Drive Conference, Day 1

Just experienced Drive Conference '09, Day 1. And, yes, experienced is the right verb. Wow. Excellence at every level. Typography (modern, sans serif, all caps), color scheme (aqua, black, white)(even taffy and mints in the lobby were matched), smooth admin, teaching (it's Andy Stanley. And even he was more honest and vulnerable than usual), media (informative, hilarious, and looked good), music, and really, experiential worship (I was balling during communion as they led you through the Last Supper, crucifixion, and resurrection with a full orchestra). It reminded me of why I am doing what I do.

I will include my random notes from Andy's first talk. But some takeaways for me included the fact that despite the fact that I am in charge of media at a small church..media is just a tool. I need to be strengthening my spiritual man if I am going to be able to feed and lead others. I love, love, love media stuff so much that sometimes I think I focus too much on technique (learning the next effect in photoshop or motion or whatever) and don't continue to nourish my soul so I have things to say. My wife wisely pointed out tonight that perhaps this is due to the fact that the technique is tangible. If I create a cool graphic, I can immediately see it. Ministry, building something spiritual, is much more slippery and often takes years to see fruit bud above ground. It brought to mind and inspired me to re-read Eugene Peterson's Under the Unpredictable Plant...which is what half of Andy's message was tonite....uncertainty.

Anyways, enough drivel. Here are the notes. :)

FLEXIBILITY
no one knows what to do. not even the president. he’s just a person.
i will always be uncertain. i’m certain of it. (made us repeat 3x)
uncertainty
a leader is sometimes the only person who has an idea
i don’t have all the answers, but i’m going to pray hard and lead hard.

all the stories that happen in the Scriptures deal with uncertainty
Jesus’ death was very uncertain
God, what are you doing?!
I’m redeeming the world. Be quiet.

You don’t grow spiritually when things are going incredibly
When do you learn? During your greatest challenge and God showed up
We should THRIVE on uncertainty
This is where God does His greatest work

CLARITY
we can afford to be uncertain. we can’t be unclear.
what has God called us to do?
clarity around vision is key

andy (now the leader of a large church) struggled to get things going at first. when they were meeting in a high school gym, a couple said to andy: “this is a great thing here. when you get things going, we’ll come back.”
we don’t need you when we get things going. we need you now...he told them...and admitted bitterness still to this day if he doesn't watch it
andy felt God say to him....would you have done this if the noncomittals didn’t come? would you still WANT to do this? yes.
what do you want to do? what are we doing? what has God called to do locally?
in spite of the uncertainty, this is what God has called us to do
tell your people...this is what we are doing

inside “steve jobs mind

steve jobs: we create computers that are simple to operate

clarity will allow you to stay focused

plans change. vision remains the same.
plan is how. vision is what.
plans change ALL the time.

since the plan isn’t working out, it doesn’t mean the vision is bad
it’s very dangerous to attach God’s name to your PLAN

you can get more done in times of uncertainty
this is the time to rethink stuff b/c people are flexible b/c of the economy
leverage uncertainty for the vision
clarity. flexibility.
clarity. flexibility.
clarity. flexibility.

lead confidently but don’t fake it.

express confidently
i don’t know right now. but we’re gonna figure it out.
i don’t know for sure. but this is the direction i believe God is pointing us

seek counsel
leadership is not about making decisions on your own. it’s about owning decisions once they are made.

you’ve got to pray like crazy
pray for clarity. pray for vision.

north point’s vision: create a church for unchurched people

when you lead in the face of uncertainty, you need grace

Lord, would you take us back to that time and place when we were just starting out and everything was uncertain? When we had no resources, no people, just a call.

My Fav iPhone Apps, Episode 2

Ok. It's been a while since I last posted some iPhone app reviews. And many of my friends are asking me what my fav's are. Well, guess what? They've changed since August. :) This is a good reminder as to how superfluous technology can be. And yet I still chase it. :) Some of the current apps I really don't see how I lived without. And I am literally close to my limit of not being able to add any more apps to my phone. Pretty crazy, huh.

So, here they are. My 2009 iPhone App Review (thus far):

Apps I Use Everyday

Things
Things has become my life vest. Ask my wife. I am NOT a multi-tasker. In fact, I am often dubbed the Uni-Tasker. And being a "one window open at a time guy" has been very stressful for me at work where I am asked to wear multiple, multiple hats each day. I would constantly get stressed out because I couldn't remember what I was supposed to do next..and where I was in the process of different projects. Come along many apps that are based on the GTD (Getting Things Done) time and project management system. This system combined with a desktop and iPhone app that sync have now brought perfect peace and contentment in my life. Ok, not perfect. But they've alleviated much anxiety.

I have tried many of the GTD apps. I was using OmniFocus and liked it a lot. There are so many features/options in OF. But it was a bit too much for me actually. I would spend more time analyzing what folder to create and where to put stuff than I did doing work. :) So, I switched to Things.

Things is very, very simple. And very nice to look at. It's amazing how much I will not use an app just b/c it is visually unappealing...and how much more I gravitate to a product if it looks good. I mean...if I'm going to be looking at it every day, I want to look at nice stuff. But Things is much more than just pretty. It is extremely functional. It has allowed me to categorize my work and order my day. It syncs fluidly and quickly with my Macbook Pro (OF was a bit clunky and frustrating at times). Things is a God-send.

QContacts
I like being able to get to my contacts numbers as fast as possible. And particularly for texting, I hate having to scroll through and find the contact I want. So, enter QContacts. This app lets you type in a few letters and immediately have the ability to text, email, or call the contacts that come up. Why don't I just use the scrolling "find the letter" feature in Contacts? Well, perhaps b/c I have so many things on my phone, that scrolling thing is just too herky jerky and slow. QContacts is pretty quick.

Twitterfon
If you are a Twitter person, this is THE app imho for the iPhone. And it's free. Since adding the ability to retweet, follow people, review public replies in conversation style (even many paid Twitter clients don't have this), I have stopped using my other free and paid Twitter apps. There are no ads either. I don't know how this guy does it.

Bible
Still a staple in my library. They continue to add features, too. Multiple translations (including The Message, NIV, and ESV)(the ones I use the most), public commentaries, a daily reading plan, and free. I used to pay about 40 bucks to get the Bible on my Treo.

Mint.com
If you don't use mint.com (the website), you should. It is the best financial software out there (again, imho). I used Quicken for a while and even Money. But I switched from Quicken to Mint about six months ago. Unlike Quicken, Mint is online (although Quicken is starting that service, too). It basically funnels all of your financial transactions and balances (credit cards, bank accts, stock, you name it) to one website. What I like with Mint: Customizable Budgets on the front page (with Q, I'd have to keep generating reports), online viewing (with Q, I'd have to send reports to my wife each month. Now she just checks herself online), customizable categories (a new feature), and great customer support. Oh, and I don't have to keep updating each year to get new features. Mint is totally free.

And, the iPhone app (which I waited a long time for) did not disappoint. You can quickly view your budgets, transactions, balances, you name it. You can't edit or alter anything (say, create a budget or add custom categories) on it. You have to do that mint.com. But it is very cool for their first edition. And these guys are smart. They will not keep things static.

Gas Cubby, MileBug, and AccuFuel
These three apps are great. Gas Cubby and AccuFuel help you keep track of your gas mileage and repair logs (I'm always wondering stuff like, "When did I get that tire fixed last?") on your car. Great apps. Check 'em out. MileBug helps you keep track of business mileage.

AppSniper
If you LOVE iPhone apps, this program is for you. It will tell you what apps just came out, which apps came down in price recently, and even let you "target" an app (tell you when an app has come down to a certain price). I check this thing daily. :)

Dashbuster
Lets me change my Blockbuster (or Netflix) queue on the fly. You can also browse new releases, etc on it. Great to do before hitting the store and wasting a half hour.

USAToday
This has turned into even my best Sports app. I use Sportacular as well. But USA's interface is nicer to look at and just as good.

Other Cool Apps

Craigsearch
Check Craigs on the run. Used it to hop on and buy a great deal on an entry table and lamp. Might've missed it if I was back at home (probably not the end of the world if I did). :) This is free. I also use Craigsmobile (1.99 at the time I wrote this).

Wikipanion
What was the name of that actor? Movie? Politician? etc. Great for getting on the spot info. And free.

SnapTell
This one's pretty cool. Take a pic of a dvd, book, or cd. It will recognize the cover and tell you how much that item is online and locally. Amazing.

CoffeeFinder, Target, AroundMe, Yelp
GPS retail services finders

Flight Status
Best flight checker I've found. If you're out and about and need to know if your friend is coming in on time, this is for you.

ClickonRadio
Will give you the song list from the last hour of your local stations (if you don't have XM and can't see what song is on).

Time, ESPN, DirecTV, Flickr
Four of the best web apps out there (besides New Valley Church)

Others I Still Like

Amazon
Ambiance
Drinks Free
All Recipes
I Can Has Cheezburger
Evernote
Grocery IQ (Best Grocery List maker)
Slydial (Leave a voicemail for someone w/o having to talk to them) :)
Connect (Call any company and get past their automated system to talk to a real person)
Sunrise (&Sunset times)
Shovel (Best Digg client)
SitorSquat (Find the closest bathroom)
Brightkite (Like Loopt but a bit cooler)
Palringo (if you want to IM)
Email Contact (to email a..well..you get it)

Can you tell I like my iPhone? 9 dots at the bottom just isn't enough! :) Hope you enjoyed this. Leave a comment if you read it or if you've got an app you think is cool. Thx.

My Fav iPhone Apps, Episode 2

Ok. It's been a while since I last posted some iPhone app reviews. And many of my friends are asking me what my fav's are. Well, guess what? They've changed since August. :) This is a good reminder as to how superfluous technology can be. And yet I still chase it. :) Some of the current apps I really don't see how I lived without. And I am literally close to my limit of not being able to add any more apps to my phone. Pretty crazy, huh.

So, here they are. My 2009 iPhone App Review (thus far):

Apps I Use Everyday

Things
Things has become my life vest. Ask my wife. I am NOT a multi-tasker. In fact, I am often dubbed the Uni-Tasker. And being a "one window open at a time guy" has been very stressful for me at work where I am asked to wear multiple, multiple hats each day. I would constantly get stressed out because I couldn't remember what I was supposed to do next..and where I was in the process of different projects. Come along many apps that are based on the GTD (Getting Things Done) time and project management system. This system combined with a desktop and iPhone app that sync have now brought perfect peace and contentment in my life. Ok, not perfect. But they've alleviated much anxiety.

I have tried many of the GTD apps. I was using OmniFocus and liked it a lot. There are so many features/options in OF. But it was a bit too much for me actually. I would spend more time analyzing what folder to create and where to put stuff than I did doing work. :) So, I switched to Things.

Things is very, very simple. And very nice to look at. It's amazing how much I will not use an app just b/c it is visually unappealing...and how much more I gravitate to a product if it looks good. I mean...if I'm going to be looking at it every day, I want to look at nice stuff. But Things is much more than just pretty. It is extremely functional. It has allowed me to categorize my work and order my day. It syncs fluidly and quickly with my Macbook Pro (OF was a bit clunky and frustrating at times). Things is a God-send.

QContacts
I like being able to get to my contacts numbers as fast as possible. And particularly for texting, I hate having to scroll through and find the contact I want. So, enter QContacts. This app lets you type in a few letters and immediately have the ability to text, email, or call the contacts that come up. Why don't I just use the scrolling "find the letter" feature in Contacts? Well, perhaps b/c I have so many things on my phone, that scrolling thing is just too herky jerky and slow. QContacts is pretty quick.

Twitterfon
If you are a Twitter person, this is THE app imho for the iPhone. And it's free. Since adding the ability to retweet, follow people, review public replies in conversation style (even many paid Twitter clients don't have this), I have stopped using my other free and paid Twitter apps. There are no ads either. I don't know how this guy does it.

Bible
Still a staple in my library. They continue to add features, too. Multiple translations (including The Message, NIV, and ESV)(the ones I use the most), public commentaries, a daily reading plan, and free. I used to pay about 40 bucks to get the Bible on my Treo.

Mint.com
If you don't use mint.com (the website), you should. It is the best financial software out there (again, imho). I used Quicken for a while and even Money. But I switched from Quicken to Mint about six months ago. Unlike Quicken, Mint is online (although Quicken is starting that service, too). It basically funnels all of your financial transactions and balances (credit cards, bank accts, stock, you name it) to one website. What I like with Mint: Customizable Budgets on the front page (with Q, I'd have to keep generating reports), online viewing (with Q, I'd have to send reports to my wife each month. Now she just checks herself online), customizable categories (a new feature), and great customer support. Oh, and I don't have to keep updating each year to get new features. Mint is totally free.

And, the iPhone app (which I waited a long time for) did not disappoint. You can quickly view your budgets, transactions, balances, you name it. You can't edit or alter anything (say, create a budget or add custom categories) on it. You have to do that mint.com. But it is very cool for their first edition. And these guys are smart. They will not keep things static.

Gas Cubby, MileBug, and AccuFuel
These three apps are great. Gas Cubby and AccuFuel help you keep track of your gas mileage and repair logs (I'm always wondering stuff like, "When did I get that tire fixed last?") on your car. Great apps. Check 'em out. MileBug helps you keep track of business mileage.

AppSniper
If you LOVE iPhone apps, this program is for you. It will tell you what apps just came out, which apps came down in price recently, and even let you "target" an app (tell you when an app has come down to a certain price). I check this thing daily. :)

Dashbuster
Lets me change my Blockbuster (or Netflix) queue on the fly. You can also browse new releases, etc on it. Great to do before hitting the store and wasting a half hour.

USAToday
This has turned into even my best Sports app. I use Sportacular as well. But USA's interface is nicer to look at and just as good.

Other Cool Apps

Craigsearch
Check Craigs on the run. Used it to hop on and buy a great deal on an entry table and lamp. Might've missed it if I was back at home (probably not the end of the world if I did). :) This is free. I also use Craigsmobile (1.99 at the time I wrote this).

Wikipanion
What was the name of that actor? Movie? Politician? etc. Great for getting on the spot info. And free.

SnapTell
This one's pretty cool. Take a pic of a dvd, book, or cd. It will recognize the cover and tell you how much that item is online and locally. Amazing.

CoffeeFinder, Target, AroundMe, Yelp
GPS retail services finders

Flight Status
Best flight checker I've found. If you're out and about and need to know if your friend is coming in on time, this is for you.

ClickonRadio
Will give you the song list from the last hour of your local stations (if you don't have XM and can't see what song is on).

Time, ESPN, DirecTV, Flickr
Four of the best web apps out there (besides New Valley Church)

Others I Still Like

Amazon
Ambiance
Drinks Free
All Recipes
I Can Has Cheezburger
Evernote
Grocery IQ (Best Grocery List maker)
Slydial (Leave a voicemail for someone w/o having to talk to them) :)
Connect (Call any company and get past their automated system to talk to a real person)
Sunrise (&Sunset times)
Shovel (Best Digg client)
SitorSquat (Find the closest bathroom)
Brightkite (Like Loopt but a bit cooler)
Palringo (if you want to IM)
Email Contact (to email a..well..you get it)

Can you tell I like my iPhone? 9 dots at the bottom just isn't enough! :) Hope you enjoyed this. Leave a comment if you read it or if you've got an app you think is cool. Thx.

My Fav iPhone Apps

So, it's been about a month since I've had my iPhone. And according to my wife, my face is in it ALL the time. I don't think that's totally true. But I am having fun with it. Have I gone nuts with the apps? Uh, you know I have. I've had a few friends ask what apps I like the best. Here are a few that I think rock.

Apps I Use Everyday

Bible, The YouVersion
I've paid a lot of money in my lifetime to read the Bible in different contexts. On my Treo, it would cost 15 bux just for one translation...on top of 20 or so for the program. Well, no mas, Christians, no mas. With this program, you get every translation you can think of...including NIV, ESV, and The Message. I use the Daily Read every day, and it has really helped my devotional life (take THAT, Kira! I'm reading my Bible!). Um, sorry...where was I...it is easy to look up any verse...and it even has a place for people to write their own commentaries (and read others'). Oh, and it's free. Yeah, free.

Facebook
Well, duh. I don't have to say much about this. I will tell you that this program has allowed me to pare down my Address Book. Folks that I only contact every now and then I now have their info in FB. It'd be nice to confirm/invite friends from this. But this does most of the simple, everyday stuff.

Loopt
The gps social networking app that most of my friends landed on. You can see what your friends are up to and where they are at...if they update their status!! :)

GF Caller
There are a bunch of apps like this (how many apps are there that do the exact same thing? Too many). But it was a buck, and it does what it's supposed to. I click the button, and it calls Kira. Saves me a couple of steps.

Twitterific
I never saw the point of Twitter. But now I guess I do. It's like FB on speed. People might add a post ten times in a day. I don't. But it's fun to see what people are up to.

Pandora and AOL Radio
Between these two apps, you can listen to any genre of music you can think of. For free. In the car, it's like XM/Sirius for nada. I am amazed how well it streams. I have never heard it drop the feed.

Quordy and Word Whirl
Both are word games. Very addictive. Quordy is like Boggle. Word Whirl is like Text Twirl..which my mom loves.

Awesome Utilities

Zenbe
This one rocks. The best to do list app on the iPhone. And I'll tell you why. It syncs with their website. Kira and I use it all the time for our grocery, target, chore lists. Kira can add/mark off stuff via the website. I can do it on my iPhone. And then they sync. So cool. Remember the Milk is another popular one. But to do this, you need to pay money. This one is totally free. Zenbe has a full on outlook-like site. But I like the simpler task-only site.

AB Groups
I just got this app tonight. But it does something that should've been built into the OS. It lets you send an email to a group. It also lets you edit all of your groups on the iPhone and not just on your desktop. C'mon, Apple. Why didn't you build this in?

FileMagnet
Pretty cool. Lets you transfer files from your desktop to your iPhone. I mainly used it to get my notes (from Palm to desktop to iPhone) on my phone. Because Apple's Notes suck. They don't sync to anything. C'mon!

1Password and SplashID
Use both of these to keep track of my web passwords and sensitive info, respectively. Both sync to my mac. Needed. And they work.

Birthdays
Does what you think it does. Like having a simple list rather than weeding through my calendar.

Stage Hand and Remote
On my Palm, I used a program called Clicker. It would allow me to control Powerpoint/Keynote and/or iTunes. Combined with an Airport Express, this was a very cool tool. Well, now with Stage Hand and Remote, I can do all of that again. Remote (made my Apple) is way more stable than Clicker and has a much prettier interface. Stage Hand is very well designed, too. If you are giving a presentation, you can see your notes and control the slides. You can even control a pointer on screen from your phone.

Other Cool Stuff

LocalEats

Has the top 100 restaurants in every major U.S. city. I've tried Phoenix. It nails it.

WhereTo
This is a decent app. It basically types things into Google so you don't have to. You just browse topics and pick one. And somehow, it always gets more results.

Yes, I'm Getting an iPhone, But... (or..Text Messaging, the New Gas)

I have been saving for the new iPhone for over six months now. So, when July 11 comes (the debuit of the new version), I will be in line. There are just too many things it will let me do. One of the main things I'm excited about is being able to have a version of my

project mgmt software

with me at all times. It has literally been a God-send to me not getting overwhelmed by many balls in the air. So, yes, I will be buying one.

But cell phone providers are getting a little nutso when it comes to data plans...and more particularly, text messaging. I realized how much money telecomm companies were making when I realized Sprint was transferring all my support calls to a call center in Manila. I am calling somewhere in the States. They turn it into an international call. Okay. And now, they are doing the same thing with text messaging. Text messaging puts as little a strain on the system as possible. It's not a voice file. It's so few bits of data, it's like thin air. Yet, the phone companies know they have got you. They know how much you've come to rely on this quick form of communication. So, what are they doing? They are raising the prices of text messaging to profane amounts. The website, CrunchGear, breaks down AT&T's new plans (and it's not just AT&T. Most companies are starting to do this)...

Today is basic math day at

CrunchGear

where we discovered that if 160 bytes of SMS data costs twenty cents then 1MB (1,048,576 bytes) of data would cost 131,072 cents, or $1,310.72.

Check out the prices for a

text message plan on AT&T

, the exclusive carrier of the

iPhone 3G

in the United States. AT&T wants twenty cents ($0.20) per text message if you don’t sign up for a plan. A text message is nothing more than 160 bytes of data. The max is 160 characters, and one character equals one byte of data. Great.
In other words, if AT&T charged data downloads at the rate they charge text messages downloading 1MB of data would cost you $1,310.72.

So, what's the answer? Stop text messaging? I don't know. 200/mo even seems light. Anyone? Thoughts?

Sheep Me

Hilarious. Look closer. The body is the cord. The feet are the handsets. Ingenious, I say.




The Latest Ultrasound

I think he has my (Jeff's) overbite. :)