Lasting Impression Teams - We exist to create a welcoming experience thru serving with excellence

I was recently in Orlando for the NSE - this is a training session for the upcoming Leadership Summit.
I traveled with four other team leaders and had a wonderful time getting to know them better. We spent time brainstorming, training and just unwinding. It was quite an adventure but that's another post!
The training was great. I was in a group with other OEM's (on-site event managers) who are in their 1st or 2nd year in this role. I made a few connections with other managers that I am looking forward to keeping in touch with up until and even after the event.
We were privileged to see brief promos of all the guest speakers. There is going to be an awesome line-up this year. (to see a complete list click here) I am most looking forward to Ephrem Smith. He was so full of energy and excitement. He is really going to engage the audience. He uses stories and humor to help make his points and relate to people.
One of the ideas that we brainstormed, was how to increase the attendance from Journey-ites. One thought was to engage the various ministries in a contest to see who could sign up the most people. No rules were discussed, so I am starting my campaign right now! I challenge all members (not just the team leaders) that are part of the LIT - Daily Journey, Decorators, Friday Nights, Greeters, Guest Services and Ushers to make plans and sign up for the 2008 Leadership Summit hosted at Journey. The investment is well with it. You'll be rewarded with all kinds of tools, insight and connections with other attendees that you just can't put a price on! I expect to see all of you there August 7th and 8th!

Posted in: on Monday, February 25, 2008 at at 8:40 PM 0 comments  

I collect pig figurines. I have no idea why or how I got started. I do have 3 pugs, maybe someone thought I said pigs??? Any way, I received a new addition to the collection last week. This one is a flying pig! It's actually a really cute bird feeder! I received it as a "thank you" for covering the ushers at church the week before. A few minutes after the gift giver left my house, the phone rang. It was the gift giver calling to say I had better not write a thank you note for the thank you present! (my grandmother taught me to write thank you notes for gifts received) So I ask you - when is it proper to stop thanking someone for thanking you?? Emily Post where are you when I need you???? (I wrote the gift giver a thank you note any way!)

Posted in: on at at 8:33 PM 1 comments  

Today was very challenging. This is my third Tuesday in a row to pray and fast. During the past two weeks, at lunch I would take a walk. Getting out of the office decreased my desire to eat lunch, plus I got to enjoy the sunshine. The first week that I fasted, I walked around the neighborhood that I work in. It's halfway between Downtown and Hillcrest. I was thinking about how I could best put my dollar to use. Rod had given some great ideas....candy bars, extra tip money, kids tossing coins in the fountain.... Guess what lines the streets around the area that I work in?? Parking meters!!!! I knew what I wanted to do - before the next Tuesday, I got dimes and nickles and was prepared to feed parking meters as I walked.
Week two was fun. Although I didn't get caught, I understand the parking enforcement people really give you a hard time for feeding other people's meters.
Now, today was a different. Today was the day the office chose to do a potluck to celebrate all the February birthdays in our office. My contribution was a chocolate cake that I baked last night. All morning long, I kept thinking of ways to leave the office without insulting the birthday people. As lunchtime approached, I knew there would be no leaving - especially since my doctor was one of the birthdays. I was okay until the pizza and fried chicken got delivered.
I had to retreat to my office to escape all those wonderful smells. I grabbed my bible because there was a scripture reference that had come to mind that morning that I wanted to research. You will never believe what I found as I turned towards 2 Corinthians - one of Ed's message notes on Moses! (I have been working thru something and am getting many Moses references.) Ed's message notes dealt with Moses increasing intimacy with God. Exodus 33:13 says "teach me your ways". My study bible then referenced Exodus 34:6-7 "and He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming "the Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished...."
Gaining deeper intimacy with God seems to be at least part of what God has been trying to get me to work on. These past few weeks I have been relying on God more and more and he keeps meeting me right where and when I need him most. The passage about compassion, faithfulness, forgiveness and justice also speak to a situation that God saw me thru with an amazing outcome.
While I was reading and re-reading these few passages, as well as Ed's notes an entire half an hour went by! I'd like to say I was strong and the next 30 minutes went by uneventfully, but I can't - I caved when I heard someone made homemade mac n cheese.
I treasure the 30 minutes I spent reading and journaling, and I am really glad God forgives us when we slip up! Since I didn't make it outside to feed the meters, I'll be fasting again on Thursday and walking around the neighborhood armed with nickles.

Posted in: on Tuesday, February 12, 2008 at at 7:15 PM 1 comments  

Posted in: on Monday, February 11, 2008 at at 2:43 PM 0 comments  

Praise God! I was informed by HR today that they are completely dropping their investigation. Nothing is being written in my employee file and I don't have to remove anything from my office. I got to voice my opinion that I thought this was nothing more than a vindictive witch hunt. I left the office feeling a tremendous peace about the situation. I want to thank everyone for their prayers and support during this very stressful time for me.

Posted in: on Monday, February 4, 2008 at at 6:36 PM 3 comments