But, WOW. Do I feel this thing. OFTEN.

My mind whirls, clunks, turns, cranks. I believe things in my head that have a disconnect from my heart (AKA SOUL) and from my behavior.

I’ve been told that I take good care of others. There is a disconnect between that and my lack of self care.

Fortunately, I have a gracious and encouraging spouse. As well as friends and family who on my my side.

A work in progress – for sure.

Alright – let’s shift gears. With all of the dissonance in my brain… I still see a connection here…

I’m reading am incredible book for the D.Min project by Kerry Alys Robinson.

Imagining Abundance

Robinson notes that a theological ambivalence towards money is one of the major obstacles to viewing fundraising as ministry.

Is money holy or sinful? Is wealth neutral and is what feels sinful about it is connected to how it is obtained? Or maybe it is the degree to which we are attached to money that makes us feel uncomfortable? Is how we utilize money that makes it feel holy or sinful?

As a result of these unanswered questions, we tend to not develop a robust theology around money.

She notes that being aware of this is a crucial first step to “mitigating the cognitive dissonance one would otherwise bring to the task of religious fundraising.”

Christian fundraisers feel this cognitive dissonance on a regular basis as we breach a subject that tends to be taboo: money. How do we talk about it? Is it a private matter? A communal matter? What does God ask us to do with our money? We often have little answers in our training as fundraisers, and it makes us feel like we may be operating a slick salespeople, or simply trying to “get all we can” from our friends as we fundraise in our mission.

This feeling is disgusting and drives people to leave our mission and many other missions around the world.

We hear often “I would love my job if it wasn’t for the fundraising.”

This harmful theological ambivalence towards money informs this cognitive dissonance as Robinson so insightfully notes.

There has GOT TO BE A BETTER WAY TO APPROACH THIS.

So this is the thing I have learned this week on a personal (self care) and professional (Young Life) level:

The Inner Life of a human being is paramount to fighting cognitive dissonance.

More on that very soon. Right here on this there blog. Probably next week.

– Kevin Eastway

NOTE: I’m not sure how to footnote on this blog. If you’d like the footnotes to these thoughts, I’d be happy to email you my paper 🙂

I’ve learned a bunch about asking over the last week (years).

Asking others for something can be really difficult for those of us who come from immigrant families. (My grandparents on my mom’s side came to the US during WWII – fleeing the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.)

We are scrappy, make our own way and our grandparents and parents know how to make something out of basically nothing.

So, we tend not to ask when we find ourselves in need.

Asking can be really difficult for the hard working mid-westerner brain of mine as well.

“I can work harder. Sleep less. I can do this all on my own.” These words can be a constant reel of self-talk that rambles through my brain.

It doesn’t work.

Here is my conclusion: Asking is all about freedom.

Knowing that we are free to ask God for anything through prayer.

Free to know that we can ask others to join us, knowing that it may very well be good for their lives.

If our security is in God, we are free to ask for donations, for help, for people’s time and wisdom, and to ask others to invest what they have in the work of God and in our very lives.

We are free to receive the “yes” and free to gratefully respond to the “no” from any of our friends.

We are free to trust God who is guiding us.

This freedom leads to confidence in God, in our vision and in our invitation for others to join us in Kingdom building endeavors.

So – JUST ASK.

It’s my new mantra.

Kevin

Transitions in our lives are constant – and a good time to reevaluate our values.

When expectations are dashed, when we (or those we love) face health obstacles, when someone we love doesn’t get the job, when our future looks different than what we have planned or imagined.

We find ourselves in a new world that may not be what we had hoped for… a world of fear, exclusion and isolation.

Fear, confusion, disappointment, revenge and sleepless nights can be the result.

If we pause long enough in this midst of these transitions, we can ask a very important question:

What do we REALLY VALUE?

Notoriety? The desire to be liked? To be an expert? More money? The promotion?

Or

Good sleep? Healthy rhythms? Time with family? Snuggles & reading with our kids? Playing in the snow?

Justice? Togetherness? How to link our arms to lean into hope in the midst of wherever we find ourselves?

May WE:

Kneel Down (to Pray).

And then Stand UP shoulder to shoulder (to help each other put one foot in front of the other). 

In order to re-evaluate our values, we need space for reflection, conversation with people we love and people who’s experience is different from our own.

This type of living helps us navigate whatever transitions we face. In this world, in our workplace, in our studies and in our homes.

May we come together (instead of exclude)! May we learn to listen (instead of talking all the time like I tend to do)! May we communicate wth compassion and patience as we make the space to reevaluate our values.

~ Kevin Eastway