Here’s a pop quiz?

What is the definition of Tsunami?

a. important person

b. award

c. huge wave

d. revelation

Random? Maybe. On Thursday, I was handed a Reader’s Digest from 1996 and I was asked to review it to write down 10 things that I learned. Thinking that 1996 was a long time ago makes me feel old. I like to think that just yesterday I was in highschool. One thing I learned was that Tsunmai has multiple definitions beyond a huge wave… and I also learned that Japanese schools did not hire janitors. Japanese students are required to clean their own school building. What a great concept.

We then spent time trying to remember what life was like 10 years ago. Lonnie and I tried to come up with a the 10 most significant changes of the last 10 years. Our list included (in no particular order):

• September 11th
• Explosion of the Internet and Social Media
• Eco-Green Movement
• Everyone now owns a cell phone and personal computer
• The close election between Bush/Gore began a change in politics
• Mainstreaming of digital photography, video editting, creative tools
• Healthy Eating, new food labeling

By no means do we think that this is a comprehensive representation of the 10 top major changes… but it’s the stream of conscious list we made in about 5 minutes.

What we’re you doing 10 years ago? Where were you?

I was 19 and a sophomore at the University of SC in Columbia. I had just gotten an aol email account and instant messaging was a novelity. I banked with NationsBank because they had banks in Tennessee and South Carolina. When I would go to the bank in South Carolina- I vividly remember the bank tellers telling me that one day they will be able to have access to my account balance across state lines. I couldn’t wait for the day- because it was going to make my life a lot easier. I can’t remember if I had a cell phone or not… I would think that I would have. But, I know that I couldn’t check email and instant message on my cell phone.

Are you where you thought you would be today?

I’m not where I thought I would be today– but I can honestly say that I didn’t really have a vision for what I would be doing or where I would be in 1998. I can promise you though- if asked directly, I would have answered no to… do you think that you will be living in Old Hickory and working with your Dad in the pest control business?

The exercise continues with what are your goals for the next 10 years… my list (in no particular order) included…

• Have a family with Gavin
• Purchase All-American from my father
• Quadruple All-American’s annual revenue
• Build a very small, energy efficient, green house with Gavin
• Travel for relaxation & experience, travel for missions
• Continue learning about local and world crisis- and engage in a big impact, big give way

It was a good exericise. And, the answer to the pop quiz is… all of the above.

Gavin and I have friends that are taking on the joy of adoption.  All requirements have been met and the nursery is set… now for the waiting game!  Jennifer emailed today and asked for my help in creating a T-shirt that they can sell to help raise the 10,000 more dollars they need for the adoption. Yep, $10,000- why in the world does adoption cost so much!  It’s super insane!

Jennifer and David are at a loss for what wording and type of design they want… so, I’m putting it out there to see if anyone may have a stroke of brillant creativity that may help them raise the money they need. (Holly you are fashionable and creative, any ideas

Jennifer showed me this link as to what another couple is doing.

Any ideas?

And, the winner is Bonnie Teeters!  She’s the marketing assistant here and lost a lean, mean 16 pounds… a strong 10.63%!  Second place is the boss-man, Al Foster, losing an astonishing 24.5 pounds… a proud 10.3% weight loss.  I came in 4th… with a 9.5 lb weight loss for a bit over 5%.  We all did great losing a total of 106 pounds!

I by no means think this is the end. We’ve have made some sigificant changes in the way we eat around the office.  It’s been good for eveyone!  We’ve even talked about continuing to weigh in on Fridays to help us continue on toward our personal goals and keep accountable!

Congrats to everyone!

Pictured back from left to right: Barbara Foster, Al Foster, Bonnie Teeters, Renee Lawwill, Anna Henley. Front row from left to right: Gavin Richardson, Erin Richardson, Angela Mitchell. Not pictured: Jim Bilbrey, John Oakley, David Earheart.

My friends at Hatcher & Fell Photography just sent this picture. Had to share.

One of the groups to which I belong is the Nashville Business Collaborative. Nancy says it best… We’re a group of independent women business owners, with ventures ranging from pest control to party planning. Though our careers are diverse, we share a united purpose, which is to provide mutual support (because entrepreneurs can use all the encouragement they can get!), act as each other’s marketing team, and network to expand our sphere of influence. Most important to you, our goal is to improve our community as we build our businesses.

We’ve discovered that mothers, particularly those who don’t work full time outside the home, are often the person in the household that makes decisions about our products and services. These mothers, that we like to call Super Moms, are also passionate about issues and savvy in the marketplace, but they don’t always have opportunities to express those views and act on them. So, we decided to bring together some Super Moms for lunch and discussion… our purpose was two-fold:

• to give Moms a chance to tell us about themselves and their needs as mothers in the community, so that we can better serve all Moms with our products and services
• to brainstorm with a small group of Moms about ways that we might support them and other women like them on a non-business level

The converstation was directed by three broad questions.

How do you connect?

What’s missing?

What dreams do you have?

I will post more on my reflections and next steps from the Super Moms luncheon at a later date… but I wanted to go head and begin the conversation and see if there is anyone out there that will speak to these three broad questions? (You don’t have to be a Mom to conversate)

I didn’t think much about it… going to West End UMC with Gavin to listen to N.T. Wright. To tell you the truth… I wasn’t even quite sure who he was. It was hanging out with Thunder and Emily afterwards that got me there. It was just a means to an end. A pleasant surprise.

Surprised by Hope to me is a deep, thought provoking, prayerful title in itself. There are many times in life that I could describe as being surprised by hope. In 2001, my graduation present from college was a trip with Habitat for Humanity Global Village to Zambia, Africa. I met many wonderful, wonderful Christian people during my visit in the village of Koama… I was surprised by their hope. A hope for a better life… a hope for a better tomorrow. They were lacking in clean water, they were lacking in fair wages for teachers, they were lacking in adequate health care… but they were not lacking in faith, hope or community.

As Christians in the western world- rich and drowning in material possessions. Do we really understand the word hope? Sometimes I believe we do… and sometime I don’t think we have a clue.

N.T. Wright’s Surprised by Hope addresses two questions. “First, what is the utilimate Christian hope? Second, what hope is there for change, rescue, transformation, new possibilities within the world in the present?” (Wright, Surprised by Hope, p. 5)

I walked away from the lecture on Tuesday with a renewed hope in today… not just a hope for tomorrow. A renewed sense that God is actively, powerfully, creatively loving the world into a new creation now… and as you and I participate in this kingdom building we sometimes are lucky enough to see but a glimpse of true, eternal healing and love. A glimpse of the new world that will be revealed.

Be still and know that I am God.

Be still and know that I am

Be still and know

Be still

…

Be

Last Wednesday, Dad and I traveled to Augusta, GA to meet with a good friend that owns a pest control company. I often say that I have learned more in my years after college than I ever learned in college… and I attribute that learning to relationships built and the giving and sharing of information and ideas between businesses. Jeff is a good example of a friend, great business person, creative genious… that has taught me a lot about how to grow a business and enjoy life at the same time.

On Friday, I left Dad in Augusta and traveled to Columbia, SC. I got to meet and spend the entire day with Clara. Spending the day with Dargan and Clara reminded me of what is important in life. The time you spend with others and relationships built are more important that anything else in this world. We had lunch with Ashley at the Gourmet Shop. A new spot for me (I can not believe I missed out on this place when I was in college). Dinner at Za’s with Raven, Dargan, and Ashley… one of my favorite spots from my college days. Afterwards we did a bit of star stalking around town with Holley. What a great day with friends!

The pic below is of Dargan and Jessica Biel. This is taken a couple days before my visit.

This Saturday is Nashville’s Earth Day at Centennial Park. I’m sad that I will be out of town and will not be able to partake in the festivities. I was happy to see that Cool Moms Care is on the schedule.

Go to NashvilleEarthDay.org

It’s from 11 am - 7pm and FREE!

I want to give some props to my co-workers who have taken on the challenge of being All-American’s Biggest Loser. Yep. 10 people signed up to participate. The contest began February 1st. Through this friendly competition, we have drastically changed… no longer do we bring donuts to the company meeting, rarely does anyone eat fast food for lunch, and we’re constantly hoping that the other is making progress! Beside the occasional time when you’ve found that someone has dropped a donut off at your desk… John Oakley

We weigh in on a scale in our filing room. It’s the first thing we do when we come in on Friday mornings.

Together we’ve lost a whopping 95 pounds! At an average of nearly 10 pounds per person… we’re all winners!

The final weigh in is April 30th. Wish us luck and continuing success!!!