Outculture

Oh, I have so much to tell ya'll.

The fact I have a lot to say is shocking, to say the least, and most of you have moved to edge of your seats in anticipation.

Or you are rolling your eyes.

My bet is on the latter. In any event, before I delve into deep thoughts and updates, I simply wanted to share this post from Joshua Blankenship who is the Creative Director at New Spring Church in Anderson, SC.


Matt Linderman on Outculturing the Competition
You can try to outspend the competition. Or you can try to outculture them. Create a place that makes employees feel special. A place that makes them feel like they’re part of a bigger whole. A place where they continually get to learn and evolve. A place where everyone actually likes each other.
If you create a culture like that, who would want to leave? Plus, you’ll get the best minds out there knocking on your door to get in.— Matt Linderman, excerpted from Pixar’s tightknit culture is its edge

I think Matt hits on something important here. I know for us at NewSpring, it’s essentially impossible to outspend the competition, especially when it comes to skilled professional jobs like designers. We joke about “negotiating your paycut” when you come on staff here. For better or worse, it is what it is — a constraint we work within. We’re a church, and we simply don’t have the resources to “compete” with a company that sells products and makes profits.
But we can outculture them every day of the week. We can offer creative staff permission to fail (big) and have freedom, we can ditch as much bureaucracy as possible and we can push boundaries. Plenty of people work in “dream jobs” that don’t have any of these values.
Besides, after the initial courting process, I don’t worry too much about salary. I mainly think “do I want to go to my job today?” I answer “yes” 99% of the time these days, and I assure you that has nothing to do with my paycheck and everything to do with the culture I walk into everyday.

Favorite thing today: This post from Josh Ridings had me laughing so loud, people in neighboring offices came running. Seriously.

And just for fun, a bonus favorite thing: Some ridiculous stuff coming from Forever 21 these days. I love this sweater in garnet and black (of course) and this jacket. Hmmm, a trip to Charlotte soon?

Rent Control

Oh, this blogging might be the death of me yet.

I do not live under the guise that millions of you have faithfully check in everyday with bated breath seeing what new nuggets lie here.  But for those of you who have peeked in to this little corner of web-world, I do apologize for lack of new material.

And today, I come with little entertainment and actually begging for your help.

Kim and I need a place to live. 

The joy of landlords and rent.  We found out this weekend that our rent would increase $100 in September...and we swallowed our stomachs.  So out we are at the end of August.  But the catch is we need to tell our landlord by the end of this week our staying or going plans.

Therefore, my friends, we need to find a place to live by the end of this week.

And contrary to our native popular belief, there are not a lot of places for rent these days.

So I am humbly asking for prayer, prayer, prayer.  Provision.  

We are asking God to set us the neighborhood in which we can best minister to our neighbors.  We are asking for a place where friends, students and random strangers feel comfortable.  And we are asking for financial margin in our budgets that God can use the excess how He sees fit.

So what do you say?  Will you pray for us?  Kim, Sophie and I would be extremely grateful and never taking for granted the awesome power of coming before the throne of God with ANYTHING.  It's humbling isn't it?  And I never want to take it for granted....

"So do not worry, saying 'What shall we eat?' What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'  For the pagan run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these thing will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6: 31:34

Kim is calling several properties today.  Please pray for her specifically.  There is one we found we LOVE and the opportunities would be incredible, but it is extremely out of our price range and nearly a jillion conditions would need to be met, but we are going to throw it out there, just in case and see what God does!  We are totally leaning into Him.

Thank you friends...

Favorite thing today: There is something about these pictures that just scream out to me.  They might just be hanging in a new house soon....

Much Afraid

"Shepherd," she said despairingly, "I can't understand this.  The guides you gave me say that we must go down there into that desert, turning  right away from the High Places altogether.  You don't mean that, do you?  You can't contradict yourself.  Tell them we are not to go there, and show us another way.  Make a way for us, Shepherd, as you promised."

He looked at her and answered very gently, "That is the path , Much-Afraid, and you are to go down there."

"Oh no," she cried.  "You can't mean it.  You said if I would trust you, you would bring me to the High Places, and that path leads right away from them.  It contradicts all that you promised."

"No," said the Shepherd, "it is not contradiction, only postponement for the best to become possible."

Much-Afraid felt as though he had stabbed her to the heart.  "You mean, " she said incredulously, "you really mean that I am to follow that path down and down and down into that wilderness and then over that desert away from the mountains indefinitely?  Why" (and there was a sob of anguish in her voice) "it may be months, even years, before that path leads back to the mountains again.  O Shepherd, do you mean it is indefinite postponement?"

He bowed his head silently and Much-Afraid sank on her knees at his feet, almost overwhelmed.  He was leading her away from her hearts desire altogether and gave no promise at all as to when he would bring her back.  As she looked out over what seemed an endless desert, the only path she could see led farther and farther away from the High Places, and it was all desert.

The he answered very quietly, "Much-Afraid, do you love me enough to accept the postponement and the apparent contradiction of the promise, and to go down there with me into the desert?"

She was still crouching at his feet, sobbing as if her heart would break, but now she looked up through her tears, caught his hand in hers, and said, trembling, "I do love you , you know that I love you.  Oh, forgive me because I can't help my tears.  I will go down with you into the wilderness, right away from the promise, if  you really wish it.  Even if you cannot tell me why it has to be, I will go with you, for you know I do love you, and you have the right to choose for me anything that you please."

Hinds' Feet on High Places, Hannah Hurnard

A Conversation

...on a recent business trip to Anderson

Tony the co-worker: Why is it that some hotels have free breakfast and others do not? I can't stand when hotels don't have free breakfast!

Me: At least there is a Dunkin Donuts down the street.

Tony the co-worker: At least.

Me: How do you get to the school?

Tony the co-worker: Go up this street a little bit and turn left.

Me: Past the Dunkin Donuts?

Tony the co-worker: I think. What time do we need to be there in the morning?

Me: I'm not sure, but I am going to stop by Dunkin Donuts on the way in. Want anything?

Tony the co-worker: No, but you have mentioned Dunkin Donuts four times in three minutes.
Me: Clearly I will be visiting the treadmill this week.

Favorite thing today: This eyeshadow is my absolute new favorite.

She needs no introduction

It is time you met Sophie.

The introduction was sure to happen sooner or later and let me assure you she will be a frequent contributor to this blog. I will let you decide if this fact is good or bad after you read this post.

Sophie belongs to my roommate Kim, which in a way makes Sophie and I roommates, only Sophie does not pay rent. Think of the most outgoing, extroverted four year old child you could possibly fathom. The incessant questions, approaching strangers in the grocery store and saying things like "mommy didn't take a shower today".... you get the idea.

This is Sophie. Undeniably Sophie. Which, as you can imagine, leads to much hilarity, yelling, chastising and general unexpectedness.

Today, I walked outside and found this on our back steps.

He was scared to death. And rightfully so, as clearly he did not scale the back steps on his own. He undoubtedly rode in the mouth of a canine.

This is only one in a long line of offerings Sophie has brought forth from the depths of the yard. This is the second turtle. There has been a bird, and last month there was some sort of mole/rat creature too mangled to know for sure.

Or maybe I just did not want to look.

It is not enough to chase critters in the yard. No, the offering most be placed on the alter of the back steps. It is pride Sophie seeks. Affirmation for exterminating the yard of such terrible beasts.

Though this little turtle is pretty benign, what Sophie often gets in return for her gifts is often twisted faces and screaming. Which actually are not unusual reactions in our house. Ask Sophie about the time she ran free at the Riverwalk with Kim chasing behind. That is another blog entirely.

So until the next time Sophie "gifts" us, I am still hoping she drops the keys to a new car or tickets to a Mediterranean cruise.

Favorite thing today: Since I am headed out to Charleston today, I will leave you with two of my all time favorite restaurants

And she watched lots of tennis

Long weekends are nice aren't they? We should do these more often. I spent the day going on and on to my boss about how wonderful long weekends are, how GREAT we all feel when we come back, and we should have every Friday off.

He's not buying it.

Here is a run down on the past few days in no particular order:

• On Wednesday, my roommate Kim and displayed our grilling prowess for my parents and brother.
• Took in the Columbia Blowfish game against former USC baseball players. So fun. And the USC guys still have it. They brought it! The fireworks afterwards were way fun too.
• Finished this book and started this one and this one. All brilliant....
• Watched the men and women Wimbleton semifinals
• Hit a great sale at Banana Republic. Oh, I do love a good sale!
• Had a great, great cookout with long time friends compliments of the Wengers. Andy, bless his heart, cooked an entire pig (because who doesn't love an old fashioned pig picking) and it was unbelievable...and so was Jacque's potato casserole, banana pudding, pasta salad and Texas sheet cake. I ate light.
• And with the aforementioned amount of food consumed, I exercised a lot. And am paying for it today.
• Watched fireworks, both manmade and God made, at Fort Jackson in the rain with the Bollmans
• Sang along with the Boston Pops TV special all by myself in my house.
• More Wimbleton...women's finals--the Williams' left it all on the court
• Ran on the treadmill while watching Wimbleton. This made me feel better about life and that I could possibly attain the physical status of Serena Williams
• Traveled to Spartanburg for Maisie Hickman's baptism. Lots of friends that are more like family
• Saw, held, feed lots of babies - Will & Ellie, Ellie & Sam, Maisie, Shawn, Scott & Logan, Katie & Jack
• Took in the tennis match of all tennis matches. Some are calling it epic. You possibly heard me yelling at the TV from your house. Roger Federer is still the best that ever played and is the most gracious athlete I have ever seen.
• Spent as long as necessary studying scriptures and talking with God. Camped in Hosea and Hebrews.

Baseball, tennis, great food, old and new friends, lots of babies, shopping, reading, running. If every weekend could be this good....

Favorite thing today: this website is so fun! I'm not exactly sure what I will do with all of these, but I just downloaded a ton on my computer.

Summertime

ooooh, some serious summertime goodness at our house this week...

Favorite thing today:  Brooke Fraser's new CD on itunes for $5.99