Dang, I’m Old…
Filed under: Blog Entries, Community, Education, Entertainment & Sports, Family, Laughable, Life, Relationships, Society & Culture, Technology
Last night during our church instrumental rehearsal, I had the opportunity to speak to some of our soon-to-be high school Juniors about my education and career. While the purpose of our ministry is to use the talents we’ve been given to glorify God, the adult leaders in the group felt it was also important for us to make sure the youth could benefit from some of our life experiences as they prepare for college. We didn’t want to lecture them about the “old days” and we wanted it to be in a relaxed environment where they could ask questions.
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Happy Father’s Day: Calm & Patient
Filed under: Blog Entries, Community, Family, General, Life, Relationships, Society & Culture
If you talk to the people I hang around most, the majority will say that I’m a pretty quiet, easy-going, kind of guy. I tend to not get upset about a lot of things and when placed in a situation where some would flip out, I try my best to remain calm, cool and collected. For a long time, I thought patience was one of my greatest virtues. But then I had kids…
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Dads’ Week: Ridin’ Solo
Filed under: Blog Entries, Family, Life, Photo Phinish, Relationships
This weekend I had the opportunity to watch my son ride his bike without my help. I was in awe as he rode down the street because this was only his second lesson. The first lesson was grueling and I paid the price with a sore back due to two hours of bending over to help him pedal. After that lesson I just knew it would be a while before he caught on. I’d be showing him how to turn and he would be looking at the rabbit running across the street. It took some patience from each of us and I knew it was going to be a long summer.
After the first lesson, about a week passed because I wanted to let him decide when he was ready to go back out. He jumped on the bike and with very little assistance from me started pedaling. I watched in amazement and gave myself a pat on the back for being such a great teacher. But when reality set in, I knew he was riding solo because he was ready to do it. All he needed was a little guidance in the right direction. Once he understood the concept of pedaling, he was on his way.
I guess that’s what parenting is all about. You give your kids what they need and pray that they are listening. They will fall, make mistakes and run into curbs, but if you’ve given them a solid foundation, success isn’t far away. Next year, I’ll see how he does without the training wheels.
Staying Organized Part II
Filed under: Blog Entries, Business, Family, General, Life, Relationships, Society & Culture, Technology
In part one of my Staying Organized series, I mentioned some of the ways I planned on going e-organized for the new year. It’s been fun and I’ve actually learned a lot about what it’ll take for me to better manage my time. Since the first post some things have changed, so I thought I’d update you on how it’s going.
To get a better plan with Sprint, I ended up renewing my contract and got the Blackberry (BB) Curve 8330. I was reluctant because I was so used to my Windows Mobile phone, but I quickly learned what the BB could do. Under my Google account created a calendar for myself, my wife, the kids, and church. Each have their own assigned colors and I can show/hide which I want to see at any given time. I also created a Google account for my wife, so she would have access to my calendars and the events I entered. I set up the browser on her phone to pull up the mobile Google calendar site when she opened it. That way she’d know what I had planned for the day (I always forget to tell her about stuff I need to do). I still use Google Sync to sync the Google Calendar with the BB calendar on my phone. Trust me, it works great.
I just recently listened to the audio book “Getting Things Done” by David Allen. With the tips in this book, I was able to find a way to fine tune my e-organization plan and add some efficiency to what I was doing. I changed how I used the The Remember the Milk (RTM) app I mentioned in the first post. I used the BB application they created to sync all of my tasks every hour from the website to the phone. Any task, big or small, goes in RTM and I assign date if it’s something that needs to be done soon. This works nice because it allows me to clear my head of all the “stuff” I need to do. It also gives me an organized repository where I can visually see the tasks that need to be done for the day. To make sure the list stayed current, I had to set a goal that all tasks for the day must be completed or rescheduled before I go to bed.
I’ve also started using an application called Evernote that allows me to access/capture ideas, notes and information from my PC or phone. But I’m going to save how I use this for another day because I’m trying to decide whether I’ll post it here or at Liberate Magazine.
Well, that’s all I have for now. I’d be interested in hearing your comments or questions. This may sound like a lot to keep up with, but for me it’s been working. My planner was never with me when I needed it, but I always have my phone. There is a slight learning curve in getting the system together, but the geek in me loves it.
I do have plans on going into each online app I use in more detail, but why do that now when I can have you come back for part 3?
Entrepreneurs – Balancing Work and Life
Filed under: Business, Community, Family, Life, Relationships, Society & Culture
I decided to write this post in response to a blog post I read at Liberate Magazine. The question was “How do you balance work with everything else going on in your life?”. You can leave your comments at liberatemagazine.com.
Finding work-life balance is something that my wife and I’ve been trying to do for a while. There are many times when I wonder if it’s even possible. When you are an entrepreneur with a full-time job, finding that balance becomes a lot more difficult. As soon as we get home, the kids need to eat, get ready for bed and we need to get ready for the next day. To be successful at even finding something close to balance takes a team effort to get it done.
I’ve found that the night time is my best friend because that’s the time when I begin working that “second job”. This can be hard if you’re not a night person and means there are times when sacrifices have to be made. This is why finding something you love to do is very important. When you’re doing something you love, it really doesn’t seem like work at all. You’ll still experience the stresses that go with running a business, but the motivation to success will definitely keep you pushing forward.
Instead of a balance, I tend to see managing work/life as a seesaw. At any point and time either side will get more attention than the other. The support group around me is important and I try to bring keep them informed on what I’m doing and I try to be aware of how I manage my time. I’m always looking for better ways to get things done and I try to keep my life as close to what I feel is balanced as possible. When the scale is tipping too far in one direction, you’ll know. That’s a lesson I’ve had to learn the hard way.
Go Speed Go!
Filed under: Blog Entries, Entertainment & Sports, Life
I was a fan of the Speed Racer cartoon and recently have become a fan of the movie. I heard it didn’t make much money, but the story line while cheesy at times really made me think. Speed Racer as a little boy dreamed about becoming a race car driving and being as good as his older brother Rex. Rex who Speed idolized, was killed in a race and Speed used everything his brother taught him to become the greatest racer ever.
It’s funny because I remember having posters of planes on my wall, yet I never really pursued flying because someone told me you can’t fly in the military if you wear glasses. Whether you liked the movie or not, there’s a message in it for all of us to heed. Those dreams and goals you have should never be overlooked and never let anyone keep you from doing something you love to do. I’ve been blessed to find other passions in life and I make sure I use my talents and abilities to help make this world a better place. People can and will try to stand in your way, but that’s when you set your eyes on the prize and push through them.
If you haven’t seen the movie, check it out. You might like it.
God is Making New Life
I get these emails from a member of the church I attend and thought I’d share:
2 CORINTHIANS 4:17 In our life we are overwhelmed with ‘information’. But so often information isn’t what we need. What we need to face the challenges of life is ‘formation’, the shaping of our lives into the people God destined us to be. The responsibility for this formation belongs to the Holy Spirit, the living, active presence of God who is with us every second of every minute of every day, concerned with every detail of our development.
Paul writes, ‘Every detail works to your advantage…So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace’ (2 Corinthians 4:15-17 TM). Note the words, ‘we’re not giving up.’ Any time we want to move forward, obstacles are going to get in the way, and God’s Word teaches us that we should expect nothing less. The author HG Wells asked, ‘What on earth would a man do with himself if something didn’t stand in his way?’ Why did he say that? Because pushing against stuff strengthens our muscles! Each obstacle we overcome teaches us something new. We start shaping up, getting smarter and more confident. Check history, the greatest people were those who faced the most difficult challenges and found their true selves in the process!
Photo Phinish: Spring Into Change
Filed under: Blog Entries, Life, My Thoughts, Photo Phinish
There’s a passage in the Bible that reads “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.” Psalms 19:1-6 NIV.
I made a promise to myself earlier in the year to spend more time outdoors when the weather got better. I spend the majority of my week in front of a computer, doing a job that I truly enjoy. But there are times when I get sucked in to my work and it’s easy to get stressed out when deadlines need to be met.
I’ve also found that achieving that home-church-work-life balance thing, is not such an easy task. One can easily get caught up in the rat race and lose focus of the little things. When that happens, it’s important that you take some time to step out of the race and notice the little things around you. You can take a minute or an hour. You can be by yourself or with a group of people. All it takes is a commitment from you to do it.
For the first time that I can remember I watched the sun set. I wasn’t at a beach on vacation and to be honest, it wasn’t even a planned event. I just happened to drive around the corner on my way home from work and thought, “that would make a good picture”. I never realized how fast a sunset occurred and I plan on seeing more from now on. The world we inhabit is an amazing place and there are many lessons about life in God’s creation. So take the time to stop, look and listen sometimes. You might be glad you did.
Baby Nickolaus Effort
Filed under: Blog Entries, Community, Education, Family, General, Health, Life, Society & Culture
A friend of mine’s sister and her family are in need of some help and I thought I’d share it with the readers of this blog. Their son Nickolaus had a negative reaction to a vaccine and is very ill. My wife talked with Nickolaus’ mom and she urged her to be careful of who administered our child’s vaccination. I can’t imagine what this family is going through and with an eight month old, it gives us something to think consider. This is the first I’ve heard of this, so if you know of someone who can add to the vaccination discussion, please send them here to comment.
Here’s some background info on what happened:
In 2008, the number of vaccines that are given to kids is 36. There were only 10 required vaccinations 20 years ago. The chance of these vaccines having a negative effect on boys vs. girls is 5 to 1. Currently, it is affecting the immune system of our nephew which is causing numerous complications from his decline in speech and motor skills to his inability to fight off life threatening infections. Vaccination injury is an immune system issue which resembles the symptoms of Autism, so he is working with the Defeat Autism Now (DAN) group.
Right now, Baby Nickolaus is going through the Vaccine Injury Recovery Process which is expensive and not covered with this crazy U.S. Healthcare System.The Lewis Family has already spent thousands to get Baby Nickolaus well and will continue to do so…..We are asking any and everyone who reads this email to consider “Chipping In” as this journey is still not done.
I’ve seen the power of the blogosphere first-hand and know the compassion of the people who take the time to read this blog. If you are able, please take the time to donate whatever you can. On the Baby Nickolaus Effort Chip-In donation page there are some useful links and information on how to contact the family. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
Staying Organized
One of my biggest issues is staying organized. With all the I have things going on, I’ve had to come up with new ways to keep my life in order. This next year, instead of using a day planner, I plan on going online. I’ve tried to keep from going there, but figured why not give it a try. My day planner will be replaced with Google Calendar and for general day-to-day tasks I’m using a website called rememberthemilk.com (RTM). Google calendar and RTM work with well with each other and both will integrate with my Windows Mobile phone.
The problem with my day planner was that I seemed to never have it when I need it. It would be in the car or at home and I was bad about checking it every night. I’m hoping the online solution will work a little better because I’m always on the computer and I always have my phone with me.
My plan is to enter events, appointments and important dates in Google Calendar. From there I will use Google Calendar Sync to copy my dates to MS Outlook on my PC. Outlook will sync the dates to my phone when I plug it in to charge. Daily tasks will be entered into RTM. I like RTM because I’m able to enter tasks using their mobile website when I’m not on my PC. They also have an application that will sync the website to your Windows Mobile phone or iPhone. Whenever a task with a specific time is due I get a reminder text message an hour before the deadline. I’m also able to enter a task using the RTM Gmail widget (I use this all the time).
While I’m sure I’ll miss my day planner, it’s going to be interesting to see how this works out. I spend a lot of time in front of a computer, so I’m sure it wont’s be too much of an additional hassle. What are you going to do to stay organized? Any tips are welcome.
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