Monday, February 8, 2010
wise words
You cannot be with people all of the time and have a ministry to people. The impact of your ministry to people will be in direct proportion to the time you spend away from people and with God.
Friday, January 22, 2010
the joy of serving
Last semester, I started volunteering one hour a week through a local non-profit that seeks to support the education system by providing mentors from the community to tutor and build relationships with students in certain public schools. The program I am a part of involves high school seniors and the effort is geared toward increasing students’ standardized test scores to meet a pre-determined “College Ready” benchmark. In short, we don’t want these students to have to waste a bunch of money taking remedial classes in college.
In my first few weeks, I met seniors Bethany, Paige, Jenny, and Briana and we started going through writing and reading exercises. Their capabilities and interest in the subject matter varied widely and even though their attendance was fairly sporadic, I was happy to think of them as my “regulars.” Writing was a struggle to get through for all of us – my kiddos didn’t enjoy putting forth the effort required for such a subjective subject and after all, who wants to sit down and write an essay in front of your tutor during your advisory when you could have easily have skipped the class? Yeah, exactly. Reading was better although I didn’t get to be as much a part of this process because I was blessed with such a tremendous amount of time off for Christmas break. I can only hope that the other tutors in my classroom provided good instruction for my girls.
With less than 3 weeks left before the next standardized testing opportunity, our group moved onto math today. As I grabbed the math binders from the bookshelf, one of the other tutors commented, “So you’re braving math today?” to which I happily responded, “Oh, I love math actually, Calculus was my favorite subject in high school!” As I walked to the back table, Bethany was waiting for me. Just as I thought it would be a one-on-one session, I noticed that Paige and Briana were sitting across the room. I tried to ignore the scowl I got from Briana (who has generally been the least interested participant) as I made them move to the back, all the while acting as enthusiastic as possible. A young man who I didn’t recognize was sitting a little ways off asked me if we were doing math. When I affirmed and invited him to the table, he shuffled over in his chair. I was thrilled to work with 4 students on my favorite subject. We worked through problems involving fraction conversions and operations, with all the students working at slightly different paces. All of my grade school training for these types of problems came back to me as I worked with them and I was able to demonstrate and teach certain processes and methods that worked well for me when I learned. At several points, I had the whole table smiling, and even laughing over my witty comments on their behavior (e.g. their tendency to whisper answers to each other when one of them was stuck). We worked all the way to the bell. Not surprisingly, Briana darted out as quickly as possible. Paige and Tyson actually stopped to quickly thank me before leaving. Bethany put her pencil down, thanked me as well and proudly declared, “Wow, I learned something new today!” My heart swelled with joy and pride. In that moment, I felt affirmed that every bit of my time spent with these students has been worth it. You know those times that God chooses to demonstrate His love in a very tangible way, by allowing you to see the fruit of your labor? For me, today was one of those days.
In my first few weeks, I met seniors Bethany, Paige, Jenny, and Briana and we started going through writing and reading exercises. Their capabilities and interest in the subject matter varied widely and even though their attendance was fairly sporadic, I was happy to think of them as my “regulars.” Writing was a struggle to get through for all of us – my kiddos didn’t enjoy putting forth the effort required for such a subjective subject and after all, who wants to sit down and write an essay in front of your tutor during your advisory when you could have easily have skipped the class? Yeah, exactly. Reading was better although I didn’t get to be as much a part of this process because I was blessed with such a tremendous amount of time off for Christmas break. I can only hope that the other tutors in my classroom provided good instruction for my girls.
With less than 3 weeks left before the next standardized testing opportunity, our group moved onto math today. As I grabbed the math binders from the bookshelf, one of the other tutors commented, “So you’re braving math today?” to which I happily responded, “Oh, I love math actually, Calculus was my favorite subject in high school!” As I walked to the back table, Bethany was waiting for me. Just as I thought it would be a one-on-one session, I noticed that Paige and Briana were sitting across the room. I tried to ignore the scowl I got from Briana (who has generally been the least interested participant) as I made them move to the back, all the while acting as enthusiastic as possible. A young man who I didn’t recognize was sitting a little ways off asked me if we were doing math. When I affirmed and invited him to the table, he shuffled over in his chair. I was thrilled to work with 4 students on my favorite subject. We worked through problems involving fraction conversions and operations, with all the students working at slightly different paces. All of my grade school training for these types of problems came back to me as I worked with them and I was able to demonstrate and teach certain processes and methods that worked well for me when I learned. At several points, I had the whole table smiling, and even laughing over my witty comments on their behavior (e.g. their tendency to whisper answers to each other when one of them was stuck). We worked all the way to the bell. Not surprisingly, Briana darted out as quickly as possible. Paige and Tyson actually stopped to quickly thank me before leaving. Bethany put her pencil down, thanked me as well and proudly declared, “Wow, I learned something new today!” My heart swelled with joy and pride. In that moment, I felt affirmed that every bit of my time spent with these students has been worth it. You know those times that God chooses to demonstrate His love in a very tangible way, by allowing you to see the fruit of your labor? For me, today was one of those days.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
journey to director
I didn’t consider applying for the position of Director in Ignite until the August retreat, even though the director at the time, Katy, had planted the idea in my head starting months before and had asked me to prayerfully consider it at least 3 times before the retreat. So, it was in the weeks between the retreat and the application deadline that I really set my mind and my prayers toward that decision. Katy had called me a few days after the retreat to hear my thoughts on the decision and to assure me that she would be praying for me. Through my own prayers that week, I knew that God has inclined my heart toward Ignite and has gifted me in the areas of leadership and administration. However, the more I thought about all the ways God is maturing Ignite, the more I was convicted that its new director should be called by God by more than just giftings and abilities. With that thought, I was convinced that I wasn’t supposed to apply. Katy (and God) had a different idea, though. A few days later, Katy and I spoke again and I told her what I had concluded. She accepted my reasoning but over the course of our conversation, she humbly shared some things God had showed her during her own struggle to discern whether God was leading her toward applying for director or not the year before. As someone who I knew could relate exactly to where I was, I treasured the wisdom she shared and determined that I needed to persevere in seeking the Lord because my decision was not yet made. Because the director application deadline was swiftly approaching, I decided to fast one meal every day until I heard a word from the Lord. During those days of prayer and fasting, I realized that there were certain, specific things that I desired so strongly for Ignite’s next director. I recorded those things in my journal on August 27th. I desired that the new director would:
1. Be on their knees consistently and often for Ignite
2. Change the dynamic of the exec body away from a focus on logistics to prayer over logistics
3. Be a visionary for Ignite and its future
4. Set the ultimate example of commitment and dedication to the Lord and to Ignite
5. Be tuned into the Spirit’s guidance
Thus, my questions to the Lord slowly turned from, ‘Have you given me a vision for Ignite?’ and ‘Is it within Your will for me to be director?’ to ‘Am I willing to seriously commit to these 5 things?’ and ‘Could God choose to mold me into the person who embodies these things?’
About 3 days before the application deadline, Katy called during church and left me a voicemail. I didn’t even have to check the voicemail to know what she wanted to talk about. However, I knew I couldn’t call her back until after a post-church coffee date I had scheduled with one of the execs I had worked closely with the year before. This girl is a prayer warrior, if I have ever seen one, and I have always admired her zealous love for the Lord which pours forth in every prayer, conversation, and relationship. Ironically, we were both considering the director position, yet our hearts were united in love for Ignite and excitement over all He was doing in the organization. Interestingly enough, it was that conversation that prompted my realization that God really had given me vision for the next year and it was only exposed through my heartfelt and genuine expressions of affection toward Ignite to someone who shared a similar heart and a similar perspective and experiences.
In short, my newfound vision consisted of prayer as the cornerstone of every need and decision and a new dynamic with the exec body that exemplifies unity of mind and heart, Godly encouragement, and prayer. My heart was full of gratitude to the Lord for revealing the vision He had planted in my heat and for inclining my heart toward the position of director as an appropriate means to execute that vision. I returned Katy’s phone call on my way home from the coffee date. I’ve never heard her speak more urgently and confidently to me before. She told me that she had been praying fervently over the passing of this torch and she was more sure than ever that I was it. She claimed that God had given her a resolute peace about me as her successor and she also told me of some interesting conversations she was a part of that to her, easily confirmed this conclusion. At that point, I updated her on what God had revealed to me and told her I was growing more confident that I was being called to apply. Another strong source of confirmation for me was my status with VLB. Not only had God provided a job offer for me early enough in the year to know that I wouldn’t have to spend any time at all recruiting for a job, but my start date was already set for September, at least half a month after the end of the retreat! God had purposefully and decisively opened the door with regard to my time during the year and my availability to attend the retreat. Even so, I knew I had some lingering questions and concerns and wanted to hear more about her experiences over the year. Wildly enough, some of the very concerns I brought up were things that she had been convicted to address in this particular conversation. It was so bizarre! By the time we hung up, I knew in my heart that God had made His will known to me.
I rested on the word of the Lord as I slowly and prayerfully filled out the director application and attended the interview. The night of the interview is when I received the call that the execs had selected me as the 2009-2010 Ignite Director. I am so thankful for God’s faithfulness in granting me vision and direction for the year, and impressing His own desires on my heart for me to lead Ignite in pursuing. This year, I know there will be many challenges – circumstances I fully expect and others that I would have never seen coming – but I feel ready and eager to face them with the support of my execs, through the power of Jesus.
1. Be on their knees consistently and often for Ignite
2. Change the dynamic of the exec body away from a focus on logistics to prayer over logistics
3. Be a visionary for Ignite and its future
4. Set the ultimate example of commitment and dedication to the Lord and to Ignite
5. Be tuned into the Spirit’s guidance
Thus, my questions to the Lord slowly turned from, ‘Have you given me a vision for Ignite?’ and ‘Is it within Your will for me to be director?’ to ‘Am I willing to seriously commit to these 5 things?’ and ‘Could God choose to mold me into the person who embodies these things?’
About 3 days before the application deadline, Katy called during church and left me a voicemail. I didn’t even have to check the voicemail to know what she wanted to talk about. However, I knew I couldn’t call her back until after a post-church coffee date I had scheduled with one of the execs I had worked closely with the year before. This girl is a prayer warrior, if I have ever seen one, and I have always admired her zealous love for the Lord which pours forth in every prayer, conversation, and relationship. Ironically, we were both considering the director position, yet our hearts were united in love for Ignite and excitement over all He was doing in the organization. Interestingly enough, it was that conversation that prompted my realization that God really had given me vision for the next year and it was only exposed through my heartfelt and genuine expressions of affection toward Ignite to someone who shared a similar heart and a similar perspective and experiences.
In short, my newfound vision consisted of prayer as the cornerstone of every need and decision and a new dynamic with the exec body that exemplifies unity of mind and heart, Godly encouragement, and prayer. My heart was full of gratitude to the Lord for revealing the vision He had planted in my heat and for inclining my heart toward the position of director as an appropriate means to execute that vision. I returned Katy’s phone call on my way home from the coffee date. I’ve never heard her speak more urgently and confidently to me before. She told me that she had been praying fervently over the passing of this torch and she was more sure than ever that I was it. She claimed that God had given her a resolute peace about me as her successor and she also told me of some interesting conversations she was a part of that to her, easily confirmed this conclusion. At that point, I updated her on what God had revealed to me and told her I was growing more confident that I was being called to apply. Another strong source of confirmation for me was my status with VLB. Not only had God provided a job offer for me early enough in the year to know that I wouldn’t have to spend any time at all recruiting for a job, but my start date was already set for September, at least half a month after the end of the retreat! God had purposefully and decisively opened the door with regard to my time during the year and my availability to attend the retreat. Even so, I knew I had some lingering questions and concerns and wanted to hear more about her experiences over the year. Wildly enough, some of the very concerns I brought up were things that she had been convicted to address in this particular conversation. It was so bizarre! By the time we hung up, I knew in my heart that God had made His will known to me.
I rested on the word of the Lord as I slowly and prayerfully filled out the director application and attended the interview. The night of the interview is when I received the call that the execs had selected me as the 2009-2010 Ignite Director. I am so thankful for God’s faithfulness in granting me vision and direction for the year, and impressing His own desires on my heart for me to lead Ignite in pursuing. This year, I know there will be many challenges – circumstances I fully expect and others that I would have never seen coming – but I feel ready and eager to face them with the support of my execs, through the power of Jesus.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
transition from work to school: part 1
As soon as I flew into Texas from the City, I headed straight to the Ignite retreat to soak up the last half of my "reward" after all the hard work I put into this ministry during this past school year. I didn't get to the retreat site until 1:30 AM. As I jumped out of the car and started walking, I happened to look up at the sky and distinctly remember thinking, 'Wowwww, the sky is HUGE!!!' See, Daniel has always commented on the vastness of the sky on his Texas visits, but it wasn't until I spend a whole summer in a city whose buildings and architecture impede the beauty of nature that I fully understood his perspective. Starry nights have never been so beautiful to me as they were in that moment. Even though it had been an exhausting day of work, saying good-byes to my NYC team, and travel, I was so eager to hug my college friends and ministry partners and jump into what God was doing at the retreat so far. It was wonderful to see my Ignite family and be so encouraged by them. One fun difference of this retreat is that my little brother was attending as a camper and he was able to fill me in on things I had missed out on. His joy and enthusiasm over the people he met and what he was experiencing was so exciting and refreshing.
The next morning during small group time, one of the other Execs asked me to prayer walk with her around the camp site over the small groups and the campers and staff. I was so thankful for that opportunity and loved getting to pray with someone over the campers, their time at the retreat, and their upcoming years in college. As we circled the camp together and our prayers flowed freely and easily, I couldn't help but mull over my different attitude toward prayer in NYC vs. Texas. Lord, why does it feels so incredibly difficult to pray in NYC? I'm still trying to process this idea and am becoming convinced that the difficulty is a result of the magnitude of sin and thorny soil in NYC. Sin from greed, pride, sex, and money run rampant in the City and there is so, much, ground to cover in prayer for God to redeem it as over 8 million people swarm Manhattan island on any given day. It was about a year ago where God revealed to me just how much the message and hope of Jesus is constantly choked out by "the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth" (Matthew 12:18-23). I desire more insights into this, especially if God calls me back to the City for full-time work.
My tardiness to the retreat brought some funny reactions. Some people (pretty much all of the campers) had no idea who I was or confused me for another camper. I also became the butt of some jokes and teasing since I was the one who "spend the summer working on Wall Street" and that was 'such a big deal.' Others - mainly the other business majors - were eager to talk to me about my experience and glean any insight I could give them regarding recruiting, careers, and the banking industry. This was a much welcomed reaction because it was such an amazing blessing for me to offer any advice and insight that came to my mind to these eager students, especially considering how much I have been aided and offered wisdom by my older business peers (It should be said that Daniel has permanently reserved a place at the top of this list!). I was glad to help in any way I could and hope that God gives me many more opportunities to share with others with any wisdom and encouragement I gained from Him through my recruiting and internship experience in the past year. I submit that it would be a supreme dishonor to the Lord if I selfishly kept those blessings to myself.
Then, the retreat was over as quickly as it had started for me. Before I knew it, I was drifting in and out of sleep on a bus from the retreat site, trying to tune in to as many inspiring comments from the campers behind me. Without even talking to the rest of the Execs as a group, I know that we are all in awe of how God showed up at camp and took the retreat by storm. It made every second of the work we did for Ignite this past year worth it. We can't wait to see what He does through us this next school year.
The next morning during small group time, one of the other Execs asked me to prayer walk with her around the camp site over the small groups and the campers and staff. I was so thankful for that opportunity and loved getting to pray with someone over the campers, their time at the retreat, and their upcoming years in college. As we circled the camp together and our prayers flowed freely and easily, I couldn't help but mull over my different attitude toward prayer in NYC vs. Texas. Lord, why does it feels so incredibly difficult to pray in NYC? I'm still trying to process this idea and am becoming convinced that the difficulty is a result of the magnitude of sin and thorny soil in NYC. Sin from greed, pride, sex, and money run rampant in the City and there is so, much, ground to cover in prayer for God to redeem it as over 8 million people swarm Manhattan island on any given day. It was about a year ago where God revealed to me just how much the message and hope of Jesus is constantly choked out by "the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth" (Matthew 12:18-23). I desire more insights into this, especially if God calls me back to the City for full-time work.
My tardiness to the retreat brought some funny reactions. Some people (pretty much all of the campers) had no idea who I was or confused me for another camper. I also became the butt of some jokes and teasing since I was the one who "spend the summer working on Wall Street" and that was 'such a big deal.' Others - mainly the other business majors - were eager to talk to me about my experience and glean any insight I could give them regarding recruiting, careers, and the banking industry. This was a much welcomed reaction because it was such an amazing blessing for me to offer any advice and insight that came to my mind to these eager students, especially considering how much I have been aided and offered wisdom by my older business peers (It should be said that Daniel has permanently reserved a place at the top of this list!). I was glad to help in any way I could and hope that God gives me many more opportunities to share with others with any wisdom and encouragement I gained from Him through my recruiting and internship experience in the past year. I submit that it would be a supreme dishonor to the Lord if I selfishly kept those blessings to myself.
Then, the retreat was over as quickly as it had started for me. Before I knew it, I was drifting in and out of sleep on a bus from the retreat site, trying to tune in to as many inspiring comments from the campers behind me. Without even talking to the rest of the Execs as a group, I know that we are all in awe of how God showed up at camp and took the retreat by storm. It made every second of the work we did for Ignite this past year worth it. We can't wait to see what He does through us this next school year.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
the first few, very fun days
I can't believe that tomorrow marks a week that I've been in New York City so far. Since moving in to my place on Sunday, the reality that I'm here for a whole 11 weeks and my purpose is much more than a vacation has slowly started to sink in. Before things start to get crazy here, I wanted to share a little bit about what the past week has been like.
One of Daniel's roommates, Derek, had a birthday on Wednesday so Daniel and I made our way to to Madison Square Park to meet some church friends at a tasty little burger & shake joint to celebrate. I didn't have much to share but it was fun to laugh at the stories and comments made and start the process of getting to know some of the people I hope to grow closer to by the end of the summer. On Thursday, Daniel took me out on a date to a nice sit-down dinner at a restaurant in the upper west side to celebrate our 2 year anniversary. We got to talk about our vision for the summer and what it could look like. Having a long, uninterrupted, face-to-face conversation is such a treat for both of us and our conversation encouraged me so much.
on Friday, I met Daniel in midtown for lunch. As we were walking back to his office building, I commented on the terrible condition of my leather sperry's. For some reason, the leather has been drying out like crazy, even after conditioning it several times with this shoe lotion I bought! Daniel recommended that I have them shined and then said that he knows of a cheerful, charismatic man who shines people's shoes everyday at a particular intersection. Before I could decide whether I was even comfortable with this idea, I was in an elevated chair in the middle of 6th Avenue while my "professional shoe shiner" reprimanded me for the condition of my shoes. He went to work immediately and I'm happy to say that despite my reservations my shoes turned out great! They look almost as good as new!
Toward the end of the afternoon, I met Daniel at his office building for a company happy hour! They catered in quite an assortment of appetizer finger foods and desserts which were all really tasty! It was fun to catch up a little bit with some of Daniel's work friends that I've gotten to meet several times during my visits to the City. Depending on who I'm talking to, I sometimes feel like I'm on my toes to say the right thing or "sound intelligent," especially when they ask me about what I'm doing this summer. But for the most part, conversation is pretty comfortable and people seem to like me and express interest in what I'm up to which is special to me. After happy hour, Daniel and I left for Brooklyn because some of Derek's friends threw him a surprise birthday party that night. I saw many of the same faces from Thursday night but I also got to meet a lot of new ones. I feel like face time will be a really important key to getting to know and feel comfortable around people at church. Several of us made our way to the roof of the building and the view of Manhattan from the edge of Brooklyn was amazingly beautiful!
Saturday was pretty low key since I woke up feeling a little under the weather. Daniel and I relaxed on the couch and watched some TV. In the late afternoon, we made our way to a neat restaurant where we enjoyed an appetizer downstairs and then went up all the way up to the restaurant's rooftop bar where we met one of Daniel's friends from work and his girlfriend. The weather was perfect and I really enjoyed meeting the two of them, especially after finding out that they are both from my hometown! I hope that we can spend more time with them over the course of the summer. Afterwards, Daniel and I went to dinner at a fun, tasty, and very welcoming Italian restaurant where we stuffed ourselves with bread and pasta.
On Sunday, I moved into my new place! It was shockingly tiny at first but I'm slowly getting used to it. Once I actually finish unpacking and find some things to put on the walls, I'll post a few pictures. Everyone who lives on nearby floors are students and student interns which makes it really convenient for me to meet people from all over the U.S. who are here to do exactly what I'll be doing. My goal is to make myself available to meet as many student interns as possible and work to build relationships with them over the course of the summer. Right now and in the next week, I know that it's important for me to take initiative, get out of my comfort zone, and really put myself out there so I won't have any regrets by the time August rolls around. So far so good. On Monday night, I participated in an event called "neighborhood tour" and got to meet and talk with more than 10 other interns who will be working all over the City. After the tour, we all ate dinner together at a diner and exchanged numbers at the end of the night.
One thing that has really been confirmed for me over the last week is that I really, really enjoy meeting and getting to know new people. I walk away energized and excited. I've kind of forgotten that because it's been awhile since I've met so many new people versus just spending time with people I already know. If you think about me, please pray that I would continue to practice diligence by knocking on people's doors and following up with the people I've met so far in my building.
One of Daniel's roommates, Derek, had a birthday on Wednesday so Daniel and I made our way to to Madison Square Park to meet some church friends at a tasty little burger & shake joint to celebrate. I didn't have much to share but it was fun to laugh at the stories and comments made and start the process of getting to know some of the people I hope to grow closer to by the end of the summer. On Thursday, Daniel took me out on a date to a nice sit-down dinner at a restaurant in the upper west side to celebrate our 2 year anniversary. We got to talk about our vision for the summer and what it could look like. Having a long, uninterrupted, face-to-face conversation is such a treat for both of us and our conversation encouraged me so much.
on Friday, I met Daniel in midtown for lunch. As we were walking back to his office building, I commented on the terrible condition of my leather sperry's. For some reason, the leather has been drying out like crazy, even after conditioning it several times with this shoe lotion I bought! Daniel recommended that I have them shined and then said that he knows of a cheerful, charismatic man who shines people's shoes everyday at a particular intersection. Before I could decide whether I was even comfortable with this idea, I was in an elevated chair in the middle of 6th Avenue while my "professional shoe shiner" reprimanded me for the condition of my shoes. He went to work immediately and I'm happy to say that despite my reservations my shoes turned out great! They look almost as good as new!
Toward the end of the afternoon, I met Daniel at his office building for a company happy hour! They catered in quite an assortment of appetizer finger foods and desserts which were all really tasty! It was fun to catch up a little bit with some of Daniel's work friends that I've gotten to meet several times during my visits to the City. Depending on who I'm talking to, I sometimes feel like I'm on my toes to say the right thing or "sound intelligent," especially when they ask me about what I'm doing this summer. But for the most part, conversation is pretty comfortable and people seem to like me and express interest in what I'm up to which is special to me. After happy hour, Daniel and I left for Brooklyn because some of Derek's friends threw him a surprise birthday party that night. I saw many of the same faces from Thursday night but I also got to meet a lot of new ones. I feel like face time will be a really important key to getting to know and feel comfortable around people at church. Several of us made our way to the roof of the building and the view of Manhattan from the edge of Brooklyn was amazingly beautiful!
Saturday was pretty low key since I woke up feeling a little under the weather. Daniel and I relaxed on the couch and watched some TV. In the late afternoon, we made our way to a neat restaurant where we enjoyed an appetizer downstairs and then went up all the way up to the restaurant's rooftop bar where we met one of Daniel's friends from work and his girlfriend. The weather was perfect and I really enjoyed meeting the two of them, especially after finding out that they are both from my hometown! I hope that we can spend more time with them over the course of the summer. Afterwards, Daniel and I went to dinner at a fun, tasty, and very welcoming Italian restaurant where we stuffed ourselves with bread and pasta.
On Sunday, I moved into my new place! It was shockingly tiny at first but I'm slowly getting used to it. Once I actually finish unpacking and find some things to put on the walls, I'll post a few pictures. Everyone who lives on nearby floors are students and student interns which makes it really convenient for me to meet people from all over the U.S. who are here to do exactly what I'll be doing. My goal is to make myself available to meet as many student interns as possible and work to build relationships with them over the course of the summer. Right now and in the next week, I know that it's important for me to take initiative, get out of my comfort zone, and really put myself out there so I won't have any regrets by the time August rolls around. So far so good. On Monday night, I participated in an event called "neighborhood tour" and got to meet and talk with more than 10 other interns who will be working all over the City. After the tour, we all ate dinner together at a diner and exchanged numbers at the end of the night.
One thing that has really been confirmed for me over the last week is that I really, really enjoy meeting and getting to know new people. I walk away energized and excited. I've kind of forgotten that because it's been awhile since I've met so many new people versus just spending time with people I already know. If you think about me, please pray that I would continue to practice diligence by knocking on people's doors and following up with the people I've met so far in my building.
Monday, April 6, 2009
...victory belongs to the Lord
God completely humbled me this past weekend in terms of my leadership in Ignite. On Saturday, we held our annual Car Wash/Forty Acres Fest fundraiser. (Forty Acres Fest is a carnival type event on campus where lots of campus organizations set up booths to get their mission out to the public, sell items to raise money, and compete for cash prizes in categories such as "Most Spirited" and "Most Creative Booth") Every year half of the Ignite staff goes to Forty Acres Fest to sell hot dogs and Dublin Dr. Pepper and the other half goes to a local Chick-Fil-A restaurant to hold a car wash on the same day.
This year was a little bit different than past years because the execs decided that in order to fully utilize the quantity and maturity of the staff this year, we needed 2 locations to have car wash instead of just 1. This was also the year that the Chick-Fil-A we work at every year had to tell me "no" because of an unexpected utility expense they incurred earlier this year. That phone call from Chick-Fil-A was the first of many things that went "wrong" for me as I worked to try and make this fundraiser happen.
Even though I'm getting significantly better at planning, organizing, and delegating responsibilities for these fundraising events, I still have a long way to go. The perfectionist in me feels like such a failure when my plans don't work out or things fall through or expectations are not met, or even when I get so overwhelmed that I have to let go of a task that I feel should be under MY responsibility. I managed to find the first car wash location fairly easily from a recommendation by a fellow exec. However, my challenges started with trying to find a 2nd location for car wash. I became increasingly frustrated as I battled to even get the proper representative on the phone to request the possibility of hosting a car wash. When I finally did reach the people I needed to talk to, receiving rejection after rejection was harsh and disappointing.
Because I happened to have 3 tests to worry about the week of the fundraiser, plans got pretty disorganized and half hazard toward the end, I couldn't delegate well, mis-communication happened, and I had to scramble at the last-minute to make sure everything was in place for Saturday. All of this contributed to some resentment toward the execs and a lot of frustration and condemnation on my part as the only thing I could think about was what I could have done better.
But God...
... showed up in such a huge way on Saturday. I was at Forty Acres Fest all day and it seemed like we couldn't grill hot dogs fast enough for the amount of people who wanted them. Even though we planned for 100 (which seemed like a lot when I was at HEB), we had a constant stream of hungry customers all day long and ended up running out of hot dogs twice. The staff members with me went above and beyond my expectations by going up and down the tables at the Fest, taking hot dog orders from students who were working at other booths.
Car wash was an even more incredible story. Some of the staff members with me on campus keep getting periodic text message updates from the staff members at car wash. Those guys were ranking in the cash. Not only did they have a steady stream of cars pull in to be washed, but the average donation per car was much more than we had expected. Near the end of the day, our staff actually washed a fire truck! Total cash donations went from $100 to $350 to over $600.
In just 7 hours, Ignite raised right at $1,000 which is 5% of our total fundraising goal for the entire year!! I say that God humbled me because He did. I got a lot of feedback from the staff at car wash who said they were so swamped with cars, they needed every single person that was there. Splitting the staff up to go to 2 car wash locations would have been unnecessarily stressful.
Praise God that His will prevailed despite my best efforts and stubborn attitude. God showed me that there is a difference between a desire for God's will to be done and actually seeking to know what His will is. The exec staff has submitted the organization, through prayer, to Christ many times and even though that sounds good, I think we still have a lot to learn about what it looks like to demonstrate faith and submit to Christ with our actions. Granted, His will prevails regardless, but I think we can certainly be spared of frustration and resentment along the way.
This year was a little bit different than past years because the execs decided that in order to fully utilize the quantity and maturity of the staff this year, we needed 2 locations to have car wash instead of just 1. This was also the year that the Chick-Fil-A we work at every year had to tell me "no" because of an unexpected utility expense they incurred earlier this year. That phone call from Chick-Fil-A was the first of many things that went "wrong" for me as I worked to try and make this fundraiser happen.
Even though I'm getting significantly better at planning, organizing, and delegating responsibilities for these fundraising events, I still have a long way to go. The perfectionist in me feels like such a failure when my plans don't work out or things fall through or expectations are not met, or even when I get so overwhelmed that I have to let go of a task that I feel should be under MY responsibility. I managed to find the first car wash location fairly easily from a recommendation by a fellow exec. However, my challenges started with trying to find a 2nd location for car wash. I became increasingly frustrated as I battled to even get the proper representative on the phone to request the possibility of hosting a car wash. When I finally did reach the people I needed to talk to, receiving rejection after rejection was harsh and disappointing.
Because I happened to have 3 tests to worry about the week of the fundraiser, plans got pretty disorganized and half hazard toward the end, I couldn't delegate well, mis-communication happened, and I had to scramble at the last-minute to make sure everything was in place for Saturday. All of this contributed to some resentment toward the execs and a lot of frustration and condemnation on my part as the only thing I could think about was what I could have done better.
But God...
... showed up in such a huge way on Saturday. I was at Forty Acres Fest all day and it seemed like we couldn't grill hot dogs fast enough for the amount of people who wanted them. Even though we planned for 100 (which seemed like a lot when I was at HEB), we had a constant stream of hungry customers all day long and ended up running out of hot dogs twice. The staff members with me went above and beyond my expectations by going up and down the tables at the Fest, taking hot dog orders from students who were working at other booths.
Car wash was an even more incredible story. Some of the staff members with me on campus keep getting periodic text message updates from the staff members at car wash. Those guys were ranking in the cash. Not only did they have a steady stream of cars pull in to be washed, but the average donation per car was much more than we had expected. Near the end of the day, our staff actually washed a fire truck! Total cash donations went from $100 to $350 to over $600.
In just 7 hours, Ignite raised right at $1,000 which is 5% of our total fundraising goal for the entire year!! I say that God humbled me because He did. I got a lot of feedback from the staff at car wash who said they were so swamped with cars, they needed every single person that was there. Splitting the staff up to go to 2 car wash locations would have been unnecessarily stressful.
Praise God that His will prevailed despite my best efforts and stubborn attitude. God showed me that there is a difference between a desire for God's will to be done and actually seeking to know what His will is. The exec staff has submitted the organization, through prayer, to Christ many times and even though that sounds good, I think we still have a lot to learn about what it looks like to demonstrate faith and submit to Christ with our actions. Granted, His will prevails regardless, but I think we can certainly be spared of frustration and resentment along the way.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
project serve
Ignite participated in its annual Project Serve fundraiser on Monday. Project Serve is kind of a big deal. Basically, all 70 staff members meet in a parking lot on campus early in the morning on MLK day and go out from there to volunteer at various organizations around the city. In the afternoon, we all regroup and head out to the site where our August retreat will be held and do some clean-up around the site for a few hours after lunch. The fundraising part comes in when each staff member tells their respective network about our volunteer efforts in case they feel led to donate money to Ignite and its mission. As the Fundraising Exec for Ignite, my joy and my challenge was to plan, organize and coordinate all logistics for this service day during Christmas break.
Going into Project Serve, I felt like no matter how well I prepared, things were going to go wrong. After all, what else should I have expected from trying coordinate 70 people? But man, was I wrong. Aside from a few very minor things, everything went off without a hitch! Nearly everyone showed up on time, no one got lost (that I heard about), I got some heart-warming feedback from the staff about their morning activities at the different volunteer sites, and the organizations we went to were very pleased with our service.
It is hard to describe the immense feeling of satisfaction I get from seeing God's hand of blessing on my efforts to plan, organize, and coordinate these Ignite fundraisers. I can't help but feel really proud of what was accomplished through my God-given commitment and dedication to serve Ignite and the freshmen we will receive in the fall. I can definitely call this project a success and I know that God will bless the humility and efforts of the staff with financial provision as well.
Going into Project Serve, I felt like no matter how well I prepared, things were going to go wrong. After all, what else should I have expected from trying coordinate 70 people? But man, was I wrong. Aside from a few very minor things, everything went off without a hitch! Nearly everyone showed up on time, no one got lost (that I heard about), I got some heart-warming feedback from the staff about their morning activities at the different volunteer sites, and the organizations we went to were very pleased with our service.
It is hard to describe the immense feeling of satisfaction I get from seeing God's hand of blessing on my efforts to plan, organize, and coordinate these Ignite fundraisers. I can't help but feel really proud of what was accomplished through my God-given commitment and dedication to serve Ignite and the freshmen we will receive in the fall. I can definitely call this project a success and I know that God will bless the humility and efforts of the staff with financial provision as well.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
ignite 08...
…unbelievable. When I think about pre-week alone, I don’t remember the last time I had that much fun. From making up random rap lines, to practicing skits at 1 AM, to Olympic inside jokes, to dance parties, to making things like 3D street scene, to using 30+ spray paint cans, to getting lost on the road, to dreams of starting brick wall companies, to learning how to live with such an array of personalities, I had so much fun. I totally soaked up the many fun things Camp Hip Hop was able to do together to prepare for camp. Aside from the fun, I feel like God really put a genuine heart of service in the Ignite staff this year. It truly amazed me as I watched 60 college students willingly band together and joyfully give up 3 precious summer days to love, serve, labor, and pray for a group of people they haven’t even met yet. I believe that God was truly smiling down on our efforts during pre-week.
Finally, the first day of camp rolled around. Around
Labels: ministry
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