Lessons from Thrive Conference

Thrive is a free online conference featuring some of the most prominent God-serving leaders. Here's my notes:

Dr. Raleigh Washington "Get better, not bitter."

Don't follow elephants or donkeys, follow the Lamb - Ricky Jenkins and Albert Tate

LaTasha Morrison "Be cued by the word of God."

In behaving with groups: Behave the way you would at a funeral - with compassion, not statistics.

Albert Tate: Bring down the monster of evil. Listen, learn, lead!

What is the opposite of a thief? Generosity!

The goal of racism is not saying you're not racist; it is being an anti-racist.

Racism is in opposition to the Gospel.

From Pastor Ricky Jenkins's breakout session:

-Galatians 2:14: Paul sees the racism and calls it out.

-Revelations 7:9-10- John has a vision of Heaven and saw God preparing a place of diversity. There won't be sections.

-Deep reconciliation is needed.

-Racism is old because it is sin.

-Racism, a disposition of superiority tied to ethnicity or culture, is learned.

-Who we hang with is who we can be influenced by.

-Racism must be called out.

-Get the feelings, get the facts, and get the friends!

Everyday in May - Kicking it Off!

This month, I'm blogging everyday!
In addition to the post, and to add an extra layer of accountability, I'm going to give my word count on my manuscript.

Each day will give a new post for the following topics:

Mondays: Amazon Mondays, where I share a rare find from Amazon that I want to share.
Tuesdays: Target Tuesday! because, Target.
Wednesdays: Worship Wednesday, where I share songs or messages from the weekend that are worth a read.
Thursdays: Life Lately, because documenting this crazy time is pretty funny!
Fridays: Small Biz Friday, to share small businesses that need our patronage and are doing incredible things.
Saturdays: What I Read Last Week, because you might want to read it too!
Sundays: Sunday Funday, where I share a memory from past Disneyland trips, in hopes to one day return to the parks.

Since today is Small Biz Friday, I'm highlighting:

https://castleboundsupplyco.com/

I found Castle Bound via Instagram, where I saw this amazing custom Small World clock:

The shop "opens" every Sunday at 5pm PST to floral ears and magical home decor. 

I ordered this clock for my daughter's room. I can't wait for it to come!

They have amazing custom pieces to bring some of the Disney magic, that we're missing, home.

Take care!

Lisa

#wordcount: 10,121

Kids Crave (and Need) Structure

Your school-aged children attend a structured environment 5 days a week for close to 8 hours a day. If you think you can forgo a structured daily routine just because we're social distancing, you will learn quite quickly how wrong that idea is.

KIDS CRAVE STRUCTURE. Why do kids misbehave?  It is because they are no occupied and engaged in something.

Luckily, there is no shortage of ideas on the internet, which is a HUGE bonus. Pinterest can be so overwhelming, so I have a sample schedule here:

Now, this is a LOT of screen time. So I highly recommend, if your climate allows, to give "recess." There's a reason we have it in schools. Kids need movement! They will not be able to focus if they are stuck indoors which can mean more squirrely behavior.

Do yourself a favor and throw in chores - but PLEASE don't call it chores. 

Play restaurant where kids are servers, chefs, and back of house, aka dishwashers.

Play hotel where kids are maids  - seriously, let them know how important it is to have people work to make their beds and tidy the bathroom.

And in this crazy time, encourage prayer for those who don't get to stay home - the doctors, nurses, health techs, sanitation, food service, etc. They could use it!

If you need more ideas, but wish to stay off  Pinterest, I highly recommend Jessica Turner's blog 

The Mom Creative - she has done the hard work! 

Questions to Ask Myself Regularly- A Stream of Consciousness

Today is my birthday!! I am 38, and that feels huge! I don’t feel 38, but here I am.
To start off this new year, I wrote out some questions that will help guide me.


Do I like the person I am becoming?

Is the work of God I'm doing destroying the work of God in me?

Am I giving my family only emotional scraps?

Am I okay with criticizing those who are made in the image of God?

Am I serving my marriage in the way Christ would want?

Can I commit to out-love my spouse?


Busy people are broken people. I need to stop moving toward burn out and aim for resilience.
Healthy relationships don't work at a constant fast pace. Speed doesn't matter! Forward is forward!

"In everything you do, give thanks, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thess. 5:18

Never be so busy that you can't hear God's voice.

Saved people serve people!

Things to manifest:
1. positive environment
2. positive peer group

Service Leadership and Seeking Help

This video was sent to me and I'm forever grateful for Sydney Jensen. This TED Talk, which I've sent to the other leaders at my site, will be starting a conversation that needs to happen!

If you're in education, you know the emotional demands of the job. You hear about students' exposure to the hardship, pain, crisis, trauma, or suffering of their lives, sometimes daily. If you are in tune with your students and their lives, this can be so overwhelming.

We have access to child psychologists and counselors for our students.

What are we doing on-site to help with the emotional demands of the staff? 

I like what Sydney says about how we ask the adults, "if you need help, then..." Why do we need to wait?

What about self-care? What if you haven't found your niche? What if your definition of self care isn't enough? Do you even know if your insurance covers therapy or counseling? Do you have the courage to seek help on your own?

If you work in service leadership, how will you take care of yourself so that you stay emotionally fit?