Stories!

One of the coolest parts of my job is hearing all the God-sized, life-altering stories. Honestly, it's why I do what I do. It's what keeps me coming back to work everyday. Motivation. Inspiration.

For the past few weeks we have been talking about an outreach that Crossroads is heading up on December 15 entitled Project Share... Food. Love. Hope. (read my previous entries about the project.) It's been amazing to see the number of people who have stepped up and stepped out to help a community of hurting, hungry families. The most exciting thing for me are the stories I've had the privilege of hearing about. Stories of sacrifice, of paying-it-forward, of giving selflessly to something bigger than Christmas presents. Here is just a glimpse into some of those stories...

"My family and I traditionally do a $25 white elephant gift exchange since our family is so big. It's been fun and it's made us laugh over the years, but this year, I encouraged everyone to donate to Project Share their $25 that they would normally spend on their white elephant gifts. Because of what Crossroads is doing, my family and I will make a substantial gift to your project. In addition, it opened doors for me to be able to invite them to your Christmas services. Thank you!"

"I didn't know how I was going to give. I knew I wanted to give something, but I have nothing. I'm selling things in my house to raise money to donate. This is such a good cause and I'm grateful to be a part of it!"

"I want my kids to see what it's like to be less-fortunate. We want to deliver boxes to homes so my family can be a part of something so much bigger than themselves!"

"Thank you for Project Share! Going through the devotionals has helped my family and I tremendously! Our family normally goes up north between Christmas and New Years. Because we've been so touched by Project Share, we have decided to donate the money we would normally spend on the vacation to the project. Thank you."

"My kids go to Crossroads, but we don't, however, we've been so moved by what you all are doing we want to help. Can we help serve anywhere on that day even though we don't attend?"

WOW! Our God is an AWEsome God!

Will you pray with me for all the individuals who will serve at Project Share on December 15 and pray for the families who will be receiving Food, Love and Hope this holiday season?

I'm a new GREAT AUNT!

I am a great aunt...

My niece, Tiffany, gave birth to baby Jayvian Lee on November 16 at 4:25 p.m. He is perfect if I do say so myself!

This is one of my favorite pics of him! Love that baby yawn! :)

A Violin!?

Okay - so my daughter isn't much into 'toys' anymore. Well - - to be honest, she never was. I remember the times when we would practically need a fork lift just to haul the things out of grandmas living room on Christmas morning! It was THAT bad. We would buy her all kinds of toys, but in reality she would never play with them! Last year the big ticket items was a Bitty Baby from American Girl Doll Company! I got her the doll, 5 outfits and my mom got her the baby crib for the Bitty Baby. I can probably count on ONE hand the times I actually saw her playing with that doll and that crib! I think her playmates got far more use out of it than she did!

So - this year my baby is 7. She's not into toys and has no real need for anything. I'm not just saying this because I'm her mom and I KNOW she doesn't NEED anything - but that's exactly what she told my sister-in-law over the Thanksgiving break. When my sister asked her what she wanted from Santa this year, her response was fairly simple - "I need nothing. I don't play with toys, I don't like Barbie's and mom won't let me have Brat dolls! I just want a violin this year. That's all really!"

Um - - okay! I think I can... I mean I think SANTA can do that!

To be honest, she's a bit obsessed with playing an instrument and I can't figure out if it has less to do with actually playing an instrument and more to do with feeling like a big girl carrying her case in with the other students who take lessons at school once a week! Either way, we want our daughter to play an instrument and if she says she wants the violin, I think we owe it to her to try it out.

To that end - - does anyone know where I can purchase an inexpensive violin? Perhaps maybe even a used on in good shape?

This is going to be the easiest holiday shopping ever! :)

Thankful!

I can't believe tomorrow is Thanksgiving already! I have to admit - I am excited about the snow we're supposed to get this afternoon/evening! It's just an added bonus getting it for Thanksgiving instead of having to wait for Christmas! :)

Here are TEN reasons I am thankful this Thanksgiving...

1.) For my Jesus who died for ME and who loves me unconditionally!

2.) For my wonderful family! Thanks for loving me despite my imperfections (oh, my many imperfections!)

3.) For my wonderful friends! Thanks for believing in me, standing by me and sharing your life with me!

4.) For my health.

5.) For the food my family will be able to consume this Thanksgiving Day! For turkey, mashed potatoes, cornbread stuffing, rolls, sweet potatoes, corn, pumpkin pie and did I mention mashed potatoes?

6.) For my home. That I will have a safe, warm place to be this Thanksgiving holiday!

7.) For some time off from work to relax and refresh at home with my family.

8.) For the soldiers who are serving our country so selflessly this holiday season who won't have an opportunity to be home with their loved ones.

9.) For the shopping centers all across America that will be open at the CRACK of dawn on Friday so that crazy fools like me can be out freezing their rear ends off just to save a couple bucks on Christmas gifts!

10.) For this blog - - a place where I can share my thoughts on being thankful! :)

Happy Turkey Day!

What Matters...?

Got this in an email today and wanted to share it...

The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read the e-mail straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America Contest.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name t he last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. They are not second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?

The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are NOT the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones who care.

Where Do They Come Up With This Stuff?

So - I was on my way to my mom and dads this afternoon to take Chloe over there for a couple hours while I went to work. I don't know where she got this from, but clear out of the blue she says, "I KNOW the rules for grandma and grandpa's house... Don't make them tired, Don't hurt them, don't eat all their food, listen and SHUSH!"

I couldn't stop laughing....

Where in the world do they come up with this stuff?

(my parents got a real hoot out of it too!)

It's ALL about the Guest Experience!

I have been working hard to take my serving team to a whole new level for 2008. We have some amazing things in the works and I am excited about the direction God is leading us and look forward to ways He is going to lead us in the upcoming year!

I have created a Volunteer Handbook that I am slowly, but surely adding to every couple months. I just finished part 2 and I wanted to share that with you today.

My serving area is all about the guest experience. What we realize is - - there are people coming through our doors this coming Sunday from all walks of life. Some have never been to church before. Some have been scared off from church in the past. Then there are the ones who are skeptical... who aren't really sure about this whole place called church and who this "Christ" man is. Three things I continually stress to my team are:

• We cannot lose sight of why we do what we do!
• There are people who are depending on us week in and week out who need Christ - - we've got to BE ON OUR GAME to deliver the best guest experience possible.
• Christ died for every person walking through our church doors every week... they need what we have - they need to know how much they are loved!

I recently had a meeting with my team and challenged them the following:

To make 2 personal contacts the next time they serve. This should be a "personal" interaction with a new person or someone they've never seen or talked with at church. In addition, I am asking them to do the following:

• Make Eye Contact
• Smile
• Greet them with, "How are you today?", "My name is ____, how can I serve you?" and "I'm glad you joined us today!"

I've asked everyone to report their interactions at our next All Team meeting in January.

What I do know is this... people want to feel that they belong. They want to be included and they want the interaction. We have the opportunity of a lifetime... it's up to us.

The following the addition to your Volunteer Handbook... it's something we're incorporating into our Team's culture. (excerpts taken from "Be Our Guest" Perfecting the Art of Customer Service)

What’s Happening Center Guidelines for Guest Service 11/2007

Make Eye Contact and Smile!
Start and end every Guest contact and communication with direct eye contact and a sincere smile.

Greet and Welcome Each and Every Guest
Extend the appropriate greeting to every Guest with whom you come into contact.
“Good morning.”
“Welcome!” / “Have a good day.”
“May I help you?” / “How can I serve you today?”

Seek out Guest Contact
It is the responsibility of every member of this team to seek out Guests who need help or assistance.
Listen to Guests’ needs
Answer Questions
Offer assistance

Provide Immediate Service Recovery
It is the responsibility of all members of this team to attempt, to the best of their abilities, to immediately resolve a Guest service failure before it becomes a Guest service problem.
Always find the answer for the Guest and/or find another team member who can help the Guest.

Display Appropriate Body Language at All Times
It is the responsibility of every team member to display approachable body language when serving.
Attentive appearance
Good posture
Appropriate facial expressions

Preserve the Guest Experience
Always focus on the positive, rather than the rules and regulations.
Talking about personal or job-related problems in front of the Guests is unacceptable.

Thank Each and Every Guest
Extend every Guest a sincere thank-you at the conclusion of every interaction.Extend a “Thank you for being with us today” or similar expression of appreciation as the Guest leaves our serving area.

Again, I am looking forward to seeing where God takes this team in the upcoming year! I am so blessed to be working along-side of some wonderful people!

The Cutest Thing Ever!

SURELY this is the cutest thing I have EVER seen!

Please be sure to watch it!

Oh... and get your Kleenex BOX!

W

Self Serve Lanes

I'm one of those people who was not blessed by God with patience. It's just not part of my DNA. I pray about patience all the time - - it's just something I struggle with.

So - grocery lines really TEST my patience.

Grocery time for me is traditionally Monday evenings after work (5:30'ish). Note to everyone who is looking for a routine day/time - - don't choose Monday's at 5:30 p.m. unless you have a couple of hours to spend. Not at Wal-Mart anyway!

Today is Thursday... I'm a little late in shopping this week. So - needless to say, there were some things I HAD to get like bread, chicken, milk... you know, something to actually MAKE a meal with. SO... I headed to Wal-Mart for a "quick" trip. hahahaha!

Can someone PLEASE tell me why we even have the "speedy" Self Serve lanes in these places??? REALLY! Half the time they don't work and EVERY time I end up losing patience before I'm finished. First of all - the darn scanners never work. Then you have to wait for an employee to come over to punch in some 39 digit code to allow me back in to scan... that's IF she or he's not too busy talking to another employee in the lane beside me! Then the skip bagging deal - - seriously - what's that about? Okay - I can't place everything on that little scale at the end so naturally I am going to skip bagging to put the items in my cart. Then my red light begins flashing and my screen says "Too many skip bag items, please see store clerk." Okay - another 5 minutes waiting for the cashier to mosey over to see how she can totally be inconvenienced by my presence. Then I FINALLY make it to the finish and it's time to insert my cash. Yeah right! After putting in dollar bill after dollar bill being rejected by the silly machine, I'm ready to bust b/c now the machine is repeatedly telling me "please insert cash, please insert cash." Um -- lady, I'm trying to!!!!!

I don't think I'm going to self serve again...

Family Devotions!

I love doing family devotions. Really gives my family a way to connect. Especially in the hectic-ness of our everyday lives... it gives us a chance to come together and talk about the ways in which God has blessed us!

I have to say - I am PUMPED UP about a GREAT thing Crossroads is doing this holiday season. This year we have decided to replace our annual Summer's End Carnival with an outrageous outreach that we've entitled, Project Share: Food. Love. Hope. This project is like nothing we have ever done before. On December 15, 2 semi's filled with food and personal care items will be delivered to the grounds of the Christian Family Centre. We will have enough food and care items to personally deliver to 800 families who will be less fortunate this season. Each box of food will be enough to feed a family of 4 for a week! I can't wait! I feel tremendously blessed to be able to partner with other Crossroaders to make this Christmas a special Christmas for families in our community suffering from hunger.

One of the neat things we are offering families in our church community is a family devotional book. There are two family devotions each week leading up to Project Share. Each devotional includes a lesson and a family activity.

This week's activity is about Food. The family activity is about finding ways to share food with other people this week. Here is what my family came up with:

• Donate can food items to the local soup kitchen.
• Prepare a meal for a family in our neighborhood.
• Make a plate of cookies for the staff at my daughter's school to let them know how thankful we are for them and what they do for us week in and week out.

It's SO much fun to think about the MANY ways we have been blessed and in turn, how we can bless back to others.

As my family gobbled up our dinner of grilled cheese sandwiches and chili, we thanked God for all the blessings in our lives that we have so taken for granted. Our heat on this cold, fall night, warm water to take baths in, TV to watch, vehicles to drive, lights to read by, soap, soft pillows, clean clothes, loose change in our pockets... the list goes on and on.

Thank you, Father, for providing abundantly for us. Help us to be mindful of those less fortunate and may we be a blessing to others because of your love for us! Amen.

Recipe Friday

These look fantastic! :) I LOVE sweet potatoes!









Sweet Potato Fries


2 pounds sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon low-sodium chili seasoning
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Line baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside.
Use peeler to peel sweet potatoes.
Cut potatoes in half lengthwise then cut into 1/2-inch thick fries.
Place sweet potato fries in a large mixing bowl.
Add oil and spices.
Toss until they are thoroughly coated with spices.
Spread fries in a single layer on prepared baking sheet.
Place in preheated oven.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes turning once to ensure even cooking.
Remove from oven and serve hot.

Making an Impression

One of the things that we strive to do at Crossroads is make a lasting impression on our guests. To make their first time through our church doors not only a great first impression, but to wow them with an overall terrific guest experience.

I'm reading a book entitled "Beyond the First Visit" and it's about connecting guests to your church. What gets them in the front door and then what keeps them coming back. It's unfortunate, but the church today competes with all kinds of other opportunities presented on Sunday morning. What is the church doing to create irresistible environments where people are excited to come back next Sunday? When was the last time YOU were wowed by your church? This is taken directly from the book (some language altered) and I thought I would share it this afternoon...

If you were a guest visiting your church...

1. Would you be impressed with the facility and landscaping?
2. Would you be able to find the restrooms without asking?
3. Would you feel comfortable leaving your child in kid's church?
4. Would you understand what takes place during the worship experience?
5. Would you feel embarrassed or pressured during your visit?
6. Would you be greeted and accepted as you are?
7. Would you come back next week?

Just some interesting questions to ponder. Let's not get so comfortable with our own environment that we forget about those who have yet to experience the greatness we have experienced! The story we have to share about how much God loves them is TOO AWESOME not to do all we can to make the first visit a great one!