Posts by Tammy
FrankenCHALLENGE #8
John Crist dropped this bomb in his session at the START Conference. “If you have a gift and you’re not using it, shame on you. You’re robbing everyone of what you were put on this earth to do. I believe you’ll have to answer for that.” ~ John Crist Let that sink in for a minute. Wow. Now, take some time and really think about it. What is your gift? What are you made to do? The answer may not come right away. Sometimes, it’s a process of exploration in order to really find it. Start on that journey today. Ask others who know you what they would say. Take some time and think about what everyone tells you you’re good at, but comes second nature to you. How can you start using that gift more? Challenge yourself to use that gift today. Then share about it on the...
Read MoreHanding you the microphone
#STARTConf 2013 just finished. You saw the Facebook posts. You saw the Tweets. And even though you were not physically there, you were there in spirit. Today, we’d love to give you an opportunity to share what your biggest impacting statements were from watching the conference online through your #STARTExp friends. We’ve heard stories from people who were there. But now we want to hear the story that impacted you. Yes, we want to hear from those of you who were NOT at the START Conference. Did a particular photo resonate with you? Or a quote? Or a text from someone who was there? Share in the comments below....
Read MoreGood Therapy // Sydney & Sandy Clegg
My name is Sydney. And I’m awesome. At least, that’s what my family tells me. After you read my story, I bet you think I’m pretty awesome too. Oh, I forgot to mention – I’m a duck. Are you surprised? Don’t be. There really are a bunch of us around. You just don’t notice us. Or maybe you get us confused with our cousins, the geese. Don’t tell anyone, but they can be somewhat annoying with all the honking. I’m sure you are wondering what I’m doing here on FrankenSTART. What’s so great about a duck – and why in the world would feathers be part of Feature Friday? Well, like I said – I’m not ordinary. Neither is my story. My family saved me from a place called freezer camp. I’ve been told it’s not a camp at all, and no duck I’ve ever known that’s gone there has returned, so I’m not feeling too good about the place. Seriously, who likes camping, anyway? The day after my family brought me home, I had an encounter with a wild parrot named Coo. He jumped up and bit me on my beak. Can you believe it? That is some nerve starting a fight with a baby duckling. I guess I was a tough duck, though, because all I ended up with was a scar. I also fought off a vicious monster attack one night when my sister and I were sleeping outside. The monster kidnapped her, but I survived. I’ll spare you all the details, but let’s just say I had a difficult childhood. I felt completely ordinary. Luckily, things started to look up pretty quickly. My brothers started taking me on walks in our neighborhood. It was awesome! I got to see new houses and sidewalks and trees. I even got to the chance to swim every now and then. I ran into some of my friends, the Mallards. They weren’t very nice to me, and wouldn’t swim with me. Apparently, I didn’t fit in with them. But that’s okay. I loved the fresh air and the cool water, even just for a short time. I left my flock a long time ago, but I often wanted to go back. I wanted to be with my friends and family in a world that was safe and familiar. I wanted to be with other ducks. I didn’t understand this world with humans and their strange language. But, slowly, over time, they brought me into their world. They were different. They were loving, and kind, and wanted to make a difference in the world. So I decided to make a change. I decided to move away from feeling ordinary. I decided to become an overachiever in a non-feathered world. I’m not sure she knows it, but I helped my Mom find an ad in the paper for the Humane Society. They were looking for therapy animals. I didn’t really know what a therapy animal did, but it sounded like a pretty cool adventure to me, and I wanted in! I made sure she saw that portion of the paper that day. I had to make a little mess to do it, but it was worth it. At first, I think she just dismissed it. But, I kept bringing that paper back in front of her. And then she did something crazy. She sent them an email! She didn’t tell them I was a duck. Honestly, I was a little offended by that. But, the lady who responded actually guessed I was a duck and wanted to meet me. Can you believe it? Instantly, Mom was concerned. She has yet to figure out how to potty train me. I don’t even know what that means, but I will tell you I will NEVER agree to it. Potties are disgusting, and I am not going anywhere near one. After we met with the Humane Society, they told us I could now start visiting nursing homes. Mom seemed pretty excited about that. It took me a little while to get used to the...
Read MoreObedience // David Bouchard
David Bouchard Adventure. Risk. What did I get myself into? I didn’t know what to expect when I signed up for the Start Experiment. The pendulum of my life was already starting to swing from ordinary to awesome when I spotted the fateful blog post. I had been focusing my life on listening to God and seeking His guidance. It had become clear that He wanted me to write. He had given me an idea for a book. He had even delivered it in an incredible package. Gift wrapped, with a huge bow on top. Yet I had been refusing to act. I had actually just made the decision to finally start when I found out about the Start Experiment. Is writing an adventure? Is obedience awesome? Although the goal that I shared with others was a specific writing goal, in my head my goal was really an act of obedience. It doesn’t matter if what I write gets published. It doesn’t even matter if anyone else ever reads it. The important thing is to write. Not because of some clever idea I have, but simply because God asked me to. Once the experiment started, I connected with some incredible people. I rediscovered how passionate I can be about the dreams of others. I truly delighted in reading about what the others were up to…whether it was trying to meet the president or attending a yoga class. I rejoiced with every success and encouraged others through every challenge. See, I rediscovered that I’m addicted to life change in whatever form it takes. I discovered that the relationships are much more meaningful than the risks. In addition to all that, though, my simple act of nearly insignificant obedience has resulted in substantial change in my own life. An outsider would notice the change in my sleep schedule. This night owl has been getting up at 5AM for about seven weeks in order to write. If you could look much deeper than that, there is also a rekindled connection with God. I see Him working again. Not just in my life, but in the world around me. I have definitely missed these glimpses. God has done some pretty crazy things in my life. Awesome things. It’s been quiet for too long, though. Now I feel like I’m hitting a spiritual peak at exactly the right time. My wife and I just returned from our third mission trip to Brazil. And at the end of the month, I’ll be a chaplain at our county fair. These times are always full of ministry and God’s presence. More significantly than that, though, my family and I have taken in a 17 year old girl that needs a home. She’ll be living with us as she finishes up her senior year. Like writing, this isn’t a “short term” event. This is a commitment made through love. This is daily obedience, even when it’s hard. God used the Start Experiment to teach me that it’s not only possible, but it’s also important, to disrupt life for the sake of obedience to Him. He often uses the little things that we do every day in order to prepare us for the big things He has planned. God-sized “awesome” is way better than anything I could ever do on my own. So… adventure? Risk? Awesome? Sign me...
Read More
Recent Comments