1. Tell us a little bit about yourself! Where you’re from...what your passion is...favorite food...memorable place traveled to...and your enneagram # (if you know it!)
Well, I grew up as an MK (Missionary Kid) and moved around a lot, especially between 0-10 years old, so the question of where I am from always stirs up some TCK syndrome (Third Culture Kid)… but at 32 years old with over 20 years of living in Central Pennsylvania, I guess I kind of have to start saying that I am “FROM” here. ;)
My first passion is seeing God change hearts, starting with my own. (seriously, praise God for how He has molded me, over many years and through many valleys and bad decisions!) I’ve been really honored to have been given many opportunities to be an observer of what the Holy Spirit is doing/has done in other’s lives as well, and it’s always amazing to watch and see and hear about. I also love digging deep in His Word, and seeing new perspective with context and original language shed new light on the English reading of The Bible. In fact, over the past two years or so I have really seen an uptick in my consumption of written and preached Bible material, I usually just can’t get enough.
Outside of my faith, I am passionate about coffee, photography, and small business/entrepreneurship (and am fortunate to have had opportunities to combine these passions in my work!), traveling (been to 38 states and 13 countries so far) cooking/baking, crafting/artsy stuff, being outside and being active, and healthy living as a general category. And of course my wonderful kiddo (4-year-old son) and my incredible hubby.
Enneagram 8 (The Challenger), wing 7 (The Enthusiast). Perceived as a pretty intense personality, from what I have read/experienced. The strength of 8w7 types is absolutely dependent on healthfulness… everyone knows an unhealthy type 8 who has wrecked havoc on situations/relationships, and I have found that sharing my personality type has come with some quick judgements from others because of other/past experiences, which I totally get, I’ve been there too, even as a fellow 8!
2. What sets your soul on fire? The kind of fire that makes you feel completely alive?
The answer to this question has often been really tough for me over the years. But I think my answer to my passions in the first quest (above) is the primary thing. I am a passionate person, so I can get excited about stuff pretty easily, but if I dig deep and observe my deepest passions, discipleship and teaching are rooted pretty deeply. Learning to abide in the source!
Building/starting something new is up there pretty high too. The entrepreneur in me is always ready to build the next new thing, and I always have like 20 new business ideas going through my head…every little problem I see in my day immediately becomes a business with the solution… fortunately there isn’t space in life to bring all of my ideas to reality, haha!
3. What have you been learning about living life to the fullest?
In short, busyness isn’t fullness.
Having a full schedule often means running on empty, and from a place of hurry and unhealthfulness. I am a chronic and hopefully-beginning-to-recover over-committer. I have said “yes!” enthusiastically to so many things, and have found the same cycles of passion that leads to over-extending that leads to scrambled, hurried, last-minuteness and then burn-out and exhaustion. Maintaining source that fills and fuels spiritual, emotional, mental and physical healthfulness as an individual, as well as a spouse/mother, leader, and business owner is so key. In my experience, it’s all centered around personal disciplines (starting with Spiritual Disciplines.) I recently started reading a book titled “The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry”, and it has been speaking to where my soul has been for the last 6+ months. Intentional slowness is so important to health and serving from a place of fullness.
4. What decisions have you made in your life to more fully receive God’s best for yourself?
Practicing weekly Sabbath has been a key decision. And what Sabbath entails, meaning it’s not just lounging on the couch binging on Netflix. It’s slowing down, celebrating what we have to be grateful for, time with loved ones, and worship. I’ve also been really driven by study of prayer and fasting and the rest of the Spiritual Disciplines, which has lead to new ways to practice of those things studied, and has really grown my understanding and experience in my relationship with God. I feel as though I have barely scratched the surface of what is available to me in this area, and am excited to see how God continues to draw me in through my purposefully slow times with Him. The longer I live the more I become aware of how feeble my attempts to live my life are when He isn’t what I am making the center through intentional choices.
5. What is your advice to anyone asking the question, “How can I live with more purpose and intention?”
Slow down. Pause. Remove distractions. Listen to people. Observe and reflect on what your day or week looks like. Then don’t formulate a response quickly. Let it sink into you. You don’t have to defend why you live like you do, just assess. Are you living well? Is Jesus the center of your time and attention? Do you pour out from a full heart, or are you running on empty? Do you love well regardless of others’ actions, or are you impatient, short tempered, negative? When was the last time you went a day without touching your smart phone? Are you reacting to life, or proactively participating?
~Lacey Labs
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Have a wonderful day!
~Hope