Simple Mobile Gets Another Look

Some months ago, I was pointed to the prepaid carrier Simple Mobile. While I really dug the concept and how they were going about mobile use – bring your own phone and unlimited talk and text – the part that was hard for me was the unlimited web. For me, I am mobile data centric, not just voice/text. and so Simple Mobile sat as something I’d recommend to others, but would not consider for myself…

…until now. I just took a visit over to their site and noticed that they’ve turned on the 3G aspect of their network, and with that added a new plan that gives the unlimited talk and text, with a bigger (albeit still limited) amount of data.

Its enough to get me into considering them. My issue is still the data end, but the packages they offer now are really appealing.

For example, Nokia announced a new mobile today called the C5. That mobile should be about $150 sold here in the US. That plus a Simple Mobile plan is easily a win-win for anyone. And the c5 is a smartphone.

Now, if Simple Mobile ever got to the point of a data-only offering, with a small bucket of voice/text, I just might jump. As it stands, my postpaid contract isn’t much more than their highest, and I’m limited in voice and text.

This is good for the industry. And very good for customers.

Intentional Living

I’ve moved my working location to home versus the client due to foul weather, and one of the things that I get to see when I’m in this state is how intentional that I can be about work when I’m not under the bear of location and context. What I mean is, how can I be intentional about work, while in a place where work is (for some) not so normal?

Honestly, this isn’t so much an issue for me. I used to work for me (freelance web and writing), and so I’m quite used to the idea of setting my own pace. In fact, I prefer it. I’ve never been the kind of person who likes the road laid out in front of him; I prefer discovery and learning over stability and predictibility.

That being said, this is something that makes itself very present in other areas of my life. For example, many months ago I stopped attending the church I was a member/partner of. While the people were (are) great, I needed to be more intentional towards being the church towards those people who were outside of our walls. In the time since then, I’ve seen all kinds of challenges towards sitting versus going – a challenge to live in Christ by getting out and being with others versus living with Christ by getting in with others (sounds like a play on words, but its not).

You see, much like I am professionally, I enjoy the activity of discovery and learning. I believe that its there that a believer not only finds out what it is they believe, but also finds new strengths towards growing into who they will become. Not to say that this cannot happen with others inside of certain structures and behaviors, only that I’ve found life worth living when I’m not inside of those.

That being said, this approach has its hurdles and pitfalls. For example, while I no longer deal with the issue of being a single in a married-church community, I do still deal with being single in a coupled-city/region. As one of my co-workers and I like to say, we get a lot of exercise bouncing our eyes and thoughts towards Christ to keep hearts and minds safe and pure.

Professionally, this plays out in ways that I think sometimes causes problems for former systems/managers and processes. If you will, I’m a self-learner who does best when I can be pointed in a direction and then unleashed. There are some processes and systems where this cannot be done, and I’ve got to play the role of adjusting to them, or asking questions of the processes so that something better for all could come about (I ask a lot of questions).

All of this tends to end up with moments like this where I’ve got to make the call towards being intentional. Intentional towards being a professional, intentional towards being pure, intentional towards growing spiritually/mentally/socially, intentionally living this life for all that its worth. This means that I cannot always get what others have, nor can they have what I do. I’ve got to embrace the freedoms that God has allowed for me during this time so that in later times, I might have something of value to give to someone else who is also looking to find a fuller life.

Jesus was intentionally living for the moments and people to whom He was given. Even if a person sees the product of His life and thinks they are not worth much, you can’t say that he didn’t give a solid template towards how to take this life that has been given, and life it to the full.