To Serve well

Serving with Excellence for a Life of Excellence

Love

47 Days: A plan to finish the year strong

47 Days. That’s the magic number until the page turns again. This one into a year of great expectation –– 2021. But a lot can happen in 47 days to make this one count even more so we should be alert. Each and every day is a gift, as we have learned this year.

During one of my Peloton bike rides this week, Alex Toussaint –– who I think is a flat-out amazing instructor due to his outrageous ability to encourage –– cited the phrase in the photo above…

My thought: Let’s find it… (rhythm, groove and pace). Let’s find it today and let’s recommit to it everyday… Let’s countdown the next 47 days by listening to every bit of uplifting music and reading and watching only what positions us for positive and forward momentum. Let’s focus our last thoughts and actions each day with a focus toward building the energy all around us.

This post is for Sunday and as I often like to do as a grounding exercise, I turn to the scripture for guidance and seeking wisdom or discernment. Throughout the last few weeks, the recurring message is two-fold. The first is on the need to serve those in need. To turn any attention from my own personal challenges and those the world imposes, to the real needs that literally surround me. “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,” (Matthew 25:35)

Let’s expand that … “For I was sad, For I was anxious, for I was overwhelmed…” You get the idea. These words are a call for us to look up and to see that no matter if it’s a smile, a kind word, physical help or sharing our resources…there is a need at every corner, and we are just the people to do that.

The second message has been the initial focus of this blog… the need for us all to SHIFT into all that is good and plentiful and brings gratitude. The scripture, “Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable- If anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things.” Philippians 4:8) We have 47 days remaining… let’s finish strong, let’s finish with locked arms toward building community and shining light in every dark corner that we approach.

Sending my love and prayers.

(Mom update: She remains under Hospice care at a local nursing home. She is holding her own and we honor each day and trust in knowing that God will carry forward the perfect plan. Your love and prayers have been what has and continues to hold us all up through this season. We are blessed beyond. Thank you.)

What legacy do you need to honor today?

What is the definition of legacy? According to the dictionary, a legacy is a gift that is handed down, endowed or conveyed from one person to another. My father gave me the gift of his work ethic and my mother the gift of humor. (One of my favorite experiences with her has been over the past few years, just laughing together. That came later in life, and I mention it because I want people to know it’s never too late to be given a new gift, memory, or profound experience. In other words, your parents or others may not have “bestowed” or even have been able to do so when you were a child, yet the legacy is tremendous whenever we receive it.)

My grandparents endowed their spiritual beliefs and a strong value system, of which me and generations after me will be so thankful. My uncle, gentleness and grace. My sister has given me unconditional love and support no matter what. And my brother, pure happiness with his simultaneously strong and fun spirit.

I can think of teachers who conveyed pure kindness and deep empathy and friends that have given me joy in the face of life’s difficulties. Heck, I can even think of authors and speakers, that have used their gifts to inspire me and spur me on toward growth. All of these and more have strengthened me by sharing their gifts.

I share these to get your minds to stir up those in your life that have impacted you. Those who have made you better and stronger and helped create your story. Legacy is not always from someone who is no longer with us… We can and should in fact take time to honor those who are still present. To acknowledge their impact, express our gratitude and reinforce their purpose. When I was preparing this, I found some insights on writing down your legacy and why you may want to do so …

  1. Embrace how much you have learned from life.
  2. Offer a gift of your learning, experience and values to others.
  3. Tell someone how much they have meant to you and give a blessing.
  4. Recognize what’s most important as you navigate the road ahead

This idea of “Whose legacy do you need to honor” today came from the epic @robinnyc, my favorite Peloton instructor. I hope you will take time to honor someone today who has or is making an impact on your life. Spreading joy is oh so important and today seems like the absolute perfect time to do just that.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Beat the drum for hope

Hope is rising. Hope is expectation. It’s a desire for something to happen… a trust… a knowing. It’s the fuel for our growth and for our excitement. Hope gives life to our dreams and is the thread that pulls together our story. Hope. I am praying today that you feel hope.

For this “simple thoughts” Sunday, I wanted to ignite your thinking and mine around what good we are “beating” the drum for right now.

Hope for a fresh chapter? Hope for clarity? Hope for those starting school (in one of many forms) to have the best year despite the challenges in our environment? Hope for those that need a hand-up? Hope for our world to heal and for love and forgiveness to flow? Hope for deep joy?

I am beating the drum for all that is good for each of you. For each of you to feel the love that surrounds you this very day.

*Side note of interest: The drum in Native American culture symbolizes rhythms of life. Their beat equated to the beating of a heart. The beating often bringing balance and renewal to a person through participation in dancing, singing or listening to the heartbeat. My thought: Bring on the dance party my friends!

“I will never give up on you” (So good!)

My son Sam was married to this love of his life, Katie, on Saturday in a beautiful backyard “COVID-19” wedding. It was one of the best experiences of my life. One of the reasons for that were the comments in the personal vows they both penned. They were profound.

If you took the time to write out your commitment, your covenant to those you love, what would you say? I am thinking about that today, and I believe it could be an impactful exercise. In the image above, I share Katie’s commitment to Sam, “I will never give up on you.” It was only one small statement, but it was power-packed. Even with the birds chirping I’m the background, you could hear the reaction from the small crowd. It was deep in meaning and everyone felt the strength of those words.

I could elaborate, as I’m sure you could on why this was so powerful, depending on our own personal narratives. After all, who doesn’t want the person they love to publicly declare this truth. It’s strong. It’s important. We all need our closest tribe to stick with us no matter what. Those of us who are older know that we will screw up (early and often), and sometimes it seems asking anyone to not give up is too big of a request.

I hope this idea of the importance of making a meaningful covenant resonates with some of you. What does your partner – or whomever you are making this commitment to – need from you? Also, and so critical, what do you really feel like you can commit to? I believe this is useful for many relationships, including close friends and family. If that is too much of an ask, how about meditating on Katie’s proclamation?

As a woman of faith, I know God won’t give up on me, and that should be enough. As a living, breathing human, I need to know I’m surrounded by those who are willing to commit firmly. I am meditating on those who provide that for me as I write this and I am full of gratitude.

In the midst of a cultural reset: shifting to all that is strength

This incredible photo of an Osprey, is courtesy of @_thepaintedsky, aka Jessica Walker, who I happened upon via @annvoskamp’s unbelievably beautiful weekly blog, “Only the Good Stuff: Multivitamins for your Weekend”

This thought narrative of a “cultural reset” came from a post from Rebekah Lyons titled, “Look what we get to do together.” In the spirit of transparency, I needed more than anything this week to shift from bewilderment to my normal operating mode, which is, “what if? What is God working on? What am I to learn from where I am or we are right now, and how do I or we move ahead with bold and positive strength (of ideas, wisdom, peace)?” This idea has me right where I need to be right now, and I wonder if it might be beneficial for you as well. I feel like the universe is saying, “yep, that’s exactly what we need to do.” Shift. Advance to the next step.

This beautiful photograph led me on a trail to find out just what that bird was. The Osprey made its way into the books in 1460 and its name means “bird of prey.” This beautiful creature is an incredible fishing sportsman, catching a meal in at least 1 in every 4 dives. (Goodness, Audrie, why can’t I catch a fish after 100 casts of the line?) Their average time hunting is all of 12 minutes. They are, essentially, badasses. The Osprey also is agile, building nests on the tops of telephone poles and other manmade structures, which makes them unique. In my mind, they look around and see what is available, what is worthy and they make it their place – regardless of where it is.

I have a couple of thoughts stirring. First, as a human, we are at the top of the food chain (so to speak). In other words, God made us the original badasses. We have been given, and are given daily, all that we need. This is pure truth folks. You are strong, you are bold, you are outrageously capable of moving above the current situation and helping create solutions and generating positive energy and ideas that will help lift the human race. We all have a role, whether you are like my mom, hanging out in her retirement community lifting the spirits of others, or, like our team at work – on the front lines – caring for those that aren’t well and watching the news closely (and praying earnestly) so they know what step to take next.

Second, like the Osprey, we may need to look around and be ready to strike and to make it our place. I find such beauty in this. It’s simple. Look around. There is work to be done. Whether you find yourself in the quiet or in the middle of the chaos, God will make it clear where you can use your gifts or resources to move us out of this season. We need to lift our heads outside of our phones and television sets and insist that we acknowledge that we can do something. Even a child or a senior can spend an hour writing encouraging cards to healthcare workers and those in hospital beds that cannot see family right now. Insist that you and your family rise up. (A quick sidebar: One of our staff members and her family recently spent their night sorting scrubs for our front line providers and her children wrote notes to each of them. How cool is that?)

Folks, we ARE in a cultural shift. Our world will be changed after this. We will be talking about this for years – maybe decades. How it shifts is entirely up to us. My prayer is that we will SHIFT into a higher level of ourselves, to a higher awareness on what we can do together and that at the end we find ourselves loving each other better and stronger and even more than we ever have in our world’s history. This is our time to rise.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: A game-changing thought to start your day in the most amazing way!

I adapted this from a post from @ChristineCaine via Twitter. Christine is the leader of the @A21 campaign – a global organization fighting the battle of human trafficking. It’s a powerful movement. I wondered if, when she wrote this, her mind drifted to the thousands of girls and boys who are being held captive, waiting for someone to rescue them. Certainly the idea of praying for a still heart and an emboldened spirit must be a desperate cry that somehow provides peace in the most stressful situations.

What do you need to call on the Holy Spirit for today?

  • Acceptance that those you love – and that life in general – isn’t perfect?
  • Forgiveness for someone who may not have the emotional capacity to forgive in response?
  • How about a SPIRIT OF JOY? Good, honest, happiness?

This is a question worth asking. It’s also worth writing down. The act of simply asking each morning for the Holy Spirit to move on your behalf just might change your life. In fact, I’m proof positive that this is not only possible, but probable.

Today, I pray that your hearts are overflowing with love and that you surround yourself with whatever it is that warms you through and through. Cheering you all on with love and prayers.

And the greatest of these is indeed love! Congrats, Sam and Katie!

As if i wasn’t blessed enough by my boys – three amazing young men – my oldest (by 2 minutes, but whose counting… other than Tucker and Joe), Sam, proposed to the beautiful Katie Knapp on Tuesday.

Sam and Katie are the very definition of this verse (1 Cor 13:13). I know from experience that young love is powerful. I can only wish I was as smart as these two in their commitment to following God’s plan for their lives at such a young age. They are a role model for how to invest your energy into where God wants you to be this season. As best as they can, they are both striving to surround themselves with things that will help them make great decisions, including how to love and serve well with God at the very center. Watching them shine together gives me such hope.

So, for today’s “Simple Thoughts Sunday,” it is really quite simple: Love, my friends, is the greatest of all things, and I believe that like no other.

Love is the very fuel of this universe. If we can get love right, we can do things we could never imagine. Love is what brings peace and joy. Love creates a culture of what is good and right. It builds our communities, homes and even our workplaces. Love brings out our best selves. It showcases the good in the world and ensures that we not only nurture safe places, but create thriving environments all around us.

Love is everything. Let’s bring on the love this week! Let’s launch into the second half of 2019 with a commitment to have love shine above anything else! Who’s with me?

Here is a perfect pic to wrap up this post. My handsome young man and his bride-to-be! Katie, if you read this, I’m so grateful. I know that this tribe of mine is praying that your year ahead of wedding preparations is all that your heart desires!

Love is the greatest.

“A soul generated by love” – Wrapping up Black History Month

I didn’t want the month to end without once again highlighting Black History Month.

I feel like our country is really starting to take hold of the idea that we need to become more educated on the issues we face by not being aware of the issues of our past. There are so many new authors really taking on this subject in a powerful way.* If we can all make a decision to do our part in truly diving into history and what it means to us today, I can imagine a world that is stronger and more beautiful. The very idea of this blog is to provide insights that might help us all “level up” and really serve each other well. From my perspective, serving starts by understanding and then by coming alongside all people, in whatever way they need, to make our world better.

The quote in the picture above came from Martin Luther King Jr’s last sermon before he was assassinated. He continued to say:

“…You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You don’t have to know about Plato and Aristotle to serve. You don’t have to know Einstein’s Theory of Relativity to serve. You don’t have to know the Second Theory of thermodynamics and physics to serve. You only need a heart full of gratitude. A soul generated by love.”

It’s no surprise that the month of “love” is also Black History month. Let us all remember that love has the power to overcome all challenges we face. We can choose to use that love to put forth actions that bring us a life and world of service and unity. Now, I can get down right joyful about that thought!

*If you’d like to jump into some good, easy reading around this topic, I’d highly recommend, “I’m Still Here: Black Dignity in a World made for Whiteness,” by Austin Channing Brown. I have several others that I’ve found quite helpful on my personal journey. Please feel free to message me if you are interested.

Love BIG today – and every moment you can!

A day set aside for love. A day to shine your love in a brighter way. A moment in time, to go big and to take the time to share how much people you surround yourself with mean to you. I believe we must go beyond tradition and reach outside of the obvious and ensure love is felt all around.

Today can be hard for some people. Instead, we should all be sure to make sure we do what we can to level up our approach. Who may not hear from someone today? Who may be really facing some tough parts of life, and need an extra dose of true love? I always loved the kid Valentine’s Day party, because everyone was included… That is exactly what we should be doing this year and every year!

Let’s all go spread some love!

By the way – I love you all for reading these little messages. My goal is to always inspire one person and yet, after each post, I am the one that feels love in the process. Thank you all for loving well.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Pause, reflect, celebrate

Happy Sunday and welcome December, the month of culmination… love… joy and celebration. I’d submit that this is true only if we allow it. If we pause. If we reflect. If we set our intentions early on to achieve peace and resolve to find open spaces of quiet.

I’m committed to find this in the next 29 days – to pause and embrace solitude when I can and have quiet conversations that center around true joy. Getting to the depths of…

  • What brings me true peace?
  • Who brings me full joy?
  • What activities create a positive energy that leaves me wanting more?
  • Where can I see growth?
  • How can I curate more days of fullness and beauty?

These are not easy questions. I need to recognize that and take time to go all in. I would love for you to walk this path with me this month. I’d love to hear your stories and I’d love to know what questions you may add to the list. At the end of the month, let’s celebrate this reflection and forge into 2019 with a fresh view of God’s purpose for my life.

I am praying as I write this that you find yourself right now in a moment of gratitude and commitment to use the month to find the joy you so richly deserve. I believe that is God’s plan for all of us… to fully feel the love, joy and peace available to us.