The last 15 minutes (7)

I don't know if you can see it, but in this photo I see progress! Hard work, endless meetings, lots of emails, phone calls and talking. 

What is it?

This is a group of volunteers that all made the 3 hour trip to get trained at our first youth detention facility. It's a big deal! People took time off work for this, they sat in a van for 3 hours with a bunch of people they never met and then they sat through 4 hours of training (and it was GOOD training) just so that they can sit again in a van with a bunch of people they still really don't know. We left at 7am and came back 6pm. I was blown away. 

Of course one of the questions is always going to be 'why would you go to a youth detention facility so far away?'

And the short answer is 'Because it's worth it!'. This facility has some of the best staff, best training and best resources. They believe in themselves, in each other and their kids. One of those things you don't really find on a regular basis when working with detention facilities. 

Now that we are done with the training, we I need to put together our own training on how the mentorship program will work and get that started. And the last thing we need is the equipment.. Screens, sound system, projector, TV's, Video Games... All the stuff that would make an environment fun and appealing for a youth to walk into. 

I honestly can hardly wait. While I enjoy heading up some stuff and bringing leadership to projects, it is also time to actually have contact with the youth that I want to reach. It's still a few weeks out, but I can almost feel it...

Funny story: A while ago we had a little get together where we all shared about something that God was showing us. I had a meeting lined up and had to leave early. And I was pretty frustrated with meetings anyway. For a while I had done nothing but meet with people without getting anyway. So I quickly shared how much I disliked useless meetings by now. If I am in a meeting, I want resolution and some sort of action at the end of it. Schmoozing bores me. 
Since then this AWESOME friend (who is way awesome even if she wouldn't do what I am about to tell you) screens people for me! I didn't ask her for it...Whenever someone is interested in our ministry she makes sure she spends time with them before she passes them on to me. Just so that I don't have to go through useless meetings! 
It makes me smile and also makes me VERY embarrassed. Let's just say that my focus is NOT at all her focus! Thanks L. You rock my world! :)

Gotta go now. The 15 minutes are up! 

The last 15 minutes (6)

The awkward and funny moment edition

Awkward moment #1: It's my best friend's birthday today. We grew up together, did everything together, pretty much until I moved away. So I needed to call her. She lives in Germany.Since today was a non blue day, the only good time to call her was on the way to prison. And since we were carpooling that meant having a full on (one sided) conversation in German in front of other people who don't speak German! Ugh, I HATE that! 

Awkward moment #2:Her daughter picked up and couldn't understand who was calling. So I had to yell my (real) name about five (!) times before she knew who I was. Let me tell you... To non German speakers it has a tendency to sound very rough and slightly rude when I pronounce it right. 

Awkward moment #3:Her daughter informed me that my friend was indeed NOT at home and that her birthday was actually TOMORROW! Hey, at least I managed to be a day early. 

Awkward Moment # 4:When you choose to wait on truck bed (you know, the back of the truck) and suddenly the trucks starts and you're still sitting on it, knowing the driver is unaware of you sitting there. And the way you know this, is coz the driver is calling you at that moment asking where you're at.

Funny Moment #1:When your boss walks around like he's just gotten off a horse after a day of riding coz he crushed his legs in the gym. (This continued to be funny throughout the day)

Funny moment #2:When someone leans forward and ends up falling out of the chair. (Tears were flowing - because of laughter, not pain)

Awkward weekend Moment: When you see
a massive face right behind ya.

Gotta go, my 15 minutes are almost over.

The last 15 minutes (5)

This would be the Duke and me. We hang out. We are friends. Or so I make myself believe. :)


If given the chance I would probably take his job at least for a day. I mean, when can you sit on someone and not get complaints... (Not that I have the desire to randomly sit on people - well, maybe I do... Sometimes)


So I thought I'd take the chance today to explain 'The Last 15 Minutes'.


It's nothing special really. Except a way for me to be more faithful in communicating what I am up to. In 15 minutes I will put down the things I did, thought about or am embarrassed about (there's such a GOOD story, but I need a few more weeks until I'm ready to share that one). 


There's only so much I can type in 15 minutes, so it's bound to be somewhat short. 


And it's during the last 15  minutes of my day. (hence the 'LAST 15 minutes). I'm pretty much about to go to bed. And I like sleep. Another sneaky way for me to keep it short. 


Except today. Coz there's a midnight hockey game and I didn't want to write this at 4 in the morning. 


Oh, and it's not gonna happen EVERY day. I don't want to script things just because my life is not interesting enough.


Gotta go, my 15 minutes are over. 

The last 15 minutes (4)

Today my wardrobe got criticized as boring. It almost hurt me. But only almost.
My wardrobe is not boring. Only when I'm inside. Most of my 'dress for success' pants and tops are devoid of colour and I don't see a reason to change that.
My outside wardrobe has enough colour to last me to the 80's and back.
So that's why I was only almost hurt. It doesn't matter, you know. It doesn't matter what people think in general. I'm still learning that


In other news... I've been giving out my work email to potential volunteers a lot. I'm not just handing it out - these people said they are interested in volunteering. 
The result? I am now on at least TWO email lists that want me to buy stuff. What are people thinking? That is NOT good business practice.
So if you're one of my potential volunteers, lets keep it about volunteering. And maybe, just maybe, wayyyyyyy in the future, when we might have become friends, you can feel the freedom to put me on your email list. 


And by the way, who here still does forwards??? Isn't that soooo 90's?


More later. My 15 minutes are over.

The last 15 minutes (3)

Good day on the inside. It always makes me think. How would I respond to not having a future on the outside? How would I live my life on the inside?
Would I still live for God? Serve Him? 


No matter what, right? And yet, when you're on the inside and you hear stuff, the way people talk and get treated, it makes you wonder. 


In the afternoon I got to hang out with one of my friends from last year. I thought we'd just grab coffee and be done in maybe in hour..... Well, THREE AND A HALF hours later I walked out of there. It was one of those awesome times when you talk and the other person just gets it. I mean really gets it. 
Maybe one day I will tell you what we talked about. Not now though! :)




Can't stop listening to this song. I know it's in German. But I like it! I even spent 99cents on it! You're welcome Kettcar! :)

More later. My 15 minutes are over.

Economically challenged...

The coffee shop was almost empty, but he was still there. What are the odds of running into the same person over and over again?

Last week I met him at the restaurant, the week before he happened to be at my house, and the week before that, someone had invited him to come to my birthday party. It's not that I minded having him there.

He was a really nice guy, with black unmanageable hair, tall and lanky and forever wearing jeans. He had the best deep voice ever which made listening to him actually fun. It was always nice to talk with him, figure out what his take is on stuff. He seems to really care about everything that's going on. It's a little freaky at times. But it's also what makes him approachable and fun.

As I was walking into the coffee shop I stopped at his table and chatted for a minute.'What's going on with you' he asked. 'Nothing much' I replied, the standard reply these days. 'Yeah right' he smiled.I went up front to get my coffee. With the coffee in hand I started to look for a good place to sit and just let the day go past. It had been one of those days and the only thing I wanted to do was to relax, drink coffee and not think about the stuff going on in my life.

There was a comfy chair open right next to him and I asked if he would mind if I sat there. He looked up from his computer, almost puzzled to still see me.
'Go ahead. I wish you would' he said and smiled.
Then he got right back into whatever he was doing on the computer.

I settled into my chair and took out my handy dandy journal. It helped me work through stuff if I wrote it down and for the next half hour I was furiously writing whatever came to my mind. The stuff with my family, my friends, disappointments with un-kept promises... It all seemed so messy.

After half an hour I looked up and found him looking at me. 'What?' I said almost irritated.
'You ok?' he asked. 'You seem sad. A lot going on right now eh?'
I sighed. 'Yeah. It all seems so messy and out of my control. I wish I could do stuff, but there's nothing. I tried.'
'I know how that feels' he said and I could only imagine.
In his position I would have probably given up. The fact that he was sitting here chatting with me was a miracle, considering I was sure that his computer probably demanded his attention ten times more.
Come to think of it, his phone had gone off at least 3 times since we started the chat and not once had he looked down to check who was calling or texting him. I remembered how much I hated it when my friend looked at his phone, rather than me in the middle of a conversation.I began to tell him more of the details of what was going on. He listened, looked at me and seemed so concerned for me. It felt good. My family was far away and a lot of my friends had so much going on, that I didn't want to bother them with my stuff as well. But I missed this. This feeling of being taken care of. The feeling that there is someone who listens.
Even though I was pretty sure nothing was going to change the situation right now. But he cared and that's all that counts.

We ended up talking for almost an hour. He never once looked at his phone or the computer, even though both were furiously ringing and dinging, demanding his attention. I had told him several times that he could take it if he needed to, but he insisted that he would get to it in due time.

I stood up to leave and we hugged. 'Hang in there girl. Don't give up. I'm with you in this, ok?' I smiled.
'I know, Jesus. Thank you. It's always good to talk to you. See ya around?!'


I was still smiling when I finally left the coffee shop. So glad I met him there.

The last 15 minutes (2)

My last 15 minutes (before I go to bed) from Valentines day 2012. 
Don't even know why I mention Valentines Day - It didn't matter today at all. 


Today I worked at the Media Arts Studio. That's the Studio God Behind Bars runs... well,... behind bars. We work with inmates, teach them skills like graphic design, video editing and stuff like that. Anything they could use when they get released. 


Days when I'm 'on the inside' are exhausting. I don't know why... Maybe it's because you always have to be alert. You are in fact in prison and there are rules you have to follow. And I don't even know half of them.


That's stressful. 


And I can't wear blue. So I call them my non blue days. 
Do you know how hard it is to not wear blue? 
Plus, God Behind Bars has a principle about that: Dress for Success. So I can't even get away with black jeans. 


It's not a big deal, except for the shoes. Let's face it: some sort of heel works best in this attire. But that is NOT comfy. Not all day. Not with most of my heels being a size too small (huge feet problem)


So yes, I'm whining about shoes. I know. First world problems. 




Tonight I hung out with Jesus. I like those times. Rediscovering grace again. Loving it! More later. My 15 minutes are over. :)

The last 15 minutes (1)

             Jackie @jackie_doyle

        Just found out I accidentally signed up for Zumba. Oh this could be interesting. And embarrassing. Probably both. Although after last week....

6:54 PM - 13 Feb 12 via Twitterrific · Details

---

Yes, that really happened. I knew I had signed up for a 'fit dance' class. But when I got there and saw 30 other women and all of them in party mode, I already suspected something was wrong. 

And then I asked.

'Yes, this is the Zumba class'

Oh yay me! (my response in my head)

I did it anyway. It was fun. Couple things I found out:

I can follow hip hop

I can follow merenga (but can't spell it)

I SUCK at Salsa

Will probably go back and do one more Zumba class before I change locations. What I really want to do is ballroom. There I said it. I would LOVE to ballroom dance and hip hop dance. Sigh. I'm rather uncoordinated and it takes me ages to learn steps. But I still love it! 


Sue me! :)


Went to prison today! Just for 6 hours. It's what I do...
More later. My 15 minutes are over. 

Gotye's 'Somebody I used to know' in different

This video has had me laughing for a week now. So I thought you should see it too! It's just for the fun of it! :)
(Non German speakers start it at around 45 seconds)

FB is annoying

Therefore me and Facebook are on a break. :)

'Better to ask for forgiveness than permission...'

You don't even want to know how many times I've heard that phrase. At first I still thought it was funny. 


And then it happened to me. I was the one being asked for forgiveness. 


And it happened again. And again. And again. 


And I have to forgive. That's what Jesus calls us to. 


But I hated that I was being walked all over. There was no respect, no working things out. It felt like people were just using me to get where they wanted to be. And there was nothing I could do. 


I really wanted to lash out and sometimes I did. But in general I held back, because... 'hurt people hurt people'. 


I agree that there are times when that general principle happens. But shouldn’t it be an accident, rather than planned? If you know you will have to ask for forgiveness later, doesn’t that mean you’re KNOWINGLY sinning?


So I better remember that before I just jump on the train, forget about my convictions and do the same thing just to get where I want to be. 


Because let's face it: I WANT to do the same thing. It's easy, it's a short cut and others should forgive me, right? 


But God's shown me that it's not right. Not for me. 


Ugh. 

Take a quick drive with me from the store