Marketplace Connection Arkansas

Safe and secure

2011-04-07T09:16:00.000-07:00

John 10:27-29 (NIV) 27 My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. If you know me, this probably won’t come as a shock but I lose things. I blame too many to-do’s and not enough time. The fact is that my morning rush includes critical minutes spent in the garage, searching pockets to be sure I have my keys, my debit card, and my cell phone. I used to be one of those people who said importantly, “But I have no desire to always be connected. Who would?” And now my beloved iPhone is like an extension of my arm. I am one of those people who carries it. In my hand. A lot. It’s the world at my fingertips: I don’t have to be alone or lost or bored or stuck for the name of that one movie who starred that one guy and Kevin Bacon. I can totally Google it and let it go. The thought of losing it makes me anxious. I value it. And I know it’s just a thing. It’s only one thing that fills in the blank: I would be lost without (insert whatever your thing is here). And believe me, I know how much more valuable people are to things. I’ve lost some of my people and still reel from the hurt five or ten years later if I think on it too much. The point to this? I value my iPhone. I miss it and I search for it when it’s not secure in my hand. How much more valued are you and I to the one sent to save us at the cost of his own life? How much more careful of us is He than I am with my phone? I’m not sure that my phone feels the love as much as I do. It spends a lot of time in a pocket and has been known to bounce on concrete. Jesus cares for me, so much so that no one and nothing can separate me from him. He sought me and paid a huge price to hold me close. Today is one of those days when I thank God for that love, that high value he place on my life, and for that eternal security. No one can take me from His hand.

Appointed Times

2011-03-09T08:29:00.000-08:00

Lamentations 3:22-24 (NIV)

22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."

Over Chick-fil-a cuisine at a recent Marketplace Connection planning meeting, Merry and I talked about the "tyranny of the urgent." I believe I had just mentioned to her that I wanted to do everything, all at once, and right now. I can be like that. Out of necessity, I'm an excellent multi-tasker and can wield a mean list. On some days, this means I'm productive, efficient, and driven, if by driven you mean you can tell by looking at my face not to get in my way because I'm accomplishing things. The honest truth is that I have to really focus to stay in this moment. Focusing too much on the next thing and the thing after that means I can miss what's happening right now. It's hard to see God at work when you can't take your eyes off the to-do list.

You could probably already tell this about me but I'm a really bad waiter. Even more than a planner, I am a doer. My brain tends to turn a problem over and over until I do something about it. Finding the "off" switch is really difficult. For this reason, my plans tend to revolve around immediate action. One of those hard to face truths that's becoming clearer and clearer to me over time is that God's plans often don't. Sometimes immediate action is exactly the wrong thing. Sometimes God's plan requires a wait.

Why do you think that is? Over waffle fries, Merry and I were discussing ways to improve our blog and other social media for Marketplace Connection. Everything we discussed is a good thing, a helpful thing, something that can make a difference in the lives of people around us. Of course, we want to do it all and right now. And we could try to accomplish our own goals right this minute. If I leap into action and try to do this on my own power, the result would be imperfect, stressful, and difficult. God hasn't called us to accomplish the difficult and stressful imperfectly under our own power so instead, we wait. Occasionally (maybe daily), I need the reminder that it's not all about what I can accomplish. Just like everything we do, we want to do it well so that we will be successful in serving and in glorifying God. The busyness and the action plan seem urgent, because they are things we could execute right now, but we can't lose sight of what's really important: God's plan. He has all the pieces we need. We wait for all the pieces to fall into place. It's only a matter of time because we know God is at work. So we wait. We take steps in faith, we wait with expectation, and we prepare.

After Hours

2011-03-07T18:34:00.000-08:00

Dealing with Difficults and Divas Without Becoming One Yourself
It's true! One bad apple can spoil the whole bunch. Whether it's your boss, a co-worker or even a family member, dealing with difficult people is just plain difficult. Come to the next downtown connection to find out how to deal with the divas and the difficults in your world without becoming one yourself.
Thursday, April 28
5:30 to 6:30 p.m.( Arrive early for a time of connection and networking)
Bank of America Building
220 West Capital, 4th floor
(Parking garage attached to Bank of America on 4th Street)

Cost: $10.00

A light meal will be served, Please RSVP marketplaceconnection@comcast.net
Our speaker this month is Patty Crabbe. Patty comes to Marketplace Connection with a workplace history rich in difficult folks. A former radio and television news reporter, Patty also spent a decade in the electric utility industry and several years juggling a career between Oklahoma and Washington, D.C. as the head of marketing for a nationwide education initiative. Patty is currently a part time employee with Little Rock Based Curtis Stout.

Social Networking

2011-02-09T18:31:00.000-08:00

Romans 10:14-16 (NLT)
But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, "How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!"

I celebrated a birthday last month and I was lucky enough to have plenty of help celebrating. I got two emails, two blog comments, multiple posts on my Facebook wall, three phone calls, several actual folded-in-the-middle birthday cards, and the rarest of the rare, a card in the mail with a STAMP and everything. And that wasn't even from my insurance agent! I also had at least three birthday cakes. Thank goodness those have no calories.

Thanks to all our social networking opportunities, our friends are no longer limited by time or distance. Marketplace Connection's goal is to support and encourage women in the workplace and to help them build relationships, make connections, and reach people for Christ. To do that, we have events, small group Bible studies, mentoring, a blog, a Facebook page...all to serve women in central Arkansas. We focus on the workplace because it's a mission field for each of us, a place where we spend a lot of time. But your mission field isn't limited to your 9 to 5. Now, thanks to the wonders of technology, we can reach old friends, new friends, neighbors, family members, and coworkers past and present.

Whether it's through a brown bag Lunch and Learn with helpful information on business topics or an opportunity to take advantage of your lunch hour with a Bible study, Marketplace Connection wants to help you make a connection. We want to help you grow so that you can reach out and encourage the women around you. Of course, the success of that connection as well as each event we plan depends on your willingness to take the first step: invite a friend.

It isn't always easy to make that invitation but it's important. If you're like me, a lack of time and too many demands can really narrow my focus. I think I'm too busy or my friends are too busy or, for some reason, now's just not the right time and the next time will be better. The truth is that the next time will look a lot like this one. It really doesn't take a lot to discourage me from stepping out like that but I can't ignore the reason I'm here.

The leadership team of Marketplace Connection met last month to make plans for 2011. We're going to make a few changes without sacrificing what works. Our goal is to serve God in all that we do and we have some great things planned. I'm going to start now praying for that name, the one that God has identified for me to reach, so that I'm ready for the next opportunity. Will you join me?

The Essential Thing

2011-01-05T18:15:00.000-08:00

Luke 10:38-42
As they continued their travel, Jesus entered a village. A woman by the name of Martha welcomed him and made him feel quite at home. She had a sister, Mary, who sat before the Master, hanging on every word he said. But Martha was pulled away by all she had to do in the kitchen. Later, she stepped in, interrupting them. "Master, don't you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand."
The Master said, "Martha, dear Martha, you're fussing far too much and getting yourself worked up over nothing. One thing only is essential, and Mary has chosen it—it's the main course, and won't be taken from her."

I can really identify with Martha in this story. I will freely admit that I am no cook, no gracious hostess, and have no real affinity for that other Martha, the design guru Martha Stewart, but once a year, for the most important holiday, I put on my chef’s hat, bring my house up to scratch, and lay out cloth napkins. It’s Christmas, it’s tradition, and it’s important to me.
And it makes me crazy every year. I love gift giving, every piece of it. I heartily dislike preparing the Christmas meal, nearly every piece of it, but I hold on to it because tradition is so important to me. I want my family around a table, and even though it hurts to see who’s missing, I want to have my grandmother’s candy and my mother’s fruit salad. One aunt brings dressing made from her mother’s recipe and the other brings sweet potato casserole. Some important pieces of my family are missing but we remember them at that table.
So I identify with Martha. There’s a lot to do when you’re hosting an important dinner. I’d think anything where Jesus attends would fall into that category. And there is no way for Martha or for me to attempt something like that without a list. We are planners. We are doers. We accomplish things, big things, because we have to. And we stress ourselves out over the details. We have to. Martha went to Jesus and asked for help. I muttered under my breath about people who have to stand around in my tiny kitchen while I’m trying to get the food magically ready at eleven o’clock on the dot.
I always fight the urge to mutter at Christmas. I feel like what I’m doing is important but maybe unappreciated. After all, weeks of work is destroyed in about two hours total. This year, to combat that, I started thinking about all the memories I made in the process: cooking a beautiful turkey all by myself for the first time, watching my nephew exclaim over his gift from me of two two-liter bottles of Coke (and an iTunes card, but apparently teenage boys like a lot of junk food), catching up with an old family friend who dropped in. It would have been easy to miss all this in the detailed demands of hospitality.
I think the world requires Marthas, but I don’t think any Martha can be happy or successful without grasping the important truth Jesus teaches here. There is a time for lists and details, but there is a time to let all that go and grasp what is important, what is fleeting, what is memorable, what really matters.
I think I’ve decided not to make any resolutions this year. It’s difficult because I like a good list. After all, the journey of a thousand miles should begin with a very thorough itinerary in my opinion. What I want to do instead is do my best to remember Mary and Martha. I will always be Martha, but I don’t want to let what is essential slip through my fingers or be pushed out of my cluttered, to-do-list driven mind. I can’t call it a resolution. That almost dooms me to failure, but I like this time of year when everything seems possible and new beginnings are expected. Instead, I’m just going to make a decision to fuss less and keep my mind on what is essential. That could really be the most difficult resolution to keep of them all.
Maybe I’ll just jot down “Remember Mary” at the top of every list I make…

Fourth Watch

2010-12-07T18:21:00.000-08:00

Matthew 14:22-31
Immediately after
this, Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the
other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. After sending them home,
he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there
alone.
Meanwhile, the disciples were in
trouble far away from land, for a strong wind had risen, and they were fighting
heavy waves. About three o'clock in the morning Jesus came toward them, walking
on the water. When the disciples saw him walking on the water, they were
terrified. In their fear, they cried out, "It's a ghost!"
But Jesus spoke to them at once. "Don't be
afraid," he said. "Take courage. I am here!"
Then Peter called to him,
"Lord, if it's really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water."
Yes, come," Jesus said.
So
Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But
when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink.
"Save me, Lord!" he shouted.
Jesus
immediately reached out and grabbed him. "You have so little faith," Jesus said.
"Why did you doubt me?"

I don't like three a.m. During a long string of nights recently, I came to understand that the only reason I ever see that hour of the night is because I am caught in a storm. When things are as "normal" as they ever are in this life, I observe that hour properly with peaceful sleep. I can say wholeheartedly that I am a fan of peaceful sleep.

I've always loved this story about Peter, my favorite. I have felt that desperate longing to get out of the boat, to take that step of crazy faith that will lead me to do things that look impossible, and I have surely seen the wind and waves and sunk like a stone.

Three a.m. can lead to a lot of sinking. I feel like I've experienced it enough to know very well the feeling of desperation that leads you to cry out "save me" because it is nearly impossible to avoid a hard look at the facts of the situation, the limitations of your own power, and the impossible odds in the quiet of the night when all other noise that we use as distraction has been stripped away. At that time of night, there are no friends to call on, television is a wasteland, my mind is usually too disordered for the escape of books so there is only the problem. And my complete inability to fix it.

I really hope you have no idea what I'm talking about. That you've never sat beside the bed of a loved one who is battling for life or faced the thoughts of what an unfavorable diagnosis means to the rest of your own life. Sometimes the storm is just the aftermath, it arrives in the middle of the night after you've lost someone you can't imagine living without or you face the demands of paying the bills when the job you've given your time and talents to for so long is gone.

Have I mentioned my disordered mind? I really should not be up at that hour of the night. My thoughts bounce. I am a Christian, I am a Peter fan, and I know this story pretty well. So first, I cry out. I claim the promises I remember from the Bible, usually in broken fragments, doing my best to be anxious for nothing but to pray and ask for peace and wisdom and healing and direction and sometimes just to rest.

And in the storm, I hear answers: be still, know that I am God, a promise to give me a hope and a future, another promise to work things to my good because I love Christ. That's the mature me. That's the faithful me. Unfortunately, at three a.m. the other me is hard to contain.

The sinking me throws out some angry "why" questions, maybe a "how can you" to avoid repetition and several "I just don't understand" comments. I really should sleep. The lack turns me into a fussy child. Loneliness, fear, disappointment, and confusion don't help.

I thank God that the constant in every storm is His love for me. He sees my distress from far away, he hears my cries, the mature ones and the ones that come from the heart, and He comes for me. He calms the storms. The storms will come. I believe that if we're doing this properly, our faith increases. I will never celebrate three a.m. but I do rejoice to know that Christ is already there. He is always there.

Turbulence

2010-12-07T18:17:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)
Trust in the LORD with all your heart,And lean not on your own understanding;In all your ways acknowledge Him,And He shall direct your paths.

As the lightning lit up the sky and the plane bounced and rattled last week, I played my spider solitaire and mouthed silently the songs playing in my ears. I really wasn't worried. There was not a single, solitary thing within my power at that point. That plane was going to go where it was going to go and there was someone, a very experienced, smart, well-trained pilot, with everything under control. He sees the big picture, flies around the storms. I concentrate on keeping my shoulder out of the aisle. Once I'm on the plane, I can relax (as much as you can with your knees under your chin and the man next to you leaning on the armrest).

You know what causes me endless anxiety? The thought of making a mistake gets me. The idea that I would miss my flight and be stranded somewhere worries me. It's not being suspended improbably in the air by science and engineering that I have no hope of understanding that gives me a sleepless night before I fly. I can't control that at all. It's everything else, all those details that I must control. You may not understand how I can feel so calm about the whole "fiery crash" thing. I get that. What I don't understand is the lady in front of me who is stunned because she can't carry on her water bottle. Her lack of preparation and investigation of the rules is nearly impossible for me to understand. I know them by heart. Forgetting one might cause me to have trouble in security, be late to the gate (somehow, although I religiously arrive at least two hours before the boarding time), and miss my flight. Forgetting one would let me make a mistake. I feel a little bit like my faith is like flying. When it gets to the big picture, the hard to believe idea that salvation is mine if I just trust in Jesus Christ, I have no worries at all.

When it comes to knowing that my life is headed somewhere and that it means something, I feel comfortable sitting down and strapping myself in. But the details...they get me! And it all boils down to the same slightly obsessive and compulsive checking that I do in the security line at the airport. It all comes down to this: I don't want to make a mistake. And the day to day details are all about me, because I can't give up control.This is a recurring theme with me: control. I can't give it up. I lay it down for a moment and take a sigh of relief, secure in the knowledge that someone smarter, more experienced, and with a better view of the big picture will keep me safe.

And then I hit the ground again, pick up all that worry and the weight of every decision.I learned this verse in junior high school. And someone mentioned it to me this week. And I'm reminded over and over and over that this worry is not part of what God has for me. He wants me to feel the security of knowing an experienced pilot is in control. Psalm 139 explains just how well He knows me. I can put my trust in Him.
Cheryl

Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed

2010-10-15T07:33:00.000-07:00

Starting Thursday, October 14, 2010 for six-weeks

12:00-1:00 p.m. 15th Floor Tower Conference Room

Cost: $20

RSVP to jmyers@flake-kelley.com

Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed: A Study of David

is based on the teaching sessions of the Deeper Still conference featuring Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer, and Kay Arthur. These three women explored their lives and the life of David in this six-session women's Bible study. Taped at the 2007 Deeper Still women's event, the messages presented by these beloved authors are divided into three segments, two lessons from each author. Each segment focuses on the life of David at a different stage of his life: as a young man (sessions one and two by Priscilla Shirer), as a middle-aged man (sessions three and four by Beth Moore), and as a man facing the final third of his life (sessions five and six by Kay Arthur). You’ll laugh with them, cry with them, and learn to love God with them.

Click here to see a video on this study.

The First Things

2010-10-14T09:08:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 13:1-3
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Saturday I was lucky enough to hear author Shaunti Feldhahn talk about her book The Male Factor and compare working in the business world, structured by the unwritten rules of men, to working in a different culture. Should you change who you are to be successful? Definitely not. Can you be more successful when you understand some of the unwritten and unstated perceptions of the men you work with? Certainly. Once you know what is really going on, you can make the best decisions for yourself and your career. Since I can count the men I work with on two fingers, I wondered a bit about what I might learn before Shaunti spoke.

As Shaunti explained how "It's not personal, it's business" means different things to men than it does to women, I thought about how powerful language and culture really are. If you grew up in a Christian home, you learned a language, a way of thinking about things, a culture, that non-Christians don't have a framework for understanding. And even Christians from different denominations can bump up against words or points that mean something different, and the meaning depends on your framework. When I talk to a friend who doesn't share my framework,I can still speak the world's language because I know what it is to hurt, to be lonely, and to search. My neighbor and I have some common ground.

A business cliché that gets thrown around sometimes is "Do the first things first and the second things never." While I was listening to Shaunti and since then, I've been thinking about how our language impacts our success at reaching the world. I was raised in the church so I can speak Churchish when I want to impress the church people around me. When I say that I'm saved by grace through faith, does that mean anything? Of course it does. But does my coworker get anything from it? I'm not sure, but it's too important to guess or hope that she understands.
I fall into Churchish no matter how good my intentions are. My next door neighbor needs to understand that Christ died for her sins, her mistakes, to pay the price, to save her. But even before that, the first thing, is to know and really understand God's love. This is so much easier than finding the perfect words. All I have to do is tell about the latest time in my life that I've felt God's love. My story, a concrete example of a loving God, is a language we can all understand.

How do we go back to the basics to accomplish the first things first? First, I think it takes being able to listen. Compassion is a requirement if we're going to reach others. And second, we have to be real (or authentic or transparent or...what's the best word for being honest about who you are, what you feel? I think I'll stick with real.)

And just as Shaunti said about working with the male culture in business, it's up to you to make your decision on how to work within the framework of the culture you've been placed in. To me, salvation is the the reason we are reaching out to the world. It may be nearly impossible not to say that we're saved, although I don't know what that means to the world, but we can also work at being real by showing that we can be flawed and imperfect, but loved and still "saved" by grace. And we can speak a language of love to others.

Workplace Bible Studies Make a Difference

2010-10-13T19:10:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 10:24-25 (NIV)
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

I have a friend named Cheryl. It's a good name. When we first met, she was a boss, the person I reported to, but we worked together long enough and through some unusual experiences that we became friends. She started small group Bible studies at lunch where we work. It's hard to give up lunch out with your friends so sometimes I went out of friendship more than excitement, particularly through one of the hardest times in my Christian life after my father died. Cheryl chose to do a study with The Purpose Driven Life at a time when I was completely disillusioned with God and His promises. Then she asked me to be a part of the group. And it changed my life.
Cheryl didn't change my life with those six or seven weeks. A book didn't change my life. God changed my life, my heart, my attitude, but because of Cheryl's obedience and spirit of service and Rick Warren's words on a page, God worked in me. Nothing about my history changed. I still struggle today with a trust in God's promises, but I know beyond any doubt that God is good, God does not change, and my life has meaning.

Since that small group, I've led groups for Cheryl and now I've led my own. Am I an amazing teacher? No. I am obedient and I expect God to work. I went on my first mission trip, an experience that I would have sworn I'd never do and secretly feared that God was going to want for me. Did I jump up and say "Here I am, God, send me!" My friends will tell you that's a loud "NO" answer. I put up every barrier I could and God knocked them down. I only went out of obedience and experienced a closeness to God that is nearly impossible to describe. Now I volunteer my time to Marketplace Connection, try to send out something I've learned in my own struggles with the Christian life every month, and have done my best to support a group that I sincerely believe in, even if I'm not always the best equipped for the job.

I want to make a difference. Here's what I know for sure: Workplace small groups can make a difference.

If you have a break room and a readiness to make a difference in the lives of your coworkers, Marketplace Connection can help you get started. Believe me, it's as simple as that, no theology degree required. Gather the group and watch God work. This is why we're here.

Cheryl

Can you see the resemblance?

2010-08-25T07:56:00.000-07:00

John 15:9-11 (New International Version)
9"As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. 11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

Recently I was on vacation a thousand miles from home when I started a conversation with a woman in line next to me. Detecting a bit of Dixie in her voice, I asked where she was from and when she answered Arkansas, I told her I was from Benton. She was too and she was just sure I looked familiar. I mentioned nephews and she named them both. Just like that. Stunned, I looked at her and she said, “Are you Greg’s sister?” I am. And for 37 years, I’ve answered that same question in a variety of forms.

And that’s not bad. As a little girl, I was sure he was the best athlete, the most popular guy, and the funniest person in the room. As an adult, I haven’t seen anything to change my mind. He’s a good person, a generous man, a great father, and a good brother. I do sometimes feel like saying, “No, he’s my brother.” It’s a fine distinction. Maybe I grit my teeth through my smile, but most of the time I feel pretty proud when people see the resemblance. When someone knows my brother, I feel like they may also know something about me and the kind of person I am. I’d like to be more like him in several ways.

I think the key to growing more alike is spending time together. I know you have friends who can finish your sentences because you’ve spent enough time together. They know how you think. My brother and I look alike. For people to identify me with Christ, we need to think alike.

Have you ever spent time with someone that really makes you see Christ? Maybe you could be having a “killing time in line” conversation with them and walk away feeling like you’ve spent time with Christ? I have. And I’m impressed every time it happens.

Because I know Christ, I know something about that Christ-like woman sitting across the table from me. I know and see love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and self-control. If you’re like me and would call yourself a Christ follower but aren’t quite sure that the casual observer would see the resemblance to your Father, it’s okay. You and I, we can improve. I have patience issues. I’m fairly sure standing next to me in line is no worship experience, but I can get better, closer to Christ. I want people to see the resemblance between my Father and me. Each minute I spend with Christ and keeping his commandments and following his teachings, I grow more like Him. And maybe the next time I’m in a line somewhere, someone will say to me “You look so familiar. Are you a Christian?” and I will nod and say “Yes, I am.”

Cheryl

Remember Your First Love?

2010-08-08T15:22:00.001-07:00

We all remember the first time we fell in love. It was a beautiful time of fantasy and romance—or at least it seems so in our minds.

My earliest memory of first love was with a boy in my fifth grade class named Scott. Even though he didn’t know I existed, I slept with our class picture under my pillow several times just to feel he was near.

I also remember when I first fell in love with God. I was a senior in high school and was feeling a hole in my heart that I realized could only be filled Him. And I was crazy in love with Him. I couldn’t get enough time in the Bible and prayer and telling others about my newfound love.

Nearly forty years later I’m finding myself asking God to renew that love I first found back in 1972. In many ways I have forgotten that first love. I have asked God to restore in me the love that changed my life in such a dramatic way. To remind me of what my life was like before I knew Him in a personal way and how my life has changed because of that decision I made.

How about you? Have you forgotten your first love for Christ or forgotten what He has done for you?

Here is an exercise you can use to help you remember how God has worked in your life, and what type of relationship you’ve had with Him.

1. What was my life like before I accepted Christ?

2. What did my life revolve around? What did I get my happiness from?

3. When was the first time I heard the gospel? Or when was I exposed to dynamic Christianity

4. When did I begin to see my own need for God in my own life? What were some circumstances that were happening in my life at the time?

5. How did my life change after I became a Christian? How is my life different now because of that decision?

By doing this exercise I hope it shows you once again the mighty power of God working in your life. And I hope that, as we remember what God’s love is for us, we will be so crazy in love with Him that we can’t keep our love to ourselves. We’ll share with others what God has done. And that is a lot better than sticking the love of your life picture under your pillow.

Merry Boehi

Make a Splash!

2010-06-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

2 Timothy 1:6-7 (New Living Translation)
6 This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift God gave you when I laid my hands on you. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

I’ve spent a lot of my time lately thinking about swimming pools. I really can’t help myself. Right about now every summer I begin to wonder why any warm-blooded mammal lives where we do when there are other, cooler places to live. And every year I am convinced that every house here should come standard with a swimming pool. Being able to lazily paddle around might make even 90 degrees and a 1000% humidity bearable. Maybe.

I think I’m at the lazy paddle stage of my life as far as pools go. As I recall, I started out at the “stick a timid tiptoe in and cling to the side or my father or whatever sturdy surface I could reach” stage. I think that lasted until I learned to pick up pennies from the bottom of the pool. I immediately went from the fearful to the fearless “cannonball” stage where every entry required a leap that was more about sound and splash than finesse. All it takes are one or two misdirected cannonballs to move from there to the “proper form” stage. After a class at the YWCA, I learned how to dive properly. Did you know? The idea is to make as little splash as possible! That coincided with the teenage years where I was all about making as little splash as possible, at the pool and everywhere else in life. And now I’ve wandered into “lazy paddle” which is just a little too close to “timid tiptoe” when I have the frequent urges for both the cannonball and the proper form.

What about you? What’s your style? Not a fan of the pool at all? What about life? Or what about using your gifts? Would you rather hang back and wait to be pushed off the sidelines or do you charge in, determined to make a big splash? Would you rather check all the boxes off before you get involved, making sure that you’ve followed all the instructions properly before you can help? Or maybe you aren’t making a splash at all. Maybe you’re in the pool, lazily paddling around. I get caught up in the idea that I’m not (fill in the blank) enough to help or someone else would be better than I am at that or I’m too tired/busy/tired to help now. Sometimes the lazy paddle is where I end up when it comes to using my gifts too.

Maybe none of these is your style. I have a brother who had a signature move: he’d jump once on the diving board, land on his rear end on the diving board, bounce up and flip into the pool. He never thought once about the splash, but more about entertaining the audience. Clearly, he has a completely different style and outlook on life than mine. And that’s true in so many ways! The truth of the matter is that the body of Christ is built of a collection of people, each with a different style and the good news is that we can all make a difference. As Paul says, we haven’t been given a spirit of fear and timidity but of power. All we have to do is take advantage of that power and start making a splash.

Salt and Light: Knowing Who You Are

2010-05-06T09:35:00.000-07:00

If you're like me, identity theft comes to mind when it happens to someone you know and while you stand over the shredder destroying your daily collection of credit card offers. Since credit scores are the ultimate endorsement for loans, insurance rates, job applications, and so much more today, it pays to take very good care of your identity. I take reasonable precautions, listen to the advice of experts (come hear Jan Whitney on May 11 on Hwy 10 or June 8 downtown for some such advice on protecting yourself), and remind myself that I'm much more likely to harm myself through misplacing my own debit card than through giving out too much personal information. Between my debit card and my cell phone, I'm almost always looking for something valuable that I'm certain is lost forever but is probably in the pocket of what I wore yesterday.

There's another identity theft that we battle every day, but it's much harder to see. We have news, television shows, movies, magazines, music, and a million different influences telling us who we should be, what we should look like, and how we should think. Marketers promise us that we'll be thinner, prettier, smarter, have more time, more money, less stress, and just be plain happy with whatever it is that they're selling that minute. Finding what is real and true can be a challenge.

As people who are called to be salt and light in this world (Matthew 5:13-15), it's critical that we know who we are. If we follow Christ, we aren't a part of this world anymore. Ephesians 1:13-14 says, "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession-to the praise of his glory." Now we are God's possession, marked with His seal. As we work here, becoming more like Christ daily, we're supposed to be different.

And like light, we're supposed to stand out from the crowd. In John 13:34-35, Jesus says, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." It seems so simple. To be Christ-like to a watching world, all we have to do is love one another. And honestly, in this world, I think loving one another is just about the highest calling and biggest challenge you can issue. This world is set up to drive us apart, to make us jealous, envious, fearful, and cynical. Love feels unnatural. In fact, it's supernatural and it's a part of that becoming-Christ-like journey that we're all on.

So how do we do it? How do we hold on to our purpose? How do we work in the world but not become confused and part of the world? In Phillipians 4:8, Paul has some great advice: "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things." We have the tools. We have the Holy Spirit in us as a guide, we have Jesus and his teachings, we have fellowship with other believers. We have what it takes to be successful. We just have to be aware of what's going on around us. Protecting your credit card and Social Security information takes some vigilance. So does maintaining your identity as a follower of Christ in this world. Be on guard against the world's message and never forget who you are in Christ.

Cheryl

P.S. The next Marketplace Connection event is a great opportunity to learn how to protect yourself against identity theft and to spend time with other Christian women. Join us May 11 at FamilyLife (or June 8 downtown) for a free, brown-bag lunch meeting.

Like Sands Through the Hour Glass...

2010-04-13T19:25:00.000-07:00

Everyone I've slowed down long enough to talk to recently has the same story...busy, busy, busy-ness...those are the days of our lives. Lately it's like my office has been fitted with a revolving door and people are putting it to good use, usually with hard questions of the variety that should perhaps be answered once a day, not minute-by-minute. And then there's the house and the family and the bills and the ringing phone and the promises I've made to help, to do, to be there at that time. I see you nodding. You know exactly what I'm talking about. And if you're like me, it's all good stuff, necessary stuff, something you want to do or know you need to do, so you just do it.

And you and I, we can get it done because that's who we are. We might not do it all as well or as cheerfully as we could, but we get it done. In my case, the first thing that suffers is my normally sweet temperament (the people who work with me are snorting at that statement. Read whatever you like into that.) and it has been scientifically proven that you are three times more likely to get a short answer when I am overwhelmed (probably true except for the "scientifically proven" part). Unfortunately, quite often the next thing to go is my quiet time. The time I spend learning and listening can become half-hearted and inconsistent and if there's one thing I know about me, it's that I need time alone to recharge. Jesus knew that too.

Luke 5:15-16 says this about Jesus: "Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." Jesus was someone who knew about tight schedules and being in demand. His work was immeasurably more important than what I twist myself into knots every day to accomplish but the most important piece of that work was Jesus, not his actions or his appearances or list of accomplishments. To be who he needed to be, Jesus spent time alone.

If you are one of those who have learned this lesson already and defend your quiet time against all time thieves, good for you. If you've never tried a regular quiet time or if you're like me and you need to move it back to the top of the list, the good news is that now's a great time for fresh starts. I should know. It seems like I have fresh starts for a variety of good ideas right about now every year.

Here's how I normally do quiet time: I first draw out a complicated schedule, build an ambitious plan to carve out time from the day, follow a seven-part outline for about two weeks, and then start to falter because it's too hard. Don't do what I do. Here's what I know: spending time alone with God was never meant to be a burden. This time around, I think I'll commit to a time, meet God consistently there, read His word, think and talk with Him about it, and maybe write down what sticks with me. Doesn't that sound easier? I'm pretty sure the time will contribute to an improvement in my attitude as well (and the co-workers rejoice!).

Cheryl

P.S. If you have questions about setting up your own quiet time, contact us at marketplaceconnection@comcast.net.

Easter's Living Hope

2010-03-10T07:08:00.000-08:00

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-5 NIV

My plan for March was to write about what Easter means to me. Writing on some topics is easy. Ask me my opinion on the world of "Lost" or whether Diet Coke is the best drink ever (it is) and I can spin out a page or two with no challenge. When it comes to Easter and what it means to me...I've spent a lot of time staring at the missing "N" on my keyboard. Easter, with its gift of living hope, means so much. While I was researching/putting off really writing, I found this quote attributed to Pope John Paul II: "Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song." What does it mean to be an Easter person?

The difference between the promise of Christmas and the power of Easter became very clear to me at 27. My father died in a hospital bed in the early hours of a Saturday morning and the joy of Easter became crystal clear to me. On Friday, I prayed for my father's recovery just as I always prayed: with the certainty of a child. On Saturday afternoon, my prayers had changed and the desperate longing for Heaven opened up for the first time. My father was never easy but he was safe, certain, secure. And he was gone. I knew where to find him, but I also knew that the next time I needed him for one million reasons: directions, car repairs, house repairs, advice, a laugh...he'd be out of reach. Death had separated us for a time. And it’s hard to understand that separation without feeling it firsthand.

At some point between 27 and 33, I learned a little bit about prayer and what's really important. For two years, my mother fought cancer, following doctor's orders and battling a great deal of it all alone. My mother was like that: quiet, strong, enduring. She didn't complain. For my mother, my best friend, my only prayer was mercy. This time, with the benefit of more time, I could see God's hand at work. For four weeks, we tied up loose ends, she coached me, she stayed at home and took care of herself exactly as she wished, and we waited. And in one day, everything changed and she was gone. We did get the mercy I earnestly prayed for. And now, nearly four years later, the separation from her and Heaven still feels like a wound some days.

But I am, indeed, an Easter person. And so were my parents. And so I have reason to praise God. Because of Easter's empty tomb, we know that Jesus is who he said he was. Because he did what he said he would do, something beyond belief, we know him to be the son of God, the one who came to conquer death. Because of my wounds, I praise God for the gift of Easter, this victory over death. I know that this separation is only temporary. I still feel the loss of my security and my best friend every day. And occasionally I discuss with God how unfair this is. And then all signs point to Easter, that grace-filled gift that I never deserved. Someday, when we all get to Heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be. We will sing and shout the victory together. I think that will be like opening a gift that is exactly what I wanted and finding it immeasurably more, better, and absolutely perfect.

It's hard to imagine living a life without the hope of Heaven. As a young woman, I didn't understand the power of Easter and the promise of Heaven. I didn't feel the separation. As a not-quite-so-young woman, I understand that inevitable loss is enough to make this life heartbreaking without the promise of Heaven. But thanks to the amazing gift and promise of Easter, I have hope and it's a solid, unchanging hope. Even in the face of an uncertain world, Christ's promises and victory are constant. So what does it mean to be Easter people? Here's what I know: thanks to Easter, no matter what happens here, there is joy in my future.

P.S. if you’re not sure about this living hope and the promise of Easter, contact us.

What I Want to Be When I Grow Up

2010-01-07T17:44:00.000-08:00

When I was a child people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up. My answer would often be, “I either want to be a missionary or a go go dancer.” For those of you who younger than 40, a go go dancer was the girl on the stage of popular shows in the 60s dancing in long white boots.

Needless to say, the dancing profession never opened up for me. But what I did become was a missionary. You see, I found that regardless of what my job is, I am always a missionary. God has strategically placed His children in various work locations to be a light shining for him. Statistics say that 74 percent of women are in the workforce. So if we want to actively reach women in the United States for Christ, we need to go where they are: the workplace.

When you go to work today, look around at your workplace and see your mission field. All the men and women you work with are on a spiritual journey—people are either moving away from God or they are desiring to move towards God. Some are spiritually open, while others are closed. It is up to you, the missionary in your workplace, to determine where those coworkers are in their journeys and help them move into a close walk with Christ.

So how do you know how to help those in their spiritual journeys?

1. Be their friend. Take time to go out to lunch with your coworkers. Show an interest in their personal lives. Be available to help them when they are going through personal crisis. It also means that you must be willing to get out of your comfort level and spend time with coworkers that you may not naturally be inclined to spend time with.

2. Listen to them. Just by listening you can tell where a person is at in their journey. Sometimes they may say things that make you think they are against Christ, but in reality they be just rejecting a wrong misconception of what Christianity is all about.

3. Share your story. At some point in your life someone helped you in your spiritual journey. What was your life like when you came to Christ, how did you come to Christ, and how has knowing Christ helped you deal with life’s issues? Write these down and be ready to share your story with your coworker. Be sure to always ask permission to share anything spiritual with your coworker.

4. Ask God to give you opportunities to talk with your coworkers when it’s not taking time away from your job responsibilities.

As you begin to practice viewing yourself in the new lens and realize your job is a calling and not just a paycheck, you can begin an exciting spiritual journey by showing others how to grow in their walks with God. And it’s a lot more exciting than being on a stage wearing long white go go boots.

Merry Boehi
Executive Director of Marketplace Connection

P.S. Marketplace Connection offers training on “How to Be a Marketplace Connector” in your workplace. If you are interested in receiving this training or bringing it to your church contact us at MarketplaceConnection@comcast.net.

Christmas Gifts

2009-12-09T08:29:00.000-08:00

Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: Behold, the young woman who is unmarried and a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [God with us].

Isaiah 7:14 (Amplified Bible)

Gift: something bestowed or acquired without any particular effort by the recipient or without its being earned.

My favorite part of the Christmas season is hunting for the perfect gifts for family and friends, wrapping them brightly, and then watching each person unwrap the surprise inside. I enjoy the hunt to find just the thing to tell each person how much they mean to me. I don't always hit the mark, but that goal is always the same. The thing about special gifts, the ones that you remember, is that often they aren't the most expensive or the largest. They may not even attract a lot of attention at first, but the thought behind the gift will be remembered.

When I was a kid, my family would assemble on Christmas morning before I woke up so that they could see my reaction to the gifts that had mysteriously appeared overnight. I only remember most of these mornings thanks to fading photos, but I do remember waking during the Great Cabbage Patch Pandemonium of '83 to find not one but two kids under the tree, ready for adoption. My mother saved them for me and now I wonder at my practical parents accomplishing the impossible. I also have a very pretty jewelry box that my father picked out for me at Service Merchandise. I wish he were still around so that I could tell him how much the idea that he chose it for me means to me now. And I've stuck in one of the doors a bookmark, signed by my Me-ma, that says "Faith, hope, and love, but the greatest of these is love." It's a paper bookmark, but it says so much about a grandmother who changed the life of a young girl by being faithful to God. All three of these people are gone now, but when I see these gifts, I remember how they loved me.

God With Us...what an amazing gift! In this one event, we have living and daily proof of a great love. Christmas is a celebration of Jesus' birth, the gift of hope to this world, but it isn't without its worries: gift lists, grocery lists, scheduled appearances, last minute details, and the list of things you forgot. Some are struggling to find the money for basics like food and many of us will celebrate with a tinge of sadness. All those challenges make the promise of perfect joy made real with Jesus' birth that much more important.

Thanks to God With Us, there can be so very much more. There can be hope. While I will never execute the perfect Christmas feast, I know that someday, because of Immanuel, I will know the perfect love behind the most amazing gift the world's ever seen. I'm going to get to see the faces I miss every day again and we are going to celebrate. And that celebration will be perfect and last a lot longer than Christmas morning ever did when I was growing up. When I think about Jesus' birth, I think about how much love is behind the perfect gift, a gift that contains sacrifice, salvation, eternal life, peace, joy, love, and hope. And for a moment, even now in the busiest time of the year, I can pause and wonder in awe and humility over the perfection of that gift.

Take another minute out of the rush of the season to share this gift of God With Us and the love behind it with someone!

Cheryl

The Best Investment Advice--Mentoring??!

2009-11-04T08:43:00.000-08:00

By Janie Myers

When you think the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 to “Go, Teach…” does mentoring come to mind? Maybe it should. Your first thought might be “I can’t do that”, or “I would like to mentor because there are some people out there that really need help and direction!” Or maybe it’s “I’ve got an idea of what God wants in my life and want to help others now.” Have you ever thought like that? Mentoring means coming alongside someone to encourage and teach values that will build worth. Now consider to whom does this worth lend value? What is it you want to accomplish for all eternity in the lives of others and in your own life? Christian mentoring involves praying/listening/instructing in God’s word.

My first formal mentoring landed in my lap when I watched a woman seeking to draw closer to the Lord through a study of God’s word. After the 4 week DVD discussion concluded, I found myself asking her if she would like to go through a workbook called “The Significant Woman”. This ten week course took us six months to complete with missed meetings, obstacles, etc., but now this woman is prepared for a brighter journey with a new career path that has not been shown to her as yet. God knows his plans for her! She is now confident God is leading her and is happily walking with Him on the journey daily.

Here are her comments on mentoring: “I cannot begin to tell you how much the time meant to me. I felt that you were God's messenger to get me back on track. You helped me open my eyes and see the world again thru God's eyes. I had never given up on my faith, but I was too busy to see. I am now getting stronger every day thanks to your mentoring starting last fall. I am still reading the Bible everyday and growing in knowledge.” This was the Lord’s work and it was truly joyous to participate in His plan for both our lives. Mentoring changes the life of both the mentor and the one being mentored.

In the second mentoring assignment God gave me, we chose the book “Mentoring 101”. This young lawyer bloomed and renewed her relationship with the living Lord as the most important aspect of her life. In an email back to me one day when I had to cancel our meeting, she wrote “I just looked up Roman 8:28 and already had it underlined from a Bible study I did 14 years ago. Great verse! And even though it’s tough, ‘faith is living as though the Bible is true regardless of current circumstances…’” She was encouraging me with this verse!

In both of these experiences, God showed up! I can’t sit on the sidelines when time invested in another individual is what I’m called to do. I’m praying for God to send me the next woman He plans for me to help on this journey. We all need encouragement and I think our Lord was speaking about it with his analogy of fruit in John 15. Check it out; pray about it….see to whom you may be called to serve as a mentor. Your life will never be the same!

October 23 Lunch and Learn

2009-10-21T18:49:00.000-07:00

Janet Nkubana spent her childhood in a refugee camp in Uganda, where she became an expert basket weaver. After the devastating war and genocide, she returned to her native Rwanda, where she organized rural women into a basket weaving cooperative, Gahaya Links. Now, Gahaya Links is nearly 4,000 weavers strong, and the women in the cooperative are earning incomes and pulling themselves and their families out of crippling poverty. She has been interviewed by Oprah, CNN, etc. and is a 2008 Africa Prize laureate. She is visiting out country and coming to CityFest this weekend. She would like to meet with regular working people in the marketplace and simply share her story.

Come hear her tell her story and bring your lunch.

For more information email us at marketplaceconnection@comcast.net or visit our website http://www.marketplaceconnectionarkansas.com/

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23, NOON to 1:00

15TH FLOOR TOWER CONFERENCE ROOM

METROPOLITAN NATIONAL BANK TOWER

Faith Is Not A Feeling

2009-07-15T18:50:00.000-07:00

How do you define "faith"? The dictionary says it's a "belief that is not based on proof" or "confidence or trust in a person or thing." And in Hebrews 11:1, Paul writes that faith is "being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." You may have committed that one to memory, somewhere in the dark recesses of the mind shaded by other important bits and pieces of the passwords to one million different accounts and the ever-important hits of the '80s (maybe that's just me).

Faith has always seemed to me to be something that you have to build, always reaching until someday you have it, you're sure and certain. And any lack of that certainty feels like weakness. I'll let you in on a little secret: I don't always feel sure or certain in this world. Don't tell anybody, OK? My sureness and certainty can change day by day, depending on where I am, what I'm doing, how I feel and how close I am to God.

Have you ever met a Christian superstar? You probably have. The superstar is the person in your church or circle of friends who faces overwhelming odds with grace, maturity, and unshakable faith. She appears to have no doubts or fears. The overachiever in me measures my faltering faith in mundane life against that person and comes up short. The feeling of faith is easy when life is easy or when you have those mountaintop experiences where you feel you can just reach out and touch heaven. I've been there and in those fleeting moments, I feel like my faith is enough. But in the everyday, that certain feeling of faith is harder to come by and I can be shaken and confused and come up short if I rely on emotions as my measuring stick. Over and over, I come up just a little short. And until now, I just knew that was a problem with me because I'm all about doing more, meeting goals, and crossing things off the list.

Whether you're an overachiever or not, struggle with doubt or have a permanent residence on the mountaintop, I have good news for you: faith is a choice, not a feeling. And you always have control over that choice. I've been lucky enough recently to work through a study called "Mentoring 101" and I was reminded again just what a blessing we have been given because our faith in Jesus Christ can be simple. I say "can be" because some of us (that would be me) make this Christian life so much harder than it has to be.

What if this is the definition of faith instead?

How does that impact your life? For me, it's a relief. Instead of being something that I build and lose or fall further behind, now I make a choice. Each situation, each day, I make a choice to live as though the Bible is true.

Faith is choosing to live as though the Bible is true regardless of
circumstances, emotions, or cultural trends.

I long ago accepted that this Christian life is based on a gift, salvation that comes through grace instead of works or checking off the list of rules and requirements. How then do I let myself get to the point of discouragement because I don't quite measure up? When I get to that point, Satan celebrates because when I am confused or fearful or critical of myself, I am less effective.

In Matthew 11, Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." So here's my paraphrase: don't make this faith thing hard or complicated when I've made it easy. And I understand that. And I believe it. Right here, right now, I'm on board. And in an hour or a day or a week, I'll probably be confused again. The world does that to us, right? Thank goodness being a Christian doesn't require us to always have it together and that Jesus already had a plan for that too. It's called community. It's your church and family and Christian friends and groups like Marketplace Connection. And for some lucky people, it's a special encourager called a "mentor." I've had a few in my life, people who were willing to spend the time to know me, counsel me, teach me, and support me. If you're one of those kinds of people, I'd like to say "Thanks. Keep up the good work."

How about you? Would you like to find a mentor? Or are you willing to invest in someone else to serve as a mentor? If you are willing to spend a little time, you can change lives. "Mentoring 101" is a simple study with profound impact. Send an email to marketplaceconnection@comcast.com and let us know you'd like to find a mentor or to be a mentor and we'll help you make the connection.

Box of Chocolates

2009-02-09T18:52:00.000-08:00

"My momma always said, "Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."-Forrest Gump

I don't know whether it's the diet or the looming holiday, but boxes of chocolates have been on my mind lately and I'm pretty sure Mrs. Gump got it right. Life really is like a box of chocolates, full of surprises. Some of them are good. And then some of them are coconut and, in my book, that's not so great.

Yes, I'm about to be philosophical about your heart-shaped chocolate sampler. I have done an exhaustive contemplation on the deeper meanings of square vs. round chocolates. My mind is a mysterious place so stay with me.

LESSONS LEARNED FROM A BOX OF CHOCOLATES
(it looks really important if you put it in ALL CAPS):
1. Know what you're looking for.
My chocolate sampler goals are simple: find the caramel, avoid the coconut. And I'm a planner, so here's my thoroughly scientific approach to devastating a box of chocolates: sample a few, find the happy chocolate, and try to repeat by choosing similar colors and shapes. It's difficult to argue with science, right? Sometimes I'll be right, sometimes I'll be wrong but still happy with what I discover, and sometimes I'll hit something I wasn't looking for. It's inevitable.
2. Have a strategy for when it all goes wrong.
What happens when you hit one of the surprises? You've planned carefully, chosen strategically, and still you end up with a raspberry filling instead of creamy caramel. In my world, even bad chocolate is better than no chocolate, so I soldier on, looking for caramel in the next one. I guess you could also throw that disappointment away or...even worse, just put it right back in the box. The surprises in life can be the same way: make it through and learn the lessons from that disappointment to make a better choice next time, suffer through and pretend it never happened, or maybe leave a mess for someone else to clean up...we have choices about what we do with the surprises that we never wanted.
3. When you have a map, use it!
Have you gotten those boxes with the little maps showing the shape and location of your heart's desire: that one chocolate you were looking for? I love those boxes, don't you? I don't have to rely on my sketchy scientific method or dumb luck. I can follow the map and trust the mapmaker to show me where what I want most sits. Thank goodness for the map. On the outside, so many of the choices look the same, but that map means I can find what I'm looking for.

With life, we don't really want a box of chocolates, a sampler made up of variety and surprise. We would rather just pick and choose the kinds of surprises we'd accept: winning the lottery would be a yes, but illness would be a definite no. But we don't have that option, do we? The thing about the life we lead is that we have a promise that, no matter how many surprises there are, that box of chocolates is going to be good. And we have a map that we can choose to follow. We have a promise from the one shaping our lives that His plans include a hope and a future. And in Romans 8:28, Paul wrote, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

So here's what I know: I want to follow the map. We've been given God's word, wisdom, and spirit to navigate this world. We'll find what we're looking for if we stick with the map. And, in the end, God's working out His plan. I'm really the only one surprised, and I can trust that something sweet is going to come out of it, coconut surprises and all.

Visit me at It's Not About Cheryl where I'm sure I'll analyze the philosophical meaning of other diet no-no's soon

Optimism

2009-01-21T18:53:00.000-08:00

Are you a "glass half full" kind of person? The dictionary defines an optimist as "one who usually expects a favorable outcome." Although I'd really prefer to be an optimist, I'm usually caught in the struggle between the angel on one side who encourages me to believe the best and the devil on the other that makes it impossible to ignore the world as it really is. Around this time of year, I'm particularly interested in fresh starts, new beginnings, and the hope they bring. There's just something about looking at a blank calendar page that fills me with optimism. It's like everything is a possibility. All those blank squares, days that haven't been written yet, fill me with hope for 2009.

Since the world's a pretty cynical place right now, it's difficult to maintain that outlook. Listening to news anchors, political pundits, and economic experts can put a damper on any positive position. But I'm making the decision to expect a favorable outcome.

"Change" has been the buzz word of 2008 and it's an enticing thought, the idea that change is coming and it's something that we make. Of course, the world's an unpredictable place. Change for good or change for bad, nothing stays the same for long.

So how do those of us who aspire to optimism (even when we normally have "glass half empty" tendencies) manage that personal change in the world as it is? First, we have to know where hope comes from. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." If you know Christ, it's OK to be optimistic. In fact, you better be optimistic! No matter what today looks like, God already has tomorrow under control. You can trust in a favorable outcome.

After you've established your source of hope and know that God is already working out your favorable outcome, you just have to make the choice on who you will listen to: the angel on one side or the devil on the other, the Holy Spirit and the promises of God's word or the news stories and experts. The best way to see God at work is to believe in the favorable outcome.

So what will you choose? For 2009, I've made the decision that it's OK to be an optimist. Join me. I'm sure I'll need the support! I'm going to do my best to believe that positive change is coming, and I'm convinced that God is working out a favorable outcome. I place my trust in the hope and future He's preparing for me.

To see how the positive outlook works in my life (and how long I manage to hold on to it), visit It's Not About Cheryl. And for more encouragement, check out the upcoming Marketplace Connection events.

I LIke Lists

2009-01-08T18:53:00.000-08:00

I like lists. I like to make them, but I really like to cross things off the list when they're successfully completed. And the bustle and busyness of Christmas means lots of planning: what to buy, wrap, cook, clean, call, visit, mail and return. Whether it's a grocery list or Saturday errands, marking things off the list means satisfaction and success. And after a day of waiting in line or sitting in traffic, I can look at that rumpled, marked-up paper and think to myself, "I did all that. I ... Am ... Awesome."

Those lists are really plans. Simple plans, the best kind! This time of year is the perfect opportunity to make another kind of list, a list of goals or maybe we'll call them "New Year's Resolutions." After jumping the hurdle to Christmas, I'm ready to slow down a little and think about what the new year should be like, or maybe more importantly, what I should be like in the new year. Of course, we could resolve to improve ourselves any day of the year, but there's just something about a fresh calendar that means a world of possibility.

If you're like me, your resolutions usually follow a few common themes: lose weight, pay off debt, exercise more, complain less (maybe that's just me). So this year, I will again make some resolutions, but I'd really like to reach the goals set. I'm not sure if there's a support group like List Makers Anonymous, but I should probably look into it. Still, here's what I'm calling:

A Few Resolutions Tips (yes, in list form)
1. Keep it simple
While I could easily build a list of 100 things to change, I won't. One thing just leads to another thing, and sometimes I'd really like to change the second thing, but all the work of the first wears me out. Of course, the idea of all the work to get to my real problem overwhelms me and I decide to eat ice cream instead. This year, I'm going to focus on beginning at the beginning with simple goals.

2. Be realistic
My confession: I want it all, and I want it now. Do you know anyone else like that? So, while I do desperately need to lose lots and lots of weight, I probably won't be able to do that in the approximately three weeks that I will stick with my new diet and exercise plan for the year. Unless I'm realistic about what I can accomplish, I'm just setting myself up for failure. Again.

3. Leave room for something new
A couple of years ago, I was a little tired of building goals that I could never reach and decided to add a fun goal: buy more shoes. Silly? Maybe, but I did it. I learned that improving me doesn't always have to mean giving something up. Maybe you've always been interested in photography (or cooking or ballroom dancing). Resolve to find the time for one class. Resolutions always seem so serious. Leave a little room for fun, too, in the new you.

4. Remember what's important.
Making resolutions is pretty "I" centered. You focused on things you'd like to change about you, but here's something else to remember: it's not about you. Sure, you need at be the best you possible, but never forget why you're here. Keep your eyes open. In Isaiah 43:19, the Lord says, "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." Maybe there's someone in your family or your church or your workplace who needs your time, encouragement, or just to know what's different about you. Is this the year to go on a mission trip or volunteer or lead a class? Watch to see where God is working and join him. Leave room on your list for God's goals, the work that HE's prepared for you.

Now I think I'm ready to make my list of resolutions. Are you? If you'd like to see how mine are coming along and whether I can follow my own tips, visit me at It's Not About Cheryl.

Why the workplace?

2008-06-15T18:54:00.000-07:00

-74% of all women are in the marketplace
-A record 68 million women were employed in the U.S.--75% of employed women worked on full-time jobs, while 25% worked on a part-time basis.
-By 2014, the number of working women is projected to reach nearly 76 million, 46.8% of the labor force
-Today most mothers—even those with young children—are part of the labor force

In the workplace, the average Christian knows 50 non-Christians. And in the workplace Christians spend a lot of time with non-Christians—far more time, perhaps, than they'll spend with even their best friends.

The relationships Christians have with the people around them are key to reaching the world for Christ.

Mark Greene
The Great 9 to 5 Opportunity
http://www.billygraham.org/