The title of my blog was pretty easy for me to select for 2 reasons. 1) The name Kristen actually means "follower of Christ" 2) Being a follower of Christ is my overall life objective but also my main focus for the year 2011. The verse that has really stuck out to me the past few months is:
Luke 9:23-24 Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny himself and take up their cross daily and FOLLOW ME. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.
I have been extremely and utterly blessed to be given the name Kristen. A name or title is something that we all have to live up to. After 23 years of having this name, I have only scratched the surface to discover what this name truly means. This past year has opened the flood gates and has really challenged mean to actually live up to my name and find out what it looks like to be follower of Christ. So let's recap this past year, shall we?
About this time last year, I had NO desire to go to grad school right after college to get my MBA. I knew I would be going to get my MBA at some point in time, but I REALLY didn't think it was going to be right after school. I thought I would work for a year, make some money, see what's out there and then go back to graduate school. Seems logical right? I mean, people do it....
Well, I decided to accept the offer to be in Niagara Falls the summer after my senior year without knowing what I would do after that. I figured, "Well, if I figure out what I'm doing for the summer, that's like a baby step to figuring out what I'm going to do the next year for the rest of my life." Sounded good to me! Baby steps, just baby steps.
*Sidenote* The decision to work with the Niagara Power proved to be SUCH A BLESSING. I learned and grew a lot working with the them and the Kern's, who manage the team from their basement. I won't go into much detail now but maybe in a future blog.
After I decided to spend the summer working with the Christian baseball team (seriously the PERFECT combination for me), there were some ups and downs. Who said figuring out God's call for you was easy?! Because I feel that once you've received God's call and decide to follow after Him in that way, that's when the devil really tries to get at ya (more explanation to come, probably in the blog with more details about the Niagara Power).
So after deciding what I was going to do for the summer, I spent that Christmas break looking into MBA graduate schools. I SERIOUSLY did some research. I studied for the GMAT the past Christmas break and without coming to any conclusion about what I would do after the summer. I went back to school, still not doing what I would be doing come August 2011.
It wasn't until I got back to school that I distinctly remember, being in my room one Friday (I believe), getting ready in front of my mirror and feeling God say, "Kristen, you should get your MBA at Ithaca." I was just like, "wait, what?!" So then, I tossed around this idea. When I was looking into other MBA schools, I always figured that I would apply to Ithaca because it was a one-year program, I didn't have to take the GMAT and because I knew the professors and people here. I always considered the Ithaca College MBA as a back up, never a first choice.
But, after talking it over with my parents and praying to God about it; this is where I felt God was calling me. Just to test the waters and see if this is really what God wanted me to do, I applied.
Needless to say, I got in and am happy with my decision (thus far). The program is rigorous (finance, accounting and decision analysis or 3 numbers classes in one semester, who would PLAN for this?!). I definitely feel there is a difference between undergrad and graduate school; like all I do is work and go to class and do school work. Yet, thankfully, I still have friends, a church family and God that can get me through this year (or semester in the least). I don't know why God has called me exactly to get my MBA here and now....but I trust that whatever He has up his sleeve is the right decision for me. Thankfully, this decision is actually what my parents suggested from the get-go. So it's reassuring to see how God incorporates and supplies some of our needs and desires that the world requires to fit into His plan for us. *QUOTE* The world's plans shouldn't fit around God's plan, the world's plan should fit into God's plan. (Jeremiah 29:11)
Though I still don't know exactly what I'm going to be doing for a job, I'm still looking around to see what's out there. For right now, I think my focus is on my studies and SOMEHOW, SOMEWAY being a light to the people in my MBA program. They need Jesus' light just as much as people in Africa, right. If this program and these people are my mission field, then I pray that they can see God's love through me and that I am able to "let [my] light shine before others, that they may see [my] good works and glorify our Father in heaven" (Matthew 5:16).
Friday, November 11, 2011
Feel The Power
This is the story of how I came to work with the Niagara Power baseball team last summer. The Niagara Power is a Fellowship of Christian athletes affiliate team in the New York Collegiate Baseball League (NYCBL).
Well, when person after person AFTER PERSON kept asking, "What are your plans after graduation?" I simply answered, "I don't really know. It's up to where God leads me." Seems faithful and hopeful enough, right? WELL....I soon came to realize if I want God to have His way in me, I'm going to have to pull my end of the bargain! That's when I actually started searching for jobs, filling out applications, sending emails to find contacts, etc. After realizing this and actually DOING something about my future (all with the hope of God's will in my life), I was given an opportunity to attend a FCA meeting in Rochester.
Now, Rochester is less than 2 hours away from Ithaca. I spent the summer before my senior year there interning for the AAA minor league baseball team there (they're affiliated with the Minnesota Twins). I LOVED my job, which then made me love the city, which then allowed me to go back about every month the fall semester of my senior year. This meeting in Rochester would be my 4th time in Rochester in 4 months.
We met and ate at the Outback Steakhouse, where the President of FCA, Les Steckel, spoke. He encouraged those that attended to continue reaching out to high school and middle school athletes around the area and build relationships with them. (I love FCA and am a proud supporter of FCA. I was pretty heavily involved with the leadership of the group throughout my time in college). Attending this luncheon was a great way to see more of what FCA does and how it operates. Because of my involvement with FCA throughout my four years of college, I figured it was worth looking into - maybe going on staff or becoming a huddle leader. Plus, if I'm doing God's work doing this job, why wouldn't God want me to look into it?
At the end of this meeting, I met a tall, bald, friendly man named Cal. He was the designated greeter and the man that got me to come to the luncheon introduced me to him. He introduced me to Cal because it sounded like he needed a Business Marketer. (That's what my major was in college, so yup! That's me!) Cal's eyes lit up. We started talking and he told me how he was the General Manager of a collegiate baseball team in Niagara Falls. (SO COOL!) My eyes lit up. He said he needed some help this summer and they have an internship available but not one with "six-digits" (he kept repeating). I told him how the past summer I worked with the Wings and he was blown away. He wanted to sign me up right now to work with the team, where the players on the team could either have a relationship with God and become a pastor OR just wanted to play ball and didn't really want to talk about God. The Christ relationship with the guys on the team could vary extremely. It was a great ministry, no doubt about it. But, I was hesitant and was not fully sold on this idea of spending another summer working long hours at a baseball park (which I really do love) and getting little pay. I went to this luncheon thinking I was going to get a full-time job opportunity (Mary, my future psychic actually predicted it). So this was not what I was looking for. He gave me his card, some pocket schedules and their program to let me see what they did. I looked through them and I was seriously impressed that a dinky college baseball team in Niagara Falls could pull this off. I thought they are actually a bigger administration than what I came to realize.
So for about half of the car ride home to Ithaca, I didn't have the radio on or anything. God and I talked, just the two of us. It was silent in the car but in my head, we were going back and forth about this.
Something inside of me just said just give it a shot. But the other side of me, the side of me that was more run by the world and my earthly desires to get a full time job after graduation and be successful, said I should look for something bigger. When I talked to Sherrie (Cal's wife and the team's general administrator), we talked for about 30 minutes and I thought we hit it off really well. The side of me that thought this is a great opportunity and just go for it said, this is a PERFECT opportunity for you! But the other side of me said, it's not good enough. You should be doing something more. I even was kinda discreet about my phone interview with my parents because I thought they would also want me to do more than this job. It turns out they were supportive but wished more of me. So let me just say, God works in mysterious ways.
He showed me that getting my MBA is a good idea and that this opportunity is a good experience before going back to school for another year. Somehow having this peace allowed me to be confident in this decision to do what I love and work for another baseball team for little pay and long hours. Cliche but true-there's more to life than just money.
So I went to Niagara Falls and fell into the hands of the most gracious family. I saw and experienced the most positive, faithful, family dynamics that I've ever seen! Especially in a world where the majority of families are broken. I can't even muster up enough words to describe how blessed I am to know this family, all four generations and in-laws of them! Being in this family for a short time of 2 months gave me hope for what families, my future family, can be like (not that I don't like my family or anything). To be so prayerful, communicative, close knit, supportive and relational. Of course there's always issues in any family but this family showed me how if God is at the center, issues and obstacles can always be overcomed and worked through. Even within he marriage. That's why serving this family was such a blessing.
It's kinda funny how the biggest thing I learned from this past summer was not how much it takes to run a baseball team, run concessions, tickets, promotions or merchandise, but how to manage a family and a household.
I did gain valuable work experience about working in the baseball and in ministry. But, I also think I gained more wisdom and knowledge about the spiritual and emotional that transcends all earthly work experience.
Well, when person after person AFTER PERSON kept asking, "What are your plans after graduation?" I simply answered, "I don't really know. It's up to where God leads me." Seems faithful and hopeful enough, right? WELL....I soon came to realize if I want God to have His way in me, I'm going to have to pull my end of the bargain! That's when I actually started searching for jobs, filling out applications, sending emails to find contacts, etc. After realizing this and actually DOING something about my future (all with the hope of God's will in my life), I was given an opportunity to attend a FCA meeting in Rochester.
Now, Rochester is less than 2 hours away from Ithaca. I spent the summer before my senior year there interning for the AAA minor league baseball team there (they're affiliated with the Minnesota Twins). I LOVED my job, which then made me love the city, which then allowed me to go back about every month the fall semester of my senior year. This meeting in Rochester would be my 4th time in Rochester in 4 months.
We met and ate at the Outback Steakhouse, where the President of FCA, Les Steckel, spoke. He encouraged those that attended to continue reaching out to high school and middle school athletes around the area and build relationships with them. (I love FCA and am a proud supporter of FCA. I was pretty heavily involved with the leadership of the group throughout my time in college). Attending this luncheon was a great way to see more of what FCA does and how it operates. Because of my involvement with FCA throughout my four years of college, I figured it was worth looking into - maybe going on staff or becoming a huddle leader. Plus, if I'm doing God's work doing this job, why wouldn't God want me to look into it?
At the end of this meeting, I met a tall, bald, friendly man named Cal. He was the designated greeter and the man that got me to come to the luncheon introduced me to him. He introduced me to Cal because it sounded like he needed a Business Marketer. (That's what my major was in college, so yup! That's me!) Cal's eyes lit up. We started talking and he told me how he was the General Manager of a collegiate baseball team in Niagara Falls. (SO COOL!) My eyes lit up. He said he needed some help this summer and they have an internship available but not one with "six-digits" (he kept repeating). I told him how the past summer I worked with the Wings and he was blown away. He wanted to sign me up right now to work with the team, where the players on the team could either have a relationship with God and become a pastor OR just wanted to play ball and didn't really want to talk about God. The Christ relationship with the guys on the team could vary extremely. It was a great ministry, no doubt about it. But, I was hesitant and was not fully sold on this idea of spending another summer working long hours at a baseball park (which I really do love) and getting little pay. I went to this luncheon thinking I was going to get a full-time job opportunity (Mary, my future psychic actually predicted it). So this was not what I was looking for. He gave me his card, some pocket schedules and their program to let me see what they did. I looked through them and I was seriously impressed that a dinky college baseball team in Niagara Falls could pull this off. I thought they are actually a bigger administration than what I came to realize.
So for about half of the car ride home to Ithaca, I didn't have the radio on or anything. God and I talked, just the two of us. It was silent in the car but in my head, we were going back and forth about this.
Something inside of me just said just give it a shot. But the other side of me, the side of me that was more run by the world and my earthly desires to get a full time job after graduation and be successful, said I should look for something bigger. When I talked to Sherrie (Cal's wife and the team's general administrator), we talked for about 30 minutes and I thought we hit it off really well. The side of me that thought this is a great opportunity and just go for it said, this is a PERFECT opportunity for you! But the other side of me said, it's not good enough. You should be doing something more. I even was kinda discreet about my phone interview with my parents because I thought they would also want me to do more than this job. It turns out they were supportive but wished more of me. So let me just say, God works in mysterious ways.
He showed me that getting my MBA is a good idea and that this opportunity is a good experience before going back to school for another year. Somehow having this peace allowed me to be confident in this decision to do what I love and work for another baseball team for little pay and long hours. Cliche but true-there's more to life than just money.
So I went to Niagara Falls and fell into the hands of the most gracious family. I saw and experienced the most positive, faithful, family dynamics that I've ever seen! Especially in a world where the majority of families are broken. I can't even muster up enough words to describe how blessed I am to know this family, all four generations and in-laws of them! Being in this family for a short time of 2 months gave me hope for what families, my future family, can be like (not that I don't like my family or anything). To be so prayerful, communicative, close knit, supportive and relational. Of course there's always issues in any family but this family showed me how if God is at the center, issues and obstacles can always be overcomed and worked through. Even within he marriage. That's why serving this family was such a blessing.
It's kinda funny how the biggest thing I learned from this past summer was not how much it takes to run a baseball team, run concessions, tickets, promotions or merchandise, but how to manage a family and a household.
I did gain valuable work experience about working in the baseball and in ministry. But, I also think I gained more wisdom and knowledge about the spiritual and emotional that transcends all earthly work experience.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Life exposed.
Whoa. So yes, this is my first blog. This is kind of a big thing for me. I've been following friends throughout their world travels, their ups and downs of life...basically all the journeys God takes them on through their blogs. I've enjoyed reading them; battled through the inner-conflict of making myself take the time to read their blogs in order to know what's actually going in their lives. At first, it seems like another thing to do (because I seriously have SO many friends with blogs) because I've been swamped with time these past few months. But, after reading them, hearing their voice through their words and feeling like I'm there with them, I guess I've decided to do the same. (Relationships go both ways, right? If I know everything that's going on in their lives, how will they know what's really go on in my life?)
So here you go. My very own blog. Facebook is getting annoying because of all the changes. I really like twitter because you can say whatever you want (in 140 characters or less) but it doesn't give real nitty gritty details. In blogs, you can also say whatever you want and only the people who really want to read what you have to say will read it.Who will actually read my blogs? I don't know. But, I've got some thoughts dwindling in my mind (amongst other things like finance and accounting) that I want to share with those who are willing to hear it (or read it).
I just spent too much time doing this because I should be reviewing for a big finance test on Thursday. But after, that's done and over with, I shall return (or maybe I'll take a study break sometime this week to fill you in on the past few months...we'll see).
"This is the day, the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it!" - I challenge you to do the same.
So here you go. My very own blog. Facebook is getting annoying because of all the changes. I really like twitter because you can say whatever you want (in 140 characters or less) but it doesn't give real nitty gritty details. In blogs, you can also say whatever you want and only the people who really want to read what you have to say will read it.Who will actually read my blogs? I don't know. But, I've got some thoughts dwindling in my mind (amongst other things like finance and accounting) that I want to share with those who are willing to hear it (or read it).
I just spent too much time doing this because I should be reviewing for a big finance test on Thursday. But after, that's done and over with, I shall return (or maybe I'll take a study break sometime this week to fill you in on the past few months...we'll see).
"This is the day, the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it!" - I challenge you to do the same.
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