C'est La Vie: The Magazine

Raw life. Real worship . . . Life, as. it. is.

For so long, the mirror was the voice for my thoughts. I'd let what my eyes saw judge my worth and determine if I was good enough. The shape of my body on any given day would tell me if I ate good enough or worked out hard enough. My groom's facial expressions, tone, and the words he'd say to me would be my guide to whether I am wise in my application of the lessons I'd learned. Other people's successes would be a barometer for my own successes.

God has purposed me, as I am. He asks me to consider my love for Him and worship Him, alone. What He most wants is for me to be.

I have decided to worship Him in the ways I'm simply me:

Messy. Scatter-brained. Hypocritical.

He makes a message out of my messes.
He makes creativity out of my chaos.
He makes history out of my humanity.

Fear doesn't deserve the power we sometimes give it.

I've nearly forced myself to be and act and look a certain way, only to realize that I will never be good enough for the standards of this world. No matter how much I try, I will always come up short in some area.

C'est La Vie: The Magazine will envelope community around the Real in big life issues, bringing the hard stuff to the surface and snuffing out shame.

Talking about all issues surrounding race and gender, light will be shined upon the outcast and the shunned, and invites all people who are willing to go there -- every kind of heritage who are willing to share their stories: of privilege, naiveté, anger, disgrace.

The featured Gritty Story writers will speak directly of redemption and grace in the midst of chaos and confusion, tackling the question "What are you learning about Him now, in the midst . . . while this story is unfinished and incomplete?"

C'est La Vie: The Magazine will speak to men and women who quietly wonder if they are enough, who long to be superheroes, and who God says:

"You. Already. Are."

In order for this God-sized dream to happen, we will need a lot of puzzle pieces to come together. The thing is, we don't have the box to know what the puzzle even looks like, exactly and we don't even know what pieces go where.

This is our invitation for you to join our Tribe Network.

=> Are you willing to be a part of a community that encourages through truth-telling; that sometimes makes the days seem even harder by going to the uncomfortable places?

We're looking for passion, commitment and dedication.
Realizing this is a lot to ask of volunteers,
we're trusting that God will provide.

Right now we have two immediate needs, followed by a close third.

Other roles will be filled over time; however, these three roles are the first to be put into action. Some of these roles will be ongoing, while others will be intense in the early phase and taper off to supporting roles, and some won't even formally begin until right before the website portion of C'est La Vie launches ( . . . and then there will be a whole other group for the printed magazine, the ultimate vision!).

Immediate Need #1 ::

Graphic Design Diva/Dude -- someone who can design a website background and a graphic identity for C'est La Vie: The Magazine, both for the on line hostel and ultimately for the print version.

Immediate Need #2 ::

Website Wordpress Wizard -- someone who loves Wordpress CSS and can craft a working framework for C'est La Vie's on line hostel.

On-Deck ::

Usher -- someone skilled in organization and communication to provide administrative assistance and coordination, own and manage the calendar, keep folks in the know, and connect groups together around projects.

Until we have our platform designed and in place, we will continue to dream and pray and wait on the Lord. That said, we are taking steps to build the C'est La Vie Tribe, believing God will meet all our needs at exactly the time when we need them.

We've developed an involvement profile for those interested in partnering with us as a way to build our Tribe Network, helping us better identify the role that each person might be best suitable for, based on our specific needs. This is our deliberate attempt to fill the roles with the talent needed to best fulfill them.

Should you decide to use our tool, you'll need to carve out 15-20 minutes and give some thoughtful attention to the questions. If the survey feels awkward, clumsy, or just not right for you, feel free to drop us a note to share your heart . . . or a note to set up a time to chat about your heart.

A few important points:

=> While we thank everyone who will be brave enough to raise a hand, we cannot promise that there will be a spot for everyone.

=> Once we prayerfully consider and determine who goes where, we'll take time to get to know everyone as they settle into their roles, and arrange for regular check-ins.

=> We will empower each team member to work independently and each sub-team to work collaboratively on their portion of work until check-in.

=> While you're praying and dreaming about your place and your role here, we'll be spending ours leaning in, listening, and loosing our hold so God remains in control.

=> As He leads, we'll be reaching out to folks who raised their hands to fill particular roles, provide specifics on what those roles entail, and most especially pray continually about filling them.

=> I know how hard it will be to wait for the activation of your role if you're a "doer" like we are, however, we've agreed that it is absolutely critical that we are patient for God's leading in all of this. We stand with a healthy restlessness, awaiting His Direction for His pace.

=> As it stands right now, the launch date of the on line hostel will be in early 2015. We'll continue to adapt our timeline, knowing He can speed it up or slow it down.

1) Consider your heart, and the nudging, and those fears, and all the pockets of time in your day . . .

2) Thoughtfully let us know if you feel led and are equipped to meet one of our most pressing and needed roles, or if there's another that niggles at you most of all.

=> Please take some time to give us a profile of your strengths through the Tribe Network we developed.

=> You may also send a separate note directly to C'est La Vie: The Magazine.

3) Was someone on your heart as soon as you read a role description? Please forward this to that person. We need you to share, just as much as we need you to consider your own involvement in this dream.

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We influence, for His glory. God takes our willingness to talk about projects like this and plants seeds within the people around us.

We firmly believe that C'est La Vie: The Magazine will be important in very real and specific ways that we cannot even begin to imagine -- for all those who come to the table to commune with us . . . the development, launch, and management teams, as well as the readers.

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Direct questions and comments to:
cest.la.vie.the.magazine@gmail.com