Bringing the Lamp

"There are persons so radiant, so genial, so kind, so pleasure-bearing, that you instinctively feel good in their presence that they do you good, whose coming into a room is like bringing a lamp there." Harriet Ward Beecher

As you read that quote, I bet someone comes to your mind. Someone that is so warm and kind, they light up the room whenever they walk in. 

This gift is not reserved for a select few. Whether we acknowledge it or not, we bring a presence into every relationship and room we enter. The pertinent question is not about whether you have influence; but rather, how are you using it? 

Living our best lives is opening the gift of our lives and learning how to give it to those around us. It's being the first to smile and say "hello". It's listening. Caring in the most practical ways. It's looking people in the eyes as they talk. And sharing stories and laughter, tears and sorrows. 

Let's not sit around and wait for others to do it around us. Let's lead ourselves and be the lamp that lights up the room. 

For you. For others. So that together, all of us can live our best lives. 

 
 

Bridge building

I often find myself running a search on Google or YouTube looking up how to do something. It's amazing how many tutorials are out there for cooking, fixing household items, pronouncing new words... you name it! While I am thankful for simple instructions that help me learn to do something new, it clearly has its limits.

There are places in all of our lives where we hope to bring change or growth and there is no aid in a Google discussion board or WikiHow. We are experiencing gaps or obstructions between the points we wish to connect. Things like navigating what I have, with what I need. Or where I am, with where I'd like to be.

We need a bridge between what is now and not yet. I've found that how we even go about building that bridge taps into our core beliefs and life strength. It will determine if the bridge will hold our weight and serve the purpose of getting us to the other side.

Bridge building is work. What materials do we use? Where do they come from? Who swings the hammer? Do I have energy or time to build a bridge... I really just want to be "over there".

Two things are helpful here. First, determine your source. Where are you going to pull from to get the job done? I have a good friend in his 70's who tells how he lived a long stretch of his life with the motto, "I can do all things." His willpower and grit produced a certain amount of success. And then his eyes light up when he talks about the life-defining moment when he came to understand, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me." Philippians 4:13 

Jesus is the best bridge there is. For every gap, weakness, shortcoming, dream, desire, and hope. This is what makes grace AMAZING. Receive his life, death and resurrection as your reality over and over again. Ask him for wisdom, ideas, motivation, and strength. He will supply you in the most practical areas of life as you look to him.

Secondly, do it with others. Say it out loud in your small group. Tell someone when they ask how you're doing. Speak it as you try to figure out how you will even live it. The secret is, that is how you start your bridge. When we share our tough spots with others, we find a SEA... Support, Encouragement, and Accountability that holds us up; and yes, even brings us further than we could ever go on our own. 

Living your best life is one of purpose and growth. You will build a lot of bridges in the process. Determine today to do it well and you will find your bridges not only bring you where you want to go, but also provide a pathway for others to follow behind you. 
 
 

Light a Candle Award

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:5

Living in Sync is excited to announce the inauguration of the Light a Candle Award, which is a $500 academic scholarship given in recognition of someone who has overcome adversity and exemplifies a giving spirit towards others. 

Rather than being shut down in the challenges of life, this person embraces hope and a determination to make the world a better place. They embody the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, "It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness." 

This year's recipient is Bryce Davis, 18 year old senior at Waukee High school.

When Bryce was in 7th grade, his mom, Chris, was diagnosed with sarcoma. Life was a journey of good days and bad days and many surgeries along the way. In three short years, life changed forever as he held mom's hand and said a final good bye as Chris passed on to heaven.

Bryce has not let this trial shut him down or make him bitter. Rather, he has continued to live generously towards other people. He has put in many hours volunteering for organizations and helping others throughout his high school years.

His passion lies in the creative arts, particularly in music and dance. He has many accomplishments including his latest work of providing accompaniment for the Waukee High school play Les Miserables this spring. Here's a sneak peek.

Bryce is attending University of Northern Iowa this fall and will major in Elementary Education with a middle level endorsement in English, Mathematics, and Science. 

Light a Candle Award funded through the generous gifts of people who know the power of lighting a candle together and the difference it makes in people's lives. Donate to the scholarship fund here.

Here's to lighting candles and making the world a better place.

You are there.

If Life was a Baseball Game

I can get intense sometimes. Anybody else? If life was a baseball game, my swings would be hard and followed through. Every ounce of focus, sweat, and muscle going for the home run. That probably sets me up for a few more strike out's and a little more fatigue by the end of the night. But why play the game if you don't put everything you are into it?

I'm learning in life, that sometimes it's okay and even necessary to simply get a base hit. This type of swing is focused, yet tempered in the force behind the swing. Holding back some of the power, so that the ball can land between the outfields, allowing you to make it to base safely. It leaves room for the next hit to advance you around the bases. 

And what about the times the batter is called in to bunt and sacrifice his own hit to make way for a teammate to steal a base? Are there times I would be willing to lay down my own 'hit' and trip around the bases so that someone else can advance and we get a win for the team? 

When we focus too much on the home run's - we miss the true goal - of winning the game. And maybe that's not the true goal, either. Maybe it's enjoying the sport, playing to the best of our abilities, embracing the team spirit, and letting the outcome rest in God's hands. 

If life was a baseball game... I'd learn to slow down. I'd listen to the coach and watch his signals. I'd remember there are more times up to bat and more innings to come. Not everything rests on this one swing and hit being perfect. 

If life was a baseball game... I'd enjoy the smells of hot dogs and popcorn, watching the fans bungling for foul balls, hearing the organ riffs, and take the time to autograph baseballs for the little guys on the sideline. 

If life was a baseball game... I could hear the umpire say (imagine the inflection with me) - "Let's Live Life!" 
 

Here's to living our best lives one swing at a time and enjoying it.