Always be prepared ...

Last week was really interesting, but last Thursday was particularly notable. My supervisor at SIM, Leslie Nease, asked me a few weeks back if I would like to accompany her to a luncheon that is put on by the Charlotte Christian Chamber (CCC). It's a networking gathering that gives Christian business people and non-profit workers a chance to interact and help each other out. Although I am not one to jump at these kinds of things, I thought it would be a good experience and well, I will try almost anything at least once, so I said "Sure, I'll go with you and see what it's like."

So the day came and I went to my first CCC luncheon—alone. Leslie told me Wednesday that something important had come up and she wouldn't be able to make it, but would I still go? "Ummm, yeah," I said. "I can do that." So Thursday came around and off I went. How bad could it be? I, the introvert, just had to go, eat, and socialize with 100 people that I didn't know. No problem!

I arrived a few minutes late. When I walked in, people were seated. I was directed to a table in the corner ... a very empty table. All of the chairs were propped up on their front legs and leaning against the table ... you know the universal sign that tells you, "Don't sit here." "Oh," I thought, "just my luck." The only thing worse than hanging with a bunch of people I don't know is having to sit all ALONE in the midst of a bunch of people that I don't know! I spied an empty seat at another table, but when I tapped the guy in the adjacent seat on the arm and asked if that seat was taken, he told me it was. "Oh ok, I'll just sit over here then," I said. "With ALL my friends," I thought to myself.

Just as I sat down, a local pastor started praying. By the time I looked up again, I thankfully had some company. I was feeling pretty good. The MC started talking, I wasn't paying much attention though—I was still working though the nerves! But soon I hear, "I know Leslie isn't going to be here today, but is there anyone here to stand in for her?" My ears snapped to attention at the mention of a familiar name and I shyly raised my hand. "Oh great, yeah come on up here." Uh-oh. "Oh no, I am going to have to say something!!" Yes, they were introducing those who had recently decided to become "partners" of the CCC.

I went to the back of the room opposite the stage with a number of other new partners. We were asked to introduce ourselves and tell a little bit about what we do. The fact that I wasn't first gave me time to think and calm my nerves ... AGAIN! Then, way too soon, the mic was passed to me. "Hi," I said, "My name is NOT Leslie Nease and it looks like she really set me up!!" The laughter helped me get through the rest of my comments about working alongside Leslie in the SIM International Communication Department to share with the world what God is doing through SIM missionaries in the 50+ countries in which we work.

Leslie and I had a good laugh when I got back to the office. She tells me she had no idea they were going to do that ... but I'm not so sure. ;)

Just Sayin': Transparency Hijacked

This is the first post in what I am planning to be a weekly series that I am calling "Just Sayin'"—if you have topics that you would like to see, let me know and I might write about them!

Transparency, transparency, transparency ... you know "they" say if you say a word over and over again it will lose it's meaning. Recently, the words "transparency" and "transparent" have lost their meaning for me, not because I am repeating them over and over, but because politicians have hijacked them and keep telling us over and over how they are conducting the country's business with "transparency."

Webster defines "transparent" as "clear enough to be seen through, readily understood, or easily detected." You may argue that "clear enough to be seen through" still has meaning ... if you are talking about an object like a piece of sheer cloth, but I have trouble these days with reconciling those meanings to the politicians that keep using the words like they're some "magic pill" that will make the public renew their trust in our government. It seems to me if one has to keep reminding people that one is being transparent, one might recognize the irony of it all—remember that pesky third definition: "easily detected"?? If one is so transparent, transparency by definition should be easy for others to detect—shouldn't it?

It's a shame really. I used to like the word "transparency." It used to mean something when you said someone is "transparent," but I'm afraid those days are gone ... at least for me. Lately I have stopped using any form of the word altogether, preferring instead to use words like authentic, honesty, integrity, genuine, or simply—real. I sure hope our politicians don't start substituting those!!

We need to take back the word and restore it's meaning, or we are going to have start to saying things like, "Oh yeah, I know her. She's really transparent ... no really!"

Am I right or wrong about this? What do you think?

Saturday Silliness

Ok, ok, I know ... it was the cheesiest title that I could think of, but I've always been drawn to alliteration. *shrug*

A friend of mine shared this video on Facebook this week. It made me laugh so I thought I would share it with you. Those of you who remember Metallica's popular song "Enter Sandman" will enjoy the flashback.



P.S. Is anyone else wondering when spell check is going to start recognizing words like "Facebook," "Friending," "Tweeps," and "Twubs?" How long did it take to include blog and blogger?

(HT to DeNifty for the link)

On Blogging and Social Media ...

I'm a shy person, an introvert. I typically prefer to listen to points of view, think about them for a looong time, hold them up to a Biblical worldview, and then respond.

Blogging helps me in that it forces me to take the time to process the flood of communication that comes at me like a freight train everyday. (Never mind that I haven't been writing very much, (ahem) I have been very busy:)

In case your curious, here are a handful of blogs that I follow with Google Reader:

Challies.com - in his words it's a "compendium of articles, information and book reviews. If the blog has a primary focus, it would likely be commentary on the contemporary church and its interaction with the culture around us." (I never would have come up with "compendium.")

Kevin DeYoung - Senior Pastor at University Reformed Church in East Lansing, Michigan, Kevin interacts with theology and culture as well. He is the coauthor of Why We're Not Emergent By Two Guys Who Should Be.

On a less serious note:

Stuff Christians Like by Jon Acuff - a satire blog that seeks to answer the question, "Does the stuff we like ever get in the way of the God we love?"

FlowerDust.net by author and speaker, Anne Jackson - a lot of good "food for thought."

Bryan Allain - he does alot of creative and funny stuff ... I haven't been following him long, so enter at your own risk :).
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I have been at my job with the SIM communications team for one year as of November 5, and although I am more used to the enormous amount of content (a couple hundred missionary newsletters each month, SIM project updates, a couple hundred blogs, and emails about a myriad of other things, to name a few ...) that comes my way, it is still a struggle to #1 keep up, #2 to filter it, and then #3 prioritize it all and publish what needs to be published.

Having said that, it is an exciting place to be also. It is a constant reminder to me of how big God is, and that he is constantly at work throughout the world ... that even amidst all of the pain and suffering, there is hope!

Facebooking and tweeting ...

Compared to Facebook and Twitter, and some blogs—not mine, a website is relatively static content. Facebooking and tweeting—two new verbs created by our social media generation (tweeting not so much created, but definitely redefined)—allow people to put out a constant stream of information. Some of it is useful and some not so much, but these interfaces can connect you with people that you don't even know who have the same interests or mission as you do.

For those of you who might be confused about Twitter, it is really more of a platform to network, connect with people that you don't know, unlike Facebook, which is set up to connect more with people that you do know. Twitter is like Facebook on steroids. As long as your account is setup as "public," anyone can "follow" your "tweets," 140 character statements that you place on your profile, and you can follow theirs.

But like I said, I am shy, so there is part of me that resists "putting my life out there" for all to see. What I am realizing though is that I do have a message that's worth putting out there—it is a message of hope. It's not about me at all. It's fundamentally about telling folks that God does love them, and secondarily it's telling them how they can get involved in bringing that hope to others. In a world where much of the news is bad news, there is GOOD news to share! If you're a Christ-follower, I especially encourage you to share it!

A word of caution ... be consistent

I have seen this happen on Facebook in particular. Someone will write an encouraging Biblical post one day, you know, a praise the Lord kind of thing, and a ridiculously sexual or sarcastic post or video the next day. I don't get that.

Be consistent in your message, whatever it is. Otherwise, it's kind of like blowing by someone on the road and maybe even giving them the finger ... the last thing they see is the "I love Jesus" bumper sticker on your car as you cruise by ... I'm just sayin'.

Seriously, our words are powerful and when you use social media, you aren't just talking to a friend or two, your talking to hundreds, if not thousands of people. It is Sunday, I have the right to a one point sermon don't I?

Kenyan Man Meets His Compassion Sponsor at Catalyst 2009

This video was captured at the Catalyst 2009 Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, last week. Jimmy Wambua, now an MBI student, shares his story and meets the man who sponsored him through Compassion International when he was a small child living in a Kenyan slum. Very powerful. HT to Bryan Allain, who was there, and posted this on his blog.

It is a bit long, but Jimmy shares at 3:45 so if you don't watch it all, please watch from there. You won't be sorry!