I have heard it said that family represents obligation and friend represents commitment…the major difference is the expected return on the investment. With family, there is no expectation and with friends it is great…is it wrong to expect great from both? It is why so many of my friends I actually call family. Scripture says “God places the lonely in families”. I also believe he gives us friends so we understand his intent. Live on purpose because quality relationships are no accident…

At a recent meeting where evaluation and assessment were the themes of the day, we talked about rubrics and what evaluators (in this case, teachers) can and should expect from those being evaluated (students for example). The facilitator (Giselle Martin-Kniep) challenged us to think that the “A” score is not a 4 but a 3. That is, on a scale of 1 to 4, meeting an expectation should be thought of as the A. It grounds us simply because it addresses the expected end. So what then is better than an A? How do we get to a 4? The answer…moving beyond being grounded and into being inspired! What a lovely thought!

In my mind, to be inspired means to be transformed not just by what has grounded your understanding (or that which demonstrates–proves and verifies–what you know) but to push your own understanding into pulling someone else’s. What inspires you?