If one is going to be sixty, possibly one should start thinking more seriously about one's finances. The power of denial is about to be broken!
We had some questions about the Canada Pension Plan because the rules are changing Jan. 1 2012. Because my birthday is Dec. 27 I could legally retire at 60 3 days before the rules change. Last year we really tried to figure this out, we asked several people and could not seem to get a straight answer. The website was daunting. So this year, with all this talk of change, I was really praying for a breakthrough when a lady from Welcome Wagon visited me at work, made her presentation and ended with "the last sponsor is my husband, who is a financial planner". I had sandwiched this woman into a busy day in a busy week but that made the Holy Spirit light bulb go off in my head, so I told her if her husband could explain the CPP changes we would meet with him.
Of course he phoned with answers available, so now I had to put on my big girl pants and go see him. I know we look like morons on paper, and now I was to be undone publicly. I feared a fear and it came upon me!
I won't bore you with all the details, but here's what I learned: it's all about tax planning. Does everyone know this, and I am once again bringing up the rear? I realized I don't even know how much we pay in taxes. But that is about to change and there is nothing here I can't learn, even if it's my least favorite thing in the universe.
One day I was driving in a beautiful neighbourhood in Portland past gorgeous historical houses and I asked right out loud "what do you have to do to live in a house like that?" I knew that there were a lot of professionals and money industry people there, but I realized that I am just as smart as any of them and I know how to work hard. If my family had been in insurance or real estate or similar business I would have thrived in that environment; I probably would have done very well and could be living in one of those lovely homes.
But God knew what I needed and I was marked for ministry from an early age. And now I live in a lovely historical home at peace with my family - priceless. I have to trust that I'm smart enough to figure out what I need to learn to put our money in order for this season of life as well. What a 60 project that is!
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Open House
Last blog, I alluded to the idea of changing my approach to a big event that I was invested in and resolved to give it a try for Open House at the school, which happened on Tuesday March 8. I decided to look forward to event, to imagine how it would feel to be successful, and to enjoy the fruits of our labours (I have some great help).
The thing about an Open House is that you really can't have any idea how many people are going to come. I read a scripture in the morning from Acts 2 that mentioned the countries that people came from who were gathered in Jerusalem at the time of Pentecost, who carried the messages they heard that day back to their own nations - a pre-internet information superhighway. I occurred to me that God has the power to gather to our Open House in Chilliwack whoever needs to be there to spread the story of our school to wherever it needs to go. A phrase I learned in Phoenix at Lifelink: God is God and I am not.
I had a blast that day. Our visitors were spread evenly over the day, with a bulge in the afternoon, which we have never had before. I relaxed and enjoyed every visitor I met, asked questions, listened to the answers, took some folks around the school myself just for fun, enjoyed the concerts. Students involved in performing, serving, touring and playing basketball had a blast and felt ownership in their school. The day ended for me with two visits that can only be described as divine appointments. When it was all said and done, we had 4 times the interested families visit and begin the registration process than ever before. At the end of the day I was not even tired - I went home and taught a bunch of piano lessons!
I think I'm beginning to get the hang of this thing. Now on to the next project......
The thing about an Open House is that you really can't have any idea how many people are going to come. I read a scripture in the morning from Acts 2 that mentioned the countries that people came from who were gathered in Jerusalem at the time of Pentecost, who carried the messages they heard that day back to their own nations - a pre-internet information superhighway. I occurred to me that God has the power to gather to our Open House in Chilliwack whoever needs to be there to spread the story of our school to wherever it needs to go. A phrase I learned in Phoenix at Lifelink: God is God and I am not.
I had a blast that day. Our visitors were spread evenly over the day, with a bulge in the afternoon, which we have never had before. I relaxed and enjoyed every visitor I met, asked questions, listened to the answers, took some folks around the school myself just for fun, enjoyed the concerts. Students involved in performing, serving, touring and playing basketball had a blast and felt ownership in their school. The day ended for me with two visits that can only be described as divine appointments. When it was all said and done, we had 4 times the interested families visit and begin the registration process than ever before. At the end of the day I was not even tired - I went home and taught a bunch of piano lessons!
I think I'm beginning to get the hang of this thing. Now on to the next project......
Saturday, March 5, 2011
How I survived Worship X Change
Worship X Change is a worship conference that our school hosted this past week for other Christian schools. It began as a thought among a small group of music teachers at a conference 18 months ago. Our association director suggested we carry it out at our school with our teachers, alumni and students, and this week that's what we did. I spearheaded the organization with a team that kept it on the rails.
By all accounts it was a success. The general sessions ran well, with great response from the kids, everything happened pretty much as planned, and the exit surveys were overwhelmingly positive. It was all cleaned up in less than 2 hours, and the planning staff went out to dinner to celebrate. Lives were impacted, God was honoured, and good seeds were planted. As an added bonus, we broke even on the budget!
I realize today that I should be feeling euphoric, elated, satisfied, fulfilled - something, anything.... We had a vision, dreamed a dream, started a challenge, and came across the finish line with flying colours. But I feel almost nothing, outside of being dismayed at what a mess my house is after days of neglect.
I don't think in all the preparation that I took time to picture what success would look like. I didn't imagine how it would feel, what the impact could be. My own part in the actual event was more like this: tracking down the lost photocopy, looking for a tablecloth, pounding out documents at the last minute, realizing what I forgot to put on a list, spending money last minute that I didn't anticipate - like that. By the time it was over, my feet and knees were killing me, and I could barely speak a coherent thought.
Today I rested, went to breakfast with my kids, had a nap, read a book, saw a movie. I sat down with the exit surveys and read how kids felt they had grown closer to God, learned a new guitar technique, met some new friends, bonded with their worship band, understood the Bible in a whole new way - wow, wow, wow.
On Tuesday, we are having an Open House at school that I have also spearheaded, so I think I'm going to take some time tomorrow to anticipate the success, imagine how it will feel to meet the goals we have set, to try to see what God sees, to appreciate how the little things I do on Tuesday impact people for a lifetime, and prepare to celebrate down to my toes when it is all over. If being in the development end of the school is part of The 60 Project for me, it needs to be something that strengthens me emotionally and spiritually - something more than just a pile of To Do Today lists that I pitch in the trash at the end of the day.
Excuse while I snuggle up with a good book......
By all accounts it was a success. The general sessions ran well, with great response from the kids, everything happened pretty much as planned, and the exit surveys were overwhelmingly positive. It was all cleaned up in less than 2 hours, and the planning staff went out to dinner to celebrate. Lives were impacted, God was honoured, and good seeds were planted. As an added bonus, we broke even on the budget!
I realize today that I should be feeling euphoric, elated, satisfied, fulfilled - something, anything.... We had a vision, dreamed a dream, started a challenge, and came across the finish line with flying colours. But I feel almost nothing, outside of being dismayed at what a mess my house is after days of neglect.
I don't think in all the preparation that I took time to picture what success would look like. I didn't imagine how it would feel, what the impact could be. My own part in the actual event was more like this: tracking down the lost photocopy, looking for a tablecloth, pounding out documents at the last minute, realizing what I forgot to put on a list, spending money last minute that I didn't anticipate - like that. By the time it was over, my feet and knees were killing me, and I could barely speak a coherent thought.
Today I rested, went to breakfast with my kids, had a nap, read a book, saw a movie. I sat down with the exit surveys and read how kids felt they had grown closer to God, learned a new guitar technique, met some new friends, bonded with their worship band, understood the Bible in a whole new way - wow, wow, wow.
On Tuesday, we are having an Open House at school that I have also spearheaded, so I think I'm going to take some time tomorrow to anticipate the success, imagine how it will feel to meet the goals we have set, to try to see what God sees, to appreciate how the little things I do on Tuesday impact people for a lifetime, and prepare to celebrate down to my toes when it is all over. If being in the development end of the school is part of The 60 Project for me, it needs to be something that strengthens me emotionally and spiritually - something more than just a pile of To Do Today lists that I pitch in the trash at the end of the day.
Excuse while I snuggle up with a good book......
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