Who you know..

In the summer of 2010, I was balancing 2 full time jobs.  I was a stay at home mom by day and  Children's Pastor by night.  I worked late nights while the kids were in bed, prepping for the coming weekend.  To stay awake I discovered audiobooks.  I heard about this guy who wrote a blog called "Stuff Christians Like" and thought I would start with his book.  During the day  I couldn't wait to get the kids in bed so that  I could get back to listening to my "friend" Jon Acuff read -I felt like I grew up with the guy-it was like he was in my own youth group!

I began following his blog and anticipating his next books "Quitter" and "Start."

I am convinced that Jon Acuff and I are very similar...and his wife and my husband are very similar.

Acuff and I have our heads in the clouds at all times, dreaming of what could be and if it were not for our spouses, we would probably be living in a van down by the river. (Oh yeah I did just make a Chris Farley reference.)

I have grand dreams of what I would like to be when I grow up and Jon has dedicated his life to use his experience to coach people like me to pursue our passions and punch fear in the face!

I have taken part in monthly experiments in which he emails daily assignments that push those of us taking part in  the group to be strategic and take creative next steps in the direction of our dream. 

Fast forward to 4 years later, I was sitting on the floor of the Gwinnett Center,  putting together bundle packages for the Orange Conference, when a young couple, Kevin and Leah sat down with me and began to help.  We chatted about how Kevin was a new hire for ReThink and was new to Atlanta and to Orange.  Naturally, I asked him how he got hired and he told me that Reggie Joiner had text him and asked him to have dinner with him...

I joked with him about it-  "Oh yeah.."  I said, "Reggie texts me all the time, too!"    Kevin told me that a friend had referred Reggie to get connected with him about this position.  It was all very general info-no specifics.

We laughed  together and continued stuffing bags.

For the next hour, I told them about how I was there as a part of Jon Acuff's "Hustle Experiment" and told them all about how it worked.

They kept looking at each other with smirky smiles. 

I began getting  the impression that they knew something that I did not know.... during the conversation, I noticed Kevin was texting with someone and then his phone rang.



It was Jon Acuff.


Um... are you there God?  Its me Leslie!


Kevin told Jon about my story and the next morning I was able to meet the guy who was helping me to face all my biggest fears!

God is creative.  Who know that I would get to share my own story with a couple I didn't know and in return...I would be able to meet the guy who pushing me to do the things that lead me to that very moment...

God did.

So yeah... that's my Jon Acuff story.

Tuesdays with @Ouiser

Tuesday Morning
(Before The Orange Conference)



Something that I noticed right out of the gate was that nobody that works for rethink is "above" working hard and getting stuff done!  I guess that in all the years that I have attended the conference, I had imagined that the "faces" simply showed up an hour before they were needed, enjoyed some kind of VIP meal, did their thing and went home.

I am here to tell you, that one of the very first persons I saw  was a key orange thinker, (who was about to release his first book) on the floor..putting together shelves for the Orange Store.  As I looked around, it occurred to me that it wasn't just "him,"  it was all of them!  I saw countless orange leaders that I have admired from afar, check their egos at the door unloading trucks, wrapping packages in bubble wrap, and asking where they could jump in and help. 


There was no one that seemed too "important" to do any task! Not only were they working together but they looked like they were having fun!

 It did my heart some good to see this happen-that there was a team out there that actually works as a team and not as a "posistional pyramid."

As I stood and wrapped coffee cups in bubble wrap, I was lost in what was going on around me.  I was asking questions and taking mental notes.  I was watching something that had fueled and refueled my passion for the next generation-come alive in front of my eyes.



At lunch, I followed my friend down to the ground level and had lunch with all the reThinkers.  I sat quietly, eating my bbq sandwich, my eyes couldn't look at everything fast enough. I was in awe of all the Orange Leader "Rock Stars" around me.  One after one, they stood in line to have lunch and  most importantly, sit only an arms reach from me.



I was sitting among people who have lead me (without knowing me) for the last 8 years-they could have never known the impact that the hard work that they put in everyday, has influenced who I am as a leader, as a friend, as a mother, and as a wife. 



They all just sat there, laughing, talking, and eating coleslaw and bbq as if they were normal people, just like me.

psh..

Go figure!


Everyone I met was kind and happy to meet me.  I didn't feel like a "hastle" but instead, I felt like I was their friend.
I was encouraged and inspired by the servant leadership that I personally witnessed in only a few hours.   I have a new found (if it is possible) respect and loyalty to these leaders-mainly because they put their money where their mouth is-and practice what they preach.

...and I got all of this within a 2 hour time frame!  There is still so much more to share!  Come back tomorrow for my own personal Jon Acuff story!!!!

Preface:

So in 2005 we were attending a church in Indianapolis and one Sunday after church there was this booth set up in our lobby.  There was a table with a sign that said "THINK ORANGE" with red, yellow, and orange construction paper circles cut out and hanging from  drop ceiling. I walked straight over and asked what "THINK ORANGE" meant.

The volunteer at the booth recited a simple strategy that has influenced my life's direction ever since.

She said: "Well when you COMBINE yellow and red you get orange and we think that in Children's ministry, when yellow (the church) and red (the family) work together, we make orange (kids.)"

It was like my whole life made sense!



I signed up to lead the 1st grade girls small group and went on my merry way.

Through this time, I decided to go back to college and get my degree in ministry and in doing so, I found out about a church across town, that could be in need of leadership in the Children's Ministry department... and so began my internship as a Children's Ministry Director.



 I googled "Think Orange" regularly.  I was craving more information about this strategy.  I called Children's Pastors and asked what they knew.  I watched as this company,
The reThink Group evolved.  I bought the curriculum with my own money, I read the books, I listened to the podcasts, I purchased the training videos, I trained my team, I pitched the vision...and in 2008, I heard about The Orange Conference in Atlanta, GA.

By attending this conference, I  have grown in my own leadership and have been challenged in how we should lead the next generation. Ask anyone who knows me, and they we will tell you, I am all in!  I have spent the last 8 years attending The Orange Conference and have never walked away from it disappointed.



Like, ever.



This year, through a "Hustle" assignment lead by Jon Acuff,  I mustered up the courage to make a large request. Working for The reThink Group would be a dream come true.  With Jon's push,  I identified someone with whom I had a connection at "Orange" and asked if there was any way that I could spend this year's conference watching how it all worked. From set up to tear down and all that was in between.

I hit send on the email and held my breath....

and wouldn't you know it, she came back with an offer to "shadow" her throughout the conference and take it all in!


Over the next few days, I will be recounting my time and the things I learned along the way.

#hustle

Mappin' it Out

Last weekend, I was honored to speak to our Youth at our XP service.  It was the first week of our ROADSIGNS series.


This is the message of Andy Stanley's book Principle of the Path.


(A delicious book that YOU should read....like..yesterday!)


The idea is that it is our DIRECTION not our INTENTION that leads us to our DESTINATION.


The principle of the path applies to every path, whether it's your dating life, your friends or your future.


It's ALWAYS your direction-not your intentions, not your hopes, not your dreams, not your prayers, not your beliefs-that ultimately determine your direction.

As a teenager, you might say, "I am nowhere near sure what direction I am heading...I am just here to have fun!  I will worry about my destination when I get to college!!"

True. Kind of.


The reality is, we all have an idea of where we would like to be in the future.  It looks different for the stage of life you are in..

.......but be real-we can all have the intention to do something, but until we set our feet to action, we will never get there!


I want to go to college:  but I never studied and didn't try in High School.

I want to get a job:  but I am too busy taking selfies.

I want to get married: but I keep dating ANYONE and EVERYONE and not looking for THE ONE.

I want to have a better relationship with God: but I don't pursue it.

I want to be a better friend: but I just don't have time.


Last week, I talked about Solomon, (who was  totally wise! )  and how he was trying to warn a guy from making a bad decision.

Proverbs 7: 7-27

Sometimes, we are  not open to hear what people who are older than us have to say.  "What could they possibly know? "


The truth is...
Wisdom and perspective is earned.  We earn it by living through it!


Listen to those around you-perhaps they see something that you haven't considered.  Ultimately, it's your decision, the direction you go-

Just like I said last weekend, a map is only good to us if we know where we are going!


If you don't know where you are going... any road can take you there.


Intentions are great!  The direction takes work.   Steady your heart.

GO!

For the life of me, I can not figure out what I want this blog to be about.

Wanna know what paralyzes me most about writing a blog?  Fear of critics.


The fear of people not liking me is on my short list of scary stuff-it falls somewhere under drowning and mice.


What if I write something that offends someone!?




The thought of someone criticizing me make me never want to do anything.




I need to suck it up.

My mom once heard someone say: "Opinions are like buttholes-everyone has one."

We have all seen those people who write these really awesome opinion pieces that lands them reposted by The Huffington Post and the Today show for the controversial words they wrote.

How arrogant am I to think ANYTHING I would say would place me on some kind of  worlds most controversial bloggers.


Chances are my blogs will attract my mother and my best friend and maybe some random guy in Russia.


It is time to punch fear in the face.


It's time for Leslie to START saying what I want!