I’m actually really, really excited about tomorrow’s Cable meeting. I rarely get excited about a speaker- but I LUV Southwest and what they stand for. I’m looking forward to getting a glimpse of who Colleen is and what she has to say!. Plus, we’re celebrating Cable’s 30th anniversary!

The Tennessee Conference is in the midst of their Annual Conference.  In an attempt to show that the Bishop values the youth of our conference, the Bishop has asked the President of the Conference Council of Youth Ministry (which is made up of all youth and 1 adult) to sit next to him during Annual Conference.  I’m indifferent as to whether this gesture really shows that the youth and their voice is valued. More doubt was shed concerning this gesture with I learned that the Bishop asked Thomas, our token youth, to get him a cup of coffee during the session. Come on!

Are we afraid to talk to our youth?  Are we afraid of what they may say? Are we afraid that they might call us to the carpet and require us to be honest!

First of all, I have much respect for bloggers. It’s not as easy as it would seem.  I figured I would start this blog and just “see where it takes me.”  Wow!  It’s quite the commitment to post something regularly.  And, it’s like exercising… when you get out of the routine- it’s hard to get the momentum to start again! I’m a little embarrassed that I barely made it 1 month before I slacked off.

We’ll I’m proud to announce that one project that I have been working on for months now is up and running. All-American has a new website- and it’s quite a upgrade from the last one.  This website represents a lot of the continuous improvements we have been working on at All-American.  It’s a great feeling to have it up and running.  Take a look!

I have been intrigued with bloggers who make lists… so, I’m going to give a shot at making a list of the 24 things I’ve been doing in the last 24 days…. no drum roll needed.

24. Started with a personal trainer. love it.

23. Gained 5 pounds. Lost 4.

22. Went on a cruise. very relaxing.

21. Missed Kelsey’s graduation. can’t complain. on a cruise.

20. Ate at the greatest mexican restaurant ever! really great.

19. Turned 29. not too bad.

18. Launched our new website. hurray.

17. Skin Dr. says I have pre-cancerous cells. yikes.

16. Started wearing more suncreen. oh well.

15. Learned Shawn may have to go back.

14. Worked on my first acquisition. learned a lot.

13. Acquisition fell through. maybe next time.

12. Parents left for Italy. finally.

11. Hired my brother to work in the business. he’ll do great.

10. Grandmother has back surgery. she’s a trooper.

9. Great birthday dinner. love the fam.

8. Got recognized for 40 under 40 in the Pest Control Industry. surprising.

7. Had a tooth filled. not too bad.

6. Didn’t get pregnant. okay.

5. Learned that Colleen Barrett is going to speak at Cable. Cool.

4. Asked to read at a dear friend’s wedding. very cool.

3. Reading A New Earth. no strong opinion.

2. Made the final payment for our vacation. more fun with family.

1. Started blogging again. for now.

So that’s what has been going on…  not too terribly exciting. not too boring. just me.

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