A great weekend … thanks youth leaders.

I truly enjoyed my time during my seminary retreat with my wife and fellow cohorters.  Felt that I was able to get to know them a little better and was glad that Susan could gain an appreciation of what our group is like.  Glad you came along, Honey. 

While I was away, our Jr. High group went to Metro Maryland’s “Alive” Retreat.  The group was led by some fantastic youth leaders who I am very grateful to have them.  Not grateful because it’s Thanksgiving; I’m sure that I’d feel the same even if it was in May.  

Like everyone, I teach that our ministry isn’t just about what the youth pastor can do (regardless of how wonderful and charming he is), and so I am glad that we have able and enough leaders to make these kinds of contributions.  

 I could say more but since I am not in the habit of sharing these blog posts …   

  

  

 

Name your own subscription price for Paste Magazine

Elated when I heard the news that Paste was stealing a page out of Radiohead’s playbook by naming your own price for a subscription. This is one of my favorite magazines to read at Border’s.  At $6 an issue it’s pricey.  Don’t know what the subscription price but I signed up for $11.  A dollar an issue – let’s see if i get hooked (I think the regular price is $20 anyway).  FYI – Ryan Adams is on the cover this month.    Subscribe here.

profound truth … then again, it’s a matter of perception …

from the Faithmaps blog

Dylan & Jack White Share the Stage

nullWish I was there for this.

Mark Driscoll article on CT site

I do not have the higheset of appreciations for Driscoll. That’s not a polite way to say that I don’t like him. Just unsure about him.
That said, this is an interesting article (although lengthy) that gave me both a better appreciation and validation of my mixed feelings.
Even so, I’m glad he’s part of the Kingdom.

Pastor Provocateur by Collin Hansen
Mark Driscoll looks no different than he does any other day. He’s wearing the hip pastor uniform—blue jeans and an untucked shirt with the top two buttons undone. Yet he speaks in a subdued tone that hints at wear and tear.
Related articles and links

He begins his talk about lessons learned as a church planter with common-sense advice about how pastors can blow off steam. Driscoll, 36, plays T-ball with his three sons or feeds ducks with his two daughters. Hardly the stuff that provokes raging blog debates and church pickets. As Driscoll’s Mars Hill Church in Seattle has grown to 6,000 members in 11 years, quiet moments like this with his family have preserved some of his sanity.

“I’m playing hurt right now,” Driscoll confesses to prospective church planters at a March meeting of Acts 29, his network of 170 churches around the world. “I wore out my adrenal glands at the end of last year, just living off adrenaline too much. My sleep has been really jacked up for some months.”
more

Don Miller Interview on Shine FM

Don talks about his new book and about Blue Like Jazz … the movie.

Derek Webb in NYC

Was hoping to see him on a day when he wasn’t wearing a white shirt but that’s his uniform.
Was a great night. Here’s the set list:

1. (Don’t remember – anyone know? )
2. Marry You All Over Again
3. New Law
4. King or a Kingdom
5. Mistake of My Life
6. What You Want
7. Name
8. Wedding Dress
9. A Savior on Capitol Hill
10. This Too Shall Be Made Right
11. Set Free

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Ravi Zacharias in Staten Island

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There’s something about Ravi Zacharias that I really like.
Could be the accent, could be his akward eye-closing/extreme squinting when he recites long passages from memory, explains something very diificult very simply, telling a detailed story, or simply stating his name. Whatever it is, I appreciate him.

He told a few too many stories. Not that I want a Josh McDowell statistic-fest but give me some more theology and philosophy.

He’s brilliant, articulate, and has a great sense of humor.
I sat thinking why this church was packed (I’m guessing 800 people or so), to hear an apologist speaking. I mean come on, he’s no, “Your Best Life Now” type of guy.
He’s very likable and he truly seems like a man of God and i never say that sort of thing. It puts the poor guy on a pedestal. But it seems that he is of admiarable character.
Also, I think one of the reasons Ravi connects with such a large audience is that he uses himself as a bridge to the more academic world. I think the average church-attender who enjoys a good three point sermon full of illustrations and reads Max Lucado and Charles Stanley, is overjoyed when they understand a point that Ravi makes.
“Because if he is so brilliant and I understand him, then maybe I aren’t so dumb”

I could be off on that. Mayeb im the dum one.
And though I do wish we would a little more of his content found in his books, it was great to hear him. Indeed a blessing to the Body.

Check out more at www.rzim.org and download some of his “Let my people think” mp3’s and consider subscriing to his team’s daily emails called Slice of Infininty.

One day I will return to blogging and that day may or may not be tomorrow

From a Border’s (in New Jersey) drinking Seattle’s Best listening to Peter Bjorn & John’s (who are from Sweden) Writer’s Block maybe read by you – wherever you are. Wow, this new internet thing is going to bring people together (mark my words skeptics)

So, there’s this great pressure to resume blogging with something profound. A great realization has entered your life and has inspired you to share with the world this new-found cure of purpose and fulfillment.

I’m afraid this post will not be able to live up to that expectation – at least not today.
Just trying to get back in the habit.

So here’s some of what’s going on.

1. I joined a fantasy football league that I really wanted to do – two years ago. A couple of friends were in their leagues, I was going to get some great advice, we would have something more to talk about. Problem is I don’t live there anymore and when we talk, doubtful we will talk about the details of fantasy football.

But I also wanted to join this league because these guys crack me up. Though I do not know them as well as I would like, they are the boys you want to watch the game with. And they’re Egyptian and so you know besides Israel, they are the only people group that God calls, “My people” in the Bible. (Isaiah 19. Read the whole passage because the first half looks pretty bad for my countrymen – but like all great stories – it ends well.)

Where was I? Oh, great league. However, I am realizing that it takes time to be good at fantasy football. It appears to take a lot of time in fact. So, we’ll see about that.

2. More importantly, I am trying to get prepared for the fall ministries kicking off. Truth is, I’m sincerely excited and anxious (which most people say and truly feel). Like most pastors, I believe in what I do, frustrated by the things that pre-occupy so much time and energy that are not part of the “big picture”, working for the potential of things, over-joyed at seeing God work through our shambles of plans, programs, words, and even our fancy keynote presentations (I’m a mac-user and so I find powerpoint functional, but ugly. I’m a guy – looks and personality and intelligence and charm matter. You will find that I’m pretty consistent with this. I really hope my wife reads this one day …)

So I’m getting ready for the fall.

3. I’m getting ready to hopefully begin a Master’s of Divinity LEAD program at Bibical Seminary. For years, I’ve wanted to return to school. I know I’ll regret it half-way through the semester and towards the end of the semester and pretty much most of the time, but three years from now, it will seem like a good idea again and I’m a big-picture guy so I’m in.

There will be a lot of sacrifices though. One is that I will have to really read again. I enjoy reading but there’s a different type of reading when you are required to do it. It can be not as enjoyable. Hopefully I’ve matured in the past couple of years. TV (except for Lost and the Office), concerts (that I love to go to), X-Box, will all have to take a back seat.

And then the other important things like family, ministry, friends, yeah, what am I thinking? May the good Lord give me wisdom and may I be disciplined to follow.

So I guess this is a good start to resume blogging.
See you in a couple weeks.

Reviewing the iPhone

First, I’m thrilled that I only waited in line for less then 10 min.
I went about 2 hours later and the only line was the one at the register.

As everyone has already said, it’s great design. I also like the fact that it’s heavier then it’s appearance would suggest. Feels like quality.

The Safari works really well and it’s very cool. (though I hope that Edge network gets better)
Still can’t believe you can rotate the screen by flipping it sideways. Very cool.
Video is great.
You tube feature is nice.
Really easy to use.
Typing took me a little while to get used to, but like everything – you get used to it.
Standard headsets actually work well. Decent quality coming out of that. Very impressed. But I wish you could raise the volume even louder through the phone itself. Unless you are using the headset, it’s hard to hear in a crowded place.

Assuming you know what it’s good at it, here are my complaints so far.
No to do list. I thought it would be included with the ical app. It’s not. I’m sure someone will have a solution.
Can’t customize ringtones. That’s a letdown. It’s a device that was built in the world of music. You can’t give me standardized ringtones. I’m sure someone will have a solution.