"The Plan"

These are the confessions of a talented, hard-working, creative genius with purpose (formerly known as an irresponsible, flaky and distracted "mentally gifted minor" with so much potential).

I'm putting this plan out into the world, out into the "universe" and laying it all in God's hands. I am now accountable if only to the imaginary few whom I believe will see and read this post.

1. I will pursue all efforts to secure my settlement and the sale of my property in order that I can pay off the final amounts of all my outstanding debt so that I can be emotionally and financially free to...
2. ...work hard at my creative, flexible "job" in order to pay my regular, minimum monthly household expenditures of $1000 and have the time and ability to...
3. ...build my "career" and entrepreneurial endeavors so that I will have the foundation and finances necessary to...
4. ...pursue all necessary speaking engagements, pilot programs and fund-raising opportunities that would lay the ground work for and...
5. ...establish the ultimate goal of opening the Destination Christian Arts Academy, its auxiliaries and all the associated D.R.E.A.M. programs.

Proverbs 16:9 "Man devises his plan, but the Lord directs his steps."

The Problem

I was afraid. I was fragile. I was insecure. I was worried.
(The Lord has not given the spirit of FEAR, but of Power and of Love and of a Sound Mind)

I was afraid of the awesome tasks before me. I was afraid of what the world might think of me. I was afraid of condemnation. I was afraid of failure. I was afraid of success. Worse - I was afraid of me.

The Lord has not given the spirit of Fear.

I was so fragile and weak. I blew in the direction of every show of support. I tried to please. I tried to appease. I tried with no strength to do, to speak up, to stand up and so I shut up and put up with and followed every direction offered as a show of support.

POWER

I was insecure and lacked the confidence of my own convictions. How could I convince others of this great idea when I was so unsure of it? How could I present this idea as memorable and worthwhile when I was too busy asking if it was instead of delivering it as such. Who else would embrace this venture if I was too ashamed to embrace it myself?

LOVE

I was consumed with worry. What would everyone think? What if I fell flat on my face? What if I convinced everyone of this great idea that turned out not to be so great? What if this wasn't really the will of God? What if I really couldn't do what I really wanted to do? What if I couldn't convince anyone that this was my purpose and a good purpose for them too? Apparently I wasn't, I hadn't, I didn't.

SOUND MIND

And so I perpetuated my own fears, my own weakness, my own insecurities and my own anxiety.

I was afraid of what my family would think of me and so my family was fearful for me.
I was weak and weary and so the lawyer stepped in and was strong for me.
I was insecure and dependant on my friends and so my friends enabled me out of love.
I was worried about the future of this organization and so all progress stopped.

For One Whole Year.

But GOD has not given the SPIRIT of fear but of POWER and of LOVE and of a SOUND MIND

Now I am no longer afraid, but stepping out on faith - my family is still fearful of my failure.
Now I am strengthened like the wings of eagles - but the lawyer still sees me as weak and fragile.
Now I am assured of my purpose in life - by my friends still struggle to see my worth.
Now I am anxious to get this thing going - "the blessings of the Lord come with ease and peacefulness."

Peace, love and happiness? Yes...
POWER, LOVE and a SOUND MIND

The History

Since its inception in 2003, Destination Christian Services, Inc. has had a rocky if not stoic onset.

I realize it is because I am doing it all by myself.

Initially I had to choose several names to be officers on the Articles of Incorporation. I tried to choose names of individuals who love me, supported me and who may at one point be willing to participate in this project with me.

I chose husband, brother-in-law (BIL), 2 best friends and 1 friend and her husband. The friend and her husband were apparently not friends and we did not see eye-to-eye and so, they were the first to go. Replaced with Godsister and a male friend of BIL who had expressed a deep belief in Christ. Godsister lives a deep belief in Christ and moved to Washington to become a teacher at a Christian school. She is the second to go. She is replaced by BIL's girlfriend who expressed a deep desire to one day work with kids in the area of dance. BIL's male friend is unreachable - did he read packet? I don't know. Did he receive emails? I don't know. Talk to him in person? "Yeah, yeah - let's get together and you can tell me what it's all about." Read the packet... read the email. Never mind. He was the third to go. Replaced with a tennis student of the hubby who has a growing belief in Christ. BIL's girlfriend quits dancing and gets a job in the health field.

Am I really doing this all by myself?

The hubby couldn't tell you anything about this organization - probably not even the name. The BIL couldn't tell you anything about this organization - not even the name. BIL's girlfriend couldn't tell you anything about this organization - definitely not even the name! 2 best friends, probably would try to tell you a little about this organization and would try to remember the name - but could not. They both have supported individual activities as best they could. Yikes! There was an Auntie too... where is Auntie? We've both forgotten about each other. The hubby's student probably would be an excellent member if I had something strong enough for her to be a member of. I have no active Board of Directors.

I am really doing this all by myself.

When you incorporate, the government gives you approximately 2 years before they take a look to see that you are not trying to fraud the system. If you are a non-profit they may give you a little leeway on time, but if they think you are defrauding the system financially, the penalties are steep. I decide I'd better apply for my non-profit status before they take a look and decide I need an audit. I pay a lawyer $1000 to take a look at my organizational structure and tell me if it's a viable venture and to help me apply for the 501.c3 status. That's all.

The lawyer - a very cool young woman - takes my $1000 and says that for that cost (even though she ordinarily charges $250 an hour) she will help me with the 501.c3 application, hire an accountant for the financial information, train my Board of Directors and... by the way, if I DON'T pursue this organization I am "doing myself and the world a great disservice." I am totally smitten and my fragile, damaged, insecure ego is boosted right over the last edge of confidence obstacle I had. Apparently it must have for her too.

Because as I started growing and becoming more confident, so did she! She began to instruct me, give me homework and check up on me. Call these people, ask them these questions. Look up this website, send them this email, create this program and enlist these people. Yea, OK. I mean, she was helping, right? She was supporting, right? She was motivating me, right? She was giving me the (basically free) benefit of all her experience, right? Right. Or so I thought.

However, she was not... reading any of the information I sent her on the organization as it was currently designed. She was not at all doing any of the work on, nor had she even read the 501.c3 application. She could not answer any of my questions on the application and, I could not follow through with the accountant until I got answers to some of the previous questions. She did not help with the application. Finally, she could not, or would not provide training to the Board in the format in which they were already used to dealing with DCS. She wanted a face to face. Nope - won't happen. She wanted a video conference. Ha! Fat chance. She wanted a telephone conference call. Nice try. How about email and back it up with a mailed copy? Nope. No can do. Is she the 4th to go?

May as well, I seem to be doing this all by myself.

I held my first fund-raiser. Wow, I did it all by myself! My first accomplishment in this crazy venture. I wanted to hold a poetry contest for teens. No poets submitted. So, I requested of my BoD to turn in their favorite, most inspirational scripture. Only a few responded. So I enlisted friends, other family and Mom & Dad. I was intent on getting 12 scriptures. I finally did, including my own and created the official "Destination Inspiration" T-shirt. It was a giveaway for donations. The online, weekend event commenced. Mom & Dad weighed in, Aunts & Uncles weighed in. Cousins weighed in. 1 (best friend) Board Member weighed in. Grand total: $500. A very good showing for a first fund-raiser... right?

Right. T-shirts cost: $350; spent $100 to buy items for 20 personal care kits and distributed them to a teen homeless shelter. Probably spent the last $50 on postage to send each person who donated as well as each board member (and the lawyer) a T-shirt. I even sent the former friends/former board members t-shirts. Thanks for your previous "service" - look what I'm accomplishing all by myself.

I am doing this all by myself.

Forget the approval of former friends. Forget the support of current friends. Forget the skepticism of family. Forget the lawyer and all those satellite programs and suggestions. Forget and get a new BoD!

I am doing this by myself! That's The Problem... I am doing this all by myself.

"The Accomplishment"

Proverbs 13:12 & 19a: "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. A desire accomplished is sweet to the soul;"

In December 2003, I boldly took the steps to incorporate a non-profit idea I'd had for years. I jumped into this corporation head first. It is so unlike me! Usually I test the water, stick in a toe and yank it out. Then wade to my ankle, shudder and jump right out. Only to repeat the process until finally submerged in the water. Not this time.

This time I took a deep breath and plunged right in. I got my articles of incorporation: Destination Christian Services, Inc. I established my business licenses and the DBA's for all corporate auxiliaries: Jubilation! Full-Services Weddings & Events; Destination Publications; Mommy's Happy Helpers and more. I then got to work on and posted all the associated web pages: www.dcscompanies.com; www.destinationchristianservices.net; www.jubilationparties.com and www.mommyshappyhelpers.com. I got checking accounts, I got business cards, I made all my business documents and established advertising. All of it WAY... TOO... SOON!

Only months before incorporating, I had finally determined this idea was truly the will of the Lord Almighty. Within hours of that determination, I finally accepted that this idea was more than the will of the Lord, but that it was my one true, God given purpose in life. And minutes after that acceptance I was rocked with the magnitude and specific details of that plan and just exactly what was God's intention for it all.

But in one small way, I knew that I needed to jump right in or I would find a way to procrastinate and never get it done. Now I must back-track, jump-ahead and scramble for a way to get it all done and reach my ultimate goal

This is my scattered plan for achieving that specific and detailed, mind-boggling, will-of-God goal - the purpose for my life.

• Create and maintain all associated websites
• Create and complete the academy curriculum
• Create a sample lesson from the curriculum
• Create and publish all manuals and associated documentation
• Create and publish associated works for publication
• Create and establish speeches and evangelistic engagements
• Create and distribute all fund-raising related product
• Create and administer all satellite programs
• Create and maintain the online academy
• Create and produce all fund-raising events
• Create and utilize all scholarship programs
• Create membership programs and establish a solid Board of Directors
• Create and complete all necessary legal and financial documentation
• Create and establish all sponsorship programs
• Create and implement all student recruitment programs
• Create and maintain all aspects of advertisement and networking
• Create and continue; continue to create; create and complete.

II Corinthians 9:7-15 "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (As it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for ever. Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;) Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God; Whiles by the experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your professed subjection unto the gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them, and unto all men; And by their prayer for you, which long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift."

Overcast Overview

There is a well known phrase that begins: "The best laid plans..." Perhaps it is not so well known, because I can't remember the rest. Perhaps it is significantly related to the accomplishment of my plans that I can't remember the rest.

I have a plan on how to reach a goal and that particular goal has its own plan of accomplishment and an entirely separate plan of procedure.

All Clear?

For the purposes of this blog, I want to track the "The Plan" and "The Accomplishment" because "The Procedure" is already established and waiting for the rest to get a move on.

"The plan" is my life plan - my own individual goals, necessities and desires for how I want to structure my world.

"The Accomplishment" is my ultimate plan of attack for how I want to accomplish the ultimate goal included in "The Plan."

Together, these two plans encompass the journey I've referred to in "Destiny's Journey." And this blog is the daily record and accountability of actions taken that are related to those two plans.

All clear?

Here's the plan for this blog...

• To be an outlet of creative expression as I follow through with my plans.
• To be a public, legitimizing, undeniable record of my dreams, goals and plans
• To be a daily accountability structure for getting things done and accomplishing all plans
• To be an avenue of networking all aspects of my plans with other, like-minded plans and/or planners.

In that order.

All Clear? Yeah, me either.