Well Stephanie has really got the hang of this blog thing, as you can tell.
Since I have started the other blog
http://AFMmenu.com for the food service part of the ship I have gotten some good feedback, comments, & suggestions. They feel the quality of the food has gotten better since I have arrived, but this is not to pat myself on the back.
Most of the people I have working in the Galley right now are willing to change the way they have been taught or how they think to embrace new 'tricks' or 'sciences' of food that I have learned along the way. And the creativity they already have comes thru pretty well in some of the preparation styles and cooking they have done lately. I usually get the credit for it, but if I hear it verbally from the crew I reassure them someone else has done the 'good job' and to make sure they repeat the compliment and encouragement directly to that cooking team. The results of well placed compliments and encouragement will sometimes launch a person(s) into that 'extra mile' within the food they cook and their service within our department.
What I have realized a long time ago from watching it over and over again is that you need to pass on what you know, quit being stingy, quit trying to keep everything to yourself thinking that if you always control everything and do it yourself they will never be able to live or work without you...because life is just not that way. You want to have good food all the time even when you are not cooking? You need to teach them what you know and encourage them to go beyond that. Give them the recipes or instruction they ask for and let them do it, let go...allow for mistakes. It produces courage and commitment to do or be better next time.
Jesus always talked about discipling, teaching, spreading good news...why does that not run over into other aspects of our lives?
Do we become afraid someone else is going to take our place, that we will be replaced? Yes. Because eventually that will always happen. But that should allow us to grow and progress. Food is what I know. I am not the final authority. And if I want to bless everyone and not be selfish I need to be able to teach what I know, share it, make everyone else as good or better than me...why? Why not? To not do it the reasons could only be selfish. ------
I have been settling in as much as I can and our numbers will jump again significantly in the following weeks. For me it has been nice because I know my role, responsibilities, my job. Stephanie has been working at other jobs before her more permanent one 'kicks in' on outreach. We have both been feeling the effects of living in community again but right now the emotional strain does not leave me as exhausted as it used to...either from getting older or maybe more mature (but thats questionable) I don't let it use me up like it sometimes can...But we will see how this theory holds up under 10 months of continuous outreach and community living.
As for Stephanie? Well read it for yourself, she blogs more than me nowadays!
