BNI = Barf Nausea Insanity

I have been moping around the office all day.

Like a small child.

Why is there a flea buzzing around my face right now.

I’LL KILL YOU, FLEA!

Flea doesn’t get it.

I had a disastrous Monday. A tense Tuesday. A nauseating Wednesday. And I would be on my way to recovery today, but nooooo, I had to go to BNI.

What is BNI all about, you may ask.

Well let me tell you.

BNI = Business Networking International. Sounds harmless enough. It’s not. Don’t be fooled.

Those who are members of BNI like to think they’re participating in a wonderful, well organized, very effective networking group of local business owners. They like to think they’re spending their once-weekly meetings conversing and gaining insight into strategies, marketing, and profiting. They would tell you their BNI meetings are an intrigal part of their business success.

Two of my co-workers are members of separate BNI groups. This morning I was sent as a “substitute” to one of these meetings. It was my FIFTH time substituting in the past month. What my co-workers do not realize is that no, it’s not o.k. to use Lindsey as their BNI substitute whenever they are simply too busy and can’t make it. Lindsey has this issue with giving presentations. It does not matter that the presentation is only a 45-second introduction of oneself and one’s company and one’s ideal referral at the beginning of the meeting, Lindsey can hardly give a FIVE second presentation without wanting to die. Lindsey has a terrible history with this stuff. Lindsey has written many a blog about her social phobia rediculousness. Don’t they know this?

BNI to outsiders like me is a weekly excuse for the community extroverts who love mingling and presenting and public everything to get together and get their extrovertedness out of their system. It’s a chance for them to feel important and glow at the testimonies about them from others and lavish in the swapping of names and numbers. Barf.

I have been humiliated in one too many BNI 45-second presentations. I have choked up, teared up, shaken up, and brain-freezed up in front of all those extroverted eyes. And I went through it again this morning. I hate BNI.

And that is why I have been moping around the office.

 

A Story to Tell

Last weekend was the annual women’s conference at my church. One of our staff wives and her team work extremely hard nearly all year to create a conference specifically for our little community so that women don’t have to pick up and travel and can invite their neighbors to a local event. I appreciate the effort greatly and for the past three conferences have pitched in with my video/technical skills, so I am usually somewhere hidden in the back running computers and a video camera.

Despite my constant preoccupation with equipment, however, I was able to glean some good information from the speaker - Dr. Rosanne Coleman. She was fantastic, as all the speakers always are, and funny as all get-out. Her topic for the Friday night session was unusual for the type of conference it is but I thought she made an excellent point. Her emphasis was that Christians need to be more proactive with telling our stories. We all have a story to tell - not just a summary of our salvation testimony - but stories about when and where and how God has specifically touched us, provided for us, or led us perfectly.

Waiting for the Catch…

Well, I just successfully completed my first full week of work. It has been a wonderful experience so far. I told my husband (no, I’m not a pessimist but I am a realist) that I keep waiting for the catch…it can’t be this good forever, can it? I’m going to anticipate that it will. The two full-time jobs I’ve had right out of college had major “catches” - long commutes, 24-hour on-call, intimidating bosses, boredom, out of control teenagers….just to name a few. This one keeps me very busy, the days fly by, the staff are all very helpful and extremely kind, and the tasks I’m assigned are well suited for me. I am so blessed!! Thank you Jesus!!

Getting used to the new job has eaten up most of my attention this week but I do have a couple of other developments to report:

-I’m trying to be a habitual coupon clipper! I almost NEVER use coupons but I have been wishing I had some everytime I buy groceries and so now i’m trying to make that a weekly goal - check up on the online coupon sites. I’m a fan of coupons.com - any other suggestions?

-My husband turned 24 yesterday. We had a relaxed steak dinner at home last night to celebrate.

-Very close family friends of ours are leaving next week to start training for overseas missions. We have experienced all the preparation and emotions with them for the past several months and I can’t believe they’re really going soon. It’s going to be a really big adjustment. I’m probably one of the more positive of those of us left behind because I have such a love for overseas missions and hope to do the same thing myself someday so I’m more excited for them than disappointed for myself and the loss of their close proximity. They are committed to stay for three years and I realize that’s a very big deal but It’s SUCH a glorious opportunity - a call to overseas missions, WOW!

I think that’s it for now. Go Giants!