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!

What Was I thinking...?

Well - obviously last night, I wasn't thinking at all!

So - there I was in line at Country Market with ALL my $100 worth of groceries and the cashier JUST finished ringing up my last 3 items when I felt like I was going to pass out! YES - it happened! I had left my wallet (with money, bank cards AND checkbook) at my office! You should have seen the look on my face when she read me my total, "That will be $96.27 ma'am." It didn't help that I was shopping during PEAK hours when the store was REALLY busy. So - needless to say, I had to suck it up and tell her I had NO WAY of paying and that I would have to be back once I went to get my wallet! How pathetic am I? And HOW did this happen, you ask? Well - b/c for whatever reason I just brought my wallet into my office yesterday - not my entire purse and somehow I just walked off without it! Nice!

So - after retrieving my wallet I headed back to the store to ring up the groceries a second time and actually pay for them!

This week's off to a great start already! Gotta love Mondays...

My Dad...

I have a great dad! He's truly a gift to me and my family.

Yesterday, I got to spend time with my dad. We had lunch together. It's not often that we have these moments... life is busy and I just don't see him as much as I would like. But yesterday I was reminded of how precious these moments are.

I wanted to share just some of the MANY things I love about my dad...

• He's a real man of God.
• He's a loving grandfather.
• He's loyal.
• He's generous beyond measure.
• He's understanding.
• He's gentle.
• He's funny!
• He's dependable.
• He's smart.
• He's my dad - and I love him!

Today I just wanted to pay tribute to my friend, my mentor... my dad. THANK you for your love. THANK you for giving me life. THANK you for being you!

Happy Halloween Recipe FRIDAY

These are really cute and look like fun! I always like to make some special treats this time of year... :)

We're Off to See the Wizard!

Yep - it's official, Chloe's gonna be Dorothy for Halloween! I tried talking her into this last year and she wasn't interested. This year - she complied. No... actually it was HER idea!

I love the Wizard of Oz! It's got to be one of my ALL time favorites!

Now - - to find the red ruby slippers... :)

When God says, "Slow Down!"

What do you get when you work like a horse without a break, eat on the run all week long, have multiple projects going at one time and get very little sleep in between? The flu! That's what you get! And I got it last week! God spoke.. "Slow down." I failed to listen. He spoke again, "Slow down." I still failed to listen. So - - he made it so that I had NO OTHER CHOICE than to slow down! I'll admit - it drives me nuts to slow down. I just like the fast pace life. Always got something planned... always have somewhere to be and someone to see. That's my life. But every now in then, we have to take time to s-l-o-w it down a bit. Take time out for ourselves - - to take care of ourselves and nourish ourselves back to health!

Next time God says, "Slow down" I'm gonna listen...

Recipe Friday

Making this for a shower that I am hosting for my niece tomorrow afternoon... I hope it turns out...

AUTUMN APPLE PUNCH

1 1/2 qt Apple juice
2 Cinnamon sticks
8 Whole cloves
1 1/3 c Pineapple juice
1/2 c Lemon juice
2 pt Orange juice
28 oz Ginger ale

Place apple juice in a NON-aluminum kettle; tie spices in cheesecloth, add to kettle, and simmer uncovered 15 minutes; discard spice bag. Mix spiced juice with remaining fruit juices. To serve, place a large block of ice in a large punch bowl, add fruit juice and ginger ale.

Ramblings (and other useless information)!

Hello blog world! I know, I know... I haven't been too consistent lately in my blogging. I wish I could write every day - - but I am close enough to my goal of 3 times per week. :)

So - - here are some ramblings of things that have been going on in my world as of late...

• Sunday evening I finished all FIVE of my daughters classroom baskets for the all-school auction coming up this Saturday, October 20 at her school. Wow! That was an undertaking! I agreed to lead the charge for the five baskets donated by the parents of Chloe's second grade classroom. What a job that was! But they did turn out nice, I have to say. We did 5 themed baskets that will be auctioned off this Saturday. The themes we did are, 1.) Bath Time Fun Basket, 2.) Baker's Basket, 3.) College Exam-Cram Care Basket, 4.) Boredom Busters Basket and 5.) Half Time Snacks Basket. If you're planning to attend the auction, now bid generously! :) They are WORTH it!
• I am preparing for my niece's baby shower this coming Saturday, October 20 at my house! Wow! Yes - another big project I'm leading the charge of. It will be exciting! She is having a boy (Jayvian) sometime in November. :) First baby and YES - this will make me a Great Aunt for the SECOND time! I feel so old!
• I'm just getting over what I think was a touch of the flu. YUCK! There's nothing worse than being sick! Makes you SO appreciate the times you feel good! Thank you, God, for my health!
• Remember my blog on "Conversations" where I talked about interviewing someone to work the What's Happening Center at church on Sundays? She joined the team! I am so excited! She's going to add so much energy to the team! Welcome aboard, Lisa! :)
• The staff at Crossroads is reading this book right now. It's a good one so far! We've actually gone through most all of Lencioni's books! If you haven't read any of them - I highly recommend them!
• Project Share is well under way, Crossroaders! Keep your eyes and ears open for more info coming soon! This will be an AWESOME project and a great way to contribute to the needs in our county! Stay tuned for more...
• Chloe has a dentist appointment tomorrow afternoon. Pray for her! This will be her third visit in a month. The problem is - she has teeth coming in at a rapid speed, but she's not losing them quite as quickly! Last time we were there she had to have a filling and a baby tooth removed to make room for the new one popping out. Tomorrow she will need to have another tooth pulled on the other side of her mouth! Let's just say - she's not too happy about that! She doesn't mind the work they do - she just hates to be numbed. Who really enjoys that anyway? Her biggest worry: How will I be able to eat? Oh - she's her mommas child indeed!
• We visited one of my favorite stores on the planet this past weekend. I SO miss going to this place! I couldn't go there enough when Chloe was a baby! Stuff's a little pricey - but just being in there made me yearn for another little one!
• Can I just say that I have the best husband in the world! When I was down sick the other day, he went to Kohl's and bought me new bedding for our bed! It's a set we had been admiring the weekend before. When I was sleeping, he snuck out to Kohl's to buy it and then came home and put it on the bed. It looked picture picture when I woke up! I think he's a keeper!
• Chloe takes gymnastics every Wednesday night at Maple City Gymnastics. She loves it! I must admit though, she is not the best one in her class. As a matter of fact, I was a little frightened the first couple of times that she might be in a too far advanced class, but I think she's catching on. It's been a while since she was in gymnastics and so, getting used to things again was a little challenging. It's super-fun to watch, her, though, and I really believe it's building self-confidence!

Recipe FRIDAY!

This looks so good. And it's the perfect time of year. With the
cooler weather here - this is something I might even make this weekend! :)

BTW - if you haven't been to this website yet, you've got to check it out. They have some tasty and simple recipes. This one came from there. ENJOY!

Layered Pumpkin Loaf

1 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
4 egg whites, divided
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup canola oil
2 cups flour
2-1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. salt
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese, softened

PREHEAT oven to 350ºF. Grease a nonstick 9x5-inch loaf pan; set aside. Mix pumpkin, 1 cup granulated sugar, the brown sugar, 3 of the egg whites, milk and oil in large bowl. Add flour, baking powder, pie spice and salt; stir just until moistened. Set aside. Beat Neufchatel cheese, remaining 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar and the remaining egg white with wire whisk until well blended.

SPOON half of the pumpkin batter into prepared pan; spoon Neufchatel cheese mixture evenly over the batter. Cover with remaining pumpkin batter.

BAKE 1 hour to 1 hour 5 min. or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Run knife or thin spatula around edges of pan to loosen bread; cool in pan on wire rack 10 min.

Remove bread from pan to wire rack; cool completely.