God and the Deli

Turning right or left, I never know where one encounters the presence of God.

Just a few days ago, while picking up a few items at a delightful deli, a spry and stylish woman hugged the nearby proprietor and said “I keep praying to God that it is time to take me, so that I can be with my husband”. “I am now 90”. (didn’t look it).

“My daughter recently put together a surprise birthday party. Grandchildren and neighbors were all in the know.” “It was so much fun. It was a blessing. But, I miss my husband.”

More hugs.

Working Together

Ideas are everywhere.

Turning an inkling, thought, notion or even a plan into something real mostly requires working with others. And, working successfully, ideally, toward a common goal. Working together has risks, of course. It sometimes leads to conflicts, miscommunication, disagreement, differing expectations and failure.

Some time ago, I read that the 500th anniversary of Martin Luther’s Reformation [1] loomed in 2017. The printing press was an essential asset to Luther’s work.

My notion: why not create a simple, multi-lingual daily verse app for iPhone, iPad and the Watch? The appetizer? Text to speech on iOS and Watch.

How?

A talented friend helped refine the user experience, yet I needed someone to build, test and deploy the app.

Vikram Aich, prospecting (prospecting!), entered my inbox. I appreciated his simple and straightforward message. It lacked fluff and unnecessary words.

A bit of back and forth on requirements and costs followed. Needless to say, the apps were built, tested and are now available in the App Store.

There were a few bumps in the process, but Vikram and his colleagues persevered. That willingness to make it work, despite obstacles, is essential to creating great products and services. I am thankful for this successful initiative.

“Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you…” [2]

Check out the My Verse app:

Apple Watch

iPhone

iPad

[1] Luther2017.de

[2] Matthew 7:7