needs.

The latest knowledge learned in the HR compenstation realm dealt with motivation theories. SUPER interesting! (FYI, no sarcasm here -- I know I can be hard to read through words). I'm pretty sick of hearing about maslow's hierarchy of needs. But this week my prof lectured on a couple different motivation theories that were pretty interesting.

Maslow's pyramid of needs starts with the most basic at the bottom, physical. As needs at the bottom level are met, a person is able to move on to other needs until they are all filled (except for the highest one, self-actualization. I don't think you can fully meet that need. Maybe I need to study this more (sarcasm-> gee, can I?). He proposed the idea that compensation and fulfilling these needs are correlated. Compensation provides a means to filling these needs - especially the first two levels of needs- physical and safety needs. Fine, I give you that.

But he went on to say that compensation can get you all the needs, with the exception of self-actualization (which he thought could, to a point). I think I have a problem with the fact that business people think money can buy anything and everything. Yes it can buy a place to live, food, water, etc. But self-esteem? Hmm.

As you move up the pyramid, the influence compensation has decreases. In our society, it's very common for business-people, and people in general, to equate wealth with feelings of self-esteem, happiness, etc. I have a problem with this, and an obviously different viewpoint on it because I am a Christian. But I think this topic is interesting, and I'd like to study these motivation theories more.

rewards.

I have a couple of sweet classes this semester -- one whole HR class on Compensation, and only compensation. Wages, rewards, benefits, etc. How exciting! Already on the first actual day of lecture we discussed something very applicable to my life - value.



There are two main facets to a compensation plan. Extrinsic and intrinsic rewards combine to form compensation for employees. In general, business students are often after the extrinsic value found in a job - ie, money (good salary, excellent benefits, etc). The intrinsic rewards include a sense of accomplishment, a challenge, value to the organization, etc.



I've been thinking about this a lot lately, just not with this concise wording (which is why i love blogging because my written words sound a lot smarter compared to my verbal words...i digress). Over the past few months, not a day has gone by that I haven't thought about my future. I've been attempting to put into words my feelings towards the differences in working in HR and working for Crusade.



One HUGE element that I didn't realize I put a lot of emphasis on is in the area of rewards/benefits. Yes, raising support to go work in the regional office would be tough, but is doable. I would be able to earn enough money to live a moderately comfortable life- at least it seems that way in looking at others on staff.



Or I could find a company who needs a new face in their HR Dept. and earn the big bucks - not sure on the average for a recent college grad, but for sure $35-45,000 starting out. I could handle those extrinsic rewards, for sure.


But one thing I'm noticing when comparing me and the average business student at USD is the level of importance of intrinsic rewards. I need them. The tough days at work are those that I just don't care about people who need a wireless driveway alarm. The days I get to work in shipping (thus completing the cycle of raw materials to ultimate finished & shipped product)- or talk to people on the phone who love our products provide the insight into the importance of our products. And, you can't beat the highest exntrinsic rewards I've ever earned in my life.


And yet, even providing feelings of safety and security for little old ladies who live all alone gets old. The effect our products have is minimal when you're thinking of eternity.


-> I can compensate for lower extrinsic rewards when
very high intrinsic rewards are present.

impulsive.

Some of the speakers at TCX talked about Peter- his life, the denial, walking on water, etc. I really enjoyed reading about his interactions w/Jesus in the Gospels, and what I learned about TCX stuck out in my brain for some reason. So when I met w/jessica and kari wednesday for discipleship, we talked about Peter's life.



We spent a lot of time on one specific event in his life- walking on water. What a crazy thing to do! We all shared feelings of awe at the things we can do when we are focused on Christ and not on the fact that we shouldn't be able to do what we are actually doing. Logic gets in the way so often...ugh. One interesting thing about this act was Peter's impulsiveness. The rest of the disciples just sat in the boat watching as Peter jumped out. If I were one of the disciples, I would probably be sitting there, super jealous, wondering why Jesus didn't single me out of group. It seems as though any of the men could have done it, if they took the step of faith. Hm. I compare myself a lot to others, and tend to get jealous when they do impulsive things for God - which I could do, too. I just need to get out of the boat.

strength.

I had a super long day - definitely the busiest since last semester. And just going into it with a different attitude really, really helped me. There were annoying classmates, long lectures, pointless conversations and a ridiculous traffic jam (in Vermillion...i know). And yet I stayed pretty positive about it all -- and it was windy and about 0* all day, with snow in the morning. yuck.

I don't want a repeat of last semester in any shape or form. This is a bit tricky, as my schedule is about the same. Nehemiah 8:10 becomes my lifeline on days like this. "The joy of the Lord is my strength." I don't even have the energy to blog more about the magnitude of this verse. It's a good one.

throw your responsibilities.

the last chapter in battlefield of the mind was about worry -- super good chapter. on a sidenote, i've been reminding myself i need to take the things joyce meyer has to say w/a grain of salt. her most charismatic moments do a good job of reminding me.

the last part of that chapter talked about the popular verse in 1 peter that deals with worry; "cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you." i've got a photo in my room of that verse underlined in my bible. 1 peter is one of my favorite books of the Bible, and 5:7 is a solid verse. at vespers, we always close with a quiet song that gives everyone a chance to refocus for the upcoming week. last sunday's song was turn your eyes upon jesus. good stuff. often we do the song 'cares chorus'

I cast all my cares upon you.
I lay all of my burdens down at your feet.
And, anytime that I don't know what to do,
I will cast all my cares upon you.

I used the handy website blueletterbible.org (thanks wendy) to check out the Greek words in the verse from 1 peter. the meaning of care is similar to the word anxiety. the meaning of cast is similar to throw or place.


Don't just cast -- THROW. Hm. Interesting word usage. Joyce had the same idea. I think of walking thru the front door at the end of the day. The first thing I do is throw my bag on the floor, counter, chair, etc. Someplace except my weary shoulder. (Ok, actually the first thing I do is take off my shoes (especially in the winter) because I hate walking around on the wood/carpet with dirty/wet shoes, and then later when you just have socks on, your socks then get dirty/wet).

I like the idea of throwing my cares on God. It sounds sort of wreckless, which probably isn't a good thing. But moreso, it just sounds like the perfect way to releave the things I've been caring.

To make the point, another word choice of Joyce (hehe that rhymes) was to use reponsibilities to describe cares. In my mind, cares and anxieties are pretty much the same thing. But responsibilities ... that's great. There are a lot of things I worry about in my life that I wouldn't think of as cares/anxieties. Thinking of this verse in terms of responsibilities helps me realize that even those things I HAVE to do, my obligations, the things I really don't want to do along with the things I do, can also be cast on God. I'm happy that I can also cast on God the things I really don't want to do, the things I don't care about. Maybe it's not fair or right to say but it's how I feel.

worry/peace

I've been reading Battlefield of the Mind for the past few weeks. Great book, I like it a lot. There's a lot that goes on in my mind, which you probably know if you've read my blog for awhile now. The current chapter I'm on is about worrying. Pretty good chapter for me to read at this point in my life- with graduation comes big decisions, many of which I've already started worrying about. I won't get in to much of the actual advice Joyce Meyer provides to live a life free from worry. One thing she comments on is finding rest in God. I know it's easier for me to be at peace when things are a bit quiter in my life. That's probably true for many people. But the fact that I can have rest even in trying times is very promising. Loosly paraphrased, Meyer writes:

His rest is one that operates in the midst of the storm, not in the absence of one. Jesus did not come to remove all opposition from our lives.

There is no guarentee that life is easy, especially not the Christian life. Two quick thoughts on this: 1-a lot of non-christians don't get that, 2-a lot of new christians don't know yet (or don't understand). I think it's a fundamental principle for a new believer to learn. Probably one they will have to learn on their own.

I forget this- that Jesus isn't just going to take away all my cares and worries. I can cast them on Him, and I should, but how I handle the oppositions in my life is really important. It's a chance for me to have faith that God is working in the situation, no matter the current problems or potential outcomes. it's a chance to give Him glory.

jonnie mic

i like making up nick names for singers, like they're my friends or something-

bethany dillon = b.dill
shawn mcdonald = shawny mac

and now
jon mclaughlin = jonnie mic

here are lyrics to one of his songs-

I can't find my watch
I can't find my wallet
So how in the hell am I supposed to find
The one that I love
The one that I need
Hidden so high
Buried so deep

Somewhere to run
Somewhere to go
And if I ever find her,
How will I know? How will I know?

it's good to know a guy out there is looking for the love of his life. i guess john mayer writes a few good ones, too- love song for no one is a decent one. i'm sure a lot of guys out there are looking, but you just don't hear about it. maybe because there's probably always a woman talking about it.

a call.

The last night of tcx they played some music and flashed some quotes on screen before the speaker. They were the typical inspirational, go-to-the-ends-of-the-earth-with-the-gospel quotes.

And they are great. I could try to expound on them, give you my opinions about them, or arguments supporting them, but i'll just leave you with wise words that cannot be said any better way:

• "And people who do not know the Lord ask why in the world we waste our lives as missionaries. They forget that they too are expending their lives… and when the bubble has burst they will have nothing of eternal significance to show for the years they have wasted." - Nate Saint
• "Had I cared for the comments of people, I should never have been a missionary." - C.T. Studd
• "You can do something other than working with God in His purpose, but it will always be something lesser, and you couldn't come up with something better." - Steve Hawthorne
• "If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for Him." - C.T. Studd
• "The more obstacles you have, the more opportunities there are for God to do something." - Clarence W. Jones
• "Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't." - John Piper
• "It will not do to say that you have no special call to go to China. With these facts before you and with the command of the Lord Jesus to go and preach the gospel to every creature, you need rather to ascertain whether you have a special call to stay at home." - J. Hudson Taylor

Ok I lied. After reading them again, I do want to highlight this final quote by J. Hudson Taylor. This summer on project, a staff intern challenged the way we think about missions. I honestly didn't know the guy very well at the time, and don't remember everything he said that night. Whether they were his words or he borrowed them from a famous writer, he said this: Don't do missions when God tells you 'yes.' Go until he says 'No.'

Immediately, my paranoid mind says, there's no way I can apply that to my life. If I tell God I'll go until He says No, He will end up calling me to missions for the rest of my life. Paranoid.

But the guy had a point. While this has been in the back of my mind since Brasil, I've actually begun to think about it recently and consider the ways I could 'go' until God says no. I'm expecting that God has a specific plan for me after graduation. I don't know what it is yet. I'm ok with not knowing, probably only because graduation is still 11 months away. So I don't feel this special call on my life right now to do any specific thing after graduation. Will I let that get in the way of being involved in Christian ministry?

a lot

quite a few thoughts flying around in my head right now. i learned a lot of good stuff last week at tcx. God is so faithful in showing me things i need to know about myself. And providing the strength i need to just get through life. it's funny how much last semester sucked, and while this one doesn't look much different on the outside, i know that it will be a lot better. i'm stronger, more determined, and ready to tackle anything that comes my way. even if a lot comes my way.