Category Archives: Random Thoughtz

HELP!! Social Media Etiquette for Dummies

Posted by Amy W in Business Talk, life, Random Thoughtz and tagged with , , , , , ,

Or maybe it’s just for me…

Over the past few months, two people I know were recruited and offered job promotions through LinkedIn.  The first story I thought was a rare occurance, but after hearing the second story I thought there might be something to this professional social media/networking thing and decided it was time to “complete” my profile.

Up until the last few weeks, my profile had no picture, no great details about me or my professional experience.  I may have had my undergraduate and graduate programs and my current employer listed so that I could connect with classmates and current colleagues, of course.  That’s about it.

I’m not actively looking for a new job right now, but considering the changes that are coming forward in my company and specifically at my specific location, I figured it would be prudent to start preparing for changes should they become necessary in the future.

So I signed into my linked in account.  Added a picture, updated my resume, and accepted a few friends.  I clicked a few companies and groups I’d like to follow and the rest has been history.

Then last night happened…

(disclaimer – To date I have been a long-time blogger (not consistent as of late), active on Facebook, and participate in a few other online discussions where my identity remains relatively disconnected from my career and livelihood).

I found this one particular LinkedIn group that seemed to have interesting conversations pertinent to my industry and interests.  I loved the content so I jumped in on the discussions.

One technical question that was posed had some good responses, and one response that summed the issue up really well.

I did what any millennial Facebooker would do and I “LIKED” this comment posted the LinkedIn Group Page.

Then I came across another conversation where someone posted an article.  There were a few responses to the article, one of which I disagreed with.  Well, most of it was okay, but there was one rather grandiose assumption of the secondary effects of this major change highlighted in the article.

I did what any net-active blogger/commenter/social media-ite would do and I challenged it by posting my own comment to the article/the comment I disagreed with.  I emphasized other market forces at work outside the US… blah, blah, blah.  Really, I had researched this very thing earlier in the fall and was excited to be able to apply what I learned from my research to a real conversation.  Or to even have that kind of conversation with others in like-industries was exciting for me.  (Silly?  Possibly.  Nerd?  Definitely.)

My concern after the fact became this…

Over the past 24 hours, people I don’t know, who saw this “challenge comment”, have looked at my profile.  I know because LinkedIn tells me this.  Then when I look at their profiles, I can see that they know some of the same people I know.  Suddenly my comments and activity on this new LinkedIn group thing take on a whole new dynamic that I’ve never before experienced through blogging, facebook and other social media channels.

Usually, I either don’t know who’s “looking” at me, or they can’t look at me because of security settings.  BUT the whole idea of LinkedIn is networking…i.e. finding connections through other connections, connecting through interests, industries, etc.  Here, people can check my profile without “friend requesting” me (what does LinkedIn call it?), and that’s perfectly okay.  But I’m seeing some traffic to my profile as a result of my comment with no responses/feedback to said comment and I’m getting all paranoid inside.

Was I spot on?  Was I  wrong?  Was I awesome?  Was I a jerk?  I don’t know, I don’t know!?!?!

I mean, if I totally botched my comment, are these people going to contact their people who are also my people and tell them to check their employee who’s spouting off all kinds of stuff on some social media site?  I wasn’t rude to the guy (I don’t think) and (obviously) I think the point made was relevant…

Moral of the story is that I need help.  I want to continue collaborating and conversing in this place, but I don’t know the ins and outs of this professional social networking business.  Do I just need to get used to people looking at my profile and not make a big deal out of it like I am right now?  Are there rules that I need to abide by?  Is there a different etiquette that I must learn for LinkedIn that is different from Twitter, or Facebook or YouTube or other social media channels?  Is it okay to disagree with someone on a linked in group thread, if you’re tactful about it?  And what exactly does “tactful” look like in this instance?  Or are we supposed to not say anything if what we have to say disagrees with what everyone (or just someone) has already said?

I need a crash course in professional social media for dummies…can anyone help me out?

Numbers 14 – Responding to Unbelief

Posted by Amy W in Devotional, Prayer, Random Thoughtz and tagged with , , , , , , ,

Prior to entering the land which God had promised to Israel, the nation sent 12 men to scope out the land to which they were being led.  Once the men returned 10 out of the 12 men felt that it was impossible for them to go into the land – seeing the Canaanites and the land – there is no way, they believed, that they would be able to settle there.  The only two men who believed that God would lead them into the land successfully were Caleb and Joshua.

Numbers 14 picks up with Israel’s response to the news…and the overwhelming belief that their journey thus far had been for nothing.  They even said it would have been better for them to have remained and died in Egypt (vs. 2).  The thing is that God was already in the process of fulfilling the promise of that land to them.  Yet, they were now refusing to move forward.  Moses steps in and asks that God would forgive his people for rejecting the land (and in essence the covenant that had been made).  God agrees to forgive, stating that anyone over the age of 20 will not live to enter the land, but that the younger generations (plus Joshua and Caleb) would enter the land in 40 years.

Ultimately Israel’s sin in this moment is one of unbelief.  Despite all that they had seen and experienced with God, they did not believe that He could finish this promise.  In this passage we see two Biblical realities:  (1) God Forgives – God grants Moses’ request and forgives his people for their unbelief.  They have sinned and grumbled all the way out of Egypt, and on the pinnacle of their journey to the promised land, they just flat out deny God’s ability to complete his work.  (2) There is judgement – those who did not believe, despite what they had already experienced with Him, would not see the promised land that God still intended to provide.  They sinned, and while God was able to forgive them, judgement was still exercised, they were to set out for the Red Sea the next day (a complete reversal of the progress they had made on their journey toward the land).

This passage is extremely challenging.  Earlier tonight a prayer group that I meet with on Sunday nights described extraordinary moments in their journey where they had seen and been part of God’s story.  It was awesome to share the incredible things we had seen God do over the past few years.  I don’t think this group exists in a vacuum.  Most of us have seen God do incredible things in our lives at one time or another.  We’ve seen miracles worked among friends and loved ones.  Yet, when something doesn’t work out as we expect…or a prayer seems to remain unanswered…how often do we start to “fight” with God?  We grumble and complain.  We may begin to doubt or question God’s work.  We fail to step out in faith because although we saw God do something incredible last week…surely this week He couldn’t possibly do what appears so impossible for us this week.  We are too often like Israel.  I am like Israel.

This past week, for the first time in nearly 20 months I had an excitement for God, to worship, to be in Church to be around His people, to hear from Him, to see His Glory.  It’s awesome to feel hunger again…

But on the flip side, reading this passage tonight is a little different.  I am convicted over my own grumblings.  I know that I fight with God a lot.  I have some kind of entitlement complex that makes me believe because I have been denied x, y, or z…or because I have been through this and that kind of suffering…that I somehow deserve a break.  I think that God should finally turn his eyes to me and bless me.  When the blessings don’t come in my timing…we fight.  When deliverance seems impossible (as it did around month 8 or 9 of  the past 2 years) we fight.  When someone else gets what I’ve been wanting and waiting for…we fight.  When I hope for something only to have it blow up in my face…we fight…and usually my hope dies a little more.

Faith is a certainty that God will fulfill what he has spoken.  In the face of all that usually ends with me and God fighting are the very things that Caleb tore his garments over.  It is unbelief…or perhaps a misplaced belief.

The reality is, I have seen God do things I thought were impossible.  I have seen him forgive and love on the one person I would never expect to see that happen to.  I have seen him bring hope in the middle of death, change lives, restore relationships, heal cancer, and protect like no other.

God has never done anything that would, logically, cause me to doubt His abilities, and His wisdom in what He allows or does not allow…but in those most personal moments when I should be responding like Caleb…I find myself whining like Israel.

Abba, You have done incredible things in me, through me and around me.
There are things that even on the best days I struggle to believe you over…or to trust you with.
God in those places where I’m not sure that you know best, help me to trust.
In those desires that you have yet to fulfill, help me believe.
God I want to have that “different spirit” – one that trusts you for who you say you are.
Lord, I believe…help my unbelief.  Help me to trust and rejoice.
It is not I, but rather you who are God.  It is for your Glory that I am here.
Forgive me for my grumbling and lack of trust.  There is so much that I don’t understand
in the grand scheme of things, but I know that you work all things for your Glory -
I want my life to reflect that belief.
You are so worthy to be praised by all men…Use me to help make that possible.
Bring Glory to Your Name
Amen.

Sold Out For Christ?

Posted by Amy W in Christianity, Jesus, life, Random Thoughtz and tagged with , , ,

Tonight I was in a bible study thing.  We are going through Francis Chan’s Crazy Love.  It’s a pretty good book, convicting and challenging for those of us who have walked with Christ for at least a little while (I only say that since I am that person).  So tonight we were discussing Chapter 5.  One of the questions that the facilitator threw out there was what are things that consume us i.e. the things that we are “sold out” to.

Typical answers came out : jobs, family, kids, sports, school, activities, etc…

Then the question was thrown out to think about us not being sold out to God.

I feel like this is an idea that I’ve tossed around in my head for years.  What does a sold out christian look like?  Immediately I go back to the idea of someone who is passionate about the Lord and wanting to give their all to serve Him.  Naturally I default to the image that this always carried in my mind…basically someone in ministry.

When I decided to puruse my MBA, I struggled with this idea a lot.  Maybe it was because I had always (nearly since day 1 of my walk with the Lord) thought I would be a missionary…which later evolved to church planting and eventually was about working with young women sharing the Gospel with them and encouraging them in their own relationships, all while starting churches.

My life, at least in the time I’ve followed the Lord led me toward that idea, and then slowly the path started to curve away from it.  I would pray that God would just let me go to the country I wanted to serve in and God would open a new opportunity at work.  I would see Him move in incredible ways amongst my co-workers.  This happened several times.

Finally I started to think that maybe, for now or for my adult life, my “mission field” was work and became convicted that I had to put my all into the place he had me today.  I don’t know if I was trying to be sold out at the time, but I think my life reflected Christ in a very true and real way.

I’m not sure it does today.  Perhaps to an extent.  But I am often reminded of how much the light in me has dimmed out over the years, especially when co-workers see me respond with a curse word or in anger with different things that happen.  They make comments and I’m convicted.  I wan’t trying to be different, but they saw me as different.  Now I’m different from who I was then, whenever “then” was.  I’m not sure what or how or why things changed, but they did.

Tonight I’m thinking about those questions, and I still wonder, “what does it mean to be sold out to God”.  What does that look like?  If he has me in the secular work place, how do I then balance my desire to do my best and Glorify God through the abilities and skills he’s given me there, while also serving Him and loving those that he loves in a way that truly reflects Christ?

I’m not sure I know the answer.  My life seems to sway back and forth…hopefully one day I’ll find the balance where I’m able to steward my abilities in my field and also steward this Amazing Truth and Love that He has so graciously shared with me.  I’m not sure there’s a “5 step” answer out there to cure this tension I feel, but I want to find that balance…I’m not a “Church on Sunday” only kind of Christian, but I also can’t deny that I’m moving through the doors He opens…they just happen to continue to open in my work place.

If anyone has the answer…I’m more than willing to listen…

Conversations on Faith

Posted by Amy W in life, Random Thoughtz

My MBA class does a behind the scenes look at the Disney Theme Park Operations (the magic behind Disney, so to speak) as an assignment for our Business Operations Class.  One of the great parts about this trip, in addition to seeing a side of Disney that most don’t see, is the fact that we (a class of 35 or so students) get to network and get to know each other.  We are about half way into our group-based cohort MBA program.  Since we started 1 year ago, we have been part of 1 team (8 teams for the whole class).  Sure, you get to know some of your other classmates (there are only 35 of us), but the people you get to know the most are those who are on your team.  In a few weeks we are about to split up the teams, re-form, and find ourselves in a new team that we will finish out our year with.  This trip was a great help in allowing us to get to know the other people in our class on a much better level.

Yesterday, I found myself in a very interesting conversation with one of my fellow classmates that I don’t know very well.  On Saturday night we were all out having dinner and a few drinks.  In the middle of explaining something, he said that he was an athiest.  I took note, mostly because I’m a Christian who was an atheist at one time.  I guess I also took note because, knowing who I was as an atheist, I was worried that He might recieve me the same way, were he to find out that I was a Christian.

A little sidebar – I’m not normally ashamed or afraid of the fact that I’m a Christian.  I’m usually pretty up front and honest about it.  I’m not the most proselytizing of all the Christians out there, but I did want to be a missionary at one time.  I can have rather intelligent conversations about faith, my journey and beliefs and doctrine and what not.  As a professional, I’ve learned that it’s not my place to shove religion or my beliefs down the throats of others, and usually only engage if they begin to ask questions or welcome the conversation.  I don’t hide who I am, nor do I expect others to hide who they are.  I do expect respect and enjoy the exchange of ideas and beliefs, whatever they may be.

So back to the story.  On Sunday, I had the opportunity to talk to this guy in my class a little more.  We talked about everything from the park, the experience, and then talked about a plethora of other things.  Eventually the question came up about why I moved to my current city.  Knowing he was an atheist, I was a little nervous to tell him it was for a church.  Him and his wife (whom I didn’t meet, but heard about) seem like really interesting people, and sometimes pulling out the Christian label can completely squash conversations…I really didn’t want to squash this one, but I also had to be honest.  This actually led into a conversation about religion and faith journeys.

The hardest part about our conversation was actually having to be honest about me viewing my faith as a journey; something that I’m still figuring out.  There are things in scripture and doctrine that I fully believe.  There are things in my experience of faith that greatly enhance my faith and add to my ability to believe certain things, without a doubt.  BUT there are also a lot of things in the practice of modern day christianity, my experience (past and present), and within Scripture (or the teachings of scripture) that I don’t fully understand.  I haven’t reconciled the idea of women and their place in the church.  I don’t know why God allows bad things to happen, yet fails to intercede.  I don’t know why we can cry out and pray for things, only to get “no answer”.  I don’t know why, if Jesus died for our sins, we continue to struggle.  I don’t fully understand all the intricate inner workings of human sexuality (including but not limited to homosexuality) relative to what the Bible (and most conservative Christian teachings) describe as “God’s design”.  Sure I can give canned answers, but if I’m honest these are questions I still ask after 9 years of following Christ.  Some are much bigger issues to me than others, but there all questions I have and things I don’t quite get.  I don’t know where in all of this mess the human hand ends and God’s hand begins.  Where sovereignty and free will intercede or diverge.  But I am also a person seeking God’s face…hoping he will help me work out my questions and hangups enough to get me through the next day.  I never realized how hard it was to describe to someone that all of this exists for me, yet I still believe…and I would consider myself a pretty strong believer.  Some might think I shouldn’t be okay with this, but I am.  I’m tired of canned answers…I just want to be authentic…and if that means standing firm on some doctrines or acknowledging my lack of understanding in other areas…I’m going to do that.  For me it doesn’t detract from my faith, but rather is a sweet reminder that I don’t have it all figured out…and perhaps still have a lot to learn, not only about the Truth of God, but also his heart, for me and those he created.  And as hard as that conversation was for me to navigate, I walked away realizing a security in my understanding, beliefs, confusions and frustrations…and I’m actually grateful for it.

This all reminds me of one of my favorite prayers in the bible, “Lord I believe, help my unbelief” (mark 9:29).  something I may write about in a day or two.

Worth Waiting For…

Posted by Amy W in Dating & Relationships, life, Random Thoughtz, relationships, singleness and tagged with , , ,

I have a list of several blogs that I will skim on a fairly regular basis.  One of them,Thought Questions, is a blog that posts interesting questions for readers to then answer in the comments section.  Recently, they posted the questions, “what is worth waiting for?”  Not so surprisingly, the most common response had to do with true love, or “the one”.

I am not at all surprised that it’s the most common response.  But what I do find surprising is that while this is perhaps what most people want more than anything, most of our actions regarding love do not reflect the reality that we believe it’s truly worth waiting for.

Where is the disconnect?  I think many people get tired of waiting and ultimately settle.  Or they misjudge lust for love and stop waiting when that knocks on their doors.  Eventually, the lust wears off and they move on to the next “one true love” that comes their way.  How does this belief that true love is worth waiting for reflect in the divorce statistics?  Maybe we believe the one true love is worth waiting for, but not worth fighting for?

Or maybe we really just get tired of waiting.  We thrive off instant gratification, love shouldn’t take this long or be this difficult.  Or maybe we just get tired of being lonely.

waiting is good…