The Timeline

 I had been reading a book lately called 'Quitter' by Jon Acuff.  I'll have to be honest, I don't really love his writing style but he does have some great points.  The book is about Jon's story as a frustrated successful blogger who wants to be a paid author.  The book outlines his journey from his job to pursuing his dream.  Hence, the name.  I picked it up because, although I had already left my career to chase my vision, I wanted to see what I might have done right in how I went about it. 

If there was one chapter that hit me squarely it was 'Wait on the Main Stage'.  I think he did a great job of right-sizing expectations on when you can and should be able to see if what you want to do is really going to be a success.  Spoiler alert.  It takes  a lot longer than you think it's going to. 

That's my review.  I haven't finished the book yet. I am on 'There Will Be Hustle'.  Like I said, I'm having a tough time warming up to him.  I think what is sticking in my craw more than his sentence structure is the fact that he appears to bill himself as a Christian author and yet he makes not mention thus far about God having anything to do with his success.  Pity.

God put that chapter in my face for the coming weeks.  I have a vendor to make the t-shirts and I have a way to use one for all of the printing needs I have. They are also a christian company and I really like the founder.  He is a great guy to work with so far.  The slow down came just as we were making plans to look at online interfaces and get things loaded for everyone to see and most importantly for all involved, including God, purchase.  There's been some personal upheaval in the Ichthus family.  It can't be helped and we all understand.  Thankfully with business partners who are friends, broaching those conversations and asking for mercy in time lines is an easy one to have.  As the story has unfolded, I've been praying for the best possible outcome.  Meanwhile, the production end of the t-shirts is on hold.  We all knew this would be the case, but being human, I've had my moments of anxiousness about when things will be in place.  Add to the slow down that I am waiting on documentation from our vendor and everything to be seemed to be grinding to a halt.  My dream almost seemed to be suspended in mid-air and I was frustrated by the waiting to see when it would take flight again. 

An apologetic email came from one side and then another from the person I am awaiting the documents on.  Both very sorry that circumstances have infiltrated our efforts and with promises that things will be remedied as soon as possible.  Much as I would like to have everything up and running I know one thing.  God is not on my time clock. I am operating on His.  He is never in a hurry, nor does he procrastinate.  These stalls are for a definite reason and God doesn't always tells us why He has to do what He has to do to make things work out according to His perfect plan.  It's just how He is but I have many times marveled at how He seems to be able to make outcomes much better than my expectations and it goes buttery smooth if I just stop fighting Him. 

I sit here with laptop humming to tell you that being a entrepreneur sounds fancy to someone who isn't and being a founder and CEO sure was a glamorous title to me when I was just dreaming about it but in reality, it will test your integrity and highlight your shortcomings with great fervor. 

If you are starting your own venture, I can tell you one thing. Have patience, especially with those in business with you.  Also, read a lot of leadership books. My favorite is John Maxwell.  He is not only one of the best-in-class but he was also a pastor.  While his books are written for anyone in business, his principles are all biblically based.  If you are thinking of leaving your job to live off of your bank account until you succeed, I'd pick up Jon Acuff's book before you give your notice. 

Accidentally On Purpose

It’s funny how things work. Someone sends you a link and you click on it. Next thing you know you are setting up conference calls with the owner of the company. Wouldn’t it be great if things were that A-to-B in our lives? They usually aren’t and neither is this instance.

Back track to last year. I hadn’t even thought of taking on this venture. I had an idea for the T-Shirts, I thought it might be a good idea but I was in the middle of writing my first book, like on Chapter 5 of 14. I was nowhere near the stage of starting anything major with my idea.

I was watching TV at my mom’s house some months later. I had just moved my stuff in a U-Haul from Key West to Boston so I was crashing at her house while I looked for the perfect place to move my daughter and me into.

I never watch TV but my mother loves to have it on. It was the Today Show. Featured on that morning’s show was a peppy little blonde and pink haired woman named, Annie. She was the head of a ministry named Hookers for Jesus. I am very drawn to people who have endured severe mercies so I leaned in on what she had to say and fixed my full attention to what she was being interviewed for. I was smitten by her cause. A former prostitute, saved by the grace of God, she rescues women caught in sex trafficking and teaches them about Jesus and helps them make a new life for themselves.

A few months later, someone was making fun of her ministry on Facebook. You have to admit, the name Hookers for Jesus does get some attention. I am pretty sure it is cleverly named that on purpose. I posted back that I praise God for what she does, who would dare to do what she does happily. She combs the spiritual dumpsters of Las Vegas looking for what society calls trash and helps women see that to God they are a treasure. In the midst of that post, I got the idea to post a video of Brian “Head” Welch’s video from I Am Second. If you don’t know anything about Brian, he was the Grammy award-winning guitarist from the internationally acclaimed band, Korn. Brian was as famous as he was addicted to Methamphetamines. He was known the world over, having everything he ever dreamed of and his life was a sewer. He became radically saved, quit Korn and went on the road to tell people about Jesus, writing 3 books to date and forming a new band, equally loud, Head. In my post coment I wrote “Would you look at this man and think he was a Christian? Yet, he has a much bigger ministry than most. Don’t judge a book by its cover”.

What does Hookers for Jesus have to do with Brian ‘Head’ Welch and Ichthus Versewear? I heard about I Am Second from a woman who I attended church with in Key West. I loved the concept and she emailed me Brian’s video. It was the first one I ever saw. What I didn’t realize was that Annie Lobert and Brian Welch are friends. They tour in a ministry together from time to time, The Whosoevers. I now follow both Annie and Brian on Twitter. I love to hear from people who have had a radical God experience like me.

One morning, Annie posted that T-Shirts would be coming for sale with the Hookers for Jesus logo on them. I was all for it! I was excited for the opportunity to share with people what Annie does. Trouble was, when I went to the vendor’s site, Veil Arms, I couldn’t find any link to take me to Hookers for Jesus’ T-Shirts. I started clicking on every avenue I could find but nothing. Then I noticed a link that I had yet to read. This link advertised Veil Arms’ coming online storefront. Did they have an online fulfillment service? I was looking for one of those. I had found one already but you have to practically pay them to sell your shirts, never mind make anything. I mean, we are a ministry but no money means no progress. We do need to take something in to grow. I have now chatted with Shawn Ullmer, founder of Veil Arms over email. I am excited to see what they can do for us. They are also a Christian company so they ‘get’ why we do what we do. Isn’t it amazing how God weaves seemingly simple, unrelated things into a beautiful tapestry of blessings?