Let it be known from the start—I am not in favor of making our lives models of efficiency. We are people, not machines. There is a path that leads to over-scheduling and optimization that is soul-draining and simply not anything I would ever advocate for.
But sometimes, there are little gadgets, apps, and technologies that make our lives just a bit easier and I am definitely in favor of that.
I thought I would do a little roundup of some of my most used tools that help me keep my life organized, engaged, and informed. Send me back along some of your favorites!
Morning! - This is a little gratitude journal app that reminds me in the morning and evening to jot down a few things to be grateful about. I got the paid version to be able to customize a bit more and every morning I also fill in a field I added to name who I want to pray for that day. It’s simple and easy to use.
Libby - I use this library app more than anything else on my phone. I suspect many of you do, too, but what really helped me turn to reading on my phone was swapping in Libby where my email app used to live (and I buried that deep within a folder on my phone). My little habit of compulsively checking email has been mitigated somewhat into reading a chapter of a book instead.
TechSoup - This is a must have for non-profits (including churches!) to source software on the cheap. Once you confirm your non-profit status you get access to all sorts of resources at a discount.
Dialpad - One of the first infrastructure shifts I made at my church was switching us from a classic landline phone to a digital phone service. We use Dialpad, but there are many options. What it means for my day-to-day is that I can check church messages from my cell phone, invite people to text the church number, and provide access to voicemails and other messages to folks via email. I keep the notifications off on my phone because I don’t want to be receiving all the call the church gets all the time, but it’s handy to have access when I don’t want to drive to the church building. Also, it’s way, way cheaper.
ChurchSuite - This is the tiniest little version of a online database (CRM for those in the know) that works well for my small church. I can keep everyone’s contact information in the database and then easily print directories, address labels, and sort out any demographic information I need. It works on a modular system so we only pay for the very specific needs we have and don’t have to worry about an overpowered database system.
Highly recommended
This weekend I went with some from my congregation to the Maltz Museum (a gem here in the Cleveland area) to see the special exhibit This Light of Ours: Activist Photographers of the Civil Rights Era. It was breathtaking. If you’re local to the Cleveland area, go check it out. But even if you’re not, it might be worth investing in the coffee table book containing all the photos of the exhibit.
What I’m watching
If you want to fill in some gaps of what you likely weren’t taught about Martin Luther King Jr., this is a great video to watch. I like to make a file of all the great resources that come out around MLK weekend so they can be fully part of where I learn and teach from year-round.
What life looks like
Puzzle days.