Use Your Powers For Good

Finally.

Dominating the American television viewership each week and averaging something like 40 million ‘votes’ (almost the same amount cast each four years for the President of the United States) American Idol has done something. This year they have given us Sanjaya and Mindy-Doo which have had people talking for hours and hours on the news. In recent seasons the show has delivered the somewhat legitimate Kelly Clarkson, Ruben (who??), Claymates (I shudder), a country mega-star Carrie Underwood, and even the ‘Soul Patrol.’
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Starting Point for Churches

We all need a starting point to everything in life. I have been fortunate enough to work with a lot of big hearted great churches out there and found a similar starting point for all of them when it came to their website redesign project. Based on that background, I compiled a list of Read more >>

Devotionals 4/23/07

“Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands!

Serve the LORD with gladness; come before His presence with singing!

Know ye tha the LORD, He is God; it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves. We are his people, and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise! Be thankful unto Him, and bless His name!

For the LORD is good, His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations.”

Psalm 100: 1-5 (21st Century King James Version)

Africa Literature Distribution Projects

John Stott Ministries, one of the groups we have the privilege of serving her at Silas, has received a generous matching grant from a foundation. This will allow them to expand their work in Africa. Read about how people are already being affected and how you can help them in this endeavor.

Log off and have dinner!

When I was younger, the streetlights coming on at night was an indicator to me and my friends. It meant that play time was over and it was only a matter of minutes before our moms come to the front door and call us back into the house.

Now, there’s a new addition to “come on in.” “Log off and have dinner” might be the new mantra of moms, and the researchers Pew Internet confirm why. Read more >>

Devotionals 4/16/07

A familiar story from John’s gospel.

”After this, Jesus appeared again to the disciples, this time at the Tiberias Sea (the Sea of Galilee). This is how he did it: Simon Peter, Thomas (nicknamed “Twin”), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the brothers Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. Simon Peter announced, “I’m going fishing.”
The rest of them replied, “We’re going with you.” They went out and got in the boat. They caught nothing that night. When the sun came up, Jesus was standing on the beach, but they didn’t recognize him.
Jesus spoke to them: “Good morning! Did you catch anything for breakfast?”
They answered, “No.”
He said, “Throw the net off the right side of the boat and see what happens.”
They did what he said. All of a sudden there were so many fish in it, they weren’t strong enough to pull it in. Then the disciple Jesus loved said to Peter, “It’s the Master!”
When Simon Peter realized that it was the Master, he threw on some clothes, for he was stripped for work, and dove into the sea. The other disciples came in by boat for they weren’t far from land, a hundred yards or so, pulling along the net full of fish. When they got out of the boat, they saw a fire laid, with fish and bread cooking on it.
Jesus said, “Bring some of the fish you’ve just caught.” Simon Peter joined them and pulled the net to shore—153 big fish! And even with all those fish, the net didn’t rip.
Jesus said, “Breakfast is ready.” Not one of the disciples dared ask, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Master. Jesus then took the bread and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish. This was now the third time Jesus had shown himself alive to the disciples since being raised from the dead.”
John 21:1-14 — The Message

SPAM Wins, Pappa Needs a Brand New Bag

ARS Technica reports that spam will overtake non-spam or “real” email this year. This is bad news. How about that for in depth analysis!

Ok why is it bad news? Not so much because we’ll all be getting more spam. The real issue is Read more >>

Google Highlights Darfur

Google is doing something that is certainly not evil, they are adding information to Google Earth about the crisis in Darfur.

Now international humanitarian crisis generally fall outside of this blog’s audience and purpose, but there are some things that we have to point out.

The crisis in Darfur is unimaginable, but what is more unimaginable is the inaction of many people in the United States and other areas of the minority world. For example this news item appeared not in Wired or another American tech publication, but in Al Jezeera’s English edition. Al Jazeera people!

If you would like to know more about what is going on in Darfur and how you can help, check out Save Darfur.

Devotionals 4/9/07

“Open to me the gates of righteousness;
I shall enter through them, I shall give thanks to the LORD.
This is the gate of the LORD;
The righteous will enter through it.
I shall give thanks to You, for You have answered me,
And You have become my salvation.
The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief corner stone.
This is the LORD’S doing;
It is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day which the LORD has made;
Let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

Psalm 118:19-24 - New American Standard Bible

Good Design at Chipotle

Erin and I had Chipotle on Saturday. The food was great as usual, but there was a new thing that made me smile.

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