Delta

Delta means change. I am a walking oxymoron when it comes to change. I really like having a routine, but mostly just at home. I love trying to think outside the box when it comes to work and church because that's where I get to be a creative (noun form, how do you like that?). If I'm working on something and there isn't a law or regulation restricting me, I'm going to get my hands dirty with it. Saying "that's the way we've always done it" tells me that you aren't committed to your mission or goal because nothing should be off limits if you're passionate about what you do. Think. Try. Fail. Rethink. Try. Discover.

In November I changed jobs and most of my reasoning for that is related to this idea. I felt totally smothered in a place that I was pretty valuable. I struggled everyday because I knew I had a vital role to play but I could be removed at any time. The pure stress was beyond anything I had ever experienced before. It was an uphill battle and the mountain grew taller as I climbed.

A couple of weeks ago I turned 30. This was the first time in a long time that the number of years actually made me think for a minute. I'm 30? What does my life look like compared to other 30 year olds?

A friend of mine turned 30 once and He went to a wedding in Cana. The party was crazy awesome and they kicked the keg much earlier than anticipated. His mom was there and she told the caterers to do whatever He said. He tried to get out of it because He thought it wasn't the right time to start His "business" but He did it anyway.

A week later He went nose to nose with the bigwigs at his office. They were doing some shady, corrupt stuff so He started smashing furniture and yelling at them for screwing up the whole business model. They thought He was crazy.

I doubt anyone would confuse me with Him but He brought DELTA in a way that I want to bring it. Do people think I'm crazy? Probably not enough, but I'm working on it. I'm 30, He was 30. It's about time.

Choose Wisely

Nothing to see here

I won't waste time trying to excuse myself for poor blogging habits. Even though life is busy, there doesn't seem to be anything of real consequence going on. So, the updates....
-Discovery Church softball is in the midst of a best-of-5 series for the GCCSL Championship (click here for stats). The series is tied up at 1-1, with game 3 coming up on Friday night. GCCC has apparently won the last 2 years, but they've got their hands full this year. I've been struggling to stay healthy. I seem to pull a muscle every other game, so I have been doing heavy duty rehab between contests. Luckily nothing has been too serious and I've played in each game.
-Kim's brother has recently become engaged to his long-time girlfriend.
-Kim and I continue to attend Crossbridge Community Church and things are going well. We continue to become more comfortable and we really like meeting people who live nearby.
-August is going to be the last month for me to have any fun until next June. I'm gearing up for a heavy load of studies. I'll have classes on Wednesday & Thursday nights @ Rutgers for the fall semester and I'll have School Business Administrator Certification courses on Saturdays from 9am-2pm starting in September (plus the 1 hr drive to get there). I'll be needing some superhuman discipline to keep up.
-Work is good and busy but not exhausting. New teachers will be reporting next Monday and all teachers return the Monday after that. And then the kids show up.... I don't think I'm ready for that.
-Quick shout out to Pastor Marty who faithfully blogs about his pursuit of relationships. It's good to hear about his success but also nice to know that it's difficult for him too.
-Last note... check out the video of my nephew's first birthday party. Good times...

Choose Wisely

Catching up

OK, so I didn't post anything when we returned from our Austin trip. I guess I ran into another dry spell, blog-wise. You can visit my facebook for pictures from the trip. My comments give you the general idea of what we did there. We really had a great time. Austin is very cool and if you're ambitious enough, you can hear a wide variety of music in just 1 night. The 2 most interesting spots were Speakeasy and the Elephant Room. Speakeasy has an alley entrance instead of sidewalk entrance. It's designed to be a throwback to the prohibition days. The Elephant Room is in a long skinny basement, and is nationally recognized for bringing in top jazz musicians.

Other highlights included, anniversary dinner @ Carmelo's, lunch @ Hickory Street B&G, appetizer @ BD Riley's, Fireman's #4 beer, Indiana Jones @ the Alamo Drafthouse, great weather, great people, and visiting our friends.

Next item... I changed jobs. 2 hours before we took off for Austin, I got a job offer from DUE Season Charter School to be the Business Manager, and today was my first day there. I spent 2 years in the Willingboro School District and there were a few times that I thought I'd be out of there even sooner. But circumstances kept changing and there was potential for advancement. Once that potential was squashed though, there was very little reason for me to stay. I had some really excellent relationships there and I am grateful for what those people added to my life. I hope that I was able to do the same for them.

Now I'm in Camden. I am really excited to be a part of a positive organization in that city. My friends, The A's, are immersed in Urban Promise. In a way, I sometimes get jealous of people like them who are so selfless and committed to their calling. I have to remember that I have not been called to do the same thing and I just have to be faithful with what I am called to do. God has definitely blessed my career so far. He must have a reason for this new position, so I'll just have to keep walking with Him so I don't miss out on anything. I'll try to keep you updated as things develop.

Next... We've been to Crossbridge Community Church 3 times now. My internal battle over this church is this... it feels comfortable and familiar, but maybe that's because it's so similar to the church I recently left. We have talked to a few people there, and they are super nice and welcoming. We have decided that we will be semi-regular for the time being.

Quick hits...(the end, I promise)... I shot 99 on Friday on my first round of golf for 2008. Fairly satisfied with that. Got a new PC from Dell's Outlet-"Scratch and Dent". There are no scratches or dents. Got a couple of suits so I can dress like an adult at my new job. It does feel like my first real grown-up job. Hopefully I act accordingly. Softball is winding down. My team has 1 game left tomorrow. I'll be playing with another team for a few games after that.

Choose Wisely

Lost

The long-awaited return of ABC's Lost will air tonight. As a faithful viewer since day 1, I can say that the next twist of the show will only make me feel more lost. The coming rescuers have a hidden agenda which will probably be the mystery of season 4, which will be very short anyway. I'll be rushing home from class to catch the latest adventure of the losties.

Speaking of class, I am in week 2 now. Public Management is the Wed night course and I think this will be a very good experience for me. Lots of issues that I deal with everyday are discussed and help me organize my own thoughts and feelings about how things are and how they should be. Unfortunately, I probably won't get to use what I learn because of the culture that exists in my workplace (school district). It can get very frustrating to be a creative manager in a stale environment (bordering on extinction). It's starting to feel like a missed opportunity to make some lasting difference here. I know that I have contributed in many positive ways but it's time to keep pushing and challenge people for more improvements. Doesn't the taxpaying public deserve our best efforts? Some possible reasons for stagnation...

Everybody is selfish
Nobody wants to be blamed for anything
The public doesn't trust the decision makers
Decision makers don't want to rock the boat
Political correctness overpowers truth
No recognition for quality effort (which will squash entrepreneurship real quick)
Lack of communication

To summarize... what's the point? I mean really. What good does it do for one or a few persons to try to chip away at a system that is dominated by senior management that has no interest in taking some chances. And they could be very small chances with low risk. Shouldn't that be a part of organizational leadership? No business would ever survive with this structure. For me, I know that I am supposed to be doing everything as if I were doing it for God. That is what gives me some motivation, but my human side says this is not going to be worth it in the end. There are too many battles going on between people and departments. Luckily that's mostly work related. I do have some excellent co-workers who I get to share my life with when I need to get it all out. Is that enough? What do you think? I'm LOST.

Choose Wisely