Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Check Marks

There is something satisfying about check marks. Those two simple lines connecting at a 45 degree angle speaks volumes.

Finished
Complete
Finalized
Accomplished
Concluded
Satisfied
Done.

Today I receive the ultimate check mark in my General Education box on my degree audit. This means that I am finished with all of my G.E. classes!



The Achiever in me may sleep tonight :)

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Crock pot Theology

I have recently discovered the joys of the age old cooking device, the Crock Pot. For some reason, growing up, I always associated the crock pot with a meal I did not like (Sorry Mom). For the life of me, I can't remember why I had that feeling toward it. Maybe it was because we were not having pizza or mac'n'cheese for dinner. Who knows...

But now the Crock Pot produces delicious meals that melt in your mouth :)

Since I have been doing my own cooking, I have been sticking to things I know how to make: Sandwiches, Pasta, and Tacos. It's been two months and I am now bored with my current menu. So I decided to venture into the unknown and try new things. A few weeks ago, one of my staffmates made dinner for our staff from a Crock Pot. I liked it so much, that I asked for the recipe, thus embarking on my cooking adventure.

A cool thing about cooking with a Crock Pot is that you just assemble the ingredients, turn it on and wait for 5-6 hours. Then you come back and eat! Since this was my first time using the Crock Pot, I was unsure of this process, so here is the conversation I had with one of my housemates:

Me: "Do I need to pre-cook the chicken?"
Erin: "Nope, just put it in the Crock Pot."
Me: Do I need to mix the ingredients?"
Erin: "Nope, just put them in and turn it on."
Me: "Should I add water?"
Erin: "Nope"

Nervous to do something wrong, I put the ingredients in and let it cook. I came back and had the best Sunday lunch ever!

As I was preparing this meal, I was struck at how similar this process is to other areas in my life. As many of you know, I am currently going through the recruiting process for a full-time job in the accounting field for next fall (Firms hire a year in advance).

Throughout this whole process, I feel the need to keep adding extra ingredients or stir the pot. I hate waiting for that phone call to continue the process. I think, "What if they need more information?", "Should I clarify a certain aspect of my resume?", "What if my email didn't go through?", "What if they tried to call, but my phone dropped the call?"

Not all of these things are likely to happen, but they go through my mind nonetheless.

Throughout this whole process of essentially marketing myself to a firm, the words I have heard repeatedly are "wait, calm down and wait."

I have been faithful to assemble the correct ingredients: my GPA, my leadership experience, my respectful relationships with my supervisors. Now I just need to wait and let God work in this process. The more I try to add, the more I try to push out God's hand.

I have come to realize the I cannot go into as demanding a field as accounting is without God. Therefore, whether it is California or Washington, Big 4 or small firm, I want to be where God wants me to be. I truly believe that God has an intent to bless me in this search process. Therefore, I have to daily relinquished control of application packets, interviews, firm visits and emails.

I have added the ingredients. Now I need to be faithful to wait.


May God continue to give me this attitude as disappointments arise and excitement builds.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Discovery...

Year 4. Finding #327

There is an elevator in Sutherland Hall.

Who knew.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Music Makes Me Lose Control

I should not listen to music in public places. A song comes on and I just start to move. The beat speaks to my soul and I can't control myself...

Currently I am sitting in Commons Grounds, our campus coffee shop, listening to the Black Eyed Peas. Every few minutes I start down that road of inevitability...

    The tapping of the foot
       The nodding of the head
          The moving of the shoulders
             The rocking of the torso along with the beat...

I catch myself before something really embarrassing happens, but there is that sliver of disappointment that I have to contain my kinesthetic appreciation of the music.

Growing up, I never liked dancing. I always joked that I was the only girl in my school that did not take some sort of dance class. I found joy in aggressive sporting activities, not ballet, or tap dance. Now I can't help but feel the music and want to move in way that does not preserve the study environment, that is Common Grounds :)

It's a good thing I'm not compelled to sing...

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Be My Everything, Please!

Tonight was Meet the Firms at Biola. Nine accounting firms came to campus to collect resumes and hand out business cards. As a senior, this is the time that I look to find an opportunity to get noticed by a firm and secure an interview, which results in a job. However, in our current economic climate, interviews are not as readily available as I have been told for the past three years. This news was expected, but still discouraging. All night I walked around with a fatalistic view of the pointlessness of this event.

How can I get a job when other people are losing theirs?
How can I get my foot in the door of a firm when the door is locked shut?

However, as I was sulking, I was reminded of a worship song we sing at Biola. Be My Everything by Tim Hughes is all about submitting all the areas of my life to God and asking him to be my everything. Here are the lyrics:

God in my living
There in my breathing
God in my waking
God in my sleeping
God in my resting
There in my working
God in my thinking
God in my speaking

Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything

God in my hoping
There in my dreaming
God in my watching
God in my waiting
God in my laughing
There in my weeping
God in my hurting
God in my healing

Christ in me
Christ in me
Christ in me the hope of glory
You are everything

Christ in me
Christ in me
Christ in me the hope of glory
Be my everything

You are everything
Jesus, Everything

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When I have submitted myself to Christ and he is my everything, I am in the hands of a master. So though I may only see closed doors right now, God has something open for me and he will show that to me in his timing, which is perfect.

2 Samuel 22:31-33

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Bark for Sark

Steve Sarkisian is a miracle worker. He has taken an 0-13 team on a 15 game losing streak and turned them into something unrecognizable. Last night, the University of Washington Huskies won their first game in over a year by a dominating score of 42-23. While they do have a lot to work on, this team is lifting the hopes of the greater Seattle area.

As a gesture to the new head coach, UW students wear t-shirts that say "Bark for Sark"

I want one :)

Monday, September 7, 2009

The long awaited trip report...

My Wonderful Supporters,

Thank you for your generous donation for my trip to Africa. I really appreciated your willingness to support the vision of Enterprise International and the work that they are pursuing in Kenya and South Africa.

Since this was EI’s first trip to Kenya, we focused on familiarizing ourselves with the culture through interactions with the people as well as conducting interviews to build a business feasibility study. We came to find that Kenyans are eager to engage in business and there is a fertile market for many different industries. We also saw how business was impacting Kenyans beyond profitability. Owning and operating a business enables people to meet their basic needs which is empowering and gives dignity to them. The idea of business provides hope for those living in poverty. Because of the structure of EI (business and mission) this hope for survival through business is tied closely with Christ and thus brings in a real hope for salvation. I saw a glimpse of how God can use business to transform Kenya.

When we moved on to South Africa, we began work with Wholesome Bakery which is in a township called Soshanguve. EI wanted to start a business in the townships to break out of the Apartheid model of segregation of blacks and whites. This bakery was established last August and has since been through many challenges. Our team had the opportunity to work on several different business projects. I was able to perform a simplified audit on the bakery. As an accounting major, this was exciting for me. We were also able to meet and work with the mission teams that the EI businesses support. It was good to see EI’s full Business for Mission model as well as see some of the tensions that exist between the business and the mission teams.

As I reflect back on this trip I am excited about the potential of business as a transformational development tool. Business has the potential to impact someone in the long run while philanthropic aid can only benefit someone for a very limited period of time. Additionally, business opens doors. In Kenya, we were able to meet with and interview the CEO of the Kenyan Tourism Federation. These business relationships can create opportunities for gospel conversations. It was a great blessing to be able to see God moving on another continent and in non-traditional ways.

If there is one thing that I can take away from this trip is that God provides for those who follow his plan. God provided more than enough financial support for this trip. He kept us safe on the streets of Nairobi and Pretoria. We never had a hint of an unsafe situation. He provided team unity and great leadership. He also provided safe travels both for us and our luggage. It was clear that God was in this trip and I am very grateful for the opportunity to go.

Many thanks for your support,

Amanda

Enterprise International team with the bakers of Wholesome Bakery