IS THIS REAL LIFE?!
This past week I have said goodbyes, signed my living will, decided my funeral arrangements (don’t worry it’s not as dramatic as people think) and packed my life in a 65L backpack, which surprisingly wasn’t that hard once I got past the process and elemination stage. When I look back at where my life was a year ago, the World Race was definitely not on my list of things I planned to do in my near future. But looking at my life now I can’t imagine doing anything else. I can’t help but be thankful for all my friends and family and their amazing support. Thank you so much for being there for me during this stage of life and even more so this past month!
I wish it was easy for me to put all of my thoughts, prayers, dreams and hopes into one blog for all things I hope will happen on the race but I can. But one thing I do pray that my squad and team walk in is wholeheartedness. Jesus is the perfect display of what I am supposed to be, which is wholehearted. Jesus doesn’t use fear, shame, blame, or judgement in his life or toward ours. I pray that my team/squad will be wholehearted to each other. I know that it won’t be easy considering we will be around each other 24/7 for 11 months and it will at times get difficult.
Before I get to the topic on wholeheartedness I have to confess something. I love Brené Brown. I think she is a beautiful writer and is changing the way people view vulnerability one book at a time. If you like hearing about her this blog is for you, and if you don’t know about her writing, I hope you will embrace her like I have. This is a head’s up, because I will more than likely blog about something she said once a month.
This past week I finished reading Daring Greatly for what feels like for the 100th time. I always end up learning 100 more things I hadn’t learned the first time. Except for one thing: The Wholehearted Parenting Manifesto. I cannot even begin to tell you how beautiful I find this manifesto and how excited I am to hopefully put it in place when I become a parent in the future. “Patten why the heck are you talking about a Parenting Manifesto when you don’t have any kids?” Well, I will get to that in a second…so without further ado this is The Wholehearted Parenting Manifesto brought to you by Brené Brown:
Above all else, I want you to know that you are loved and lovable.
You will learn this from my words and actions-the lessons on love are in how I treat you and how I treat myself.
I want you to engage with the world from a place of worthiness.
You will learn that you are worthy of love, belonging, and joy every time you see me practice self-compassion and embrace my own imperfections.
We will practice courage in our family by showing up, letting ourselves be seen, and honoring vulnerability. We will share our stories of struggle and strength. There will always be room in our home for both.
We will teach you compassion by practicing compassion with ourselves first; then with each other. We will set and respect boundaries, we will honor hard work, hope, and perspective. Rest and play will be family values, as well as family practices.
You will learn accountability and respect by watching me make mistakes and make amends, and by watching how I ask for what I need and talk about how I feel.
I want you to know joy, so together we will practice gratitude.
I want you to feel joy, so together we will learn how to be vulnerable.
When uncertainty and scarcity visit, you will be able to draw from the spirit that is a part of our everyday life.
Together we will cry and face fear and grief. I will want to take away your pain, but instead I will sit with you and teach you how to feel it.
We will laugh and sing and dance and create. We will always have permission to be ourselves with each other. No matter what, you will always belong here.
As you begin your Wholehearted journey, the greatest gift that I can give you is to live and love with my whole heart and to dare greatly.
I will not teach or love of show you anything perfectly but I will let you see me, and I will always hold sacred the gift of seeing you. Truly, deeply, seeing you
Boom drop the mic. Don’t worry guys I’m not having kids anytime soon, but I can’t help but think about my fellow squad mates and teammates when I think about this manifesto and the Kingdom Journey we are about to embark on! Brene Brown writes this manifesto based on one statement: Who we are and how we engage with the world are much stronger predictors of how our children will do than what we know about parenting. I think who we are and how we engage with the world are also strong predictors of how we will succeed in our mission.
I pray that X-Squad…
Will engage with the world from a place of worthiness as we are out in various parts of the country volunteering with various ministries.
Will embrace our vulnerabilities and imperfections.
Will feel a deep sense of love and compassion for themselves, other teammates and those we come in contact with.
As a team will value hard work, perseverance, and respect during this next year cause we sure as heck are going to need it.
As a team and individuals will carry a sense of authenticity and belonging, rather than searching for it in external places, especially as we prepare to launch.
Will have the courage to be imperfect, vulnerable and creative.
Will not fear feeling ashamed or unlovable if they are different or if they are struggling (you can bust down my tent wall any hour of the day or night and talk!).
Will move through our rapidly changing world with courage and a resilient spirit.
As we, and by we I mean myself and all 48ish other squad mates get settles into our first month this week, I want this list for us to become a reality. I cannot wait to dare greatly with these people next year!
Much love!
Patten
prayer requestes:
– our hosts this month as they welcome us into their beautiful home Bryan and Beth Tatum
– our ministry this month, connexion ministries
– that we can pick up the language
