To Serve well

Serving with Excellence for a Life of Excellence

Faith

WELCOME TO PASSION TOWN

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Seriously, what a COOL STATEMENT. At the recent KENNY CHESNEY concert at Arrowhead in Kansas City, he used this phrase to describe our GREAT CITY. I immediately pulled out my phone and put it into my “blog ideas” list. So, he may use this phrase in other cites as well… Heck, maybe he uses it every weekend at his concerts, but you know what, that is awesome if he does!

I hope every person is proud of where they live and recognizes that God put them in that place and that time, in this generation, to LIVE, GROW, and SERVE. This blog is all about becoming people of excellence and about SERVING WELL. I don’t know about you, but I want a PASSION TOWN t-shirt, so I can show off my city and remind myself that I need to show it the PASSION it deserves!

What is so cool about this picture, or a few things to get you thinking:

  1. THE PEOPLE! So, on the stage you have Christa Dubill, Emmy award-winning TV news anchor for channel the local NBC affiliate, who gives so much of her time to this community that it is truly amazing. You also have Gracie Schram, local singer, songwriter and philanthropist who at a very young age began a journey of showing her PASSION. In other words, no matter what your age, JUMP IN. God can and WILL use you! You also have some posters that are showcasing some local executives that stepped up to raise funds for the American Heart Association – how cool is that? They are using their platform in their industry to make a difference. Finally, let’s not forget the volunteers that are flanking the stage. These people give their time, weekends and all,  to make our CITY, well, PASSION TOWN…
  2. THE MESSAGE! This happens to be the AHA Heart Walk, but this is just one of hundreds of great causes that flank our city and that’s what brings out the best in all of us. KC is one of the most generous cities in America!
  3. THE FUN! We make it fun. A little confetti, a little enthusiasm… A Saturday morning that offers the unexpected delight of not only making a difference by raising funds to take care of each other, but the pure JOY of being with friends, new and old and making memories.

These are just the “top of my head” things that make KC PASSION TOWN! I’d love to know if you have others… There are so many! Who’s up for making a shirt?

Dear summer, please SLOW DOWN

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I am so excited to be back blogging. It was hard not to write each week because, well, I LOVE IT!

As you know, my great hope and prayer is that I touch someone with each post! I am often surprised when I hear from someone that I didn’t even know read the blog that they really appreciate the writing. So, in the past month I pretty much am thankful I made that decision even if it did create a disruption to this Type A personality.

We moved out of our home that we have lived in since the boys started kindergarten and you can imagine the drawers and closets that require attention. (For the record, I always felt like I purged along the way and much to my surprise, I am awful at this apparently because the gremlins just kept coming out of literally every corner, haha!) That project alone made it almost necessary to give it my full attention where it was needed. Can I say that I am feeling my age and disappointed in that as well. No one bothered to tell me that moving is equivalent to a marathon, or at least a half marathon at my age, and I WANT A STICKER FOR MY CAR for God’s sake! Ha!

Okay, so enough of that – Who is with me on the fact that we need to slow summer down!? I would normally say that fall is my favorite season, quickly followed my spring, but summer is gaining ground with me. Thanks to social media, we have access to all of the great things there are to do, as friends and family share their personal rituals from picnics to Theater in the Park to live music at a variety of venues each week to the coveted lake weekends. These ideas give us INSPIRATION to get out there and soak up the moments. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR SHARING YOUR ADVENTURES!

So, I know that school is starting soon, but let’s make a pact that we are going to ignore that little factor for this month. When I was young, you never started back until after Labor Day anyway… And that was clearly the best plan!

So regardless if some have to get their kids fired up early… Take advantage of the late nights, and make long weekends. Cranky and all… It’s worth it! Unless you have a junior in high school, then I recommend you takeaway a couple of those extra days… They catch up quickly and trust me it makes no difference. Kidnap the grandkids, have extra ice cream or frozen yogurt, make your Tuesday’s your Saturday’s and enjoy SUMMER all of the way until the cold sets in!

What will you do this month? Please share and give everyone inspiration!

American’s Liberty, A Gift to the World

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I wrapped up a week or so ago the best book of the year, If You Can Keep It, by Eric Metaxas. I will feature more details later in my book review posts, but for now, this quote gives you a great look into the book’s central idea.

I had not noticed before reading in the book, that Lady Liberty in New York City, faces outward, carrying her torch high… As if she is a light house, welcoming others toward America and TOWARD LIBERTY and the FREEDOM our great country represents.

As the well known scripture says, “To whom much is given, much is required”  (Luke 12:48), American has been given much, and it has been and continues to be our role to serve as a steadfast world leader. A country that represents the greatest character qualities of a Christian, shining our light for others… to help and to serve… And to welcome and enrich lives along the way.

As you celebrate Independence Day this weekend, be grateful to be a part of a country that has been called to SHINE God’s love on our entire world.

(Photo credit: Pinterest)

THE JOY A PET BRINGS! HAPPY BIRTHDAY CINNY!

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Today is my amazing dog’s 14th Birthday!

Depending on how you calculate it and whose theory you use, she is either 98 (7 years X 14), or 78 (via webMD.com). I’m going with 78, well, because I’d love to have her around as long as possible.

This picture was in the last few days, so I know you’ll agree she’s pretty awesome looking still! (After all, there are a lot of youngsters in their 70s: Racquel Welch, Harrison Ford, Gladys Knight, Paul McCartney, Barbra Streisand…to name a few!)

She has been nothing short of PURE JOY and I know my fellow pet lovers will agree that there is nothing like a pet! Seems this summer PETS are a popular topic. “The Secret Life of Pets” is coming out in the next two weeks, and promises to be a summer block buster. One of the local pastors in our area did a sermon series, just these past two weeks on “The Gospel According to Dogs.” My son shared that one of these messages was a pretty darn good summation of just why DOGS bring us so much JOY. Here are a few thoughts from that message:

Like God, dogs provide us with…

  1. PROTECTION… Regardless if it’s a possum, the fed ex man, or leaves rustling… THEY ARE ALL OVER IT!
  2. LOVE… No better LOVE than a DOG’S! Even after being locked up for 12 hours they couldn’t be more excited to see you!
  3. LOYALTY… Like a good friend, DOGS don’t care much about what you wear, or if you worked out today. They see your heart and they want to be with you regardless of good or bad days!

Have a great wrap to your week. Take a moment to END THE MONTH STRONG BY SPREADING JOY TODAY to a few FOLKS that made your MONTH TERRIFIC!

Lessons on the Playground: “Is that all you have?”

blog_808433_2923537_1466504974I am huge fan of all manner of swings. Tire swings, rope swings (especially the version where you jump into a lake), and even a good old playground swing!

This idea of not forgetting to “play” captured me, because while I try to inject fun into my life, there is something invigorating about just swinging, legs pumping and going as high as you can.  It’s symbolic of life. You start out needing to be pushed and then as you get a bit more comfortable you ask “push” me higher and then…it’s up to you, to pump and push to achieve your goal! The sky is the limit!

This weekend, my sister was telling me how they watched their neighbor’s boy for a few hours and took him to the playground. Since it wasn’t their child, and he was small, they didn’t want to push too hard… The young man was adamant, “IS THAT ALL YOU HAVE?… I want to go HIGHER!” That’s awesome! At 6 years old he was ready to “fly” and he was being held back due to both his readiness and of course they were holding him back.

What a great lesson for us all… We can either not be ready and God won’t allow us, OR, we simply have someone or something that’s holding us back.  After we discern which one, we can either learn, grow and prepare or decide to get a new “champion” or in this case a new person to “push us.”

Let’s get out to the playground this summer literally and figuratively and see how far we can go!

(Photo credit: Pinterest)

Happy father’s day!

blog_807853_2922706_1466343528Happy Father’s Day to the many great men I know. No matter if it is your own child, or one you have adopted or simply a child you “stand in the gap” for because their dad isn’t there at the moment, today is the day for all of us to express our gratitude and honor you!

This blog is often about “honoring” those that God has put in our paths, and today is perhaps one of the best days of the year for just that. Since this goes out on Sunday night, I’m guessing that the celebrations are well underway or have passed, and my hope is that you will spend some time tonight thinking about all of those “other” men that have impacted your life. Some men never had children, but they have made an impact on your life. Reach out to them and thank them or drop a note in the good old fashioned mail!

My uncle is one of those men. He’s loving, kind and always encouraging. Though not my dad, whom is by the way down right hysterical and the best story teller I know, my Uncle Gary has been there for me and my sister and brother from day one. I can think of several others, from teachers to pastors to mentors who at some point helped me to grow much like a father would! I am thankful today that God put those men in my life.

For those of you have lost your fathers, my prayer tonight is that you will be filled with God’s love and know that your father loves you today as much as ever and can’t wait to run and hug you some day! I know I am looking forward to the day to jump into my grandfather’s arms!
Have a fantastic week!

(Photo credit: Pinterest)

50 Years of AMAZING

blog_806959_2921732_1466082181Today is my sisters big FIVE-O! HALF TIME! (Lucky for us, the number of centenarians has doubled the last several years and the quality of life seems to be following….). So I’ve heard, the LAUNCH is into the BEST part of LIFE!

Before we LAUNCH, I wanted to share just what you can accomplish in 50 years. Five short decades, 18,250 days, 438,000 hours…This should be an inspiration to just about EVERYONE!

DECADE ONE (1-10)

  • Hone your public performance skills by the age of 6, by burping so loud your first grade assembly is halted- Thereby requiring a public apology to every class in the school.  (PREPARATION FOR A STRONG CAREER- CAN’T START TOO EARLY)
  • Achieve notoriety as a trail blazer who likes to have fun, by … getting kicked out of Girl Scout camp… It was only a fire cracker she said…. Long story-  You have to message me if you want to details!  (LEARNING TO HAVE FUN AND PUSH THE ENVELOPE IS CERTAINLY A LIFE SKILL WE ALL NEED- What FUN IS IT WITHOUT TAKING A RISK OR TWO…)

DECADE TWO (11-20)

  • Become a certified awesome dancer  (CREATING EXERCISE HABITS…)
  • Develop relationships with life long friends who will stand by your side every day from this day forward…(THAT IS HUGE). (Think slumber parties, college all nighters, stirring up just a bit of trouble))

DECADE THREE. (21-30)

  • Showcase your LIFE NINJA skills by dealing with some major LIFE CHAOS.. (WE ALL HAVE IT… pick a category….  BUT HANDLING IT LIKE A NINJA- WELL, THAT IS A SKILL WE ALL NEED FOR SURE… PS.  NINJAS CRY but NINJAS NEVER DROWN IN THEIR TEARS)
  • DEVELOP AN AMAZING START TO A GREAT CAREER…

DECADE FOUR (31-40)

  • JUMP into a HUGE ROLE as the BEST AUNT EVER!
  • GO DEEP in YOUR RELATIONSHIP with GOD, FAMILY and FRIENDS… SECURE THE BONDS and REALIZE THAT LIFE IS REALLY ALL ABOUT THOSE YOU LOVE.

DECADE FIVE (41-50)

  • Meet the LOVE of YOUR LIFE…EMBRACE TRUE JOY!
  • Become a person of great GENEROSITY in EVERY CATEGORY, and as a result GROWING IN A GREAT WAY!

As you can see, you can accomplish a lot. God uses every step in every phase to get you to the DESTINATION of a GREAT LIFE! I didn’t put the details in here, but my darling sister has certainly had a life riddled with as many challenges as I’ve seen anyone face. In spite of it all, she has overcome and remained with that sweet smile on her face, learning, giving and SHINING more deeply!

What an inspiration! Happy 50th sweet sister! The boys and I love and adore you.

(Photo credit: Some awesome photographer from the 1960s!)

We Need your Voice

blog_805854_2920748_1465865666I found this sign on my drive back from an appointment last week. I immediately did a U-TURN to snap a picture. I know I have seen business owners/churches, etc use their sign for humorous or inspirational messages before but this one is REALLY GOOD.

It’s SIMPLE and YES, I do need to call my grandmother more often, and probably my dad for that matter. GREAT REMINDER, THANKS SONIC, I’LL DO THAT RIGHT NOW!  IT’S IMPORTANT!

In addition to that thought, I am constantly thinking about how we should all use our voice. Whether you are America’s Drive-In, a 5 year old, or a 105 year old, God gave you a voice. Your voice is your point of view, your story, your contribution. The world needs it. Perhaps more than ever.

Our world is relying on it as a matter of fact. What insights do you need to offer your team at work? Your child? Your city? Raise your hand, write a letter, post a blog, tweet, insta or snapchat. USE YOUR VOICE!

(Photo credit: My own)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

blog_805194_2920053_1465679255We ALL NEED THIS!

I was searching for the perfect image for my mom’s birthday, which happens to be this very day! I love these ladies, especially the red head who is clearly the life of the party. As a bonus, this quote from Walt Disney was an IMMEDIATE STAND OUT!

I have been “old” at different times in my life and even now I love to hang out on a Friday watching HGTV or Hallmark. I tell folks at work, “I go to bed right after the Lawrence Welk show,” which is my way of saying, no way am I going out after our dinner meeting!

I really DO need to get HAVE A BIT MORE FUN!  How about you?
My mom is seriously a funny gal. I didn’t really know that until the last several years and I consider it a gift from God. She is pretty competitive and hearing her tales of winning the badminton games at the retirement community she lives in cracks me up. It is a gift to LAUGH and SPREAD JOY, and I know she is able to bring a ray of sunshine to her friends. I think she “GETS” this idea that it IS OPTIONAL TO GROW UP!

There’s no better time than summer to grab some popsicles or wave down the ice cream man and act like a child again! Have a terrific week!

(Photo Creds: Pinterest- HOW MUCH FUN IS THIS?)

Make VOLUNTEERING a part of your SUMMER PLAN!

blog_801593_2914021_1464656789I have to say that I am so thankful my boys are out of the phase of childhood where they are “looking” for things to do during the summer. I believe school has been out a mere week or two and I have already heard in passing neighborhood kids saying how bored they are.

I can smile now, but God help the parents and care takers during these summer months, that both seem to drag on and are fleeting all at once. As we talk this week about the idea of “honoring” there is one CLEAR message that we can all use, and that is HONORING BY HELPING OTHERS!

Sometimes I feel like I’m helping others, but when you go around the dinner table and ask when you last “volunteered” formally, the often answer is not lately. Now don’t get me wrong, everyday acts of kindness MATTERS and in a HUGE WAY. Honestly, those actions are the positive fabrics in our lives. In fact, a book I read over the long weekend (quoted above) was about that very idea. We are wired to be in “tribes” and a tribe in most cultures represents unity. Unity is found at the most basic level in helping each other to survive, each taking on their role to use the gifts/skills they have can that best serves the group. (This was a fantastic read – short and powerful. I highly recommend it!)

So what should we do this week in order ACT on THIS? For one thing, I’d love to hear what your plans are for summer volunteering. I will be helping with the American Heart Associations Heart and Stroke Walkon Saturday, June 18 and also the Spofford Home’s Community birthday celebration on July 30. I think volunteering with the family or friends at a food bank like Harvesters is a terrific need in our community, and there are literally hundreds of other needs out there ready for a helping hand and a willing heart!

What if we all be sure to incorporate a VOLUNTEER PLAN into our summer schedules?

(Photo credit: Pinterest, via a posting by CMC inc. Marketing)