To Serve well

Serving with Excellence for a Life of Excellence

Peace

Stillness is key (Advent, week 4)

Stillness. I can’t think of a better way to truly feel the presence of the season. The world reaffirmed that for me this week, when on three different occasions the question came up as to just what we need to do to let the peace of this time of the year overwhelm us with love and calmness instead of allowing hurry and adrenaline to fill our spirits.

I was reminded, that last year, Ryan Holiday’s book “Stillness is the Key” was one of my top 3. I believe this excerpt from the book’s introduction will tell you why:

“Stillness is what aims the archer’s arrow. It inspires new ideas. It sharpens perspective and illuminates connections. It slows the ball down so that we might hit it. It generates a vision, helps us resist the passions of the mob, make space for gratitude and wonder. Stillness allows us to persevere. To succeed. It is the key that unlocks the insights of genius, and allows us regular folks to understand them.”

I might add…

Stillness quiets our pinball minds. Stillness brings us clarity and helps our mind sort out what is important at the depth of our souls. Stillness, on this Christmas week, is what allows us to center ourselves toward the sweet story that positions us toward our hopes and purpose in this world. Stillness brings us closer to hearing and feeling God’s presence wherever we find ourselves. Stillness gives us the best opportunity to breathe in deeply peace and expands our hearts.

Stillness, I hope, is a place you find yourself this week. In fact, I pray that you will prioritize quiet time around twinkling lights and that you will be washed over with all that brings you joy.

Happy Advent week 4 –– The candle of love. Love is everything.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: For the joy that is ahead! (Advent Week 3)

Advent! Week three. The season is pushing through at a phenomenal pace. It seems I barely cracked open my Advent devotional to get prepared (my heart and soul) for the “real reason” for this season and now we are entering week three. I’m probably still on the 20-yard line, and I oh so badly want to go all in with all that Advent has to offer us: Peace that surpasses understanding, love that pours through our every being, and a deep knowing that this period ushers us to experience the greatest gift. “Advent is the season of expectancy, preparation, and longing.” (Tsh Oxenreider)

As I prepared for this, a simple Google search presented this simple and perfect explanation of week three: “For the Joy that is ahead.” And oh boy, I feel that…I sense the build up. I am beginning to feel the energy shift into delight and lighter spirits all around. Hanukkah started this week and my friends who celebrate have been sharing their stories. My friend Nan, posted a message with the classic menorah and Christmas tree merged together with a simple message that said “two celebrations, one hope for peace.” I loved that!

The days of the work year are dwindling and there is a feeling of expectation from young to old… School in all of its forms this year will take a pause at the end of this week for most, and with any luck, our preparations for celebrating those around us will come to a point where we can take a deep and restorative breath.

I hope that you will pause today and focus on all of the crazy good that is ahead. The promises of God surround us in both word and action. In truth, they bring us absolutely everything that we need, (down to the last detail), to fully achieve our purpose and find incredible and true joy in service to others.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Choosing peace & joy

The quote in the image above really spoke to me when I read it in a book a few years ago. I mean, who wants their problems to take over their mind and rob them of their peace?

The book continued:

“While God calls us out of complacency, his peace allows us to choose contentment with our place in the world.”

Chrystal Evans Hurst

One of my life mottos is that we must choose. Every day – and often more than once a day – will we choose peace, joy, etc. in the situations and conversations we experience? We have a choice, and I love that. Imagine if we didn’t?

She said it another way…

“Know Spirit? Know peace.
No Spirit? No peace.”

I believe that rings true in my life. When I stray away from my disciplined life of reading scripture, regularly attending church services, and spending time with other believers, I find myself farther away from peace. It’s funny how when we drift from what we know aligns best with our values and soul, we almost immediately are faced with signs that push us back to where our focus should be. If you are familiar with scripture, there is a terrific verse that touches on this idea:

"But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." – Galatians 5:22-23

Essentially, God provides for us “deep, abounding joy that is not dependent on our circumstances” (Hurst) if we stay close to Him. I hope that this week you will choose peace and joy!

Rewind! This is a throwback to an ever-relevant post from 2017. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did when I went back through the archives.

Simple Thoughts Sunday – Power in the waiting

I am hopeful that this hits someone else as hard as it did me personally. What an incredible thought… It wasn’t mine, but it is is worthy of sound thinking around the idea. So many times in my life and as I interact with my boys and close friends and family, the topic of praying and what we are hoping for in our lives comes up.

What are those dreams you pray for? How about just a prayer to make it through the next conversation? Through the test? The interview? The next day?

Does it ever come to mind that we may not be prepared for exactly what we are asking? That our patience and in our waiting is where we are becoming prepared. Or perhaps, we will never be prepared, and God knows that and takes us in another direction. Waiting is where we are strengthened, equipped and prepared.

I am thankful that God hasn’t always given me what I wanted when I asked for it the first time. At times, it has been many, many seasons of wondering where He is at in my prayer. I now know that it is because I wasn’t fully prepared. Does that resonate with anyone?

As you go into the week, I hope that you will find renewed hope in your prayers. I have found that God gives me peace when He has prepared me. In other words, that conversation may not need to happen until I get that peace – that “go ahead,” so to speak. I firmly believe that God is with us at all times and is actively preparing us for all that we are supposed to do in this life.

Have a powerful week.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Lean into the word

First of all, isn’t this image terrific? I could sooo use this scene. What about you?

Although today we have so many options to read, listen and receive the “word,” without a lot of intention and focus, diving in and really “leaning” in isn’t that easy. It should be, but let’s be honest — it’s not. Getting away to really soak it in would be fabulous.

One year at the family camp we always went to (shout out to Pine Cove), they had remodeled the rooms, and above my bed was a scripture that essentially said, “he’s got this… you can breathe… be still.” It disarmed me. The scripture reference allowed me to reset. As I went in and out of the room that week, it spoke to me and helped me realize that I often carry around things I really don’t need to.

We all need a reset. I find myself needing them more often as I get older. It never ceases to amaze me that the ancient texts of the Bible can magically point us into the direction we apparently needed to be pointed, and perhaps didn’t even realize.

I am going to do my best to “lean in” this week. If you are able to, let us all know if something stood out to you in the process. I think it just might be powerful.

Here are a few that I kind of love thinking about in the context of resetting.

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still.”
— Exodus 14:14

“And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds.” — Philippians 4:7

“This hope we have is an anchor of the soul. A hope both sure and steadfast.” — Hebrews 6:19

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Onward we can… onward we are better

Happy Sunday everyone! I am sure you may have seen someone close their email signature or their letters/cards with a simple, “Onward.” A statement that may reflect their faith or their hope in the future.

This past week was the annual Give Seven Days events in Kansas City as I shared in my Thursday blog. It’s a week where the community comes together to learn and unify. In its fourth year, it is gaining momentum in our community. Like others across our world, perhaps we feel the need greater than at any other time in our generation. The need, the desire… to come together and ensure we are able to live in a world of peace, a world that welcomes all, and where all receive the love and support they need to enjoy a healthy life. It has been powerful, certainly giving a strong meaning to the word ONWARD, and sparking thoughts on just how we can be a part of this positive future. Where can we step in and ensure we are educating ourselves and doing our part for our families and loved ones?

On Monday, the week will conclude with the Faith & Love Walk which will be at the National World War I Museum in Kansas City, Mo. Events start at 5:30 with the walk at 6:30. There will be food trucks as well for those who want to grab dinner with friends or family. It is a simple and short walk which has the purpose of showing our unity with one another in our community. I hope you will strongly consider bringing out your crew, or joining ours at the event.

If you aren’t able to join, I hope that you will think about how you can best help your family learn about others in our communities and how we can together create greater understanding and inspire love for all who walk our path.

My prayer is that your week will be the best this year!

Black History Month series: Use your voice

I didn’t know who Alice Walker was. Perhaps you don’t either.

She is known for her work as a novelist, penning masterpieces like “The Color Purple.” This book became a revered film and was a part of a movement that once again showcased our need to be educated on history that impacts our world still today.

I  love her thought in the photo above because I feel that it is true today, despite the fact it shouldn’t be.

Today we can use our voice and, in a matter of moments, reach thousands. How powerful is that? Our voice can be used for good or for the more controversial. Our voice can be used to raise awareness as an instrument of peace, or to galvanize our communities to achieve better, together.

The bottom line is that we have the power.

We have the opportunity to achieve the purpose God has set for us.

We have tools available to us to join the conversation, educate, raise the flag and spread the love.

We have the power to make an impact in our lifetime.

I believe one important impact area is knowing; knowing the history of our country. This knowledge will create a greater understanding that can and will change us and the generations to follow.

I hope you’ll join in!

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!