work...

i work at a frame shop for a national crafts store... i will choose not to say the name of it - i really love the job, but sometimes get tired of corporate america and all that goes along with it...

we've had a lot of quality upgrades the last few weeks and things have changed about the way we sell custom framing and what is required... in some ways this is good as it is better for the art that customers are framing - in some ways it is bad - the costs have gone up and there is less negotiating as to what customers can have... i won't go into all the jargon... so last week, i had no hours - and this week i have over 30 - which is more than i've ever had in one week since i started working there a year ago... and i was worried about today because today is the first day of a major sale where the quality stuff was all put into play...

since february 1st, i've sold over $9200 worth of custom framing for the store (without tax). today i sold $1100 worth of custom framing. it was amazing... things went better with customers than i had anticipated and i feel like i am earning respect of the framing manager... i have the "record" for the largest daily average which i got a couple of weeks ago... but not only that - i am really liking what i do... i feel more comfortable with selling and producing framing orders, and i'm learning more about the whole process...

i'm not saying all this as boastful... it's just a really good place to be in work... plus, gaining trust with my managers means more hours and that translates to more people i can build relationships with and i'm really wanting to build relationships outside of work in order to earn the right to share my faith.

and - this is the really good part of the story... i got to semi-train this guy in framing today - the framing manager passed it off onto me, because she doesn't like public speaking/training - any of that stuff... she was standing in the shop eavesdropping on the "training" and told me she was really impressed. i got to thinking about it - and thinking about ministry... one of the main things that excited me last year in school was the idea of leading an intercultural communications seminar... so i think maybe it's one of the gifts that God has given me that i've never really put fully into practice... but it seems so natural to me... i had a great time training someone today and i love being in front of people... so i'm really going to start praying about how God might use that in ministry... anyway - i really felt blessed by seeing how God was at work today - even in my secular job... and the guy i was training was opening up about his life which was exciting... i'm hoping to get to know my coworkers on a more personal level so i can get to know them as friends rather than coworkers...

exciting times!!! and i just finished a creamsicle... yum...

may put another movie quote on later...