To Serve well

Serving with Excellence for a Life of Excellence

Simple Thoughts Sunday

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Settle for the BEST

(Photo Creds: Canva)

I have always believed our mind is our greatest human asset in achieving what we want out of this one life.

This statement in the photo was spoken at an event I attended, and I sat with it for a few months. I wanted to share it for today’s Simple Thoughts Sunday because I feel it has power. God gave us all a human spirit with goals, dreams and desires. I believe he wants us to not only achieve those, but to do so with great joy.

Sure, we will have pain in the mix and we will grow during those times, but in the end, we are here for a purpose. If we opt out and choose to not GO FOR our HIGHEST LEVEL, it is our choice. CHOOSE TO OPTIMIZE! Let your close friends and family know what they and I know they would love to cheer you on! I would be blessed to sit with any of your fan clubs. Have an amazing week, my friends.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Significance

We are all given gifts, talents…

I was personally captured in thought by this question.

It’s one of THOSE BIG ONES. Exactly what am I doing with gifts? I need to do an audit or inventory to ensure that what I am busy spending my time doing aligns. Do I need to go deeper in an area? What even is significant to me? From God’s perspective? (Helping, serving others, etc.)

I hope this gets you thinking like it did me… I also hope that you have an amazing week. I am off to a “just before 50” bucket list trip today, “Paul’s Journey,” and I am beyond excited to walk in the apostle Paul’s steps. We will also have some great Tuscany wine and enjoy learning about the people and history of Italy and Greece. I’ll be blogging as I can and I look forward to sharing whatever it is God speaks to me during the adventure.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: God often speaks loudest when we are the quietest

(Photo Creds: Canva)

I am a huge fan of the author Mark Batterson.

He has crafted the Circle Maker and a host of books I regularly give as gifts. His latest, ‘Whisper,’ is coming out soon and I was lucky enough to get a preview copy. This topic is timely, real and critical that we all listen. My opinion of course.

The book is about hearing the voice of God and outlines some practical thinking and steps we might take to get to this goal. Most people operate in the hope that God will send a sign or at least a major clue that tells us where to step next. I for sure have lived most of the seasons of my life looking around the corner and in the mailbox for these. It’s human nature I think.

At any rate, the simple thought this week is from Batterson’s latest book: “God often speaks the loudest when we are the quietest.” We must carve out time for quiet. Our world is so noisy. In fact, studies show that most of us can’t hardly stand to not have something going on, be it TV, radio, “Alexa” chatter, checking our phone, etc. I absolutely know this is a truth that I can use to hear again and again. I have time and again heard from God in the quiet… generally through reading or spending time away on the water. I know I for one need quiet… A LOT OF IT!

I hope this insight speaks to your soul, and I hope that this week you carve out time for QUIET.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: CHOOSE JOY

(Photo Creds: Canva)

Happy Sunday! We are hitting the second half of September and closing in on starting the final quarter of the year. Many have worked through the first month of school and started fall projects… yard work, remodeling, work, etc. I’ve even started seeing homecoming pictures… seems too early, but here we are! Fun fall events and action-packed days. Let’s remember to stop and CHOOSE JOY in those days! These moments mark our lives and this is such an important scripture for us to start our days with! I’m cheering you on as you conquer this week!

Simple Thoughts Sunday – Love & bearing burdens

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.

Simple Thoughts Sunday – Speak Vitality (LIFE)

(Photo Creds: Canva… but I’m pretty sure I have one just like it from my Ginger Farms trip last year!)

Happy Sunday folks!

Isn’t it awesome that most get to BREATHE DEEP tonight and not worry about working tomorrow? Love that feeling.

So, what in the world do I mean by speak vitality? That may seem obvious and yet we don’t do it enough. One year at camp, one of the parenting talks (intended to help us teach our children how to be upstanding humans that care for others) was a simple message we were advised to ask our children often: “Are you going to speak a blessing or a curse?”

In other words: simply be nice! I appreciated that construct when talking to my boys, especially when the discussion was around how they treat each other sometimes. I recognize however, that at any age, it’s a great reminder. We have a choice to speak LIFE, and we should choose it more often.

Do the words we are speaking to ourselves or others speak joy? Victory? Positivity? Or are we focused on “why in the world we are getting acne at our age?” “Where did those 5-plus pounds come from, for god’s sake?” “Why can’t I eat the mac and cheese with bacon?”

We all are in different seasons of our lives, and it is so important that we SPEAK LIFE and VITALITY to ourselves and to the WORLD. This week there has been much heroism displayed as the needs are great in a time of national disasters such as the great flooding. There have also been those that are blaming, calling out and otherwise judging people that they believe should be helping. My feeling: We need to hold ourselves accountable for ALWAYS SPEAKING VITALITY.

Have an AMAZING WEEK, and remember to EXHALE and BREATHE IN LIFE!

Simple Thoughts Sunday: You are a badass (Acts 26:15)

(Photo Creds: We Heart It)

When I heard this connection this summer I knew I had to share it with you. Let’s face it, life can be tough. I was greatly encouraged to have someone point out to me the biblical reminder that I am indeed a badass… and SO ARE YOU! As you start this week, remember, that you can GET UP AND STAND UP. God created us to be courageous and brave and He gave us the tools to confront our lives with GREATNESS! (Peace, Grace, Love – the list goes on.)

A short thought for the day, but SUPER POWERFUL! Have an AMAZING WEEK!

Simple Thoughts Sunday: Peace & Joy

(Photo Creds: Canva)

I loved this quote from from a book I read this week. I mean, who wants their problems to take over their mind and 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 has been 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 do have a CHOICE, and I happen to LOVE THAT. Imagine if we didn’t?

She said it another way…

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

I believe that has been true in my life. When I stray away from my disciplined life of reading scripture, attending regular church services, hanging out 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, that we almost immediately get signs that prod us back to where our focus should be. If you are familiar with scripture there is a terrific verse in Galatians 5:22-23:

“But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”

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.

Simple Thoughts Sunday: TRUST

(Photo Creds: Canva)

Mother Teresa is “the one” I’d love to sit with for a weekend and just rest in her presence and wisdom. How amazing is this thought? As we head into a busy season with school ramping up and busy times with work, we have to continue to fill our minds with the reality that we have to put our trust in God and seek discernment through whatever method works best for us individually.

For me, it’s reading, listening to messages from some great spiritual leaders I follow (Beth Moore, Christine Caine, Priscilla Schirer, Joyce Meyer, Steven Furtick,  John Gray, Craig Groeschel and my pastor, Blake Finuf) and reading scripture.

As you kick off the week, I’m praying for you and know that God is with us in our journeys. He will clear our minds and make our paths clear as we still our mind and listen.

I’m cheering for you and I believe the world is conspiring in OUR FAVOR!

Simple Thoughts Sunday – Who is that seeks after God with you?

(Photo Creds: My good ole’ iPhone @ my dear friends Jan and Nan’s 50th birthday celebration in the Dominican Republic!)

Simple Thoughts Sundays are my favorites. As many of you know, I am an avid reader and in the last few weeks I stumbled upon the most brilliant and thought provoking author. I’ve read three of his books in the last 10 days, but one book in particular called ‘A Resilient Life’ falls into one of my top 5 ever. That’s huge.

The author is Gordon MacDonald if you want to look him up. In the book, I marked literally hundreds of passages, but the one that stood out was the idea in this picture.

The chapter, ‘There are Certain People,’ focused on the people that “enable us to be as we have never been before.” That is an awesome truth. He goes on: “The pathway to resilience requires that I fill my personal life with a very special set of relationships. Who makes up your happy few?”

Other questions:

  • Who stretches your mind?
  • Who listens to you and encourages your dreams?
  • Who will protect you? (Have your back as my friend Coretta has reminded me…)
  • Who are those that share your tears?
  • Who rebukes you?
  • Who plays with you?
  • The final question: “who is it that seeks after God with you?” This one, I can’t quit thinking about.

Let me know if this stirs your soul at all.. I’d love to know!

Make it an amazing week!