What's Your Story?

I picked up Don Miller's latest book as an after thought while standing in line at the bookstore back in July. We were getting some reading material for the girls for a road trip were were about to take, and just before giving the cashier my money, I handed her A Million Miles in a Thousand Years ... because it was on sale, and because it was about someone who rode his bike across the US.

I could not put it down.  It "spoke" to me on so many levels. Get it? Bicycle spokes ... spoke to me ;-)

Our lives are amazing - each telling a different story ... what's yours?

(PS - To the friend I let borrow this book of mine.  Will I ever see it again.)

"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go." ~T.S. Elliot

Oh, So That Explains It!

As you may know, the Clifton StrengthsFinder measures the presence of talent in 34 categories called "themes." These themes were determined by Gallup as those that most consistently predict outstanding performance. The greater the presence of a theme of talent within a person, the more likely that person is to spontaneously exhibit those talents in day-to-day behaviors.  Focusing on naturally powerful talents helps people use them as the foundation of strengths and enjoy personal, academic, and career success through consistent, near-perfect performance.

Below are my top five themes of talent, ranked in the order revealed by my responses to the Clifton StrengthsFinder.

How well do you think these themes describe me?

Learner
People who are especially talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them.

Achiever 
People who are especially talented in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.

Responsibility
People who are especially talented in the Responsibility theme take psychological ownership of what they say they will do. They are committed to stable values such as honesty and loyalty.

Connectedness
People who are especially talented in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links between all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has a reason.

Input
People who are especially talented in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often they like to collect and archive all kinds of information.

To learn more about the Clifton StrengthsFinder and how you can discover your top five themes, visit http://strengths.gallup.com.

Food for the Body and Soul

Last week, I completed the 5K101 program (for the 2nd time)!  I say I'm a two-time graduate, because I completed the program last year and ran my very first 5k in November.  But I hadn't run since.

I re-started the program a  couple months ago, and on Tuesday, I ran 3.1 miles in 40 minutes.  This might be slow by some standards, but it is 2 minutes faster than my 5k last year. On Thursday I attempted the same run, but as I approached the 1 mile marker, I thought I was gonna pass out.  So I walked the rest of the way home feeling like a total loser. Saturday morning, however, I ran the 3.1 miles in 38 minutes!  And then yesterday, I rode my bike up Howell Mtn. Road.  It was about a 4-mile climb.  Tough, but I got to the top.  Surprisingly though, I had just as tough a time on the last leg of the ride - rollers - which should have been relatively easy.

The difference - nutrition.  Food to fuel the fire.

I've noticed that I can barrel my way through the day often forgetting to eat. I can still function, but when I don't eat, my physical body gets weak, and I "hit the wall," so to speak during a hard run or ride. And I am reminded that when I don't feast on the Word of God, I get spiritually weak as well.

I'm learning that if I'm thirsty or hungry, I've waited too long to replenish my nutrients and am running on fumes.  In the same way, I can't wait till the hard stuff comes to binge on the Word of God.  Instead, I need to graze - to eat small portions throughout the day - consistently and frequently to power up for whatever may lie ahead.

Lead Where You Are

On August 5-6, 2010, ten of us carpooled to Folsom to attend the Global Leadership Summit - one of the best investments a leader can make in himself. Personally, I was poured into, refreshed, energized, challenged, and sharpened.  If I could, I would take all of you next year!

Below are this year's speakers, their topics, and my take-away from each:  

Bill Hybels - Opening Session

• Leadership involves moving people from HERE ---> THERE!
• Assemble a team of fantastic people who possess character, competence, chemistry, and fit with our organizational culture.
• Inspire people along the journey by establishing mile markers and celebrations.
• Listen to the whispers of God.

Jim Collins -Never, Ever Give Up

5 Stages of Decline

1. Hubris of Success (outrageous arrogance)
2. Undisciplined Pursuit of More
3. Denial of Risk and Peril
4. Grasping for Salvation
5. Capitulation to Irrelevance or Death 

• One can be in stages 1-3 and look great on the outside, while the inside is diseased.
• Do regular diagnostics.
• Count your blessings - account for all the good things I didn't cause!
• We spend too much time trying to be interesting; we should spend more time being interested.
• Most of us have a to-do list. We also need a stop-doing list.
• BHAG - Big Hairy Audacious Goal

Christine Caine -Leading on the Edge of Hope

• It doesn't take a lot of light to dispel the darkness.  It just takes courage.
• Serve out of obligation, and you do what you have to.  Serve out of passion, and you do what you want to.
• We can serve with passionate hope and an unshakable confidence in God.

Tony Dungy -The Mentor Leader

• He was just there to help his players play better.
• Work efficiently. Don't mistake hours for productivity.
• Look for a mentor and look for someone to mentor.
• Get interested in someone's life and speak into them.

Adam Hamilton -When Leaders Fail

• Giving --> Emptiness --> Vulnerability --> Temptation --> Addiction --> Shame --> Alienation

• Attraction

          > the movement of the maybe; rationalizing the sin
          > nothing good can come out of telling the other person
          > maybe eventually becomes a yes
          > find the strength to stop saying maybe and say NO

• 5 R's of Resisting Temptation

1. Remember who you are.
2. Recognize the consequences of my actions - fantasize about the worst possible outcome.
3. Rededicate self to God in prayer (stop/drop/pray)
4. Reveal struggle to a trusted friend.  The power of temptation is secrecy.
5. Remove self from the situation.  Erect clearer boundaries.

Dr. Peter Zhao Xiao - Beyond Economy:  China's Transformation with the Cross

• He was commissioned by the Chinese government to study the success of the American economy.  He concluded that a moral foundation allowed our economy to flourish, argued that China's economy would benefit from the spread of the Christian faith, and embraced Christianity himself!

• Leadership is not just about influence, but direction; so we have to be aware of changes.
• There are only 2 kinds of transformations: that with the cross, and that without the cross.
• I will not give to the Lord that which costs me nothing.

Andy Stanley - The Upside of Tension

• Our opposing thumb creates pressure resulting in progress.
• Some problems never really go away.  They're not meant to be resolved, but rather to be managed.
• Don't think in terms of balance.  Think in terms of rhythm.

Jeff Manion -The Land Between

The land between is fertile soil for:

• complaints, not just against their situation, but against God himself
• melt downs
• God's provision, though sometimes not in the way we think
• God's discipline
• transformational growth (inviting trust evicts complaint)

Terri Kelly -When Leaders Emerge:  The Story of W.L Gore & Associates

Established common foundation of values:

• Value of the individual
• Power of small teams
• We're all in the same boat
• Take a long-term view

Daniel H. Pink -What Motivates Us:  Not What You Think

• Autonomy - Management is an archaic technology designed to get compliance. It doesn't lead to engagement.  Self-direction does.
• Mastery - Making progress is the best motivator, and the best way to get people engaged.  Help people see progress.
• Purpose - With the limited profitability of the times, we've seen a rise of purpose as the motivator.

Blake Mycoskie - Making Conscious Capitalism Work:  The TOMS Shoes Story

• It's never to early to give!
• Incorporate giving into work life, into your culture.
• 4/15/2011 - One Day Without Shoes - to spread awareness about the impact one pair of shoes can have on a child's life.

Jack Welch - Leader to Leader

• Authenticity - Be comfortable in your own skin, be someone people can count on.
• Engery / Energize - Unless the leader feels the fire, it is hard to pass it on.  Tell a story how their lives will change.  Get them excited about the journey.  Get them to tell their stories to each other.  Raise the intellectual power of the meeting by drawing out other people.
• Candor - Fight desperately to get what people are really thinking/feeling/believing on the table.
• Differentiation - Identify the top 20%, the vital 70%, and the back-end 10%.
• Create an appraisal system that creates conversation that lets people know where they stand.
• Attitude/Behavior of Top 20% People - filled with energy, excites others, like-able, good values, loves to see people grow, loves to reward people, not mean-spirited or cheap/stingy, they celebrate people. Generosity of spirit, don't have a lot of envy, celebrates success of others.
• The Vital 70% - hard and consistent worker, but isn''t always there in the clutch
• Bottom 10% - not a team player, acidic

T.D. Jakes - Combustible Passion

• People are assets.  They are passionate when they can do something within their reach.  They want to be stretched, not ripped apart.  Evaluate what people can do.  Challenge them without overwhelming them.  Don't want them to feel defeated.
• Assess who they are, where they are, what they do, and allocate them appropriately.
• Confidant - Some people are for you.
• Constituent - Some people are for what you are for.
• Comrade - Some people are against what you're against.  Some people are fighters! Direct these people towards the target, instead of making yourself the target.
• Don't hold on to people too tightly who are meant to come and go.

Prayer Slacker

My pastor has been challenging us to grow in our practice of prayer and dependence on God ... to not let prayer be just another thing we do ... but that prayer would be the way we do everything.

Personally, I've tried to live an abiding type of prayer life; because being the check-list kind of person that I am, my approach to a scheduled "quite-time" has often resulted in it being just another thing on the to-do list. But while most would say the abiding kind of prayer life IS the one we should hope to develop, I'm realizing it has become somewhat of an excuse for me.

I know this because there have been times I've sensed in heaviness of heart the need to just sit in quiet before God - sometimes to pray in silent, sometimes to read His Word, sometimes to write - often times not knowing the person or circumstance I'm praying about.  I have sensed and avoided these encounters more often than not; so it's a cop-out for me to say that I pray with out ceasing throughout the day, when in my heart I know I've only offered Him my distracted attention.

I have discounted these calls. Why? Because to purposefully pull away from the noise of life, to sit without agenda or study guide or grocery-list of needs, leaves me emotionally raw, organically transparent, naked ... and it scares me. But I don't want to walk in fear. So yesterday, I acknowledged and confessed the condition of my heart to some friends, because I truly do want to answer the call to grow in my practice of prayer and dependence on God.

On a lighter note, later in the afternoon, I was reading Pete Wilson's blog. His friend recently wrote a book which he was giving away to 5 random winners.  All we had to do was post, on a scale of 1-10, how our prayer life is these days.  So I did.  (I'm currently a 2.) I woke up this morning to an email saying I was randomly selected to receive Dianne Moody's Confessions of a Prayer Slacker. 

God - you are too funny.

I'm Not Really a Pink Kinda Girl ...

... but I think it would be totally cool to be riding around in this jersey! 

 

(Follow The Fat Cyclist blog.)

It's Summertime

Saw this on Presentation Zen today and thought it was appropriate for the season.  Hope you're enjoying your summertime.

Parents Behaving Badly

I behaved badly over the weekend. Had my kids acted up the way I did when they were younger, I totally would have given them a timeout. Actually, the timeout wasn't in fashion yet when I had kids, so let's just say the rod would NOT have been spared on me.

I'm so thankful for a Heavenly Father who doesn't treat me as I deserve. His mercy and grace continue to overwhelm me.

And when my earthly relationships (like my husband) extend forgiveness when they don't have to ... well, that just reinforces God's love for me even more.

Lord, help me to not act like a spoiled child. Help me to extend your mercy, grace, and love to others ... so that they might somehow catch a glimpse of You. Amen.

Nomenclature

I couldn't help but notice the names of some of the boats while jogging along the marina today: Harlequin, Half A Loaf, Someday Has Come, Victory, and even This Damn Boat!

It made me wonder what I would name my boat if I had one. Here were some of my thoughts:

Unplugged
Slow Down
Breathe
Get On It
Sure You Can
Why Not

What would you name yours?

Thank You Lord

On May 30th, my firstborn turned 18. On June 3rd, she graduated from high school. We celebrated this milestone with a party surrounding her with all the family and friends who love her so.

During a portion of the program, she and her sister performed a hula to the song, Thank You Lord. It was beautiful and brought tears to my eyes ... seeing the dance, my daughters, and the message in the lyrics of the song.

Lauren, I'm so proud of you. And I pray that you'll always remain close to the Lord. Continue to cultivate a heart of gratitude for who He is and all that He's done for you. And I pray this love overflows from your life into the lives of those around you. You have been, and continue to be, such a blessing to me.

Thank You Lord
by Weldon Kekauoha

Thank You Lord for saving my life
I promise I’ll praise Your name
For You held me up when I couldn’t stand
Through You my life has a plan

For You gave Your life for me that day
Upon that rock on Calvary
I can’t imagine and still deny
You are the way, the truth, and the life

So I thank You lord
For seeing me through
Those times when my eyes couldn’t see
Even when I fell , You still loved me
Where in the world would I be

Maybe lost and lonely in the cold
Hoping for someone to hold
I can’t imagine and still deny
You are the way, the truth, and the life

So I thank You lord
For hearing my prayer
And giving me all that I need
I will try my best and do all I can
Because I know only you understand

You have blessed my life and helped me through
All of those times when I needed You
I can’t imagine and still deny
You are the way, the truth, and the life

And so I thank You lord
For saving my life
I promise I’ll praise Your name
For You held me up
When I couldn’t stand
Jesus now I understand
Jesus now I understand
Yes Jesus, You are the man
Yes Jesus, You are the man

"Welcome Back"

I went on my first "real" ride in a long time ... 30-something miles starting at The Presidio, crossing the Golden Gate Bridge, through beautiful Sausalito, into Corte Madera, and back. Gorgeous ride!

I was excited and nervous at the same time. I'd always wanted to ride my bike across the Golden Gate Bridge!

I had serious doubts about completing the whole ride, however, after the short but steep climb just to get on the bridge. After all, it had been awhile since I'd done any climbing.

The guys waited for me at the top - the entrance of the bridge, where I sucked air for a little bit. "Welcome back," Jun told me ... and I just grunted.

I told them to just go and that I'd meet them at the end of the bridge. We'd continue that pattern the rest of the day ... they'd ride ahead (fast) and just wait for me at the top of a hill or at a spot where I might have a question as to where to go. And then we'd roll again ... and they'd wait ... and then we'd roll again :)

The ride was beautiful ... but the thoughts running through my mind - not so much. And this definitely sucked some of the enjoyment of the ride for me. What as going through my mind? "These guys are 24, 28, and 36 years of age. And here I am in my 40's! What do I think I'm doing? I should probably just hang up the bike and take up golf again. Maybe I should just have Andrew pick me up in Sausalito. Just keep pedaling. Ride you're own ride; don't mind them. You'll get there - might be a little slower, but you'll still get there." AND I DID! I finished the ride.

Psalm 139:14-16 says, "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." (NIV). But it occurred to me how I often forget God's truth and can still succumb to this annoying habit of comparing my ride (my life) to someone else's and getting really discouraged. John 10:10, Jesus says, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."

What annoying habits to you have that suck the joy out of you and keep you from experiencing life to the full, as Jesus intended?

A Funny Thing Happened On My Way to Retreat ...

Being a wife and mom, working part-time as well as working from home, computers, Facebook, AIM, Twitter, emails, blogs, and a cell phone that makes it all accessible 24-hours a day ... my life can be so full of noise. So I was really looking forward to "unplugging" and connecting with other women during women's retreat. Besides, even though cell phone reception is horrible at Silver Spur, I knew of a spot in the middle of a bridge where I could post and occasional Facebook update and picture from my iPhone ... you know ... so my family would know what I was up to!

But a funny thing happened to me on my way to retreat ...

Unbeknownst to me, my phone fell out of my bag just outside of my house as I was leaving. Ahahhaha! God, you are soooo funny! I guess I was meant to TRULY unplug :)

I had a refreshing time at retreat and got a chance to spend some quality time with some amazing women. Thanks God!

I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T

I am a strong woman of God.

I know His Words are true.

I know He is a God that cannot lie.

And I don't need to know or understand everything about Him to trust Him.

I am not being easily moved,
because I know He sees and holds my yesterdays, my today, and all my tomorrows.

I don't wallow in what-ifs or why-me's, because I've learned to count it all joy when I fall into various trials, and I know that the testing of my faith produces patience ... and I want to let my light shine before all men that they might see my good deeds and glorify my Father in heaven.

BUT

Sometimes along the way,

In being that strong woman of God,

I become this person who thinks she's got it all together and no longer needs her Daddy. In the journey from feelings to faith, my heart can take a brisk stroll far away from Him. But I am so thankful that I'm never out of His reach.

Lord, help me to start each morning, quietly with You. I don't want to always be in such a hurry. Help me to remember that I am your child and that you delight in spending time with me. I pray I constantly and consciously walk with You, instead of ahead of You. Amen.

Foul Weather Friends

I received this as an email from Dayspring.com this morning. It spoke to me in that it's much easier for me to walk through the rain with other people than it is for me to allow other people to walk with me ...

What about you ...

I wish I had a big red umbrella that would keep all the rain out of your life. I would hold it over your head and the drops would splash, splash and you would never even feel them. But I don't have a big red umbrella...so I'll walk through the rain with you.

God doesn't intend for us to go through our storms alone. We all need our "foul weather friends" who will venture out into the weather with us.

There are two questions we must answer to not only survive but thrive through life's storms;

Who will walk through the rain with us? And will we let them?

Friends love through all kinds of weather. Proverbs 17:17 MSG

(Devotional quote from the 365 Day Inspirational Calendar, Rain on Me based on the book, by Holley Gerth.)

(Image is a picture of Rolf Harris' The Red Umbrella.)

Beauty - Often Noticed, Often Felt

I see it ~ and it moves me ...

It's not always the "pretty" things. An old photograph. The shadow of a parent walking with his child. The view from above after climbing a steep hill below. A lone, unoccupied bench in a garden of greenery and blossoms. The quiet companionship of an elderly couple sitting in a corner at a coffee shop. It's not always the "pretty" things.

When something external invokes something internal and makes us take notice ... We see it ~ and it moves us ... that's beauty.

But, as Sarah Markely notes, "We seem to be able to find beauty in the world day after day but we struggle to find it in ourselves."

"I Can See Clearly Now"

I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,

I can see all obstacles in my way

Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind

It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)

Sun-Shiny day.

I think I can make it now, the pain is gone

All of the bad feelings have disappeared

Here is the rainbow I've been prayin for

It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)

Sun-Shiny day.

Look all around, there's nothin but blue skies

Look straight ahead, nothin but blue skies

I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,

I can see all obstacles in my way

Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind

It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)

Sun-Shiny day.

~ Johnny Nash

Guess Who Is Forty-Two!

Yes, that would be me ... I celebrated a birthday this past Wednesday.

Forty-two hasn't really phased me. "Age is just a number," I heard someone say.

What really caught me off guard, however, was hearing that my baby brother will be turning 37 in a few weeks! MY BABY BROTHER! That's just wrong.

OH - and the fact that I received notice of my 20-year college reunion.

That's even wrong-er ...

Celebrating Our 20th Wedding Anniversary!

I Will Be Here

(Steven Curtis Chapman)

Tomorrow morning if you wake up

and the sun does not appear

I will be here

If in the dark, we lose sight of love

Hold my hand, and have no fear

'Cause I will be here

I will be here

When you feel like being quiet

When you need to speak your mind

I will listen

And I will be here

When the laughter turns to cryin'

Through the winning, losing and trying

We'll be together

I will be here

Tomorrow morning, if you wake up

And the future is unclear

I will be here

Just as sure as seasons were made for change

Our lifetimes were made for these years

So I will be here

I will be here

And you can cry on my shoulder

When the mirror tells us we're older

I will hold you

And I will be here

To watch you grow in beauty

And tell you all the things you are to me

I will be here

I will be true to the promise I have made

To you and to the One who gave you to me

Tomorrow morning, if you wake up

And the sun does not appear

I will be here

Oh, I will be here.

Seeking

I AM the goal of all your searching. When you seek Me, you find Me and are satisfied. When lesser goals capture your attention, I fade into the background of your life. I am still there, watching and waiting; but you function as if you were alone. Actually, My Light shines on every situation you will ever face. Live radiantly by expanding your focus to include Me in all your moments. Let nothing dampen your search for Me.

Excerpt taken from "Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence"

~ Sarah Young