finite speck

Getting around 7 hours of sleep the night before. Being the first one up. (It's tough for me when a kid wakes me up and they're up at the same time as me. That's what happened this morning.) Having a cup of coffee. Having a morning routine. Sitting on the couch with a blanket over me and my computer. Reading the Bible. Reading a blog article. Writing my blog. Having a bowl of oatmeal. (or oit-meal as Josie would say) Having about an hour of quiet really helps me get ready for the day. Even though most mornings this happens, not every morning do I get myself up early enough or my kids might get up early. When that happens sometimes it's tough to have a good attitude for me. I get impatient quick and lose my cool. It reminds me of how imperfect I am and how much I need Christ. I'm not saying that all of the above things make me good or even make my day good. Christ is what makes me good. I'm able to enjoy the things I listed out above because of how God made me. B

What are the 3 things you need to focus on today? You may have more things and that's fine, but list out the top 3 things. Now give yourself no more than 1 hour to 90 minutes to work on each one of them. And mark them off when you're done. Give yourself time to do other things like check email outside of these 3 things. But try to give uninterrupted time to the 3 things individually once you start working on one of them. You'll also notice that this is only 3 to 4 and a half hours of your workday. That's right. The rest is for smaller tasks, phone calls, emails, conversations, and meetings. I didn't come up with this and won't claim it will work for everybody, but I've found it helpful to focus each day. I'm not sure where it originated from I picked it up from a webinar over the last 2 months.

I started working remotely on March 16th because of COVID-19 and today is May 29th. Over 2 whole months working from my in-laws' basement. I will be going back to working from the office on Monday next week. And it's kind of bittersweet. I've enjoyed working at my in-laws' place. It's been nice to see my kids and wife over lunch. Walking or riding my bike to work has been nice too. I'm going to miss it. The hardest part of this as far as work is concerned has just been feeling out of the loop with my co-workers. Having only a call or two some times a week has made it difficult to know what's going on. What my priorities should be. So I look forward to hopefully more communication. It's definitely been simpler working remotely as well. No major concerns about wiping things down. Or being too close to someone else. Or wearing a mask. I will miss some of that as well. So thanks Tim and Jeanne for letting me work from your basement for over 2 months! You are

Sometimes I think it's not fair. How do some of these people have thousands of followers and get so many comments, likes, and shares? It's actually kind of blows my mind... even though some, probably many, are putting some money behind their posts as well, which helps. But I believe a lot of what makes a social account grow is consistently showing up, regularly, not when you feel like it, but as much as possible. Knowing that some of your posts are going to be duds. But to keep posting... to not look at the numbers and to respond to people as they interact with you. I've started an account for our vacation rental property in Gulf Shores and it's felt like a slow go, but there have been little spikes in there, which encourages me. Instagram has been tougher for me than Facebook. Facebook got a good boost for us by our individual followers liking our page. I'm going to continue slugging it out adding a few followers at a time on Instagram and Facebook and hopefully, t

Do you ever get stuck in the middle of something? A project, something your writing, a conversation,... anyway your stuck. One thing to do is just sit there and keep mulling over the issue to get to your end result. The other thing to do is think "what if" the end result was something different? It may not always be helpful, but I think sometimes in problem-solving we get so stuck on what we think the end should be that we forget that there are other possible ends as well. This is a really bad example probably, but maybe you don't have any butter for your toast. One solution would be to find something else to put on your toast, but another could be to eat something totally different. Or maybe you go out to eat. Yeah, that's a really bad example. But I still think the "what if" is a great way to get yourself out of a stuck situation like writer's block or a project that's just not going much of anywhere. What if things weren't like what they seeme

Yesterday we went to the Giant Goose Ranch with Chad and Julie for a couple hours to fish with the kids. We helped the kids fish for a little while and then went over to where they have some horses, goats, pigs, and chickens. And the kids got to the feed them... well some of them were brave enough to, including Baer. Baer was giving handfuls to the goats and pigs. All of a sudden he pulled his hand away quickly from one of the pigs and he had some teeth marks on his hands. He got bit by a pig! But the craziest thing is he didn't cry about it either. And it didn't keep him from feeding the animals anymore. He kept feeding them, he just didn't feed those pigs though. It's funny because he can be tough, but then he can other times just fall apart. Like when someone takes a toy he's been playing with. His lip goes down, eyes shut, and it's a "tear city".

This weekend has been so good. Yesterday was really restful. We took our kids to a friend's grandparents' pool for a few hours. Had church at the barn where we've been staying. For lunch, we had Home Run Inn pizza, which was delicious and we picked up Gil's fried chicken for dinner. We played some games last night, while the kids watched some movies. Oh and a few horses showed up in the afternoon and Josie got to ride a horse for a few minutes. It's just been really relaxing and good for our family during this time when we've been in our home a lot to be able to get out and spend time with my sister's family. It's also been fun to see my two older kids playing with my sister's kids. I hope we can keep doing this especially while the weather is nice.

Yesterday was so nice. Our family enjoyed it out here at my sister's. We took a walk down their lane in the morning before it got hot. The kids played on a slip 'n slide. We went down to their creek and stuck our feet in. Our kids played a ton with their cousins. It was really a pretty relaxing day. We sat on the porch swing. I help my brother-in-law build a little rock wall in their landscaping. And we ended the day by watching "Call of the Wild" and a campfire with S'mores. And now I'm up for another day. The sun just peaked over the trees. There's a mist blanketing the valley. I have to squint just a little to take it all in. There are all kinds of wildlife noises. It's good.

Ah. Just getting away for a couple days is so nice... Even if on a Saturday morning all of your kids woke up at 5:30 AM and they usually sleep in until 7! It's just good to get a change when everything has been the same for the last few months. We were able to stay at my sister and brother-in-law's place in their renovated barn for the weekend. It's peaceful (even with kids already up). It's in the middle of a valley, surrounded by trees. And my son and I just went outside, so I'm sitting on a deck watching the sun come up. Listening to all the birds chirping. It's gonna be a nice weekend. And we just looked at the weather and it doesn't look like we're gonna get as much rain as they initially said!

It's not broke. I've used it over 513 times without fail and people can view everything I write. I'm talking about my blog on Blogger. It's kind of funny that I would write this on the service that I'm currently using thinking about whether I should switch to a different service. I really have no complaints. It works great. But you always wonder is there a better one? It's not like I have a huge following, but I also don't want whatever blogger service I'm using to go away. It seems like other ones are out there that have more popularity and more staying power. I may ask on my social feeds what the most popular/recommended one would be for others. Knowing that I don't want to pay a bunch for the service and I want it to be reliable. Should I switch? Well, for now, I'll stay, but we'll see what happens as I learn more.

Do you care about your customer? No. Do you really care about your customer? Or are you only in it to make more money? Are you trying to help them? Or do you just want them to buy? This thinking about what you do as an employee for your customer from top to bottom of the company needs to be about helping them. I understand that there may be some really hard things financially going on right now and you do have to make money, but if how you're making money is not helping anyone it's really just taking money. Maybe you haven't even thought about it before. How are you helping people with what you do? Are you serving others or are you just wanting to be served? My challenge today is to choose to serve your customer.

I'm still struggling to get up as early as I would like to... although I'm still up before my kids. And there's something about the early morning quiet that's so peaceful. To get up and make a cup of coffee. Grab a blanket. Open my computer and read God's word, read a blog, write my blog, and check email. This morning it must be sprinkling outside because I can hear a slight trickle in the downspout. Everything is really green out the window. There's a faint glow from one lamp on in the living room. My wife is on the other couch doing her bible study. This is why I enjoy getting up early. It's time to think. Before lots of things start happening. Before 3 kids are up. Before I'm thinking about what work needs to happen today. It's time to pray. It's time to prioritize the important things of the day if I get that far. I enjoy the quiet of the morning.

Since working from home started for me (well working from my in-laws') I've been having lunch with my family. Instead of 1 meal during the week, I'm having lunch and dinner. It's been good. It gives my wife a little break with the kids and I have another chance to be everyone.  It may be something that I try to keep up even after I go back to the office. Maybe every other week though instead of every day. There's something about being together with your kids over a meal that's good. Even if you don't all eat at exactly the same time. Even if it's a little hectic. It's just good. I would encourage you to do it if you don't eat together.

When I struggle to know what to write in the morning a post about thankfulness is always a good go-to. Today I'm thankful there are still groceries in the store. I'm thankful for a healthy family. I'm thankful we can listen to God's word online and read our bibles. I'm thankful for a restful sleep last night in a bed in a home. I'm thankful for family close by. I'm thankful for a job where I can continue to work. I'm thankful for ways that we can communicate with others that we can't see right now. I'm thankful that it is warming up outside. I'm thankful for music that we can listen to. I'm thankful for a computer that works and a phone that works. I'm thankful for a mower that works (see my post from yesterday). I'm thankful for good neighbors.

Yesterday I decided to get my yard mowed early before all the kids were even up. The grass was wet and after mowing just a little bit the mower started making some loud sounds and so I stopped it. Then I tried to start it back up again and I couldn't get pull the pull cord at all. I tried a few times. Then I tried to look things over like I knew what could possibly be the problem. After no luck, I called my in-laws' to borrow their mower. Later on, I asked my neighbor across the street to take a look and he was able to get the blade to move and get it to start once. Then it wouldn't pull again. A little later in the day, I was able to then get it to start myself too... I have no idea what's going on with my mower. Sometimes it starts and sometimes it doesn't. I guess the next time I need to mow I'll see if it starts or not.

10 years from now when I'm 51 what will I be doing? Will I still be living in Morton, IL? I plan to be. But I guess I don't know for sure. Will I still be working at Precision Planting? I hope so. 10 years from now my oldest will be a 9th grader... whoah! And my baby will be a 5th grader. I wonder how many games and what kind I'll have gone and watched my kids play at. Will I have more aches and pains? Will I pick up some new hobbies? Will I still be writing a blog every day? If so I'll have written over 4,000 posts! How active will I be in the community? Will social distancing be a thing anymore? Will we have any more pandemics? Will we make some new friends in Morton? Will we purchase any more rental properties in Gulf Shores and how will our current property do down there for the next 10 years? Will we have it all paid off? What will my kids be like in 10 years? Will I still be close to them? I hope so. 10 years from now Josie will be 15, Baer will be 13,

Yesterday was my birthday and I received a lot of messages on Facebook, a few emails, and text messages. There's something about getting messages from people you haven't heard from in a while on your birthday that's fun. And this year with COVID-19 it felt a little more special. So, I tried to also reply back to everyone that wished me Happy Birthday with a note as well. Some people I hadn't heard from in a year or so.

We're 5 months into 2020 and the last 2 have been totally different than we expected with COVID-19. How are things going? Did you have some plans for the year? How are you doing with them? I made some plans and it was good to go back and look at them today because I've got a ways to go. I think it might be good for me to just set some shorter goals than the bigger ones I started with. For one I need to read another book this month. And for another, I need to tackle organizing the cluttered side of our basement before the end of this month. The other things written down were; finalize a family mission statement, regular workouts, bible study with my wife, and write a kids' book. It's easy to get frustrated when looking at these things as I haven't spent much time on them lately at all, but there's still time. I'm gonna do it.

My older two kids helped me plant grass last night from about 7 to 9ish. And they stayed with me the whole time. That may not seem like a big deal, but they're 5 and 3. They were into it and kept asking, "What can we do next?" They wanted to do it all. Getting the ground ready. Spreading the seed. And putting dirt down. When we were done I told my wife they worked their butts off and my kids looked at me like I was crazy. They said, "We still have our butts!" I think they're gonna like using that phrase.

My family and 3 other families purchased an 8 bedroom home in Gulf Shores about 2 months ago now and we've been booked every week since we put it up for rent. Which is awesome. But I'm curious now about what type of people are renting our place. Who the decision-makers are. My brother-in-law who is doing the bookings said he's not seeing a trend yet, which is a little hard for me to believe, but it may be too early. My guess is that those that are heavily influencing the decision are women that are moms or grandmas. It's a hunch, not a fact. But looking at those that are following us on Facebook it's heavily older women and not many men. This is just a curious thought for the day... maybe by next year, we'll have a better idea.

I'm over halfway to 80 now. The average life expectancy for a male in the U.S. is 78.5 years. So I'm over halfway home. But, am I living like it? I'm not talking about did I accomplish some great task. Or earn a bunch of money. I'm asking myself the question at the end of each day what was my life about? If I only have another 40 years to live what am I spending my time on? Typically it's a lot of tasks, stuff, myself, what I want. How much time do I spend thinking about my kids and my wife? What should I be teaching them? What about my neighbors? Am I sharing the good news of Jesus with them? Or am I focused on work? Am I wasting time? God, today, help me to be more concerned about others than myself. Help me to think about how my family can serve you and others better and more. Help us to be more generous with what you've given us. Let us not be hoarders of what you've given us, both materially and spiritually.

Yesterday I did a bunch of tree trimming in the front and back yard until I had a huge pile of branches in the driveway. I might have gone a little overboard. But I'm thankful for help once I got to that point. I called up my boss to borrow his trailer to haul it all away and that worked out great. I also called up my father-in-law to help cut up branches with his chain saw and he was willing to help out with that. It was a full morning of working in the yard, but we got it done. My oldest 2 kids helped out too, carrying branches to the driveway and then loading them up on the trailer. I always enjoy having a couple jobs like that and getting them totally knocked out. Oh, and the best part was in Morton this was the last weekend to be able to haul away yard waste to the dump.

How do you decide what to do on Saturday? Do you spend time with the family? Do you work in the yard? Do you help someone out? Do you veg out all day? Today I'm hoping to get some yard work done outside and spend some time with the kids. But there's plenty of things to do inside as well. But there are only so many hours in the day. And our youngest just woke up... we'll see what the day brings.

Today marks 500 posts written on my blog. It's kind of hard for me to believe. Starting this blog I knew things like this would be possible, but I also knew it wasn't going to start on the first day. It was going to be a long daily grind of continuing to write every day. Some days it's hard to think of what to write, and other days it's really easy. A lot of times I look at the stats on my blog and they're nothing to write about. I didn't start this blog for anyone else except to get better at writing. I'm actually surprised at the number of people that do read what I write. I guess today's post is more of an encouragement to anyone who might be considering a blog, a podcast, something where you show up regularly. Do it and keep doing it. With consistency, you'll end up creating a lot and learning a lot.

Yesterday was a rough day. You get them when you're mostly isolated from other people and you don't know when things will change. It's hard to also know what sources to trust. But, I got a note yesterday in the mail from my boss at the end of the day. It was encouraging. Saying hey I don't know when things will get back to normal, but thanks for doing what you're doing to help our company. Keep it up. Also, a text from our pastor asking, "How can I pray for you today?" came yesterday. These little things brighten my day. Today, somehow send a simple note to someone.

I didn't know it was going to happen today, but the software I use for writing my blog got updated today. It all feels new. Cleaner icons. Maybe a slightly different color. But at the same time, it's mostly the same.  Nice job Google updating Blogger and not doing in a way where it's hard to figure anything out. I just started a new post and I'm off to the races. This is how updates should be. Don't change everything up. Slight improvements with the ability to go back if a customer wants to. I also tried Facebook's new update last week. Although it was super clean and simplified. They have so many different parts to their app that I was afraid I wouldn't be able to find things so I went back to the classic version. I used to always be ready for the latest software release, but depending on what I'm using it for anymore I may wait a while. I need to update to the newest Mac OS, Catalina, for my computer as well, but I've been dragging my feet because

It probably takes me 20 minutes to mow our yard... 30 max. So what do I think about during that time? Sometimes I'll listen to a podcast, but I haven't lately. And I can't tell you what I usually think about while I mow. It seems like a lot of times I'm looking at the yard and thinking about things I can't do anything about at the amount. Like hoping that the weed killer I put down kills everything that I'm seeing. Hoping the grass is going to come in thicker this year. Thinking about the mulching that should happen. Or the tree trimming that I should probably do. And then it's over. Then I think about similar things the next week as I mow. What if I just tried to focus on something else other than the yard while I mow? Pray for my family. Make some plans for what we should do with the kids that evening instead of adding more things to my yard to-do-list. Or I could just start listening to podcasts again.

Are you happier if you get brand new things versus used things? Would you ever give your kids used toys for their birthday? What if they were your olds toys? We have. I'm not sure how much longer we'll do it. Our oldest just turned 5 and we gave her some doll clothes that were my wife's as a kid along with an unopened Barbie from when she was a kid as well. And we gave her some play furniture that was also my wife's. I don't think that she was any less happy about her gifts than she would have been if we had spent a bunch of money on her gifts for her birthday this year. Now when she turns 10 we probably won't be trying to repurpose gifts from my wife's childhood still, but for now and for how short of time they usually play with toys I think it's ok. I think I may have written a post before about this because if it was up to me I probably would go out and by new. But why?

5 years ago today we weren't sure what was going to happen. Our first baby was taken from us and quickly brought to the NICU. She had ingested meconium into her lungs and they weren't sure how she was going to do. We're glad that we made it through that and that she's healthy and doing well. It's hard to believe that was 5 years ago. This morning she made breakfast all by herself. Josie is a very determined woman when she puts her mind to something. She learned to ride a bike in a day. She was potty-trained before she turned 2. She's also becoming a good artist. She's also our little mom to the boys. She likes to make sure they know what mom and dad would want them to do. We love you Josie and I hope you have a Happy 5th Birthday today!

It's tough to stay motivated when you don't see any of your co-workers. What should you work on today? The days run together. There are tons of distractions even if you stay at your desk. You can check your email. Your social media. Google something. How do you stay focused? Two things have started helping me that I picked up off of some webinars. Only check email twice a day for a block of 30 minutes each and stay focused on answering emails and filing away quickly. Secondly, pick 3 things to focus on for the day. Write down the thing and what you need to do to accomplish it along with how much time it will take you to do it. Set a timer when you start each one and give yourself that much time of interrupted work time. I really like this idea as it helps me stay focused and have goals for the day versus working from my email.

You don't hear that a lot. We hear a lot more of you can do anything. What I mean is we all only have so much time each day. At some point, you have to go to bed. We all have to take breaks at some point to eat. There is only so much each person can accomplish in a day. Whatever that means to you. Tasks or interactions with others. I've been challenged lately to try to focus on a few things each day instead of trying to look at everything that I may think should be done. Do those few things really well and then focus on the few things for tomorrow. Our brains get tired at some point each day so focus on the things that really matter. What are they? Write them down. Do them. Review how it went. Try again the next day. And one other thing in all of this. Ask God for help. How do you really know what the best things to focus on are? This is just as much for myself as it is for anyone who might read this. Ask Him.