Somehow- don’t ask me how, exactly- but somehow, I ended up working on the Annual Gumbo Cook-Off. I had a 75-year old mentor who reminded me often, “Honey, I’ve been doing this 56 years.” Thank God for that woman. About a third of the way through, she decided it was my turn to run things, and I ended up as the chair of our Cook-Off this year…

…about the same time the Red Cross brought me on as an AmeriCorps VISTA. So January 31st was my first day “on the job,” not as a volunteer. That meant I was not only working on the Gumbo Cook-Off, but also working to “build resilience in the community during times of disaster” through our Neighbor to Neighbor program. But enough about N2N and resilience- that’s another post.

Until this year I had never planned or run an event before. There’s a lot of work involved. Because of an email glitch, those emails we sent out in October didn’t arrive, so we started from scratch the first week of January. We needed teams and sponsors. We needed new trophies, aprons, t-shirts, and banners. We needed a killer kids’ area, great entertainment, and drink trailers. We needed posters and ticket distributors. We needed to upgrade our logo from clip art to something eye-catching. We needed a lot.

Most importantly, we needed to raise more money than ever. Last year our Cook-Off had 8 teams, 600 visitors, and raised about $3,500. With the help of last year’s event organizer (who made it back from maternity leave just in time to help us get things finalized) and Ann Coffee (my 75 year old extra-curricular grandmother), we nearly doubled the teams (some dropped out at the last minute), easily tripled the income, and probably had about 1,000 people show up to the event. It was a hit. And it blew my mind.

The Unofficial Estimated Stats: 13 teams, 800+ guests, ~$11,000 (net) raised for the Alabama Gulf Coast Chapter.

And we’ve already started planning for next year. The date is set: Saturday, March 31, 2012. You coming?

I graduated from Mobile in 2004 and immediately went off to seminary in New Orleans. At the time I’d put nonprofit dreams on the back burner to be a college minister. We all go through phases- I’d just spent a year and a half working with youth and college students. So I went to seminary to become a college minister. It seemed like the thing to do at the time. Hurricane Katrina changed things pretty fast. Although I ended up studying urban missions and church planting throughout seminary, it was the city of New Orleans after Katrina that educated me about life. Namely, it taught me about the fragility of life. I graduated from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary in 2008 a different person than when I’d started. A better person. A more thoughtful and well-rounded person. Wouldn’t you know it, I didn’t want to be a paid minister/pastor, either.

Much to the surprise of, I’m sure, at least a few people, the professional ministry just wasn’t on my radar anymore. There are plenty of reasons for that- most of which either don’t matter or are another story altogether. But charity- nonprofit work- doing something to help make a difference in the world- that was back on the radar. And it is. I don’t knock pastors. They do great work, and I’m blessed to have many pastor/missionary friends all over the country (and world). Something in me stirred after Katrina. I wanted to help people, and I didn’t want to do it through what we see as organized/traditional church avenues. Two week mission trips to Mexico or Brazil, building white chapels for the local congregations- that’s nice, but it’s not me. Medical missions. Again, not who I am.

So I started out 2009 looking for a job. I admit I was willing to accept a church staff job, but it had to be the perfect situation (there are no perfect situations). The job market was sparse. In June 2009 I found myself in a familiar situation. I was back in Mobile living in the same room eight years prior. After short stints with Target and the Census, I was making coffee at Books-A-Million again. Two degrees and nine years since I first worked in that cafe, there I was doing it all over again. I admit I was discouraged. I didn’t spend all that time for nothing.

Nine years ago I quit Books-A-Million to chase that dream of getting a degree (or two!) and making a difference in the world. Last Friday I left Books-A-Million again to continue dreamchasing.

I want to invest long term. I want to make a lasting difference. I’ve applied for more nonprofit jobs across the country than I can count over the last year. Few bothered to respond. In every case I’ve been rejected. Maybe it’s the economy, and maybe it’s for a lack of professional experience. Either way, I’ve got plans. Beginning two weeks ago I started looking for full-time volunteer positions in the Mobile area. Once I’ve found a place to pour myself into, I’ll try to find a part-time job around town.

Look, I know for some of you it doesn’t make sense. For most of the folks at Books-A-Million, it’s confusing. My manager keeps repeating, “You’re not a material guy, are you Joe?” Why leave a paying (granted, minimum-wage) gig to volunteer full-time? For me, it’s easy. It’s about experience. I could work a decade in retail and never get the experience necessary to work for a nonprofit, much less start one. I’m sacrificing the short-term money (seriously, not even that much) for long-term benefit. I couldn’t do it without the support of my family.

I encouraged my co-workers to pursue their dreams. To never give up on what they want to do in life. Some will spend years at Books-A-Million because it’s where they want to be, or because it’s there and will have them. Most will move on to something else. What I hope to hear one day is that many left, not to pursue a better paying job at Chili’s, but to chase the dreams they’ve had since they were kids. To become someone better than they are today. To make a difference in the world.

Anyway, I my final shift at Books-A-Million was last Friday. Over the last couple weeks I had several of my regulars tell me how they’ll miss me. I’ve received plenty of undeserved compliments, and I know one thing for sure. If I’ve made a small difference in the lives of the folks I meet at Books-A-Million, then maybe I’ll be able to make a difference at the next stop, too. Hopefully it will be more.

Alan Siegel talks about simplifying legal jargon, from credit card agreements to IRS forms. Considering a 1000+ page health care bill was just signed into law, it seems this is a talk worth listening to. It’s about four and a half minutes. Take the time to watch it. Finally, something we can all agree to: let’s make life a little less complicated. There’s no need for legal jargon in everyday life.

Now, unlike Blogger or WordPress.com, I had to pay for things. It cost money to get wordsarenotenough.com, and it cost money to host my blog on it. (I started with GoDaddy.com, but now I use BlueHost.com as my domain host.) I pay about $80 a year to run this site, and I use it for more than just photography. Words Are Not Enough is about life- travel, photography, friends, mission- lots of things. Anyway, I’m writing this to tell you that you can get a ProPhoto blog too. Your blog doesn’t have to be about photography to use it, but if you do have a photoblog, ProPhoto is the best I’ve seen.

So here’s the deal. Check out this video about ProPhoto Blogs. If you like it, get it. It’s got wicked awesome customization tools that are simple to use- you can make a professional blog without paying an arm and a leg.

And if you sign up, use this promo code: JOEKEN654. It’ll save you a little cash, and it’ll give me a little, too.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned about job-hunting, it’s that companies obsess over experience and no one wants to give it. Almost every job I’ve applied for over the last year has required at least 2 years of related on-the-job experience, and almost none (save Target and that pyramid-scheme marketing company) offered entry-level work. Now here I am  nearing the end of my seasonal job at my local Target.

The hardest part of job-hunting is that too many companies never consider the person behind the paper. I understand it would take an awful long time to personally interview every applicant, but so many organizations miss out on potentially great employees when they skip the face-to-face or phone interview. You see, I can’t help that I passed on some work experience to get my graduate degree. I can’t change that, no matter how much I wish I could. I can’t change the fact that I’m not interested in being a pastor, and that my seminary education is still useful in any non-profit workplace. I may have never been paid for working with WordPress, Twitter, or Facebook, but I can tell you I know plenty about them. I have never written an article for a newspaper or magazine, but I once had a photo of a New Orleans Sunset used by Intelligent Travel (a National Geographic blog).

In other words, I may not be able to put a lot on my resume, but I bring a lot to the table. I’m a funny guy. I’m intelligent and I learn quickly. Some of my closest friends tell me I write well, and that I’m a pretty good photographer. I still have two degrees, and I think that even if they’re not entirely relevant to the position I’m applying for, they still reflect that I’ve worked hard and accomplished something. They prove I’m a dedicated worker. They prove I finish what I start.

So if you’re a potential employer checking up on this “Joseph L. Kennedy” fellow who listed a website on his resume, here I am. I think you’d like to have me around. I’d sure love to be given a shot. (In case you didn’t get my resume, here it is for you.)

[Profile]

A long-time resident of Mobile, Alabama, I received a Bachelor of Science in Communication from the University of Mobile and attained a Master of Divinity in Urban Missions from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Hurricane Katrina struck Gulf Coast while I was working toward my master’s degree, and upon my return to New Orleans I added extensive experience in community relations through my church and the seminary. That work often involved meeting and assisting community members whose homes were damaged by the flood, gutted by Christian volunteers from cross the country, and rebuilt during the ensuing years. In addition to acting as a community-church liaison, I honed my photography skills and started a side business.

[Experience]

Freelance Photographer
Words Are Not Enough | Mobile, Alabama | August 2006 – Present
I became a freelance photographer, shooting engagements, weddings, and portraits. In 2007 I was approached by Invisible Children, a non-profit organization dedicated to telling the story of war-affected children in East Africa. I took promotional photos of the Displace Me event site at Tulane University in New Orleans. I also worked as a photographer at various ministry events and conferences in New Orleans and Fort Worth, Texas.

Church Planting Intern
North American Mission Board | New Orleans, Louisiana | January – May 2008
I worked as a church planting intern in the Gentilly and Filmore neighborhoods of New Orleans. I assisted in meeting with families and individuals whose homes were gutted by volunteers from Edgewater Baptist Church after Hurricane Katrina.

Community Missions Intern
First Baptist Church of Tillman’s Corner | Mobile, Alabama | May – August 2003
For the summer of 2003, I served as the community missions intern for First Baptist Tillman’s Corner. I organized community events for the church, including a Backyard Bible Club, apartment outreach, and an apartment Bible study. I also used my graphic design skills to promote outreach fundraising events within the church. I remained with the church as a volunteer for the youth and college ministries once the internship was complete.

Associate/Barista
Books-A-Million | Mobile, Alabama | March – August 2001
While working as a barista and associate at Books-A-Million, I gained retail experience. I prepared drinks and food for customers in Joe Muggs Café while filling in for customer service during breaks. In addition to working in the cafe, I also helped restock the bookstore, participated in inventory, and worked the floor as needed.

[Education]

New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
New Orleans, Louisiana — Master of Divinity (Specialization in Urban Missions), 2008

University of Mobile
Mobile, Alabama — Bachelor of Science in Communication (Advertising and Public Relations), 2004

[Skills]

I have worked extensively with Microsoft Office, Apple iWork, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, and I can work on both Mac and Windows operating systems. I am very familiar with social networking websites, including Facebook, Twitter, and WordPress. My camera is a Canon EOS 40D.

The following is an excerpt from God Has a Dream by Archbishop Desmond Tutu:

I once went to a garden party in England in the early sixties. I don’t know why, but we were expected to pay for our own tea. I offered to do so for an acquaintance I met there. Now he could have said, “No, thank you,” and I would have understood. But you could have knocked me down with a feather when he replied, “No, I won’t be subsidized!” Well, I never. As if we were not all subsidized, not only by all those whose graciousness and gifts have allowed us to become who we are but also by the grace and gifts that God has given us.

Because ours is a culture of success, the worst thing that could ever happen to a person in contemporary society is for him to fail- to need to be subsidized. We believe we must impress people with our success because this ensures that we can be taken seriously. Of course there is an appropriate setting when it is legitimate, indeed absolutely necessary, that we do impress certain categories of people in order to make our way through life. You would be silly not to want to impress your intended if you want her to accept your proposal of marriage. It would be quite disastrous for you as a student not to want to impress your examiners. And you have to succeed in your exams, your career. But it has affected our whole atmosphere so we find that stomach ulcers become a status symbol. (32-33)

Anything less than God cannot satisfy our hunger for the divine. Not even success. That is why everything else, if we give it our ultimate loyalty- money, fame, drugs, sex, whatever- turns into ashes in our mouths. (34)

We have tended to treat the weak, the poor, the unemployed, the failures with disdain because success and power have become the gods at whose altars we have burned incense and bowed the knee. (38)

[Desmond Tutu, God Has a Dream]

“I am Second is a movement where significance in life is a shared value among people of all kinds. Actors. Athletes. Musicians. Business leaders. Your next-door neighbors. People just like you. Their authentic stories here on iamsecond.com provide insight into dealing with typical struggles of everyday living. You’ll meet people who overcame destructive lifestyles. Plus you’ll discover those who’ve tried to go it alone and have failed, yet still found a life full of hope, peace, and fulfillment.”

“The story of Christ’s birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love. So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists. And when it’s all over, many of us are left with presents to return, looming debt that will take months to pay off, and this empty feeling of missed purpose. Is this what we really want out of Christmas? What if Christmas became a world-changing event again? Welcome to Advent Conspiracy.”

Since Amazon came out with the Kindle a couple years ago, I’ve watched as many of my friends fell victim to early adoption. They coveted new technology and they pursued it, not realizing that future generations of their product would be vastly superior. Both Amazon and Barnes and Noble have eReaders (soon to be) available. Consider the list of features offered by the Kindle:

• Slim
• Lightweight
• Books in Under 60 Seconds
• 3G Wireless
• International Coverage
• Paper-Like Display
• Carry Your Library
• Long Battery Life
• Read-to-Me

We all know that battery life will improve as the technology gets better. The same goes for capacity and speed (as 3G becomes 4G and so on). Those features are great. But what I really want is… the Apple iTablet. Okay, so that’s not news. I’m a Mac guy. But if I were a PC guy, I’d want a Tablet PC. One that ran a fully functioning OS, whether it was Windows, Linux, or Mac OS. I’d want it to look nice. And in addition to all those things the Kindle and Nook offer, I’d want…

• Full color.
• High resolution.
• Touch screen.
• The ability to draw/write notes in the margins.
• And save them.
• And email them.
• And print them.
• Removable battery (that doesn’t heat up so much)

I bet if I thought about it more, I could come up with more things I want. But if I were a college student, I’d want every book I had to buy to come in a digital version, in full color, with a huge resolution and all those other things I listed above. Now nice would that be? It would be awesome.

Adopt a Minefield | Advent Conspiracy | Adventures for the Cure | Alcoholics Anonymous | The Alliance for Climate Protection | Alzheimer’s Association | American Cancer Society | American Diabetes Association | American Heart Association | American Humane Association | Amnesty International | Architecture for Humanity | Audubon Society | Big Brothers Big Sisters | The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | The Boys and Girls Clubs of America | The Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund | Carnegie Endowment for International Peace | Charity: Water | Compassion International | Cool People Care | The Desmond Tutu Peace Centre | Doctors Without Borders | Ducks Unlimited | Feeding America | Free Tibet | Global Zero | Goodwill Industries International | Grameen Foundation | Habitat for Humanity | International Committee of the Red Cross | International Justice Mission | International Mission Board | Indego Africa | Invisible Children | Kiva | Make a Wish Foundation | Mercy Ministries | North American Mission Board | Not for Sale Campaign | The One Campaign | Oxfam America | Rebuild Lakeshore | Reporters Without Borders | Resolve | Ronald McDonald House Charities | Room to Read | The Salvation Army | Samaritan’s Purse | Save Darfur | Sierra Club | St. Jude Research Hospital | Susan G. Komen for the Cure | Tap Project | TEDx | TOMS Shoes | Toys for Tots | UNICEF | United Way | Voice of the Martyrs | We Can Solve It | World Organization of the Scout Movement | World Vision | WWF International | YoungLife | YWAM

So help me eliminate the white space and put your favorite charity, non-profit organization, or philanthropic society in the comments.

Amazon.com offers a way for individuals and organizations (commercial or not) to open up their own aStores.  These aStores are user-created bookstores stocked with content we want to push.  In my case I’ve added books to categories I’m most likely to discuss here on the blog- anything from photography to cooking to Christianity.  When you click the “BOOKSTORE” link in the menu above, it will open up a new frame or window to the aStore.  There you will be able to browse and purchase books I’ve listed (and recommend) through Amazon.com.  In return for buying through my aStore, I will get about 4% kickback.

I think this could be a helpful tool for church and ministry websites.  Your church can open an aStore to offer an easy way for church members to locate Sunday School or small group materials.  Each small group or class can have its own unique category listing books, DVDs, or other materials used during their meetings.  It’s cheap because it’s from Amazon.com, and it’s easily located because you’ve already got it listed by class.  And it’s only one click away.  As I said, I think this is an efficient and useful way to help churches help their church members.  Plus, any proceeds from the orders can go directly into the church coffers.  It won’t necessarily be much, but it’s worth the trouble (not that there is much trouble).

Click to learn more about Amazon Associates and aStores.