Personal Mission Statement

I haven't got it written completely the way I want it, but the fundamentals are here.

Found the old resume

I think it says a lot less about me than I've already said in this blog, but I did find my old resume, so I thought I would just post it.

Emmaus - first impressions

If you want to know that God loves you, there could be no better way I know of than to participate in a Walk to Emmaus.

I'm sure I'll have more thoughts on this. It takes me a long time to 'process' my thoughts.

Thank you D&L for introducing us to Emmaus. Thank you V&A for encouraging me and supporting me to get there. Thank you C&K and D&T for being there also. Thank you BJ for sharing the weekend with me.

God loves you all, and so do I!

Great friends

I spent the weekend with our great friends, C&K. J had to work, and couldn't make it (we all missed you).

I am extremely blessed to have friends like C&K. They are true servant leaders, and excellent role models.

I would say that C and I are great friends, not because of any great action I've taken, but because C is such a good-finder. Somehow, he sees something good in every one, including me.

Thank you C&K, for being such good friends to J and I!

Happy Birthday to KB!!

I know, I know, that's not her initials.

It's a nickname.

She'll be home soon, and I can celebrate and let her know how much I love and appreciate her!

Current assignment

One of our first impressions when moving to Michigan was "these people sure are friendly". It was very different from the 'cocoonishness' that Canadians were falling prey to. I know my pre-conceived notions of Americans were blown away; pride is not arrogance. Where Canadians are apathetic, Americans are proud of their country. It's still one of the only places in the world where people are dying (literally) to get in.
The first year in MI was a whirlwind of changes. I worked out of 4 offices over that first year, landing at the last one and staying there for a long time (right until today, in fact).

I settled back in to Notes development.

Geeky stuff I've enjoyed; recommending a replica server based on the users' IP address (very important for mobile users), document authorizations by clicking a mailto: link in email, using a 'design elements' view to move only updated database elements, using Notes Nomad and passthru for 'anywhere' Notes access.

I spend more and more of my time interacting using the computer. I hardly have need for a phone anymore. I'm really at the point where I could do my job from any location. I wonder when I should have my boss read this :-)

Two years ago, we decided it was time to put the family back in Canada. My status in the U.S. never became anything permanent, the kids were unable to work at any 'real' job, etc. I've been doing the cross-border commute. It's not actually as bad as everyone thinks, it's just funny to ask the U.S. government for permission to go to work every morning. Just like every other group of Americans, they're mostly very friendly people at the border. They have a very important, stressful job to do, and they do it well.

Our time in MI was a wonderful experience, and we wouldn't have wanted it to turn out any other way. It led to us meeting C&K, but that's a story for later.

Third time's the charm? (job three)

The power of the network kicked in again. When I made myself available for new employment, and contacted a good friend about it, her efforts lined me up with two interviews. I say interview, but really - based on a good recommendation, I wasn't really 'interviewed'. I found myself in the rare situation of having two offers and deciding which one to take. When a good person recommends you, all you have to do for the interview is show up (and not goof up).
I was called the Continuous Improvement Coordinator. The improvement aspect was wonderful, it was only change that people resisted (sorry, couldn't resist that). The company had wanted someone who would come in and kick some butt, and they found out that wasn't me. You know you're being watched over when the company has good enough reason to let you go, but they find a place for you instead. I was re-assigned to the IT department, and oversaw the procurement and implementation of a quality management package. We decided on a package built on Lotus Notes. It was my first exposure to Notes.
We went from running internal-only email (cc:Mail), to piloting Notes mail and adding 6 'shared' internet mail addresses, to rolling out internet email access. EMail (before the advent of spam - sorry, couldn't resist that either) was the 'must have' application.
Our computers suddenly became indispensable. We used 'out of the box' thinking to implement backup strategies for our Domino server, and incorporated part number updates from our ERP system to support Notes applications.
The internet became a powerful tool for searching, including job searches. I discovered a job at a Christian non-profit organization in Michigan and, on a whim, applied to it. I was surprised when they responded positively. My wife and I went for the interview, and they made a job offer that I accepted (sort of). You may be remembering an earlier post that stated my first job was the last time I got a job based on an interview with a stranger. Well, it's still true. I accepted the job. I went to the border to apply for a work permit. I was refused.
I had no experience or expertise in obtaining a work permit, and neither did the organization. The job offer died on the vine. We had thrown our hearts into Michigan, we thought God wanted us there, and the whole thing fizzled. The ordeal had lasted nearly four months.
I shut off all notifications for jobs in the U.S., and I told myself I was going to be happy where I was for a while.
While all of this was going on, I had been unavailable for a lead role in an Easter musical at church. I became available, took the part, had a blast, and really stepped out of my comfort zone.
A month after Easter, I got a call from a former co-worker who was now working in Michigan. Less than four months after that call, we were 'out of Dodge' and moved in to our house in MI. When God clears the way, things move fast.
I learned that I could want something to happen real bad, and I could try very hard to make it happen, but God would still implement His better plan.