Photo by Dave Goudreau on Unsplash
We will all experience things that rattle us to the core. We all have moments, months, or even years of great hardship. But how we face the shaking and how we view it can make a big difference.
Read MoreLearning is living and I like living, so I admit I will always be in process. Here is a little something I am learning this week.
Read MoreI was talking to a friend a while back who’s 15-year-old son was NOT studying for his permit test. He didn’t want to keep taking practice tests because “he knew everything already!” That is of course if “knowing everything,” means that he could get all 10 answers right on the aforementioned practice test after checking 5 with Google and a few with Dad, then yes, he knew everything! Especially since driving is summed up in 10 simple questions.
Read MoreThe interaction between logic and emotion is a twisted web within each culture. Some people and or cultures see emotion as weakness while others see it as passion and spirit. Some try to detach from emotion in the workplace for a variety of different reasons while others strive to bring “the whole person” to work each day. I think that we are much more powerful and purposeful when our emotions are engaged with the work we are doing.
Read MorePhoto by David Travison Unsplash
Have you noticed that in both athletics and business, the highest functioning groups have a clear and shared vision and goal?
Read MoreThe truth is, growth hurts ALL the time, and then- only after the pain- it feels invigorating.
Read MoreThis is a simple phrase I find myself saying a lot. Sometimes it comes out as a stern parental reminder when I finish a conversation with my young boys after stopping them (or failing to stop them) from pummeling each other. Sometimes it comes out as a lighthearted, yet serious reminder to my athletes on a Friday going into a competition free weekend or a vacation period. Sometimes I just say it to remind myself and others that our choices matter.
Read MoreA Lament is “a passionate expression of grief or sorrow.” In both classical and modern culture they are often penned as poems or sung to melodies. However, true lament is felt in every fiber of our flesh, every expression of our emotion, and often communicated in incomprehensible utterances.
Years ago my husband walked into the hospital moments before our friend’s elementary age son was pronounced dead. From down the hall, the sound of a mother's true lament echoed off the cold, bare walls.
Read MoreThere are many wounds- physical, emotional and spiritual- that fester, worsen, and spread if not dealt with appropriately.
A boil is a minor physical wound known to fester. In the technical sense, a boil is a painful infection of a hair follicle and the surrounding skin. It begins as a red lump, then fills with pus as white blood cells rush in to fight the infection (I asked Google). But even minor wounds ignored or inappropriately treated can have major consequences. The longer we go without proper treatment, the larger the risk for further damage.
If we were in a climbing group up Everest together and I fell into a real icy crevasse, I hope you would not say, “serves her right,” or shrug it off with an, “She must have not taken the right precautions.” I hope you would approach the gap and see if I was OK, “Are you there? Are you breathing? Bleeding? Can you move?” All of these questions are much more helpful starting points. Would I have a chance to survive? Would you offer help? Through me a line? Would you climb down there with me attached to your safety harness in order to pull me out? Would you sit at the top and cheer me on and tell me I could do it if I just kept working hard enough? Would you expect me to get myself out since I fell in there all on my own?
Read MoreHave you ever had a yelling match with God? Has your pain, desperation, or anguish been so deep that the words either come out in choked sobbs or blood curdling screams? What was it for you? Was it the loss of a loved one? A tragic accident, a misarriage, or a betrayal? Was it watching someone you love suffer?
Read MoreBetween Friday morning at 6:00am and Saturday morning at 8:00am I ran 26 miles because, well, I thought I would try. Sports and activity have always been a teacher to me, so here is how it happened and what I thought about and learned along the way.
Read MoreThe other day the boys and I were driving home from “chalking” a friend’s house. With everyone “safer at home” these days, we can’t play with our friends, but we can show them some love. Anyway, one of my boys looks at me and out of nowhere says, “Mom, I know an option of what will make me whine less. If you just give me whatever I want, I would not need to whine anymore!”
“Interesting thought son” I said with a little chuckle “Well, if I give you EVERYTHING you want right now, you will basically be a horrible human later and probably won’t have any friends-- So I am willing to put up with some whining now so that way you are a good human later.”
And without hesitation, he responds ever so logically: “Well mom, I am just saying it IS an option.”
Who is this kid? I just have to laugh! “Yes, you’re right, it IS an option- but not one I am choosing.”
Read MoreI miss the women I coach today. We were just starting the main section of competition when college sports was shut down, Universities went to online platforms, and students went home. It all happened so fast. I love my job, and I am reminded yet again, just why I love it so much. As a coach, I get to see the daily process of the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of people that impact their success of failure. Not only that, I get to help them define success, reframe difficulty, overcome challenges, and learn to thrive. I see the best and worst of my athletes, and they see the best and worst of me!
Sometimes I help people solve problems, and sometimes I “cause” problems- on purpose- but not in a malicious way. When I create obstacles, uphold standards, give test sets, and create competition I can see who is in a state to overcome and who is in a state to succumb…
Read MoreI went to drop off a birthday present to my friend the other day and was like, “I’ll just drop it here and when I walk away you can pick it up.” Social distancing totally sucks!
But what is the silver lining and the learning?
Read More…when things fall apart, it gives us an opportunity we don’t get in the daily grind. The hard exterior is cracked and shattered to reveal a softer interior. The facade of control is finally exposed for what it is and we understand that everyday is a gift not a reward. When things fall apart, they are exposed for what they really are and for what really matters. So what are we seeing now? What surfaces?
Read MoreThis will be a time that will define human history. It will go down in the history books how it changed the normal routines of our lives. How are we going to respond? Where are we going to find strength? Or are we going to think we are good on our own strength? Take a moment to watch and realize who will really rescue us.
Read MoreI have a six year old who has been keeping me accountable since he could speak. Does anyone else have a kid like that?! He throws my own one liners right back at me!
Sometimes it can be so frustrating when I have to take my own advice…so what do we do then?
Read MoreWhat defines a man or woman?
As we watch the response to the sudden death of Kobe Bryant, it gives everyone impacted by his life an opportunity to pause and think about what is really important and what truly defines us.
Read MoreAs a coach of college women, it is funny to see how much “getting the right photo” matters. We have all seen a group of people taking and retaking the same photo because everyone has to look perfect. But I was a little surprised to find a study from 2015 that says that the average Millennial is estimated to take 27,000 selfies in his or her lifetime. I wonder how many of those are in the “retaking” category?
Our obsession with the perfect image, both physically and socially, have become increasingly dominating with the normalization of social media. But this year I had a pleasant surprise with one of my seniors, Mirea. During photo ops on our team retreat, she pulled out a Polaroid camera.
Read MoreIt is my mission to equip and empower people to be refined by Jesus as a catalyst to change the world where they are.
Sharing stories and experiences is one of the ways humanity learns best. We would love to hear your stories! Place comments on blogs or reach out to us personally. We all have a story to tell and a message to spread. We would love to help you share yours.
A Lament is “a passionate expression of grief or sorrow.” In both classical and modern culture they are often penned as poems or sung to melodies. However, true lament is felt in every fiber of our flesh, every expression of our emotion, and often communicated in incomprehensible utterances.
Years ago my husband walked into the hospital moments before our friend’s elementary age son was pronounced dead. From down the hall, the sound of a mother's true lament echoed off the cold, bare walls.
There are many wounds- physical, emotional and spiritual- that fester, worsen, and spread if not dealt with appropriately.
A boil is a minor physical wound known to fester. In the technical sense, a boil is a painful infection of a hair follicle and the surrounding skin. It begins as a red lump, then fills with pus as white blood cells rush in to fight the infection (I asked Google). But even minor wounds ignored or inappropriately treated can have major consequences. The longer we go without proper treatment, the larger the risk for further damage.
If we were in a climbing group up Everest together and I fell into a real icy crevasse, I hope you would not say, “serves her right,” or shrug it off with an, “She must have not taken the right precautions.” I hope you would approach the gap and see if I was OK, “Are you there? Are you breathing? Bleeding? Can you move?” All of these questions are much more helpful starting points. Would I have a chance to survive? Would you offer help? Through me a line? Would you climb down there with me attached to your safety harness in order to pull me out? Would you sit at the top and cheer me on and tell me I could do it if I just kept working hard enough? Would you expect me to get myself out since I fell in there all on my own?
Have you ever had a yelling match with God? Has your pain, desperation, or anguish been so deep that the words either come out in choked sobbs or blood curdling screams? What was it for you? Was it the loss of a loved one? A tragic accident, a misarriage, or a betrayal? Was it watching someone you love suffer?
The other day the boys and I were driving home from “chalking” a friend’s house. With everyone “safer at home” these days, we can’t play with our friends, but we can show them some love. Anyway, one of my boys looks at me and out of nowhere says, “Mom, I know an option of what will make me whine less. If you just give me whatever I want, I would not need to whine anymore!”
“Interesting thought son” I said with a little chuckle “Well, if I give you EVERYTHING you want right now, you will basically be a horrible human later and probably won’t have any friends-- So I am willing to put up with some whining now so that way you are a good human later.”
And without hesitation, he responds ever so logically: “Well mom, I am just saying it IS an option.”
Who is this kid? I just have to laugh! “Yes, you’re right, it IS an option- but not one I am choosing.”
I miss the women I coach today. We were just starting the main section of competition when college sports was shut down, Universities went to online platforms, and students went home. It all happened so fast. I love my job, and I am reminded yet again, just why I love it so much. As a coach, I get to see the daily process of the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of people that impact their success of failure. Not only that, I get to help them define success, reframe difficulty, overcome challenges, and learn to thrive. I see the best and worst of my athletes, and they see the best and worst of me!
Sometimes I help people solve problems, and sometimes I “cause” problems- on purpose- but not in a malicious way. When I create obstacles, uphold standards, give test sets, and create competition I can see who is in a state to overcome and who is in a state to succumb…
I went to drop off a birthday present to my friend the other day and was like, “I’ll just drop it here and when I walk away you can pick it up.” Social distancing totally sucks!
But what is the silver lining and the learning?
I have a six year old who has been keeping me accountable since he could speak. Does anyone else have a kid like that?! He throws my own one liners right back at me!
Sometimes it can be so frustrating when I have to take my own advice…so what do we do then?
What defines a man or woman?
As we watch the response to the sudden death of Kobe Bryant, it gives everyone impacted by his life an opportunity to pause and think about what is really important and what truly defines us.
I got to admit, MLKJ day makes conversations interesting at my house with two five-year-old brothers with different skin tones. This is the first year the kids have initiated conversation and while they are necessary, the questions remain: how much do I divulge? What are they “ready” to understand? How realistic do I depict things? How do I respond to their questions and comments?
Dreams deferred are never fun, they can weigh on us and even haunt us, but here is a story about how there can still be purpose and promise in the waiting.
I got to admit, MLKJ day makes conversations interesting at my house with two five-year-old brothers with different skin tones. This is the first year the kids have initiated conversation and while they are necessary, the questions remain: how much do I divulge? What are they “ready” to understand? How realistic do I depict things? How do I respond to their questions and comments?
I was recently traveling with my husband to a conference. Since we fly Southwest he has a habit of leaving me, the rule follower, at boarding time to see if he can board earlier than his boarding pass allows. (It is like a game to him… insert my eye roll here.)
Here I was, leaving California, joining the herd toward the boarding line. I made one of those little connections with the kind woman, close to my age, who was next to me. We both became fixated on the gymnastic competition displayed on the wall TV. Just then, an older white woman came up to us asking what numbers we were in the cue.
Powered by mybucketofideas
Learning is living and I like living, so I admit I will always be in process. Here is a little something I am learning this week.