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ramblings about family, life, and ministry from a husband, dad, and youth pastor
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Should I Buy That Gadget
As someone who enjoys the latest technology I just found this funny. I would definitely say that my wants have to take a back seat to my needs. For the most part I do really well with waiting until I can afford and really need a new gadget. For those who need extra help, here is your answer.
The Teleprompter Prez
I still find it very ironic that many claim what a great orator our new president is when he obviously cannot function without his teleprompter. Maybe if I want to be such a great speaker I need to haul a teleprompter in for my Wednesday night Bible studies with my students. I'm sure that would really grab and maintain their attention. I recently discussed with a pastor friend of mine who has been reading a book about "Preaching On Your Feet." In this book, pastors are encouraged to not use notes when they are preaching. I completely understand that a president must make numerous amounts of speeches and it would be impossible to memorize them. However, pastors must learn how to engage their audience and use proper oratory skills. Is that too much to ask from ummmm..... ummmm.... our president?
Is It Still January?
Using Techonology Part 2
As I mentioned in my last post, we have been going through a series at church about controlling our TVs/the Internet. This past Sunday the sermon was focused on the dark side of the Internet. It is pretty scary to think of how evil and corrupt the Internet really can be. I dread to think of what it will be like when my girls are older. One thing I did point out is the fact that we can use the Internet for our good. From paying bills online to save time and money, to connecting with old and new friends the Internet can be good. My pastor compared the Internet to fire and I really like this analogy. When fire is controlled it is extremely useful. When fire is allowed to run free without restraint, then watch out! If we will put measures in our life to control the Internet, then we can use it to enhance our lives. Take a blog like this for instance. I love reading friends' blogs to keep up with their lives. For family and friends that we cannot see on a regular basis, we can keep them updated on our family and even share rec
Using Techonology
Our church is in the middle of a sermon series about controlling technology, like our TVs, and making sure that we don't let them "think for us." It has been astounding to hear some of the facts just related to TV watching in the average American home. One of the best inventions for controlling our TV is utilizing our DVR. As Emily gets older, I am more sensitive to what she sees and hears on TV. More and more, commercials seem to have lost any kind of family-friendly filter and they are what hurt us the most when we watch live TV. Our DVR allows us to fast-forward through commercials of shows we have taped and it allows us to watch TV on our time. Plus, by the time you fast-forward through the commercials of an hour long program, you actually cut out about twenty minutes.
I realize the for many of you, these two things are not ground breaking concepts. However, anything that helps me filter out the bad and anything that gives me more time with my family is big for us. So, what have you done in your life to free up some time for the family? We all have the same amount of time each day and now is the time to spend it wisely. With all of the talk right now about "going green," how about going "simple?"
This week our Sunday sermon is going to be about Internet usage and the evils the WWW brings into our homes. I am sure the number of hours the average teen and young adult spends online is staggering. I will try and post after the sermon to see what else we can do with current technology.
Olympics 2008
With my students back in school, it means that summer is over and the Olympics are here. So far, it has been a fun week watching all of the different events and cheering on the USA. Every time I watch of think about the athletes, I can't help but think about the dedication and hard work involved. My wife always says it would be cool to know you were one of the best in the world at your event. I think I would personally choose the beach volleyball if I could have actually had a chance at an Olympic appearance. I really like the team mentality and I am usually pretty decent at volleyball.
Michael Phelps continues to blow me away! To race 17 in a week is plain crazy. Over and over they have mentioned his daily schedule and it is so hard. For these few days, his complete focus is on swimming. He doesn't have any time for anything else. It is pretty much eat, swim, rest, swim, and sleep for a few hours. He swims more than one race a day and really doesn't have much down time.
What if we as Christians applied this kind of focus to our walk with Christ? Instead of spending four years preparing for the next Olympics (and yes, I realize many prepare from a very young age), what if we were this intense everyday focused on following Christ for our entire lives. The truth is every Christian should be able to qualify as a disciple the same way these athletes are expected to qualify for the Olympics. While it would also be very cool to hold an Olympic or World Record, they are being broken left and right. Sure your name is placed in the history books, but when all is said and done do these records really matter? Don't get me wrong, I think going for records are great but our focus has to be on Christ and what will matter for eternity.
I hope you enjoy these two weeks and GO USA!
Old School Commercial
After watching most of the ads during the Super Bowl yesterday, I came across an old McDonald's ad from 1993. While I enjoy some of the new commercials, it is fun to see how much they have changed over the years. Enjoy.
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