Anchorage

Throughout the twenty- two years of my life I’ve heard the word “Hope” as it’s been thrown around in conversation, written down in a story, or talked about as a genuine emotion. I used to think I understood hope, that I could explain it and identify it in a moment’s passing as something that yearns to be caught when it’s placed close to us. I used to think I understood it as this overwhelming sense of peace and calming that washed over a person during their darkest moments; a type of restoration technique for body and soul. I’m twenty- two years old and just now figuring out that I didn’t really know anything about hope at all. It’s been a word I myself have thrown around, one I see and continually reiterate in the mission statement with Heart Support, but it was simply a fleeting notion, until this week when I actually began to sit down and pour over some of what it is that we offer to the students that write into us each day.

As Heart Support is a Christian organization I began to really attempt to utilize my resources and understand the full and true meaning of hope as it applies to what we do. The Bible emphasizes hope to be an anchor, one that grounds and stabilizes the foundation which a kingdom is built. The Bible holds that God is the anchor, the one to plant us firm with purpose and a sense of peace. He is to be the driving force for the steps we take forward and the paths that lives may take those who believe in all He is. That passage in Hebrews really stuck with me as I began to think back to an earlier entry I wrote, “Hands & Feet” and for me hope became more than just this one word people throw around for the sake of language.

As a team, we’re meant to do three things: ground the message, ground the community, and ground each other. Therefore, like the Bible says that hope becomes the anchor to center each moment of uncertainty, so too do we, as His hands and feet, become the anchors of even greater story. Those who believe in Christianity adhere to the fact that the community is intended to live the life that Christ has envisioned, guiding people closer to his Kingdom and toward understanding the world from that sense of perspective. I’ve begun to understand how vital my role is as a member of this team. I’m not just an intern, not just a student trying to learn or another college kid. Instead, I’m someone who is necessary in order to provide those who come to us each week with information, with community, with fellowship, and sometimes with answers as they go through these challenging situations of life.

Is it hard for me sometimes when a person writes in about addiction, asking for counsel from a Christian perspective, and asking to utilize resources? Of course. Is it hard for us as a team when someone writes in about their difficult home life and the struggles that they are having in those times of their lives? Of course, it’s never an easy situation to handle. It’s those moments that are the pivotal ones toward attempting to be the anchors for the students that follow us and have begun to join this community and share their stories. For each of them their struggles often times bind them to the present, but through our organization we’re meant to be the people that can begin to speak into their lives and restore them back to the relationship and understanding they had with Him.

What does this all have to do with my initial impressions of hope? Simple. It’s changed. No longer is hope just a meaning, just an intangible but present emotion that seems to sweep us when we’re not quite prepared, but for us hope is a mission. Hope is to believe that we our beliefs have to offer and what our stories have to share will help to spread the truth of the faith we believe. Hope is simply being the person on the other side of a computer screen who makes it a point to take that email, write back, and say “yes, we do want to help you through this.” Hope, as I’ve recently begun to discover both personally and through the experience of others, is the nature of being connected to this mission not for the fame and notoriety that it may or may not receive, but to be the guiding light that attempts to go through the same journey of faith and understanding that our followers are experiencing. It’s a partnership and each of us is committed to meeting wherever the trail is left.

Reclaim. Restore. Rise Above.

Big News and Changes

We’re wrapping up the insights and responses for May. As I’ve been saying all along, it’s been amazing to see the way that an online community can begin to grow and communicate with each other. It’s like each day gives me something new to look forward to in doing my administrative tasks.

Jake recently informed me of the topic for next month: forgiveness. Is it broad? Yes, but I think that’s what makes for such an interesting dialog on the site. It allows people from all walks of life to come and comment, share and connect in the thoughts that we have buzzing about. Primarily we’re going to be introducing the ideas of what it means to forgive someone- what it looks like and feels like to do so, and what it means to forgive ourselves and the things that we have done in our lives. I think this is going to be the most interesting because if people are open to it, we have the chance to receive a number of stories which allow for a discussion of faith and struggle.

June hasn’t even begun and we’ve already gotten some stories to share on the site. That’s pretty exciting news because it means that there’s potential for great outreach and programming. I’ve also said to Jake that I want to do something different on Facebook and twitter this month. I want to find articles and segments of what others have said and experienced in regards to forgiveness. I want to have a discussion on the boards because right now it just seems like we’re pumping the students and followers full of minimal information. I’m working to achieve a sense of application and communication between people that are worlds away. Do we have it on the prayer board that’s direct to the website? Sure, but I’d like to find a way to get it pumped up a little bit more. Jake agrees that this is one piece that’s been lacking lately.

Jake also introduced that he and the heart support leaders, minus myself, will be going out on tour with his band, August Burns Red, this summer. They’ll be addressing the community directly while I man it from home like I’ve been doing. I think it’s going to be a great chance for me to continue expanding my responsibilities and capabilities while Jake, his wife, and one of the other team members are out on the road pushing our mission. Having conversations and holding the time for them is extremely important to us through any medium; I can’t wait to see how it takes shape.

Recently, I have worked with the team in creating a new segment on the site pertaining to the subject of church. It includes finding a church, speaking about what church should be, and talking about how it is that we can let go of some of the stigmas surrounding the institution. I had the chance to put pieces of the page together and found it to be a wonderful experience. I got to see the mechanical aspect as to how some of this is formed, to organize the information, and to entice our followers to visit this page. It seems to be working very well; we’ve got more and more people visiting it each day.

http://www.heartsupport.com/gethelp/Church/

Take a look and let us know what you think! Excited to see how we’re going to be expanding in His glory this month!

Reclaim. Restore. Rise above.

Kicking Around New Ideas

This week has been another busy and exciting adventure with Heart Support. As we continue forward for the month of May and the platform of spreading and instilling community, I have been blown away by the response of our followers. Many have written in explaining what community means to them or, what it is that they look for in a community. Many have thanked us for the dedication and time that we give to the organization but many more have also explained that they want to find ways to implement Heart Support in their own communities.

I’m excited to speak to Jake on this and see if there’s something we can do to actually make it a reality. Many of the people we’re reaching and talking with are college students going through some major changes in their lives, and if we can be a part of that discussion I think it might be another way to extend the idea of faith. There’s a number of organizations that have begun to set up chapter programs, both at the high school and college levels, in order to bring their causes to a new spectrum and a newer community. A chapter is much like a club on campus, and while the group may do their own things to spread knowledge and awareness, they’re also upholding the mission statement and goals of the organization they are representing. In this case, schools and organizations would be aiming to support and portray the message of “Restore. Reclaim. Rise Above” to the communities in which they are a part.

I know that this may be a large endeavor but it’s something I’m very interested in sharing with Jake and other members of the team. I know the biggest challenge we’re facing right now is that sometimes the community, and the response from those we follow, seems stagnant. This is a particular issue with the social media sites although, the idea of have pictures and banners be represented to show support for our mission has been a big help this month. Like I said, it requires quite a bit of work for a new organization, and for someone with Jake’s touring schedule, but I’d at least like to present the idea, have the discussion, and go from there. This could potentially be an idea that gets Heart Support on the map as a group dealing with mental health issues and questions of spirituality.

My time with Heart Support has been wonderful. I’ve learned a lot about the upkeep of a website, the functioning and processing of materials, and I love the fact that I get to interact with people and hear their stories everyday. However, I’ve noticed a particular challenge this month as my own studies come to a close; I’ve realized that I struggle with time and wondering whether or not I’m doing enough to contribute to the organization and their specific needs. Of course, I follow up and dedicate time to each project that Jake and the team shares with me but sometimes I wonder if there is more I should be doing. More of an active and forward role I should be taking for the team. I know that my work ethic is 100% to this team and all that it stands for- it’s just a matter of keeping up that steam and trusting that I am worthy and necessary for this position. I’m still learning- each day is a new experience for that- but through Heart Support, and through my weekly updates with Jake, God has begun to equip me with more skills and more opportunities for conversation than I could have every imagined.

While May is still very much an active month, we’ve all begun looking forward to June and the topics to discuss. After speaking with and presenting my thoughts to Jake and his wife, I think we’re going to tackle the idea of forgiveness. It’s always a rough pill to swallow, but we’ll be attempting to deal with situations like, “Who do you still need to forgive? What does forgiveness actually look like? How can we know that Jesus has forgiven us? What if we need to forgive ourselves?” So, it’s going to be a challenging month for all of us, I think. Hopefully, there will be a lot of good discussion and conversation as we attempt to think of ways to revamp our social media outlets.

Restore. Reclaim. Rise Above.

Hands & Feet

This month's project of community and development outreach has taken off wonderfully. Each day we get new emails of kids sharing stories, telling us how important it is that Heart Support has been created, and just simply appreciation for the fact that people can come together to share struggles and praise for Jesus. Each day that I log on to check the updates or respond to new messages there's always something that seems to blow me right out of the water. This week alone has been no exception to that rule.

We've gotten a lot of feedback from kids about why it is that they follow the community of Heart Support, how it is that they first heard about Jake's project, and what it is that they can do to help extend us further. Following that, Jake asked me the same questions: how it is that I came across them, and why it is that I asked the question of interning so long ago. He'd remembered I'm sure but, wanted it to be a bit more of a vulnerable answer.

Start with the easier of the two I suppose: I heard about Heart Support from one of my good friends here at Arcadia. He knew how interested I was in the serious issues of mental health, and how it was that I was growing in my faith. So, he gave me the website to check out and experiment with for a bit. nothing of a surprise there.

The second, why it is that I chose to email and persist with Jake is an experience I don't think I've truly ever allowed myself to process. I believed in the story that Jake was sharing- the idea that if we start the conversation and begin to talk about some of the issues then we can find a sense of newness and the courage to rise above it. I've always been one that wants to help people and so when I came across this site, across the community that was slowly being built, the desire drew me in once more. I knew that I had some of my own struggles to face, my own pieces of my story to work through, but I knew that I at least wanted to put my name out there and see.

Now, here I am. Almost 3 months in, and it's been fantastic since the beginning.

This month I've heard stories of how Jake's music, August Burns Red, has changed people. How it has allowed them to hear his story as they begin to piece together and make sense of their own. I've heard stories of kids who are coming from broken homes and dangerous situations- they ask us to pray for them and we let them know that this a community where they can come to discuss some of the things they are facing. This month I've seen people interact. I've heard stories of those who tell others in their community, believers or non- believers, about the mission statement of Heart Support. I've seen the community- even though it is online- be fostered through the sheer ability for communication and conversation. A safe haven is being built just because of our ability to log on, come together as a team, and be there for people across the globe. Technology continues to amaze me with this job.

I think the hardest thing for me is still the idea of wanting to do everything...not perfectly but, almost perfectly. Each time that someone writes into us, I want to make sure that I have the right words or the key passage from Scripture that's going to help them. I want to know that I definitely have the skills to do this. That the ways in which I'm reaching people through twitter and facebook, are effective in extending myself and promoting the message of Heart Support and Jake's goals. The hardest part throughout this whole process has been to acknowledge the fact that I'm still learning- that I'm one student and one team members- and that this entire mission is going to keep growing, not for me and not for Jake but, for the One who has given us the opportunity in the first place.

My hands, my heart, my feet, are all moving in His direction. No matter the things I think I face, it was always under control from the beginning.

Excited to continue receiving these responses.

Reclaim. Restore. Rise Above.

May: Community Centered

As I described last week, the month of May is dedicated to the discussion of community. We've been working hard to see how it is that we can build community as a team, to build it with the people who are brave enough to share their stories with us everyday, and to provide knowledge to those who don't know what/ who Heart Support is.

This month has been phenomenal with outreach and it's only the first week! I've had the chance to interact directly with people who want to talk to us and hear some of what they're doing to spread the word about our project. I've been answering emails, writing blurbs, and asking for people's feedback through social media. Not only that, but I've also pitched a few ideas to Jake these past few weeks about ways to get incentive since our facebook posts have been decreasing lately. There's a video project I've pitched to him; we get people to send in their personal reasons for following us and then to describe a little of what community means to them. I'm excited for that idea because then it means we're reaching beyond borders. Precisely what we're all about.

I've really enjoyed this experience thus far because it gives me the ability to sit down and write in the ways that I love to, but it also has taught me a lot about management and PR/ communications skills. There's the whole idea of keeping accounts up to date, of sounding and being professional when speaking to the students we reach, and then just with Jake himself. It's a great chance for me because I've helped to build pieces of Heart Support from the ground up and this is only the beginning for all of us. I feel like I've really begun to mature as I learn how to conduct myself from behind a keyboard and a cup of coffee. I'm eternally grateful and am thrilled each day to be a part of this.

Jake asked me to write a blog for the month on what community means to me, what it looks like, and how I influence my community. This is the posting I've come up with:

There have been a number of times where I’ve been told and taught that community by definition is a social construct and perspective of people interacting with one another for a larger purpose. That’s a great definition from a textbook or for the sake of a classroom environment, but it just never felt like enough. When I saw the objectives and details for the month of May with Heart Support I experienced the exact same thought as in a classroom: “alright. I know what it is to define.” The question I couldn’t seem to answer with enough credit centered on uncovering what community looked like, and its significance in the larger picture that we create as people striving toward a goal. I kept thinking about the idea of community and the different things that I could manage to present for my blog this month only to realize that maybe, even in my own communities here at school, I still have a ton to learn about how they facilitate and what it is that I can do to better the machine. Community, in its own standalone definition, relates to the idea of people coming together and attempting to forge new connections- to promote a stable ground through the busy nature of everyday life- struggles and achievements combined. Yet, there’s still a piece that I’m desperate to uncover and that I hope will truly get the heart at what we’re trying to create as the people of this organization: what does community look like?

“There’s no I in team.” That’s the phrase so many of us here in the early years of childhood. Some of us might even still reiterate the same theme today, to ourselves or the other people that we encounter on a daily basis. This concept, whether repeatedly said throughout childhood in a game or group setting or, mumbled under your breath in the middle of a difficult situation, still applies. Community means that there is a group of people who share the same heart and vision toward a common goal. The size and number of those in the group proves insignificant. Instead, the importance is each individual brings heart and dedication to the project that lies ahead. Community calls to the individuals to put aside personal goals and come together toward the aspirations of the overall group.

Will it be easy to put aside personal values for the “bigger picture?” It’s never easy. Group perspective and human vulnerability is never a gift handed easily, but it’s possible and achievable.

What must persist though, throughout the challenges of each, is the heart of each person and their ability to sit and hear the need. A community comes together to tell a much larger story than the ones we’ve personally created. A community comes together for the sake of telling an intricate detail of this honestly broken world and when those words have been uttered, the community stands tall and connected to keep the hope and the faith. Will standing tall in the face of hardship, in the lack of energy and tired seasons be easy? Of course not, but it’s a possibility. The building and the effort is always a possibility. Again, it comes back to where the heart lies and the true dedication of those around us.

Think for a second of the communities you’re a part of. There’s communities at the school the attend, the church you go to, the job you have, the clubs you’re in, the music you like, the family each of us come from, the goals you aspire to achieve. Think about it: communities are a part of how we function as a mobile society. They exist; they sprout up in more places we tend to acknowledge. In those moments then, the question comes not from what community is but what it looks like.

Arcadia’s a school that prides itself on extending a hand to the community of the students and of reaching further out to the Philadelphia area. What does it look like? Community looks like students taking their time on a few Sundays of the week to go and complete service projects. Whether it’s packing things to be recycled, holding a family weekend for prospective students, or packing backpacks for inner- city kids. That’s one facet of the community. Community paints the picture of people working together to spark a conversation or make a statement, no matter how large or small.

Arcadia dedicates itself to making a community for the first- year students who come here and through their orientation program upperclassmen attempt to facilitate the commonalities between students as they attempt to connect to one another. Therefore, the conversation sparks around the beginnings of college life and the blend of people who come together in this new environment. The statement, in its own way, comes in the ability to mesh the newest class of students together before the start of classes. Thereafter, the fostering of relationships then continues as the semester moves forward and the changes of students is just something phenomenal. It still makes me wonder sometimes.

Is it challenging; of course. Is it awkward at times; of course. It’s the ability to persevere that makes the experience that much more worthwhile. Community then, takes the shape and the perspective of those who first breathe life into its creation.

Recently I’ve applied to a local graduate school in Philadelphia masters degree in counseling psychology. When asked about which concentration I’d like to pursue in the program I chose the community track almost instantly. When asked why I chose that track specifically I explained that I want to be at the heart of the situation. I believe that to be in community and to understand it is to be willing to dive in, trust God, and just take what He has to offer us. Allow ourselves to hear the stories of those around us because those interactions are the most significant, whether or not we’re consciously aware of it. The truth is, I love the way that a community can take shape, the way that it can transform, and the way that it can spark discussions and needs bigger than ever before imagined.

Community’s a pretty definition you can find in any sociology textbook, but the movement and steps it provides for are even more beautiful. Think about the communities your part of, make a list if you have to. Look at that list. Digest it, pray over it, and dare to be the one that takes the first step to make it noticeable. When that happens just remember: don’t do it for personal gain, pursue it for the movement of the world. Do it to meet the need and start the conversation.

I'm happy with the balance between writing and advertising, PR kind of roles. Frankly, it's kind of exciting to see the feedback from the people we're reaching everyday. I'm excited to see what the next few weeks have for us as a team.

Reclaim. Restore. Rise Above.

From One To The Next

This month for Heart Support I’ve spent a lot of my time finding out what it means to have a dream both personally and through the experiences of other people. I’ve read stories where people are creating and envisioning dreams almost every hour of every day. I’ve experienced moments throughout this journey where people have explained that they felt as though life was meaningless and dreams meant nothing because it wasn’t possible. In that sense, the spectrum has been cleared. As a team, I think we’ve been built, broken, and rebuilt in trying to figure out the best way to go about making some changes to Heart Support- to the things that we strive for and the resources that we provide. Just this morning I posted a final thought for the month of April on one of the social media sites where I said, “Just because April’s on the outs doesn’t mean our dreams have to be walking to the wind too.” It wasn’t until later this evening that I really began to see the message behind something like that, no matter how simply it appeared.

Most of the time I work until a deadline approaches toward a particular goal. Once that deadline arrives, I the sit back and evaluate the situation. If the goal has not yet been met, I don’t turn around and make a new benchmark for the opportunity and seek to complete it again. Instead, I mark it as a failure; take that for what it is, and move forward toward the next task that needs to be completed or potential goal to be reached. It wasn’t until I talked to my supervisor this past week and told him some of the ways I function as a student, and some of what really drive me to this internship, that I actually began to see some of what I do behaviorally, and understand some of it from a different perspective. I’ve never really been one to let myself off the hook. I’ve always been the type of person that needs to achieve whatever it is that I initially set out to do and when that doesn’t happen I have a hard time learning to take it in stride.

 I explained this to Jake and we talked about it for a little while. He explained that a lot of the stories he has been receiving and at many points throughout his own, there are moments where the deadlines aren’t met and where the challenge may be overwhelming that lead a person to feel as though they’ve failed personally in their expectations. That’s been me throughout different periods of my life. Right now, at times that can be me because I want to do the best at this job as is possible- I want to reach the community that has begun forming and continue to expand the dream that Jake and his wife saw a few years ago. It was during this conversation that Jake told me, it’s not what I accomplish during those times, but that I can learn something, teach something, and continue forward until that one goal is achieved no matter the hardship or time- frame.

This next month as part of the Heart Support program we’re trying to push the idea of community and the building of discussions and networks. I think it’s really important for us to try and continue to push our message out to the people that will listen for as far as we can. Waves are sometimes wonderful and beautiful like that, you know? So, this month deals with the idea of community and having us as team members reach out to the listeners with more of our stories and vulnerabilities. Should be challenging, but it should definitely be interesting to experience as well. I’ve already written my blog on what community means and how it is that I see community from a team and individual perspective. I’m really excited for the responses this month.

I found a quote a few weeks ago when looking for dream information and articles from the famous USA hockey coach Herb Brooks that reads, “We should be dreaming. We grew up as kids having dreams, but now we're too sophisticated as adults, as a nation. We stopped dreaming. We should always have dreams.” April might be on its way out, but that doesn’t mean that these particular dreams and goals, of doing well and making an impact have to end. Neither does it mean that I have failed. Instead, it simply continues adding fuel to the fire and passion to the work I’m already doing.

            

Challenged and Encouraged

            The pastor at my local church always opens the Sunday morning service in saying that he hopes we all feel challenged and encouraged. His hope is that the things that we hear challenge us. That we let the things that wreck us, but that we’re encouraged to make movements toward restoration. His hope is that the movements because we’re compelled by something that was offered at service, and that the steps begin a change, no matter how large or small. In thinking of the ways to approach this week’s blog update I was simply challenged by a topic. I’ve been learning so much, I’ve been overwhelmed by the creation of these sites and foundations, that I just cannot find the proper words to articulate my perspective.

            This week I’ve been working on a great deal of administrative tasks and examining on maintaining the information that gets sent publicly for people to view as they come to our page. I’ve been in correspondence with followers asking if we can post their stories to the website as a message of hope and community. In this way I feel as though I’m slowly acquiring some of the skills to be more diplomatic and professional in email format- something today’s technologically driven society definitely needs. Not only that, but I’ve had the chance to share some of what I do as an intern with some of the students and followers who have emailed into us.

It’s an amazing thing to see how people are coming to one developing website, sharing their stories, and then allowing some of that to be poured back into their lives. Even in just logging onto Facebook and seeing if there’s something worthy for me to post, like a quote or motivational thought, it’s amazing some of the conversations and support that I have begun to see as someone who’s still feeling the newness of her experience. Perhaps for the week that’s my sense of encouragement; that no matter how much I need to complete at this stage in the game, there’s always going to be time to sit down have that discussion with someone. There’s always time to stop what we’re doing, to readjust the view, and just to extend a hand and the ability to be an available resource. Perhaps my encouragement is the fact that I have been given this internship in the first place. Perhaps it comes from the simplicity of not thinking that a blog can reach far, but then realizing that it can. Ultimately you realize that words, works, and comfort can extend to so many nations because people are only looking for a listener. Perhaps the encouragement comes from letting myself be that listener and seeing how that transpires to the community.

Some might look at this blog and say, “It seems like everything is going great for you. What’s the challenge then?” For me the challenge isn’t about sitting to find time to answer people back, it’s not about the jobs that Jake asks me to pursue in order to make the site as good as possible, nope. The challenge comes when I log on for my daily shift only to realize that there are so many people writing in, that there’s so much pain and frustration for the world over. The challenge comes in hearing some of those stories and wondering whether my words will be effective in offering support and understanding. The challenge comes in recognizing that I can’t exactly fix the struggles and seasons that people are going through, but instead, that I am simply one piece of a bigger mission. The challenge sometimes comes in having the qualifications and feeling okay doing what I’m doing. The challenge comes in letting myself off the hook and realizing that this is merely my first shot at these new experiences. The list could go on and on for right now, and when I feel like it might, I have to stop myself.

I’m here. I’m here because I was qualified. I’m here because I had something to offer this team and because of the ultimate goals I have for helping people and providing resources. I’ve really begun to realize that these opportunities and these stories aren’t meant to be a scoring contest or a detail of how well I can answer a question. Instead, it’s merely the process of listening and hearing individuals and their challenges. Of promoting community and hope just through the tiny things that we do using technology. This whole process is still really amazing to me and I’m thrilled to be a part of such a new and becoming organization.

Chasing Dreams

            It’s funny how a week of adjusting to a new set of responsibilities and understanding new techniques can actually teach us about ourselves. Even funnier are the ways in which technology and the construction of the Internet has allowed for so many connections to be formed. This week has been one in which I’m still leaning the ways of the Heart Support community while just easing into the responses of those people who log in with us.

            Being an administrator, I’ve learned, is a bit of a stressful job. In the past week I’ve been working directly with the accounts of both Facebook and Twitter. This means that I am one of two team members who check to update the statuses and reach out to those specific communities. Furthermore, I’ve been able to look at and analyze the reports of how many people our updates are reaching and how many people are gaining access to the information we are posting. It’s been amazing to see how one posting can have such a ripple effect in allowing people to respond and have those conversations, not only with our team, but with each other over such common interest and hard- hitting topics. While I’m working with both of these social networking sites and attempting to see how they work from the backside of things, making connections with the people show an interest and visit the site, I’ve also begun to work with another program as well.

            While I’ve been going directly to the Heart Support website and responding to the people that post prayer requests and other informational details, I’ve also been working with another program, a backend, called The Kitchen Sink. The Kitchen Sink is kind of the “behind the scenes” details of what it takes to look at other people’s stories, add, and edit them. Similarly, I use this same process to add my own blogs to the site for the topic of the month.

            We have begun the new topic of goals and dreams for the month of April. So, while we post to the social media sites about having people share their stories, I must also go onto the backend of the site and check the stories that are sent in, asking for Jake’s approval, and writing to the authors of the stories asking for the use of their stories on the website. The three that I have looked at so far have been absolutely wonderful because people feel comfortable enough to share these moments with us. They feel safe and even after working here for only about two weeks, I’ve begun to recognize that I myself am opening up with the responses I have been giving to people and the way I handle my conversation with Jake. That is to say, no longer am I trying to simply impress the others, but I’m trying to take a risk, to do the best I can, and offer as much discussion as possible. Often times the listener can be the best tool.

            I’ve recently written my own blog as per Jake’s assignment, a blog on dreams, goals, and what it means to accomplish them. In doing that I definitely had to take some time, sit down and free write in order to plan and produce an effective work- something that would both engage and teach. It ended up that I talked about my goals for this project. My goals to help people, to connect to a community where there is a near, to challenge and encourage those I come in contact with while really pushing to learn something new about myself. Like I said, it’s been two weeks, but just that blog exercise alone and my email correspondence with Jake has been phenomenal. When I think about, writing in my own story to him and asking about an internship was my own dream. It became my own brave moment that has led me to this point in my life. Now, I guess the new list of dreams and identifiers begins. Yet before becoming selfish and chasing after my own needs I must continue to push forward sharing the story and mission of Heart Support, reading the stories of others as they walk toward their dreams, letting them know that we understand and are leaving the light on for them.

Do you have a dream in mind? Do you have a dream in your heart? Good. Now, don’t be afraid to go ahead and chase after it.

The Beginning

      It's amazing how just when we least expect it the world seems to come together, to give each of a variety of perspectives we would have never dreamt of having. These past few weeks have been stressful; they've consisted of me trying to keep in contact with key organizations and find out whether or not I would have the chance to work with them. I'm proud to say that as of this past week I have been offered the chance to work with an online non- profit organization known as Heart Support.

       Heart Support is an organization that began a few short years ago. It began as one man's dream to create a community online where people can share their stories of struggles (addiction, pornography, stress, anxiety, eating disorders, depression, suicide, self injury). The community also tells of victories, offers blogs from the vital team members and their experiences through some of these same issues. Heart Support is a Christian organization that strives to provide the idea of God's safe harbor; how it is that our stories can be strengthened and understood through Him. 

       Still in the beginning stages of its construction, Heart Support is run by lead singer of August Burns Red, Jake Luhrs, and his wife Kris Luhrs. Beyond these two wonderful people and their passion for sharing the great truths, for providing hope and restoration through prayer and counsel, there are another of other team members vital to the creation of this organization. Luckily, and as of recently, I am now able to be a part of this creation and to experience some of the overwhelming love and help that has been enabled in a forum like Heart Support. 

       For more information and details about what I'll be doing and working through this semester, please visit www.heartsupport.com and check it out. I've been emailing with Jake back and forth since I first heard about the organization 6 months ago. I told him it was my overwhelming desire to help people, to spread a great message while sharing my own struggles and pieces of my story. We had been emailing back and forth for awhile now as he has been trying to think about whether or not to accept an intern position, but he has now created a specific position for me as a member of the team. For the duration of this internship I will be responsible for the following duties:

Social Media Administrator/Team member

Kayleen, Oliver

1. Twitter and Facebook administrator : is the overseer of all media

done on Twitter and Facebook. Postings on both sites under Heart

Support username; minimum 4 times a week.

Posting of News updates, scriptures and postings/retweets of any

inspiring content that deals with spiritual issues and addictions.

2. Female Counselor: will answer all questions from Heart Support’s

female audience.

3. Promotion and Fundraising: Team members are required to

promote Heart Support on social sites such as Twitter, Facebook,

band sites etc. They are also required to raise funds by means of

donation, as well as awareness, to aid in growth and support for the

ministry.

4. Prayer and Communication on site: Team members are required

to view the prayer wall once a week to pray for kids, as well as

comment on discussion board and/or prayers.

5. Blogging: Team members are required to write and post one blog

per month. The blogs may vary in length and subject matter as the

team member sees fit.

           In acquiring this position I've been able to start posting on the corresponding social networking sites while also interacting with the community on the prayer wall. The best part of it? I've gotten the stats for the Facebook and Twitter accounts. It's absolutely outstanding how many people we have been able to reach with just a status post or an advertisement to a new blog on the website. Furthermore, the prayer wall has been a great experience as I've begun to see what the people of Heart Support do, and how it is that they can begin to respond to people. I've only been working for a few days and have already had two people reach out to me thanking me for my prayers. It's amazing what the realm of communication can do. I'm excited to see where it will take me in the next few weeks. 

         I know that Jake has asked me to begin writing a blog post and so I've been trying to kick around some ideas for that first post. I want to make a good first impression and provide some worthy resources for the people that will be visiting the page. I've been considering the idea of "Going, Not Knowing" which means that we, as people, and as believers, can begin to trust and find comfort in the plans and pieces that God has already intricately created for each of us. I'll be sending that piece off to him soon and will anxiously await feedback for that first post. 

       Right now the hardest part is believing that this has all happened. The hardest part is believing that I'm working for the members of a band that I greatly appreciated. The hardest part right now is believing that technology has this great ability to connect our people and communities across the world. 

        I'm thrilled to see where the next week takes me. 

           This is a piece of Jake's story. I'll keep you all posted with what he has to offer and communicate to me and the campus community. This is just the beginning of a greater story.