To Serve well

Serving with Excellence for a Life of Excellence

Take action

Heading into the season with a spirit of prayer and expectation

The saying above is beyond powerful. Let it saturate your soul.

Prayer is a first response. Prayer is a gift that can help us open up so many gifts it’s truly incredible. Prayer offers us a companion to…

  • Show our adoration & gratitude 
  • Intercede for others
  • Seek guidance 
  • Deliver us from self focus
  • Confess our misgivings and concerns 
  • Simply share our heart … (and so much more)

I have unintentionally strayed from a rich prayer life. Upon reflection, it is simply due to allowing life’s everyday distractions to consume me, edging me off center. I found the book “ The Battle Plan for Prayer” in my bedside table last week. It’s been waiting there for me. The book is part of the War Room project, which included a fantastic movie reminding us of the power of prayer. When I was in Columbus for Thanksgiving, my son had a prayer board in his room with various prayers and scriptures pinned up that he wanted to lean into. This was the point of the movie. (The “war” room is essentially the prayer closet.)

I am always fascinated by the ways God speaks, but never surprised. Right in my direct path, two reminders to nudge me toward perhaps the most powerful tool I have ever found in order to center me and give me direction and hope: PRAYER–

As we launch into December, it is the ideal time to lock into what we know is absolutely true for us… Seeking the roots of our life and spending our physical and emotional energy to ensure we finish the year strong and move steadfastly into God’s plan for us in the new year. I want my prayer life to go deep again; to truly start each day with the power of that connection, and never to consider it an add on to my days if time allows. How about you?

On this CHIEFS Sunday, and the first day of December, my prayer is that you will have one of those holiday seasons that you find yourself taking in wonder at every turn. What a gift this season is!

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Errors increase with distance

I am inspired by this idea, and perhaps you will be as well.

Where are you when you are at your best? I heard this concept of “errors (as in a lack of peace, quick to express my viewpoint versus listening, etc) increasing with distance” in the context of spiritual connection. I have to say that I am fully at my best when I am closest to God in some way. When I am actively surrounding myself with not only the word of God, but also the energy that is found by spending time in community with other purpose-focused believers, praying regularly, serving those around me, helping those in need, or reading the stories shared by teachers and authors. Heck, even listening to praise music brings me to a sense of awe and gratitude for both the amazing and the challenging in my world. In short, I find myself most fulfilled when my daily life is spiritually connected.

So, logic would say that when I am further away that “errors” may happen. How true is that? When I am not doing much of what I listed above, I find myself feeling disconnected and far from an optimal state. It’s pretty straight forward, yet I have to be honest: I don’t know how or why, but I sometimes find myself distracted and a lot further from the target. Anyone else?

So, for today’s post, it truly is a “simple thought,” which is to say that we are indeed our best when our actions bring us closer to our creator. When we are intentionally near, we can know deep inside that we can hit the targets we were designed to hit, and do so with a sense of deep joy. That’s powerful.

Praying for you all today to have the BEST week!

Setting anchors: Those people & things that secure our place

I judged a Master’s program case study competition on Friday. One group started and ended with Maslow’s Hierarchy when presenting their solution to achieving health sustainability for a specific city. I loved it!

You may recall that the base of the “hierarchy of human needs” is physiological needs (think food and water), but the very next is safety needs (think physical security, employment, resources, property), and then we go to love and belonging (think friendship, intimacy, family, sense of connection). I would say that these three are the anchors. If we get to these, we can get to the next and final two, esteem (respect, self esteem, strength, freedom) and finally, self actualization (desiring the most that one can be).

I write and think a lot about fulfilling the calling on my life. Constantly praying, meditating and taking actions to move toward where I feel I am supposed to go. I got to thinking how smart these students were to tie back the very root to Maslow’s famous thinking. It’s so true that even if we want to get to our best self, we can’t get there without having anchors set in the key areas. WOW. Light bulb!

So, where do I – where do you; where does your family – need to set their anchors. Are the key areas locked in and safe? This expands to all manner of thoughts from the money in my emergency fund, to the schedule I keep, and margin I have created to allow me to get to maximum creativity and a sense of accomplishment.

Entrepreneurs often refer to “anchor clients.” Those who secure their business, ensure adequate cash flow and a baseline of success to grow upon. Who are your “anchor clients?” Who are those people who when you are around that enable you to be fully yourself and fully engaged? It always seems to come back to people. Who are those who need an investment and an established anchor?

It’s November! YAY! Two more months and we celebrate another 365 days (AKA another trip around the sun). Speaking of sun, I’m thankful for each day we have and, in fact, I think that should be stated as one of my anchors! Sun! Good for our Vitamin D levels –– and the soul!

Have a strong week my friends.

Slowing down enough to hit the ball

Wow, Ryan Holiday’s thought here is flat out on point.

It’s World Series time. As October closes, we are reminded that another year is ending. That means it’s go time! It’s our time – all of ours – to connect, to hit the ball, to move toward whatever we need to achieve to live our best life in this season.

I highlighted a small part of his new book “Stillness” last week and I could seriously blog the rest of this year on this one short read. ‘Stillness’ alone is a mesmerizing concept, as it sometimes seems unattainable. I have read and listened to stories of professional athletes being so mentally zoned in, so focused, that they are able to shut out the crowds and distractions. They practice and practice to get their minds so quiet that they can monomaniacally concentrate on their one goal: to hit the ball; to connect with their passion.

How do you slow down enough to connect? What actions do you take on a regular basis to clear the path you are on so you can walk or run safely with confidence toward your destination? Fall is a great time to take in nature, and being out in it is perhaps my favorite way to find space to breathe deeply and clear my mind. Exercising can sometimes to do that, as can walking aimlessly through Target or TJMaxx. (Not just me, right?) Working in the yard, and (sadly) even shoveling snow does it for me, too.

It would be fun if some of you shared your ideas. We can all benefit from ideas and strategies to connect with our goals in a better way. If we can do this, we can certainly serve better. After all, that is why we are all here… TO SERVE.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Rest precedes blessing

One of my friends posted the photo above on Facebook this week. It’s so peaceful to me that I just had to turn it into the blog photo for today.

I am reading Rebekah Lyon’s new book, Rhythms of Renewal, so the timing couldn’t be more perfect for this discussion. Several conversations with a variety of people in my life this week have revolved around the need for finding space, margin and really just flat out REST. I feel the reality is that we don’t allow ourselves to experience the capacity that God gave us to think, create, innovate and serve. We need to reconsider allowing ourselves to being scheduled out and consumed by the distractions around us. I’m always reminded that this is a choice, and if we don’t put some proverbial “muscle” around it, we will continue down a path that doesn’t quite give us the full energy we need to forge ahead in the most fulfilling way – nor really the way God intended us to live.

In her book, Lyon talked about the initial design of the human race, which clearly states that we were intended to rest: “On the seventh day (of the days of creation) He rested from all his work.” The part I hadn’t really noticed before was this: “Then God blessed the seventh day…” Aha! She noted, “Rest precedes blessing. We don’t have to run to earn rest, we run FUELED by a posture of rest.” Very cool. Anyone else need that?

Her story is one that showcases that she feels her life has been saved (she was having debilitating anxiety attacks) because she decided to pause and take a literal inventory… an inventory of evaluating her life and redefining priorities. Have you ever sensed your life was about more that it is today, but cannot quite get to the point of understanding what it is? Her inventory strategy was to sit down with someone she loved and capture all of the moments where she felt most alive, and then the moments where life wasn’t too much fun. That rather simple starting point offered her a course correction, if you will, and allowed her to move closer to what she felt called to do. In her words:

“Taking a break, resting from responsibility long enough to take inventory, was crucial to imagining God’s plan for my life.”

I kind of love that. How can we rest better? If we all make a commitment to doing this, we may just turn up the volume on truly realizing all we are intended to do in this one life of ours. My friends, have the most incredible week. I hear it’s going to be a beautiful and full of actual fall days and nights.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Set your focus for the rest of 2019

What stands out to you from that list? I think the world needs more crazy and extravagant love. I don’t watch the news (thanks to my son Joe who pointed out the chaos of it all, and he was right… Now, I just get the highlights in other ways), but in passing televisions in airports, scrolling Twitter, and listening to the people surrounding me, I hear all of the stress. It points to the need to reset our minds to love.

We can all use the reminder to take our minds off of how [pick your poison] is impacting us personally. We are all wired to be selfish and that is, in many cases, critical to living safely and protecting ourselves. We can, however, get too focused and it’s important to recognize when we are too far in so we can shift our minds to the needs of those around us. There are many.

Prayer, reflection, intimacy with God. That is such a terrific call to action. Our hearts expand and our minds settle when we spend time alone with our faith. When we are able to cry out, even in the most subtle ways, and share our concerns and needs, we somehow are able to offload our soul and refill it with what is true and right. God’s word points us to peace, joy and love and ultimately provides all of the guidance we need to live well and serve well.

Have an incredible week.

Time to set some big goals (or perhaps, just one that makes you proud)

Setting personal goals is one of the most important actions we can take. This topic reminded me that some time has gone by since I really locked in on this process for my personal life. As a matter of record, a few years ago I wrote down where I specifically wanted to travel, by year, for 5 years straight…and guess what? I actually achieved that – so I know there is indeed great truth here!

Goal-setting is so powerful that if we write them down, we are 42% more likely to achieve them, according to a Harvard Business Study. A more specific example from that research: “The 3% of graduates from their MBA program who had their goals written down, ended up earning ten times as much as the other 97% put together.” That’s POWERFUL.

So, why is this true? The difference is that this effort requires you to get them out of your head and into a place where you can set your focus and move forward toward their achievement. When you can actually visualize yourself at the counter of that restaurant you now own, or driving in that ultra-cool truck, you want it more. It becomes real. It isn’t about the competition; it becomes about creating a better experience for ourselves, and that often requires us to push to a new level of thinking and activity. Our minds can literally CREATE new paths to achievement if we can articulate what we want and begin to focus on how we might go about making those goals a reality.

The same blog that gave me the Harvard Study offered a few ideas on the “types” of goals. They are basic, but still a quite helpful construct when you decide to frame them up and put them on paper.

  1. Short Term Goals: Goals you’d like to go after in the next 5 minutes to 6 months. Of specific help, they are great as a smaller part of a larger goal. For example: I want to run a 10K but my feet often hurt. A short term goal would be to go visit a specialized running store this week and get educated on the “right” shoes for my stride. ( side-note: not sure what to do about that little fact that I hate to run…?… may be more than a short term situation!)
  2. Long term Goals: Goals you want to achieve that may take a bit of time. For example: I want to go on a 2-week trip to Greece.
  3. Lifetime Goals: The ultimate big-picture goals go here. For example, I’d like to pay for my grandchildren’s college education.

This little excerpt reminded me of the SMART goal setting process which you likely have heard before. Goals should be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound. (So, re-working the 10K goal above may look like: “As a part of my personal wellness plan, I would like to run a 10K in my city by March of 2020.”)

We have one life and we have the ability to do the unimaginable. I hope this blog encourages you to set some goals, write them down and move yourself closer to your dreams – ones you’ve held on to for years/decades, and new ones, too. I’m cheering you all on.

Am I focused on what matters the most? (And hello August!)

Happy August everyone! We are launching the eighth month of the year today! That seems crazy to me – and even more so, the fact that all of those beautiful children and their teachers kick off another year way too soon. I hope July was a banner month for you all and that you had time to enjoy all that summer can be – pools, lakes, oceans, lingering nights on the patio and a large dose of creating love and memories with those you love.

After taking a month off from writing, top of mind for me right now is the concept of the blog itself – SERVICE. The word has been showing up the last two weeks in my reading and various podcasts, messages and conversations. The question I wrote down was the title of this blog: Am I focused on what matters most? After all, we were indeed placed on this earth, in this generation, at this particular moment… to do just that.

When my boys were younger, serving seemed easier for some reason. We were always working toward “community service” hours, and the schools were great ambassadors to help drive that awareness. At this point, engaging in community boards is certainly service, and even serving as an act of daily living counts. Our work place is fantastic about serving and I’m proud of that. However, when is the last time I physically rolled up my sleeves to serve someone who really needed that help immediately? I’m afraid to admit that it’s been too long, short of one brief stint serving at Thelma’s Kitchen (which, by the way, is a fantastic place to join other great folks in meeting our community’s needs).

I am hopeful this post provides a call to action for you as it did for me. I would argue that serving others is the very best part of life. It takes a bit of intention, but it is worth it. It is so important that psychologists agree on one thing: If someone has depression, anxiety, a lack of focus, etc., the often recommended treatment is to walk out the door and find someone, anyone, to help – to serve. In other words, shift the focus from yourself to serving others. I absolutely love that.

Have a wonderful wrap to your week!

We have the power to choose

Today’s post is a throwback from 2017 that offers a simple reminder: We have the power to choose.

Choose a chaotic or calm approach? How do I really want my home and life to feel? To look?

Choose to make this a terrific summer, or choose for your days to be the same?

Choose to create a plan to make a difference, or not?

Choose to take action to achieve your dreams, or watch them pass you by?

Choose to save for that great trip, or keep stripping away funds via Starbucks runs and too much frivolous spending?

Choose to look up and smile more, enjoy the beauty, or walk around with your head down looking at your latest text/Instagram post/Facebook feed?

This is just a reminder that you get to choose. I love that… I for one welcome the reminder, and I hope you do, too! Cheering you on!

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.