Kem Meyer's Blog, page 11

nevver:PantoneHappy Easter.

nevver:

Pantone

Happy Easter.

12 states and more than 4,500 miles--bring it.

A couple of weeks ago, I asked you for help planning our epic family road trip vacation. Thanks to everyone who pitched in!! Thorough, creative and insightful ideas filled up my inbox and now— we have a plan! Here’s a few route highlights we’re looking forward to on our trek through 12 states across more than 4,500 miles:

Overnight at Arch in St. Louis, MO.
Pops in Arcadia, OK.
Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, TX.
Stand on a corner in Winslow, AZ.
Overnight in Flagstaff, AZ.
Petrified National Forest, AZ.
Grand Canyon, AZ.
Wild burros in Oatman, AZ.
Las Vegas, NV.
Hoover Dam, NV.
Red Rock Canyon, NV.
Four Corners Monument, UT.
Garden of the Gods, CO.
Pioneer Village, NE.
Field of Dreams movie site, IA.

And, as promised, here’s a document with a list of all the ideas that were sent in.

Special thanks go to these guys:

Jody Wissing for the reminder to stay flexible, don’t let the plan boss you around and discover things as go. 
Carol Shurr for a big care package of road trip literature.
Corri Page for hidden gems and URLs.
Jennifer Armstrong for most comprehensive list of ideas with first hand narrative to go with it. 
Steve Muscato for making me laugh out loud at the “standing on a corner in Winslow, AZ” idea and photo gallery from his family’s road trip. 

"Greatness is helping others realize they are great, beautiful, capable. Genius is seeing the wonder..."

“Greatness is helping others realize they are great, beautiful, capable. Genius is seeing the wonder and possibility in those others ignore.”

-

(via my friend Tracy quoting Cory Booker) This quote reminds me how grateful I am for the people who saw the possibility in me. 

Pass it on to a difficult person in your life—you just might change theirs. 

Dan Pallotta: The way we think about charity is dead wrong

Dan Pallotta: The way we think about charity is dead wrong:

Activist and fundraiser Dan Pallotta calls out the double standard that drives our broken relationship to charities. Too many nonprofits, he says, are rewarded for how little they spend — not for what they get done. Instead of equating frugality with morality, he asks us to start rewarding charities for their big goals and big accomplishments (even if that comes with big expenses). In this bold talk, he says: Let’s change the way we think about changing the world.

18 minutes. Dare you to watch it. And, then… go boldly invest in something big, not something cheap.  

"A leader is someone who has the courage to say publicly what everybody else is whispering privately...."

“A leader is someone who has the courage to say publicly what everybody else is whispering privately. It is not his insight that sets the leader apart from the crowd. It is his courage to act on what he sees, to speak up when everyone else is silent. Next generation leaders are those who would rather challenge what needs to change and pay the price than remain silent and die on the inside.”

- Andy Stanley

Just wait 15 min for page redirect. Who says online payments...

Just wait 15 min for page redirect. Who says online payments aren’t more convenient?

Isolated Among 1,000′s: How to Connect

Isolated Among 1,000′s: How to Connect:

I LOVE this story!

#gccwired #volunteer

I’ve seen the original Our Road film 5x and counting. Each...

I’ve seen the original Our Road film 5x and counting. Each time, I experience something new. It’s a revealing piece of art. So grateful for the people of Granger Community Church. So grateful for this film. It’s inspiring and definitely “sticks with you.”

If you live in Michiana and are looking for a film party to attend—we’re screening 81. Next Wednesday 7PM. 

Watch a 4 minute sneak preview at findyouropenroad.com.

Spring Break road trip west! (Wait, what don't I know?)

In a couple of weeks, the Meyer family is jumping in a car and driving from Granger to the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas (where we’ll stay a week) and back home to Granger. That’s all we know. The rest of the details are yet to be figured out. That’s where you come in. 

I’m looking for fun, creative, must-see, must-do activities, eateries and experiences along the route or at our destination. We is smarter than me every time and we’ve never made this trek before as a family. What recommendations do you have? What should we see? What should we do? Where should we eat? What should we experience? What do you know that I don’t know?

Doesn’t this sound fun? Wanna help? Drop me an email with your advice and wisdom. I’ll send thank you gifts to the first, most original, most comprehensive, etc. (We did this a few years ago. It was great fun.)

I’ll be sure to post our final plans for everyone to see the results. Thanks for playing…the fate of our road trip is in your hands. 

My top 4 parenting books ...

Earlier this week, I got the chance to share my story with a group of moms. I talked about my learnings in my journey from single teen mom to where I am today. It’s the first time I’ve told my story in a public setting like that. It was a tremendous honor. And, naturally, my emotions were a little raw. I almost can’t remember anything I said. Just kidding. I remember everything.  

Also in the past few days, I’ve had several conversations with peers about new challenges and opportunities that pop-up in the pre-teen and teenage years. In many ways, it’s a new playbook. Like going from college football to the NFL, we need to up our game and refine our skills. 

In spite of all my flaws, God has still entrusted me with two girls (24 & 14) and one boy (12). It’s my job to keep learning and leaning in to the support that He’s placed around me. In addition to that community, here’s four books I go to for practical, no-nonsense coaching:

Surviving Your Adolescents. Phelan
Parenting Teens in a Confusing Culture. Gregston
How To Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk. Faber & Mazlish
Parenting From The Inside Out. Hartzell

The surprising bonus about these books is this: even though they are written specifically about parenting, the communication and psychology principles apply to every form of communication—not just between parent and child.