Remember Your Manners

We have all had those days, even weeks, when nothing seems to be going right at work. You do everything you can to get caught up and yet you fall more behind. (By the way, how does that happen? And, how do you curb this problem?) Yes, I have been having several of those bad days here recently. It is not that the tasks are hard, but there are many of them. I won't get into necessarily what is happening, but it has been rough for me at least..that is until yesterday. It seemed like the simplest of things really. One of the National Guards who are here training with the DASNR International Agriculture Programs needed his license scanned. We have a fairly new scanner so the easiest thing to do was to scan it to me then I would forward it to his e-mail. (You ask why I didn't just send it to his e-mail? Well, I couldn't find the . Crazy huh?) In a matter of seconds everything was complete. Later that afternoon, I received an e-mail that this person had replied to me and said "Thank you for scanning my license." That's it. And, yet these two simple words may have changed my attitude for the rest of the week.

Too often we get so busy we don't stop and thank those around us who are trying to help us. This is a prime example we need to be more cautious sometimes when we hand out work for others to do. A simple "thank you" can go a long way. Hey, you might even through a "please" in there too, which could earn you some brownie points :) Just be appreciative...even in the little things.

Positives of Social Media

Oh, the era of Facebook, Twitter, blogs and other social media outlets! For many, you probably have one or two or maybe all of these mentioned. It is an easy way to connect with old friends and new friends and share pictures and let everyone know what you are doing. Sometimes these are abused and most college students have attended a lecture about social media etiquette once or twice here in the past several years. However, sometimes it is really used to bring people together. Case in point:

My brother as you know is at Basic Combat Training in Ft. Jackson, SC. We received a letter last week telling us what his mailing address is, but it also said their captain maintained a Facebook group. She had on there what the exact name was, but for some reason it took me a really long time to actually find it, but I did find it! It has been fun to see pictures of my brother as he is going through this experience. It is also cool to know what they are doing basically each day. This group also can bring together friends and family of the soldiers going through the same regiment. They can talk and it serves as a place to encourage (or destroy --sorry for such strong language) people. My mom, an avid non-Facebook person, recently signed up herself just so she could see what is happening.

You might think it is crazy, but it is good to see him. When Bryan went through training we had absolutely no idea what to expect. Now, we get to see Tim kinda go through the process. Most of the time the pictures aren't necessarily of him, but they are his group. This might even be a little more humbling than just showing up for graduation. You never forget what they are doing and why they are doing it. You see the struggles from others, but you see the excitement as well. Something I have noticed is that although it is the soldiers really doing the work, the armed forces is a family business. Being a soldier is not a 8-5 job. Thank you Facebook for giving people like Tim's regiment a place where people can come together in this experience.

Hoorah!

A Servant's Work

"Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men."
Ephesians 6:7 (NIV)

College really is the best time of your life. Even with all of the challenges, I would not trade back any of my college days. Instead, I want others to have the same experience as I did. I want to help students who are lost find their place in the university system. So, that is what I am doing...going back and getting my master's in college student development. For many, plenty of questions are needing to be asked and a welcoming face is a great way to make students feel comfortable. During this process, I was graciously offered a graduate assistantship with the office I have been working for the past 3 years. I couldn't pass on this opportunity.

Right now, I feel like I don't know where I belong though. This verse of serving the Lord, not men is really speaking to me now. It is a really tough verse if you are really trying to live it out. I try not to question why I am doing a certain task being asked of me. I mean that is just who I am, but at times it is difficult. Details are not necessary for this particular blog, but a challenge for you is to live out Ephesians 6:7 in your own life. Difficult for sure...