Serving with Excellence for a Life of Excellence
As I write this, hurricanes are swirling, forest fires are ravaging, Houston is beginning a lengthy recovery and a lot of folks are praying, rolling up their sleeves, opening their wallets, and in anyway they can reaching out to help… to love… to send healing and positive thoughts.
This is the best part of “us” when we stop and truly bear the burdens of others. Love surrounds us and I hope this week we all PRESS forward to LOVE BIG.
(Rewind: This is a relevant post from 2016. Enjoy!)
I was on a flight back last week from Seattle and had a great conversation with my seat mate. Those of you who know me well may think I would normally “chat it up” with a passenger, but truthfully I am the one to throw on the headphones (even if I don’t have anything on) and try to relax and think and maybe even take a nap! Not really a big fan of plane conversation.
Anyway, I’d been flying all week and this was one of the last legs, and she was really great. We got to talking about how we are currently in the process of selling our home, and I was sharing with her the inspection report and subsequent negotiations. In short, the new owners want to take a bit more out off of the price to deal with some minor issues and that I didn’t really think was fair, but also didn’t want to upset the apple cart so to speak and ruin the deal. Her response was great and WORTH SHARING.
“SO, WHAT IS YOUR PAIN….?”
I didn’t get it right away, but ultimately it was PURE BRILLIANCE. We all have our own pain points. How much pain are we willing to endure…to experience? It can be emotional or physical dollars as in this case. It can be both of course. I had to think through this with her. In this case, if the deal fell through because I didn’t concede, I would be out perhaps a couple or more months of a mortgage payment, on top of my new payments relating to the move etc. Once I thought of it that way, their ask didn’t seem too much and would quickly add up to the amount they were asking for. Decision made. Once I realized the amount of what my pain could be, it wasn’t hard. (Side note: Why in the world had I never thought of this process?)
Some after thoughts I had or other possible scenarios…
What if you have someone at work that is a challenge… What is your pain? What happens if you address it or not?
What if you need to make a big purchase, a new refrigerator, or something expensive… What is your pain if you do or don’t do it now? It may help you to understand if you just can’t tolerate the pain level, you may need to consider other options, perhaps a Craigslist fridge for now….?
What if you have a friend or relative that is about to make a bad decision… What is their pain? Can you help them out by using this as a problem solving mechanism to frame up the real issues they may have based on their choices?
I hope this resonates with some of you all! I thought it was a tremendous insight and worth the time to think on for a bit… I will be using this now when confronted with a decision.
(Photo Creds: I’m not sure…It’s been on my “reel” for awhile..)
(Design & photo creds: Canva)
I was looking back this weekend at “my life so far.”
I’m counting down the months until 50, so I guess I’m taking stock of the path God has had me on, and finding joy in how he has weaved every great moment and every pain together to magically design this ONE LIFE. One particular stand out I had was the impact of two teachers from my high school. Both, in different ways, stood in the gap for me. They inspired, encouraged and went far beyond their job descriptions… They are two of the heros in my story.
It made me wonder who the heros are in my boys’ stories so far? How about yours?
Do you ever reflect and wonder why God put certain “characters” in your story? Some are clear, such as these ladies who had a starring role in my life. Some of course are only in your life for a very short season – maybe even a business lunch or someone who got assigned to you in a volunteer situation. These “extras” play a role too, and sometimes send you off in a different direction or spark a thought, idea or inspire you in some way. (Or remind you of how not to act…)
I encourage this idea of “reflecting” and actually noticing those in your story. We do get to take the lead in creating our story, but we don’t always choose those that come along side in the novel. What can we learn from the heros? The antagonists? I have learned perhaps an equal amount from both and look forward to meeting the new characters as the script plays out…
As we wrap up June next week, I’ll spend some time on this topic and how a mid-year planning session may be what you need to ensure 2017 is truly the best year ever. Some of us need a strong finish, some want or need to just “dodge” the bullets and stay in hiding, but all of us need to find joy and continue on the path of a life lived well!
This is terrific! Oh, how wonderful Kindergarten is. My boys had some amazing Kindergarten teachers, they got to take naps, color, sing, join hands with their class, and basically learn the important things in a well lived life.
When my son said this the other day, I laughed out loud. Is this not the truest statement? Even if for just a bit of our day, this time is down right THE BEST. If only we knew then what we know now.
When I was searching for the photo for the post, I came upon a quote, “Dear Kingergartners, if you don’t want your nap today, please send over to the high school.” There was another one, “Dear Naps, I am sorry I was such a jerk to you in Kindgergarten.” Ha!
Well, this post is just to make you laugh a bit, but we for sure can always use the reminder to appreciate the little things. I hope your weekend is great, and if it rains, I hope you will go do something wild and crazy like a Kindergartner… stomp in the mud, color and of course… NAP!
(Photo Creds: givesevendays.org)
Take a moment to watch this awesome video clip!
That video tells the story better than I can, but the bottom line is that a group of super-cool people that are trying to change the world by helping to re-write the story on how we all approach the differences we have and how they are sometimes dealt with. As our world becomes increasingly diverse, it is incumbent upon us take time to learn about other cultures and religions, and create a better understanding!
I wanted to use my blog this week as a platform to showcase the great events that are being held starting April 18 in Kansas City. The events are listed here. The events promise to provide us with a fresh perspective and help us ignite how we can MAKE A RIPPLE in our communities. If you aren’t local, take some time to review their website and the events. The great leaders behind GIVESEVENDAYS are often out in many communities across our country. If your community hasn’t rallied around this and you believe it’s important, let me know and I’ll put you in touch with the right folks to make it happen.
I hope your schedule will allow you to attend one or more of the events. If you are free Monday, April 24th, the week culminates with an evening walk that is a fabulous show of community unity! This year it will be held at Union Station, which is one of KC’s true historic landmarks and a beautiful place to celebrate.
I look forward to seeing some of you there! I know you will be inspired.
(partial repost from April 2016)
(Photo Creds: Ashley Jost)
First off, apologies for the strong terminology in the post, but honestly it was needed. You see, I have some friends, as I’m sure you do to, that have been through nothing short of what most can’t imagine. (I have other choice words for that…)
This post is for them, to remind them – and you – that we were MADE FOR GREATNESS. It’s true however that sometimes we have to pull ourselves up and out, and be a BADASS in order to endure with grace.
For my friend who lost her husband and has demonstrated that through great pain that you can STILL be bold and brave despite being introverted.
For my friend who lost a daughter and is literally fighting tooth and nail to come out with grace.
The journey isn’t always as calm as it seems for others, but FIGHTING IS WORTH IT! Showing up EVERY DAY and knowing that you were MADE TO BE GREAT and that you can OVERCOME… They are proving that, day by day…
There are so many stories caused by death, divorce, loss of health, loss of careers and confusing relationships… We all have our own battles.
TODAY, REMIND YOURSELF THAT YOU ARE A BAD ASS and the STORY IS YOURS TO MAKE GREAT… OWN THAT, and SHOW UP STRONG. We are ALL CHEERING FOR EACH OTHER!
(Photo Creds: We Heart It)
Here comes the sun… (My all time fav version Brooke White)
What a gorgeous weekend! Today I leave you with this song that I love and my hope is that you will sing, hum, or whistle this all week long!
It will make you smile and remember that no matter what is going on the sun is coming!!!
It’s Easter season and HOPE CONTINUES TO RISE this week! BE EXPECTANT!
(This is a post from March 2016. Enjoy!)
I wanted to take today to offer a bit of humor with a life lesson! I also wanted to use the adorable picture of a donkey that I took in Nazareth while on my trip.
I know most of you have heard this story, but it’s worth repeating. Actually, it spoke to me, because there are a few stones coming in my path that I need to step up and over. I hope you not only find it funny, but that you grab a little life lesson in there. (By the way, the story doesn’t seem to have an official owner, but whoever came up with it, thanks! We give you credit.)
The famous ‘donkey and the well’ story:
“One day, a farmer’s donkey fell deep into a well. The animal cried for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn’t worth it to retrieve the donkey. He invited all his neighbors to come over & help him. They all grabbed a dirt & began to shovel dirt into the well.
At first, the donkey didn’t realized what was happening & cried horribly. Then, to everyone’s amazement he quieted down. A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing.
He would shake it off & take a step up. As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off & take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well & happily trotted off!
Always remember in life that:
Now for the rest of this story…
“The donkey later came back, and bit the farmer who had tried to bury him. The gash from the bite got infected and the farmer eventually died in agony from septic shock.
The moral of the latter part of this story: When you do something wrong, and try to cover your ass, it always comes back to bite you!”
Too funny! And a rich story about life – never quit, never surrender.
What fun it was to spend a day with my college sorority sisters on Saturday. I have to say, after not spending any quality time with them over the past 25+ years, our time felt like we were still 19 hanging out talking about God knows what.
Today, my hope is that you will find value in connecting with some of your friends from the past. Here are a few reasons why it’s a good idea:
We all need to be in “community,” and connected, and although I have an absolutely wonderful group of friends and colleagues, coming back to “home base” for me was notable. My encouragement is for you to reach out, schedule some meaningful time, tell the stories that “made you” and where you’ve been, what your hopes are…
It may be some of the best time you have spent in years… It was for me!
(Photo creds: We Heart It)
Folks, I listened to this message this week, and it was a strong one. Joyce Meyer, who is one of the most amazing Christian preachers, seems to always speak to me quite loudly. I have her app on my phone, and on long walks I listen through her daily 25 minute podcasts. Joyce is 73, a motherly type figure for someone my age, but more like a wise sage in that she is so well-versed in the word of God and its application to real life that you hang on to every word.
So, this particular segment was about reducing stress. I can use that pretty much every day of the year. I would characterize myself as spirit-led, and the “type of gal” who is able to handle the daily stresses of life.
Even given that, stress seems to echo in the background noise coming from TV, social media, work life and the stress that enters the homes of each of us. It’s a topic that always leaves us wondering how to persevere better.
Joyce asked us to “make a list” of who steals our peace. Whoa! Immediately, I had three come to mind. None of you though, I promise. 😉
Next, she said to really ask God to take those people (that your human existence cannot seem to handle alone) on for you. It’s that simple. Right? Well, I talk to God about those things, but not sure I have “claimed” them as stealing my peace, so I’m going to give it a try.
She wrapped up her message with what we already know well, that in areas of your life you don’t have peace over, you lose your power. I need my power. As I age, I value every last minute/vial/whatever measurement of it.
As you get ready for another week and your goal toward having the “BEST YEAR YET,” I hope you see some value in this exercise. I’ll be praying for all of you, in fact, I am right now as I write this.
“Peacemakers who SOW IN PEACE REAP a HARVEST of righteousness.” James 3:18
“Let the Peace of Christ rule in your hearts…” Col 3:15
“Cast all your anxiety on him…” 1 Peter 5:7
