1. I left the GPS on for my trip on the airplane. I sat next to a window and was able to track the speed, the altitude, the direction, and follow the map as the plane soared from Hamilton to Winnipeg to Saskatoon. That was fun. I recorded the log file of the trip so I can play it back and watch the journey anytime!

2. Joanne found her first GeoCache in Saskatoon a couple of days ago. It was along the South Saskatchewan River. She was quite excited about it— she took a nail file.

3. I’m getting the opportunity to show ServiceBuilder to a pastor from a local church (Lakeview) today.

4. I’ve found a new passion to read the Bible. I have been praying the God would renew my passion for ‘his Word,’ and he’s answered that prayer. The John Piper book I’m reading, When I Don’t Desire God, has certainly helped rekindle me.

Lots of other great stuff has happened and is happening. I’m getting lots of rest too, which is wonderful.

~Jason

Here’s the premise: some distant world sent a spinning drum on a crash course with out sun. It was comissioned thousands of years before earth had humans crawling around on it.

When they could get close to it, human astronauts landed on, then climbed into this gigantic drum to find an entire world inside. Continents, islands, cities, even a marvelous sea was inside this drum, held to the outside walls by the steady gravity-creating spin along it’s axis. The world was apparently dead and frozen as a result of the icy temperature of space. But once in our solar system, it began to thaw. This thawing caused life to start crawling to the surface from tunnels deep below the surface.

Humans had only a few weeks to explore, before this world, which they named ‘Rama,’ would crash into the sun. Before this final collision, however, Rama adjusted course, and careened out of the solar system as suddenly as it arrived.

If you like Sci-Fi, you’ll love this.

~Jason

• Emily Bronte - Wuthering Heights (amazing beginning, gets really boring)
• Rick Warren: The Purpose Driven Life (twice through, love it.)
• I Robot (excellent)
• Robert Ludlum: The Bourne Identity (excellent- must read)
• Robert Ludlum: The Bourne Supremecy (just okay)
• Erwin Raphael McManus: Seizing Your Devine Moment (pretty good.)
• Jules Verne: A Journey to the Center of the Earth (terrible)
• John Steinbeck: Grapes of Wrath (pretty good)
• Arthur C. Clarke: Randezvous with Rama (really interesting)
• Jack London: Call of the Wild (Terrific)
• John Piper: When I Don’t Desire God (Amazing!)
• Bilquis Sheikh: I Dared to Call Him Father (Remarkably entertaining)

See here for lists from each year, if you’re curious.

~Jason

It was hard not to be selfishly disappointed that our meeting didn’t happen, but I’m sure we’ll reschedule. I feel pretty silly feeling bad about that when he’s hurt himself so badly.

~Jason

On Wednesday I had the good pleasure to visit the AGC head office to demonstrate ServiceBuilder. They hooked my laptop up to their video projector, and I walked them through the various processes of my software. I felt a little nervous, first of all, because I didn’t want to be taking unreasonable advantage of the relationship my church had with them to market something for personal profit. The other reason I was nervous was because I really believe in ServiceBuilder’s core benefits, and I wanted to give it a fair demonstration.

They were quite enthusiastic. They made a couple of good suggestions too, so that it could be even more beneficial to churches and other organizations, (like the AGC). One of these suggestions has already been deployed.

They offered to write a cover letter to show to the churches which belong to the AGC, heartily recommending ServiceBuilder as a way of planning services, staying organized, scheduling people and making the most of a volunteer force, as well as contacting various groups within the congregation. They observed that it could be used even for children’s ministry to plan kid’s programs!

I’m so excited! Apparently they will give it some face-time on their web site, and offer it to their pastor’s within the “pastor’s pack,” which goes out monthly.

I couldn’t have asked for more. I hope it continues to flourish, and that more churches will benefit, and grow as a result.

~Jason

So if you can spare a couple of minutes, go post a message on the new message board! I’d love to get some traffic going through there! Let me know your thoughts about the new site!

Thanks,
~Jason

This has some negative outcomes, specifically that peopel don’t always know what they’re doing in four months.

So I added a new export feature to the web schedule. When users go to view their schedule online, they can click a link to import these items into their calendar software. (Outlook specifically, though the tab-separated-values text file will probably import into most calendar programs).

Hopefully I have less problems with people forgetting when they’re scheduled.

~Jason

Thanks!
~Jason

It’s a mystery to me
That deep within my heart
There is something more I need
To fill the yearning part

Nothing satisfies
I’ve tried to set it free
And trying is the word for it,
The trial of the century

Time has ceased to move
And we’re in that moment now
I fill my chest with deep breaths,
With thanks, and wonder how?

My shoulders drop, relieved,
And seconds become years
No pain, that life has
disappeared

Chorus:
Not someday, nor yesterday,
Not waiting, not waiting,
No wishing, or wanting,
Hope has taken me
I’m here now, we’re together,
You’ve brought me to this moment
Most satisfied; hope has taken me.

You’ve laid the brush aside,
The canvas needs no more,
This world is a masterpiece,
Of pain, of joy, or peace and war,

Now you take my hand,
You help me see it through,
I worship the ground you walk on,
I love you!
[chorus]

I said we’d go GeoCaching together— which would normally be fine, even at 6. But when Seth started wimpering in his sleep at 3, came into bed with us, and then starting talking at 5, I knew I was in trouble. Then at six I realised the sun doesn’t come up until 7. The boys played computer games while I tried to catch a few more z’s.

Eventually the three of us piled into my car to head for the Bock-Bock cache, which we hadn’t found a few days ago. On our way up Mount Albion road, a police road-block signalled to us that we weren’t going to find that cache that day. We finally got a signal lock with the GPS and turned around, heading for Stoney Creek Battlefield Park.

But we couldn’t seem to keep a lock. My i.Trek CF GPS is garbage. The last one was wonderful, but this one can never aquire a signal from the satelites. I’m so frustrated.

We drove around for a while, then gave up. An hour in the car, with nothing to show for it but two disappointed little boys, and a severely annoyed grown-up.

~Jason

You can optionally have a tips window pop up every time you start ServiceBuilder, and this window explains to the user how to take advantage of various functions. Each tip can also have a ‘show me’ button, which takes the user to the part of the program in question.

ServiceBuilder is finally starting to become easy to use. I never really thought about the user-friendly aspect of SB before, but now that it’s underway, I’m really excited.

~Jason

No, we’re not crazy — a 5 month old baby, a screaming 2 year old and a would-be teenager (9 year old) are enough work for us. This is my sister’s new dog. She and her family are coming to pick it up tomorrow. It will be great to see them again.

Before heading off the Welland to get this dog, I loaded some maps in my GPS and nailed down coordinates. Imagine my disappointment when it just wouldn’t grab a signal. I’m not sure what’s wrong. Whether it’s cloud cover, or cold air… I don’t know. But it did finally kick in for the drive home, so I got to play a little bit.

I’ve gotta figure out what’s going on with this thing.

~Jason

~Jason