RUNwithGOD

Uninspiring Quote #437

"Keep in mind... Triumph = UMPH! added to Try"
Algebra, copyright 2006
Frank Schaffer Publications, Pg. 6

Is Bigger Better

I'm one of the biggest Mac guys there is, but even I have a hard time buying this one... Evidently Hal Lincino has done some benchmarking and experimenting... and he's come up with the following proposal: The 1986 Release of Apple's Macintosh Plus is a better performing machine than a 2007 AMD Dual Core. I won't bore you with specifics. But I would recommend that you take a look at the results. The Mac did surprisingly well, beating or competing with the AMD Machine in practically every test.

So what have we gained in 30 years of Microprocessor development? Basically, our applications have gotten fatter. More complex. More difficult. We've gotten bigger and better machines that do the same things that were done 30 years ago. Instead of getting feature-ridden, should we have focused on getting simpler? As we get bigger, are we better?

Thanks to Cult of Mac for the story.

Ten Challenges facing the Church in Cyberspace

The search for "Internet Church Campuses" has brought out frustrations. Honestly, I haven't found that many. But what I have found is a lot of opposition to the idea, saying that Internet Campuses lack community that a physical community would allow. This mindset, of course, angers me. (Surprise, Surprise).

Enter Cynthia Ware's Ten Challenges facing the Church in Cyberspace

1) Accept the Virtual World's significance

2) View online expressions of Christianity as valuable extensions of real world faith

3) Embrace the opportunity for Church without borders (time, geography, etc.)

4) Welcome the presentation of God's Word in the vernacular of current culture

5) Respond to the globalization of the planet with hope not cynicism

6) Develop and maintain an online presence purposefully populating cyberspace

7) Establish virtual outposts for evangelizing, preaching, equipping & training

8) Create interactive portals for experiencing Church (streaming media)

9) Practice spiritual disciplines in the global online conversation

10) Encourage strategic investment in the iGeneration

Wanderings, Revisited

Got a couple PSes on my Memorial Day Wanderings Post from yesterday:

* Another example of me getting old. Amy and my small group got cancelled tonight, (we didn't find out until we were walking out the door.) So literally Amy and I were all dressed with no place to go. We were all set to go see Spiderman 3 in the theater. Instead we ended up driving to Starbucks and reading a whole book together (we each had separate copies - Amy and I do not share). BTW, Seth Godin's new book, The Dip, is a great read. Highly recommended. Blog-worthy (coming soon).

* Is it bad that a student with a college degree with an emphasis in Film Criticism hasn't seen more than 3 movies in the past 3 years?

* I would like to openly retract my earlier comments about hating my high school experiences. I had some great experiences. I met my (now) wife. I loved football. I had a sweet car. To the several HS buddies that e-mailed me angrily (and my mother who will continue to bombard me with e-mails until I say this) I apologize for inferring that your friendships/relationships with me were not enjoyable.

* At the end of the day, if mama ain't happy, no one happy.

Who really is Podcasting?

It's old news to discuss my podcasting habits, but it's nice to get some external data on the rest of the US.

Results are surprising. While I would have anticipated a stronger 25-34 demographic (that's what I am), that demographic is really the weakest of the the tech-savvy generations. Biggest surprise is 45-54. Go old people!

There's no surprises in "Household Income" or "Education". The more wealthy have more expendable income on technology. The more educated would enjoy an intelligent dialogue along with their music tracks.

What does this mean to the church? If you're targeting 35-54 year olds, college educated, semi-wealthy adults, podcasting is for you.

Thanks to ChurchRelevance for the article, and to eMarketer for the data.

Memorial Day Wanderings

Ladies and Gentlemen, I took the day off. Haven't experienced that in some time. Other than running a couple miles on a treadmill, I've done nothing work-related (for any of my three jobs). This is a new experience for me.

So, in my day off, my mind wanders. Welcome to my wandering mind:
* Mineral Ice works 10x better than BenGay. Plus, it doesn't get as many laughs at an elementary school playground.

* Music gets me. Linkin Park gets me angry, makes me want to work out. Coldplay relaxes me in no time flat. Is it bad that music can control my emotions? Is it girlie of me that I would even ask that question?

* I caught the end of a conversation yesterday: 30 people meet in a house in Barbados every week, gather around a TV, and watch the DVD of Christ Fellowship's services. I'm not sure we're looking at our next multi-site, but how cool is it that we are being a resource to people over there. Makes me wonder if there are other options out there where we can help. Check out Eric's Blog for more info.

* I love my readers. It amazing to see where they are coming from. I have almost as many readers in Los Angeles as I do in Miami. I'm assuming it's because C28 is based in the LA area. I also have a large number of readers in Ormond Beach, FL. Would someone from Ormond Beach e-mail me and tell me how you found me? I've never been to Ormond, and I don't think I know anyone there. So, nice to meet you Ormond.

* After reminiscing about High School experiences today, I was reminded once again that I hated mine.

* I love my readers, part 2. I had an older lady who read my blog regularly. Older meaning my grandmother's age. She was so concerned about my hurt back she sent my parents over with this magnetic, semi-mideval device to heal the muscle strain on my back. Believe it or not, it helped. Thanks Pat!

* Is it bad that I'm envious of friends my age that have kids?

* I love my readers, part 3. Another reader (lets say somewhat older) got a Nintendo Wii, and decided to try Boxing (since I talk about it so much). After a couple matches, I hear it was touch or go whether to call the ambulance. I don't think we'll be boxing each other soon.

* I'm almost 30. When I was a kid, I thought 30 was old. I don't feel old. Then I look at the goatee and see gray hair coming in. I've already lost my hair - thus the shaved head. I strained my back the other day. There's this new store at the mall that C28's in... they do hearing aids, but for a postmodern generation. I'm considering getting one. (I've been about 40% deaf since college). Is this what old feels like?

* To combat old, I've decided to run 100 miles before my 30th birthday (August 18). I'll let you hold me accountable. I'll post through Nike+ once I get it figured out.

* What does 60 look like for me?

* I may be old, but right now is without a doubt the most exciting time in my life. I thank God He has me here. I am worthless except the Creator of the Universe has a purpose for me, and as long as I follow Him, He will provide.

Thank you to those of you who served so faithfully in the military to give us the freedom we now take advantage of. There are many things in this life I take advantage of, and carelessly discard. Sacrifices of miliatry so I can live freely is one of them. Thank you for that.

Maybe not deathbed, but close...

Not quite on my deathbed. I threw my back out this morning setting up the CF Homestead campus. I've been walking around all day today under serious medication. My impression of the "Hunchback of Notre Dame" impression got some laughs at the Palmetto Bay campus.

The painkillers wore off in the middle of Eric's sermon. It was a rough second half of the message.

No time to stop now, gotta get through the weekend...

Thanks to The Joy of Tech for bringing this to light.

052607 Shuffled

In
The White Stripes :: Elephant (selections)
The White Stripes :: Get Behind Me Satan (selections)
Linkin Park :: Meteora

Out
Hillsong United :: All of the Above
Maroon 5 :: It Won't Be Soon Before Long

...then Google heard my cry...

(Google Analytics + Feedburner = HAPPY JEFF")

Several weeks ago I blogged my glee (people never use that word anymore) over Google's webMonitoring software, Google Analytics. However, my glee was not complete. As happy as I was, Google Analytics does not monitor RSS feeds, which is a major shortchange in my book. Instead of solely using Google's Analytics software, I have to go back and forth between Google for HTML monitoring, and Feedburner for RSS monitoring. That's two different logins, and who wants two when they can have one?

Well, Happy Jeff is coming once again. Rumor on the blogosphere is that financial giant Google is going to buy Feedburner for $100million.

Yeah for me!

Thanks to TechCrunch for breaking the story, and Terry Storch for giving me my smile back.

(Yet again another prime example of how I should be KING OF THE GEEKS. Vote now!)

Thanks for helping CallFM!

I wanted to say thanks to my readers who pledged money during CallFM's Summer Fund Drive. I had several readers call in while I was on the air (gave "Boo-Yeahs" where appropriate). I looked through the pledge logs and saw several others that called when I wasn't around. THANK YOU FOR INVESTING INTO THE VISION OF CALLFM! If you haven't pledged yet, you can do that here, or to get more information on CallFM, check out their website.

We had a strong Fund Drive, raising 67% of our budget. However, we have a long way still to go. Prayerfully consider pledging (either monthly or one time) and help us stay on the air!

Diagnosing Anakin Skywalker

From the "thank you very much, Captain Obvious" column, the American Psychiatric Association announced at their annual meeting that Anakin Skywalker may in fact be bi-polar. Or Narcissistic. They're not sure yet.

Carolyn Kaufman, a clinical psychologist in Columbus, Ohio

"Anakin could be said to display symptoms of both depression and mania, especially since mania is often irritability instead of the stereotypical happiness."

Dr. Eric Bui, a psychiatrist in Toulouse, France

"I thought to myself, 'That guy is crazy.' But he's not crazy. He's borderline."

Jeff's Take: Are you kidding me? Get a bunch of shrinks from around the world into a room and then analyze a fictional character? Even if you're going to do a fictional character, at least do one that is currently in Pop Culture... Jack Sparrow, Shrek... not someone that is old news by now. Wow. I'm a Star Wars fan, but even I think this is crazy. Since they are shrinks, though, they probably already knew I was crazy.

I don't know what's worse. That they did this, or that I'm taking the time to blog this. I'm a bigger geek than I thought.

SPEAKING OF GEEKS! VOTE NOW TO MAKE ME KING OF THE GEEKS. As of right now I'm in the Top 30 Geeks in the Nation, but I know I'm Geekier than some of those beating me.

Confused? Get caught up here.

Oh, and thanks to Wired.com for the Anakin article.

To tell you the truth...

I've been sitting on this comic for a while now for a slow blogging day:

No, I don't really feel that way.
Yes, I've known people that do.
Yes, that is sad.
What even more sad is you know people that think this way, too.

Thanks to Monday Morning Insight for the heads up.

Internet Church

I asked if anyone has had any experience with Internet Campuses... I didn't expect NBC to post a response on Nightly News with Brian Williams. Thank you, NBC, for some insight...

Nightly News ran a story on LifeChurch.tv and their Internet Presence in Second Life. Great stuff. Read the article and view the story at this link.

CF Staff Retreat: Russ Olman (Lake Pointe, Dallas)

I had the pleasure of taking part in the CF church-wide staff retreat. Russ Olman is Director of Community Campuses at Lake Pointe Church in Dallas, TX. Lake Pointe has a "Central Campus" and has six satellite campuses. Russ is also the campus pastor at their Town East Campus (the largest satellite). In addition, Russ started "Ministry Advantage", a non-profit international coaching organization that has served hundreds of pastors and church leaders in the areas of leadership skills and church development.

While Rockwall, TX is a completely different environment than Miami, FL, Russ brought some great insight into the multi-site model.

Below are several nuggets Russ impressed on me:

First Year
* first year, disregard numbers
* focus on quality, systems, procedures (I wanted to yell out "Infrastructure")
* nobody knows how difficult it is to start a church (until you do it)

Volunteering
* get good at helping people identify their passion.
* know the difference between a committed volunteer and a passionate volunteer
* buyers remorse - sometimes volunteers buy into an idea w/o realizing what is involved in serving.

Features on Campus
* site/size appropriate - when starting campuses, don't create all features, all services immediately.
* offer what would be appropriate for your size.
* offer services/features when volunteers are available (satellite campuses will not be a full-service provider)
* "size appropriate ministry" - backed by communication, expectation, alignment
* be conscious of the services you provide

What we do
* 80/20 effect - 20% of your effort creates 80% of the impact (I'll be revisiting this at a later point).
* whatever we do, do it well (I've heard this somewhere before, too).
* Biased towards action
* when you're 80% confident on your action, pull the trigger (I'll revisit this too).

Communication
* what does the satellite campus communicate to the main campus? about the main campus? vice versa?
* Central campuses are "used to" doing things certain ways. It can be difficult for central sites to think multi-site.
* Satellite + Central = marriage relationship (if you're married, you understand)
* Get to the solution side of the problem, don't stay on the problem side.

Miscellaneous
* not sold on thematic worship elements, good worship cuts across cultural demographics
* re: video teaching - it's the message, not the medium
* campus identity is defined by texture, color, layour, standardizing equipment, etc.
* Delegation: "Don't do anything someone else can do for you." - Bill Marriott, Sr.

052107 Shuffled

In
United :: All of the Above
MuteMath :: Self Titled
Lifehouse :: No Name Face (partial album)
Linkin Park :: Minutes to Midnight

Out
Derek Webb :: Ringing Bell
Paul Wright :: Wright or Wrong
The Decemberists :: The Crane Wife
The Decemberists :: Picaresque

Dodgeball @ CF

Several years ago I was Commissioner of Christ Fellowship's Dodgeball League. I took the position solely in the mindset that I would be getting some decent bribes. Sadly, there was no payoff...

I hear through the grapevine the league is starting up again. If you're interested in playing, or watching a bunch of youth and grown adults make complete idiots of themselves (another perk of being Commissioner) call the office at 305-238-1818 to get more info. It really is a lot of fun.

In that same vein, there is a hilarious video on the "Spiritual Gift of Dodgeball". Love it. Watch the video below:

Thanks to Monday Morning Insight for the heads up.

Co-DJing on the Call

It's that time of year again. I'm going to be on CallFM this week (Monday- 5/21, Wednesday- 5/23, Friday- 5/25) to help with their Summer Fund Drive. I've shared many, many times about the validity of the Call. I'll be on during the afternoon drive-time shifts (3-6ish pm). If you want to listen, it's 91.9fm in Miami-Dade and Monroe County. Or listen online at CallFM.com.

Want to make my day? Pledge online and help keep the station running. Or if you want to get a Boo-Yeah on air, call the station when I'm on - at 305-662-7736. Tell them Jeff sent you.

CF Homestead: Six Minutes

After 12-13 weeks of doing CF Homestead, we've finally gotten to the point where the technology is no stress. Video teaching has worked flawlessly for three weeks in a row. We've been using ProVideoSync by Renewed Vision. The software is not flawless, but it does operate like most propietary software I've ever worked with... once you figure out how it thinks, it'll work a lot better for you.

Rick showed up about five minutes behind schedule today. When the worship set is wrapping up and the preacher hasn't showed up yet.... that is a very LONG FIVE MINUTES. We had to throw Jorge on stage (who did a great job vamping while we got Rick set.

Summer is almost here. Other than the obvious climactic changes, you know it's coming because volunteers are starting to be out/away/gone a lot. In talking about infrastructure I wanted to share with you what happened today.

We were missing a lot of volunteers today. I'm totally okay with that. One of my volunteers went on vacation. I asked him before he left what a "vacation" was. I had heard of the word, before, but never quite experienced one before. Another volunteer has a work increase, and is stepping back from the amount he can serve. Two more just finished moving their house, and weren't available after the service for teardown. Several musicians had to leave quickly to lead worship at another venue. Others had to run quickly back to the Palmetto Bay campus because we had "Connection Classes" at that campus.

Point: we were missing a lot of media volunteers. Literally, probably six to eight. And when your crew is ten-twelve people, six to eight missing is a lot. Thankfully, we had a bunch of people come over from other areas. There were people walking up and diving into the work. "What can I do?" "Need any help?" "Where does this go?" These are some of my favorite words!

At the end of the day, I was missing two thirds of my volunteer crew... and we finished everything we were supposed to do six minutes behind schedule from what we should have (if I had a full crew). Teardown takes two hours, and we lost six minutes. Thank God for volunteers!

Rick finished up his Pursuit of Happiness [Beatitudes] series today. Another series put to bed. I think Eric is preaching this week... let's see if we can finally beat the dreaded "Curse of the Geiger." When Eric preaches, it seems we always have technical problems. We've been glitch-free for several weeks now... here's hoping I can say that after next week.

Drivers Staying Home - Time for Internet?

According to USA Today:

The average American motorist is driving substantially fewer miles for the first time in 26 years because of high gas prices and demographic shifts, according to a USA TODAY analysis of federal highway data.

The growth in miles driven has leveled off dramatically in the past 18 months after 25 years of steady climbs despite the addition of more than 1 million drivers to the nation's streets and highways since 2005. Miles driven in February declined 1.9% from February 2006 before rebounding slightly for a 0.3% year-over-year gain in March, data from the Federal Highway Administration show. That's in sharp contrast to the average annual growth rate of 2.7% recorded from 1980 through 2005.

Factors contributing to the slowdown:

•Soaring gas prices. Seven of 10 Americans are combining trips and taking other steps to reduce driving, according to a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll May 4-6. Don Harrison, 32, of Indianapolis, no longer visits his relatives across town on the weekend; he saves gas by simply calling them.

•Expanded public transportation. More people took public transit last year than at any time in 49 years. "We're seeing suburban locations create new transit systems," says William Millar, president of the American Public Transportation Association. "They're expanding into areas that never thought they needed transit because they could do everything by car."

•Demographic shifts that de-emphasize the need to drive. Many Americans, particularly young, upwardly mobile singles, are moving downtown and revitalizing cities. "(They) don't have to live the way of the Ozzie and Harriet model — two parents, suburban, who drive to the city," McMahon says.

Jeff's Take: As a retailer, I'm screwed. This is a big reason why the economy is diving. People are not interested in driving (to spend up to $3.50/gal at the pump.) Our sales, especially at the bookstore, are directly releated to the price at the pump. Stupid oil shortage.

Now, more importantly, what does the church do to continue to reach out? Church Relevance gave us three options that I thought were cool:
1) make your services worth the trip
2) multi-site campuses
3) Internet Campus

At CF, we have nailed #1. We're still working on #2 (Homestead is going strong... wonder where the next campus will be). #3 is interesting to me. I've heard about Internet Campuses. I know LifeChurch.tv does it. I've heard that Seacoast does it (haven't seen it yet.)

This makes me curious. I love the Internet. I love church. But what does the two together really look like? If you've worked at/attended an Internet campus, e-mail me. I'd love to hear your success stories.

Tony's 10 Stupid Technology Mistakes that Churches Make

From the "Wish I was there..." section of my life, Tony Morgan posts 10 Stupid Technology Mistakes that Churches Make (which was part of his talk at the Dynamic Church Conference).

1. Letting technology drive the ministry rather than letting ministry drive the technology.
2. Assuming everyone thinks like a techie.
3. Using multiple databases.
4. Not building a team.
5. Not documenting processes.
6. Implementing technology solutions without considering the strategic systems.
7. Creating solutions to capture data but neglecting the solutions to report data.
8. Focusing on development and implementation without creating systems for training and support.
9. Hiring the best geek rather than the best leader...that knows geeky stuff.
10. Not making technology a priority to reach today's culture.

Every one of these I've been guilty of in the past (especially 1, 2, 4, 6, 7). Some of these I'm guilty of now (see 3, 5, 8). The good news that we're still striving to make this technology work, and we're focused more than we ever have been before.

It's good to have some guidelines, though. Thanks Tony.

Infrastructure & Microsoft Stupidity

Here's a hilarious story from Email Marketing Voodoo. (I've got a good point at the bottom, so read through it.)

Monday, May 14, 2007 - Oh, the Irony

start rant//

If you own an Xbox 360, you’re most likely a subscriber to their Xbox Live online feature. Well, I do own an Xbox 360 and guess what… I play games online. Yeah yeah yeah… point and laugh all you want.

When signing up for Xbox Live, you’re also offered to sign up for their email list, which I opted in to without hesitation.

So I have been receiving messages here and there for the past six months from Xbox. Their emails are designed modestly; its content is concise and personalized with my gamer tag. Last week, they sent out two emails. One focusing on systems updates, the other focusing what I’ve been missing since I played last. I skimmed over both relatively quick, but one thing was glaring at me. Both emails had the same header:

Please add Xbox@email.xbox.com to your address book to ensure delivery.
Read this issue online if you can't see the images or are using Outlook 2007.

Does anyone see the irony here?

Xbox 360 -- a product developed and manufactured by Microsoft -- sends out emails to their users and they say in plain English, “Hey nerds, this simply won’t work using our new email software, because well… that would just make too much sense”.

You would think that those responsible for Xbox 360's emails would at least design them so they'd show up for those using Outlook 2007.

//end rant.

JEFF'S TAKE: Lately I find myself saying "Infrastructure" a lot. Is our Infrastructure capable of handling what we are asking it to do? In the case of Microsoft, can an e-mail sent to Microsoft Gaming fans be read on a Microsoft E-mail application. Evidently the answer is no. (Truly, how stupid is that).

Let's look at the larger picture. It makes perfect sense to send an e-mail to gamers. But shouldn't someone have checked with the Outlook guys to see if it would work, or better yet when they saw it didn't work, ask the Outlook guys what needed to change in the e-mail get it to work?

Infrastructure will only get you as far as you will let it go.
Is it strong enough to stand on its own?
If you pull one of its legs out from under it, will it still function?
As time goes, and as growth continues, does it get stronger or weaker?

And that's the problem with Microsoft. As the Infrastructure grew, communication stopped. I'll wager the XBOX guys have no idea who the Outlook guys are. There's probably in completely separate departments (if not separate cities/states), and it's easier to ignore the problem than to get it working right. That is infrastructure failure.

In my own businesses I'm constantly trying to evaluate our infrastructure.
Is there communication between top and bottom?
Is the manager reading/understanding the situation properly?
Are the employees respecting the managers?

If there is no communcation from top to bottom, then what chance is there to truly succeed? One of my favorite quotes right now is from Marketing Guru Seth Godin:

"99% of the time, in my experience, the hard part about creativity isn't coming up with something no one has ever thought of before. The hard part is actually executing the thing you've thought of."

To function properly, top and bottom need to be in communication. The Boss, The Manager, The Frontliners/Pawns/Minions. If the top doesn't understand where the bottom is, frustrations will arise at the bottom. If the bottom doesn't understand that the top is driving towards a new vision, the Boss becomes frustrated that the vision isn't being executed. If the managers miscommunicate the vision/direction, everyone is screwed.

The wider the infrastructure, the more difficult communication becomes. The harder it becomes, the more vital a role it plays.

Letterman does Mac vs. PC

David Letterman recently did a spoof on the Mac vs. PC commercials. Worth it, if only to see Chris Elliott for about 10 seconds. YouTube video below:

Hatred, Revisited

Jerry Falwell passed away. I'm not a Falwell lover. As a matter of fact, I was criticizing some of his bold, argumentative statements just this past weekend. The guy loved to talk, and to take a stand.

I think there are groups of Christians that feel called to be that. It's almost like a Christian Shock Jock. He He. I just pictured Howard Stern as a TV evangelist. Sorry, back to the point.

I never realized how much Falwell was hated. Jerry never held back from speaking his thoughts, and unfortunately, people are not afraid to share their thoughts of him. During a staff meeting today several of the discussion boards on Falwell's death were read and discussed. Take a look at some of the headers. "Burn in Hell Falwell" is the general theme. The lost world hated this guy. Why? Because in their eyes Falwell hated them.

I hesitate to ask, but when Billy Graham dies, do you think there will be this animosity towards him? I don't think so. Why? Because Billy never focused on the sin. I don't remember him making bold statements about Gays going to Hell, Abortion being murder, etc. Billy focused on the need for the world to know Christ. We're all sinners, we're all guilty. What's there to hate if the world is just as guilty as me? Even though I'm saved, I still sin. I'm worse than those that Falwell banished. At least I know what I do is wrong. Yes, I'm saved by Grace, but I'm just as bad as the worst there is. I hold no authority over anyone. Why should I condemn them, publically or privately?

What's the old adage? Don't hate the sin, love the sinner?

If Christ is love, how is the world going to see that love unless we show it to them?

{Update: As of 6:30pm many of the hateful discussions that were posted on the Falwell Discussion Board were censored and removed.}

Google Analytics

I've already established I'm a cyber-stalker... just not a creepy one! Google just re-beta'd their Analytics software. I gotta tell you, this is one of the coolest things I have ever seen. If you find this boring, just go ahead and vote for me to be KING OF THE GEEKS!

I've been doing websites for almost twelve years now, and I've used all sorts of tracking/reporting software. I've used Sitemeter, WebCounter, WebTrends, HttpPhaser, Feedburner, and another dozen that aren't even around anymore. I don't know what it is about Google, but they do things that other people do, they just do it better. A lot better.

Google Analytics works off of your GMAIL account (another way Google will take over the world). -- If you need a GMAIL invite, let me know. -- Analytics is similar to most other services. It tracks visits, page views, location, time, where'd they come from, where'd they go to. Fun stuff like that. But what Google realizes is the more data you have, the better data you have.

Their reporting feature is, well, Googlesque (is that a word?) The interface is simple, yet the amount of data it stores rivals any PAID service I've ever used. Oh, and this one is free.

Create all your reports the way you want it, and stick it on the dashboard (homepage) so it's right there when you log in. Don't want to look at the web page daily? It will e-mail you the data, in the format you want, at the time you want. Export the data to PDF, Excel, CSV...

I've got two negatives (Google, listen up):

1) The data posts every 24 hours. Come on, Google. If someone is on my site at 9:51pm I want to know about it on 9:52. Don't make me wait till the next morning!

2) It doesn't cover RSS Feeds. Of my website, RSS Readers (Google Feeds, Bloglines, etc) are roughly 2/3rds of my traffic. Google, support your blogs!

All things considered, Google does what it does better than anyone else. Keep it up!

Change

Believe it or not, I don't lie in bed at night trying to figure out how I can turn my world upside down. In my mind, I like to think I'm the type of guy that doesn't like to rock the boat. KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid. That's me, right?

Occasionally, though, I get a peak of something cool.
A thought.
A dream.
A shared vision.

When I see some incredible potential, I get excited. Kingdom Impact does that to me. Dollars and Cents on a P&L statements really mean nothing. I mean, I'm a biz guy. But I don't live my life by counting pennies.

Can I be missional?
Can I pay my bills?
Can I change the world?

Someone once told me I could. Silly me, I was foolish enough to listen. Sorry world, there's no stopping now.

God, thank you for using me. And thank you for making it fun, too. As always, thank you for where you've brought me from, and I look forward to what you have in store soon.

iPhone in Texas

It had to be Texas...

The first documented public sighting of Apple's iPhone has finally happened! WooHoo! Unfortunately, it happened in the state of Texas. I'll let TUAW.com give you the report:

On May 12, Stan Sigman, CEO of AT&T Wireless (Cingular), was the commencement speaker at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, Texas. He graduated from WTAMU in 1970. He spoke at 2 ceremonies. The big news is that he presented the president of WTAMU, Dr. O'Brien, with what he claimed was "the first iPhone in Texas." Dr. O'Brien even held the iPhone up for the crowd to see at the ceremonies.

A video was later posted of the graduation announcement. As you can see below, it's not much to look at.

Validity has not been confirmed (anyone know somebody at WTAMU? Anybody ever heard of WTAMU? HA HA!) However, I haven't heard anyone say it's an outright lie yet... 3 days after the initial report.

The buzz on the iPhone is incredible. It looks probable that I'll have access to a batch when they are released. I've already gotten a couple product requests from friends/associates. If you want me to get you one (at whatever discount I can get - once again, not sure) let me know and I'll be sure to keep you in the loop.

051407 Shuffled

In
Paul Wright :: Wright or Wrong|These Songs Are Paul's
U2 :: the Joshua Tree
Q 07 Conference :: PreMusic (entire selection)

Out
Maroon 5 :: Songs About Jane
This Beautiful Republic :: Even Heroes Need A Parachute
Dave Matthews :: Some Devil
U2 :: The Best of 1980-1990

Mom

It's Mom's Day Sunday. The Retailer inside of me loves Mother's Day (I commonly call it Christmas before June). In this still moment though, I wanted to focus on what's important now, my Mom.

I had lunch today with a publishing rep, and I got to tell him a little bit of my story. It's really good, if you take me out to lunch I might tell it to you too! When I was finished with the story, the rep tells me "man, you came out pretty balanced for a guy who should have been totally screwed up." Both of my parents have been my rock, and I owe them so much it stopped being funny. Dad'll get his love soon, so please accept my apologies as I focus on Mom.

I get alot from my mom.
My aggressiveness.
My bull dog attitude.
My workoholic tendancies.
My ability to juggle many major responsibilities.
My taste for coffee.
My addiction to eating in restaurants every night.
My desire to drive way over the speed limit.
My "you gotta spend money to make money" business sense.

I know what you're saying. That sounds more like a Dad than a Mom. I have yet to meet a Mom like mine.

*She has a life-motto: No good deed shall go unpunished. Yet both my parents are the most benevolent people I know.
*If she doesn't like something you've done, she'll chew you up and spit you out like you're old chewing gum. Then you'll be invited to dinner and be treated as if nothing ever happened.
*She is feared @ work. Her name is mentioned in trepidation and reverence. I've seen her fire people on Christmas Eve without blinking an eye. Yet at home she is placid, peaceful and enjoyable to be around.

What you need to understand is that she has this major, high stress job where she is responsible for many, many people. Yet it's very common for me to get a call on my cell during a workday where she will say "I haven't heard from you in a while. Everything Okay?" And when I vent, she will listen quietly until I finish. Now when I finish she will tell me exactly what to do (okay, she's not perfect!) but she's doesn't get crushed when I don't do it her way.

I have never told her something, to have her look at me and say, "You're crazy." Amy. eBeliever. Bookstore. C28. Worship Technologies. Every hairbrained idea, every idea I've ever focused on, and felt God's leading to, I've always had her support. (Even when I decided to proclaim myself KING OF THE GEEKS, she VOTED FOR ME!)

I guess that's the beauty of Mom. Even as she has become this mega-powerful, corporate executive... she's still the humblest, selfless person I know. The older I get. The more I get to know her. And the more I know, the more I realize I need to learn from her.

Mom, you are a big part of who I am. Thank you for it. Thank you for showing the Greatness and the Humility of God at the same time. I am a better man for it.

Hatred

At what point did Christians become one of the most hated groups in America? What did we do to become despised? What is it about us?

I watched some of Nightline's coverage of the "Face Off" between Christians and Athiest. In the Christian corner, Kirk Cameron & Ray Comfort. Without going into specifics come to your own conclusions on the debacle debate.

Did you see the woman who asked about the cancer issue? The fire in her eyes as Ray addressed the larger issue of "suffering"? That was hatred. Where does that come from?

What did we do? Did we force our beliefs on them? Did we not show them love? How have we offended them?

The other day I blogged on how evangelicals are viewed on the college campus. If you didn't catch it, I'll give you the snapshot. Profs hate us more than Freshman 101 classes.

We live in a world of acceptance. Of tolerance. Society applauds itself at every point. It feeds on change, on rebellion against the establishment. How did we end up on the outside?

I'm 29 years old. In the grand scheme of Christianity in America I haven't experienced that much of the big picture. But in my short time I've become aware of pieces of the smaller picture.

Our job is to bring healing to the hatred. We suck at it.

I had lunch the other day with a person who described himself as a "3.5 to 4.5 point Calvinist". The reason it fluctuates, he would tell me, is dependent upon how much he wanted to anger the person he was talking to. This is what I call Theological Arrogance. This is what is wrong with Christians today.

Can I be honest? Calvin was a man. He lived. He died. He is responsible for leading a lot of people to the Lord. But that's just it. It's "other people". Jesus spent very little time dealing with the "religious". He got his hands dirty. He was not pious. He was holy. But He did it in a way that made those that didn't believe comfortable around Him. Can the same be said about us?

When did we start treating church like a country club?
When did we become so calloused to the world?
When did we stop opening our arms to those that believe differently?
When did we turn our back on the ones we should be reaching out to?
When did we decide to fight more amongst ourselves (instead of helping others)?

We turned our backs on them.
We isolated ourselves.
We ridicule them, insult them, ignore them.
We tell them that their life choices are wrong.
We hold up signs and wear T-Shirts.
We despise them.

Can you blame them for hating us? We've been doing it to them for years.

Can I be honest? I'd hate us too.

Jeff vs Luck, Round 3

Luck. Fate. Warfare.

Whatever you want to call it, or whatever the source is, I got my truck out of the shop today. Not sure how to pray in this situation... but if you (the world) wouldn't mind letting me keep my truck for a while, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thank you for your consideration.

Jeff Reed
King of the Geeks (self-proclaimed)
RUNwithGOD.com

050907 Shuffled

In
Q 07 Conference :: PreMusic (partial selection)
The Almost :: Southern Weather
The Decemberists :: The Crane Wife
The Decemberists :: Picaresque

Out
Passion 2007 PreMusic
Gorillaz :: Demon Days

College Profs don't like Evangelicals

According to the Dallas News Religion Blog:

Fifty-three percent of college professors have a negative view of evangelican Christians, according to a new study. The study, by the Institute for Jewish & Community Research [IJC] in San Francisco, found no other major religious group held in such disdain. Mormons were a distant second, with about a third of college professors having a negative view of that faith group.

Jeff's Take: The IJC posted their two year, one hundred page report online. I'm actually in the process of reading the whole thing now. Having attended and graduated from a liberal university, this isn't a surprise. Here's several bullet points from the report:

* Evangelicals were the only group to be viewed negatively by the majority.
* 30% of the Faculty intereviewed ARE evangelicals.
* 20% of the Faculty say that religion is important to them
* 71% of the Faculty agreed with the statement: "This country would be better off if Christian fundamentalists kept their religious beliefs out of politics."

There's a lot of solid info in this report. I'm going to revisit this soon, but let me leave you with this: Is there any better opportunity for Kingdom Impact than on a college campus? I've done college ministry, on the church and parachurch level. And honestly all of our efforts were focused on the students. Effective yes, but not missional. Maybe God is showing us that to reach the campus we should be reaching the profs. What the campus needs is not someone telling profs they are going to Hell, but someone to invest into their lives over time.

Thanks to Monday Morning Insight for the heads up.

The Goatee'd Wonder?

Not sure where this would fit on the "creepy meter" but you all know my love of Wii/Mii. So, once again I got creative with Photoshop after an insomniac session last night. I'm torn... I don't know which I like more, the real goatee photo or the Mii'd goatee photo.

You gotta admit, though, it is a little weird that I'm still talking about this after so many weeks. I guess that's another reason why I SHOULD BE DECLARED KING OF THE GEEKS! IF YOU HAVEN'T VOTED YET, VOTE NOW!

For the record, RUNwithGOD.com is now 51st out of almost 500 blogs! Keep it up!

CallFM: 16,000 visitors

The graphic below was taken from 91.9 CallFM's E-mail newsletter. CallFM was recently a Featured Station on Windows Media, and their listenership increased to 16,219 in one day. What's exciting is that history shows that online listeners stay with our station for an average of 45 minutes. Coupled with the fact that CallFM presents the gospel every 30 minutes, over 16,000 people were shown the good news of Christ through the online part of the station.

CallFM is doing a phenominal job of reaching the generation where they are. In a couple weeks, the Call will be doing their fund drive, and I'll be co-djing several of the afternoon shifts to help them get some fundage. Readers, I cannot fully express how valid this ministry is, and how they need financial help to continue on the path God has placed before them.

Please pray about sponsoring the mission of the call. Check out CallFM.com for more information on helping the Call.

Online TV viewing 'on the rise'

BBC reporting:

Almost half of European broadband users are using their computers to watch television online, a survey claims. The ability to "take control" of their viewing was the motivation for many users said Motorola, which interviewed 2,500 people including the UK. The Motorola study suggested that 45% of European broadband users were watching some television shows online. "Viewers across Europe are no longer satisfied with fitting into schedules dictated by broadcasters and are turning to the choice and flexibility offered by TV over the internet," said Motorola's Karl Elliott.

Jeff's Take: Okay, I love the stats. However, when I read things like "take control" and "no longer...fitting into schedules" I wonder if we're talking about Broadband downloads or more like TIVO/DVR technology. Of course, Apple revolutionized the television industry, practically forcing many TV networks to take their primetime programming online. It's no coincidence that all the networks announced their programming would be viewable through their website for free within a month of Apple announcing that the shows would be buyable through the iTunes music store.

Europe, however, is usually the distant cousin to USA when it comes to adopting technology. Of course, Japan kicks our butts. Europe, well, they just don't get the technology as quickly as we do. If the stats are accurate, that they are so far along only bids well for US adopting that technology too.

What does that mean for the church? I am a huge fan of podcasting. As TV viewing online will grow, so will online services and Internet campuses. It's an exciting time. Get ready.

Random survey: You read blogs, so obviously you're Internet Savvy. Do you now watch any form of Internet Video (Vidcasts, TV shows, Movies)? Would you consider doing it? Why? Comment away!

Thanks to Tony Morgan for the heads up.

KING OF THE GEEKS: Blogger's Choice Awards

My good friend RC @ Strange Culture nominated me for a Blogger's Choice Award for Best Geek Blog. It's an honor and a priveledge to be considered for such a prestigious award.

Of all the categories Blogger's Choice is collecting nominations for (including but not limited to: Best Business Blog, Best Religion Blog, Best Blog of All Time) I do feel I best qualify for the Best Geek Blog Award. In fact, I think this award is my new calling in life. Why?

Wikipedia definition of geek:

A geek is an individual who is fascinated by knowledge and imagination, usually electronic or virtual in nature. Geek may not always have the same meaning as the term nerd. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word geek as:

1: a carnival performer often billed as a wild man whose act usually includes biting the head off a live chicken or snake

2: a person often of an intellectual bent who is disliked

3: an enthusiast or expert especially in a technological field or activity

Thankfully, due to my summer internships with Barnum & Bailey, I stand before you saying that all three of the above points define who I am. I am, at the heart, a GEEK. And you know, as my readers, that this is a GEEK'S BLOG!

Seriously, though, please take the time to vote. And I'm not talking about the Presidential Election that's 18 months away. I'm talking about making me king of the Geek people! Tell your friends, your family. Tell random people on the street. I need your help. Help me become KING OF THE GEEKS!

Rock the Vote: RUNwithGOD.typepad.com for Best Geek Blog.

Thank you for your consideration. Boo-Yeah

CF Homestead: Hitting the Ground Running

I couldn't sleep last night. My spirit was really on edge. Someone told me today that my two posts last night (Healing and Ten Ways to Hear God) were unintelligible garbage. Evidently I need to apologize for making my readers read unintelligible garbage. I apologize. I was very restless... I couldn't wait for this morning @ CFH.

The services went off without any technical problems. It's been a while since I've been able to say that. Praise God. We needed a smooth service.

Today just felt good. My wife and I were discussing it earlier. CF Homestead is fun. We've got a great group of volunteers, and I will never be able to express truly how much they are appreciated. I came in with a green, unexperienced crew and they truly do shine, adopting to changes in procedures and parameters practically every week. BTW this was our eleventh week of services at CFH. Not that the number is important. It just doesn't feel like eleven weeks.

VOLUNTEER FESTIVAL IS THIS WEEK. FRIDAY, MAY 11TH, 7PM @ THE PALMETTO BAY CAMPUS. BE THERE! IF YOU'RE COMING, REGISTER!

I've worked with churches across this country, and CFH is the first church that feels like a mission field. There's a vibe on the campus. An excitement. A desire. An expectation. Every week we wait for God to show up. Every week we pray for lives to be changed. Every week we work to create an environment of worship to help people Connect to God. And every week we are fortunate enough to see the fruits of our labors blessed by God. God, thank you for the harvest.

Video Teaching, for the first time ever, worked on both Palmetto Bay and Homestead Campuses without any problems. You have no idea how much of a stress relief that is. We have been FREAKING OUT over this, and having the bugs worked out may in fact allow me to start growing hair again.

Rick preached on the Beatitudes "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." The one glitch we had today was Rick's mic didn't work when he started teaching. (Evidently there is an inset switch on the beltpack that turns the gain that pads the gain up or down. When we tested the mic an hour before everything was fine. When he gets up to speak, that inset switch was switched to -10db, and Rick was not to be heard). Normally this is panic time. He putzed around with the pack for a second, and then called out "uh, Jeff, what do you want me to do?" I bolted for the stage wondering how we were going to continue if his mic didn't get fixed. Since I've heard his sermon twice already I honestly did have the thought "Well, if the mic won't work at least I know the material well enough to preach it." Thankfully, the sound techs fixed the problem in a very short time, and the Homestead audience laughed as we tried to show them "how many idiots it takes to get a mic to work." Thank God you didn't get to hear my version of Rick's message. It would have looked awfully silly to have me introduce my grand-daughter to the audience during my opening illustration (after all, I am only 29).

God, thank you for giving me a calling in life. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to fulfill my calling. And thank you for letting me have fun while I'm doing it!

050707 Shuffled

In
Maroon 5 :: Songs About Jane
U2 :: The Best of 1980-1990

Out
Skillet :: Comatose
Underoath :: Define the Great Line

Healing

I had lunch this week with a former youth minister. Where he served is irrelevant (he's not from CF). However, he was burned by ministry. There was a changing of the guard. He had new bosses with new ideas. Those new ideas didn't sit well with many of the members. Words were said. People left. Funny thing is, as I describe this one situation, I can think of many churches that have gone through the same thing. He was locked into what he thought ministry was supposed to be and couldn't change. Thankfully, instead of burning bridges he left quietly. Prayerfully the ministry will grow in his absence.

I hate to see that. I've been frustrated by ministry. I've been burned. Sadly, more than once. There have been times where I'd rather flip burgers at McDs than serve on a church staff. I think what happens is that people spend more time focusing on their vision for what God would have for the church instead of what God has in place for the church. Pride is at the core of many of these issues... at least it was in mine.

Healing is difficult. You go through so many emotions.
Why is God doing this to me?
Am I being punished?
There's no way this will work!
I know I'm following God's Will. I don't know what they're doing...

An incredible thing happens when you let go. You get to see God in the chaos. What seemed to be an abomination turns out to be God moving. I realized that if I spent as much time seeking God as I did being bitter, I could have accomplished so much more for the Kingdom. More than that, my anger towards the situation was preventing me from finding God, and the situation was literally preventing me from having a viable relationship with God.

When it really sank in for me was when I read George Barna's Revolution. It is quite the controversial book dealing with finding God outside of the church (not exactly something the current church wants to think about) but it remindind me of a simple fact.

When I die, God is not going to hold "the church" accountable for my life. God will be holding me accountable. Therefore I have no excuses.... Not exactly earth-shattering news, but definitely something I needed to hear again.

If you've been burned in the past, ask God to heal you, to break you of your pride, and stay focused on hearing God, not on the frustrations of ministry. I think you'll find that when you stay focused on Him, the problems of the world become fewer and far less significant. The incredible thing about God breaking you is that then He gets to go Humpty Dumpty on you and put you back together again!

God, thank you for the opportunities you've given. Thank you for the successes and the times you've let me fall flat on my face. Thank you for picking up the pieces and reassembling me into the person you would have me to be.

Ten Ways to Hear God

As part of Christ Fellowship's series "Pursuit of Happiness" on the Beatitudes, Rick preached this week on seeing the face of God. Excellent message on the crux of the Beatitudes.

In that same vein, Mark Batterson (National Community Church, Washington DC) posts "Ten Ways I Hear God." Some of them fit me very well. Some of them I need to work on.

Ten Ways I Hear God:
#1 I hear God better after I've confessed my sin.
#2 I hear God better when I'm worshipping Him.
#3 I hear God better early in the morning.
#4 I hear God better after I've read my Bible.
#5 I hear God better when I'm not in a hurry.
#6 I hear God better when I'm out in nature.
#7 I hear God better when I'm on a rooftop.
#8 I hear God better when I'm fasting
#9 I hear God better when I'm out of my routine.
#10 I hear God better when I'm going after a dream

He also referenced a quote by Blaise Pascale:

"All of man's miseries derive from not being able to sit quietly in a room alone."

Man, I could really learn something from this.

050507 Shuffled

Just Added to the GREEN Shuffle:

Classic Crime :: Albatross
Coldplay :: A Rush of Blood to the Head
Coldplay :: X & Y
Dave Matthews :: Some Devil
DecembeRadio :: Self Titled
Derek Webb :: The Ringing Bell
Evanescence :: Fallen
Fray :: How to Save a Life
Leeland :: Sound of Melodies
Mae :: Everglow
Massive Attack :: Teardrop
Mat Kearney :: Nothing Left to Lose
Passion '07 PreMusic
Robbie Seay Band :: Better Days
rhodes :: half a mind to stay
Rocco DeLuca & the Burden :: I Trust You to Kill Me
Skillet :: Comatose
Storyside B :: Everything and More
This Beatuiful Republic :: Even Heroes Need A Parachute
Underoath :: Define the Great Line

SpinVox + iPod Shuffle = Happy Jeff

I apologize for my posts being a little "off the wall" lately. Honestly, I'm so stressed that when I write serious posts, I can't bring myself to post them! Coming soon I'll get back to the grind...

Seriously, though, you need to check this out. SpinVox is a free service that works in conjuncture with your cell phone. If you're like me, you get a TON of voicemail. My vmail is filled to capacity on a regular basis, and ironically very few of them are important. What SpinVox does is convert your cell phone's VMAIL to text, and then send the text to your e-mail account, or even as a text message to your phone (much easier to read text than to listen to vmail). Of course, Apple iPhone's Revolutionary VMAIL system probably beats this, but SpinVox will certainly help the month(s) of waiting go by quickly.

Oh, BTW, my iPod was sighted recently on the moon. If you're heading that way, please find the black market (it's on the dark side) and get it back for me. Just kidding. This photo serves as a great homage to the Monolith in Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey. (I've been trying to work in a way to publish that photo. Thanks to Wired's Cult of Mac for bringing this to light.) 2001 is one of those movies that is typical Kubrick. If you love Kubrick you love this movie. If you've never heard of Kubrick, STAY AWAY FROM THIS MOVIE!

I just downgraded my iPod to a Green Shuffle. If you're looking to steal it from me, just ask nicely and I'll gladly give it to you.

Mii's for everyone!

One of my favorite features of the Nintendo Wii is the ability to create characters (called Miis) that play in the video games. What you see to the right is my Mii, bearing a striking resemblance to my striking good looks...

It used to be that you could only create Miis through the Nintendo Wii Interface. Recently, there have been several websites that allow you to create your own Miis through the web. The best I've seen is MiiEditor.

If you want to beat the crap out of me in boxing, download my mii and go to town. Although you need to know that I'm a lot harder to beat in person...

Seth Godin's iPhone Challenge

Marketing Guru Seth Godin proposed an iPhone challenge: Let's predict how many iPhones Apple will sell in 2007 & 2008. For the record, I have no knowledge of anything from Apple... I'm strictly shooting from the hip here.

I want one, my wife wants one, my mom wants one. That's 3. I'm going to assume there are a million other groups (3 million in total) that will buy an iPhone in 2007. 3mil $599 phones - that's a lot of revenue out there for Apple.

Apple dropped "Computers" from the title, because they want to be a gadget company. Steve will have them looking like a gadget company... Here's my predictions:

June 2007: Apple will sell 2.5 million iPhones as described on Apple's website during the remaining calendar year.
January 2008: Apple will release the equivalent of the iPhone Nano (smaller iPhone with less features) this will sell 4 million units.
2008: Apple will sell 6 million iPhones in 2008.
November 2008: Apple will release a NON-Phone-iPhone - a subLaptop that will serve as an Internet device/iPod without the phone features.

When Apple says 10mil iPhones, that doesn't mean 10mil $599 phones. They've sold 100million iPods. Most of them, however, are Nanos or Shuffles (which are under $199). Apple's 10mil predictions, while bold, give us a peak into a more economical iPhone coming soon to an Apple Store near you.