Tuesday, January 29, 2008 0 comments

Speaking Swahili

Today is the American Idol Finals of advertising agencies in my office. Our Hispanic business is up-for-grabs and there are three agencies that have to present their best and brightest to try and get the business. Not all at the same time, but over the next two days. and then the franchisees and corporate guys will sit in a room and evaluate and pick who they want.


So right now there are about 25 extra people mulling around my front area getting ready for the meeting that's supposed to start. One of my duties (out of my five job descriptions) is to get everything set-up: food, drinks, chairs, temperature, etc. Another is tech (obviously) - get the projector and computers set-up for the meetings. Not to mention arranging lunch for the franchisees. And that's all fine. And these people will talk TO ME in English - but then they will sit in the sitting areas (around my desk area) and talk in SPANISH! So - I know numbers 1 to 10, and a few other small words...but to hear these conversations! And some people think I talk fast! And even when I watch our Hispanic commercials I just get lost. Not to mention I have no idea if they're talking about me or practicing for the presentation!


Now - there are basically two opinions about all this in the world: 1) They need to assimiliate to English if they're going to live here - don't cater to them, and 2) We're becoming a bi-lingual country so learn it and deal with with - and in the marketing world, profit from it. I personally, have a hard time with this. In my frame of "I hate this change, they're coming in on my territory!" And I can't learn a new language that fast. We're spoiled and arrogant as Americans sometimes I think. We tend to not want to share our blessing. But I have made it a goal to learn new languages. Spanish to start. Sign language would be great, then Chinese would be good, Italian would be romantic, and Gaelic for the heck of it. I may start this week - doesn't the library have lessons on tape? Or maybe I could just watch Dora the Explorer!
Tuesday, January 22, 2008 3 comments

Long dry spell

I've been asked recently, "Are you dating anyone?" It's obvious to me that I'm not. So I added it up - when was the last time I was even asked out on a date...hmmm...ready for this? Over 5 years ago! Not even been asked out. Not even by the weird or scary ones! And I can look at this one of two ways: 1) I'm too fat (which is negative), or 2) that God is seriously protecting me. I prefer the later.

I prayed to God when I entered college again to protect me in my relationships through school - so I could get done within 4 years and move on to other things. So I wouldn't be distracted. Well, I graduated after 4 years in 2006-still no date. And I'm not talking about marriage, just a date. And I go out with friends and I'm pretty active, plus I get travel sometimes with meetings. But still nothing.

I have a couple of friends that tease me about my "list." They say my list is too strict. I have standards, and to me it's not that hard.
  • Must be a Christ-follower (not perfect, just equally yoked with me in this)
  • Funny would be nice
  • Attractive to me (and attracted to me would help)
  • Responsible
  • Financially responsible (but not so much that he can't buy me things like emeralds or diamonds, ooooo or Wonder Woman colletibles)
  • Would be observant enough to figure out I'm not a rose kind of girl, more like a hibiscus or daisy or iris
  • Good conversationalist - at least when I really need to be able to talk to someone
  • Likes animals
  • Trusting
  • Trustworthy
  • And there's other things...

But the one at the top - that's most important. And I got an email with this sentence today:

A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ
that a man should have to seek Him first to find her.

That's absolutely correct. And that's what I'm waiting and looking for.

Thursday, January 17, 2008 1 comments

Paradigm Shift

So I'm sitting in yet another meeting. This one is the Calendar Committee of our Full Board. So there's roughly 17 people on this "sub" committee. The Calendar Committee has a huge responsibility of reviewing data and recommendations from the corporation. Right now we've broke for lunch - 15 minutes, then back to work - but we just have a product that didn't get voted in. I've never seen a bunch of people literally look like chickens with their heads cut-off! They had to immediately have a back-up plan ready to be voted on because there is so much more to it than just having it look right on a calendar: supply issues, creative for TV spots, online efforts, any previously planned Public Relations effort for that "other" product, financial stuff, on & on it goes. These guys & gals work their tails off - and it is VERY political. And very LONG. And sometimes mindnumbingly boring. But this morning the corporate guys are bringing new products to the committee to consider. They are positioning it so it can help "transform" the brand. Help people think differently about KFC. Not just a chicken-on-the-bone place. That's one of the reasons we changed the Colonel's image last year. It helps make him more relevant to a new generation of consumers. Even though the main message doesn't change - we serve the best tasting chicken in the world - that doesn't change. But it requires a paradigm shift (change of thinking) not only for consumers, but for these leaders that are making the big decisions. That's very hard. They can see the need for those changes that will help with consumers' perceptions - but to take that leap of faith seems to be unloyal to all they've ever known or done before. But the changes keep them competitive and stores open and people coming back to buy chicken.

Well, think how that can relate to Greenville Christian Church. We are all consumers. How do we think about our "going-to-church" experience. Does it need to be transformed? I think we are on our way at GCC. There have been many minor changes aesthetically...but have we really started tranforming our minds? I know through my experiences in 2007, that is the priority. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your MIND and with all your soul. And remember - Romans 12...Have our leadership made that leap of faith to transform the church to be relevant to the new generation? Our main message should never change: Christ is salvation and the only way, Love the Lord with all your heart, mind & soul, and love your neighbor as yourself. The message doesn't change. But how we communicate that message should change. How we aesthetically look needs to change (lights, colors, media, areas, rooms, etc.). But this is a big paradigm shift for many in the church. For some of us - not so hard. I personally like change. I like new sensory experiences....like the video last Sunday! It's been great to see us mix-it-up a little in our services. Kudos Chad & staff! But what about other areas of the church? How do we transform to be relevant while working in excellence?
Monday, January 14, 2008 2 comments

Indescribable God



I don't know about you, but yesterday's message had my head spinning! I loved it, don't get me wrong, but when you think too much like me one of the thoughts that enters in is: With God creating the ENTIRE universe, and we a are dust speck on a dust speck, why oh why would He give a crap about me? So it just blows my mind to think about it too much. In one direction I am in such AWE of all that creation! It's imense and intense! I loved it, and it brought chills - "god-bumps." I couldn't find that last picture of the "x," but I went on the NASA site and looked at a LOT of great images. It's all just so amazing. And that's just the "heavenly lights!" Not to mention all the fantastic creation he gives us here to enjoy!




So, I came into work yesterday to get things ready for this crazy-busy month (my desk has never been cleaner!). And I have one of those everyday calendars. The devotion for yesterday was about the Lord's Prayer:


In the midst of the Lord's Prayer are these familiar words: "Give us this day our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11). They remind us that we are dependent on God for everything, and He is the giver of every blessing. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights" (James 1:17)...This prayer reminds us also of Jesus' words: "I am and bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger" (John 6:35). Thank God for all His gifts - especially Christ, the greatest gift of all.

Again, don't know about you - but it's amazing, absolutely amazing that the creator of this universe would care enough to not only meet my needs, but give me the desires of my heart. Yes, it's hard to describe Him, but "He who forms the mountains, creates the wind, and reveals his thoughts to man, he who turns dawn to darkness, and treads the high places of the earth - the Lord God Almighty is his name." (Amos 4:13).


Friday, January 11, 2008 1 comments

Back in Busy


Back from meetings in Scottsdale and I have more stuff to do than two people could imagine! I'm definitely going to have to be efficient with my time - which probably means a little less blogging for a bit. But isn't it amazing that after you've been away for just a couple of days - work piles up. And the thing is, work always piles up whether I am here or not, whether it's for me or not, and regardless of whether or not I am interested in doing it at all. But I have been taking to heart the Colossians 3 verses: Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from theLord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. But I will also remember, even in my busy times: "Be still and know that I am God." God is in control, and he has reserved and commanded rest time for me. Did you realize in going through the Ten Commandments, that keeping the sabbath holy was the longest one? It's a serious deal. We are commanded to rest, to worship, not to strain. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and strength. If we get too worn out - we have no strength to love. And another amazing thing about the work I do - it'll still be there to do tomorrow if I leave on-time today -- and no one will die if I am late with paperwork, or not having enough sodas & snacks in the cabinet. And that messed-up ceiling tile won't cause the building to fall down if I don't get it fixed today, and, and, and.

So I get home LATE last night - almost 11:00 p.m. And the cats missed me. And how can I tell they missed me? They had practice knitting (my "special" purl stitch) strewn from the office THROUGH the kitchen! God love 'em!
Wednesday, January 9, 2008 3 comments

Scottsdale Meetings



I am currently in Scottsdale, Arizona at KFC Marketing meetings. The weather today is nicer than yesterday, but I'm glad I didn't get my hopes up about swimming - it cold! Well, not freezing or anything, but certainly not 80 degrees like I was hoping for. But it certainly it beautiful outside - for the 10 minutes I managed to sneak out of the convention room.




Sometimes at these meetings they throw in some interesting topics - well, for me consumer trends is pretty interesting. Did you know that those wonderfully entertaining group of teens that we have are known as millenials? I personally, am a GenX - I am tech-savvy, and lots of other things. But those hard-to-understand youths became a little more understable after seeing the presentation. And I believe the only thing really attracting our young people to GCC is the relationships they have with their coaches. I believe there's things we can do to get them engaged. Not just when they're on Church property - and not just through special events - but when they're off doing things on their own with their friends, in their social circles. Blogging is one thing - but it gets even more detailed than that. And there are so many ideas!


Oh, and I started my first real knitting project - a baby blanket. Thanks Rebecca for emailing me the pattern! This is funny: so there I was, knitting a block on the plane, and I get close to getting ready to close it up - when it hit me.....I don't know how to get it off the needle! I hadn't gotten that far in my training! So when I got here last night, I popped open this laptop and started up knittinghelp.com! I feel like such a girl!

And I did some more reading in John. I'm at Chapter 8 - when the men bring in a woman that was caught in adultry and try to trap Jesus in whether or not they should stone her. All Jesus does is write something in the dirt - then basically says, you who are without sin can cast the first stone. Well, obviously no one qualified to be able to throw stones. But the more interesting thing to me was that the OLDER men left first. Why the older men first - they all left, but what was it that made THEM hightail it out of there? Then Jesus turns to the women and says "I do not condemn you. Go and leave your life of sin." Jesus doesn't condemn - but does command.

Here's some more pics of the resort here. And as beautiful as it can be here (I was DRIVEN to my building where my room is - night ride in a golf cart!), my bed is horrible! It's beyond uneven - so tonight I'll be sleeping on the couch.


Friday, January 4, 2008 0 comments

The odd odds


This was too good not to post! I know I've already posted twice today, but I just keep finding good ones! And if anyone ever wonders why I don't get dates...


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They stole my trick!


I used to do this to my friend's dog, Jericho! He was great at it! That, and jumping through a hula hoop...


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Question for God



So why mosquitoes?
Thursday, January 3, 2008 1 comments

Superhero fan

Ooookkkkk....so I knew all the answers to Bobby's questions during Sunday's message! Here's a couple things I found on You Tube. I LOVE superheroes - and am so glad Jesus is mine! That whole dramatic scene of tearing up the temple, and not to mention the scenes we don't get to see during those 3 days he conquered the grave for us!





Justice League Movie - fan-made trailer - just imagine!
 
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