To Serve well

Serving with Excellence for a Life of Excellence

Love

Simple Thoughts Sunday: The power of prayer

Most of us realize the power of prayer. Sometimes prayer can be stressful because our requests don’t get answered fast enough (or maybe that’s just me). Sometimes prayer can be frustrating, because we think we have to pray for a certain amount of time, or in a certain posture.

Regardless, today I want to impress that prayer makes a difference in this world! In Matthew Kelly’s Rhythm of Life book, he refers to prayer in the following ways:

  • Prayer cuts through and clarifies. (I think of this as a guidance counselor or coach.)
  • Prayer reminds us of what is truly important. (Bringing to mind those people that we need in our lives.)
  • Prayer is the great mediator that introduces us to God. (Makes is clear that a higher power indeed is controlling the universe… and thankfully it’s not us!)
  • Prayer is the faithful friend who points out who we are  capable of being. (Inspiring us to dream bigger, and filling us with positive thinking.)
  • Prayer reveals the deepest desires of our hearts and points out the path that was ordained for us. (This is close to the first bullet point.)
  • And my favorite, “Prayer gifts us with purpose and direction, and peace in that direction.” Peace is the part I love and have found to be the most true.

I’m honestly not the best “prayer person.”

I have great intentions, and pray a lot of short, little “popcorn” prayers throughout the day – especially when people come to mind. I am not sure prayer has to be a long session, but I feel like I can be better at it. I have personally seen – even recently through my prayer group – that prayer indeed works. (Side Note: Three friends and I just started this Jan. 1, and let me tell you, it is a game changer. If you want to know more, message me and I’ll tell you how we are doing it!)

There is also a great book by Priscilla Shirer, called Fervent and a movie as well, called War Room that dive into prayer in ways that will for sure help anyone who has an interest. I highly recommend both!

I hope you all have an amazing end to February this week. I’m praying for each of you as I write this! Sending Love.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: What is one thing you can do?

What did I do today that required faith? For that matter, what did I do in the past year that required faith?

Pretty good questions, but I’m not sure I have good answers. Maybe if I thought about it a bit.

I really loved the thought above inspired by Craig Groeschel. He talked a lot about having faith to follow your dreams, or to make that call you really know you need to make but just don’t have the guts to do it. The question could be: What is one thing I can do to up my game this week? To truly be a better version of myself? Do I need to forgive; to reach out more; to really follow that career path I know I have been led to? I’m sure you get the idea.

Today is short and simple. I’ll leave it to you to think through your one thing. I know exactly what I need to do! My prayer is that this week is truly beautiful for you in every way!

Team USA: The power of unity

I am a huge fan of the Olympics! (I favor the Winter Olympics, but it’s all awesome!)

When the 2010 Winter Olympics were in nearby Vancouver, Canada, my sister, boys and I hopped over and attended a few events. The feeling of a world unified by something is so powerful. Let me tell you, you felt that love. It makes me wish there were Olympic games annually.

The kick off of the 2018 Winter Games tonight has me considering the whole concept of unity and being a team. What creates the movement where a team becomes unified? What drives them to pull together to win?

If you are a Kansas Citian, you know the feeling from our hometown team, the Royals. When they came together to win the World Series, it was palpable around town. There was no denying the unity of the team, and as a result, the town. (Unity is contagious… what we call good energy!) We saw the same thing Sunday night when the power of team and focus came through during post-game interviews with the Philadelphia Eagles. (Did anyone else catch the local shout out to the Blue Valley Tigers that won the Kansas state title this fall? Another example of unity! I attended a preseason golf tournament and you could feel it even then. I believe that team unity doesn’t happen over night. I had nothing to do really with this team, but still felt their energy and excitement. That’s the power of unity.)

When the athletes take the field tonight, I hope that you notice that unity is alive and well, and has been since the beginning of the modern day games in 1896. (Fun fact: They first started as a pagan religious festival in 776 in Greece, but after a 393 hiatus, regrouped to what we know today as the Olympic games.)

The Olympics as a movement has three main parts, according to reference.com. They include the International Olympic Committee, The International Federations and the National Olympic Committees. The three work together to:

  • PROMOTE PEACE
  • ENCOURAGE PEACE AMONG YOUNG ATHLETES

Sports help athletes engage on the field without discrimination, the reference goes on to say. Forming friendships and practicing fair play are the cornerstones of the events. I love all of that, don’t you?

As we go into the next few weeks watching the big events, I hope this resonates with you and you think about how we should all strive for this type of effort. As the athletes showcase, it takes work, discipline and often a mind-over-matter approach to the sport or, in this case, the game of life.

We can be unified as a country. We can reveal friendships. We can become a strong, cohesive unit. As a family, a community and a country. I believe in TEAM USA!

Love BIG: Prepare your heart for Christmas

(Photo Creds: We Heart It)

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 the message, “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, 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!

Real love is lived out

(Image from post via 11/2015)

I guess I’ve been doing this over two years now since this popped up on my Facebook timeline and I loved the image. (My website has changed since then, but I’m reusing and recycling anyway.) Maybe we could even call this upcycling, which is the trendy term for the “creative reuse” of something.

I don’t know about you but my heart is always warmed when I see someone open a door for someone, walk somebody across the street, bring a neighbor’s trash can up the driveway (or any other means by which we see a person go out of their way to help another person). I love the people that say yes when the grocery store clerk asks if they’d like to donate $5 to Harvesters or some other good cause.

As you go through your week, look around and I promise you’ll find someone that could use a helpful hand. There is a lot of need in every circle of the world. It may be as simple as a smile or compliment.

By the way, you DO LOOK GOOD TODAY! Just sayin’!

Happy Thanksgiving!

(Photo Creds: Canva)

I captured this comment and wish I’d created it. It’s true, I am thankful for all of it. I hope that your day is spent with love regardless of “it all.” The days aren’t always easy, but love carries us all through and at the end of the year we can reflect on how we grew along the way!

Make this weekend count. Give lots of hug… extend amazing generosity and LOVE BIG anyway you can! I’m truly grateful for each of you and praying great favor over your lives as I write this.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: The Lord WILL give you the desires of your heart

Happy Birthday Sam, Tucker and Joe.

My beautiful young men are 21 today. They are my greatest blessing. I truly believe the scripture on this photo collage. If you don’t know my story, I was told I likely would not have children. In fact, I was given an 11% chance, and that was with the help of modern medicine. With a magical touch of God’s hand, we were blessed with three boys that I know will impact our world.

Whatever your desires are today… for love, healing, joy, peace, fun… my prayer is that you will feel God right in the middle.

Have the best year ever boys, and know that you indeed have filled the desires of my heart.

By the way… it’s time for new pictures! 🙂

Yikes, I don’t know what to say… (reach out anyway)

(Photo Creds: Canva)

Have you ever been in a position where you really didn’t know what to say? Someone is sick? Someone lost someone they love? Maybe they went through a divorce or a break up? Perhaps someone you know is going to be alone this holiday season…

These situations create awkwardness as we contemplate possible uncomfortable circumstances where we really don’t know what to say. Sometimes it’s easier to just live your life and not make the call or drop in, and instead pray that God will comfort them. I wanted to share what I’ve learned about this topic, but I also want to tell you I’m not necessarily good at it — it’s a work in progress for sure.

Here’s the deal: The answer to those prayers is likely you. We are the “feet on the street,”  the ones that God intended to use to comfort others, to lift them up, and this may just mean a simple conversation to let someone know you care and are listening. I have read some decent research and heard from friends — the answer is the same: WE NEED TO STEP INTO THE DISCOMFORT and just be there. Just being there is all you need to do. You don’t need to have the “right” thing to say, or to really say much. An encouraging word… a listening ear, a hug…

As you go into the weekend, who do you need to reach out to? I hope you’ll make that call or drop in with a small bouquet and let someone who needs it know that you care.

Bridges and friendships

(Photo Creds: Canva)

I sure do like the idea of this. I heard it on a podcast and it got me thinking that some of my most long lasting friendships have come from doing something like this.

When my good friends Susie and Sid Womack relocated to Kansas City from Texas, I hosted a Super Bowl party so they would feel welcome. That small effort changed my world and the world of my boys. Susie introduced us to Pine Cove which has been a life-changing factor in all of our lives and likely will for generations. Sid spoke into the lives of my boys, and I will forever be grateful. It was pretty much all thanks to a pot of chili, and a few friends that showed up.

I haven’t done this in awhile with anyone new. Most days I feel like I’m doing good to see my closest friends and family a few times a year. This idea has me thinking where a bridge is needed. I hope this sparks your thinking…

If you read this blog a lot I’d love to start here: I’d love to invite you to our new home and put on a pot of chili and talk life. Let me know if you are in and I’ll make it happen. A little groupthink may make us all better!

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Spread more joy

(Photo creds: Unsplash.com)

(Another throwback for you on this glorious Sunday, because who doesn’t need a reminder to spread some joy?) 

Joy is contagious! It transmits the type of energy needed to thrive. If you are in the work place and happen to be a leader, this may just help your employee satisfaction or engagement as well. Bottom Line: Folks want to work, live and serve where they are happy!

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! I found this great little article to back that up.

Joy can make you healthier!  That same article highlights the great benefits of joy, 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 ready for another week, 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. It will be the best five minutes of your day.