The Road to Personal Change

I wrote a post this morning for work.life.creativity about planning a strategy for personal change.

I felt it was appropriate to post it here as well.

The Road to Personal Change

What a Week

I am sitting here tonight, on the couch after one of the longest weeks in recent memory for me. It wasn't that things went wrong. I can only think of one thing that just didn't at all go as I had hoped.

But as I mentioned earlier this week, I had a really busy week ahead. I ended up having to work from the house last night until around midnight.

I am quite tired tonight. I think I may relax a little on the MacBook, and make it an early night.

Running the Gauntlet

This week and the first part of the next week are going to be crazy for me. When it comes to my son, Dawson, I have one instinct...to coach. He does not know playing sports without me coaching.

So I am now into a 9 day period where ice hockey and t-ball overlap. Last night, hockey practice...it was our last practice of the season. We are prepping for our final regular season game on Saturday, and the league tournament next week. Tonight, our first t-ball meeting. Unfortunately, Barry, the guy that is helping me coach hockey, is coaching another team since there are so many kids playing this year. The draft for t-ball is Thursday night. Then on Saturday, we play a hockey game at 8am, and we will get our t-ball team together for the the first time that afternoon. Then next week is consumed with the league tournament in ice hockey.

Busy...but fun times.

A Dose of Perspective

For several days, many people that I go to church with have been waiting on the results of some tests for a friend. He had lost some 30+ lbs. in just a couple of months, and no one knew why. He was a smoker...so I had a suspicion. Today, he got the news...lung cancer.

Obviously, that word automatically creates a lot of uncertainly. It also, typically, creates a lot of fear, resentment, or even anger.

However, this man amazed me as he talked to me with a smile and a positive approach from the beginning. For a full hour, he told me of how God had worked in his life. He spoke of all of the things he wants to do before he passes. He feels he has a mission to accomplish for God. He has a message to get out. He told me of people with whom he had come into contact in his previous life (before Christ), and how he was now using the change God made in him to draw them to Jesus.

He smiled as he told me about how thankful he was that God had made a difference in him. The quote that stuck with me was, "Jason, if this had happened two years ago, I would have busted hell wide open. But now I know that my last breath in this world, will be my first in heaven. Knowing that, why should I be worried about my life."

My friend starts his treatments next week.

I pray that he is allowed as much time as possible to accomplish his mission.

I also pray for a miracle to be worked in my friend's lungs.

The truth is, that God has already worked the biggest miracle of all, in his heart.

What's on Jason's Mind 16 January 2009

• I am glad to be able to sleep in tomorrow morning. No waking up at 5am for a hockey game.

• I hope Dawson gets to feeling better. He is sleeping on the couch and is a sick little boy.

• My nephew plays basketball tomorrow afternoon. Hope I can go see him play.

• I am happy that Brea (our cat) is doing well after a trip to the vet today.

• I need to push a couple of home projects forward tomorrow.

• How cold can it get in North Alabama?

• How frustrating...this cold...and no snow?
  

Failure to Launch!!!

I have been watching eagerly for months for the release of the much vaunted BlackBerry Storm. Many of my friends have been telling me, "Why don't you just get an iPhone?" I have avoided the iPhone for a couple of different reasons...

1. Apple has a terrible reputation for protecting privacy. Many actions on the iPhone sends information to Apple. Information that I do not necessarily want to send to Apple.
2. Quite frankly, AT&T has a crappy network in my part of the country.

So I wait....

and wait...

and wait...

This phone was delayed, in part, because of the software. Apparently the OS on the Storm was very buggy. The word was that RIM and VZW wanted to get this one right up front.

Then they started sending out postcards to certain people talking of a VIP sale the week of 10 Nov. That ended up not materializing and VZW ended up with egg on their face.

Finally a solid date was announced...21 November.

The ads ramped up and the chatter had begun. Many stated that Verizon and BlackBerry pushed the date back to make sure there was no supply problem as is typical for a launch of any Verizon phone.

However, I should have known there was a problem when I noticed that the ads (which has suddenly gone in to regular rotation) disappeared as suddenly as they appeared around Tuesday of this week.

Due to a meeting, I could not go stand in line at the store to get the Storm. So I show up at VZW store 20 minutes after it opens to finally get my hands on one. Ten people are in line...and I am met at the door by the manager. "I'm sorry, sir. we are out of devices".

And apparently this is a common problem since there are widespread reports of outages...and it is not becuae of demand...it is becase of supply!!!

EPIC FAIL!!!

Then a friend of mine finds this on the web.

Verizon has a reputation for intentionally undersupplying phones on release date. Whether it was intentional or not, this will be seen as yet another failure by Verizon to properly handle customer demand.

So for the second time in less than a year, Verizon fails in its attempt to unseat the iPhone in touchscreen market. Remember how the Voyager flopped last holiday season as it was being hailed as the "iPhone killer"? Everyone was excited to see it coming...only to find out it was not even a smartphone...but basically a toy. Now BlackBerry has their run at it. And after delays, bugs and terrible marketing...early on in the game, it appears destined to be another big failure.

Early on...this looks like a route for the iPhone.

So here I am...still lugging around my gawdy Samsung i760. And have no idea when I can get a Storm.

Verizon would have been better served to have pushed launch back into the second week of December...than to allow this to happen.

The only proper thing to say at this point to Verizon and RIM is...DO BETTER.

What's on Jason's Mind?

• Apprehensive about the mite hockey game in the morning. I don't feel my team is prepared.

• Really wishing I did not have the hockey game to coach so I could see my daughter in her gymnastics meet.

• Glad the project called "Paint house & make other outdoor repairs" is actually started.

• Looking forward to seeing Alabama play on TV tomorrow night. Good food, good friends, and smores!!!

• Glad I had today off after the week I had.
  

• Enjoyed sitting at Joe Muggs today with a vanilla creme frappe and my laptop.
  

• I am really looking forward to Friday next week. Can you say "BlackBerry Storm"?

• Man!!! It is getting cold out here...I am typing from my deck.

• I need to go to bed...I have to get up early!!!