I was on the subway finishing up HR Transformation (thought provoking book that made me think of the structure of HR and where many companies are heading). For I minute as i just reread that sentence it sounded like a commercial...a testimonial. lol.
I spoke about this book when i first mentioned the job opportunity that was offered to me last year where the book was on the shelf and God reminded me of this book. Well after the job opportunity was literally taken back based on where i live and given to one of my friends based in DC God reminded me again of the book. This book has become my morning subway companion..on the way into work.
As I read the last chapter that was referring to thinking about your competencies and having a reading list. Both of which was a good idea. I started thinking more about the idea of expanding my job to a generalist position. what would it look like? I looked online at HR jobs and see if i could pull some duties from the jobs i saw into my current job because i don't want to be only a generalist. I also would like to incorporate some skills that i have..you know those natural ones. So I started thinking about the idea of coaching my fellow benefit/comp staff members. coaching...not that i have any experience in this but i am an encourager and i think that's part of coaching.
As soon as coaching came to my head I loved the idea. This isnt the first time ive thought about coaching because when i came across expressive arts that was the same time i found the coaching book that i kept walking by on our communal shelf and was like hmm i need to check out what that is and after days of doing that i finally picked it up and was so excited when i found out what the cover is. Welp would't you know it God reminded me of this book again so you know i will be reading this book next.
But let me get back to what i was saying...as i started thinking about coaching my fellow staff members i thought it would be a good idea. i am in a unique position where everyone comes to me for guidance, help on a task, and venting. I'm probably the only person who is aware that there's gripes regarding our staff meetings (that its geared more to managers). No one sees how unequip we are when it comes to the strategic things. We are the non managers in the room. We are used to HR being transacational. i think the general consensus is yeah! i want to be a strategic partner but how does that happen when my duties are transactional? How does this effect me? I'm no expert. In fact, i feel the same way but the difference is i think I'm the person who could bring it all together..that we could learn together. A way to work together to figure out competencies...to figure out how we get to where we are to strategic partners. i admit this idea may seem lofty but i think its needed.
What i want to propose to my boss is that he send me to training for strategic thinking and coaching (I already found a 1 day seminar for each) and i can use my coaching skills to teach what i learned and figure out or start the dialogue of how this thing will work. I finished the book and now I'm trying to figure out how to propose this to my boss. I talked to hubby and he said i just explained it to him just fine. That made me smile. in some ways i don't want to feel like I'm betraying the trust and confidence of my team but in another way i don't think anyone else i going to commit to us. our boss is awesome! but i don't think he realizes the magnitude of how we feel.so i think i may be on to something here...stay tuned.
47 day journal-March 11
Matthew 21:1-11; Zechariah 9:9-10
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5 “Say to Daughter Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”[a]
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna[b] to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”[c]
“Hosanna[d] in the highest heaven!”
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
The Coming of Zion’s King
9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim
and the warhorses from Jerusalem,
and the battle bow will be broken.
He will proclaim peace to the nations.
His rule will extend from sea to sea
and from the River[a] to the ends of the earth.
Questions:
READ back through your journal through the week.
WHAT about Jesus do you find more compelling in this week's reading?
WHAT about Jesus do you find most difficult to understand or follow? why?
WHAT in your life needs to change if you are fully to follow the Jesus in the week's
text?
Answers:
I don't see this as a journal ...rather a devotional or bible study with myself which is perfectly fine because i need an assigned task to ensure i get the most needed word in my spirit.
Hmmm compelling..im not sure i would use that word over anything i read. what i found as the most comforting...a gentle reminder is the 1st entry in Isaiah 50....i think its wonderful to be reminded that God not only gives us the necessary things for our lives so we can be comforted but also gives us tools so we can be a help to others.
Jesus is always #1 in my life but if you look at my daily interaction you wouldn't be able to tell. Theres a good morning God a quick prayer and off with my day but i want to put the necessary work in that i do with any relationship that i care about. My best friend Kia lives in CA and i immensely enjoy our daily convos... talking makes her feel closer than she really is.that's committing time to the relationship yet with God i know he's there i love him but i don't put in the time somethings wrong with that picture.
There's nothing about Jesus that i find too difficult to understand or follow.
Simply making God the priority in my life needs to change in order for me to follow him. that is making the necessary time for him. My day starts out so awesome when i start my day with God.
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5 “Say to Daughter Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”[a]
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna[b] to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”[c]
“Hosanna[d] in the highest heaven!”
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
The Coming of Zion’s King
9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim
and the warhorses from Jerusalem,
and the battle bow will be broken.
He will proclaim peace to the nations.
His rule will extend from sea to sea
and from the River[a] to the ends of the earth.
Questions:
READ back through your journal through the week.
WHAT about Jesus do you find more compelling in this week's reading?
WHAT about Jesus do you find most difficult to understand or follow? why?
WHAT in your life needs to change if you are fully to follow the Jesus in the week's
text?
Answers:
I don't see this as a journal ...rather a devotional or bible study with myself which is perfectly fine because i need an assigned task to ensure i get the most needed word in my spirit.
Hmmm compelling..im not sure i would use that word over anything i read. what i found as the most comforting...a gentle reminder is the 1st entry in Isaiah 50....i think its wonderful to be reminded that God not only gives us the necessary things for our lives so we can be comforted but also gives us tools so we can be a help to others.
Jesus is always #1 in my life but if you look at my daily interaction you wouldn't be able to tell. Theres a good morning God a quick prayer and off with my day but i want to put the necessary work in that i do with any relationship that i care about. My best friend Kia lives in CA and i immensely enjoy our daily convos... talking makes her feel closer than she really is.that's committing time to the relationship yet with God i know he's there i love him but i don't put in the time somethings wrong with that picture.
There's nothing about Jesus that i find too difficult to understand or follow.
Simply making God the priority in my life needs to change in order for me to follow him. that is making the necessary time for him. My day starts out so awesome when i start my day with God.
47 day journal-march 10th entry
Matthew 3:13-17
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Questions:
WHAT does this tell you about Jesus and his mission?
IF APPLICABLE, how do people interact with or respond to Jesus in this text?
WHAT questions does this passage raise about who Jesus is?
HOW is God asking you to respond to what you see in Jesus in this text?
My answers:
Jesus had a mission for cntries and now was th prper time for things to take place.
John is suprised that the mighty Jesus would want him to baptize him. The father is proud of his son.
Believe that Jesus is the true & beloved son of the father so you can trust you life will never be the same.
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Questions:
WHAT does this tell you about Jesus and his mission?
IF APPLICABLE, how do people interact with or respond to Jesus in this text?
WHAT questions does this passage raise about who Jesus is?
HOW is God asking you to respond to what you see in Jesus in this text?
My answers:
Jesus had a mission for cntries and now was th prper time for things to take place.
John is suprised that the mighty Jesus would want him to baptize him. The father is proud of his son.
Believe that Jesus is the true & beloved son of the father so you can trust you life will never be the same.
week of March 9th Grace Cards
I have not pulled grace cards in a while but here goes:
Beauty: Surround yourself with simple pleasures. Beauty is the language of the divine.
Faith: Have faith. Every event we experience and every person we meet has been put in our path for a reason.
Ask: When we call upon the Divine for guidance and support, we will receive a response. Spirtual signposts will be put in our path to guide us to our highest good.
Beauty: Surround yourself with simple pleasures. Beauty is the language of the divine.
Faith: Have faith. Every event we experience and every person we meet has been put in our path for a reason.
Ask: When we call upon the Divine for guidance and support, we will receive a response. Spirtual signposts will be put in our path to guide us to our highest good.
1st entry for the 47 day journal-March 9th
Isaiah 50:4-9
4 The Sovereign LORD has given me a well-instructed tongue,
to know the word that sustains the weary.
He wakens me morning by morning,
wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.
5 The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears;
I have not been rebellious,
I have not turned away.
6 I offered my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;
I did not hide my face
from mocking and spitting.
7 Because the Sovereign LORD helps me,
I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint,
and I know I will not be put to shame.
8 He who vindicates me is near.
Who then will bring charges against me?
Let us face each other!
Who is my accuser?
Let him confront me!
9 It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me.
Who will condemn me?
They will all wear out like a garment;
the moths will eat them up.
Questions:
WHAT does this tell you about Jesus/his mission?
WHAT question does this passage raise about who Jesus is?
HOW is God asking you to respond to what you see in Jesus in this text?
My answers:
When I read the passage the scripture comes to mind that the spirit of the Lord has anointed me to peach good news to the poor, He has sent me to proclaim freedom and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed...to preach the gospel. So i feel like this is telling me about the wonderful Father that we have ..that he is caring, helpful, and protective and we need not worry because he will send encouragement when we need it. We should never fear or be ashamed because God is with us and he will never leave us.
I'm not sure what they mean by what question does this passage raise about who Jesus is.
I feel that God is asking us to be confident no matter what situation we find ourselves in because in each passage i found that it speaks to encouragement, the ability to be ready and willing to listen and act, ears are opened attuned and alert. the act of being sacrificial, knowing that God is with us and we are are protected, we should not be ashamed because God has cleared our name, and he is our protector and shield and our enemies will be taken care of.
4 The Sovereign LORD has given me a well-instructed tongue,
to know the word that sustains the weary.
He wakens me morning by morning,
wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.
5 The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears;
I have not been rebellious,
I have not turned away.
6 I offered my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;
I did not hide my face
from mocking and spitting.
7 Because the Sovereign LORD helps me,
I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint,
and I know I will not be put to shame.
8 He who vindicates me is near.
Who then will bring charges against me?
Let us face each other!
Who is my accuser?
Let him confront me!
9 It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me.
Who will condemn me?
They will all wear out like a garment;
the moths will eat them up.
Questions:
WHAT does this tell you about Jesus/his mission?
WHAT question does this passage raise about who Jesus is?
HOW is God asking you to respond to what you see in Jesus in this text?
My answers:
When I read the passage the scripture comes to mind that the spirit of the Lord has anointed me to peach good news to the poor, He has sent me to proclaim freedom and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed...to preach the gospel. So i feel like this is telling me about the wonderful Father that we have ..that he is caring, helpful, and protective and we need not worry because he will send encouragement when we need it. We should never fear or be ashamed because God is with us and he will never leave us.
I'm not sure what they mean by what question does this passage raise about who Jesus is.
I feel that God is asking us to be confident no matter what situation we find ourselves in because in each passage i found that it speaks to encouragement, the ability to be ready and willing to listen and act, ears are opened attuned and alert. the act of being sacrificial, knowing that God is with us and we are are protected, we should not be ashamed because God has cleared our name, and he is our protector and shield and our enemies will be taken care of.
Life Pie Chart
In my cluster group weeks back we had to draw a life pie. Basically a circle that is divided into six pieces that were labeled spirituality, exercise, play, work, friends, and romance/adventure. We were to place a dot on each slice at the degree in which I'm fulfilled in that area. Outer rim indicates great inner rim not so great. Then we were supposed to connect the dots and see where we are lopsided. the areas that are lopsided is the areas that are improvised and which there is little or no time spent. One of the tasks this week was to revisit.Looking at my life pie were several areas impoverished (friends in NY, play,and exercise,). The ones that are middle ground is work, spirituality, romance/adventure. Re looking at this i think i inflated spirituality more than i should have. Because my spiritual life is not where i want it to be in terms of the time i devote to God. February I took some time to evaluate how much time i spend at the gym vs the time I'm spending on the things that are priorities in my life and the things that are not getting done because of my late arrival at 10:30 such as spending quality time with hubby; having time with my artwork (whether drawing or doing more art related activities); and having time for myself. Funny and unknowing to me none of that included my time with God and that should be #1. So when i visited the church yesterday they gave out these small 47 days long journals which allows us the "opportunity to focus on the cross, the sacrifice, the resurrection and the life that Christ offers to each of us when we surrender to Him and trust in his way. It is the hope that the reader will begin to see Jesus for who he really is and who we are because of Him." can I say that is absolutely awesome and exactly what I'm looking for. Funny thing is when i picked up this journal I just thought it was a booklet to tell me about the church because the only thing on the front is the title and to my surprise when i opened it up I said this is exactly what i need. Thank you Lord for direction! So each day I'm going to post what is in the journal and my answers. The beautiful thing about this is its short passages and there no reason i could not be consistent with this.Oh and a few things that were improvised is not anymore..exercise i do that between 3-5 x a week, play (which I'm including artistic playtime)..is done at least 2x a day. still have to work on the romance/adventure. My husband is a really romantic guy but i think its kind of slacked off in the consistency of romance since we got married. Am i romanced several times yearly. oh yes. what i would like is monthly so it looks like i may need to implement that over the next few months.
Visited a New Church
I decided it was time for me to visit a new church and be planted so i made a decision I would visit at least three churches this month. This came from my wanting to be planted and I kept coming across an advertisement for a particular church called River on three different train lines so I was wondering if this was a sign for me to go there especially since I rarely take notice of advertisements. I of course went to their website to see if they had an recording of online messages so i could get a feel of the pastor. They did and honestly i was rather bored by what i heard. In the meantime online I was talking to my art teacher about the church i planned to visit and she mentioned a church she went to that was awesome that was called Forefront. I said hmm im going to put that on my list because i love hearing from someone that they enjoyed a service somewhere. In the meantime River had me feeling rather meh.
I planned to attend Forefront church on Sunday because from viewing a message online I loved the straightforwardness of the pastor. They had a late service 5:30pm which I liked. I was excited to go but of course with me lateness came into the mix no matter how hard i try to be on time. Urgh..so I was 30 minutes late. I had absolutely no reason to be late. I got caught up in a convo with J so I lost track of time. J was like at this point maybe you should try next time it will be too late when you get there and its raining. Nope i made up my mind I'm going. So I arrived and the church was in a theater located above a restaurant so since i was late I ran up the steps..little did i know the steps was literally the balcony of the church (not padded but hardwood floors). Oops. several people turned so i just stayed on the side and listened to the message trying not to be a disturbance. Then this girl came in after me and had no problem walking up the stairs in the middle of the sermon so i said i would walk too but not up the steps. i saw a leather bench which was near by and sat there. As i listened i took a look at the church. It was rather amazing to see this chill casual church environment in this small theatre which had maybe 30-40 people between the balcony and downstairs. People were on l shaped lounge benches or booth, chairs. It was rather refreshing. I love a church building dont get me wrong but i noticed this is the second church that doesnt fit the conventional church building facade and i really like it.
I was listening to the message but felt i was missing something because i missed the beginning (its like how i hate to watch a movie in the middle) but I said let me just focus on whats going on. The pastor said our cities are filled with John the Baptist rather it be colleagues, close friend, neighbors. John asked Jesus Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" (Matthew 11:3). In other words John was asking are you really the hands and feet of Christ? Are you all that you say you are? The same question can be asked of us..are we Christ followers? Do our actions line up with the bible? What we say/do on the weekend should line up with our actions on the weekday. Are you sure you are who you say you are? There was a survey that asked participants between the ages of 18-29 what do you think of Christians? Their response is judgmental, critical, sheltered. We are supposed to love others, sacrifice, and give to others. But many of us feel like its ok to say one thing and do another; despise those that disagree with us but we are giving a role to contribute a verse to God and healing to this world. The pastor then went back to the question John asked Jesus. He said John was about to be beheaded and he is looking at Jesus and possibly thinking this wasn’t the role I expected the son of God to play out in my life. Why am I about to beheaded? Jesus response was that the mission of God is being accomplished…..people are finding their way back to God, the lame are walking, good news is being preached to poor, the blind is seeing. Your life will be sacrificed and you will die.
For the mission of God to progress or move forward its going to require sacrifice for everyone who say they believe him. It doesn’t mean your literal life though some it is. But its about seeing a difference of what’s going on today and tomorrow because we are a Christ follower. Love, give, and serve in extravagant ways. As the body of Christ we are ask to do and say what we mean.
I thought this was a great message and something to think about!I'm going to go to the morning service next week but unfornutaley i will have to leave early because i have other meetups scheduled that day but i will be there for the majority of the service and can catch the remainder of the message online. Thankfully I also got to sample the worship team because they sang a couple of songs before the service ended and i really liked it. All in all i enjoyed my 40 minutes of service and will definately do what i can to make it on time since i see their service probably last like an hour and half.
I planned to attend Forefront church on Sunday because from viewing a message online I loved the straightforwardness of the pastor. They had a late service 5:30pm which I liked. I was excited to go but of course with me lateness came into the mix no matter how hard i try to be on time. Urgh..so I was 30 minutes late. I had absolutely no reason to be late. I got caught up in a convo with J so I lost track of time. J was like at this point maybe you should try next time it will be too late when you get there and its raining. Nope i made up my mind I'm going. So I arrived and the church was in a theater located above a restaurant so since i was late I ran up the steps..little did i know the steps was literally the balcony of the church (not padded but hardwood floors). Oops. several people turned so i just stayed on the side and listened to the message trying not to be a disturbance. Then this girl came in after me and had no problem walking up the stairs in the middle of the sermon so i said i would walk too but not up the steps. i saw a leather bench which was near by and sat there. As i listened i took a look at the church. It was rather amazing to see this chill casual church environment in this small theatre which had maybe 30-40 people between the balcony and downstairs. People were on l shaped lounge benches or booth, chairs. It was rather refreshing. I love a church building dont get me wrong but i noticed this is the second church that doesnt fit the conventional church building facade and i really like it.
I was listening to the message but felt i was missing something because i missed the beginning (its like how i hate to watch a movie in the middle) but I said let me just focus on whats going on. The pastor said our cities are filled with John the Baptist rather it be colleagues, close friend, neighbors. John asked Jesus Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" (Matthew 11:3). In other words John was asking are you really the hands and feet of Christ? Are you all that you say you are? The same question can be asked of us..are we Christ followers? Do our actions line up with the bible? What we say/do on the weekend should line up with our actions on the weekday. Are you sure you are who you say you are? There was a survey that asked participants between the ages of 18-29 what do you think of Christians? Their response is judgmental, critical, sheltered. We are supposed to love others, sacrifice, and give to others. But many of us feel like its ok to say one thing and do another; despise those that disagree with us but we are giving a role to contribute a verse to God and healing to this world. The pastor then went back to the question John asked Jesus. He said John was about to be beheaded and he is looking at Jesus and possibly thinking this wasn’t the role I expected the son of God to play out in my life. Why am I about to beheaded? Jesus response was that the mission of God is being accomplished…..people are finding their way back to God, the lame are walking, good news is being preached to poor, the blind is seeing. Your life will be sacrificed and you will die.
For the mission of God to progress or move forward its going to require sacrifice for everyone who say they believe him. It doesn’t mean your literal life though some it is. But its about seeing a difference of what’s going on today and tomorrow because we are a Christ follower. Love, give, and serve in extravagant ways. As the body of Christ we are ask to do and say what we mean.
I thought this was a great message and something to think about!I'm going to go to the morning service next week but unfornutaley i will have to leave early because i have other meetups scheduled that day but i will be there for the majority of the service and can catch the remainder of the message online. Thankfully I also got to sample the worship team because they sang a couple of songs before the service ended and i really liked it. All in all i enjoyed my 40 minutes of service and will definately do what i can to make it on time since i see their service probably last like an hour and half.
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