Leaders are Committed

For forty days I'm deliberately choosing to find joy. To start from the beginning, click here 

Day 23

Today began our first day of Leadership Training Event (LTE) certification. Myself and my fellow Base Camp Summiteers successfully made it through our first teaching session and Angie was quickly guiding us through session two in preparation for our teaching tomorrow.

Session one is about defining a leader. Session two is about Who Leaders Are. Everything was going well, until God decided to convict me by using one of the main teaching points.

Leaders are Committed -
They Say what they mean and they mean what they say

I could almost hear God telling me, "Heather, if you are going to be teaching this to students, you'd better be living it out."

How many times have I said in the past two weeks that I was going to make thank you calls to my partners who donated One-time gifts, a very necessary and helpful thing during these first couple of months as I get my feet under me.

So after five, as I stayed at work trying to print off my next newsletter (which didn't happen, so please be praying for our printer tomorrow morning as I declare war on the thing to get my newsletters printed!) I decided to be committed and make some calls.

First call, I left a message. The next few calls I got a hold of the person and had great conversations. And then I got to an older couple from my church. The conversation went as such.

dialed number and wait as it rings

Mr.: Hello.
Me: Hello, is Mr. or Mrs. ____ there?

Mr.: I'm sorry, we're busy right now.

upon thinking they thought I was a telemarketer I quickly say,
Me: Oh, Mr. ____, this is Heather Cheek.

silence

Me: a little louder This is Heather Cheek.

more silence

Me: Mr. ____. Hello?

more silence.... CLICK!

Oh dear, all I wanted to do was thank them for supporting me, and they thought I was a telemarketer.

I had to laugh a little. I'd never been hung up on purpose before. A little bit of joy fills my soul at the misunderstanding. I'll just have to try a different time to call and thank them.

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Have you had any misunderstandings today that brought you any joy?

Too Much Joy to Be Creative With the Title

For forty days I'm deliberately choosing to find joy. To start from the beginning, click here 

Days 16-22

So this past week and a half I've done a lot of traveling, and have been away from my computer, but I've still been racking up my days of joy. So here are several things that I found/chose joy in during that time.

Day 16: Road Trips. This used to be more difficult to take joy in (family road trips were usually long and tedious... perhaps I'll tell you more about the Great Circle Tours another day), however many college road trips has taught me that this is something I can easily take joy in. Hopping in the car with friends creates great bonding time, conversations, laughter and a large amount of time to get reading accomplished (I've read 3 books in the last 12 days)

Day 17: My Job. God has blessed me abundantly by placing me in a job which requires me to spend 45 undivided minutes in His word on trips. For my job I get to worship the Almighty Creator with my co-workers. For my job I get to work hard with my hands. For my job I get transformed so that God can use me to transform students.  For my job, I get paid to serve God in every moment
*Side note: thank you to all who has donated so that I can have a pay check and take joy in this amazing opportunity.

Day 18: The landscape of the USA. From the cornfields of Illinois to big sky of the TX flat lands to the mesa's of Arizona. I love the beautiful picture God paints every day for me to view. It is easy for us to complain about something we see every day while we drive, but have you ever actually stopped to think about how much detail God put in for our enjoyment. I've chosen to take joy from God's creation rather than complain about it.

Day 19: Music. I love to sit and just listen to someone pick out melodies on a guitar or piano. There is something just so basic and lovely about it. I could spend hours upon hours simply sitting and listening. What joy God has given us through our musical abilities.

Day 20: Spiritual Friends. God has blessed me with some great friends who are seeking Him alongside me. I love knowing that I have friends I can count on to pray for me and that they know when they need prayer they can count on me. True community that somehow in today's society crosses state borders and abounds in even greater love! 

Day 21: Exhaustion. Four of the past twelve days were spent working to renovate part of the  LT team house in Houck, AZ. As drained as I felt on the last day, it was so joyous to see the fruits of our hands and be able to praise God for giving us bodies that worked to total exhaustion to accomplish the tasks He had set before us.

Day 22: Well-worn Gear. During my time in AZ my air mattress sprung a leak and wouldn't hold air and my sleeping bag ripped on the hood section. Here is a great opportunity to choose joy rather than frustration. Although I will have to begin the search for a new air mattress and sleeping bag before January, I know that both of those things died because they were so well used. The sleeping bag was a hand me down from my oldest brother (at least 9 years of my own use... I'm not for sure how long John had it before me) and the air mattress was 13 years old (my family bought it on our first Great Circle Tour). They have been used beyond their life span and that brings me joy because they lasted with me through so many adventures. Hopefully whatever I get to replace them will offer just as many, if not more memories.

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God is teaching me so much as I search for Him and the eternal JOY that He offers. If you are doing your own joy challenge, I would love to hear some of the things you are finding Joy in. Please leave a comment with one or two things God has brought you joy in from this past week.

Joy and Contentment

For forty days I'm deliberately choosing to find joy. To start from the beginning, click here 

I took this photo Spring Break 2009. I think their faces reflect pure joy and contentment

Day 15

So I've been away from the internet for a week on a staff mission trip, but I have continued to count my joys. In the next couple of days I'll post another list of joys that I counted during the week. However, I want to share about finding Joy and Contentment in where God has placed you.

"But godliness with contentment is great gain."

1 Timothy 6: 6

Meet AnnaLee. She is a woman probably in her late 60s early 70s. She has short gorgeous gray hair and is approximately 5 feet nothing. She smiles as she greets every customer at Chick-fil-a and not only asks if you need a refill on your drink, but wants to know where you are from and where you are going. Her smile does not fade as she begins to wipe down tables and wash windows. She is full of joy and learning to be content on where God has placed her in life - as a prophet of the Most High  stationed at Chick-fil-a in Texas.

Meet "Twigs". He is a rugby built 31 year old man with a beautiful wife and two adorable kids. After giving God his life in his early 20s he has radically followed God's path for him all the way from Connecticut to a church in Tulsa, OK. Although he holds the title "Youth Pastor" he does not proclaim it. He used to say he would never work for a church, now he is choosing to joy in following Christ's path for him and his family. He is  learning to be content in where God has placed him in his life - as a prophet of the Most High stationed as a youth pastor in Oklahoma.

Several times throughout this week I praised God for giving me a job where I can be challenged in his Word as I complete manual labor that makes me groan at the end of the week with every movement I make. I find so much joy when I am on a trip. As I continue work back in the office I pray that God reminds me to choose to be joyful in that situation too.

Are you choosing to be joyful in the job that God has placed you in? From Starbucks, to College Admissions, to Teaching, to Ministry?

How are you acting out that choice of joy in your job?