The Interrogation

I had several ideas as to what this post might be called including, "The Beat Down - Clint Eastwood Style", "Interviewed by Dirty Hairy" and "Are you kidding me, what just happened?!" So let me explain.

Earlier this week my new client asked me if she could introduce me to her mentor and of course I obliged. So Thursday morning I drive up to Lewisville (about 20 minutes north) and walk into a room at their Chamber of Commerce office. A 6'4", 70-something man greets me and introduces himself with a very sturdy handshake. He seemed nice enough and we small talked as we waited for my client to arrive.

Dr. Srinivasan (my client) gets there, the door shuts and the giant spotlight clicks on (not really) and the interrogation began. For 45 minutes I was grilled into the floor by Al aka Clint Eastwood about what on earth I was going to do to help Dr. S's school. It was one of those "read my mind" type interviews and I was in trouble. At some points I would look at him and there would be NO WORDS in my head to respond. I had been jumped! So I had to take a deep breath, have a little humor and do the best I could.

Towards the end of the beat-down I think Al warmed up to me, he even told me I did well and handled the pressure better than most. I felt fried and victorious all at the same time. And I learned a lot in the process. He's smart and the questions he asked were right on and I know that he'll be a great person to run ideas by.

That morning I didn't have time to do my Bible study like I normally do so I did it later that night. The verse for the week was so appropriate as we studied Deborah, the Judge and prophetess of Israel, she told the commander in Judges 4:14, "...Has not the Lord gone ahead of you?" And that's just how I felt. The Lord went ahead of me and I think softened Al's heart just a little.

And then there were two.

Today marks the signing of client number two! Riddle Street Montessori, a private school in McKinney has bravely and fearlessly signed on to be my client! Our first project, an open house, after a one hour brainstorm turned into a community-wide family fun day and fair at their amazingly gorgeous facility - go figure! So it will be exciting and fun to be busy helping wonderful places get the recognition they deserve over the next few months.

I had some worry about taking on too much at one time while I was getting used to the idea of being a consultant full time. However, after much prayer and pleading I felt like the Lord just said "Opportunity". So I have to look at this time and the blessing of another client as just that, an open door with room to walk through. It's really exciting and makes me feel like I did the right thing by taking a leap of faith, but I am also reminded that you can be right where God wants you and think NOTHING is happening... I know because I was there for the past six months.

Habakkuk 3:17-18 says, "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior."

Just because you can't see God working, doesn't mean He isn't. I'm proof.

Trust in the Lord... always.

Yesterday was my first day to go to the Head Start of Greater Dallas headquarters. I had to be there at 1 and it was raining a little bit but I thought, no big deal. As it turned out being on a large highway headed south with a hundred different 18-wheelers in the rain is a big deal. I was fairly certain at several points during my 30 minute drive that Head Start may not have a marketing person after all!

I laughed because I thought, I had to trust the Lord to get this job, and now I have to trust the Lord just to get TO the job! And I did and I got there on time to their great facility, just as the rain let up. :)

Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart..."

Let's give credit where credit is due.

Isaiah 43:19 "Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert."

As some of you know, I had a meeting today with Head Start and Zar, the contractor who is transitioning the account to me. As some of you may also know, I have been jittery, nervous, excited, worried, excited, and nervous about this meeting. I knew the Lord had arranged this, and yet I held my expectations back, thinking they might just need for small projects or a media call here and there. I was wrong and as usual completely underestimated Him who sent me.

I sat there with three of the coolest women listening and writing down notes and asking questions for an hour and a half. As it turns out, they need help. They need rebranding help, web site help, event help, newsletter, donor communications, social media implementation - the works. And all things I LOVE, I'm good at and am excited about. This means they could use me 40 HOURS A WEEK! I can work in the office or at home and help them rebrand to make Head Start (the second largest nonprofit in Dallas btw) speak with one consistent message.

Did you hear that? 40 hours a week, communications consultant for the second largest nonprofit in the Big D? How did this happen you might ask? The Lord. Period. End of story. I literally was trying to give myself one ounce of credit thinking, ok I had to have done something but no, it wasn't me, it was Him. And my job now is to honor that gift by honoring Him and giving him all credit for there is NO other explanation.

The details are mostly worked out but I'll be transitioning in the next few weeks to take full responsibilities. I even have two other organizations interested in my services so we'll see what happens, it might be that 40 hours is more like 30 and 10 to other smaller ones but that'll work out. And it could be that the Lord says, just this for now, and I'll pass. But this is so wonderful, so beyond my expectations and so just like the Lord to surprise me beyond my wildest expectation. He is good.

Don't go there

Today I did another round of letters, this time to private schools in the area. Another spreadsheet, more fighting with the printer, signing letters and licking envelopes (yuck!). During this somewhat mindless task I found myself thinking, "It was so much easier when I was doing this for someone else, they were paying me to do this!" And down I go backwards through the coulda-woulda-shoulda rabbit hole. I actually do this a lot and have found that it doesn't help anything and only makes me feel depressed and bummed out. But I recently found an antidote.

Isaiah 43:18-19 "Do not call to mind the former things, or ponder things of the past. Behold, I will do something new. Now it will spring forth; will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, rivers in the desert."

So whatever your situation, whatever you dwell on, make yourself sick over what you should've done, it's ok to let it go and move forward. The Lord doesn't want us wallowing in guilt or frustrated over the past, He wants us to follow Him and following Him always means moving forward and expecting new and exciting things.

Do you believe that? I'm starting to.