To Serve well

Serving with Excellence for a Life of Excellence

Faith

God wants more for you than an “almost” life…

“Almost.” The word may perplex you, like it did me.

If you are a person of faith, you know deeply that God wants us to have a full life… One full of extravagant love, meaningful relationships, purposeful careers, and surrounded by what is good.

Why then do we often settle for “almost?” As in…

  • “I almost eat right…”
  • “I am almost where I want to be financially…”
  • “My partner is almost the person I know I’m supposed to be with…”
  • “I almost have a spiritual life that I’m growing from daily…”
  • “I almost spend time with the people I love as often as I want to…”

We all settle for different reasons, be it lack of discipline, lack of belief that there really is something better, lack of faith that God could orchestrate the impossible in [name the area].

This idea of “almost” recently hit me squarely where God needed it to. I have had some areas where “almost” was starting to ease its way into my daily routine. I’m not willing to have an “almost” life and I know for absolute sure that is not God’s plan for me – or you.

If you think you may have some areas that you need to stop “settling” in, my prayer this week is that you will seek God’s plan full on with a spirit of both joy and accountability. You deserve to have all that is yours!

Simple Thoughts Sunday: God’s timing – it’s perfect & it may be here now

(Photo credit to @ig_minimalshots)

God’s timing on [fill in the blank] is perfect. Does it sometimes seem unattainable? I mean… what does “perfect” really mean? And …could it actually arrive sooner than I think? I think the whole idea is actually a bit of a challenge to comprehend, or at least that has been my experience. I believe that “perfect” is really what is “perfect” for you… at a specific time and a specific season in your life. The notion is such a wonderful thought.

To me, God’s timing is the only avenue to what is perfect for my life. Looking back, when God was involved it ended up being the right time and the right place – even if the reason was for a big ole’ lesson to be learned by yours truly! Be it a career choice, a relationship, or even the decision to make a major purchase, if I actually listened and was obedient to what He was trying to get through my sometimes-thick skull, then I have found myself fully in His timing… which is right where I’m supposed to be! How do I know? Because quite simply I am at peace about it!

I don’t know about you, but I want that… FULL ON PEACE and a KNOWING! Unfortunately I, like you, am human, which means I often don’t listen fully and certainly am not as obedient as I really would love to be. It is an aspirational goal I constantly work toward. I want to be the best listener, and to have God’s direction guiding my life. How about you?

My insight for today is that sometimes God’s timing may seem really far away, but quite possibly, it just may be closer than you think. I know personally that it is quite likely right in front of you. Do what you can (surround yourself with encouragers, read the scriptures, listen to messages that inspire, etc.) to submit yourself to what you know God is calling you to do and muster up some deep courage to go in that direction. Make that call, send that message, stop that bad habit, move forward on that idea you have…

If you are able to take action and be obedient, you may just fast forward ahead, and your dreams just may be here now.

Have the best week ever! It is a beautiful time to create the world you desire.

Why you need a security detail

I hope this hits some of you like it did me. I have a security detail, and I hope you do as well! It may be that you need to rethink who is in yours, and perhaps even add one or more key folks to the team.

You may be thinking, “What is a security detail?” My son even asked about it when he saw me working on this post. According to Wikipedia, a security detail is a “Personal Protection Detail (PPD); a protective team assigned to protect the personal security of someone.” So, who is protecting you? People who “have our back,” and push us and make us better. People who we primarily choose, though often God blesses us with family members who are incredible at ensuring we are covered, protected, confronted, redirected, and gently pushed toward a positive direction. My sister has always had my back full on and what a gift that has been.

So, what are some of the critical areas where this is essential to a successful life? Here are some thoughts…

Your personal physical and mental health… Everything from exercise and fitness to those girl’s nights out that fill your spirit.

Your financial wellness and ability to find freedom in that area… A trusted advisor who comes alongside you and offers clarity around some often complex and private decisions.

Your career and in the workplace… This one is huge. I’ve blogged before about the need to have a champion – a few, if possible – that you know without a doubt will lift you toward great success.

Your spiritual life and your ability to navigate the complexities of life in general… Who do you know that is locked in to their faith and can help you build yours?

If I think through “who has my back,” I can come up with a short list that I know without a doubt want to see me succeed in many areas. I have, however, gone seasons without that “someone” in some of these areas. This is a call to action if you find yourself in that same boat, so to speak.

It takes intention to seek out this type of help. I personally like to have people that are ahead of me in life, or who have experience in an area at a much higher level than I have. These people offer me the opportunity to level up, and they can hold me accountable because of their experience having already walked this path.

Have a crazy-good week. Make it that way.

Add to your tribe if needed, and know that no matter what, most people are good, and the universe wants you to succeed in all that you dream and desire to accomplish!

Simple Thoughts Sunday: You are meant to flourish – 4 steps to move forward this summer

Flourish… Grow… Prosper… Develop… Multiply – I love all of it.

God indeed intends for us to flourish. To become… To live out our purpose fully and with joy.

On Friday night, our church, Hillsong KC, had a women’s “sisterhood” night. It was a ton of fun and I had many friends join me, which made it all the more powerful. I believe God shines brightest when we are unified in our praise, celebration and, like it or not, in our struggles. The major takeaway for me was something I thought you all may find worth your attention as well: Co-pastor Liz Turner shared 4 steps for us to consider taking this summer. I hope you join me in putting them into action! (I do have to say that I surprisingly am somewhat of a traditionalist with many things, but the fact that she co-leads the church is awesome! It’s rare to see a woman as integrated in a key role at a church. Her spirit and passion make a huge difference to so many. More faith-filled women please!)

Here you go… SO GOOD!

1.) Sit down and spend some time truly thinking about what you are believing God for this summer… identify it and write it down.

2.) Ask God what He wants you to focus on. Do this through prayer and contemplation, reading scriptures… identify it and write it down.

3.) Stay connected with others that hold this same focus and intent for their lives. Speak life to one another and stand together. Be vulnerable as to where you may need support. God has assigned the right people to help you in this phase of your life.

4.) Ask for accountability. Make a personal, faith-filled declaration of who you are and where you are going. Share it and speak it over your life.

I’m going to work on this today. If you join me, let me know! Praying your week is absolutely brilliant, and that you set a spark to ignite a summer of flourishing.

Memorial Day: A day to honor

Memorial Day is about honor.

As we kick off this week, focused on honoring those who have served our country and lost their lives, I pray that we will all consider the impact this sacrifice has had on our lives. In America, we experience freedom of every possible type. This has come at a price. It will personally be a great joy to lift up to God my many thanks for this gift. My gift in return will be to not only live a life of excellence, but to inspire others to do the same.

Let’s focus this week on honor, because we need to keep it front and center.

Have an amazing long weekend. I pray that you will be refreshed and that a spirit of honor will fill your heart and home.

I want to also take a moment to recognize not only those who have left us through their service to our country, but to all who have gone ahead of us. We are who we are because of their impact on our lives.

(Rewind — this is a throwback post to 2018).

So… What is your super skill?

Okay, so first off… how darling is this little guy? I loved him immediately!

Let’s dive right in. I was listening to a podcast this weekend (Small Changes, Big Shifts), and the guest, Randy Floyd, LSCSW, was sharing that he felt self awareness was the greatest “super skill” to have. How cool is that? I have never really thought about super skills. I guess I didn’t even know that was “a thing.” So, assuming it is, let’s chat about it for a few minutes…

I really like the self awareness perspective. One of the most powerful realities for all of us is to accept that once we really understand something about ourselves –(how and why we react, respond, celebrate, spend time, think about money, etc. )– we then magically become able to process it, as well as make any changes we might like (or need) to in order to reach a better version of ourselves. Sure, it may take some guidance, but once we “know,” we add a great deal of power to our personal growth arsenal. I’m not sure I can or want to challenge that one as the best super skill, but perhaps a good discussion would be interesting.

So… how about the super skills of:

Confidence, courage, bravery or kindness (despite all obstacles). Or how about if your super skill was that of a professional golfer or world class musician? How about a dog or horse whisperer? Goodness – this is kind of fun to think about. This is making me want to have a long list of super skills.

Guess what? That’s quite possible. After all, we get out of life what we claim and go after! Let’s pick a few great ones; a few fun ones. Let’s use the one’s God has gifted us with, and add a few to up our game.

Enjoy the long weekend if you get one! If you are working, we all thank you!

It’s always great to be an American, but it is especially poignant on weekends such as this where we honor those who sacrificed their lives while serving our country in the United States Armed Forces. For all who serve or have served, we pay you the highest honor this weekend and every day of the year.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Another in the fire

Want to build your confidence this week? Your bravado? Your courage? This truth is absolutely huge! Our church for the past several weeks has had an amazing song on their playlist – “Another in the Fire” (Hillsong United). It is incredible, namely because of the lyrics.

“There’s a grace when the heart is under fire…
Another way when the walls are closing in…
And when I look at the space between where I used to be and this reckoning…
I know I will never be alone.

There was another in the fire standing next to me…
There was another in the waters holding back the seas…”

In Daniel’s powerful story, the king who had thrown three in the fire was shocked to see that not only were there three walking around in the fire, but a fourth person appeared to be with them.

As a woman who believes firmly in God, this story prepares us for a life changing truth. No matter what is going on – the great celebrations and great tragedies – God is indeed with us. Sometimes it is just you and Him quietly praising or battling, and other times I believe He sends just the right person or people to serve that purpose and fill that need. I see it every single day, whether it be friends circling one another in prayer and encouragement, or ensuring someone is celebrated and honored. There are so many examples of this greatness around us.

You are never alone. We have each other… We have stories that help guide us back to truth when we have doubts, which we all experience. Have the best week my friends!

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Paying honor to the many faces of “mom”

There are way too many days to pick just one to honor the moms out there. Alas, today in America we pay a special tribute.

I am incredibly grateful to have my mom still, especially after a tough 2018 with her health. She is strong and courageous, and I hope to celebrate her often!

In today’s blog, though I thought we should look a bit broader.

I love this picture because it reminds me of one of my favorite roles: dog mom! That’s a fun example of one of the many mom roles that happen across our communities. We have the teachers and nurses (A special shout out to both professions that we recognized this week across our country.) who nurture and hold us accountable to grow in knowledge and health. We have the “bonus” moms and grandmothers who didn’t physically carry a child, but who stepped into a role that they embraced daringly… including the perils of flu season, endless sleepless nights and the “know it all” years. (God bless you all!) We have the aunts, the co-workers, the neighborhood moms, and a host of other women who play a big part in helping raise our younger generations. It takes a village, after all.

Today, I hope you will reach out to a few ladies who have helped you out along the way. Perhaps also to someone you know others may not think to honor. I guess I may even have to acknowledge the “cat” moms out there! (Kidding, kidding!)

Have the best week!

Simple Thoughts Sunday: God meets you at the level of your expectation

I heard this strong message last week and it captured me. The very thought that God meets us where we are is not only comforting, but galvanizing. Whether we are in a mode of praise and gratitude or on a path of seeking and searching… He is there. If we are boldly moving forward with fresh thinking and new plans… He is there. If we find ourselves in a matter of hours (or moments) circulating through emotions of love and struggle… He will also meet us there if we are open to Him.

If we for some reason cannot get to our faith, we can build on a committed focus in 3 key areas (although I’m sure there are many more – so consider this a start):

  1. Surrounding ourselves with a community of people who are able to lift us up and provide both celebration and accountability.
  2. Prayer. No matter if it’s a two word prayer (i.e. “help me”) or a specific and verbose prayer – prayer is POWERFUL.
  3. Reading, listening to or watching messages that contain scripture and teachings that encourage our faith and help us grow in our understanding. One great benefit of our generation is that we have access to almost any type of media available that helps us however we learn best. I love that.

I hope that your faith will grow this week and that it is truly a week of happiness and extreme joy! Let’s all raise our expectations and allow God to step in with whatever we need right now.

It takes a strong person to be kind

An excerpt from Maria Shriver’s short read, “I’ve been Thinking,” was powerful to me:

“We all want to be treated with kindness, because we are all struggling in some way, shape or form. I had to learn this as an adult, because growing up in a large, competitive, and tough Irish Catholic family, I used to confuse kindness with weakness. When I grew up, I learned differently. I now understand that kindness doesn’t mean weakness. You have to be really strong to be kind…You have to be really mindful … A person may look ‘happy on the outside,’ but who knows what’s happening on the inside.”

Some of the strongest people I know are also the kindest. And many have been through or are going through some crazy-hard life situations. They show up with a hug or inspirational words despite facing great loss and suffering. Knowing that was proof enough for Maria’s message to resonate with me.

I know that God has given me enough grace in some of my own “most difficult life experiences” to allow me to “show up” as kind and generous in my actions despite how I really felt inside. I can’t take credit for this because, like most of humanity, I’m not strong enough on my own. I give thanks for that to both by faith and a strong tribe of friends and family that surround me.

Today, be proud of yourself for showing up kind, in the midst of whatever is going on in your life. The ability to do so reveals great strength. I believe we definitely make the world better by showing kindness in every possible moment we can…especially when it’s the hardest to do so. You know what else is fun? Doing so likely will have the outcome of making us feel happier, which is a pretty cool by-product.