All quiet in the mall

All quiet in the biggest mall in town today. The Maiden and I were in and out in a jiffy. But I still got a rash from going in the mall. Here, no Thanksgiving Day (there is, but nobody knows it), and no Black Friday. Living life normally is the way. Now, waiting on The Missus to get back from her doctor's appointment in Sao Paulo. #life #normal
via Friendica

Monday morning review: Getting Things Done

Following my recent use of the Getting Things Done (GTD) approach, with the free TiddlyWiki using Simon Baird's makeover, I'm in the middle of a weekly review of my progress. I started, what?, Thursday of last week, but I can tell a difference. This week promises to be exciting, if I can keep it up.

I've not read the book on which this system is based. I'm tempted to try to get by without it. Give me a few weeks and I'll decide on this one.

I'd seen Baird's offering before, and it looked complicated. This time, however, it seemed to call out to me, "Try me, you'll like it, you'll ramp up your efficiency." So far so good.

SOCIAL NETWORK. From Friendica, it's now possible to post to WordPress, Twitter, Facebook (this one not on the installation I use), identi.ca, Tumblr, and, now, Posterous. From Twitter I post automatically to Facebook, so I'm good there. From Posterous, I can post automatically to Blogspot, MyOpera, and others. This is an exciting development.

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. The weekend was a good one. A heavy meeting on Saturday, which went as well as one could expect. Low attendance Sunday morning, 100% Sunday afternoon. Then pizza with friends last night (see pic in previous Friendica post). I got out a bulletin, first time in a while, and a handout for the Sunday morning study.

MORE GTD. One good result of the review: to see where you've been and feel your way forward to the next steps. One blessing of the GTD approach is to get all the details, tasks, and information out of your head and down in an organized form. That clears the mind to focus on the task at hand.

When I'd make notes in my agenda, after a week or so, the information or task would get lost. Not now. Every morning the next activity is there waiting for me, until I do it or delegate it or delete it.

Baird had to rename his adaptation of the GTD system. Lawyers told him he couldn't use the name or abbreviation. Since he built it on top of an application he called monkey something, he changed it to Monkey Getting Stuff Done, I think. mGSD. But as God's people, we're not just getting "things" or "stuff" done. We're doing the will of God.

So how about we rename our use of it. WDGW? Wisely Doing God's Will. Is that too much of a mouthful?

FINALLY. Coming up: Yesterday, Jorge cited Luke 9.62 in his sermon at Taubaté. That triggered a thought, then a five-line poem stanza, and this morning, three more stanzas. I'll send it later this week to the closed Cloudburst Syndicated Poetry list. I think it's one of my best. (But, like sermons, people don't always agree with the poet or preacher's assessment.) If you have any spiritual interest, I guarantee you'll like it. Working title: "My Hand Is on the Plow." If you want to read it, you'll have to — sorry — sign up to the list.
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Beware scam email in my name

An email scam was sent this morning in my name to elders and ministers
at our overseeing congregation. Others may have received it as well. It
specified names of our family members, with an email address apparently
set up by the scammer using my name.

The scam asked for help for Trevor Williams in the UK, who is a good
brother, but the email contained false and incorrect information about
him.

If you get an appeal from me on behalf of others, it will be on one of
my standard websites.

For more information see this page on my personal blog:

http://randalmatheny.com/2011/11/16/beware-a-scam-in-my-name/