Hi Friends!

Happy Friday!  Can you believe we are more than half way through August?  Good grief this year is flying by.

It has been a hard week for our world-both here in the states and internationally. 

My mind is still processing all that went on.  So many people are using their social media platforms to speak out and speak up against the events that occurred in Charlottesville, which is good and important.  For me personally, I have refrained from posting--because this time, this event, it caused me to want to put my feet to work instead of my pen and keyboard.  It is easy for me to speak out in these spaces but what am I actually doing in my corner of the world to make a difference and to take a stand outside of writing?

Not enough.

But I want to change that and I am praying for those small daily opportunities where I get the chance to put my feet to work: to love on people, all people.  And my guess is, you are too.   

A friend and kindergarten teacher posted the following and I thought it was too good not to pass along.  With her permission, she said I could share it.  Thank you, April Lambiotte for posting this:

"I've been at a loss about Charlottesville. I usually have a lot of words all the time, but this act of hate has left me speechless.

Tonight, I realized once again, that everything you really need to know, you learn in kindergarten.

When something bad happens in my classroom or on the playground, I check on the victim first. This is what teachers are taught to do. Turn your immediate attention to the victim.

Are you ok?
I am so sorry this happened to you. 
What I can do to help?

I am not a victim of white supremacists. I am heartbroken and sick about it, but I don't know what it feels like to be that kind of victim.

So, friends of color,
Are you ok? 
I am so sorry this has happened/is happening. 
What can I do?"

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I hope your week has been productive and that you have some fun weekend plans in store.  As a follow up from last week, here is the latest 5 Bullet Friday Edition.  Enjoy!

1.  What I'm reading:

Everyone Communicates, Few People Connect:  What the Most Effective People Do Differently by John Maxwell.  This is a great read if you are looking to brush up on your communication skills.  It is short, direct and to the point.  Some takeaways:  

-Pay attention to your body language

-You have 7 seconds to make a great first impression

-Keep it simple; don't worry about having a fancy vocabulary or complex sentence structures

-Eye contact, eye contact, eye contact

-Be authentic, be you and live what you communicate

-Connecting is all about others and not about you.

2.  What I'm listening to:

Between Parents.  It is a podcast hosted by one of the pastor's of my church, Billy Phenix and his wife Joy.  We don't have kids besides two fur babies, but this podcast is still a great resource.  So much valuable and practical wisdom on marriage, relationships, and of course parenting.  Don't let not having kiddos shy you away from listening though.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/between-parents/id1168141901?mt=2

3.  What made me laugh/smile this week

It is another dog video...grab the tissues

Also, this girl.  She cracked me up.  I feel for her dad.  Because, I am guessing she learned this personality from someone in her life or perhaps she watches a lot of reality housewife shows, who knows.

4.  A Quote to Ponder:

"Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle."

-Plato

5.  What I'm watching:

Not to push church on anyone but this series was a game changer for both John and I.  Andy did this series sometime ago and decided to bring it back because of it's impact and popularity.  The series is called Guardrails.  Last week was part one. 

One "guardrail" John and I have used/use in our marriage is we do not travel alone (car/airplane/etc.) or meet one on one in private with someone of the opposite sex (we try to keep public meetings at a minimum).  It may sound silly or extreme but it has created incredible transparency in our marriage.  

Religious or not religious, there are some great pieces of wisdom in this series that can be applied to life in general regardless of your religious beliefs.  

http://buckheadchurch.org/messages/guardrails-2017/direct-and-protect/

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As always, thank you for reading.  Here's to a great weekend!