To Serve well

Serving with Excellence for a Life of Excellence

Simple Thoughts Sunday

Simple Thoughts Sunday: A game-changing thought to start your day in the most amazing way!

I adapted this from a post from @ChristineCaine via Twitter. Christine is the leader of the @A21 campaign – a global organization fighting the battle of human trafficking. It’s a powerful movement. I wondered if, when she wrote this, her mind drifted to the thousands of girls and boys who are being held captive, waiting for someone to rescue them. Certainly the idea of praying for a still heart and an emboldened spirit must be a desperate cry that somehow provides peace in the most stressful situations.

What do you need to call on the Holy Spirit for today?

  • Acceptance that those you love – and that life in general – isn’t perfect?
  • Forgiveness for someone who may not have the emotional capacity to forgive in response?
  • How about a SPIRIT OF JOY? Good, honest, happiness?

This is a question worth asking. It’s also worth writing down. The act of simply asking each morning for the Holy Spirit to move on your behalf just might change your life. In fact, I’m proof positive that this is not only possible, but probable.

Today, I pray that your hearts are overflowing with love and that you surround yourself with whatever it is that warms you through and through. Cheering you all on with love and prayers.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: The winding roads of life

God has interesting ways in which He guides us through life, to learn and to connect with great people and of course, to challenge us to be our best selves. To fully achieve our purpose.

Today, I want to share a few insights as we look toward the busy sprint that is the end of the year. I hope this is a reminder to you – as it was to me –to take in the beauty of this busy, sometimes winding, road that we call life.

  1. Beauty can be found everywhere. There is beauty even in life’s side roads that find you wondering why in the world you may have arrived there. Literally, if you set your mind to find the beauty (the good, the positive, the inspiring…) it is indeed there, and often front and center.
  2. God is leading and I am to follow. Those ideas about where, how and what we will be doing at any given stage of our lives are open to change at anytime. If you truly follow His lead, I believe He will use the right people and places and the right time and situations to bring you right where you are meant to be to achieve your highest purpose. Again it is up to us to choose to listen to those promptings.
  3. Finally, stay expectant. Sometimes change can be scary, but I choose not to look at it in that way. Choose instead to find clarity, and know that the right people are placed on the path at just the right time. If we step forward and reach out and do our best work, there will be honor found in the process.

So whether your path today is straight or winding, I hope you will find great beauty all around. Have the best week!

Simple Thoughts Sunday: 3 strategies to WIN the day

Win the day! We truly need to try to WIN every day! I am reminded (it seems weekly) that life is short and tomorrow is not promised.

What are some ideas around this thought?

  1. Start with what WINNING is to you! What brings you true joy? (Yes, that can include your career, school, etc.) Who are your “must haves,” as in I can’t imagine my life without [enter your closest friends and family names here]?
  2. inventory your schedule, specifically the last 90 days. Does your time line up with your definition?
  3. Align what your version of WINNING is with your next 90 days. Schedule that coffee date, start reading that book, connect with what or who fills you up.

Here’s to a week filled with owning a life that allows you to full on seek and find JOY.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Rest precedes blessing

One of my friends posted the photo above on Facebook this week. It’s so peaceful to me that I just had to turn it into the blog photo for today.

I am reading Rebekah Lyon’s new book, Rhythms of Renewal, so the timing couldn’t be more perfect for this discussion. Several conversations with a variety of people in my life this week have revolved around the need for finding space, margin and really just flat out REST. I feel the reality is that we don’t allow ourselves to experience the capacity that God gave us to think, create, innovate and serve. We need to reconsider allowing ourselves to being scheduled out and consumed by the distractions around us. I’m always reminded that this is a choice, and if we don’t put some proverbial “muscle” around it, we will continue down a path that doesn’t quite give us the full energy we need to forge ahead in the most fulfilling way – nor really the way God intended us to live.

In her book, Lyon talked about the initial design of the human race, which clearly states that we were intended to rest: “On the seventh day (of the days of creation) He rested from all his work.” The part I hadn’t really noticed before was this: “Then God blessed the seventh day…” Aha! She noted, “Rest precedes blessing. We don’t have to run to earn rest, we run FUELED by a posture of rest.” Very cool. Anyone else need that?

Her story is one that showcases that she feels her life has been saved (she was having debilitating anxiety attacks) because she decided to pause and take a literal inventory… an inventory of evaluating her life and redefining priorities. Have you ever sensed your life was about more that it is today, but cannot quite get to the point of understanding what it is? Her inventory strategy was to sit down with someone she loved and capture all of the moments where she felt most alive, and then the moments where life wasn’t too much fun. That rather simple starting point offered her a course correction, if you will, and allowed her to move closer to what she felt called to do. In her words:

“Taking a break, resting from responsibility long enough to take inventory, was crucial to imagining God’s plan for my life.”

I kind of love that. How can we rest better? If we all make a commitment to doing this, we may just turn up the volume on truly realizing all we are intended to do in this one life of ours. My friends, have the most incredible week. I hear it’s going to be a beautiful and full of actual fall days and nights.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Set your focus for the rest of 2019

What stands out to you from that list? I think the world needs more crazy and extravagant love. I don’t watch the news (thanks to my son Joe who pointed out the chaos of it all, and he was right… Now, I just get the highlights in other ways), but in passing televisions in airports, scrolling Twitter, and listening to the people surrounding me, I hear all of the stress. It points to the need to reset our minds to love.

We can all use the reminder to take our minds off of how [pick your poison] is impacting us personally. We are all wired to be selfish and that is, in many cases, critical to living safely and protecting ourselves. We can, however, get too focused and it’s important to recognize when we are too far in so we can shift our minds to the needs of those around us. There are many.

Prayer, reflection, intimacy with God. That is such a terrific call to action. Our hearts expand and our minds settle when we spend time alone with our faith. When we are able to cry out, even in the most subtle ways, and share our concerns and needs, we somehow are able to offload our soul and refill it with what is true and right. God’s word points us to peace, joy and love and ultimately provides all of the guidance we need to live well and serve well.

Have an incredible week.

Simple thoughts Sunday: You don’t need to fight…

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Your best strategy during a difficult moment is to simply relax and give the fighting to someone better equipped to handle it. Wouldn’t it calm your mind to know that you don’t have to say or do anything? No need to come up with the right words. Let that sink in.

This could be anything. For example, a car repair gone wrong, a derailed project, a relationship issue, or perhaps an unexpected delay in achieving a dream.

One scripture I have often been pointed to is Exodus 14:14; 

“The lord will fight for you, you need only be still.”

One of the larger challenges in life is to give up our desire to be everything someone needs – to be the problem solver, the magic wand, and curator of solutions for ourselves or others.

My friends, we have the greatest gift in that we can rest in knowing that God has better answers and solutions. We need only be still.

Side note: I love the quote below so much.

“Prayer is the difference between the best we can can do and the best God can do.”

Mark Batterson

I pray that I can be better at not striving to fight my own battles and give them up to the one who can handle them much better.

Confetti & a dance party: We are called to celebrate

Simple Thoughts Sunday

We are so much better when we praise. When we call out the light in others. When we express gratitude and let our love pour out to others. Doing that is pure CELEBRATION of all that God has provided for us! What’s great is that this doesn’t just sound good but it’s actually God’s idea, as you can see in the scripture above.

  • Party hats
  • Hands raised
  • Confetti
  • Bringing out the good wine
  • An all out dance party

All is wildly important. Our world is crazy awesome despite what the world may try to tell you sometimes. The people who God has surrounded us all with are truly good and helpful. (Short a very small handful that I am convinced are here mostly to refine our ability to overcome even the craziest encounters we may face. And maybe to add humor!)

Celebration is a form of praise.

Praise is a form of gratitude!

Gratitude is acknowledgement that you recognize that life is a gift.

That gift is meant to be shared with others. Celebrate them early and often!

Thanking God for each of you right now! Have an incredible week.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Choosing peace & joy

The quote in the image above really spoke to me when I read it in a book a few years ago. I mean, who wants their problems to take over their mind and rob them of their peace?

The book continued:

“While God calls us out of complacency, his peace allows us to choose contentment with our place in the world.”

Chrystal Evans Hurst

One of my life mottos is that we must choose. Every day – and often more than once a day – will we choose peace, joy, etc. in the situations and conversations we experience? We have a choice, and I love that. Imagine if we didn’t?

She said it another way…

“Know Spirit? Know peace.
No Spirit? No peace.”

I believe that rings true in my life. When I stray away from my disciplined life of reading scripture, regularly attending church services, and spending time with other believers, I find myself farther away from peace. It’s funny how when we drift from what we know aligns best with our values and soul, we almost immediately are faced with signs that push us back to where our focus should be. If you are familiar with scripture, there is a terrific verse that touches on this idea:

"But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." – Galatians 5:22-23

Essentially, God provides for us “deep, abounding joy that is not dependent on our circumstances” (Hurst) if we stay close to Him. I hope that this week you will choose peace and joy!

Rewind! This is a throwback to an ever-relevant post from 2017. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did when I went back through the archives.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Everything is provided for you

    Like most of you (probably all, frankly), life has been a series of twists and turns.

    With Labor Day weekend upon us, my mind drew a parallel between life’s twists and turns and those that come with a road trip during a long weekend. I’m visualizing great company, fun pit stops, convenience store snacks, an energetic sing-a-long to “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” and … perhaps a few tense conversations, some scary side roads off of the beaten path where you’re not totally confident you know where you’re going, flat tires, and heavy rain thwarting your adventures.

    I oftentimes stand in awe of the wonder of God. He takes every last detail and creates beauty. When I think of beauty, I consider deep meaning – a richness of love and life that can only be experienced by fully living. We do this by gathering up both extremes – the magical and tragic experiences – and continuing to move through them by listening and learning with an intent to grow. 

    Of the list in the photo above, restores & loves resonates the most to me at this point in my life adventure. This is certainly not an inclusive list, but it’s powerful. What stands out to you? Please share!

    Bold prayers for a wonderful week ahead my friends.

    Simple Thoughts Sunday: Love, baby, love! (How to do your best as we step into a new school year and season.)

    No surprises here with this message. Most of us know that LOVING well is not only important, but it is the best part of life, without a doubt. When God surrounds us with the people we need to love on, our hearts overflow.

    Today, I thought it may be good to talk about what that might look like when seasons change – kids start school, go off to college, mom or dad move into a retirement community… you get my drift. Transitions can take us off of our path. Like when your friend, family member or coworker isn’t responding how they normally would, or when your sweet little toddler develops their own opinions about… everything. It can be hard to know how to love well. Does anyone else feel that?

    What comes to mind for me is that loving well depends on a few key things. Today, my stand out is listening well. I have sometimes gotten this right, but oftentimes not so much. Looking back on my own children’s experience – and many others who have been part of my life – often these transitions and “impact seasons” have to be processed. Processing takes time and patience, because everyone is different in how they go about this. Some want to talk it out, some want to distract themselves and not hit it head on, some want to run and hope they don’t ever have to deal with this passing phase. No matter what, if we can just listen, observe, take it in and pray for a deeper understanding of how we can love the best “right now,” I believe God will provide us the direction we need to love well.

    It may sound easy, like a simple thought, but honestly I feel this is the most challenging and intention is required. How can you listen well and love well this week?

    Praying for everyone to have a strong wrap to August and a wonderful week.