I never win anything. Ever. Until today when I got a package from Mountain Dew! (actually New Media Strategies) They teamed up with BevReview.com for a Win Dew Stuff contest – all I had to do was comment on a post about Mountain Dew. (not too difficult!)
Next thing I know, I’ve won a hat, a flash drive and a cool light up pen.
My day is off to a good start!
OK! I finally have a completely free day without meetings or anything toooo urgent, so I’m at the library to try and get a grip on my life and the swirling tasks, projects and never ending to-dos!
In one sense, I’m in a good place. I’m doing a lot better at putting family first, but now work is starting to slip into the chaos of the tyranny of the urgent. That’s better than when I never got around to some home duties, now I’ve kinda flipped the other way where every day at work is driven more by my e-mail inbox than intentional strategic tasks.
Well, that ends TODAY with Operation Order. (Operation Chaos is concluding)
I’m blogging this for my own accountability and to outline my plan, which may overflow into two days:
Step 1: IDENTIFY
A stack of 3×5 cards awaits the names of products or areas or people clammiring for my time, attention, thought and action.
Step 2: DEFINE
A new blank notebook will donate a page to each area identified in Step 1 to define it’s purpose, priority and place in my life.
Step 3: DETAIL
Next I will detail the tasks and action steps required for success on that area or realm of life and ministry.
Step 4: SCHEDULE
Now the rubber meets the road: scheduling my calendar with when I will focus on what so that I am the one determining my focus each day.
Step 5: STRATEGIZE
Finally, I will evaluate what arenas, tasks, projects are activities provide the most Value to me and my ministry’s mission, and then harshly determine what needs to be eliminated, delegated or postponed and determine how to best combat the things that will most certainly seek to distract from the resulting plan from Operation Order.
There’s just something about a boy and his watermelon. I love how everything Luke does he does with so much joy. There is nothing mundane or normal to him. What is routine for us is pure excitement for him. Whether it be simply getting dressed, taking a bath, picking up toys or eating a watermelon – he approaches everything with such a sense of adventure and joy that I wonder sometimes why we lose the pure satisfaction from the simple things in life. Why do we need vacations or thrill parks or something “new” or risk to excite us?
What if we could find deep joy and satisfaction in something as ordinary as a watermelon?
My boy has taught me that. My joy comes from sharing in his.
The next time you have to do something ordinary or mundane… smile.
Your Heavenly Father is watching and delighting in your life too.
Well, with this Chicago white out and freezing rain and snow I was
almost stuck in California. My flight was only delayed but I didn’t
want my wife and boy driving in bad weather to the airport to pick me
up so I resolved to take a cab, which could have been over $100 with
the distance and conditions. Then my sister calls (before departure)
and her husband Keith is flying back from New York on business and
also facing delays, but has a car at O’Hare.
Well, as God would have it, we BOTH JUST LANDED at the same time! What
are odds of that at O’Hare and in these conditions?!? We are both now
just taxiing waiting for a gate to open, but I got a ride home! (Keith
and Melissa live four houses down from us)
Anyway, just had to share this little example of God’s provision
today. I might still be sitting on this runway for awhile, there is a
long line of planes waiting to deboard and the ones at the gates are
still de-icing.
Life is an adventure!
Karl Bastian
Sent/Posted from my iPhone
UPDATE: Landed at 10pm, and sat on the runway until 1am! (three hours!) because the high winds were preventing any de-icing or take offs, so there were no gates. Keith got in an hour before me and was nice enough to wait for me. His tarmac wait was longer than his flight from New York, my flight was only 30 minutes longer than the wait to deplane. Whew!
And as I wait for my ride I have only one thing to say…
BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!
Sent/Posted from my iPhone
I’m out driving and am so excited… It is snowing on December 1st!
How beautiful is that? I hope it never stops.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
iKarl Bastian
(Sent/Posted from my iPhone)
Anyway – it was just light snow when I posted this, and coming home was too dark, but I did snag this picture of the back of my car when I arrived (after seeing the comments):
This is the sticker everyone at my church has on their car. (by the way, I never noticed the small print on it until today when the image was full screen in iPhoto – click to see why I said “uh oh” when I read the fine print!)
I wonder if this will post?
iKarl Bastian
www.Kidologist.com
(Sent from my iPhone)
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Tried photo blogging… it was a disaster!
screens shot:
and this went for half a mile down my screen too!
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