To Serve well

Serving with Excellence for a Life of Excellence

Challenges

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!

It is not the critic that counts; it is the man in the arena… Battling it out… Doing the work…

(Photo creds: Canva)

Don’t you love how something said in 1910 is still true today? You may not be familiar with this speech, so please read it. It’s terrific. It resonates with me considering how our world today seems to be infiltrated with sideline judges.

Granted, most of us do what we can, jump in where we see a need, vote on issues that are important, etc. But we can easily fall victim to those “judges” often hiding behind computer screens. These are the “Monday morning quarterbacks” reporting on how we “should” have navigated whatever the trials of the day may be… Hurricane preparations, actual game day errors, conversations that should have taken a different direction, etc… What we need are those that call out what was done WELL! To focus on what we really desire… EXCELLENCE.

I just LOVE the idea and ACTION of GRIT, of working it out with blood, sweat and yep, tears at times. The key words of GREAT DEVOTIONS, WORTHY CAUSE, DARING GREATLY… are STRONG, RESILIENT, LIFE GIVING, ENERGETIC, and IMPORTANT.

Step into an ongoing effort to build a WORLD OF ENCOURAGEMENT… In your home, work place, school, community… and GET ENGAGED with the GREAT WORK OF BUILDING AN EVEN GREATER WORLD!

BE A DOOR OPENER

(Photo Creds: Purchased on Canva)

Vala Afshar is one of my favorite people to follow on Twitter. He is inspiring and thoughtful. Consider following him!

I have personally found this statement to be more than true. I know everyone is hitting the ground running this morning, so I am going to get right to the point. Who can you open a door for this week? We all have something to offer: career connections, personal hobbies, love for a child who could use an extra dose, wisdom in an area that needs sharing, and of course the door of encouragement is always needed.

As we think about “How do we serve well,” we SIMPLY MUST BE A DOOR OPENER and do SO INTENTIONALLY & GENEROUSLY!

Please let me know how you think about this topic? Have an AMAZING WEEK!

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.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: You are a badass (Acts 26:15)

(Photo Creds: We Heart It)

When I heard this connection this summer I knew I had to share it with you. Let’s face it, life can be tough. I was greatly encouraged to have someone point out to me the biblical reminder that I am indeed a badass… and SO ARE YOU! As you start this week, remember, that you can GET UP AND STAND UP. God created us to be courageous and brave and He gave us the tools to confront our lives with GREATNESS! (Peace, Grace, Love – the list goes on.)

A short thought for the day, but SUPER POWERFUL! Have an AMAZING WEEK!

“Make a dent in the universe”

(Photo Creds: We Heart It…Thanks to everyone who posted amazing eclipse photos!  So much fun!)

I couldn’t let this historical moment go by and not mention the idea above. When the universe shows us how intricate and truly cool it is, I think we should pay attention.

I believe that we all have a role to play in this one world and life of ours and although we can feel pretty small when set against the vastness of the world and it’s many needs and opportunities, we can indeed make our “dent.” Steve’s quote was in regard to entrepreneurs, but I would challenge you that we are all to make our “dent.”

So, as you wrap up your week and the final days of August, the challenge is that we all consider if we are making the “dent” that we want to. If not, why not? What steps can we take to move toward that goal?

I hope that you will think both BIG and small. We need BIG thinking to address some of our current challenges and small steps will get us there!

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Peace & Joy

(Photo Creds: Canva)

I loved this quote from from a book I read this week. I mean, who wants their problems to take over their mind and 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 has been 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 do have a CHOICE, and I happen to LOVE THAT. Imagine if we didn’t?

She said it another way…

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

I believe that has been true in my life. When I stray away from my disciplined life of reading scripture, attending regular church services, hanging out 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, that we almost immediately get signs that prod us back to where our focus should be. If you are familiar with scripture there is a terrific verse in Galatians 5:22-23:

“But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

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.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: TRUST

(Photo Creds: Canva)

Mother Teresa is “the one” I’d love to sit with for a weekend and just rest in her presence and wisdom. How amazing is this thought? As we head into a busy season with school ramping up and busy times with work, we have to continue to fill our minds with the reality that we have to put our trust in God and seek discernment through whatever method works best for us individually.

For me, it’s reading, listening to messages from some great spiritual leaders I follow (Beth Moore, Christine Caine, Priscilla Schirer, Joyce Meyer, Steven Furtick,  John Gray, Craig Groeschel and my pastor, Blake Finuf) and reading scripture.

As you kick off the week, I’m praying for you and know that God is with us in our journeys. He will clear our minds and make our paths clear as we still our mind and listen.

I’m cheering for you and I believe the world is conspiring in OUR FAVOR!

The Power of Music

I loved this bit of research I stumbled upon through the Museum of Science and Industry.

I must not have been in the Spice Girls era enough but Lou Bega’s “Mambo #5” (I have to admit, I didn’t know the artist) and Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger,” are definitely catchy and fun!

The study was based on how much time it took 12,000 people to recognize the tune, among other things. The average recognition time was 5 seconds, with the top three averaging around 2.5 seconds.

Why is it that music has so much power? The way the brain processes music is an entire industry of sorts. Researchers can use this cognitive data to understand larger issues such as understanding dementia and communication strategies to employ with such patients. Pretty cool. (For all of my music friends, I know this scratches merely the surface on the power of music, so perhaps I can cover other topics later! Guest blog volunteers?)

I absolutely love music but I don’t have a great iTunes playlist, and honestly am pretty boring when it comes to what I listen to on a regular basis. This list has me convinced that I need to listen to music a lot more. There’s nothing like an impromptu dance party to SHIFT THE MOOD of the house, the car, etc.

In fact, I recommend, you make it a point to have such a party sometime this week! Choose one of these top three or from the list below, or HECK, come up with your own. If you have one you feel should have been in the top, let us all know! (For some reason, I would add AC/DC’s Back in Black, which pretty much anyone that knows me, knows I’m not hard rock fan… but that song always brings out the crazy college dance days back!)

The other top ones on the list (I am so happy to see The Human League made the cut!):

HAVE AN AWESOME WRAP TO THE WEEK AND A FUN DANCE PARTY!