toolbox

Your toolbox is not disposable

A few years ago, I was working at a recovery ministry to the poor and addicted. My time there came with a certain amount of training, and that training was fantastic.  I was trained in several recovery programs and processes, but this training required me to engage myself with the process.  This training required me to actually look at myself, self-evaluate and wrestle with the issues which arose.  I dealt with wounds I had hidden.  I dealt with some addictive behaviors, some coping tendencies, and some past "ish".  I was trained in this fashion in order to truly walk along with the residents on their road to healing and recovery as opposed to being simply an instructor. My reflection on that time today has me realizing something; I have forgotten a lot of those things I had learned.  Sure, I could remember some of the technicalities and book answers, but I have nearly forgotten how to engage and participate in the process.  I was given some very valuable tools, and I have lost them to atrophied disuse.

It has brought me to a particular question.  Why did I receive those tools in the first place?  I may have received them simply for the job and not as much for myself in that once the job was gone, I ceased to use the tools.  It is as if I was given a toolbox of really nice tools, used them for one project and threw them away as though they were disposable.

Then it had me wondering what other sorts of tools I have lost because I discontinued their use.

The problem arises in the fact I have ceased to use the tools I was given in my life and I remain derelict in certain areas; I remain incomplete and unhealed in certain areas of my life.  There are tools I have lost, which need to be discovered and used.  There are likely other tools I have thrown away in the garbage can with the marking "apathy" upon it.

How many tools have I thrown away?  How many bits of wisdom from mentors, friends, others?  How many life-changing books, sermons, talks?

When we fail to use such valuable tools they end up being lost and perhaps thrown away.

How disappointing!  Those were some of my favorite tools!

My digital toolbox

It is no secret to most people that I primarily exist in the coffee shop instead of the traditional office. I handle all the work of being a pastor, speaker, and writer on a mobile lifestyle. This requires a pretty specific toolbox. Inspired by this post by one of the blogs I follow pretty regularly, I thought it would be interesting to post my digital toolbox.

GENERAL - 13" Macbook - 16GB iPhone4 - Timbuk2 Blogger 2.0 Bag - I am in love with this bag, and I'd recommend it to ANY mobile type - Moleskine Journal - No, I'm not a moleskine snob. This is my 1st Moleskine, though I ALWAYS have a journal on hand - G2 Limited Pen, Blue (with refills) - This I AM a snob about. - Apple Remote - FlipCamera Mino - wish I used this more...need more inspiration - DVI to VGA adapter - Highlighters - File Folders - folder for each project I am currently working on (ex. right now I have a folder for "Winter Retreat" "Invisible Children" and I always have an ongoing folder for all things)

ONLINE - Google - Basically a hub for nearly everything, but namely Caledars, Reader, and Email - Wordpress - Simply the best blogging platform available rightnow. Wordpress is always working on new ways to refine what they offer their users. -Facebook - Fetchbook - I never search elsewhere when buying books. Always start at fetchbook. I haven't spent more than $5-10 on a book in years. - Grooveshark - Forget about Pandora...forever. Welcome to Grooveshark - Soulpancake - Co created by Rainn Wilson (Dwight from The Office), this is an online community dedicated to creativity, philosophy, and discussion. I stop by here frequently when I need a boost of inspiration

MAC - Firefox - I am still open to convincing argument for switching to Chrome - iCal - This really is my lifeblood for most everything. If I don't receive an alert from one of my sync'd devices, I may not show up places. - Microsoft Word - iTalk Sync - I record all my talks with my iPhone with iTalk, and it has to be linked to the computer with Sync - Truthcasting - Where I host all my talks on the "Ragamuffinpc Ministries" Channel - iMovieHD - Caffeine - Doing for my computer what it does for me...keeping me from sleep. - Keynote - Seriously, you still use PowerPoint? *mocking snicker*

IPHONE - The norms (iCal, mail, messaging, ipod, phone, etc.) - iTalk - Foursquare - I, like you, once wondered, "What is the point exactly?" But I just.can't.stop. Plus, often after checking in, I'll have a student text me asking if I am still at that place so they can stop by. - Todo List - I live and die by my task list (and calendar) - Notes - I realize this is one of the factory apps, but I use it so much it deserves its own entry. I keep ongoing lists of: "music I want to try out" "books to read" "websites to check out" "poets I enjoy" "movies I want to see" "names of baristas as Tupelo" "Names of baristas at Old Soul" (this helps me remember to address them by name) - Dropbox - I am still learning to use this more...it is capable of much more than I utilize...I realize this. (I have it on my mac also...obviously) - Lifechurch.tv Bible - Hipstamatic - I love the different filters for the camera this one offers. - Facebook - Twitter (@ragamuffinpc) - Rhyme Time - A great resource at hand for any genre writer. (poetry, literary, scholar, student, etc.). I use it frequently. - Woot - I daily necessity. I check it more for the tshirts than anything - Sportacular - The best sports app. Set my favorite teams an any sport and get update alerts pushed to my phone. I.love.this.app.

what is in your digital toolbox?