ROYAL Blue Monday, November 2

WoooHooo from Camp Sunnyside!!! Confession time: I haven't always been a Royals fan. Yes, I am a fair weather fan. But Don't be upset with me. 1) I have been a HUGE fan since last year to make up for it. 2)  I'm not from here originally. I grew up in a small town in the middle of Iowa. However, I have lived here more years than I lived there. So Kansas City is HOME!! And this Team, more than any other team, has been Amazing, Lovable and its Contagious!! 

One thing about growing up in a small town is that I learned how to be a cheerleader and support our Hometown Team. We all got to play sports just by showing up, there were no try outs. Being a part of the team is Magical!! It creates a supportive community around you that rallies when make an error and high fives you for your great job. But when your team goes all the way and WINS the BIG GAME...The celebration is undescribable!! You hug your team, you hug those around you and you feel this event has wrapped your entire community into one big embrace that unites every single person!! This feeling is EUPHORIC!! There is no sleep. Fireworks, texts, tweets, calls, bells and whistles are constantly going off all night. Then in the morning after dreaming about that annoying announcer's voice, you realize, it wasn't a dream!! This Happened!! They WON!! We WON!! We may not have been on the field, and yet, we have been believing, praying and biting our nails while watching every single moment, not wanting to miss anything. We stayed up late to watch the last seconds of each and every game. At the end, there is a FULL BLOWN Celebration!! Screaming, people jumping and noise makers all going crazy. And the parade is coming!!  This is, comprehensible, one of the greatest moments that we will remember forever. We will tell the next generations where we were when this happened. Enjoy this moment. Take it all in. Breathe. This is bigger than you and bigger than you can comprehend.

What if we applied this approach to all areas of our life? Our Business is our home and our co workers are our team.  When we believe in each other and cheer each other on, one person will win, which means we All Win! Celebrate together! The same can be applied with our family, instead of holding a grudge, when someone has a victory, we all celebrate. How different would our lives look if we lived life like we do when we play on a team??

The moral of this story...Surround yourself with a positive team. Believe in them and cheer them on in everything that they do. Celebrate when a member of your teams wins. And then they will believe in you, cheer you on and celebrate with you!! 

And For those of you who think Kansas City is just a "fly over city", it's Time you stopped in, looked around and stayed awhile. You'll find that we are much more than what you would expect. The Kansas City Royals just proved that. 

#KC2040 Friday February 13

Good Morning Campers!! What are you thankful for today?? I'm thankful to be a part of this new community of what the city will look like in the year 2040!! KC2040 is building a network community to help one other out. From non profits and for profit businesses to civic and political organizations and people who just want to be part of something bigger than themselves. They want to get everyone involved on some level to make this city a better place to live!! They want for us to showcase what we are doing here in the Midwest!!

Have you thought about what your city or town will look like in 25 years?? Are you a part of something bigger than you?? Why not?? Are you making connections with people who can and are willing to help you reach your goals?? Maybe there is a non profit that you want to help out with or maybe you want your business to grow, whatever your goal is, reach out to others in the community and you might just get the help that you've been looking for. Or you maybe you'll meet some really cool people that will become your friends some day. Or perhaps, you just might meet that person that will help propel you forward to reaching your goals!! 

My goal is to be a part of a community that are working towards the Greater Good and Paying it Forward by reaching back and helping the next person. We were all put here on the Earth for a reason, why not help each other out when we can.  When we surround ourselves with people who are on the same page, life just keeps getting better!! May your day be filled with people who are the same page as you and want to help you succeed in life!! Happy Friday!!

Prayers Tuesday, January 27

Good Morning Sunshine!!  What are you thankful for today??  I'm thankful for Prayer today!! And I'm thankful for my Brother!! Unbeknownst to me, my Brother put out a S.O.S prayer request on Facebook last night for myself and my mother.  I am overwhelmed by the response!! Truly humbled, touched and honored by people's willingness to pray for us, even if we are strangers.

  Our mom had been going through some stomach problems for many months and we couldn't get her to see the doctor. Then I started having pain episodes in my low abdomen which caused me to double over and barely walk for a couple of days. I went to 6 different doctors including the emergency room (where I got a CT scan) and a specialist (who said it was just muscle spasms). Nobody would do an ultrasound. Finally, I asked my chiropractor to order me one and he did. I needed to see my ob/gyn asap, who I had already seen and she wasn't helpful. Thank God for my clients who are more like friends!! One client is friends with her doctor, she asked if I needed her to Call In a favor,  I said Yes Please!!  This doctor was on call over Christmas and was able to give me a phone consultation. She said she would have her office call me to set up an ultrasound and appointment. I saw her a few weeks later and she determined that I require surgery. I have a baseball size dermoid cyst that is growing quickly and twisting my ovary.  She may have to remove the ovary and my appendix, as it is inflamed as well.  

Meanwhile, we continued to encourage our mom to see her doctors. Finally, she did make an appointment and they drained two liters of fluid off of her stomach.  2 liters!!  Wow, well that's why she was having trouble!! They also had her get a CT scan and ultrasound. Now, she has been sent to a specialist. That appointment is tomorrow.  There will be more tests before we can know for sure what is going on.  We are trying to stay positive.

  With all this said, maybe I had to go through what I went through to encourage my mom to go get help too.  We never know when we share our story, how it can influence another person in a positive way.  Since going through all of this and talking about my frustration to my clients, I've had several of them say that my story reminds them to get their regular check up that they have been putting off. So if you're reading this and looking for a sign that you need to see a doctor or get another opinion, this is it!  Go Do It!! By the time I have surgery the cyst may be even bigger. So if I hadn't prayed through all of this, I don't know if I would have been led to seek out so many different opinions.

  This experience has definitely changed my life. A workaholic that wasn't interested in having children is who I used to be. Now, I'm no longer working such long hours and I'm looking forward to being a Mom someday. Sometimes, God has to bring us to our knees in order to change our lives.  May your day be filled with people who will Pray for you, doctors who Listen to you and the ability to Listen when you are nudged to seek another opinion. Happy Tuesday!! 

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Community Saturday,January 24

Good Morning Campers!!  What are you thankful for today??  I'm thankful for my #Community!!  We all belong to many Communities.  It could your family, school, work, church, city, gym,  social media, networking and neighborhoods. All of these things create Community.  By definition, community is a group of people with shared characteristics.  Let's say We all share the Human characteristics, so just by reading this, you belong to a Community.  One great thing about Community is when you're going through a rough time or need some help, people Show Up!! Ever have a loved one pass or have surgery or have a baby?? People will bring you food!! How awesome is that!!? That's why we're here on Earth together, to help each other out!! I'm thankful that I have several Communities that I can turn to in a time of need.

Communities are built as place to come as you are and they accept you.  It's human nature to want to be a part of a Community. If you are reading this and don't believe you belong somewhere, that's not true. You just have to find your community. You may have to step out of your comfort zone and be there for someone else who needs it before you can feel part of it. That's how life works sometimes.  The thing we want the most, we may have to create it ourselves.  If you're feeling isolated and alone, you can conquer it by stepping forward and jumping into a community somewhere. And then repeat again and again.  Be open, you will be surprised at how a Community forms around you. Then you can reach back and encourage someone else to step out, step forward and jump into a Community. 

May your Day be filled with people who make you feel like you belong and that you're a part of the Greater Good Community. By reading this, you took the first step, you are a part of my Community!! Happy Saturday!!