got joy?

It’s been a while since I’ve posted. The past couple of weeks have been pretty busy and have consisted of a lot of driving. Ole Clyde has been a faithful companion as I've traveled to Asheville, Dillsboro, Sylva, Shelby, Cashiers, Waynesville, Hickory, Raleigh, Orangeburg, Beaufort, John's Island, Summerville, Charleston, and Hilton Head Island. The NC area was a lot of fun because I got to ride my bike on the Blue Ridge parkway. As far as my GPS “Bonnie” goes… well… lets just say that she has her days..


I went to Raleigh, NC to join my AFA Student Advisory Teammates to work on conference planning and visit businesses that sponsor us in the Research Triangle Park. One of my favorite places was John Deere.

Did I mention that they gave us authentic "John Deere" hats? Trust me, they're awesome. I already feel more in touch with my southern roots.





Back to my internship...
You might be wondering what exactly it is that I do at the places I travel too(besides AFA meetings, of course). First, the regional manager and I set up meetings at each of the branch offices. Once dates and times are all figured out, I show up at each office and deliver a hour and fifteen minute presentation about Dow’s new product “Recruit HD”. Sounds pretty official right? I love creative product names. I start out by showing two short training videos to my audience and then spend the rest of the time talking about customer communication, research, and answering questions. As the summer has worn on, I’ve adjusted my spiel to emphasize sales and customer relations. One of the things I have learned is that how you say things is oftentimes more important than what you are saying. Some of the people that I work with seem to just “get it”- they relate to people easily and adapt new products with a positive outlook. I love teaching these kinds of people because they see everything as an opportunity. You know, the “half-full” kind of people who make lemonade out of lemons.
Of course, every group has a downer. The kinds of people who will do everything they can to pull out the negative aspects of the situation. Alas. I finally understand some of teacher’s frustrations.

So what do I do when I get off work? You guessed it! Bike! Ten minutes into my ride this afternoon, a torrential downpour decided to accompany my ride. Two hours later as I rolled up to my truck, the sun decided to show it’s face, and the world became beautiful again. Agh! Bleh.
During the past few weeks I have been racing the Georgia games, French Broad, and POA crit series in Greenville with my teammates. This Friday I will be heading up to Gaffney with Jesse to race the “Friday Night Fight’s”. They don’t have a women’s race so I’ll be joining the guys. Dude. I will most likely get my tail whipped, but it is going to be epic.

Have you ever wondered what it looks like when someone actually glows with the joy of the Lord? I met one of those people this week. These are some of the characteristics that this person had:

• He consistently went above and beyond to make everyone’s day
• He looked for opportunities to encourage and build others up
• He smiled… a lot!
• He demonstrated humility by serving others first
• He spoke about his love for his wife, family, co-workers, and his love for God

One of the greatest things about this particular fellow was that I noticed the joy of the Lord in him before he said anything about his faith.

The Bible says “ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” Matthew 7:7

I’m going to ask for those characteristics.

Dramatic?

To say that U23 Nationals was brutal would be an understatement. None of my collegiate track races or workouts ever hurt so bad. Why, you ask? One word. Heat. I felt like an sea turtle in the middle of a scorching desert. It was miserable. Miraculously, God gave me the strength to finish the race along with girl from Fl who was a great riding companion. When it is 105 degrees outside in a 72 mile race, competitors become friends as you fight to put one foot in front the other. I know, I know, I sound really dramatic here. That’s one of the reasons why I love racing so much though.

Moving on to my job, so far I have completed training presentations in the Piedmont, S. Central, Metro, and Pee Dee region. It has been interesting to see that each region reflects the personality and opinions of the regional manager. The company I work with has done a great job of hiring exceptional regional managers and each one has taught me something different about the Pest Management business. I have found that I am most effective in my presentations when I seek to understand the regional manager’s outlook and strategies first. For example, one manager has passion for “selling yourself” instead of simply selling a product. Another manager, however, has a greater appreciation for the scientific research that has been done on Recruit HD. He prefers for his guys to deliver specific scientific facts to make sales. I have been delivering the same information to each region- but adjusting the spin and emphasis based on the regional manager’s preferences and ultimately my audience. So far this job has been a blast and I have learned a lot.

You know what’s crazy? Half of the summer has already flown by. Ah! They say that the longer you live, the faster time flies. I have found this to be true in my life. I was listening to a sermon this past week by Tim Keller and he raised the point that we were created for intervals of work and rest. Are you intentional about rest? It sounds silly, but sometimes I subconsciously view rest as weak. That’s right. I have caught myself “trying to live life to the fullest” by rushing from activity to activity until I absolutely wear myself out! The truth is… when I am rested and living the way I was created too… I achieve my ultimate goal in life. That simple? Yes, as a matter of fact it is. My goal is to bring glory to God. Check this out, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God”. Paul says this in 1 Corinthians 10:31 because we were created for His glory! “Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the ends of the earth, everyone who is called by My name, and whom I have created for My glory, whom I have formed even whom I have made". –Isaiah 43:7. God’s love for a sinner like me is real and incomprehensible. To give Him the glory is a like returning a molecule of water for an ocean. Doesn’t even compare. Dramatic? Nope. Absolutely real.