Seed Money
- Renee Diaz
- Jan 3, 2020
- 3 min read
Oh, I know what you're thinking. How much do I have in my budget for seeds that I've titled this blog post 'seed money' as I refer to my budget? Well, jokes on you because 1. I don't have a budget, I just do what I want and take intermittent plant buying breaks and then regret my spending but not really and 2. that's not the type of seed money this post is about.
I have been thinking about a community plant swap and terrarium making day but while that is still in the works in my head, and when the clock was ticking on December 31, I decided to use it for an event a friend of mine hosts at our church, the 2020 IF conference local. If you're not familiar with the IF conference, it's basically this huge Christian Ted Talk that is focused on Christ, global impact of Christ, spiritual growth and emotional growth/wellness. It was so great to hear these women speak via live stream and hear how they leaned into Jesus during difficult times of their lives. I had that little heart spark that made me want to do that for a living. I mean, not like full time or anything but man was my heart glad to see other women with hard stuff, speaking openly, truthfully and with Christ as their foundation to share just how far they have come and how much they have healed because of Him. So, as I thought about the funds and how they could be used, I thought I would apply to see if the livesteam cost could be covered, the food could be covered and maybe some journals and swag bag type stuff could be given. Last year with coffee, drinks and cute snacks, we had lots to munch on while we watched the live stream or spent some time mingling. I really like those Linzer cookies from Trader Joe's and I'm really hoping for those again (SARAH)! We also have some cool team building stuff we might be able to do and maybe ice breaker things to help people come together if it ends up being a larger community event. I don't know what the entire plan is but I'm very excited to pursue it and I'm stoked that Thrivent sent us some seed money to help us host this event for our congregation and possibly others in our community.
When I applied online, I filled out a mission and breakdown of how the money would be used. After that, they ask what you'll need from them in terms of marketing materials. I asked for a heap of stickers and some small notebooks and a tshirt. I was expecting their new tshirt but it's cool, this one will work too and I'll give it away as swag. I asked for some thank you cards too which will be given to all the ladies that attend with church information and other things. I don't know, I just like giving things away, which is weird because I'm also thoughtful about zero waste and hate having stuff I don't need. I'm not sure if stickers are biodegradable but I couldn't not get them. Anyway, I received this cool package full of stuff and I'm excited to sit down with the team of women organizing this event and ask questions and about how I can help, aside from just assisting with funds. I'm really excited to be a part of another event for women and hope that this money and our time together, will be well spent.
I'm not interested in selling insurance and I don't know much about Thrivent except that I pay them money monthly in case I die. My financial adviser is trying to help us on our financial wellness journey and has yearly meetings to check in with us about where we are in terms of debt (sorry about the new phone) and talks with us about how we can cut corners and save for the future when we are ready to do so. For me Thrivent was just a place I would send money to every month until I saw the impact they were making through their members. I feel it really speaks to their values of community, outreach and Jesus and it's not just words. They encourage people to think big and use these funds, that not everyone has readily available, to spread love to people and help communities. For me that is just a good return on my investment.
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