Henriet's Blog

The Obama Inauguration: A phenomenon of participation

Having invited participation, he now accepts the responsibility of leading the nation. He'll be carrying the weight of anticipated delivery and Messiah-like expectation.

A day to remember

Today, Barack Obama officially becomes the United States' 44^th president. It's a grand celebration and a historical moment. All presidential inaugurations are special but to witness the swearing in of the first African-American president truly sets this inauguration day apart.

Many people are putting their hopes and dreams on this man's shoulders. They expect him to end the war in Iraq, turn the economy around, create jobs, bring back prosperity and fix all other manner of U.S. ills. But that's a topic for another day. Today we celebrate with the Obama's as Barack takes on the responsibility of leading the nation.

Inviting people to participate

The expected attendance in Washington D.C. promises to reach an all time high. Some expect as many as 4 million people.  It's a testimony to how Barack Obama journeyed to the White House. He invited people along. Even his travel to the inauguration testifies to his approach. He followed Lincoln's train route making stops along the way to D.C. He touched people, spoke into their lives and invited them to participate.

His campaign was all about participation. Barack Obama employed Web 2.0 tactics to reach people. According to Juicycactus, Obama's campaign included "active participation in over a dozen social networks including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace, YouTube and Flickr." Obama also used his web page and had a blog. He created community on the web, recruited volunteers on-line and invited participation - using both on-line and on the street approaches. People could follow and comment on the progress. People could easily get involved.

People accepted the invitation and joined his cause

That's what they did. People jumped in. It felt like a grassroots movement. Everyday people joining together to make a difference. Working together to elect a new president.

On this day many feel that they have to be part of the celebration. They were part of the campaign and they want to be part of the day that he's sworn in. It's their president and they want to be part of his inauguration.

How did it happen?

What creates this sense of commitment, volunteerism, community and participation? Obama inspired people to believe again. He invited them into the process and participate for change.

I hope Semper Vita will be able to inspire a similar passion, commitment, volunteerism, community and participation. Obama proved it can be done...millions of people working together for a cause. We long to inspire people to work together for the greater good. The outcome of this effort will be that together we can accomplish exponentially more than the sum of individual efforts.

We join in the celebration today

Congratulations President Obama. May God bless your presidency.

Semper Vita Salutes Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today we celebrate Martin Luther King day...and see his dream come to pass.

Saluting MLK

What an amazing day to think about how far this country has come in 45 years! African Americans in a one lifetime have gone from living in slavery to watching Obama get the top job.  Do you think King imagined this time in history?

Here's part of Martin Luther King's speech in 1963:

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." ...

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. 
...

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together" (Isaiah 40:4,5; KJV).

Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!

Hope, freedom and opportunity

His dream revolved around equality and the hope for a better future. He envisioned freedom for all, equality based on value rather than color, and opportunities for everyone. He fought against oppression and paid dearly for it.

A pastor friend of mine, Josh Hebert, recently said, "the greater the dream the longer the process." Martin Luther King never saw the fulfillment of his dream. He paid for his "radical" ideas with his life. Tomorrow, his dream will reach a climax as Barak Obama is inaugurated as our 44th president.

I have a dream

My dream fits nicely in with MLK's dream. What is that dream? That all people would experience life through service in community. I can imagine people loving their neighbors of all colors, races, income brackets and skill levels with the love of Jesus. I dream of people giving of their best to a neighbor and in the process finding true joy and contentment.

I have a dream that one day no one will be hungry, thirsty, lonely or in need - not just in America but around the world. What's your dream? Do you share my dream?

The Need To Be Understood

The desire to be understood transcends all cultures and religions...It's a core need. Creating a common language to facilitate this understanding promotes community. Do you feel understood?

HT: Jill D for the inspiration.

StrengthsFinder For A Better Life

Living out of our Strengths: a possible solution to stress and dissatisfaction?

Yesterday's post discussed Oprah's self-confessed struggles with her weight. She's currently focusing on how to live our "Best Life" on her shows, bringing in experts to address the things we all deal with.

Use your Strengths Buckingham style

In the past, she's had Marcus Buckingham on her show. He is a Strengths coach and advocates Taking Control of Your Career and Your Life. That includes living in our strengths. In his book, Go Put Your Strengths To Work, he discusses the need to put together a strong week plan. This plan leads to living more and more in our strengths. One of the things he encourages is to figure out what we love and what we hate. Do more of what we love and stop doing what we hate. Makes sense, right?

When we do more of what we love and are naturally good at, it should reduce stress and increase joy. Less stress and more joy...a recipe for contentment and maybe even weight loss?

Semper Vita trains using StrengthsFinder

One of the core convictions of Semper Vita's approach is that we believe that each person is designed uniquely by God. As such, living in our strengths leads to contentment, joy and greater success. One of our services is personal StrengthsFinder coaching, using Now Discover Your Strengths, co-authored by Marcus Buckingham.

We desire for everyong to "experience life through service in community." We believe that by understanding ourselves, and loving ourselves, God and others, we will live a meaningful and fulfilled life. We also believe that when we live a God-honoring, other-focused life, we will find contentment and reduce stress. Doesn't that sound like the best life?

Contact us if you're interested in finding out more about living in your Strenghts.

Oprah, Weight, Stress and Self-worth

Struggling with ourselves, trying to find hope and strength from within.

Last week, on Larry King Live, Bob Greene and Dr. Mehmet Oz were interviewed by King. The subject:  Oprah and her struggle with weight. They showed Oprah on video. About her weight gain, she said, "I'm mad at myself. I'm embarrased." She added, "I can't believe...I'm still talking about my weight." (Oprah, as seen on Larry King Live, 1.6.09).

Her question to herself, "How did I let this happen again?" The answer from Dr. Oz and Greene went beyond diet and exercise. They mentioned that struggles with weight are symptoms of underlying causes - almost always these include emotional issues and stress.

Many of us share Oprah's weight struggles

Oprah's struggles are real and many of us can relate. Unfortunately, I've put on about half the weight she did - specifically, 20 lbs. My reasons are similar to Oprah's...age, thyroid and stress. Circumstances in my life have been challenging. It's meant stress, lack of sleep and eating as a coping mechanism.

Oprah, according to Greene, eats when she gets stressed, bored, bothered or happy. She too uses food as a coping mechanism. Can we relate? I can!

Joy regardless of weight

She also said that all the money, fame and attention "doesn't mean a thing if you can't control your own being." She added it doesn't mean anything "if you can't fit in your clothes."  That's a strong statement and Dr. Oz agreed with her. But is it true?

I'm sure we feel this way when we don't look the way we want but is our value, worth and success related to weight and control "of your own being"? God says we are 'deeply loved, fully pleasing, totally forgiven, accepted and complete in Christ' (from Search for Significance). Our strength doesn't come from within but from looking up. God through Jesus gives us worth. God's Spirit gives us strength. Once we look to the right place for hope, value and worth we can tackle the issues of life.

At Semper Vita we believe that each person is uniquely created by God and has great worth. Understanding yourself helps you to lead your best life.

What's your take?

P.S. Clearly thyroid issues are real and affect weight. It's an under-diagnosed condition that many of us face. It's real and impacts mood, energy, sleep and weight. If you have a thyroid issue or suspect you may, I would highly recommend making an appointment with an endocrinologist (thyroid specialist).

New Year's Plans

It's week 2 of the new year...how are the plans holding up?

As we plan for a new year, it makes sense to consider the ultimate outcomes. At the end of the year, when we reflect back, what do we want to be able to say? Do we want to have spent more time working? Shopping? Watching TV? Probably not. Or, do we want to look back on a year where we made a difference? Contributed to society? Grew personally? I hope that's our wish. It is mine!

Deeds that will last

Of course, if I invest I'd like it to have impact - lasting impact. At the end of the year, I'd like to look back and see that the things I spent time on produced fruit. Fruit that will last.

Recipe for lasting fruit

If there was a recipe for guaranteed fruit, would we follow it? What if there was a way to live so that we could have lasting results, would we take that road? There is according to John chapter 15. Verse 5 records Jesus' words on the matter, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5, NIV).  Another version states it this way: "I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing" (The Message).

These are strong words. How do we "remain"? I think it's through prayer and reading God's word. When we start there and then live to make a difference, we'll have lasting impact.

Your turn

What do you think? Are your plans the kind that will stand the test of time? Do you believe Jesus' words? If not, what's your standard that you live by?

Be Wise, Check With God

It's tempting to look inside instead of up.

Don't worry, we know what to do!

We were just “window shopping” at a car lot. Immediately we spotted him. He looked like “the sales guy.” We were ready. We knew that his job to get us to say, “Yes.” We felt ready to face him. After all, our mind was made up – whatever the great incentives, we didn’t need a different car. So he asked what we were looking for. I tried not to engage by stating that we were “just looking.” He created some space but circled back with charm and friendliness. Soon he presented compelling reasons to take a look inside. I fired back some great sounding comments and questions. He provided additional information. I pushed back. He flattered us, then invited us to just take it for a spin. “Check it out. There’s no obligation.” We tried to hang on but resistance was futile. We looked inside, we entered the car, we took it for a spin and soon sat across from his desk making the deal. The end result: we drove off with the new car.

Oh no!

The next morning we were hit hard with “buyer’s remorse hangover.” We tried to return the vehicle. They don’t take cars back. Who knew?

Spiritual buyer's remorse

Joshua, leader of the Israelites and protégé of Moses, experienced major BRH (buyer’s remorse hangover) too. He couldn’t return the deal either. What deal? The one he made with neighbors, a deal that turned out to be disastrous.

The book of Joshua chapter 9, tells the story of the Gibeonites who set out to mislead Joshua and his people. They pretended to come from afar but actually lived nearby. Their motive was to try to prevent annihilation. Good motive.

Joshua questioned them:

• perhaps you live near us?
• Who are you and where do you come from?

The Gibeonites flattered him. "We’ve heard about you and your God. We’ve heard how God has wiped your enemies out." They told of their travels and how when they started out their bread was fresh. “Look for yourselves,” they said. “See how the bread is dry and moldy, our clothes worn out and patched.” Joshua and the leaders sampled the provisions to check the story. They relied on their own ability to discern the truth and evaluate the situation.

Makes sense, right? What’s the problem? Well, they did not inquire of the Lord (Joshua 9:14). They didn't check his plans and so ended up disobeying his commands. They made a treaty and sealed it. Then a few days later they discovered the truth but it was too late to turn back. Joshua and the leaders couldn't return the deal and the Israelites suffered for it from then on out.

Simple solution: Stop and ask directions

It's very simple, really. If Joshua had asked God he'd found out that these were neighbors. All it requires is to stop and ask God. Why is it so hard to look up rather than rely on what's inside us? What are you facing today that you're tempted to solve on your own? Should you stop and ask directions?

Happy New Year - Let's Dream Big

Here's to a great new year, full of promises, hopes and dreams; let's together commit to making a difference by serving in community.

It's a New Year

As I reflected on the first lines of this post, the words "I love starting over" came to mind. And I do. It's exciting to begin again. Clean pages in a journal, new goals, a whole year full of promises. Last year's post on my personal blog, the predecessor to this one, I wrote that "I love to celebrate the start of a new year. The idea of starting over." Everyone can start over at any time during the year but New Year's seems just the perfect time.

For me it starts with the countdown and ringing in the New Year. Then on January 1, I spend time praying, reading my Bible and thinking about the year ahead. After my time with God, I write in my journal - the brand new one with clean pages - and write down my hopes, dreams and goals.

Hopes rather than resolutions

This year I established personal plans but also wrote my goals and dreams for Semper Vita. What do I hope to achieve personally? It includes spiritual growth, living each day to the full, staying organized, vacation, and of course...weight loss and exercise. No New Year's goals are complete without diet and exercise, right?

What about Semper Vita?

 Here are some of my goals for this brand new non-profit:

• invite hundreds of people to join the Semper Vita volunteer force
• helpdf people to discover their wiring and find their best self through training
• release version 1 of the software
• officially launch Semper Vita as a missional entity
• raise $200,000
• partner with churches and non-profits to collaborate for a better community

I believe that together we can make a difference in our communities and in the world. Together we can begin a new year, starting with the best resolution: to love much, live well, and give back this coming year.