OK… so this post will be accused as being about ego, pride, and credit… so I’m going to go all the way. I HAD AN IDEA THAT HAS BEEN DEAMED GOOD BY POWERFUL PEOPLE!! Go figure. I’m famous now or something. However, it is totally under the radar. So, I’m claiming it. YES. I should be paid $2.50 in royalties from everyone who steals or uses this idea. It’s that good.

HERE’S THE HISTORY.

1999ish. I realized I’m an “out-of-sight-out-of-mind-guy” and I needed a way to put my entire calendar in front of me so I could plan intelligently. I looked around for options, but couldn’t find one I liked or could afford. So I dreamed up an 4 foot by 8 foot magnetic white board divided up into 12 months with tape and magnetic numbers and such.

2000ish. The other 2 members of the student ministries pastoral team that I worked with made a similiar one out of their whiteboards, just like mine but only 9 months, leaving 25% of their board available for brain storming.

2005ish. I took a new job in San Diego and was not allowed to take my whiteboard with me. I had learned my lesson though.. and decided that I wanted to be able to adjust it, 3 months at a time and rotate boards. So I had the facilities team (with Max’s help) make me four custom boards before I arrived.

late 2006ish. The junior high pastor here, Josh, got wise and decided to have the facilities team make his own set. He then posted this blog post about it where he gives me some props for it and pictured them in his office.

later 2006ish. Saddleback’s junior high pastor, Kurt (a mentor of Josh’s), gets wise to this info from Josh’s post and decides to make them into single months and implement them in their junior high department.

later still in 2006ish. Saddleback used their new creation in this Tip from the Trenches video where they make some lame attempt at recognition by calling me a “youth pastor in San Diego”.

SO. I’M CLAIMING IT. LET IT BE KNOWN… I’M THE CREATIVE GENIUS.

So far, as I figure it: Dave Money, Doug Boyd, Nate Glaze, Dusty White, Joel Enyart, Josh Treece, Kurt Johnson, and anyone who actually does this after seeing the above video all owe me $2.50 for my idea fee. I’ll also take it in exchange for a Hazelnut Americano if you are in the area.

I confess. I just screamed in my office. I yelled YIPPEEE. Wow. Apple finally did it. They finally made my dreams come true and integrated the ipod, a phone, and a pda. I wanted a new phone that did this so bad. I currently carry all 3 devices to make this happen- soon I will be down to one. YES!!! They even put a camera in it, but I don’t care. I’m so excited I can’t believe it. I hope Jesus will forgive me… cuz this must make me some kinda materialistic pig. I guess I’ll go repent… and try to put it out of mind for several months since it doesn’t come out until June and it’s on Cingular… which means I’m gonna have to do some work to get this gig. My church pays for my cell phone since it’s used for ministry like 90% of the time, but we’re on Verizon. Oh… happy happy day. You can read the keynote address here if you are as FIRED UP as I am. Double good news… my contract with Verizon is up in February… I’m going month to month till June.

• Several lunches, cups of coffee, deep discussions, and simple laughs with old friends dating back as far as my high school days
• A run with my Dog through my old stomping grounds of cross-country training
  
• Breakfast with Mom, time with family, and seeing my sister and her family from Oregon
  
• Buying new pants- I lost 2 inches on my waist in the last 4 months. Yippee.
  
• A day of snowboarding.
  
• Tyler’s 7th birthday and bowling for the first time in years. Shannon beat me. She thinks people should know that. Now you are in the know.
• Watched my first Pay Per View ultimate fighting championship at a friends house- that thing is crazy and it’s even more nuts listening to it in commentary from 4 off duty and 1 on duty police officer.
  
• Caught a couple of movies
• Spent New Years Eve with friends/family in SF- the first time we’ve been childless for that celebration in years.