how? or wow!

There are two kinds of people in the world: How? people and Wow! people. Typically we are bent one way or the other, although certainly we are all capable of both.

How? people are the figure-out-ers. They hear a great idea and immediately jump into the role of working out how to make it happen.

Wow! people are the encouragers. They hear a great idea and immediately respond with exhortation and encouragement.

Both are needed. And at different times in the ideation process, one is needed more than the other.

The How? questions will eventually be needed, but not always right away. Often ideas need to percolate a while before the logistics should be tackled. What may be needed initially are some Wows! to fan the flame and fuel the vision.

I learned this the hard way.

I'm a How girl. I quickly jump to the practical elements when I hear an innovative idea... How can we make this work? What will we need to do it? When could we feasibly get it done? What steps do we need to take to get there?

I ask questions, not to challenge but to strengthen and help.

But I realized that my Hows? can come across as deflating when I never intend them to. In all honesty, I know I crushed my ex-husband's heart many times by responding with How? when what he needed from me was a Wow!

Ugh.

So when I'm sharing an idea in my heart with someone, it may be best to define where I'm at in the process and what I actually need from them.

It may be helpful all the way around to clarify when I need a Wow! reaction and when I need a How? reaction. And when someone is trusting me with an idea of their own, it may be wise for me to ask right off the bat what they need in that moment.

I want to always be one who encourages and strengthens, with both Wows! and Hows?

I just need to get better at learning when each is most needed...

Are you a How? or Wow! person? How does it play out in your relationships?

when i fly

When I fly...

I touch the outside of the plane as I board.

I choose an aisle seat.

As soon as I sit down, I put my seat back just a tiny bit -- not enough to be caught, but enough that I feel convinced I've scored myself some extra room.

I keep my seatbelt as loose as possible.

I adjust the air-blower-thing to high, and angle it right at me.

I wear a sweater or zip-up for when the air-blower-thing inevitably makes me cold.

I always bring something to read and rarely ever read it.

I text my friend right before I have to shut my phone off. It's tradition. Last text before takeoff, first text after landing.

I turn my phone on as we're landing, so it is fully powered up by the time we're on the ground. (I know, I know... So I won't also tell you that I've been known to occasionally turn it on mid-flight...)

I drink ginger ale.

I never eat the peanuts. And I always wonder why they still give those things out, especially with so many people allergic...

I become completely anti-social. I'll smile and say hello, but that's where I'd prefer our interaction end. Sorry, neighbor.

Armrest down. Always down.

I try to avoid going to the bathroom on the plane, but if I do... I cover my ears when I flush. That sucker is loud! Heh. "Sucker".

I try to force myself to sleep if there's turbulence.

I am that girl whose head drops when she falls asleep, jarring myself back awake just enough to reposition and do it all over again.

I thank the flight crew on my way out.

I'm sure there's more, but I'm drawing a blank.

How about you? What do you do when you fly?

(men and) women of action

"A woman named Mukankusi lived in the Bugesera District with her three malnourished children. They didn’t know where their next meal would come from and lived without any shelter. Food for the Hungry began a program called 'kitchen gardens'. It helps impoverished women to feed their families and sell produce for income. A kitchen garden is ideal for dry regions because they are filled with kitchen wastes, like vegetables and other compost materials. They require very little maintenance and remain humid with less watering.

Mukankusi successfully started a kitchen garden and began selling her vegetables in the market. With her profits, she applied for a small business loan and bought her own house. Her three children now have permanent shelter and are no longer malnourished.

Mukankusi has become an empowered, self-sustaining businesswoman with the ability to provide for her family."

That story was recently shared with me by a friend who works for Food for the Hungry. Incredible, isn't it?

There is untapped, God-given potential in the lives of poverty-stricken women around the world... Potential that has the power to eradicate poverty and change the future for generations of women to come.

Food for the Hungry is doing an incredible work with impoverished women in some of the poorest regions. Through their Women of Action program, they help disadvantaged women in Bangladesh to discover their potential, restore their dignity, and transform their communities.

That is worth celebrating!

Just around the corner is International Women's Day.

March 8th is a day dedicated to celebrating the economic, political, and social achievements of women, past, present, and future. Women's Day is something we honored in South Africa, so even though it isn't a widely recognized holiday here in the States, it remains dear to my heart.

And I love what Food for the Hungry is doing to celebrate.

In honor of International Women's Day, they are hosting a 5K Walk in Phoenix to raise funds for Women of Action. They even have a generous donor who has committed to match the first $10,000 raised!

A 5K Walk to raise 10K that instantly becomes 20K... I love God's ways of multiplying our efforts!

Celebrate with us by...

• Participating in the 5K Walk. If you live anywhere near Phoenix, join on March 11th for the 5K. This is open to women and men!
• Sponsoring women in Bangladesh through Women of Action. Directly impact a family and community in dire need.
• Donating to the 5K Fundraiser Walk. Your donation will double in impact with the matching grant!
• Spreading the word. Use Twitter, Facebook, your blog, and your voice to let others know they can help.

Together, we can make a huge impact.

Would you share how you feel you can get involved? Also, I'd love to hear about a significant woman in your life & how she has impacted you.

60/366

It's Leap Year. And today, February 29th, feels like a bonus. It's an extra day,  and it's got me thinking about what I want to do with it.

I know every single day is a gift. Even Mondays. I know today is no more special than yesterday or tomorrow. But still it seems to be challenging me a little differently.

It's got me thinking more uniquely about the fact that what I've been given -- these 24 hours, these however-oh-so-many breaths, these moments -- are once in a lifetime.

I want to live today with purpose and intentionality. I want to see what's in front of me, hear what's between the words being said, and live from my heart. I want to give more than I get, focus on others more than myself, and choose the next wise thing.

I want to steward today -- day 60 of 366 -- as best I possibly can. And I want to steward every day that follows just as well...

Leap Year. February 29th. Let's do this thing right...

What will you do with the gift of today?

space for selah

I'm not very good at building margins and space into my life. I never have been. My people-pleasing, perfectionistic, and workaholic ways crowd out any real possibility of healthy margin and breathing room in my life.

When I lack the space to just be, even when my time is filled with everything I love, a crash-and-burn is inevitable.

Been there. Done that. Lived to blog about it.

It takes intentionality to build space into my life. But when I do, my heart is better for it. And so is everything that stems from my heart. My writing, my relationships, my perspective...

A little bit of space goes a long way. Especially when it's a built-in consistent part of my life.

A healthy life rhythm has space built in.

Reminds me of the story of the woman with the issue of blood. I've always loved that passage because it vividly shows me that God is passionate about healing my heart and not just my body. But it also demonstrates a valuable lesson for my heart.

You remember the story, right? The woman pressed through the crowd on her hands and knees, grabbed the hem of Jesus' robe, and was instantly healed.

And the Bible tells us that Jesus felt power go out of Him as soon as she touched Him.

It's unavoidable: Ministry is draining.

If Jesus felt the effects of it, we certainly will.

Serving others, speaking God's truth, and sharing our lives, tires us out. Physically, emotionally, spiritually. We feel it when we spend ourselves for others.

Even when we are doing what we love.

Maybe even more so when we are doing what we love. Because then we have to force ourselves to seek space for our hearts.

Building space into our lives means paying more attention to what and who drains us, as well as what and who refuels us.

When we have space to be and to soak up that which fuels our hearts, then our gifts, passions, and creativities will flourish.

Have you ever noticed the Hebrew word Selah in the book of Psalms? While there's debate over its full meaning, many take it to be a rest. Similar to the rest symbol in sheet music, it signifies the need to pause and soak things in.

Our lives need Selahs written into them.

We need to intentionally create space for Selah in our lives, forcing us to pause, slow down, pull back, and rest. When we do, life is more full. Not just busy, but abundant.

Selah, friends. Selah.

What does space and Selah look like to you? What and who refuels you?

This post was inspired by the Luminous Project. Luminous is an event for creatives on May 9-11, 2012 in Nashville. To find out more, check out LuminousProject.com. You can use the promo code luminousLOVE to get 30% off the ticket price.