Evernote
I’ve been trying to develop a filing system for preaching notes. If you are a pastor, you know the drill. If you aren’t – basically pastors and other speakers are always on the look out for the next inspiration, sermon illustration, current event topic, etc. These ideas can come from anywhere – and you need a place to keep all the notes, newspaper articles, stats, and pictures.
I was reading an article in Preaching Magazine recently about using Evernote as a sermon-idea filing system. This seemed like just the ticket for me, as Evernote is available on a number of different devices, including the iPhone and iPad (which I use).
I decided to test it out.
I’ve found Evernote to be extremely integrated and easy to use. I use Microsoft Outlook for my email client. Evernote integrates with it. I use Google Chrome as my web browser. Evernote integrates with it. I use an iPhone. Evernote is there. Ipad. Yep. You get the picture.
With Evernote, I can copy any link, picture, or full web page from any device. I can upload hand written notes, documents that I scan in using my iPhone (whoa!), and emails. They all go into customized folders that I’ve created to organize my different sermon topics and research interests. In short – Evernote, and programs like it, may end up being a minister’s best friend.
How do you organize your notes?
What Shapes You
It has been said that 2 things determine who you are: the people you meet and the books you read. I’d like to expound on that list for the times we find ourselves in…
You are shaped as a person by…
1) The media you consume
This includes traditional media, social media, books, iPad, iPod, etc, etc. We have so much information available to us. It affects us.
2) The people you communicate with
In our world, it’s not just the people you meet. I meet a lot of people. Offline and on. I communicate with a select few. Why? Because in my world that includes thousands of online friends, followers, and commenters, I have to be selective of who I pay attention too. Maybe I have time to Tweet back at you. Maybe I don’t. Maybe I have time to read your facebook note that you tagged me in for no apparent reason. Maybe I won’t. So I only communicate with a certain number of people each day, some online and some off, and they likewise for the same reason.
What media do you consume? And who do you choose to communicate with? They both impact you!
Your comments below would be appreciated and helpful…
iPad Case Review
I take a long time to make decisions. Ask my wife. I compare. I think. I re-compare. I think more. Then I decide. Such was the case in selecting a case for my iPad.
First, I had to decide on the type of case.
Would I go with a slip-case, a notebook style, or….no case at all? I elected to go with a slip-case for the iPad for the same reason I have one for my iPhone. Both devices are beautiful. Whatever your opinion of Apple, they create beautiful products. So why would I want to cover up great design with a case that certainly had much less thought go into its design? So slip case it is…
Second, which slipcase?
I scoured the recesses of Google’s web crawler and found several viable options. My dilemma came down to two options:
In comparing the two, the Waterfield case just didn’t seem as durable. I ended up selecting the Saddleback case and I am very pleased with it. The craftsmanship on this thing is impeccable. You really do pay for what you get. From their website, I learned a lot about the different grains of leather. Theirs is top notch. You can just tell when you hold the case that it will last a lifetime….probably longer. It has that “leather smell” that sort of takes your mind to a dude ranch somewhere. The best thing about it? As it gets beat up, it gains character. The scratches and nicks tell stories. Can you say that about your computer case? The only negative? When my iPad is out of date, I’m not sure what I’ll do with the case….
If you are looking for a sweet iPad case, or other leather goods, I would save yourself some time and contact the folks at Saddleback Leather.
Do you have any recommendations on iPad/laptop cases?
Photoshop iPhone App
I posted awhile back about some of my favorite iPhone apps. That was before I had acquired this little gem. The official Adobe Photoshop app – PS Express – is now one of my favorite and most used apps. It allows you to do a variety of things with your photos including:
Crop, Straighten, Rotate, Flip
Change your Exposure, Tint, Contrast, etc.
Add Effects and Borders
For someone who has little experience in photo editing and no experience using Photoshop, I found this app a breeze. It has allowed me to increase the quality of the pics I upload online. And I can edit a pic using this program in under 3 minutes. Very cool.
If you have an iPhone and you upload pictures, I would highly recommend you try this app. Did I mention it’s FREE?
Here’s some example of pics I’ve edited using the app:
Why we need NASA
There is a daycare playground that I pass almost every day. On the playground sit two plastic space shuttles – of the springy, bouncy, fun variety.
I believe in American exceptionalism. America is great, not because of skin color or cultural nuances, but because of her principled freedom and resulting achievements. The ultimate example of this is the U.S. space agency – NASA – and her crowning achievement: the Space Shuttle.
I have a family member that works in the space program, and there has been much talk of President Obama’s plans to cancel the space shuttle. NASA, and specifically the shuttle program, represents America’s best and most innovative work. Many of the things we use everyday were created or perfected by NASA scientists: scratch resistant lenses, memory foam, ear thermometers, cordless tools, and water filters. But in addition to these things, NASA gives us something greater: the ability to explore the unknown world of space, and the resulting innovations that benefit all mankind.
I listened yesterday as my friend’s son, 5 years old, explained to me the workings of the space shuttle toy that he was so proudly exhibiting. He had me “countdown” for the launch, and then lifted the space shuttle and rocket boosters up, up, up towards the ceiling fan. I was amazed when the rocket booster fell away at precisely the right moment, and he indicated that a “parachute” would open and bring them back down. NASA is the stuff dreams are made of – exploring the unknown. American dreams. No other country could produce a space shuttle. We should not stop launching them, if only for that reason. But further still, NASA provides an outlet for dreaming the impossible, and making it reality.
Imagine if one day on that playground, a little boy asks his teacher, “what’s a ‘space shuttle’?”