Be brilliant.

"It’s undeniable how brilliant you are.
In an unreliable world you shine like a star..."

Do you know you're brilliant? Today I was singing with Mat Kearney in my car and these words (from "Undeniable") struck me.

Not just because they're romantic. But because they reminded me of of how God sees us:

"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing." (Philippians 2:14-16).

"Brilliant." It's such a cool word. Doesn't it sound like something you have to say with a polished British or Australian accent? :) What do you think of when you hear "brilliant"? Genius smarts? Diamonds? Bright color? Light so bright it makes you squint?

To be brilliant, something has to be bold. Rare. Stand out. Awe-inspiring remarkable.

So go ahead--be the brilliant star you're designed to be. I dare you.

Verse of the Day

"...But if you're content to be simply yourself, you will become more than yourself."

(Luke 14:11 , The Message)

Father knows best

I have the world's coolest Dad. I know a lot of people may give their dads those "#1 Dad" t-shirts, hats, ties and coffee mugs, but I actually think my Dad is one of the world's best (and yes, I have told him!).

Last year for Father's Day, I bought my dad the book "Wisdom of Our Fathers: Lessons and Letters from Daughters and Sons" (if you're looking for a Father's Day gift, this is a good one!). It's basically a collection of people's stories about their dads. At the front of the book, there's a space for you to write a letter to your own dad, telling him what you appreciate about him. My dad LOVED it!

Anyway, I thought that in his honor, I'd blog about some of the best things I've learned from my Dad (so far) . This list is a good reminder for me and I thought it might inspire you as well:

• "If you see a need, meet it." This is one of Dad's famous phrases--usually he would say it to my sisters and I to get us to do the dishes, feed the dog or vacuum. :) But it's one of my favorite Dad quotes because it's all about taking responsibility to help others or solve problems--and really applies to any situation at work, home, ministry and relationships.
  
  
• Be generous even when no one's watching. My Dad absolutely loves doing kind things for others anonymously. I can't tell you how many times we've been at restaurants and he's bought dinners anonymously for a soldier in uniform, a young couple with kids ... you name it. We sometimes joke that if Dad won the lottery (which he doesn't play), that the money would be gone in an instant because he would give it all away to bless someone else.
  


• Keep life interesting--be spontaneous (sometimes). I am a planner (yes, oldest child syndrome!), but my Dad is totally spontaneous. I can remember being about 12 years old and hearing, "We're going to Disneyland ... tomorrow!" (and no, my parents didn't plan the trip in advance and keep it a secret for a long time--they just planned it very quickly with help from a travel agent). His spontaneity helped me to develop a little more flexibility--even though I still plan and organize a lot. :)
  
  
• Be passionate about what you believe in. I can remember growing up and being in my room quietly reading or chatting with my best friend on the phone and hearing loud shouting coming from the living room. I would walk out to the hallway and look around. No one was angry. No one won the lottery ... it was just Dad cheering on his favorite sports' team! Dad brings that same passionate approach to everything he loves in life--there's nothing ho-hum about how he volunteers, worships God or cares for our family. He puts his heart into it.
  
  
• Real strength requires real humility. Even though he was raised mostly by a single mom, Dad is definitely a guys' guy. He loves sports, action movies and hanging out with his guy friends. But he was never too tough to say "I love you", pick us up from school and cook dinner when Mom had to work late, hold our bags or purses at the mall (he would sometimes offer even when we felt bad asking), or watch a chick flick with Mom and all of us girls once in awhile (he probably knows the lines to "Sleepless in Seattle" better than I do!).

I could probably go on and on forever, but I guess what's probably the best thing about Dad is that he continually does his best to model Christ's love. Whether or not you have a dad like mine, there may be other people in your world who set that example for you--and I think it's important to show appreciation for them--whether they're moms, mentors, coaches, teachers, pastors, bosses or other leaders.

Favorite things of the week...

Starbucks' Beverage: Tall blended strawberry lemonade (not on the menu—but tastes like an Italian ice!)

CD: The Fray “How to Save A Life”

Activity: Hanging out in Olympia with my BFF from Chicago (yay, Devyn!)

Jesus Quote: "...Your cleansed and obedient life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done." (Luke 5:15 - The Message)

Beauty Splurge: Thermal river rock massage (thanks to a giftcard from a Cali client for www.spafinder.com, this won’t be too much of a splurge for me!)

Church Perk of the Week: Volunteer for Team Church conference (hello, it's going to be amazing!)...and save a bunch on conference registration. PLUS...you get free CDs of the main sessions, admission to the Hillsong United conference and a T-shirt. It's a no-brainer!

Excuse to Go Shopping: "Spread the Red" this weekend at church to build awareness of volunteering at Team Church--and wear red. Speaking of shopping...

Cool (Cheap) Clothes: I might have to check out the new Sarah Jessica Parker fashion line at Steve and Barry’s (at the SuperMall). I’ve never been there, but if it’s good enough for Oprah AND under $20 a piece...

Afternoon: Waterfront + Sun + Friends (from London and T-Town) = What could be cooler?

Group activity ideas?

As a "Big Sister" and small group leader, I try to think of fun things to do around the Seattle/Tacoma area. Here are a few ideas I've come up with ... but let me know if you have more. For any G2 leaders out reading this, I'm trying to think of fun stuff we could do as a young adults' group (yeah, all 100+ of us...) or individual CLGs. I'm especially looking for stuff that's somewhat interactive and (relatively) inexpensive for a group:

• Visit the EMP (Experience Music Project) at Seattle Centre.



• Go on a team photo scavenger hunt with a digital/disposable camera (you need a big group to do this one) in a fun area (Pike Place Market, downtown Tacoma, Ruston Way).
  


• Bowling
  


• Laser tag
  


• Pt. Defiance Zoo
  
  
• Miniature golf



• BBQ and bonfire
  


• Game day - Volleyball, bocce ball, Bunko, and/or Frisbee golf
  


• Progressive dinner - A few G2 girls planned one of these a few years ago--really fun. It was cool because we were divided into small groups (about 6 people). But at the first location, all the groups were together (maybe about 25 of us) for salad/drinks. At the second place (appetizers), I think two groups were together at each location. At the third location, each small group was on its own for dinner (hosted by parents/church members). And at the last stop, everyone was together again for a bonfire and smores. In one night, you got to hang out in bigger and smaller groups and interact with different people.
  
  
• Rollerblading/rollerskating/ice skating
  


• Movie night with some kind of interactive twist (like when we hosted a "Napoleon Dynamite" with a photo booth, costume contest, trivia, etc.)
  
  
• Fundraiser/group mixer: I've gone to things like this for Project U--basically, there's a $5 cover that benefits a non-profit (e.g. Champions Foundation) at a cool restaurant (Melting Pot, Indochine, etc.). Project U will usually reserve a big room or area of the restaurant and people will just hang out for dinner or appetizers.
  
  If we did something like this for G2, it would be good to have some kind of game (not too cheesy) where people are encouraged to interact with others they don't know.
  
  
• Volunteer or service project: At TWU, all of our small groups had a volunteer day (at least once a year) where we got involved in some kind of service project for the community ... painting a room at a church, helping an elderly person with yardwork, singing at a retirement center, etc. What's cool is that by doing something together, we bonded more as a group and also helped our community.
  
  With G2 or CLGs, we could potentially do something as a big group or individual small groups--either for ministries at Champions Centre or community organizations.

Any other ideas? Please feel free to comment ...

The Waiting Game

Does anyone actually enjoy waiting?

For the most part, I hate it. I don't like sitting at the chiropractor's office for 20 minutes for a 10 minute appointment, waiting in a LONG drive thru line at a fast food place when all I want is an iced tea, or waiting for a meal to arrive at a restaurant while a nearby table of customers (who arrived after my group!!!) is chowing down on dinner.

It's not just the little things. Waiting for the BIG things in life can be frustrating, too. And I'm sure I'm not alone ...

Have you ever waited for a promotion? Waited for school to be completely finished (or your student loans to be paid off)? Waited until you can own your own home? Or to meet and marry Mr. Right?

The thing about waiting is that it usually has a purpose (did I really just type that?!?). It can seem pointless at times, but once you reach your goals, you realize the value of the wait. So here are a few of the benefits of waiting:

• Waiting can provide experiences that prepare you for your future.
  For example, if you actually became the CEO of a large corporation straight after college, would you really be ready? Would you be ready to oversee multi-million dollar budgets, manage thousands of employees and set a vision for the company's next 20 years? Probably not.
  
  While you're waiting, seek experiences that will make you a better boss, husband, wife, employee or parent. Yes, waiting can provide good experiences--but most of the time, you have to seek them. You can't just sit on the couch and wake up as a CEO--you've got to first get hired somewhere (or invent something amazing in your garage, Bill Gates!), be willing to learn from others' experiences, build a reputation, learn more, fail, step out and try something new, think of a new idea, learn even more ... and the cycle keeps going.
  
  
• Waiting can build your character.
  As annoying as it can sound at times, "Patience is a virtue." The sheer act of waiting helps us realize that not everything can be just as we want it--in an instant. It teaches us to depend on God, to be content with what we have, and to enjoy a present moment.
  
  Besides patience, there may be other parts of your character that are "under construction" before you reach your goals. Maybe there's a habit you need to break, a strength you need to build, maturity you need to develop, or a weakness that needs taming.
  


• Waiting can save you from making impulsive decisions.
  It's best not to make the BIG decisions of life when you're super stressed, under pressure or emotionally vulnerable. Just breathe, seek some (wise!) advice, pray and wait to make the decision until you can feel pretty confident about it.
  
  At the same time, realize that there's not always a "perfect time" for everything. There's a balance between being too impulsive and being too paralyzed to make decisions at all. Analyze, but don't overanalyze. Don't be impulsive, but allow for some spontaneity in your life.
  

Another thing about waiting? No matter where you're at in life, if you're a goal-oriented person, you're usually waiting (and working toward) something. I have single friends who talk about waiting for marriage, married friends who talk about waiting to have kids, and older acquaintances that talk about waiting for retirement.

The Waiting Game is really all about balance ... make the most of your wait by multi-tasking (yes, I am one of those people who will talk on my cell and read a magazine in the chiropractor's office!). Don't just sit still. Do something productive with the time you've been given. It will make you better prepared for the day when that promotion, Mr. Right, child, or home comes into your life.

Cool things of the week...

Starbucks' beverage: Tall, 1 pump Orange, Non-fat, No-whip mocha

CD: Michael Buble "Call Me Irresponsible"

Book: "Identity" by Charlotte Scanlon-Gambill

Day Trip: Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle. Check out the African Savanna.

Night Out: Project U Event at Indochine

Work Perk of the Week: A 3-day weekend! Plus, early departure day on Friday. :)

Snack: Organic blue tortilla chips with this amazing dip from Costco (gotta look up the name!)--it's basically a mix of salsa, veggies and cream cheese.

Bargain Beauty Buy: An $11.95 haircut at the Gene Juarez Academy in Federal Way...I have to make an appointment!

TV Show Finale: I have to go with "24". Only Jack Bauer could fly through the air on a rope to escape an exploding oil rig in the middle of the ocean (even though the ending was not as suspense-filled as past seasons...).