Morrocco?

Ok, since it's Monday (Not really sure why that is significant...just felt like the appropriate "card to play" here) and I've been consistent to write daily (again...no connection), I'm going to indulge in my own unique, and crazy silliness today. Now, if you don't know me, this blog entry might make me look like a loony-bird and I'm completely OK with that. If you do know me, then you are laughing in appreciation and celebration over my unique brand of silly! :)

So, in my "Blog-Fog" (oooh...TOTALLY just made that up!), basically just a cloud of ignorance that swallows me up in this new space I have entered. Anyway, in my "Blog-Fog" I was stumbling through all the fancy tabs, and technical whosa-whiches (yep, made that up to) and accidentally stumbled onto this map. I was of course interested in the map, even though I had no idea what purpose it served. As I investigated a bit closer, I discovered it is a map that shows where people are reading and connecting to me. "Oh Fun!," I thought. There were several locations that made sense to me, United States (obviously), United Kingdom (Hiya Mates!), and the Philipines (Shannie!). But there was one that made no sense to me at all, Morrocco!?! I have never been to Morrocco and I don't know anyone in Morrocco.

So, I won't ask you to take the journey to crazy I took in processing through this little piece of information my "Blog-Fog" revealed. Needless to say, just thought I would do one of two things here today....

1. Say hi to my new Morroccan friend OR
2. Discover which of my UK mates spent Half-Term in Morrocco

Whew...thanks for helping me clear that crazy up! :)

Pencil in the Hand of God

A couple of years ago I came across an interview that Time Magazine did with Mother Theresa in 1989.  If you're interested, you can read it here http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,959149,00.html?promoid=googlep She eloquently communicate something that connected to my soul. When asked if she had any special qualities, she responded,

"I don't claim anything of the work. It is His work. I am like a little pencil in His hand. That is all. He does the thinking. He does the writing. The pencil has nothing to do with it."

This resonated with me in such a profound way that I needed to find a way to visually express the concept. Below is the photo I took that day, that hangs in a gallery wrap in my home office as a daily reminder that I am just a pencil in the hand of God.

Teacher Influence

This week I've been thinking about making a difference in the lives of kids through mentoring. It's interesting for me to look back at the adults and teachers that invested in me as I was growing up. Most of them probably have no idea the influence they had on me. My favorite teacher was in Junior High, Mrs. Antcliff. She was a happy teacher who always saw the best in her students. She was the kind of teacher who truly engaged with her students and focused on individual growth. She left a significant impression on my soul. I had a Spanish Teacher in high school, named Senora Segal, who probably was one of the most influential teachers in my life. She didn't really ever say or do anything amazing. She was tranquil and consistent. Mostly, she was positive and always pointed out what I was doing right, which really drove me to start believing in myself.


I just wanted to take a minute today to highlight someone who does this everyday! My cousin, Shannon Grabow (soon to be Wislang), is an Elementary teacher at the International School of Manila. She is an uber creative, full of life, and positive influence in the lives of kids every single day! Check out one of the latest videos she made with her class http://grabows.ism-online.org/2011/02/23/the-3-rs/ What an inspiration!


Take some time this week to appreciate a teacher in your life!

Mentor a Child

Friday is here. It's my day off, which means no email, no strategy meetings, and no phone calls. It means time to rest, to unwind, and to have fun. It also means something new for me, mentoring.

I learned this year that the Texas Departments of Corrections sets their ten year budget based on the reading tests scores of Texas third graders. The city of Austin, and surrounding areas is taking the idea of mentoring school kids seriously. Local school districts are partnering with non-profits and churches to try and provide thousands of mentors for local students. So, I jumped at the challenge and now spend an hour every Friday with a gentle spirited and shy 7th grade girl at Wiley Middle School.

Mentoring is one of the most underrated forms of relationship. There have been so many people in my life who "accidentally" mentored me. It was nothing formal. There was no plan or agenda, and often times they didn't even know they were mentoring me. I was just watching them live and catching the things that I needed to catch. When we humbly step into the life of another, with no agenda and no selfish motives, it is transformational for both people. I have no idea where to take this girl, how to get her to open up, help her trust me, or challenge her in helpful ways. It's a complete mystery.

Something beautifully mysterious happens when we choose to give our life away, expecting nothing in return. So, I'm ready, bring on the mystery!!

Better Place

A motto and theme I have carried with me for quite some time is that "I want to leave the world a better place than I found it."  If I remember correctly, it was birthed in a morbid pity party on a very dark night of my soul, but it's traveled with me since that time. It has driven me to seek healing for those dark places in my soul, to create a healthy family, and to give my life away.

This is the way I most often WANT to live, but find myself failing far more than I'm comfortable with. There is this duality that lives in me of who I am and who I'm meant to be. This inner conflict is the main thing that drives me to know God more. There is this magnetic pull between my soul and Him and I'm very cognizant that it is only when I invite Him into my ideal of leaving the world a better place, that I have any capacity to actually do it!

I quote Mother Theresa a lot, and will just go ahead and do it today!! She once said, "Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier." What does it look like for you to live your life today with a desire to make the world a better place? What would it look like for you to see people as the best version of themselves and leave them better and happier?

Blah Blah Blah

Blah blah blah blah. Blah blah, blah blah blah.

Okay, I think I  have discovered that after 4 days, I'm bored! (I may need to revisit this as the potential source of my difficulty with consistency and obedience, but we can do that later....and maybe I should add procrastination to the list!) So, while I am a somewhat organized person, my creative nature cannot stand discipline. Oh dear, did I just say that in cyberspace...OUT LOUD?!? It's true, I know it. I am innately rebellious towards discipline, structure, and process. I lean towards the organic, flexible, and spontaneous forms of life and relationship. It makes me wonder, how that might change, morph, or grow along this journey I am on right now? I'm reminded of a quote by Mother Theresa - Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies. 

So, even though I have said nothing of value, I'm going to find strength and contentment in the fact that I've continued to write today, even in the boredom. I'm going to choose to celebrate the baby steps!

"All the great bands....

started with a keyboard and drums!" my son said to his sister (who was happily pounding the ivories), drumsticks in hand and a light in his eyes. I love accidentally stumbling into conversations between my kids! It gives me a window into their relationship, as well as their souls. This conversation was in the middle of several hours of music making merriment, a beautiful and rare moment in time where my kids got lost in their own giftedness and creativity.

They are my heroes! For so many reasons, but today, because they have this insatiable hunger to dream, become, create, and live. They can get lost in a moment and let it carry them to places only their imagination can take them. There are no fears, boundaries, or insecurities in their imagination. It is the place that they journey to become who they were created to be!

The older I get and farther I travel on this journey, the more I want to be like my kids! I want to get lost in my gifts, my imagination, my dreams. To get lost in a moment of my soul, where it knows that anything is possible. To find myself in the middle of a dream that my soul somehow knows is a divine possibility. I want to live in that place where everyday is a journey to become who I was created to be!