Don't Worry... Make Others Happy & Be Happy

“One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy. One of the best ways to make other people happy is to be happy yourself.” - Gretchen Rubin

I have found this quote to be true over and over and over again in my life.  I love making people happy, and it makes me happy doing it.  It's funny to me how the little things, the small gestures, the encouraging word sometimes more to people than we realize.

After we moved, we had to wait about 3 weeks for our trash service to deliver a new trash can.  I have never had a complaint with them, and I knew they were short staffed just like everyone else because of the hurricane so I didn't want to switch.

So the first pickup day after waiting three weeks was interesting.  We tried to consolidate it the best we could, but there were piles and piles of boxes and trash, and all I could think was, "They're going to hate us.  They will never pick up our trash again."

I can't handle the thought of someone hating me so I grabbed a cute little cooler bag, filled it with bottled water and snacks, and left a note on the outside that basically said, "This will not be a regular thing.  Going three weeks without a trash can was not your fault, but it was not our fault either.  Please don't hate us.  Here are some goodies to make up for it.  I hope you have a wonderful day!"  And I stuck all of this on top of the trash can. 

Confession time:  I waited for them to come that morning and watched from the window.  I know.  It's so weird.  But I needed to know if they were mad at me or not.

So they pulled up on the truck, and you could feel their anger radiating from them through the windows.  Did I mention it was a huge pile of boxes and trash?  But then one of the guys spotted the cooler.  He picked it up, read the note, showed it to his buddy, then they both laughed.  They laughed the entire time they loaded up the rest of the stuff.  With a huge sigh of relief, I turned to walk away from the window but then something caught my eye. 

The two guys waved at the house and said thank you.  I was embarrassed that they spotted me peeking through the blinds, but I was so thankful that I was able to do just a little something to make someone else just a little bit happier.

Courage, Dear Heart

“But no one except Lucy knew that as it circled the mast it had whispered to her, 'Courage, dear heart,' and the voice, she felt sure, was Aslan's, and with the voice a delicious smell breathed in her face.” ― C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader 

"GOD, HELP ME!!!" I was screaming at the top of my lungs sitting in a kayak on the water where it seemed to be a hundred miles from the beach. I was out-of-my-mind scared so I kept screaming the words to the Plumb song, "I'm feeling so alone here, and I know that You're faithful, but I can barely breathe. God help me!"

So how did I get here? I'm so glad you asked.

I was on the beach with some friends enjoying a relaxing day. Someone had brought a paddleboard, and someone else had brought a kayak. I have never been on a paddleboard so let's go for it! Then as soon as we got in the water, I saw something pop up from beneath the surface. I honestly have no idea if it was a turtle, a sting ray, or just a fish, but swearing I heard the Jaws theme, all I knew was I wanted to get out of there and get back on the beach.

A while later, I decided to take the kayak out. I used to kayak by myself out on the beach all the time, but it's been a while so I was nervous. The red flag flapping in the wind wasn't exactly encouraging either. While I was paddling out, I saw on the next wave a whole bunch of sting rays. Something snapped in me, and I panicked. I turned the kayak around, and while I was paddling in, I flipped and lost my sunglasses Ben bought me for my birthday. I felt like a complete idiot all around.

When I got back, one of the guys tried to get me to go back out again and not be scared. I thought I could handle better it if I had someone with me so he grabbed another kayak to go out. I hopped on the kayak, paddled out passed the waves, and he was nowhere to be found. I turned around to watch him struggling to get on the kayak with all the waves.

So I waited patiently for him to come out there, right? Nope.

Full. Blown. Panic attack.

I was screaming for him to come out, and he kept yelling back that he was trying. I lost it. I was crying and wanting to give up and go back, but I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe.  I was frozen.  I was scared.  And I was angry.  

I was so mad at myself for being so scared. I was trying to remember that statistics show a higher chance of getting struck by lightning than getting attacked by a shark, but when you're scared, things like stats don't make sense. When trying to explain to a friend what a panic attack feels like, I told her that it's like the logic part of my brain completely shuts down. It doesn't matter how safe I actually I am, I don't feel safe so panic takes over.

I started praying as loud as I could, "God help me!" Screaming the words to the Plumb song over and over.  In that moment, I was asking for Him to protect me from anything that might be swimming around me. But then it grew to asking for Him to protect me from own fear and imagination. And asking Him to wipe my memory of all those stupid shark movies I've ever watched.

Here is the cool part! I don't have a lot of experience with panic attacks or anxiety, but every time I have had one, I have been lucky enough to not be alone. Most of the time, Ben has been with me, and he knows exactly how to help me and calm me down. Out here on the water, I was completely alone and had to solely rely on God.

My prayers are never more sincere, authentic, or loud as they are when I'm scared like I was that moment on the water. I had to fully and completely trust that God was going to keep me safe. I had no one else to protect me, no one else to calm me down, no one else to tell me it would be okay. It was just me and God.

Just as Lucy heard the albatross whisper, "Courage, dear heart," I felt a calmness and peace that could only come from a loving Heavenly Father and not from within myself.  

When things get bad or stressful, I tend to rely on the people around me a little too much instead of relying on Jesus for peace.  I just need to be still, know He is God, and remember "Courage, dear hear." 

The Church with No A/C

In Panama City
In what now looks like a war zone
Is Palo Alto church of Christ
Where we found a church home

The building was like any other
Carpet, pews, and walls
Until Hurricane Michael
Completely changed it all

We used to drive up
And park under shady trees
Then we’d walk inside
To a church with an A/C

On Sundays and Wednesdays
We’d worship and pray
We’d listen to the message
And thank God for the day

We used to chat afterwards
Whatever the topic may be
Never dreaming one day
There would be no A/C

When Michael plowed through
The building had damage and water
But we were all safe
Praise to our Heavenly Father

“Great is Thy Faithfulness”
“It is Well” we would sing
While having no idea
What the future might bring

We handed out supplies
Whatever the need would be
Too busy to complain
About no working A/C

We’re adjusting to the “new normal”
A tarped roof and no floors
But on Sundays and Wednesdays
There are opened church doors

We ponder each message
We worship and pray
We don’t know about tomorrow
But we’re thankful for today

We sing a little louder
We pray with more zeal
And we especially thank God
For our minister Tim Neal

The storm changed it all
But it made our hearts stronger
When the church says “Amen”
We hang around a bit longer

“Did you get your insurance check?”
“Did your roof get repaired?”
Are the questions that are asked
While we fan the hot air

But inside that building
Contagious hope and love
And a peace passing understanding
That can only come from above

The church is not a building
To God all praise be
For using His people
In the church with no A/C

How to Get Passed the Front Desk Girl

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” - Maya Angelou

As an executive assistant, I have worked as "the front desk girl" and "gatekeeper" among other titles for over five years, and there are a few tips I would love to share with anyone who is trying to get passed my fellow gatekeepers.  I understand you have a job to do, and I want to help you succeed. Trust me.  You want to hear what I have to say.

This is meant to helpful not hurtful.

1: Please understand everyone is busy just like you so don’t come in with a long sales pitch.  Also, try to remember that I am not the decision maker.  Whether or not we use your services is not up to me, but I can get you in front of whoever does make that decision.  It is best to come in and give me a flyer and business card and only stay for a few minutes then schedule a time that we can hear more. It’s not that I'm not interested. I just have a long to-do list like everyone else.  (Have you ever met my boss??)

2: Treats and sweets go a long way. Just saying.  If you really want to stand out though, try to pick something on the healthy side such as a fruit tray or those yummy protein balls from Freshii.

3: Please do not come between 9:00-9:30; 12:00-1:00; or 4:30-5:00. The beginning of the day, I’m just trying to get started and a little overwhelmed with emails and tasks. If you come in at noon and interrupt my lunch, I am tempted to not use you just out of spite (that's the hangry side talking). 4:30-5:00 I’m wrapping stuff up, and my brain is pretty much fried.  I know your schedule is crazy too, but these are real suggestions.

4: Be persistent but not annoying. As a front desk girl who sees A LOT of people every day, it always helps to send a reminder e-mail or two. But that doesn’t mean I want you to pop in every day either. Look for the happy medium.

5: Do NOT under any circumstances talk negatively of another company – especially your competition. That is the fastest way to get your marketing material thrown in the trash.  You think I'm kidding?  I'm not.  If you want to say something along the lines of, "We are the best at what we do" - that's fine.  But if you start trash-talking your competition, I can guarantee you that I will never mention you or your company to any of my higher-ups. 

6: It really helps to see you outside of the office. If I see you at a charity function or a chamber event, I’m more likely to remember you. It’s easier to talk to people when I’m not behind a computer and up to my eye balls in tasks.

7: Be sweet – not fake. It’s not hard to tell the difference between someone who is genuinely kind and someone who is just trying to sell a product. If you really love and believe in your product, it shows. And trust me, I'm more likely to listen.  

8: Show respect to me, my job, my boss, and my company.  Respect my time.  Be polite.  Be honest.  Be kind.  

9: If you are going to call me or my boss, ALWAYS ask, "Do you have a minute for me, or should I schedule a time to talk to you later?"  This simple sign of respect wins 1,000 brownie points with me.  

10: Want to know the best way to get your foot in the door at our company?  Sponsor a charity event that we are involved with.  We (meaning more people than just "the front desk girl") see your heart.  We get to know you as a human being.  We see your willingness to work and serve.  We have a soft spot for people like that.  

I hope these tips help you, and I hope they make your day just a little bit happier!

Thank God for... Fleas?

"' Give thanks in all circumstances,'" she quoted.  "It doesn't say, 'in pleasant circumstances.'  Fleas are part of this place where God has put us." - Betsie Ten Boom

I just finished reading The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom, and wow! What a remarkable story of home and courage in one of the absolute worst times in human history.  Corrie and her family were Christians harboring Jews in their home in Holland during Nazi occupation.  It's an incredible story of God's faithfulness proven over and over through a vitamin bottle that never emptied, a Bible miraculously smuggled, and what some would call a lot of "lucky coincidences," but I honestly don't think luck or coincidence has anything to do with it.  

Now back to the fleas.  After being arrested, imprisoned, and transported like animals, Corrie, along with her older sister, Betsie, find themselves in the barracks of Ravensbruck, a women's extermination camp in Germany.  Within the first few minutes, Corrie cries out covered in fleas.  There are fleas everywhere in the room.  Corrie asks her sister how they can possibly live like this.  

After a prayer, Betsie reminds Corrie we are to "rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances."  (1 Thessalonians 5)

One by one, Betsie and Corrie make a list of all the things they are grateful for, and they say prayers of thanks to God.  They are together.  They have a Bible.  They have an opportunity to witness to countless women.  Then Betsie thanked God for - of all things - the FLEAS!!  Obviously, Betsie was a better woman than me.  I agree with Corrie when she says, "Not even God can make me grateful for a flea."

The two sisters start a Bible study in the barracks.  Corrie calls them "little previews of heaven."  There are so many women from various countries that language barriers are a problem, but Corrie and Betsie translate their Dutch Bible into German, and they can hear it being passed back in French, Polish, Russian, and other languages.  Oh, how beautiful that must have been.  But as they get bolder and bolder with the Bible study, they cannot figure out why they have not been caught.  They are under strict supervision everywhere with the exception of the barracks.  Why?  

The next chapter reveals the answer.  FLEAS!  The guards never step foot in the building because of the fleas!!  But even before they know this, Betsie and a very reluctant Corrie had given thanks for that mean little booger, the flea.  


What are the "fleas" in my life that I can be thankful for?

Broccoli.  I hate broccoli.  But I put some in my chicken Alfredo, it is almost bearable... with extra sauce.  What I'm super thankful for is asparagus and zucchini - the two veggies I really love.  Dirty dishes.  I haven't had a dishwasher in over 5 years, and washing dishes by hand gets really annoying.  But dirty dishes mean I have plenty of food and a sweet husband that loves to cook - that is what I am most thankful for.  Laundry.  It never ends!!  But I have plenty of clothes, and for that, I am thankful.  That person in my life that I am not overly fond of.  I have to believe they are in my life - whether I want them there or not - for a purpose.  And if God is using me for a purpose and plan even that I don't see or understand, I am grateful.  Rent.  After the storm, our rent was raised along with most everyone else's.  But I have a home when a lot of people do not have one right now.

Let me get extra real.  Failure.  I am thankful for failure - okay not always, but when I can calm down and think long enough - I am thankful for failure because it means I'm trying.  I'm thankful for when I am tired.  That means I'm trying.  

Would you like to know the weirdest thing I am thankful for?  Sand in my shower.  I know.  Weird.  But when you have always, always, always wanted to live at the beach.  I am thankful for being able to live here and for every minute I am able to spend on the beach so yes, I am thankful for the sand in my shower because it means I got to spend time at my happy place.  

And the list goes on.  

What are the "fleas" in your life right now?  Make a list and thank God for each of those things.  Then leave a comment.  I'm curious to see other's answers.  

Don't just shut the door; SLAM IT!

"Lord, if this is not Your will, don't just shut the door; SLAM IT!" 

Thanks, Will Tate for teaching me this prayer.  I have used it many times but especially recently because we have been doing that oh-so-fun activity of house hunting.  At first, it was fun!  And I'm totally an "enjoy the journey" kind of girl.  But then the process turned into a process that could possibly result in a stomach ulcer.  

I had a friend as me not too long ago "How do I know that was the Lord's sign and not my brain just tell me what I want to hear?"

So, of course, my response was, "Oh, I know exactly the answer to all of your questions because I have all of this stuff figured out, and I know exactly what God's plan is for me and all the steps to get there.  Not to brag, but I'm kind of an expert on this."  

Just Kidding!!! 

I told her I'm right there too.  I ask this question all the time.  It's not easy to know what God's plan is and His will and His purpose.  I know staying in constant prayer and reading His Word every day helps, but the answer is usually still not simple.  And I told her I often pray that if this is not God's will, don't just shut the door; SLAM IT so I know that's not the path you want me to take.

We started looking for a house a few months ago.  We found a great house that was new construction and in our budget.  The only downside was it had a small yard, but we decided to go for it.  We had it under contract, but the deal fell through a week before closing.  Was this God saying this wasn't the house for us?  Was God telling us to save more money for a down payment?  Was he saying yes, no, or not yet?  I had no idea.  

We waited a couple of months, and then last week, we saw the same house was still on the market.  It gets better!  The seller had reduced the price of the home, and interest rates had gone down.  Bingo!  So we made another offer... and so did someone else.  The seller accepted the other person's offer.  I was shocked at how calm I was, but I kept saying, "God slammed the door.  Clearly, this wasn't the right house for us.  It'll be fine."

Later that week, another house popped up on the market.  And I thought it was perfect.  It was only a year old, was in a great location, and best of all had a big, beautiful backyard!  It had been on the market for about 17 hours when we made our offer along with three other people.  This time, when the door slammed, I wasn't so calm about it.  I pouted and wallowed and ate way too much junk food and watched too much tv.  

But then the next day, we received the sweetest letter from the sellers via both of our realtors (glorified note-passing) explaining their situation and why they took the other offer, and they wished us the best of luck finding a home.  I was floored!  They did not have to do this, but it was so incredibly kind of them to do this.  I felt really guilty for all the wallowing.

So the only option left was to wait for something else to come along.  

So now my prayer was, "Lord, I have NO idea what You're up to, but if You could let me in on whatever it is, I'd appreciate it." 

Then I got the phone call today... that first house that we first had the offer on might be available again.  So do we go for it?  Or do we wait for something else to come along?  We decided to sleep on it before making any decisions, and we found out the next morning this house was not an option. The door was slammed shut. 

When Ben and I got home yesterday, we were relieved more than anything.  And for the first time that I can remember, I thanked God for slamming doors.

Thy Will Be Done

"Sometimes I gotta stop
Remember that You're God
And I am not
So
Thy will be done."
          -Hilary Scott

Since I was in high school, I have ended my prayers with, "Let Your will be done. Nothing more. Nothing less. And nothing else." 

I know that I don't always know what is best for my life so sometimes, I have no idea what to pray for.  It's in these moments that I pray, "Thy will be done" simply because I don't know what else to say. 

But then someone - I wish I could remember who it was - once told me that she prayed, "Thy will be done. And help me be okay with it."

Woah.  Game changer.

God's will does not always match up to Lacey's will.  I have learned over the years that I am not always meant to understand God's will, but I am supposed to accept His will no matter what that may be.