<link>http://www.hello-righton.com</link> <description /> <pubDate>Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:53:53 +0000</pubDate> <generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2</generator> <language>en</language> <atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="self" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/hello-righton" type="application/rss+xml" /><feedburner:emailServiceId xmlns:feedburner="http://rssnamespace.org/feedburner/ext/1.0">492920</feedburner:emailServiceId><feedburner:feedburnerHostname xmlns:feedburner="http://rssnamespace.org/feedburner/ext/1.0">http://www.feedburner.com</feedburner:feedburnerHostname><item> <title>It Is Written http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/12/04/it-is-written/ http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/12/04/it-is-written/#comments Thu, 04 Dec 2008 14:53:53 +0000 zac Weekly Jib Jab http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/12/04/it-is-written/ I like to read. I am pretty sure reading is a vast conduit to being smarter. Most of the words I know came from a book somewhere. So do most of the ideas, lessons, practices, and philosophies I own. Some books I read one time while others I go back to frequently. I love reading the Old Testament. Jesus [apparently] liked to read the Old Testament, too. During His temptation in the wilderness, Jesus quoted three times from the book of Deuteronomy, which just happens to be where I was recently challenged to read. He prefaced each retort by saying, “It is written…”

In our world, we are used to books. There are close to 300,000 books published in the US each year — that’s 300,000 different books published — who knows how many millions of copies? I am sure it is safe to say that much of that which is printed is junk. Thanks to the printing press and the enabling of pretty much anyone to write a book, we have a massive onslaught of information via the printed word. And if we add in the Internet, we augment the amount of junk available exponentially. But in the time of Jesus, only the supremely important was written down. All ancient cultures actively participated in storytelling and oral tradition to convey information. For something to be written was a big deal.

We take it for granted, though, that most of our information comes to us either in print or online. We have information coming at us via texts on cell phones and status updates on Twitter or Facebook. It is becoming so dynamic for us to receive information and I ponder where the Bible sits in all of this. We have the Bible in print; we have it online; we even have it read and taught to us. But is it just another book? Is it just another source of information?

I truly hope that the Bible — and the knowledge of God — is not simply competing with the rest of the noise we are constantly dealing with. I hope that the Bible holds a supremely important place in our lives. This is how I try to retain that importance with God’s Word:

  • First, I read God’s Word intentionally. Opening up the Bible is not a pasttime nor something to do while I am bored. It is an intentional engagement of that which is important.
  • Second, I read God’s Word expectantly. I claim to know God; I claim that His Word is how He speaks to me. So when I read, I expect to hear from Him.
  • Third, I read God’s Word regularly. If I really believe the Bible is God’s Word, then it seems logical that I would spend as much time in it as possible.

May we not lose track of what the Bible truly is. It is not just a book. It is a collection of the most important words ever put down on paper.

]]> http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/12/04/it-is-written/feed/ Why I Like Micro-Blogging http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/12/03/why-i-like-micro-blogging/ http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/12/03/why-i-like-micro-blogging/#comments Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:58:20 +0000 zac InfoTech http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/12/03/why-i-like-micro-blogging/ I have a blog (hello, you are here). I also use Twitter to microblog. I like them both but do we need both? A friend recently told me, “Microblogging is too much.” I disagree and here is why:

  • For the person who does not have a blog, microblogging is an easy and effective way to get into blogging
    • Microblogging develops relationships and increases your visibility
    • Microblogging makes you a real person to those who do not know you personally
    • If you want to start blogging it would behoove you to get into the habit of writing regularly — even short quips
  • For the person who does have a blog, microblogging is an easy way to augment and improve:
    • Stop blogging about what you had for lunch; microblog that
    • Use your microblog threads (preferably the popular ones) to inspire your blog posts
    • Enhance your blog posts by discussing them on your microblog
    • Increase readership by advertising your blog post on your microblog

I also view microblog readership much as I do blog readership. Sometimes I read blogs of people who do not read mine. Similarly, I do not always read the blogs of those who do read mine. The same goes for microblogs. Twitter — for me — is not a popularity contest (although you can easily find places that will help you garner followers). I like reading about what those closest to me are doing. And they are my audience.

Why do you like micro-blogging? Why do you hate it?

FYI: Subscribe to my Twitter feed here. Subscribe to Hello-RightOn here for RSS feed or here for email feed.

]]> http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/12/03/why-i-like-micro-blogging/feed/ There Goes The Neighborhood http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/12/01/there-goes-the-neighborhood/ http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/12/01/there-goes-the-neighborhood/#comments Mon, 01 Dec 2008 14:58:32 +0000 zac NewSpring InfoTech http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/12/01/there-goes-the-neighborhood/ I cannot say truly say that I am opposed to any operating system when it comes to productivity. I personally prefer Windows Vista for all my gaming needs. I prefer OpenSolaris over Linux for a free *nix platform. And for the enterprise, I prefer Solaris, although that is largely irrelevant at the moment. I grew up on Macintosh, but have not used one for over ten years — again, for gaming reasons. The idea of a web-based OS is coming and will certainly be all that many people need. But for a now, there is the need for a local OS; Mac vs. PC — OSX vs. Windows is a tiresome, yet constant debate. Hopefully the debate can subside for a while here at NewSpring.

Most companies have a policy for the computers they provide for their employees. Some provide desktops and/or laptops to their employees depending on the specific needs of that employee. This was the case when I was at Northrop Grumman. Some companies have a laptop-only policy. Such was how things went at Verizon. Some companies even let their employees pick what kind of laptop they want, like at Sun Microsystems. Here, at NewSpring, we have created a new policy that hybridizes these other policies.

Most employees will be given laptops to enable mobility; as NewSpring becomes more mobile by the addition of campuses, this seems to be a logical path. This includes our recent VPN implementation for remote access. There will always be some desktop users, such as video editors and volunteers. We also use desktops for guest services, check-in stations, and presentation areas.

When it comes to laptops, though, we are migrating to a user-choice policy. Users will be able to choose either a Mac or a Dell/Windows laptop. We have a standard Mac model and a standard Dell model for most users. Some users will be able to choose augmented versions of those standards on an as-needed basis.

FYI: Our back office is entirely run on Windows.

So, “there goes the neighborhood,” says the PC bigot in me. But in reality, I am happy to be in a place where I can help others be productive — whether that be with a Mac or a PC. This is just one step in the movement towards a more transparent IT infrastructure.

]]> http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/12/01/there-goes-the-neighborhood/feed/ Top Ten Dumbest Gadgets O’ The Week — 11/28/08 http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/11/28/top-ten-dumbest-gadgets-o-the-week-112808/ http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/11/28/top-ten-dumbest-gadgets-o-the-week-112808/#comments Fri, 28 Nov 2008 15:46:12 +0000 zac Top Ten Gadgets InfoTech http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/11/28/top-ten-dumbest-gadgets-o-the-week-112808/ But first, here are some cool gadgets you can buy for me:

Here are my choices for the dumbest gadgets of the week:

And here is a special dumb thanksgiving gadget:

  • Oilless Turkey Fryer — to fry means to use heat and some sort of oil or fat — oilless frying is an oxymoron
    ]]> http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/11/28/top-ten-dumbest-gadgets-o-the-week-112808/feed/ Industry Leadership or: What I Learned At Lunch With Perry http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/11/24/industry-leadership-or-what-i-learned-at-lunch-with-perry/ http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/11/24/industry-leadership-or-what-i-learned-at-lunch-with-perry/#comments Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:31:42 +0000 zac NewSpring http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/11/24/industry-leadership-or-what-i-learned-at-lunch-with-perry/ I was fortunate to be able to participate in a leadership lunch with Perry a few days ago. These are lunches where Perry takes about eight employees out to eat and talk about leadership. Anything goes: we are allowed to ask him whatever we want regarding leadership. Many things were discussed during the lunch, but I most appreciated the vision Perry cast with regards to industry leadership. It may sound odd to think of a church in market leadership terms, but I was curious about how we at NewSpring see ourselves — via Perry — in the world.

    Perry’s answer betrayed his absurd level of faith. He said we need to do the best we can at all times in all things. If we do that, we will be the leaders. Mediocre is the standard the world sets for itself; if we do our best all the time, we will lead.

    Now I hate mediocrity — no secrets there. Incompetence has always annoyed me. And I have long been troubled by the amount of mediocrity that Christians seem to dwell in. (I am currently working on a longer piece contra mediocrity.) I am pumped that I work in a place where excellence is pursued — where perfection is sought. These may be lofty goals, but they are refreshing. God has given us so much; we are simply seeking to give Him the best. But at the core it is faith that drives all of this. We — again, with Perry — have faith that if we do our best, God will honor that. And it is through this chain reaction of faith and obedience that God allows us to lead in the areas He wants us to lead in.

    This is sort of ethereal, but I must say I was quite pumped about the future. It ties in great with what Perry said yesterday at church: What if your best days are ahead of you? We must usually expect something from God for there to be revelation. We want the supernatural: we must let God do the super and we must do the natural.

    Other things I heard at lunch with Perry:

    • Honesty [with each other] is the most important thing we need to have for the upcoming year
    • What Perry knows now that he didn’t know then: that his biggest critics would be Christians
    • With the technology we have we do not have to put up with bad preaching anymore
    • Read Deuteronomy and change the way you think: change it to when, not if
    ]]>     http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/11/24/industry-leadership-or-what-i-learned-at-lunch-with-perry/feed/     Top Ten Dumbest Gadgets O’ The Week — 11/21/08 http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/11/21/top-ten-dumbest-gadgets-o-the-week-112108/ http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/11/21/top-ten-dumbest-gadgets-o-the-week-112108/#comments Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:39:29 +0000 zac Top Ten Gadgets InfoTech http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/11/21/top-ten-dumbest-gadgets-o-the-week-112108/ But first, here are some cool gadgets you can buy for me:

    Here are my choices for the dumbest gadgets of the week:

    ]]>     http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/11/21/top-ten-dumbest-gadgets-o-the-week-112108/feed/     You Are An Annoying Employee http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/11/20/you-are-an-annoying-employee/ http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/11/20/you-are-an-annoying-employee/#comments Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:30:33 +0000 zac NewSpring http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/11/20/you-are-an-annoying-employee/ Well — maybe you are not. All this recent talk (here, here, here) about being passionate about one’s job has caused me to reflect. I realize I likely have the best job I can fathom here at NewSpring. But that is the best job for me; I sincerely hope you have the best job for you. Here’s a quick way to tell: if you are bitter about the menial things in your job, you may be focusing on the wrong thing. I read an article that says employees are filing lawsuits against their employers. Why? The article (read more here) states this:

    “Employees claimed that they were not paid for the 15- to 30-minute task of booting their computers at the start of each day and logging out at the end. Add those minutes up over a week, and hourly employees are losing some serious pay.”

    First of all, if your computer takes 15 or 30 minutes to boot, you need to perhaps explore a computer made sometime in this millennium. But more importantly, if you are worried about getting paid to boot up your computer, it may be time to look for a new job that fulfills you. And if you have ever made a complaint like this, you are an annoying employee. Go away.

    ]]>     http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/11/20/you-are-an-annoying-employee/feed/     Get Lucky http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/11/18/get-lucky/ http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/11/18/get-lucky/#comments Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:07:18 +0000 zac The Un-Category http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/11/18/get-lucky/ I have typically held to the concept that there is no such thing as luck. I have rationalized this by clinging to the sovereignty of God. What He allows happen ends up happening. Insert here the diatribe that “God loves everyone yet favors some” and we have a complicated discussion with no resolution.

    But maybe there is such a thing as luck. Not dumb luck that hits people in the face like a bug while you ride your bike on a lonely, dirt road but luck that is brought as a result of attitude adjustments and modified expectations. I read an article and found these insights interesting:

    “Lucky people see what is there rather than just what they are looking for.”

    “Lucky [people]… add variety to their lives.”

    “Lucky people use counter-factual thinking to ease the impact of misfortune.”

    “Thoughts and behavior affect the good and bad fortune we encounter.”

    Read this article here and see what you think.

    ]]>     http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/11/18/get-lucky/feed/     Competition and Collaboration http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/11/17/competition-and-collaboration/ http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/11/17/competition-and-collaboration/#comments Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:12:36 +0000 zac NewSpring http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/11/17/competition-and-collaboration/ Every company I have worked for has been massive — both in size and in success. This massiveness is due to no small degree to the abilities these companies have of leveraging themselves as competitors in the market. They set themselves apart as unique; but it is not only marketing. These companies also must protect their data, their processes, and their products from other companies. My present job is much different; collaboration has replaced competition. We work together with other groups in an effort to do what we do better. Why? Because we share a common goal: help humans encounter God. I am new to this whole mentality (of open collaboration) and it is not an easy concept to embrace. Fortunately I am surrounded by other ex-marketplace personnel who can relate. I am curious about two things:

    1. How does one relax his/her competitiveness?
    2. How long will this last? As more and more churches are on the Internet, will we continue to embrace collaboration, or will we soon turn into the two churches on opposite street corners who bicker over everything?
    ]]>     http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/11/17/competition-and-collaboration/feed/     Rest For Your Soul http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/11/13/rest-for-your-soul/ http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/11/13/rest-for-your-soul/#comments Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:38:17 +0000 zac Weekly Jib Jab http://www.hello-righton.com/2008/11/13/rest-for-your-soul/ I have been blessed with one, two, three astounding kids. I have long believed that physical intimacy is important in the development of children. (Interestingly, the older I get, the more I notice myself becoming less intimate with those outside my family, and more intimate within the family.) I’m not talking about just hugs, though. Hugs and kisses can get boring. Many years ago I began transforming the hugs into tickle-tackles and that has evolved into everyone-against-everyone wrestling, where even Bella, the 100-lb, I’ll-start-my-diet-tomorrow dog, joins in.

    It is cool that whenever I offer to wrestle, it is followed by [usually] unanimous participation. And the kids will beg me to destroy them (I have remained undefeated for over nine years). A few months ago my youngest, Luke, crafted a term that I find fascinating. We were all preparing to enter the melee, and he called our attention. He said, “Instead of ‘wrestle’ it is now time for us to ‘rest for your soul.’” He created a play on words: “wrestle” became “rest for your soul.” The term stuck and has been our invitation ever since: “Do you want to rest for your soul?”

    I was reflecting this week on how excited and blessed we are that we get to leave our lovely second-floor condo soon and move into our house. Part of the excitement for me is related to the ability the kids and I will have to make a little more noise when we play. And as I reflected on all this, I realized that there is a genuine rest in the depths of my soul when I am surrounded by laughing, screaming, sweating kids who are also punching me in the back. Luke’s play on words has manifested itself in reality. There is truly rest for my soul.

    In other words, I am blessed by these times. I then thought of the story of Jacob, who wrestled with God and left with a limp and a blessing in Genesis 32. I sincerely hope that my kids long remember these times and I hope they find rest in their souls from their relationship with me. I am so thankful for them.

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