Quotable Quotes

"Don't mistake the edge or your rut for the horizon"
~Gary Hamel

Rogue waves

each year there is one conference I look forward. there is one conference, and one conference only, that I put on my calendar and schedule around. it is the annual Leadership Summit put on by Willow Creek Association. why am I such an avid follower of the Summit? because it challenges me to be better than I am today, it inspires me to dream bigger, it encourages my heart that the impossible is possible. each year they have a variety of faculty speakers from all walks of life, I like the diversity of perspective and expertise that they offer. this year I attended the annual conference from Kansas City and it did not disappoint.

Bill Hybels session on Leading in a New Reality was particularly challenging given events in my life over the past year. He said:

A rogue wave comes in unannounced and spells doom. We may never get back to the old normal. Seasoned leaders know rough patches force creativity and courage. A God appointed leader hears whispers from God in ferocious conditions.

Here's the part that really challenged me:

Whenever your leading in rogue wave situations, the best thing you bring to the table each day is a fresh spirit, grace filled demeanor, optimism and solid ground in God. Colleagues feed on it and believe they can get through.

this isn't just true in work environments, I believe this is true at home too. when the going gets rough, do I truly believe God is in control and do I come to the table with fresh spirit daily, optimism and grace? If so, I believe people in any context will respond to that. what do you think?

Confession: I'm a groupie!

When I first moved to Kansas City I was fascinated by the interest in St.Patty's day. This town gets VERY excited every March. There are celebrations held all month. One of the largest holiday parades is the nation is held right here. My first year in KC I was curious what a St. Patty's parade is all about, I'd never been to one before. I was talking with a co-worker who later became a good friend, Elaine. She told me to keep my eye out for a marching band known as The Marching Cobras. I didn't understand, who gets excited about a marching band? Seriously!

What I saw amazed me and I instantly became a groupie. I called my mom immediately following the parade and told her to mark her calendar for St.Patty's day the following year, she had to see this! She came, she saw and she became a groupie too.

Last week, Kenyon and I attended a birthday party where the Marching Cobras were scheduled to perform. In fact, they were the reason I decided to attend the birthday party. I now introduce readers of this blog to the best marching band I've ever seen - The Marching Cobras.



This is only a small sample of this talented group. They are a band like no other! Are you a band groupie? Which band? Do share.

M.I.S.O.

Once upon a time, I had a wonderful job working for KU. Basically, I was paid to talk to people all day, interesting people. I worked in recruiting, admissions and advising for liberal arts graduate programs at the satellite campus in KC. I loved getting to know the students. I loved when they would stop in my office to chat. It really was a great job...it just wasn't the kind of thing I felt called to do over the long term, the lure of an international context was calling to me. So, I left the job to begin my PhD.

I have, however, kept in touch with many of the students over the years thanks to Facebook. There was one group, the Masters of International Studies Student Organization (MISO), that I really bonded with. Most of these students have graduated and are now making their way in the world, but we still keep in touch. During our visit to KC they hosted a reunion/going-away party for us. It was so much fun to see them again. To meet all of their kids...which was kind of shocking...and to just catch up on what has been happening in our lives the last couple of years. This group is from all over - Europe, Brazil, Lebanon, India, Ghana and more. Here are some photos from the evening.

There is a group of friends like this from the days when I was a graduate student - we all still stay in touch, in fact, today they are some of my closest friends.

Do you still hang out with friends from school? Are there friends from school you've lost touch with? Do you wonder where they are and what they are doing?

City of Fountains...

We are currently visiting family and friends in Kansas City for the next couple of weeks before we officially move to Cambodia. I lived here nine years and always thought KC was a beautiful city. One of the things that makes it beautiful is all of the water fountains. They are everywhere! Here is just a small sampling of the fountains available in one small area of the city. The visitors center has a brochure outlining the locations of all the fountains and a tourist could spend a whole day seeking them out. I always thought that would be a fun way to spend a day exploring this city.

These pictures were taken in the heat of the day so they are a bit overexposed, trust me, the fountains are beautiful! What is your favorite thing about the city you live in?