Zero-to-One?

Inspiration can come from anywhere.

It has recently come to my attention that me and retail don't get along. I thought maybe I was the problem, you know? This and that being the reason, I assumed there was something wrong with me. After much thought I've decided that maybe I'm not the one who's broken. The system for getting those with unique needs, be them physical, cognitive, or otherwise, a good, supportive work environment where they can thrive and support themselves is weak and rarely enforced. Out of this frustrating experience came an idea. (my sincere apologies for the intense run-on)

Rather than bash myself and stress about how I just don't fit into society's mold of a worth-while investment (as an employee), maybe I should start something I do fit into. My creative PIC (partner-in-crime) and I had a girls' night last night. We watched House, ate ice cream cake, and talked. During our talking we were insisting we were created more for retail. (Oh Lord, please let it be so) Why not use what we love and are gifted towards to make us a few extra dollars?

We're pretty much thinking of launching our own business, of sorts. No name yet, but we do have our logo thing... or maybe they're just mascots, "designed." (and by designed I mean sketched on a page in my journal... they're three little peas, one for each main area of specialization).

It's a production company, specializing in PGV ("pea," "gee," "vee")

P- publications (newsletters, magazines, flyers, etc)
G-graphic design
V-videos (mwap, commercials, short teachings)

Our goal is to creative a product that is top-of-the-line, created cleanly and with integrity offered at a lower cost than other area services (and have a clientele base from... everywhere... because it's digital).

We value...
-Integrity
-Fun & Professionalism
-Excellence in product and interaction.
-
-

I'm pretty much stoked. I hope it works.

Is this what it means to be a 0-1 type of person?
(you might only understand that if you had Don Perini)

more later...

-Asher
ps- *smile*

Asher, take the Leap

Well, friends... my goal for the week is to apply for three youth min jobs. It'll be my first career applications since New Hampshire.

Biggest reservation? The possibility of leaving my amazing friends... but since it has to happen eventually, and isn't even a real possibility at this point, I say "why not?"

Plus, Kristin has access to amazing job banks through Wheaton that I get to take advantage of.

They're alive!!

So, I totally got the chance to share my vision for life and ministry .
(which, if you're curious, my philosophy of min, though not complete, is love.dream.journey. Definitely the best I've done so far... and definitely gets my heart flamin when I talk about it!)

I got so into explaining it that my one friend looked to my other friend and said, "I cant wait to see her on stage... we've got to get her on stage"

I immediately clammed up. I don't take praise too well. But, then they asked another question about it... and there I went again.

It was so much fun. I haven't shared the fullness of my dreams with this precision and clarity EVER. Well, not that I've really felt the freedom to until today... most people today are far too much of dream squashers to appreciate the beauty of something that is beyond the normal. In Philosophy of Ministry I felt too weighed down by finding the right words and phrases to communicate that I failed to see I already had it. Too much formula & expectation, and not enough freedom of expression.

Don Perini, if you read this, you should start the class by having everyone write a dream paper. We did this in JR. High YM with Toran and it was great. There are no limits, nothing to weigh you down, and you just write about your dream ministry. Once all that's there you have lots of amazing content to work with. It's pretty great. That's ultimately how I got mine done. I got to write a fun, goofy story about youth min, with only different areas that we had to cover in it, but no other specifications. It was amazing. I loved it. Toran read my entire paper out loud... embarrassed me like none other... but bam. I had gotten it.

The dream's alive!

-Asher

(I may post my paper as an attachment, if I can figure out how... so hold tight!)

I love teenagers!

[note to self & others: having a grande cappuccino at 10:30pm when you're not addicted to caffeine = seeing all sorts of hours that you haven't seen since crunch time, Senior year of college]

... if you get me on the subject of my students, past or present, I will not shut up... guaranteed!

Random sidenote: The past few nights I haven't been getting myself to sleep at decent hours that are appropriate for my work schedule. I've been compromising my self-care for a social life... end random sidenote:

And, although I know this statement is going to get me yelled at, I'm a horrible youth leader!

Seriously, folks. I told one of my girls from my internship (she recently located me... actually, several of them have found me in the past week... I think they're spreading the word, lol... and I suppose it's okay, now) that I would email her today about a particular topic she's confused on... but it's been more challenging than I anticipated. You see, it's about "Guarding Your Heart." And, well... see, this isn't something someone helped me discover... they just told me to guard my heart and somehow expected me to know how to do it... I've learned since then, but not via spiritual direction... so I'm trying to figure out the best way to tackle the subject in such a way that helps her expose the mystery of God and the truth behind the concept... instead of just saying "this is what guarding your heart is" and having her apply it like a fix-all or something.

So, as I've investigated the passage that we get the phrase from (Prov 4:23) and it's context... I'm not finding much... apparently there's just one understanding of it in today's church(relationships)? And I'm not convinced we even interpret it right... but that doesn't mean the principle isn't true... man o man... so instead of bringing clarity to myself as to how to guide her, I've definitely made it more muddled. Oi...

I don't want her to think she can't count on me to follow through with my word, so perhaps I'll just sent her an email explaining that although I know she's eager to have a conversation about this, I'm going to need a few more days...

I love teens... I love ministry... and being around some of the ones that I worked with 4 years ago, helping to disciple them, is amazing. Many of them are serving/leading in ministry and have grown so much and are eager to reconnect with me, even after 3 years. It's beautiful. A living, breathing miracle! Just goes to show that youth min is definitely a long-term investment, lol, and not for those instant gratification hungry. What can I say? I'm so proud of them!!

And, I got a note from another one of the kids I worked with during my internship. This one was letting me know that he's in college now, etc. He also stated that the retreat I planned and led is still the subject of talk at the youth ministry, and in the record books. (if I were to do it again Id have a separate track for the student leaders altogether. Some of the stuff was too heavy for them and there were more useful ways to train them, since their primary role while a student leader is to build influential relationships... but that's what experience does... it teaches you, if you let it!)

Stuff like that is so encouraging to hear, really. I really love planning events and teaching, in general. I'm not much of a preacher in the traditional sense; I definitely have the heart of a teacher... and I come alive when I teach... my heart leaps just typing about it here!! Some day, friends, I will be ready, and I will work with such love and dedication.. I feel it within me, the same way I know that I have the Holy Spirit within me! ... mmm... for now, I sit, I wait on the Lord, and serve Him right where I am... savoring the beautiful moments where God calls me forward and uses my beauty and my scars to help love others and draw them to Him!

*big, cheesy, excited, asher-type grin*

-Asher

Latest News

Although this news isn't all that new, I'm finally ready to just "throw it out there."

I'm writing a book. Yes, I am. I am quite excited about it, too.

I've always wanted to, always had the desire to, and now I am. This is very exciting!

I've actually got ideas for a few different books, but I'm focusing on one for now.

-Asher
(ps- Franklin & Theng: you are adequately mentioned in the post below. Good "luck" with work tomorrow, you guys are in my prayers!)

pps- oi.. I am in a lot of pain. My body hurts. There is this sharp nuisance of a pain that moves from the depths of my eyeballs to the top of my head, and the hastens its way down to the lower right side of my neck. From there, it continues, as if the excruciating pain forcing awkward accommodations weren't enough, and stops at the lower right side of my back. Occasionally, as if vindictively after my misery, and my misery only, it carries on to my hamstrings, forcing even more awkward physical movements. I can liken this experience to what a toddler might go through when they first discover that the things that mama and daddy have been blowing raspberries on actually serve a purpose.... and then crash, their cushioned tooshie hits the floor with such abruptness they're not sure how to respond. I don't ask for, and won't accept, people's prayers for my "complete physical healing" because I don't believe God sees me as anymore broken than a person who walks normally, and that I have a unique ability to interact and speak with people because of my limp. But I will ask that you pray for me to experience some relief from the pain.