ML OOO Dec 4-14, Email Amnesty Day Declared 12/15/09

Dear Friends, Clients, Colleagues (or "Spammers" if the 'shoe fits'),

I'm out of the office from essentially 12/4/09-12/14/09 in Nicaragua with limited cell phone and internet access. (We do expect to have power, indoor toilets and running water occasionally-just in case you wondered.)

If I owed you an email or otherwise had a ball on my side of the court before Delta removes me from North America, please accept my apology.

Friends, As does most of America now, I'll be checking and posting on Facebook first while travelling and when I return first. If you haven't heard me say it yet: "Facebook is the New Top Drawer of the Email Inbox. " There, I've said it and this is the proof. This is also where I'll blog and post links to our trip photos and videos as power and time allow.

Colleagues, After I check Facebook, I'll peek at my inbox at Linked-In.

Clients, I have designated the following really cool FastPivot Team Members and their unique talents to cater to your every whim while I'm out of North American airspace:

• New Accounts, Positivity and Very good alternating Texas and Yiddish accents: Leta Kreiger leta@fastpivot.com 888-770-8883 x327
• Business Affairs, HR, Payables, Receivables, My Appointment Calendar, AshevilleTriClub Business and Tireless Encouragement, etc Daphne Weimer dweimer@fastpivot.com 888-770-8883 x326

• Press Inquiries, Fan Club Applications, Marketing or Advertising Opportunities (and any mechanical issues with your bicycle) Jen Boos jen@fastpivot.com 888-770-8883 x312
  
• All things FastPivot Software, holding down the West Coast Office while simultaneously keeping the Golden Gate Bridge Golden and California from slipping into the ocean, Ken Lubeck ken@fastpivot.com 888-770-8883 x315

• Current Accounts, Vice President for Operations and Project Oversight and General Pooper Scooper, Sweeper & Clean Up Batter where all the above leave off- Keith Enloe kenloe@fastpivot.com 888-770-8883 x302

Given that incredible matrix of coverage and masterpiece of delegation, I hereby declare December 14-15th (depending upon your time zone Aussie and Kiwi Friends) as EMAIL AMNESTY DAY!

On this day, I'll archive all my email for the year to date and will start with a fresh inbox and new ideas.

If you have something that needs specifically my attention and doesn't fit any of the above categories, please contact me again after 12/15/09 and I will read it from my squeaky clean inbox.

Sincerely,

Matthew Ledford

President,

FastPivot LLC and FastPivotSoftware.com

ps... If you are synchronous and retro enough, you could also call the office sometime after 12/15 at 828-225-8883 x301 and I'll do my best to answer!

PPS... Spammers, even though you aren't reading this... Don't call me, I'll call you. Merry Christmas! ;-)

If you would like to schedule an appointment, please call or contact Daphne (dweimer @fastpivot.com) at 828-225-8883 x326 and she can help you!

Had to do a new layout... Nicaragua Board=Visual Noise=Bad..

Yes it is still generic, but cleaner generic. I know it seems boring but the easiest web pages to read are still simple black text on a white background. Old fashioned, but effective!

I was reminded of this when I shared blogging with the Board of Vision Nicaragua last night and the commented how they really didn't like visually busy blogs or websites in general. They have several mission trips to Nicaragua going down in the next few months to the Village of Bethel, Nicaragua. It is a good work, check them out!

Consistency, habits, why are difficult things challenging to keep up?

Well, now it is the end of March, the first quarter of 2008 and I ask myself: "What things did I start the year and not follow-thru on?" "Where did I begin well and almost immediately lose momentum?" Sometimes the loss of momentum can be discouraging. Where did busyness and pull of the details of the 'lesser things' crowd out the 'greater things'? How can I recover the 'greater things'?

The things we consistently value, we consistently do. Unfortunately, new things don't have value or habit patterns established yet and must crowd out something else we are already doing or thinking.

The end of a quarter, while not as dramatic as the end of a year, is still a good time to re-evaluate priorities. Whether it is exercise, consistent learning, or spiritual disciplines it is easy to begin in earnest only to see new good things in our life fade away from our patterns and priorities. Every day is a new day and a potential fresh start! Regaining momentum always starts with an action, a doing something, even praying for next steps in a specific area.


Once such area is blogging, even well intentioned bloggers start strong but get distracted by life outside the blog! So, now that I'm back in the blog, I'll be sharing a few more posts about the connected life.

This week Mark Anderson and Surfers On Mission are in Nicaragua with my friend Mark Randall altough IM HUGELY DISAPPOINTED NOT TO BE serving and surfing in Nicaragua THERE WITH THEM! ;-)

So as a part of the HOME team, I promise to pray for God to bless the work of their hands and the words of their mouths. I'm also reviewing my commitments to pray and help support other friends and teams in Nicaragua like Sandy and the sweet orphanages Children of Destiny and Melissa Buzbee and her family at La Chuerca-The Managua Dump and the very cool church called Verbo in Managua.
Live well, be blessed...

I posted some photos from Jinotega!

Just posted trip photos of the ChildrenofDestiny orphanage in Jinotega, Nicaragua. Enjoy!

First blog post with blogger

It is amazing what a small world it is. I'm chatting on skype with my friend Mark Randall who is currently by the pool in Nicaragua!