Category: community transformation

Writing & Education

I posted the following conversation with God five years ago today. He’s been telling me for a long time to write and reimagine education. And here I am, five years later, not doing any of this perfectly, but I’m on the road. LELA House exists, and I’m writing more. I’ve even published some of my writing with LELA House courses. I pray you’re on your road, too, and if you need some help getting on your road, let me know. I’m here to help.

Me: Lord, it’s been a hard summer. It’s been a hard everything. It’s all too much, God – all of the violence, the disparities, the inequities, people living on the street when there are hundreds of empty buildings in the city, hurting people who need You and don’t even realize they’re lost, and don’t get me started on the education system. I know You don’t want me to move to Finland, but what can I do? What do You want me to do? How can I possibly combat the erosion of my country? Of the world?

God: Write.

Me: I mean, really. What can I do? I don’t have a bully pulpit. I’m not famous. I like to stay at home. I always pray, but I feel You calling me to do something in addition to prayer. We need You desperately, but I don’t know what to do.

God: Write.

Me: Write what?

God: What you’ve been writing is a good start.

Me: What I’ve been writing? What’s that? A compilation of the antics of my kids? A bad romance novel? A composite novel with so many disparate elements it’s hard for even me to see the through line? A literary/education/family online magazine that’s been on hold because I don’t have the mental energy to sustain it? A bookified dissertation that no one wants to read? A million partial stories? Too many projects begun and left incomplete to count?

God: You left some stuff out.

Me: Did I? Well, there are the academic articles I’ve been toying with and the Writing Center handbook that I’ve made headway on. Or did You mean the fictionalized retellings I’ve been jotting down of some women in the bible whose stories I find fascinating? Hmm. What else? Oh, that’s right. I have those two children’s books I wrote. And some articles for children’s magazines, too. Ok. I get Your point. I’m already writing, so I should just keep doing what I’ve been doing.

God: Not exactly.

Me: That’s what I was thinking too. What good is any of the stuff I’ve been writing, anyway? Who is it going to help? How will any of it point back to You? How does any of it explain the rage and exasperation and sorrow that I feel for the world? How is any of this a good start?

God: Why don’t you give finishing a try.

Me: You’re funny, God. Ok. Say I finish some of this work? Then what? Honestly, I’m a little embarrassed, that’s not the right word, but You get my point, by some of the stuff I write. Umm, I think I worry what people will think of me. I have some dark, bleak, and graphic things going on in my mind that definitely come out in some of my writing. Honestly, I’m surprised I’ve written it. Again, surprised isn’t the right word, but something akin to it. Like the first book in the Kept series – it has that disturbing rape scene. Oh hey. I had forgotten all about the Kept series and the three books I’ve worked on in it. Thanks for reminding me.

God: Do you think I don’t know you have these ideas? I gave you those ideas.

Me: I know.

God: Then if you know they’re from me, why are you ashamed of them?

Me: I don’t think they fit the image people have of me, which admittedly is an incomplete image.

God: Why do you care about the image people have of you? If you’re doing my work, I will take care of everything you need.

Me: So not only do you want me to write, but You actually want me to share what I have written? Some of this stuff doesn’t need to see the light of day.

God: You’re right about that, but a lot of it does.

Me: I don’t understand how my writing is going to help combat the ills of the world, but I hear You, so I’ll write. And finish. And share. But it’s going to be difficult.

God: Of course it will be difficult. I never promised you easy.

Me: No, You didn’t, but You did promise You would never leave me or forsake me. And You did promise that You will be with me always. And You did promise to be my ever present help.

God: I did and I meant it.

Me: Ok, God. I hear You. Please help me to obey You even when I can’t see what’s coming or understand what’s going on.

God: Of course. Now for another thing. Education.

Me: Education?

God: Yes, education. I made you passionate about education for a reason. You see needs in the education system, and I made you to fill them.

Me: I know that, God, but…

God: But what? Stop second guessing me. I knew what I was doing when I placed this heart of and for education in you.

Me: Of and for?

God: Yes. You are forever an educator and you are forever a learner. You can touch people both in how you educate and how you learn.

Me: So writing and education is what You want me to do to make our world a better place?

God: Yes, but you knew that already.

Me: I did. Writing and education are what I’ve been doing my whole life. They’re not sexy. They aren’t new and in the moment. They don’t speak to the conflagration of emotions I have each time I read a news article. They’re not revolutionary.

God: You don’t know that. You’ve never given either one of them enough of a try yet. Look at history. Writing and education have always been agents of change and revolution, but the people who wield them haven’t always had revolution in mind. You’re just afraid you might actually accomplish something.

Me: I am, but I don’t know why.

God: *silence*

Me: You’re not going to tell me, are You?

God: Not yet. I need you to trust me right now, even though You can’t see how it will all come together.

Me: Ok, God. I do trust You, but please increase my faith so that I may trust You more. Although I’m sure those lessons will actually come by my inability to see what You’re up to, because that is how You roll. Is there anything else, God, You want me to talk to You about right now?

God: That’s good for now, but get some rest. The road ahead is long and wearying.

Me: Help me to rest, Lord, and help me to write and to educate and to bring glory to You in all that I do. Thank You for talking with me. I look forward to our next chat. In Jesus’ name, amen.

July 9, 2021
How’s it going, educators?

Phew!

The school year is over for many of us educators, and it was a rough one. I’m just wondering how you’re doing.

I normally only ask you to do one thing per post, but today I’m asking you to do three things.

Thing 1: Follow THIS LINK to respond to a survey I created to learn more about how educators are doing, what’s going well, what isn’t, and what you want for the future of education.

Thing 2: Post a comment to share how you’re doing. Doing so will help you process your own state, help others feel seen, and provide encouragement. We all could use a bit of all of those things right about now.

Thing 3: Take some time for yourself. You deserve it.

June 8, 2021
LELA House Leadership Philosophy

As LELA House’s coach and mentor, I am humbled by my calling to lead LELA House community members toward becoming who God created them to be, and I take the responsibility seriously. I thought I’d share with you some of my leadership philosophy, so you can understand who I am as we partner together.

Leaders are learners. Effective leaders seek ways to expand their knowledge and improve themselves. They recognize both what they know and what they don’t; then they stretch themselves to find new levels of mastery and productive methods to fill the gaps. Leaders recognize everyone has something to teach, including the people they serve; and everyone has something to learn, including themselves. They see every situation as an opportunity to learn.

Leaders are servants. Effective leaders listen, learn, and encourage. They learn who their community members are as individuals and a collective, how they operate, what they want in all areas of life; and then they strive to empower people to become all they want to become. Leaders accept people for who they are but work to help them become who they have the potential to be. Leaders build up, rather than tear down.

Leaders are visionaries. Effective leaders see beyond what is in front of them to potential and possibility. They recognize strengths and weaknesses, starting with their own, and create opportunities for people to operate in their strengths, pairing up people with varying strengths, so that the whole can be stronger than the individuals. Leaders understand the path forward is not always clear and see mistakes and failures as opportunities to learn and grow.

Leaders are trustworthy. Effective leaders recognize that people will not follow anyone they do not trust. Leaders must be genuine and let their community members see them and know them. People will follow someone who is real and flawed before they will follow someone who wears a façade of perfection. Leaders have difficult conversations, and they own their decisions, doing what is right, not necessarily what is popular.

Leaders are flexible. Effective leaders understand how to work from any position – from the front, from behind, from alongside – because different situations and different individuals require various types of leadership. Leaders can course correct mid-path to meet the demands of varied situations.

Leaders are humble. Effective leaders realize they do not have all of the answers and that they shouldn’t have all of the answers. Community members that are engaged, challenged, and growing push their creativity and their impact further. Leaders understand how to follow. They are collaborators, not dictators.

If my philosophy resonates with you, click to learn how we can work together to help you discover your unique design, become critically engaged, and transform your community.

May 12, 2021
Why You Should Create Daily
Apparently I’m writing a series “Why you should…daily.” I didn’t set out to write a series, but here we are. Today’s topic is why you should create daily (as cleverly demonstrated in the title, a meta homage to unintentionally creating a blog series), but if you want to check the other posts in the series, please click “Why You Should Read Daily” and “Why You Should Write Daily.”

Let’s start with what it means to create. Merriam Webster lists the following definitions for create.
- “to bring into existence”
- “to produce or bring about by a course of action or behavior”
- “to produce through imaginative skill”
Even if you’re a self-avowed uncreative, chances are good you already create something every day. Do you cook? Then you create? Do you doodle? Then you create? Do you engineer? Then you create. Do you play a sport? Then you create.

Like with daily writing, a key to reaping the benefits of daily creating is doing so with intentionality. Once you recognize and focus on the act of creating, and determine to incorporate it as a habit in your life, you open yourself to growing in the following ways.
1. Improved problem-solving ability – Creating helps you see new and unlikely solutions in every aspect of your life.
2. Increased discipline – If you can allow yourself to be creative for at least a few minutes every day, then you can allow yourself to do something else for a few minutes every day.
3. Expanded creativity – The more you create, the more you create.
4. Increased productivity – Recognizing that you have to allot time for creativity will help you examine how you spend time generally.
5. Enlarged skillset – Not only will you learn how to do whatever you’re doing better, you’ll open yourself to learning how to create new things.
6. Heightened self-awareness – Creating allows you to learn what you enjoy, what you believe, and what you think and then discover ways to express those revelations and share them with the world.
If you’re interested in learning how LELA House can enrich your creating, sign up for LELA House emails HERE.

And comment below with what you’re creating currently. My current creating projects are in the comments, too.
April 20, 2021
Connect, Read, & Write at LELA House

Learn how reading and writing with others can help you learn, improve your discipline, push your thinking, and create lasting connections.

Stay connected by signing up for LELA House emails HERE.

April 14, 2021
Why You Should Write Daily
Last week I posted about why you should read daily, and I thought I would follow that with reasons to write every day. Like with reading, a Google search yielded copious results extolling the virtues of a daily writing habit, so please seek out additional reasons besides what I will discuss in this post, if you are interested in finding out more.

You already write daily. Building on a practice you already have is much easier than starting afresh. At some point today, you will write a text, an email, a to-do list, a grocery list, a reminder on a post-it, a journal entry, something. Since you already write every day, the next step is to do so with intention and build on your good work.

You will write with intention. Now that you recognize you write every day, you can start to focus on outcomes from your writing besides the obvious boons of communicating with a friend or colleague and making sure to buy all the ingredients for your recipe.
- You can write to learn about the world. What do you want to know? Make a list. What do you already know about that topic? Make a list. What connections can you make between two seemingly disparate ideas (eg: falconry and the color wheel)? Writing helps you investigate, categorize, define, and explain concepts.
- You can write to learn about yourself. Keep a dream journal or a log of your daily activities. Write down what frustrated you today. Write about what you’re grateful for. Writing helps you reflect, clarify your thinking, and keep a record of how far you have come. Don’t believe me? Look at something you wrote a few years ago and what you write about that same thing today. You’re not the same person you were then, and your writing can help you see your growth.
- You can write to relax. This closely aligns with writing to learn about yourself. Writing down your frustrations, fears, anxieties, and ideas gets those concepts out of your head and onto the page. Once you’ve corralled them, those thoughts no longer take up valuable mental space and energy, leaving you room to unwind and destress.
You will become a better writer. Writing is a skill you can learn and practice. The more you do it, the better you will become at it.

You just might change the world. Entire world shifts and revolutions have been sparked by the written word. Of course I mean famous documents such as the bible, the Declaration of Independence, and Amanda Gorman’s “The Hill We Climb,” but I also man the notes and scribblings and journal entries that daily inspire people to live boldly and courageously. Writing is a transformational tool with the power to reshape individuals and entire societies.

If you’re interested in learning how LELA House can enrich your writing, sign up for LELA House emails HERE.

And comment below with what you’re writing currently. My current writing projects are in the comments, too.
April 13, 2021
Inspiration

You are an inspiration to someone (probably lots of someones), because you are awesome and amazing.

Today’s journal prompt, however, is to write a thank you letter to a person who inspires you. I encourage you to share the letter with the person.

And in the meantime, shout out who inspires you in the chat!

April 12, 2021
Why You Should Read Daily

I googled “Why you should read daily” and got 3.5 billion hits in .99 seconds. I recognize you don’t need me to tell you why you should read every day, but I feel like I have a little something to add to the discussion.

You’ll have fun. If you read what you enjoy, you will enjoy reading. Often we think we should read this thing or that thing, and that’s when reading becomes a chore. Sometimes we are pressed to read things we don’t like, but just because you’re reading something you don’t like doesn’t mean you can’t find something you do like.

You’ll discover what you like to read. The more you read, the wider your reading selections become. And in broadening your reading diet, you’ll learn you enjoy more genres and styles than you previously imagined.

You’ll learn about yourself. Reading puts you in the middle of situations you may have never encountered in your real life. Through these opportunities, you learn how you feel about certain topics, how you believe you would react in certain situations, and how much stress you can take before hurling a book across a room.

You’ll learn about others. Reading puts you in the middle of situations you may have never encountered in your real life. Yep, I just said it, but I’m saying it again. Through these opportunities, you’ll learn about perspectives that differ from your own, about mores and value systems you didn’t know existed, and how to empathize with people who aren’t like you.

You’ll become critically engaged. Reading forces you to examine writing patterns and styles. You may not recognize you’re doing so, but the more you read, the more you recognize what works and what doesn’t work in writing. You learn what persuasive arguments look like, how to describe a beautiful sunset, and how to keep an audience engaged. And as you learn these things, you begin applying them to your own writing. Additionally, you learn more about topics that matter to you and about the world more broadly. Reading makes you an informed citizen of the world, all without leaving your comfy chair.

You’ll change the world. Reading helps you learn, and learning changes you. Once you’ve learned something, you live differently based on the knowledge you’ve acquired. The new way you show up in the world affects those around you and around them and so on and so on, until your circle of influence reaches infinity.

Do you want to learn your unique design, become critically engaged and change the world? Read a book. Who knows where it will take you.

If you’re interested in learning how LELA House can enrich your reading, sign up for LELA House emails HERE.

And comment below with what you’re reading currently. My current reads are in the comments, too.

April 6, 2021
Introducing LELA House

I’ve been posting about big changes coming to LELA House while the website is under construction, so I thought I’d make a little video introducing LELA House and what LELA House community as all about.

In short, LELA House community is about helping you discover how God uniquely created you to make a difference in the world. Please join my mailing list to stay connected to all that is on the LELA House horizon and begin to discover and live out God’s purpose in your life. You can join my mailing list today by clicking HERE.

March 31, 2021
Feeling Flow, Discovering Purpose
How often do we hear people telling us about finding what puts us in a flow state? I read about it often. Lots of good articles about flow exist. According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (the father of flow) the following eight attributes characterize flow (https://positivepsychology.com/mihaly-csikszentmihalyi-father-of-flow/).
1. Complete concentration on the task;
2. Clarity of goals and reward in mind and immediate feedback;
3. Transformation of time (speeding up/slowing down);
4. The experience is intrinsically rewarding;
5. Effortlessness and ease;
6. There is a balance between challenge and skills;
7. Actions and awareness are merged, losing self-conscious rumination;
8. There is a feeling of control over the task.
I’ve been thinking about flow for a few years now, and I never knew what got me into a flow state. I never felt like I was in a flow state. Then it happened to me twice.

The first time I was reading a book, and I realized I’ve spent a lifetime in flow state while reading. All books don’t take me into flow, but the most engaging ones do. I completely concentrate on the book while other concerns fall away. I have goals, rewards, and immediate feedback in mind as I read, even though I wasn’t cognizant of that. I read to learn, to find myself in the world, to be entertained, to experience beautiful writing. Those are both my goal and my reward, and I can tell whether or not I am getting that immediately. Time definitely transforms. I could read for an entire day and not realize it. I find the act of reading itself pleasurable, and I venture to it for my own purposes. It is intrinsically rewarding. I read with ease, but the best reading material challenges me with vocabulary, structure, context and content. I simultaneously lose myself to reading, yet I recognize I’m controlling my reading endeavors. Yes, all eight hold true for me.

The other time I was in a flow state, I was creating an event calendar for LELA House. I was sitting in bed reading my bible and had an idea. I almost never interrupt my bible reading for anything, but I knew I needed to write down what was on my mind, so I dashed to my office, grabbed my laptop, got back under the covers and began planning. I figured if I got the inspiration while reading God’s word, then He must have work for me to do. Five hours later, I realized I desperately needed to go to the bathroom. I hadn’t bathed. I had overlooked breakfast (and I never skip meals). I normally would have gone to the bathroom at least twice in that time span. It was actually lunch time, but I didn’t even feel like eating. My entire morning routine was destroyed, and I was oddly excited about it. I went to the bathroom, crawled back into bed with my computer, and settled back in for another two hours, when the need to relieve myself and eat forced me up. Seven hours seems excessive to me to work on an event calendar, but I certainly experienced flow while creating it. I had a problem to solve that engaged and challenged me. I got to research. I got to think, plan, write, and color code. More importantly, I got to orchestrate ways to serve people by helping them explore life, learning, literacy, and creativity.

And I’m realizing where I find flow coincides with what God created me to do in the world.

God created me to support and equip people as they discover the work God created them to do. I do this through helping people explore themselves, their passions, and their creativity through coaching, reading and writing practices, and community connection.

As a virtual education enrichment community where seekers, dreamers, and visionaries explore life, learning, literacy, and creativity through coaching, courses, and community, that’s what LELA House is all about. If you are seeking your next step in life, LELA house can help support and equip you to discover your purpose, practice your passion, and grow to your next level.

Currently LELA House is undergoing construction, but please join my mailing list to stay connected to all that is on the LELA House horizon. More importantly, joining my mailing list will help you discover and live out God’s purpose in your life. You can join my mailing list today by clicking HERE.
March 30, 2021

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