2013: My Year in Review

The New Year rushed in with a surprise gift of keys to my own place! I had been on a waiting list for the apartments I wanted to live at when, out of the blue, I received a phone call saying someone had opted out of their contract and would I want to move in immediately? I said, “yes, please!” After having my things in storage for over a year, it was like Christmas all over again when I unpacked! I found things I had forgotten about but quite enjoyed having at hand again. It has been so much fun to have a place to call my own and decorate to my hearts desire.

When springtime arrived, I decided to take a much-needed vacation and headed back to Bethel to see some dear friends of mine. We took in the sights of Napa Valley together, had a hot air balloon adventure, and then came back to Bethel where I soaked in God’s love and came away refreshed. It was the first time I flew stand-by, and I was surprised that the journey went seamlessly – thank you, Jesus! It was also the first time I was serenaded by a man with a guitar in the middle of the night on a public bus in San Francisco. Thankfully, I was not alone, and thankfully he soon gave up after noticing his serenade was not having his desired effect of wooing me. Ah yay yay!  Never a dull moment…

June marked one year of living in Bloomington. It’s been a dream come true to live in the same city as my best friend of over 25 years, Claire. I love doing life with her and am so thankful for this season! Our new adventure together in 2014 will be training for and running a half marathon in the spring.

The summer fun continued in July as I travelled to Illinois to gather with my Mom’s entire extended family. Think “My Big Fat Greek Wedding Goes Camping” and you’ll get the picture of what this family reunion was like. There was no wedding and we’re not Greek, but there was a ton of people, a rainy campground, lots of chattering, lots of love, and a big celebration of three couples 45^th wedding anniversaries. My Mom and two of her siblings were all married in the same year. It was a fun and festive time of celebrating and being reunited with family members I hadn’t seen in quite a while.

Fall arrived and as an act of continuing to embrace transition and declaring that change is good, I decided to cut eight inches of my hair off and gained bangs! I had been letting my hair grow out for three years, so it felt like a pretty dramatic change. Nonetheless, I believe it was in fact a very good change!

October marked one year on the new job! Wow! What a year it has been. I’ve learned many things through my new job. But I’d have to say at the top of the list was a lesson that falls into the category of life lessons I’ll always remember. It is simply this: I have limitations and that is OK. Asking for help is good. Setting boundaries, abiding by them, and communicating them is imperative.  I realize this can sound pretty simple and “duh” to many. These were things I knew with my head prior to this year. But I’d say it made the 18 inch leap to my heart as I have daily had to face my limitations with not only learning a new job, but also doing a job that previously two people did. God’s grace has prevailed though, and I’m so thankful He gives me exactly what I need each day.

And finally, because of family members busy schedules over the holidays this year, we all decided to convene over Thanksgiving weekend and squeeze in not only Thanksgiving – but also Christmas and the New Year! It was a special time filled with praise and worship, fun and games, exchanging many gifts, and looking forward to our next family gathering.

Over all, it’s been a delightful year, and I have so much to look back on and be thankful for! Here’s to another fabulous year in 2014! I have great expectancy for good things this year! I wish you and yours God’s best and an abundance of love, peace, and joy this special season.

Introducing My New Blog!

A little over a year ago I wrote a blog post: 11 Secrets to Success for the Single Life and to this day it is the most trafficked post on my blog. I find it funny that this blog post began because God hi-lighted one young lady to me who needed encouragement regarding her singleness, and since then I’ve met countless single women in the same boat. The need for encouragement and hope among singles is great in this hour! We need each other! It’s for this reason, I’ve decided to start a new blog: TheAbundant Single Life! My prayer is that it will be a place where singles can stop in and be encouraged, refreshed, and equipped to embrace their wait with glistening hope! I’m excited to share what God has taught me and what He’s currently teaching me about living life to the full as a single woman. While I don’t have it all figured out, I do want to be faithful to steward the wisdom and insight God has given me on my journey thus far. So it is with great joy, that I invite you to visit my new blog and send it onto any singles you know who are need of encouragement.

12 Fundraising Tips

I was recently asked to share the wealth of all that I’ve learned about raising money since I grew up in the world of fundraising as a missionary kid. As a result, this blog post was born. Much of what I have learned regarding fundraising has come from observing my missionary parents, observing several other family members and friends who are in ministry today, and experiencing my own fundraising adventures for a variety of missions trips throughout my life.  I also had the privilege of putting the steps in this blog post into practice when I went to ministry school and saw God provide abundantly above and beyond what I ever could have imagined! Thus, I’m freely sharing 12 fundraising tips with you today in hopes that it will encourage and aid you or perhaps someone you know.

1.    First – and most importantly - surrender your needs to God and trust Him to fulfill His purposes in your life. He is Jehovah Jireh – our provider. Always look to Him to see how you can partner with Him in making your dreams come true and then position your heart and mind to receive however the Lord chooses to provide for you. The steps I’ve listed here are just suggestions. As you partner with God, you might find that He likes to provide in ways you would never think of or dream up on your own. These steps are just a way to get started. I’ve known people who have felt like their only action step was to pray and ask God for their needs and then have watched God supernaturally provide for them without having had told a single soul. Nothing is impossible with God! The important thing is that you seek the Lord for guidance first and then move into action based on what He leads you to do. With that said, let’s get started on some practical tips that might help you begin your own fundraising adventure.

2.     Share your story and vision with those God places on your heart. People want to know what they are investing in. Your story is powerful because no one will have the passion for your vision like you do. Sharing your story is in essence sharing your passion for the vision you’re going after. There are many ways to reach out to people - take advantage of them all – but be careful to not over do it. Think about how individual people respond best and then approach them in that manner.

a.     In person

b.     On the phone

c.      Via a blog

d.     Via email

e.     Via a fundraising website

f.      Via social media

3.     Share how you’re contributing to and invested in your vision. What’s your part in making it a reality? e.g., “I’ve set aside time to meet with people like you who might be interested in partnering with me. I’m also contributing 10% of my paycheck from my part time job to my financial goal.” When you share how you’re invested in your vision, it’s showing that you believe in what you’re doing and you believe it’s worth their time to invest in you as well.

4.     State your goal clearly. e.g., “In addition to the 10% I’m contributing to my goal, I need to raise $2000 by the end of this month.”

5.     Break the goal down. e.g.,  “If I have 20 people who agree to give $100, the money will be raised. Or if I have 40 people who agree to give $50, the goal will be met.” It’s easy to get overwhelmed when looking at the big picture, so it’s important to break the goal down into more manageable sizes, for both you and your potential supporters. Once you break the goals down, it’s important to remain flexible and allow people to give however they feel led to give.

6.     Ask potential supporters to pray about how they might be involved. Can they give financially at this time and if so, how much? That’s the question at hand, and it’s something most people want time to think about. It’s good to give them time and space to think and pray about it before asking for a commitment from them.

7.     Set a date and time to follow up and then keep that appointment. At this time, it’s key to ask them directly if they’ve had any direction from the Lord on how they might be able to participate. This is the appropriate time to ask for a commitment.

8.    Practice gratitude.  

a.     Whether a person gives to you financially or not, be sure to thank them for their time, and for any encouragement or prayer support they have given or said they will give. There are many ways people can invest in your vision, be sure to recognize various investments in you and offer thanks. A thank you can go a long way in encouraging others and showing them you value what they are giving to you.

b.     Send a thank you card (via snail mail if possible) to anyone who donates funds to your cause as soon as their funds come through.

c.      Remember, what you focus on grows. If you cultivate a grateful heart and focus on all the gifts God is giving you, you will be overflowing with God’s goodness and positioned to receive even more provision from God through whatever means He desires to provide for you.

9.     Send regular updates to your supporters. Once a month is typically a good time frame to send out updates. Include:

a.     Where you’re at with your financial goal. It’s important to be transparent with your supporters on where you stand financially. Otherwise, it’s difficult for them to know how your goal is coming along and how they might be able to continue to participate with you.

b.     An update of how your vision is taking shape. e.g. share any progression that’s happened. If you’re raising funds for ministry school and classes have begun, share what you’ve learned so far, etc. Simply share from you heart what’s happening in your life.

c.      Any testimonies/stories that tie into your vision.

10. Practice generosity. Relationships are meant to have a beautiful facet of give and take. Asking for finances is sharing what you need. I encourage you to ask what your supporters are in need of and see if you might be able to contribute to their lives as well. It could be as simple as stopping and praying with a person you’re meeting with and ministering to their needs. Generosity doesn’t always equal finances. Get creative and think about ways you can be generous with your time, talent, and gifts. e.g., Instead of making your social media all about you, consider giving some helpful links to things that are relevant in the lives of your friends. It can be as simple as that. Little acts of generosity do add up.

11. Give tithe regularly out of love for God. God’s Word clearly states that paying tithe is a command from the Lord. God has all the money and resources in the world. In fact, all that we own is actually His. So why tithe? First it’s a mandate from God. Second, it teaches us how to keep God first in our lives. Third, it helps us from becoming selfish, and unselfish people are better friends, relatives, employees, employers, wives, and husbands. Tithing is actually being a good steward of what God has given you. Good stewardship is like a magnet for more blessings and favor. If a supporter knows you are tithing, it’s a good indicator to them that you will steward their gifts as well.

12. Create an email signature that includes your blog, social media links, and phone number. We live in an information age where people can easily get overloaded and lose important contact information. Make it easy for them to connect with you. Likewise, make an effort to connect with others often – not for what they can give you, but out of a heart of love and desire to foster community. After all, support can be given in a variety of packages such as prayer, a conversation, encouragement, etc. The bottom line is we need each other, and life together is better!