A Stone's Throw

I am really excited about getting my “invite” to Google Wave!  Check out the demo video–short version (they had a 1 hour 20 + minute LOOOONNNNGG explanation video as well) to see what it is all about.

Aaron Stockton, Kevin, and myself were doing some brainstorming the other day on Google Docs and love the whole real time experience.  When one person writes a sentence, it shows up on the other two people’s screen—amazing!!  Well, from what I can tell, Google Wave is like Google Docs on steroids!! It is also similar to some of the applications our staff has tried before at 37signals.com like Basecamp. We loved Basecamp, but it was a pay service and we are a ministry.  Any time we can save money on administrative costs, we can use that money in the ministry or for missions–for the Kingdom.  I am looking forward to experimenting and implementing Google Wave with our team.  Now off to look at the LOOONNGG Version.  You can check out the short overview in the meantime!

YouTube – Google Wave Overview.

Just found a new program that is A-Mazing!!  It is called Evernote.  You can go check it out at Evernote.com.  Basically, it is the Holy Grail of notes software that I have been looking for both my desktop and iPhone. I use Notes on my iPhone quite a bit, but it was a pain to sync and I know have three of the same entry, for example, in my Mail program.

What is great about it is the fact that you can dump just about any medium into Evernote and it helps you keep everything organized.  You can clip from the web, cut and paste text, email to Evernote, or even Tweet to @myEN and it will place the Twitter tweet in your notes!

Funny thing happened while I was looking over the program…it has a button that opens the iSight camera (on my MacBook Pro) to take a picture or video note.  I haven’t looked at myself in the ol’ iSight camera in quite some time…and I must say…that thing must add 30 lbs. to my face.  I’ve got a pretty hot looking double chin going!  Then, as I turn to the side…I get a look at what Ronnie calls my “white walls.”  I have “a touch of gray” in my hair these days.  Really, I think it isn’t as bad as the picture would make you believe…probably just really bad lighting in my office!!  I actually don’t mind it because I have always had such a baby face.  Pretty nice, huh?

Got me thinking.  Isn’t it funny how we always are concerned about outward appearances?  @KStratt and I were talking on the way back from a pastor’s deal this afternoon about this.  He is a whole lot more secure in himself than I am, because he is able to not worry at all what people think of him.  I am such a wuss when it comes to that kind of stuff.  I always want to be looked upon as someone who is pretty sharp and has it all together.

My graying hair is kind of ironic.  I really wanted to look older when I was in my twenties.  Especially being a student pastor (they are always the knucklehead/screwballs that are immature in every way), I have always wanted to be looked upon as a guy with purpose and a good leader.  Gray hair was one of those milestones that I had this crazy thought in my head that would help me to “arrive.” Now that I am 36 and turning a little bit gray, I am wanting to look young again.

Anyway, isn’t it funny how we are always caught up on what other people think rather than God? I mean, if I were really honest, sometimes I am more driven by people of quite a loss less significance than the creator of the universe.  I am much more concerned about what a colleague or church member thinks of me than my Savior.  Pretty crazy.  That is not to say that we should just do our own thing all of the time and not worry about how we act, but what we should be concerned about, above all, is the love and acceptance of our Savior.

So, does this iSight make me look fat?  Yeah, probably.  And graying? Yep.  But that shouldn’t make a difference in how I feel about myself.  Easy to say or write, but more difficult to actually put into practice in my life.  I am working on it though.  Kind of like the old SNL skit…”I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and dog gone it; people like me!”  I guess it is more realistic to say “irregardless of whether other people like me…dog gone it, my Savior loves me!”  And that is enough.

How about you??

Ran across this random post and “tweet” the other day at holykaw.com, Guy Kawasaki’s blog.

It reminds me so much of my grandfather.  He was a carpenter for a living.  Specifically, he made church furniture and delivered it all over the country.  He was one of my heroes…of course, most kids have grandfathers or someone else in their life that are bigger than life and a hero.  I used to think that he could make anything out of wood!

I remember spending weeks in the summers at my grandparents house in Cabool, MO, where my grandpa had his shop.  (If you have ever been to a Cabool High School football game, then you have seen his shop.  It is the little shop that backs up to the end zone of the stadium.  They bought the old “general store” and converted it into a house and built his little shop “out back.”)

I used to love to go out in his shop and play in what seemed like an endless pile of sawdust and shavings!  He would show me what each of the machines did…it was facinating!

One of his favorite machines/tools was one of these…a drill that would make square holes…to make joints, etc.

I know that two of my cousins, Ben and Tim, have really followed in my grandpa’s footsteps and work a lot with wood.  Tim actually works with wood for a living and Ben has a degree in Wood Technology and is a Campus Director for the BSU at Purdue.

Thanks to Twitter, I was able to walk down memory lane…and think and pray for my cousins as well today!

Here are some pics of Tim helping Taylor make an airplane in his shop at our family reunion.  I think Ben is in the pics as well.  Good stuff!

Spinning drills bits can create square holes? – Holy Kaw!.