and ultimately pushed toward our “best self.” For most of human history, this has been a normal part of life, starting out with the earliest Native American tribes and, for my generation, playing kickball in the street until well after the sun has gone down. Today, many find themselves immersed in technology and other distractions. That seems almost too obvious to state but when the shoe fits… Heck, I don’t even like to get out of my car to go in the bank. God forbid I can’t take care of business on my phone or through a machine.

I like the idea of GOING DEEP. I need to work more at this. I’d love to achieve the greatness of a REDWOOD GROVE… to lock arms together with some amazing people and establish root systems that allow us all to grow and flourish.

Simple Thoughts Sunday – Speak Vitality (LIFE)

(Photo Creds: Canva… but I’m pretty sure I have one just like it from my Ginger Farms trip last year!)

Happy Sunday folks!

Isn’t it awesome that most get to BREATHE DEEP tonight and not worry about working tomorrow? Love that feeling.

So, what in the world do I mean by speak vitality? That may seem obvious and yet we don’t do it enough. One year at camp, one of the parenting talks (intended to help us teach our children how to be upstanding humans that care for others) was a simple message we were advised to ask our children often: “Are you going to speak a blessing or a curse?”

In other words: simply be nice! I appreciated that construct when talking to my boys, especially when the discussion was around how they treat each other sometimes. I recognize however, that at any age, it’s a great reminder. We have a choice to speak LIFE, and we should choose it more often.

Do the words we are speaking to ourselves or others speak joy? Victory? Positivity? Or are we focused on “why in the world we are getting acne at our age?” “Where did those 5-plus pounds come from, for god’s sake?” “Why can’t I eat the mac and cheese with bacon?”

We all are in different seasons of our lives, and it is so important that we SPEAK LIFE and VITALITY to ourselves and to the WORLD. This week there has been much heroism displayed as the needs are great in a time of national disasters such as the great flooding. There have also been those that are blaming, calling out and otherwise judging people that they believe should be helping. My feeling: We need to hold ourselves accountable for ALWAYS SPEAKING VITALITY.

Have an AMAZING WEEK, and remember to EXHALE and BREATHE IN LIFE!

Emotionally EXHALE

(Photo Creds: Canva)

What does it look like for you to make this Labor Day weekend count? After all, Labor Day is all about TAKING A BREAK. EMOTIONALLY EXHALING.

It used to be that school started after this weekend, which was a great decision, if you ask me. Alas, for most that isn’t the case anymore, and we are hit in August with what I think of as a total onslaught of obligations, activities, etc. This comes at a time we were just beginning to maybe “exhale.” Summer just started, didn’t it?

For me, “emotionally exhaling” involves very little. Reading, life planning, maybe a meal or two with some dear friends/family, a visit to the farmer’s market, and a a chance to take in the last days of warm sunshine. For others, it’s rock climbing, marathons and shopping extravaganzas… My hope is that you will truly reflect on what this weekend SHOULD look like for you right now. There is a great book that came out last year called “The Best Yes” by Lysa Terkeurst. That book calls out to us to truly make the best decision for ourselves at that given moment and season. Not every LABOR DAY weekend requires the same… some call for all out parties, gatherings, traveling, etc.

So, what does your soul need this weekend? The great news is that it is Thursday and most of us can still can DECIDE what we need and then CHOOSE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN!

Whatever you do, I hope that you will EMOTIONALLY EXHALE.

Great conversations: A template for 1-on-1 talks

(Photo Creds: We Heart It)

(I want to note that if you don’t happen to have kids, the ideas in this post could pretty much be used in any conversation with someone you care about… I hope you find it helpful!)

As a mom, I am always mindful of ways to be better in that role. As the boys get older, I find this more challenging. I want to be someone they can always trust to listen to their heart (without judgement), but someone who they know will also spur them along toward God’s gifting in their lives.  This can be done through encouragement, brainstorming the “possibilities” together and even rebuke and course-correction.

I’d have to say I’m not so good at the latter. I find it challenging given the different personality types knowing just how to approach certain topics, while honoring how they think and digest information. I long for the spirit of a great teacher or coach who knows just how to train and get the best out of their students.

Every summer of the boys’ younger years we went to an amazing family camp, Pine Cove in Tyler, Texas. Beyond the family excitement part, the best part for me was getting great training on parenting and leadership in the home. The parents had an opportunity to hear world-class speakers who spent a portion of each day speaking into us and giving us ideas on how to grow as a parent. I have found that since we aged out of camp, so to speak, a couple of years ago that it has been helpful for me to sit down for a week in the summer and maintain this focus, which is where this blog was birthed.

Through reading, scripture and conversation, I made this list of  questions or conversation starters that could be used as a template for these 1-on-1 discussions.

The idea here is to focus on soul questions:

  • How are you?
  • What are you seeing? Are you on the path you want to be on?
  • What do you think life is teaching you right now?
  • What are you learning?
  • Where do you want to travel? What do you have planned that is “fun” and filling of the soul?
  • What are you reading?
  • What are you living for?
  • What gets in the way?
  • How can I best help/encourage/inspire/support you?

This I hope gives you a list to start from. I’d love to hear what others you have!

Simple Thoughts Sunday – Who is that seeks after God with you?

(Photo Creds: My good ole’ iPhone @ my dear friends Jan and Nan’s 50th birthday celebration in the Dominican Republic!)

Simple Thoughts Sundays are my favorites. As many of you know, I am an avid reader and in the last few weeks I stumbled upon the most brilliant and thought provoking author. I’ve read three of his books in the last 10 days, but one book in particular called ‘A Resilient Life’ falls into one of my top 5 ever. That’s huge.

The author is Gordon MacDonald if you want to look him up. In the book, I marked literally hundreds of passages, but the one that stood out was the idea in this picture.

The chapter, ‘There are Certain People,’ focused on the people that “enable us to be as we have never been before.” That is an awesome truth. He goes on: “The pathway to resilience requires that I fill my personal life with a very special set of relationships. Who makes up your happy few?”

Other questions:

  • Who stretches your mind?
  • Who listens to you and encourages your dreams?
  • Who will protect you? (Have your back as my friend Coretta has reminded me…)
  • Who are those that share your tears?
  • Who rebukes you?
  • Who plays with you?
  • The final question: “who is it that seeks after God with you?” This one, I can’t quit thinking about.

Let me know if this stirs your soul at all.. I’d love to know!

Make it an amazing week!