To Serve well

Serving with Excellence for a Life of Excellence

Faith

Simple Thoughts Sunday: HAPPY NEW YEAR

(Photo Creds: We Heart It)

Happy New Year everyone.

Today sets forth a blank page and new path. I prefer my paths fairly straight, with few rocks and beautiful scenery. Mountains, rivers, friends, fresh air… That’s good because God promises us paths that drip with ABUNDANCE.

As we all know, life has many paths and some are what I fondly refer to as “ass kickers” – and that’s okay. We don’t reach our highest potential, or enjoy life’s true beauty without some effort and “STRETCH.”

I’ve been putting together my 2017 plan over the last few days (while dealing with this awful cold that some handsome college kid delivered to my door step). I will pray over this plan today and in the days to come, and what I know is that God will put me on many paths this year. I need to follow his guidance and not my own desire to take the route of least resistance… To put on my explorer hat and be ready, fully knowing that whatever the path looks like, He’s right there with me, along with some really great friends and family He has put along the trail!

I pray that you’ll join me throughout the year as we find out what’s ahead and together, and fully know that whatever it is, the year is promised to be “CROWNED with GOODNESS.”

It’s time to pick your ONE WORD!

(Photo Creds: We Heart It, and thanks to my son Sam who, when asked what is a visual that inspires him, he quickly said an eagle… a perfect choice!)

It’s that time of year! Last year I introduced this concept on the blog after having done it for a few years. I simply love this idea and it has had great meaning to me and the stories I have heard have been equally cool. Many of you shared your words with me. Words like…

Curiosity

Amplify

Discipline

Trust

Fun

Accelerate

Focus

My word this year has been “deeper.” Deeper friendships, going deeper in my faith, my career… deeper meaning.

I usually pray that God will give me the word that I should focus on… I’m not 100 percent sure this is the word, but it’s been sticking around in my head for a few weeks, so I think it may be it. The word is significance, as in “true significance.” Where do I get this? How can I lead a significant life? How do I truly help those in need and live out the commands in the bible to help the poor? I am one person, but have a true desire to help meaningfully. What does that look like?

Life is an incredible journey and one thing is for sure, and that is that we do not know from day to day where the road may take us. What we can do is live with intention and move toward what we believe is what will create for us the most fulfilled and well-lived life.

So, what is your word? Please share it if you want!

Merry Christmas!

(Photo Creds: We Heart It)

Merry Christmas!

It’s Christmas night – a time to reflect on the joy of the moment. Today we celebrated the greatest gift ever given and my prayer is that you embraced the tenderness and joy that this gift offers. I am concluding tonight with an excerpt from Ann Voskamp’s ‘The Greatest Gift‘ advent book as it captures this time so very well…

“Christ came into the world for you- and you came into the world for him.

The world will be still tonight.

There will be lingering, longing. We will long for this wonder to go on. One Christmas candle will flame in the quiet. This CANNOT FADE – none of this can ever fade.

‘For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given’ (Isaiah 9:6)’

God is with us.”

That’s all I need – all we need. God is with us. As we sit in silence to embrace whatever this day offers to us, be it joy, tears or love, we have what we need: God is with us indeed.

Merry Christmas from my sweet family to yours!

Raise a glass to those that help you be you!

(Photo Creds: We Heart It)

As we all get prepared to spend the next few days with those we love, and that God has surrounded us with, I thought this quote was ideal.

Acknowledging those that help us along the way – that cheer us on through prayer, kind words or even constructive criticism – is so very important. It takes a bit of extra time and thought, but being intentional about this can truly deepen your relationships and increase your own happiness.

There are times when we get overwhelmed with people or processes – or just life. If we can stop and take time to write out the reasons we appreciate those people it really shifts our thoughts to the positive.

I think I’m going to write a letter of blessing to my boys and maybe a few others. I am also going to spend some time during the pre and post-holiday meals to thank those that have had true meaning in my life, such as my grandma Zillhart. Every year, she pretty much stuns us all with the most amazing prayer of gratitude before our family holiday meals. That simple prayer enriches the lives of my boys and myself. The little things… they are the big things.

I hope that you will take time to “call out” those who help you achieve your best and if you’d like I know the readers would love to hear your story!

Simple thoughts Sunday – Love BIG

(Photo Creds: We Heart It)

Advent week 4 – LOVE! The final week as we prepare our hearts for Christmas. How perfect is it that LOVE is the focus this week?

I think all of my boys would say Christmas is the best time of the year, but one of my sons REALLY LOVES CHRISTMAS. I bought him a sign with a message that says, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year,” a few years ago and he proudly hung it in his room everyday of the year until he went off to college. I love that he did that, and I love that he understands the message of Christmas and that it’s truly all about LOVE. My mom-heart hopes that he will hold on to this truth all through his life.

Loving well is central to our hearts as humans. We are meant to love and often we get it right, and sometimes we don’t love as well as we can or should. Regardless, we strive toward LOVE and the world usually magically gives it back to us.

As we head into this week, my prayer is that we love well – the best we can! Even when the world sometimes doesn’t give it back, we press forward and continue to love. Thanks to the Christmas story, we know the truth is that God so loved the world, and he gave us his only son…

And our hope in this wacky wonderful world is real and beautiful. Enjoy every minute of this week leading up to the MOST WONDERFUL DAY OF THE YEAR.

Love my friends! Love well!

Joy is a function of gratitude and gratitude a function of perspective

(Photo Creds: We Heart It)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This phrase stopped me in my tracks. I was simply reading yesterday’s advent message and I had to take a moment to let this idea soak in. I get the idea that once we are grateful we can be more joyful. That seems simple to grasp. If I can understand how blessed I am and call those areas out, my life is happier and more joyful.

The second part hit me, because I think since gratitude does have to come first and we have to realize it’s not that simple if your perspective has shifted. Like most of you, I have many friends and family that have a different perspective due mainly to unfathomable loss that they have experienced. This can be in their health or of someone they care for, loss of a relationship, or even the sudden loss of a loved one. THESE REAL LIFE REALITIES NO DOUBT SHIFT your perspective and possibly can get some stuck in “neutral.”

This “neutral” creates, in some situations, not necessarily a heart nor soul that is ungrateful but a heart that can’t quite get to full gratitude and joy. After all, the pain is real, and our human nature causes us to not easily hurdle over pain to shouting joy to the world.

So, what to do? As you know, the goal of my writing almost always goes back to how to best SERVE WELL in our homes, communities and workplaces/schools etc. We really need to remember that we have an entire world around us that isn’t feeling joyful during this season. We need to maintain an empathetic PERSPECTIVE and do what we can to be that smile and that listening ear to possibly help move someone out of neutral and into gratitude & ultimately joy.

Have an amazing holiday weekend!

Who is that one person….?

(Photo Creds: We Heart It)

Who is that one person that you meet with BUT not often enough? That person that no matter what, when you do get to share a conversation, they make you better? You leave smiling. You walk away going, “wow, I’m blessed.”

This question is a bit of a trick question, because at least for me, there is no way I could narrow this down to one person. Now, let’s make this a bit more difficult and unless there is absolutely no one else, let’s not think of dear friends or neighbors we see often, or immediate family members.

I did this little exercise a couple of weeks ago; reached out and scheduled lunch… AND, THIS IS THE WEEK. I get to meet with three of the coolest people and boy am I excited!

There is not much that should make us more “JOY CENTERED” than being with those people that most certainly God placed in our path for a reason, to change us for the better and create a life fulfilled.

Your challenge today is to at least come up with one…reach out and put it on the calendar.  A walk in the snow, a mid-day coffee break, a meal to break bread with those you love. Make it happen! I’d love to know if you joined me on this challenge.

Simple thoughts Sunday: JOY

(Photo Creds: We Heart It)

I love the JOY of this picture. I’ll never forget the first real snow my dog experienced years ago. She ran, galloped, rolled and literally jumped INTO THE JOY. This is our opportunity this week. It’s Advent week three and the theme is JOY.

As Christians, we begin to let the season sneak into our hearts. No matter your faith, we all find ourselves singing along to favorite Christmas songs… ‘Baby it’s cold outside,’ ‘Mary did you know,’ Mariah Carey’s ‘All I want for Christmas is you,’ and the ol’ faithful songs like ‘O Holy Night.’

Those famous lyrics seem to GENERATE JOY and a feeling that something “is different” about today – about the season we are in. It IS DIFFERENT. It’s special.

As you go into your week, my prayer is that you will not only find JOY AROUND EVERY CORNER, but that you will EMBRACE the reason for this season.

For those who want to go deeper, the following is the Prayer of Peace of St Francis of Assisi (St. Francis is one of the most venerated religious figures in Roman Catholic history (had to look that one up). Even though this was written likely in the late 1100s, it stands true today.) 

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is discord, union.  Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, HOPE.

Where there is darkness, LIGHT.

Where there is sadness, JOY.

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love;

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

HAVE AN AMAZING WEEK!

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Peace through obedience

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(Photo Creds: Billy Graham advent devotion)

Advent week two: Last week was focused on ARRIVAL.  The meaning of the Advent season and how to begin to prepare our hearts to truly understand the significance of this season in our lives. Week two is officially focused on PEACE, a truth that is top of mind for people all over the world. How do we get more of this? How do we participate in ensuring or improving PEACE? Big questions, without a straightforward answer. For that reason alone, we are compelled to go to God in prayer for his direction and guidance.

While preparing for this blog, I found this wonderful insight from the Reverend Billy Graham. His wisdom has always created a stir in my heart. This idea that we need only look at the beginning of the Christmas Story, where Mary and Joseph showed us how to gain peace around what seemed to be an impossible situation. What did they do? They listened and were obedient to God’s call on their lives. Please know that this was not without some initial push back (Joseph wanted to cancel their engagement), however, ultimately both followed the plan and had faith in the unknown. The result was a situation that escalated from unbelievable to scary to creating absolute wonder and awe.

As we think about the season we are in and try our best to embrace the moments of quiet, and those of joy and yes… even chaos, I pray that we remember that we can achieve PEACE throughout the year by being obedient. By listening and using our gifts that he gave us to best serve our communities and families.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Expectancy

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(Photo Creds: We Heart It)

What a terrific photo. I love the expectancy of children. As we grow older – and especially because I have the joy of watching my boys come of age – I am more and more aware of how we lose this feeling of excitement.

This season quickly consumes us with apps eagerly sharing the greatest new “deal,” dinners, shopping, movies, etc.  As cool as that can be, I long for deeper moments of connection and a true focus on the meaning behind this incredible season. (By the way, it may be slightly more than a longing… a bit more like a full-out sprint from the “mall,” so to speak, and into the welcoming refreshment of reveling in sheer HOPE. Hope for a world free of illness, sadness and brokenness in general.)

For Christians, the Advent season starts today, signaling the four-week countdown to celebrate the birth of the messiah, who brings us this hope. For others, the season is equally rich in meaning and I love that I am a part of a diverse community. Most of all, we all come together to unify around family and the best parts of the human spirit: giving, celebrating… enriching our world.

My great hope today is that we will all choose to make this year, 2016, the year we truly take this time and this season to become as expectant as children. To relish in what the season has to offer.

Dear God, provide us with your heart, and the joy and expectancy of a child.