To Serve well

Serving with Excellence for a Life of Excellence

Joy

Safety or adventure? You choose.

(Photo Creds: We Heart it; Grand Gunderson)

Sunnier days! We are all ready for that! You might be looking at the coming summer months ahead and planning a road trip, a “bucket list” trip or something else like hanging out by the pool.

One of our local magazines featured several road trip ideas within a “tank of gas” from Kansas City. It was a fun read, and I truly believe there are so many little towns across the country that would have a lot to offer for a someone out on an adventure, even if that’s an antique hunt!

Here’s the idea to contemplate today: Will you choose SAFETY OR ADVENTURE as you plan out the free moments in your life? Will you be afraid to launch out and do something you’ve never done? (Blaming it on lack of energy, funds or something else.) Or, will you set forth on an adventure and go out and LIVE?

I truly believe I spent too many weekends at home when I was younger thinking for some reason that I was saving money, or choosing the better path. Today, I believe and KNOW that you can go on an adventure, whether it’s close to home (think sailing/kayaking on Shawnee Mission Lake) or not, and that ADVENTURE OFFERS PERSPECTIVE. It can cost little to nothing and still deliver an experience that allows you to get OUT of the everyday patterns of life.

As the warmer days show up, I hope that you will put some time into thinking about what ADVENTURES you can dream up over the next few months. Grab a family member or a long lost friend and enjoy ALL THAT LIFE OFFERS. You’ll be REFRESHED and add MEMORIES that will enrich you with HAPPINESS!

Introducing WAFFLES! Because we all need to have more fun!

Last Sunday we brought a new puppy into our home. Much to our surprise, it was incredibly difficult to come up with the PERFECT name. We had some great ideas from friends and family across the country, so thank you! We also had some challenging family group texts… it seemed we couldn’t reach consensus. I wanted a name that represented this stage of life: strong, adventurous, travel, brave… We just couldn’t seem to nail it down and now I know why – I needed a change of heart.

One (late) night – during the puppy’s midnight “wake up and go out…” session – I laid awake thinking about changing my direction. My mind went to something FUN, something that would make us all laugh. I was going to wake up and research fun, giddy & humor in all languages and come up with a few new ideas to toss out to the family. I think my initial idea is still good, but LIFE CAN BE PRETTY CHALLENGING, so adding a SPARK OF FUN made total sense.

When I woke up, one of my boys had sent a few names on a late night text. One being WAFFLES. It was JUST PERFECT!

How can you call the name WAFFLES and not laugh? Not only is she the color of waffles, but my boys often visit Waffle House with Pa Pa Mallory. So, there you have it…  FUN, APPROPRIATE and IT BRINGS UP GREAT MEMORIES of someone we all LOVE.

I had a few folks suggest I share this for today’s blog post! Can’t wait to share more puppy stories along the way! I hope it will challenge you to incorporate FUN into your life this week!

The Language of Rain

(Photo Creds: We Heart It)

Rain. Rain can be…

Generous

Giving

Replenishing…

And at the same time….

Painful

Desperate

Overwhelming….

I wonder if the language of rain helps us understand how we can wrap our heads around serving better. The picture painted in Ann Voskamp’s the Broken Way, is on point: “The abundant life doesn’t have a bucket list, as much as it has an empty bucket – the giveness of pouring out.” I for sure feel like my “bucket” is full when I am pouring out versus being poured upon.

Our lives certainly experience all matter of “rain,” both the refreshing kind and the drenching kind. Today, let’s focus on the filling/refreshing of others who are being flooded with life right now. I think it’s interesting that if you decide that you are going to be more aware of those in need, that you start to see need around every corner it seems. Honestly, I dare you to actually do this, because it shifts and shapes your own perspective. Your fellow co-worker, an extended family member struggling and sharing on Facebook, perhaps someone much closer. We need rain and we need each other to fill those buckets with encouragement and service.

Let’s go out today with the goal to REFRESH.

Cultivate… something that brings joy

(Photo Creds: We Heart It)

I love the idea of community gardens. If you aren’t familiar, community gardens are managed by a collective group of people, generally to meet a need in a community. That might be an area that doesn’t have access (financially or otherwise) to fresh produce, but also teaching. No matter the reason, it is a positive initiative that brings great value to our communities… and improves health and happiness.

Our church is doing a sermon series right now on the idea of “cultivate.” This has me thinking about areas in my life where cultivation is needed.

Cultivate has a double meaning, one being to prepare and use land for crops or gardening. We do this by tilling, plowing, fertilizing, mulching, watering, weeding, etc. It is HARD work as anyone who has run a garden knows. The second meaning, according to Google, is to “acquire or develop” a quality, sentiment or skill.

The two definitions are connected, as it is my thought that anything that is developed requires a level of passion and good ole’ fashion work.

I wrote down the word “joy” in my program on Sunday. I’m not sure if that was an example given, or if I felt that was the immediate area I could use some FOCUS on. JOY is so important. I am usually an evangelist for SPREADING JOY in our world, and feel like we all need to consciously keep that top of mind.  The momentum that comes from a “joy campaign” can be incredible.

While you may have an area of your life that you want to “cultivate,” I am hopeful some of you will join me in generating some JOY in our homes, neighborhoods and workplaces! What can you do today to ELEVATE AND CULTIVATE JOY?

Go ahead, jump the fence!

(Photo creds: We Heart it)

Having the right photo or image is always important to me when I prep for a blog. I told my son I wanted to do something funny today – something to perhaps add some levity to our day and get away from anything too serious.

Initially, this idea of “jumping the fence” was captured in a conversation about diversity and the need for us to not be afraid to experience different cultures, food, people, environments, etc. That is still a good idea, but what’s better (I hope for you too) today is this perspective of the image.

Through all of the stress that America has realized over the last few months, and what seems like a never-ending back and forth accelerated by social media, WE REALLY NEED TO LAUGH.

So maybe this photo captures how you feel as you try to get away from your friends’ viewpoints on Trump…? Or, perhaps you had so much fun watching the Grammy Awards on Sunday that you gave some thought to changing career paths to become a rock star… You know you’ve got that image now of you on Monday morning with your blazer on and your friends cheering you on running & jumping toward your new found PATH TO GLORY.

No matter what it is, make it a demonstration of fun, friends and no doubt a lot of laughs. (By the way, that may be me struggling to even get up the dang fence.)

I’m in the mood to jump the proverbial fence into brighter territory. Into something meaningful and beautiful and truly FUN. Grab your tribe this weekend and create some memories filled with laughter!

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.

Fire up the JOY: A retro post worth repeating

blog_845031_2965601_1476144341I love this post so much from last October that it bears repeating!

  1. JOY is CONTAGIOUS – It spreads the type of ENERGY needed to THRIVE! If you are in the workplace and happen to be a leader, well then, this may just help your employee satisfaction or engagement as well! Bottom line: Folks want to work, live and SERVE where they are happy!

  2. 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! Check out this great little article to back that up.

  3. JOY can MAKE YOU HEALTHIER! This little article outlines nicely the great benefits 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 moving on this BUSY TUESDAY (busiest day of the work week, in case you didn’t know), 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. Best five minutes of your day!