New Job

So, like the title hints at, I just accepted a job offer from a company in Greenville, SC.  It should be both really challenging and really fun.  I have never attempted the kind of work (of which I am not entirely sure of its scope right now) that the job will require.  The best thing about the deal is that it allows me some freedom to figure out how the whole internet business thing works.  I guess I will see what happens.  Go God for working it out and being faithful even when I don’t know what is going on.

Rest of the week

So, here is the rest of the story.

Wednesday – Awesome.  I went to McCants Middle and had lunch with some students.  Afterward student ministry happened and I went to go pick up one of my 3 from Westside to bring him for his first student ministry experience at NewSpring.  I think he liked it pretty well, but I didn’t get a good chance to ask him about it because someone else took him home.  Had some amazing pasta with white sauce for dinner.

Thursday – I attended the critique meeting/game film review and didn’t get a good chance to input.  I don’t really think much gets past my team, so no big deal.  The meeting got cut short because we had an all-staffer right in the middle of things.  Perry spoke to us about change and leadership.  It was really awesome.  He started the meeting by telling us a little about how his world was changing and I was able to see some attitude (from my perception) and maturity shifts.  I was really proud of him.  At lunch I went to Wren Middle.  I was treated like a rockstar by the students.  I hadn’t been there yet this school year, so some of the students were excited to see me.  It is great encouragement if you are feeling down for whatever reason.  After work, I went to Athens to see Syd’s sister and some of her friends.  It was a lot of fun.  We ate at this awesome Mexican place called Aqua Linda.  Shelly’s dog Cricket had a muzzle on and it made life a lot more comfortable.

Friday – Came back from Athens and made it just in time to lead the first meeting of a Bible study for 7th grade guys in the book of John.  Only one guy showed up on time, so it was a quick meeting, but I think this week will be better.  The guy who showed up late didn’t believe that the meeting was over when he showed up.  It was pretty funny.  Afterward I got ready for a wedding of some of my friends.  It was a really amazing time.  The weather and lighting were awesome for an outdoor shin-dig.  Afterward there was some Sullivan’s with a fun crew and then went to a house to see a Jeff Dunham DVD.  That guy is really funny.  Ventriloquism is simultaneously hilarious and creepy.  I don’t think ventriloquism is endorsed by God, but that is OK.

Saturday – Lazy morning with sleeping in and not doing the laundry that is towering above my hamper.  Went to Greenville to a NewSpring volunteer and community buy-in event.  It was pretty awesome to see so many people show up and support what God is doing in the Upstate.  The next move was to go to MiMi’s for some dinner.  The food came in outstanding portions, but there was a little something too much in the Pasta Jambalaya.  Everything else offered was great.  The Chicken Pot Pie was really tasty.  Then got to hang out a little afterward.

Sunday – I haven’t been to service yet, but I know it is going to be good.  It is on the Song of Solomon, so it will be applicable someday, just not yet.  I plan on continuing to practice what it takes to be romantic and responsive now, so that when I get to marriage, it won’t be a struggle.  I want to be good at valuing my wife (Lord willing) before I get married so she never has to question how I feel or where we stand.

Life

I have recently realized that I have not kept up with the life side of this blog as well as I had hoped.  I guess I have kept up with some thoughts and scriptural studies, but not so much tracking what happens in my life.  So, here is a synopsis of recent events:

Sunday – Amazing services all day.  Had some awesome conversations with some volunteers.  It was also nice to have lunch with my brother and Sydney.  I ran over a caster for an office chair and ruined one of my tires.  Then, broke two lug wrench adapters while trying to change the deflating tire.  After searching and calling people who also own VW’s I gave up and got to spend the night with some guys from the church since I lived 20 miles from where my car ended.

Monday – I drove all over Greenville trying to find the adapter, which I assumed was VW, but was instead made by Gorilla.  That was fun, and cost less than I expected since it was not a genuine VW part.  I think the only part of my car that I dislike is the price of fixing it.  I got to play football with my guys again after school.  It was pretty awesome.  I then hung out with Walker to get some art supplies, then went to home group and hung out till late.  I love those guys.

Tuesday – I went to Westside for lunch and then finished getting stuff for Wednesday night.  I went to the Wren v. Westside soccer game and had to miss the Financial Freedom Class that I have been attending.  The game was cool and afforded me the opportunity to see several students and hang out with them.

All in all, a good week.  I will put more up later.

Entrepreneurial Advice

I had the privilege of having breakfast with a man that I respect yesterday. I wanted to talk to him about starting businesses and how to balance that in life. Here is some of what he told me:

• The vision for his own business was never an ‘if’ but always a ‘when.’
• Get started in manageable increments, then, with confidence, step into a larger arena.
• If you have some form of expertise, stick with it, few will have niche talents like yours.
• Develop/participate in/use a community of peers to have somewhere to take your produce and ideas for feedback and buy-ins.
• Find your niche, where competition is thin and you can excel.
• Have a defined plan for a set amount of time to realize/sharpen your vision.
• His toughest lesson was not heeding the advice that he often sought about business practices, trying to step outside of his expertise without a vision for his efforts.
• Once you have a clear vision, with tenure, capital should not be a worry.
• Be smarter, know the laws/maxims/industry standards (repetition rings true over time).
• Lead from above, the business depends on the people who do the work.
• Don’t put someone in an administrative position who isn’t smarter about and can’t do their job better than you can.
• Take your time to achieve retirement, it is supposed to take 45 years anyway.
• Don’t rush into marriage/family/business, it leads to being over-stressed and under-financed.
• Get as much education as you can, it makes the physical work easier.
• Have the character to own business mistakes, being a real man in your marriage, and constantly work on the relationship whether you are in a boom or bust season. It takes reassurance either way.
• Make sure that your priorities are correct when investing: wife, family, business, friends. You only get one shot at some of them.

Philippians Chapter 4

This is a continuation of my reading of Philippians.

4:2-3    Unity starts with everyone; not just the two arguing, but everyone around them who can act as kindling or flame retardant.

4:6    Requests in prayer need to be accompanied with thanks.

4:13    We can focus because of the strength that is given us. If we had to think and worry about the strength that we need to accomplish what we are called to, we would be overwhelmed and ineffective.

4:19    We can focus because we are well funded. All of the resources in the universe are at our disposal.

Philippians Chapter 3

This is a continuation of my reading of Philippians.

3:5-7    God changed up the rules on everyone through Jesus.  It is his credentials we must show.  We can focus because we can look at life through Jesus accomplishments, which are so laser-like, versus ours which are so scattered.  We don’t have to rely on what we have done/can do to achieve righteousness. 

3:11    We are able to focus because we have a clear end-goal:  to rise from the dead in the likeness of Jesus.

3:12-14    We are able to focus because we are called past confusion and all of the people around us.  It is not like we can only see the goal; we are invited to it and told that is where we are going to end up.  What God says happens.  Period.

3:21    We are able to focus because we have new and better equipment.

Philippians Chapter 2

This is a continuation of my reading through Philippians.

2:1-2    We, as the Church, are called to look past what makes us different and look, instead, toward where we are called.  This would be a great place to use the illustration about pushing your own hand vs. pushing forward.  Address public opinion and church/denom. Differences in Anderson/schools and what would be possible if we all just agreed to love God and love people and stop worrying about the small stuff that makes us different.

2:3-4    Us vs. Them.  How much do we care about others?  How much time do we spend on ourselves (twitter, mySpace, Facebook, mirror time, shopping, blogging, virb page, ipod, in conversation or in dating) vs. how much of the time doing the same activities do we intentionally focus on others?  What is the motive behind what you do everyday?

2:5    This points us to the last supper and what followed.  Your truest attitude emerges when you are tested to your absolute limits.

2:6-7    Jesus went from the highest position in the universe: ruler/creator, to the lowest.  Not just a baby.  A baby born into captivity under Roman authority, as a slave to an empire, and grew up in Nazareth, the least respected region of Palestine, the son of a tradesman, who was not a land owner or a rabbi or aristocrat or tax collector, no Roman citizenship, no wife, no home, the worst set of disciples and no social respect from “above.”

2:12-13    God cares about our whole week/life, not just our Sundays.  We must live with integrity.  How do I live up to the salvation at work within me?  What do the results look like?  How does reverence/fear make us more focused?  When I understand God’s power in my life as being for his kingdom, when I line up with that, it is like looking through an intense lens that can bring the rest of the world into clarity.  If I line up at any angle other than right behind his movement, my view of the world will be skewed.

2:14    Focusing on yourself wastes everybody’s time.  If you can get along with others, everyone gets somewhere.

2:21    Do we care about what matters to Jesus Christ?