I’m a little upset – I guess the title might clue you in to that. I just received in the mail a letter from my bank – US Bank. In the letter is says that the Bank does not limit the number of withdrawals I make from my savings account…….Federal Regulation “D” does not allow more than 6 withdrawals. It goes on; your account has been charged a fee for each withdrawal in excess of the limit.

I recently had received a call from one of their sales people who asked if I wanted to upgrade my basic savings to a money market for free. I pressed the sale person a couple times to figure out if their was any hidden fees. To which he said their wasn’t.

Today after receiving the letter I called their customer service number. I was informed that if I got in my car and drove to the bank and withdrew money through the ATM or the teller window and immediately deposited that money into my checking account I would not be charged any fees. But, to do the transfers from my home via online banking I would be charged after 6 times. So I’m getting charged for the convenience and it’s for my own safety I’m sure – way to go Government.

We use our savings account as “line of credit” for our checking account – it’s short term account. We have a long term savings account elsewhere. So now I get to decide whether I keep our savings account or convert it to a checking account.

It would have been nice if US Bank had notified me of this regulation. It would’ve been nice if instead of claiming that they don’t charge anything, with the caveat of it being a withdrawal from an ATM or teller, or just said we charge fees after 6 withdrawals according to a federal regulation. It just seems like lousy customer service – on top of it all the customer service rep told me that it wasn’t the banks fault they were just upholding the regulation. Way to tow the line – great customer service.

Anyway – there’s my rant. I’m unhappy with the fees and the customer service rep – I’m sure the rest of the service department is very nice. Thanks Government for trying to save me from the convenience the internet can bring and myself. Thanks US Bank for accepting responsibility for following the regulation and offering the best customer service experience you could offer.

Time to start putting my money under the mattress I guess.

Our newest addition

Click the picture to view the SlideShow

thought I would post some progressive pictures of Anna’s pregnancy.

23 weeks along now and Jack just hasn’t grown very much yet.
	Only 3 weeks later and it’s visible – we’re having a baby   (26 weeks)

These two are at 32 weeks. Thought I would throw a fun one in.

Baby Sonos soon to come!!!

I was catching up on my blog readings when I ran across this post by Seth Godin. In it he mentions that Technology is easy to hide behind instead of using it as a clever tool to get closer to my customers.

I work in the Technology Department/Ministry of a large denominational church in the Midwest, and have found this to be very true. I’ve worked in the tech industry for 10 years in both Secular and Religious markets and have seen it there too. I’ve been guilty of using my techshield many times. In the name of bringing order to chaos or reacting to something rather than being proactive I put up a shield to save the user from themselves. In reality I am saving myself from becoming emotionally involved – or even involved at all.

Jim Wallis spoke at our church on Sunday and said that “Cynicism is a barrier to commitment. As a technologist I feel as though I am committed to so much – why would I want to commit to more. Even if it means better customer service, I’m already stretched beyond what I feel is my capacity for compassion and concern. What I have found though from experience actually negates this human response to overwhelming need. When I actually place the needs of my users (friends and customers), and let go of my cynicism, I find that I am enlarged to better contain and deal with the need around me. I have a choice; to hide behind the logical sterile environment of technology or engage with my customers emotionally, and maybe have to get a little messy and uncomfortable to better serve them.

Technology by it’s nature doesn’t lend itself to social development. It is simply a tool, sterile and lifeless. But, as a tool, if I use it properly and control the technology in a healthy way – like using a trowel in a garden – I can actually see life develop. Friendships are formed and aid is given when the tool is used by human hands. Technology has traditionally gravitated towards a top-down dictatorship. The adage is true – he who controls knowledge controls the people. IT starts with Information. That is what it really is about – do I want to control and maintain my hold on the information and dole it out as I see fit; or offer it up as a smorgasbord for my community to grow with and shape, and drive the information and the technology. Maybe there’s a new trend towards a healthier structure where grassroots movement comprised of normal people are driving the change within technology. I can see it in the secular world. Hopefully I can see it happen more in the Church.

I’m with Seth’s friend on this one – it is really a large scale struggle not just within myself but with trends, management, with co-workers, etc. I’m a big fan of the premise that by recognizing a problem within myself that I am better able to deal with it. Hopefully this is true of technology and the people who steward it.

How do you deal with technology and your user community? Are they a threat to the world you’ve created? Or, are they the drivers of technology where you’re at?

I was eating at Burger King when I realized that despite the use of a creepy mascot – the King, they have a brand as well as brand loyalty. It got me thinking about my brand. It’s kind of a buzz phrase that’s been talked a lot about online by marketing gurus, church leaders and everyone in between. So what’s my brand?

I want to be a great leader who develops other leaders. I want to be a successful business owner with businesses that are international in flavor and have a bent towards developing communities in third world countries. But, do I want all that as my brand?

On the surface that would be great, gain recognition and credibility, help people more through my elevated status. Sounds great to me!

But, is that really a brand worth pursuing?

As a follower of Jesus should this even be a goal?

My brand really should be Jesus. I know this sounds cliche and really it is a bit trite. If in chasing after becoming more like Him, then shouldn’t my brand convey this; shouldn’t my brand make people want to be more like Jesus too?

At the same time having a brand is important. Brand equates to credibility and that is the foundational principle of leadership. No credibility and I’m not leading anymore. I guess it boils down to how I want to be perceived. I care enough to wrestle through the dichotomy. No easy answers – huh???

I’ve been reading bits of “The Ten Faces of Innovation“, while I’m at the local bookstore. It’s a very interesting read and has made me think about what roles I’ve played and currently play at work. I’ve gone round-and-round with my coworkers discussing what innovation looks like and whether we are innovative or not. So, to my limited audience, what is innovation to you? What does it look like? And how did/do you come by it? Is is true – “innovate or die”?

I want to be able to offer a product or a service that helps people have a better life. I want it to be inexpensive, high quality and easy to use/understand. I want people in developing nations to make use of this service/product. but, I want to be able to make good money off of it, so I can survive and create more businesses. I want a residual income stream from it so I can travel and take care of missionaries and other small-business owners around the world. I want to do this ethically and with integrity. Is their a gap between better QOL (Quality of Life), and making a profit? I have read a couple of books that say that it is possible but make it sound like major corporations are the only ones able to do this. If I were to design a business, from its’ inception, how can I have the best of both worlds? It seems as though there are some things at a grass-roots level that I want to be a part of that will change the way we see developing nations, business, missions, and technology and I want to be a part of it. I want to understand it better and be a developer in this movement. Obviously I am still trying to wrap my head around this concept. All the business books I am reading do not offer much hope in this developing concept. How do you use traditional concepts and theories on a developing concept that has no real structure yet?

Kingdom Business and Business As Missions are new buzz-words. But what they convey is something new that is trying to strike at the heart of what many business people, technology people and people who have a passion to do ministry in whatever fashion, wherever. These people are driven by what is being done in developing countries and how they can help. But, do we know where this is going, how this is being accomplished, what this looks like? And, how does this play into our current definitions of ministry and missions? For me, the answer is no. I don’t know where everything leads to. I don’t even understand how my background in technology, my love for ministry and all things business (especially international), can be combined to help developing countries grow above the poverty level, gain information and education, etc. I am inadequate for this task. Hopefully that’s where you come in – my readers. I’m not only looking for help personally, I want to find partnerships and learn from others who are in the same place I am. Maybe, we as virtual community might be able to help others and make a real difference. There you have it, I am still developing thoughts and ideas around this concept – I just want to see if there are others out there like me who have this burning inside them too.