August 2009 Archives

I read this on a friends blog and thought it was great. 29 things you can do to have a better life.

• Take a 10-30 minute walk every day and, while you walk, smile. It’s the ultimate anti-depressant.
• Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes a day.
• Tape your late shows and get more sleep.
• When you wake up in the morning, complete the following statement, ‘My purpose is to _________ today.’
• Live with the 3 E’s - energy, enthusiasm and empathy.
• Play more games and read more books than you did last year.
• Make time to pray. Prayer provides us with daily fuel for our busy lives.
• Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6. Appreciate their genuine nature, strength and innocence.
• Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
• Try to make at least 3 people smile each day.
• Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid.
• Smile and laugh more.
• Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
• Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
• You don’t have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
• Make peace with your past so it won’t spoil the present.
• Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
• No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
• Frame every so-called disaster with these words: ‘In 5 years, will this matter?’
• God can heal any hurt.
• However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
• Your job won’t take care of you when you’re sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
• Envy is a waste of time.
• No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
• Do the right thing!
• Call your family often.
• Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed.
• Enjoy the ride. Remember, this is not Disney World and you certainly don’t want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.
• Glorify God with your life. 

What would you add?
 

When was the last time you dusted off those old files and gave them another look.  Many of the people you have prospected in the past for business need another call.  In this down economy, many of those old prospects that couldn't use you due to size, budgets, location, etc. just might need you now.

As many companies have reduced their labor forces, meetings that were once to big now are the perfect size.  Just as many companies that used to only take their meeting to resort locations have had their travel budgets cut and need to remain closer to home. So why not give them a call.

Remember that old 10% rule I still believe in - Make 30 calls, Get 3 bookings.  Once a prospect, always a prospect.

Devotional Passage: Philippians 1:18-21
According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, 
or by death. Philippians 1:20

David and Maggie were unpacking boxes in their new home when a neighbor walked over to introduce herself. In the course of the conversation Maggie mentioned that she and her husband were Christians. The neighbor’s eyes lit up as she gave Maggie a warm hug and exclaimed, “I’m a Christian, too, but I keep quiet about it around here in order to get along. People would never understand.”

The Apostle Paul was facing trial in Rome knowing that his life was hanging in the balance. He could be put to death or released, based on his testimony. Even so, Christ so permeated Paul’s life that the apostle’s greatest desire was to magnify his Lord by life or by death.

Are you faithful to lift up Christ to the people around you or do you keep silent from fear of persecution or rejection?

Father, live through me to magnify the Lord Jesus in everything I say and do.

©Fall 2008 Open Windows devotional guide. Used by permission. For information about Open Windows, go online: www.lifeway.com/magazines

Well, it’s exciting and there is nothing we can do to stop it. Some sessions already have a wait list. This is the fastest registration process in the history of Camp Ridgecrest. We are doing everything we can to ensure that our returning campers can get their spot, but you have to act fast. All current campers were sent multiple emails with the registration link included. Check your inbox for details.  General Camp registration opens September 1, 2010.

Also, we are in the middle of the first annual Friend Frenzy Week! This is a week designed for current camp families to give their friends a chance to sign up before we post the registration link to the general public. Take advantage of this unique opportunity that ends August 31st.

Overall, the summer of 2009 was a huge success! We love hearing story after story of how God used this place to impact the lives of campers, staff and even parents. If you have a story to share, please comment below, or send us an email to rscamps@ridgecrestcamps.com. We love hearing what God is doing in the lives of our Camp Family.

See you in the Summer of 2010 at Camp Ridgecrest and don't forget to check out our Glorieta Summer Camps.

May 21-22, 2010
 

UNBOUND

THE BEAUTY WITHIN CONFERENCE

UNBOUND is a group of women that are searching for the truth and finding freedom in the midst of their struggles.  Every little girl wants to be a princess. All girls want to feel pretty and to be made whole.  True
beauty does exist. It starts within our hearts and radiates out. We want girls of all ages to know that God has a purpose for your lives and that He wants you to share your story and to know in the middle of truggling freedom does exist.

To help girls of all ages understand the truth about who we are in Christ, how we are to see ourselves in light of how the world views us.  We are to fight our struggle, share our story and offer hope and freedom through Jesus Christ.
   
LOCATION: RIDGECREST CONFERENCE CENTER
REGISTRATION COST:  $20

WHO: Girls Ages 12-19

Registration: Call Ridgecrest Conference Center
1-800-588-7222

Prices: Meals $18.75 per person

Accommodations
Royal gorge
($99 any occupancy)

Mountain Laurel
($99 single/double)
($109 Triple)
($119 Quad)
 
For more information on this event visit http://www.unboundministry.com/
 

Devotional Passage: Psalm 19:7-12
The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. Psalm 19:8

About a year ago I took a basic accounting course at a local college. This subject was out of my comfort zone. Reading and comprehending the content in the textbook was a challenge to me. While I was stimulated by the chance to learn, I can’t say I enjoyed it.

When I want to read for enjoyment, I don’t pick up my accounting book. I turn to a western novel or a baseball story. In those moments I am refreshed by the opportunity to relax. Any learning is incidental.

How do we approach the Bible? Do we read for enjoyment or to learn? Do we read with only our spirits or with our minds as well? In Psalm 19 David developed a carefully constructed poem celebrating God’s glory revealed in the written Word. David affirmed that the Word refreshes the inner person and brings joy to the heart. But this Word also enlightens the mind with truth. What a treasure God has given us in His Word.

Father, thank You for Your Word. In reading it I find You and, 
thereby, both my heart and mind are refreshed.

©Fall 2008 Open Windows devotional guide. Used by permission. For information about Open Windows, go online: www.lifeway.com/magazines

I am often obsessed with what others think about me. I wonder how those around me assess my work, my relationships, my parenting skills, you name it, I've thought about it. I constantly replay conversations and interactions in my head, examining them from every angle.

However, I realize I'm obsessing over the wrong people. The opinion that really matters is God's. The energy I expend on analyzing everyone else, me included, needs to be re-directed to what God thinks. No one else needs to approve of me.

Isn't it amazing how God uses our weakness to remind us of how much we need His strength. Now, I'm trying to trade my imaginary assessments from others for real conversations with God.

By the way,  I sent this to our Blog advisor for approval before it went live.  I'm a work in progress.

When working with volunteers, realize that part of your job is training — not telling people to do things, but training them to do the job. 

• Tell volunteers that they can come to you at any time for help and understanding. Let them know that you are available to them. Be willing to sit down individually and listen to their questions and problems.

• Be sure that volunteers have complete instructions. Don't let them start a job until they know exactly what their duties and limitations are. Where appropriate, develop checklists and job descriptions for key roles.

• Prepare a timeline with details on when every piece of the task should be completed. Then, follow through by monitoring progress.

• Let them know that they have accepted a responsibility, and that it is critical for them to complete that responsibility.

• Be intentional about making the work fun — laugh together and enjoy each other.

• Let them know that God has given them the talents to do this job.

• Set the parameters within which the volunteers must work.

• Maintain the nurturing, caring character of a good parent. If you don't, it's going to be very hard for volunteers to feel that they are a viable, and valuable, part of the team.

• Begin each day with a time for prayer.

 Volunteers are so important to many organizations and it all starts with the basics of good communication and teamwork.

Devotional Passage: Isaiah 41:10-13
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:10

The star player won yesterday’s game with a home run. Everyone cheered. His fielding error today led to a loss. The fans who had wildly cheered him yesterday unmercifully booed him today. He had let them down when they were counting on him. Unrealistic as it is, people want their team heroes to always perform at the highest level. They know their performance can often be the difference between winning and losing.

If we desire consistency and faithfulness in a person, surely that is what we would expect even more so from God. Without any question, He passes the test.

Whether in this life or in eternity, the Lord God is dependable, reliable, and trustworthy. He never lets us down, no matter how critical the time. In Him we never lose; we always win.

Father, I know I can count on you today, no matter what comes. Therefore, I live not in fear of defeat but with confidence of victory.

©Fall 2008 Open Windows devotional guide. Used by permission. For information about Open Windows, go online: www.lifeway.com/magazines

Tomorrow, my daughter and I will board the first of three flights that will eventually take us to Nairobi, Kenya (via Detroit and Amsterdam). Given that I've never been outside North America, I'm both excited and just a little bit nervous.

The primary purpose of our trip is for me to spend time working with the management team at Brackenhurst Conference Centre. Brackenhurst is a Christian conference center located about 30 miles outside Nairobi. I will be learning about their operation while also sharing with them how we operate Ridgecrest and Glorieta.

After spending a week or so at Brackenhurst, we will have the opportunity to go with some of the conference center staff on a weekend mission trip. We'll be working with a local Baptist church in the Homa (no relation to my dad!) Bay District near Lake Victoria. After returning from the mission trip, we will turn right around and head out on a 3 day safari to the largest Kenyan game reserve, located in the Great Rift Valley. Very cool! Actually I'm told that part of the trip will be pretty hot, but you know what I mean...

With only a day left before we leave, I've been checking and double checking all the details. Typically, when we're heading out on vacation, I will usually take a small folder with the confirmations for our plane tickets, rental car and hotel reservations. Heading to Africa has expanded that folder just a tad bit. In addition to those confirmations, I've added passports, a daily agenda, US State Dept info, shot records, travel insurance, anti-malaria meds and a checklist that would make an air force pilot proud. However, I'm sure I'll still be up half the night tonight trying to think of anything I might have missed!

My prayer has been, and continues to be, that God would keep us safe and use this trip to change our lives and those of everyone we come in contact with. I will do my best to keep you updated throughout our trip. Please feel free to check back here, or on my personal blog.

Brackenhurst, ready or not, here we come!!

Creating and sticking to your budget when planning meetings and events sometimes are two different things.  Here are seven commonly overlooked steps when planning and executing your meeting that can help you stick to the budget.

1.  Allow contingencies in the budget for the unexpected.  Don't cut it so close that you set yourself up for failure.

2.  Include tax and services charges in the budget.

3.  Include labor costs in the budget.

4.  Communicate clear policies to speakers and staff.  What will you pay for?  Set limits on meals, travel expenses, etc.

5.  Review your master account daily and limit the number of people authorized to add charges to the master account.

6.  Rely on your history not attendance when giving your meal guarantees.

7.  Know the value of your business, when you are negotiating your contracts make sure you are getting the best pricing based on the history of what you have spent in the past both on and off the master account.

Over the course of my lengthy hospitality career, I have attended and/or exhibited at more conferences than I can remember. Whether they were big or small, long or short, intense or relaxed, they all pretty much had one thing in common. A group of people, with common interests, coming together in one place to learn and to network.

Thinking back over all of the conferences I've attended got me thinking. Why were some better than others? Why did some seem to fly by, while others felt like I was on that proverbial slow boat to China? Certainly the quality of the speakers and program had something to do with it, but it's really more than that. I've learned the hard way that getting the most out of a conference is really more up to me than anything else. The more I put into the conference or trade show, the more I get out of it.

With that in mind, here are four things you can do to help you get the most out of the next conference you attend.

• Have an objective. Why are you attending the event? Is it to learn new methods? To get new business leads? To make a certain number of new contacts? To relax and work on your golf game? Whatever it may be, make sure your objective is clear in your head before you go. This will help you to focus on the real reason you're there. Otherwise it can be way too easy to get distracted by the busyness of the conference. Before you know it, it's over and you feel like you've just wasted a few days of your life.
• Intentionally and consistently talk to strangers. For some people this is very easy, for others it's pure torture, but it's critical if you want to get the most out of the conference. I find I usually learn as much, or more, from the individuals I meet as from the general sessions and breakouts.
• Arrive early, stay late and be outgoing at any and all networking opportunities. This one is especially important if you are an exhibitor at the conference. This is your opportunity to meet potential clients away from the "sales" atmosphere of a traditional trade show booth. People are usually more open and willing to talk when in a casual, social environment. When meeting new people, try to make it more than exchanging a business card. Take the time to qualify the potential value you each could bring to the other's network.
• Stay in touch. After returning from the conference, be sure to stay in contact with the people you met and want to add to your network. To develop a good network you must invest time in building the relationship. Whether it be through Facebook, Twitter, email or phone, take the time to get to know each other. Remember, the great thing about building a solid network is that you not only benefit from the knowledge and experience of that person, but also of those they are connected to.

What about you? What do you do to get the most from attending a conference or convention? 

 Devotional Passage: Matthew 18:10-14
Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish. Matthew 18:14

I cradled Hensley, our newborn granddaughter, in my arms, holding her close, marveling at the miracle of new life, admiring her beauty just as I had done when our other two grandchildren were born. That’s why a news story reporting on the search for a little girl who had mysteriously disappeared caught my attention. Knowing how I feel about the precious little ones who are part of our family, I imagined the tremendous feelings of despair this little girl’s parents and grandparents must have felt. A relentless search was on. She must be found. All others things paled in significance compared with restoring this little one to safety.

Apparently that is how God feels toward the little ones of this world who are lost. He loves each and every one: a defenseless child, an abused woman, a neglected senior, a forgotten veteran, and any other of society’s little ones whom others may not consider significant or important. These little ones are of worth and importance to Him. His great desire is that they be found.

Father, thank You for sending Jesus to seek and to save even the lost little ones like me.

©Fall 2008 Open Windows devotional guide. Used by permission. For information about Open Windows, go online: www.lifeway.com/magazines

For many meeting planners, budgeting for a meeting can be an overwhelming experience.  Your budget is an estimate of anticipated income and expenses for your meeting and provides financial control and accountability.  It is important to document how and why you arrived at all the figures.

1.  Do a Needs Assessment
Begin with a needs assessment by getting the necessary information from your client or boss.  Ascertain the meeting objectives, program, dates and days of the week including flexibility, the budget, decision maker, the preferred facility and any political implications such as union issues.

2.  Develop a Profile of the Attendees
Who will develop a list of prospective participants?  You will need to determine the level of the attendees, the percentage of males and females, age range, income level, geographic location, and special needs such as physical and dietary requirements.

3.  Review the Meeting History
Analyze the difference between projected and actual figures from the previous year's budget, differentiating between fixed and variable costs, and meals guaranteed vs. meals served.  Determine in what areas expenses could be slashed.

I would love to hear your thoughts on preparing your meeting budget.