This takes the cake...

Here is a story from work this week:

We have a general email Inbox.

An email came in this week that was marked "Urgent."  And it said...


... nope not kidding you....

"Help!  I am pregnant and I have a craving for Caramel DeLites.  Do you have any?"

:-)  I didn't answer it (wasn't my turn) -- but I hope we were able to find her some!  Because I guess that could be considered an emergency to some, right?

I mean when you need a box of Girl Scout cookies, you need them!

Appreciation

April 22nd is Volunteer Appreciation Day at the Girl Scouts.  We give them a gift, send them a nice thank you (normally via email) and in the month of April have a banquet to honor them.  I think it is a great idea.  While I don't volunteer to get anything, it is nice to know that people appreciate all of my hard work.

Working for the Girl Scouts -- I am not normally getting the appreciation, I am doing the appreciation.  And that is fine... but there have been times where I have felt appreciated.

Like a month ago when I received this card in the mail:

So sweet, right?  and then there was a year ago when I got a HUGE Hershey's Chocolate Bar in my mailbox.  Our receptionist, Angie, said that she wasn't allowed to tell me who dropped it off.  That made my week, or maybe even month.


It is nice to know that my volunteers appreciate me as much as I appreciate them.  For all of you who volunteer for the Girl Scouts -- thank you!  For all of you who volunteer in other ways -- thank you too!

An Exchange

This was a conversation I had today with a parent who was interested in getting his daughter in a Girl Scout troop. The Italics are my thoughts...

Parent: "Hello. Yes I would like to get my daughter into Girl Scouts."

Me: "Ok, well what grade is your daughter in?"

...

P: "I don't know much about Girl Scouting. What kind of things do the girls do?"

Me: "Well, it depends. Troops are girl led -- we want their interests to dictate what the leaders do. We have programs for everything from financial literacy to the environment, the outdoors to self-esteem."
Me (thinking): great, not this question again. Do I have a recording I could press for this one?

P: "Oh. Ok. Well, are they graded?"

Me: "Umm, no. They earn badges and such, but no. We don't grade the girls."
Me (thinking): WHY in on God's green earth would we grade them? This is the Girl Scouts!!!

P: "Oh. Well, how do they show they have accomplished something?"

Me: "Well, that is why they earn patches and badges. And when they get older they can earn the Bronze, Silver or Gold Award. But this isn't like Karate. We don't have colored belts to show advancement."
Me (thinking): Dude, your daughter is in third grade. She doesn't need to worry about college quite yet! Besides, let her have some fun!

...

So, that was just a snippet. Sometimes these parents puzzle me!

God is too good to me!

Seriously, He is good! I mean, GOOD! All the time! I am a big fan of seeing God's hand through out life. I have so many stories of places I can see Him protecting me before I became a Christian; I can see how He has guided me in decisions to places and people that would bring me joy; I can see His answers to prayer. God is GOOD!

It is no different in my job. How I came to hear about the job is a total "God Story" as some of my friends like to say.

I sit across from a woman at a luncheon at church. She talks to me for about 15 minutes and then says, "I think I have a job for you." She didn't even KNOW I was looking for a job. She didn't even KNOW I had been a Girl Scout as a girl. But God did. And He knew exactly what I was doing. He knew my passions well enough to know that I need to feel like 'I am making a difference.' He knew my personality well enough to know that I enjoy working with people, but also need to have independence and control in my job. And He gave it to me in this job.

Well, He has also allowed me to succeed in this job. I saw Him provide in BIG ways this year:

- He allowed me to have enough girls in on wait lists this summer so that I would make my goals by 7 girls in one area and 12 girls in another!

- He has provided me with some awesome new leaders for new troops who are EXCITED to be doing it. And sometimes they "seem to come out of nowhere." (yea right -- He sends them!)

- He has provided me with both two different Product Sale Managers so that I don't have to the job in lieu of a volunteer.

There are so many other ways, but He is exciting, encouraging and brings a smile to my face! :-)

Hope you can see God showing up in your life today!

End of the Year

Ok, so it isn't Dec 31st. But here at the job our program year runs from October 1st - September 30th of the following year.

Well, today is Sept 30th.

The big question is... did I make my goals?

I am happy to announce that YES I in fact did make my goals! :-) They'll keep me around a little big longer I guess.

Happy Wednesday all!

Things They Didn't Tell Me...

... when they hired me.

I like my job. Don't get me wrong. I am a little run down right now, but that is the time of the year.

However, there are a couple of things they didn't tell me about my job when they hired me. In no particular order, they are:

1. I am a pack mule. It is my job to cart crap from place to place.
2. I should be a mind reader. I should at all times know exactly what you want and when you want it.
3. I need to be able to kill spiders daily. Even if they give you the willies, doesn't matter. They run this building but we are slowly reclaiming it for the Girl Scouts.
4. Part of my weekly work out will be carrying boxes well over 20 pounds. Normally they are full of stuff we no long need and haven't needed for approximately 20 years.
5. Part of work wear is a parka. It is about a billion degrees BELOW frigid in my office and that is to be considered normal (not matter what time of year, hottest day of summer, frigid in my office. nice, beautiful fall/spring day, frigid in my office. cold, wet winter day, frigid in my office).

That is it for now. But if I come up with more, I'll let you know!

Girl Scouts

A volunteer sent me this cartoon above. Isn't it... well, cute isnt the right word. Just know we appreciate any publicity that is positive- why because normally people then think to put their daughter in our program.

And in case you didn't know- our data from past sales does show that when the economy is slow and/or bad, our sales stay flat OR GET BETTER! Why? Because people turn to things of comfort in these times- and what is more comforting than a box of Thin Mints?

If you want to buy cookies- let me know! I'll be glad to make sure you get them. :-).