To Serve well

Serving with Excellence for a Life of Excellence

Simple Thoughts Sunday

Simple Thoughts Sunday: It’s a wonderful world!

It’s Sunday and I can’t wait for you to see this video! My sister sent it to my yesterday and I’m so happy she’s letting me share it with you all here! This little gal sings one of my favorite songs in an incredible way. Along with that, it happens to be a pretty great Sunday insight for us all… It is a WONDERFUL WORLD! We have to keep that thought front and center. As you go into the week, find beauty in every moment… I believe it literally surrounds us if we are willing to stop and soak it in.

Now, watch this crazy-fun video from this beauty of a young soul! Pass this one on, because this world for sure needs more of this type of inspiration.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: A final thought on mindfulness

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I couldn’t think of a better way to wrap up the idea of mindfulness than this message.

This scripture gets me every single time. Most likely because I’m not so good at it. I totally get it though. The ONLY time I have truly felt I have heard from God was when I quieted my soul to reflect on what was happening in my life at any given time, truly listening to what I was reading, watching, etc.

I do believe the research I’ve found and shared, and the simple message of mindfulness goes hand in hand with this scripture.

I hope that you have found something valuable over the last week and know that GOD is indeed with you and guiding every single step. Even the ones that do not make much sense to you right now. If we can still our minds to listen, we will surely see him show up… step in and help us RISE to our next level.

Have a simply wonderful week. Relish a bit in the fun of the holiday and, as always, I’m so grateful today for each of you that read this and am always cheering you on.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Spread more joy

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(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’

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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! 

Mind over matter: Don’t give up

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Since Sunday’s ‘Simple Thoughts’ post was focused on the power of the mind and the human spirit to achieve anything, today I’m throwing it back to an extra-relevant post from this time last year.

I have had many a friend or colleague recently that are going through “hard” things, so now seems like the right time.

Incredibly challenging work situations, moral issues, children with health issues, children with drug problems, seemingly insurmountable financial challenges, loss of jobs, a strained relationship… the list goes on.

I’m sure you have your own. We all have seasons of pain and sometimes it’s a life-long undercurrent of something needing dealt with.

There was a book published several years ago by twin brothers who were 18 at the time, called ‘Do Hard Things.’ That book was written for teens as an encouragement to do the hard work and not get caught up in our me-first culture. The message, however, is ageless in its attempt to harness our power and potential. In order to achieve that, no matter what stage of life you are in, it requires us to “Do hard things.”

We must be accountable to excellence. We can’t stand on the sidelines and “hope.” We often use the idea that “hope is not a strategy” in the work place and I love it. We have to….

  • Have HARD conversations
  • Be uncomfortable
  • Find our voice… use it
  • Encourage each other, even those we don’t like
  • Reach out even when it’s cold outside and we want to go home and hide
  • Develop strategies for POSITIVE THINKING, even WHEN it’s not our natural course
  • Stop the negative commentary… You are not too old, too overweight…etc.  Change the narrative you tell yourself about yourself.

As our year winds down, I have great news… There is time left! Time to heal some wounds, address some of that stuff that is downright ugly and start the year with a truly fresh start.

What do you have in your life that needs dealt with? Who do you need to mend “fences” with, and launch into a better place? What needs to happen to set you up for success? Who will speak truth to you if you need a good honest answer to confront your own misigivings?

Let’s get uncomfortable together. I’d love to hear your stories along the way.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Settle for the BEST

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I have always believed our mind is our greatest human asset in achieving what we want out of this one life.

This statement in the photo was spoken at an event I attended, and I sat with it for a few months. I wanted to share it for today’s Simple Thoughts Sunday because I feel it has power. God gave us all a human spirit with goals, dreams and desires. I believe he wants us to not only achieve those, but to do so with great joy.

Sure, we will have pain in the mix and we will grow during those times, but in the end, we are here for a purpose. If we opt out and choose to not GO FOR our HIGHEST LEVEL, it is our choice. CHOOSE TO OPTIMIZE! Let your close friends and family know what they and I know they would love to cheer you on! I would be blessed to sit with any of your fan clubs. Have an amazing week, my friends.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Significance

We are all given gifts, talents…

I was personally captured in thought by this question.

It’s one of THOSE BIG ONES. Exactly what am I doing with gifts? I need to do an audit or inventory to ensure that what I am busy spending my time doing aligns. Do I need to go deeper in an area? What even is significant to me? From God’s perspective? (Helping, serving others, etc.)

I hope this gets you thinking like it did me… I also hope that you have an amazing week. I am off to a “just before 50” bucket list trip today, “Paul’s Journey,” and I am beyond excited to walk in the apostle Paul’s steps. We will also have some great Tuscany wine and enjoy learning about the people and history of Italy and Greece. I’ll be blogging as I can and I look forward to sharing whatever it is God speaks to me during the adventure.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: God often speaks loudest when we are the quietest

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I am a huge fan of the author Mark Batterson.

He has crafted the Circle Maker and a host of books I regularly give as gifts. His latest, ‘Whisper,’ is coming out soon and I was lucky enough to get a preview copy. This topic is timely, real and critical that we all listen. My opinion of course.

The book is about hearing the voice of God and outlines some practical thinking and steps we might take to get to this goal. Most people operate in the hope that God will send a sign or at least a major clue that tells us where to step next. I for sure have lived most of the seasons of my life looking around the corner and in the mailbox for these. It’s human nature I think.

At any rate, the simple thought this week is from Batterson’s latest book: “God often speaks the loudest when we are the quietest.” We must carve out time for quiet. Our world is so noisy. In fact, studies show that most of us can’t hardly stand to not have something going on, be it TV, radio, “Alexa” chatter, checking our phone, etc. I absolutely know this is a truth that I can use to hear again and again. I have time and again heard from God in the quiet… generally through reading or spending time away on the water. I know I for one need quiet… A LOT OF IT!

I hope this insight speaks to your soul, and I hope that this week you carve out time for QUIET.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: CHOOSE JOY

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Happy Sunday! We are hitting the second half of September and closing in on starting the final quarter of the year. Many have worked through the first month of school and started fall projects… yard work, remodeling, work, etc. I’ve even started seeing homecoming pictures… seems too early, but here we are! Fun fall events and action-packed days. Let’s remember to stop and CHOOSE JOY in those days! These moments mark our lives and this is such an important scripture for us to start our days with! I’m cheering you on as you conquer this week!

Simple Thoughts Sunday – Love & bearing burdens

As I write this, hurricanes are swirling, forest fires are ravaging, Houston is beginning a lengthy recovery and a lot of folks are praying, rolling up their sleeves, opening their wallets, and in anyway they can reaching out to help… to love… to send healing and positive thoughts.

This is the best part of “us” when we stop and truly bear the burdens of others. Love surrounds us and I hope this week we all PRESS forward to LOVE BIG.