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Comments from Tony Morgan on Blogging
« May 2007 | Main | July 2007 »
Posted at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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I am hyped out. My manager @ C28 recently wrote a post on being on Inspiration Overload. This, today, is me.
Long story short (like I've ever done that) I acquired three iPhones today. One for me. One for Amy. One for my mom (who's vacationing in Alaska). Things got a little hairy towards the end of the show. Big guys with big money came around trying to buy their way into the front. Some people gladly accepted. Not me. He He.
By the time we got to the release, Wellington Green Mall had 200-250 people in line. The Apple Store probably had 600-1000 iPhones on the floor (no idea how many in the back). Amy and I were supposed to be the "second" group in line, but due to some shifty work and creative counting by the first guy (who profited from earlier stated big guys with big bills) I ended up the fourth "group" to go in. I didn't care. I was getting an iPhone! Besides, he knew I owned C28 and I didn't want to look like a jerk.
The experience inside the Apple Store, for me, was anti-climactic. Honestly, the Wellington Green Apple Store is not one of the best, which is why I went there (less busy). We got the phones. We got some cheap cases until we get better cases. And I got a new bluetooth headset called Jawbone (check out their online demo... incredible. (Above, Amy and I went to Smokey Bones Barbecue with her mom and John (who are in town for the Ukraine mission trip leaving Sunday.))
I'll review the iPhone features and Jawbone later. (I'm actually pretty tired). Hooking up the phone(s) took 10 minutes. Merging iPod files is a no brainer. Moving my calendar/contacts was not a problem either. Moving Amy's over (since she NEVER synced with a computer before... keeping everything on her RAZR) is a little more difficult. It'll work itself out in the AM.
All the hype, and we go the weekend services coming up (I gotta set up CFHomestead tomorrow at 8:30am.) No rest for the weary. No pity for Jeff, though, HE'S GOT AN IPHONE!
Posted at 11:49 PM in Apple | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
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Returning the love, Matt Mehaffey (The Miami Pursuit) is in an iPhone line as well. He's #25, so I will still beat him in. HA HA HA.
I've had numerous people call me to see if I can get them a phone. Tough noogies! You heard me, noogies! I'm buying one, and Amy's getting one as well. So, if you want to convince my wife to give up her phone, more power to you. Good luck while you're doing it, too!
FYI, Wellington Green's iPhone is like 45 people long (as of 11:33am).
Six and a half hours to iPhone.
390 minutes to iPhone.
23400 seconds to iPhone.
(yes, I am that bored)
Posted at 11:34 AM in Apple | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
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Posted at 11:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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I'm killing some time sitting in front of the Apple Store, so I might as well blog. I was texting and e-mailing a number of iPhanatics, and I saw an add on my GMail account.
I'm no Athiestic expert, mind you. But if something is "godforsaken" doesn't that mean that God has left it, or turned His back on it? Isn't this ad for a pro-athiest website admitting that God exists?
Don't really have a "point" here. I just thought it was funny.
Posted at 10:03 AM in non-Theism | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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Okay, I've bought the hype. Long story short, I'm sitting in front of the Apple store at the Mall at Wellington Green. I am #2 in line. #1 in line is buying 2 (or 3) phones. So unless Apple only has 3 phones, I am walking away with an iPhone.
As of 8:20am, there are about 25 people in line.
How'd I get here?
I was debating sleeping in the C28 location, and casually walking outside a little before the mall doors opened. That was the plan, except I really didn't want to sleep on concrete flooring. So, I altered my plan at the last second. I conned Amy into driving up with me. We had a nice dinner, slept in a comfy bed last night at a nearby Hilton, and I got in line this morning.
Here's my day so far:
12:10am - Set alarm for 4:50am
4:10am - Woke up before alarm
4:50am - Head up to mall
4:55am - Get in line (#1 got here at 4:30am)
5:30am - #3 showed up
7:00am - we freak out because we're still locked outside the mall, but we see old people "walking" inside the mall
7:10am - Mall doors open, we wait in front of Apple Store
8:15am - they set up stanctions, and we wait behind black velvet ropes
I doubt I'll be doing too much updating, but I'M GETTING AN IPHONE! WOOHOO!
Posted at 08:31 AM in Apple | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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Is it bad that I haven't been this excited, like, ever? Okay, first date with Amy. Wedding Day. First day @ Bookstore. Opening C28. Maybe that's not totally true. But it's close...
I have a plan, and short of Jesus coming back I'll have an iPhone in my hand by Friday night. (I thought the same thing about the Wii, though). It should make for a fun story... Look for updates on the blog over the next couple days.
So what's your plan? Or are you too cool for the hype?
Posted at 12:15 PM in Apple | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)
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Posted at 11:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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I've talked lately about the quest for Church on the Internet, and batted around the idea of a "wikichurch", or Church 2.0 if you will.
The nice people over at LifeChurch.tv (don't forget these guys too!) are developing a new web app... YouVersion.
What wikipedia did for knowledge, YouVersion will do for the scripture...
YouVersion is a free online Bible that allows users to associate video, audio, images, text, tags, and links to other websites with any verse or series of verses in the Bible. Each piece of contributed content can be labeled as public or private, so the application can be used both as a personal study tool and a public expression of user-generated commentary. In addition to contributing content, Scripture can be organized by assigning user-defined “tags” to any verse of the Bible.
For users who are skeptical about whether the Bible has application for their lives, YouVersion provides a platform to learn from the experiences and perspectives of others from around the world in a non-threatening and easily navigated environment.
What makes wikipedia popular is that it's users define the subjects. Disagree with how wikipedia defines "missional" compared to "missions" (I did!) then tell wikipedia and let the debates (and understanding) begin. YouVersion will do this with scripture... what makes this scripture significant to YOU! what does the scripture mean to YOU! How did YOU differ with others interpretation? This is beautiful.
Danger: could users have the ability to up "altering" scripture? maybe... but could the scripture become more real, more relevant to people when it's described by normal people? Can the scriptures come alive with stories and testimonies? The beauty of this is that it is not a "Study Bible" with fact and insight. This is the scripture come alive.
LifeChurch.tv, thanks for thinking outside the box. Can't wait to see it!
Posted at 01:01 PM in Technology, the "church", web 2.0 | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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In
John McLaughlin :: Indiana
High Flight Society :: Self Titled
Project 86 :: Rival Factions
Until June :: Until June
The Blind Boys of Alabama :: Atom Bomb
The White Stripes :: Icky Thump
Various Artists :: Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur
Out
Leeland :: Sound of Melodies (selections)
Mutemath :: Self Titled
Storyside B :: Everything and More
The White Stripes :: Elephant
The White Stripes :: Get Behind Me Satan
Rocco DeLuca & The Burden :: I Trust You To Kill Me
Robbie Seay Band :: Better Days
Linkin Park :: Meteora (selections)
Posted at 11:00 AM in Shuffled | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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Seth Godin says what I'm thinking...
Why doesn't Puma or Adidas (or even Nike) pay the management of the SF Giants to bench Barry Bonds before he hits the record? Now you'd have a brand that really stood for something.
I have totally tuned out of baseball this year. I'm usually a huge fan, but I want nothing to do with the game until it purifies itself.
Posted at 10:00 AM in In The News | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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This marks my 300th Post. Dang. 300... do I have a life anymore? If you know me, you know the answer... To celebrate this momentus occasion, I wanted to give you my Top Ten Top Thirty Top Fifteen Top Sixteen Posts. These are my favorites to date... so if you came in late and want to catch up on the freakshow that is Jeff Reed, enjoy the posts below:
Jeff's Top Sixteen RUNwithGOD Posts:
1) Hatred
2) Jesus Weirdoes & Christian Cowards
3) An Open Letter to Steve Jobs, CEO Apple, Inc.
4) Eternal Impact: Andrew Allard || Andrew Allard, Revisited
5) 8 Years
6) Psalm 124: Our Help is in the Name of the Lord
7) Funny Story
8) Multi-Site vs. Church Plant
9) In View of God's Mercy
10) Fear of Tables
11) Healing
12) Struggling Christian Workaholic
13) Fearing the Unknown, Revisited
14) Where do you want me to go?
15) Tires for Sale
16) 'Tis The Season To Have Wii
Following up on that, are you a subscriber to RUNwithGOD? If not, you may want to consider becoming a subscriber. You can subscribe in two different ways:
1) Get new updates to the blog e-mailed to you daily
2) Use an RSS Reader (like Google Reader) to read my RSS Feed
... or keep coming to the website.
But once again I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for participating in my stress relief. This blog allows me the opportunity to process alot of the things that are going on in my life, and I appreciate that over 100 of you daily take the time to read my ramblings, musings, and jabberings.
Posted at 12:00 PM in Musings | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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Posted at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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CF Homestead got some God-sized news today! We have a home in Homestead. I haven't blogged on it, so let me catch you up.
After CF had already planted and started CF Homestead, we were told that the Miami Baptist Association owned some property in Homestead that was donated for the purpose of starting a church. And oh, the property is worth almost $6million. (The property is right next to the new BJ Wholesale Club). The MBA is literally looking to give the property to someone to start a church in Homestead.
MBA, meet Christ Fellowship. CF, meet Miami Baptist Association. After a bunch of meetings, prayer, fasting, and three unanimous votes (does that ever happen in Baptist politics?) WE GOT THE PROPERTY! I repeat, we were given 4.8 acres of prime Homestead real estate so that we can build a building.
Really, how awesome is that!
We're speculating that we are looking at a 600 person worship venue, with appropriate children and youth worship venues included. However, we now have to raise funds for the new building project, and I've been told that this project will take 2-3 years.
So, until 2010 comes around, we'll still be setting up and tearing down in a school every week at the Charter School.
God, thank you for entrusting us with this incredible gift. Give us the opportunity to impact Homestead and surrounding areas with the message of Your Saving Grace. We are not worthy to receive this, but may we use this to bring glory to You.
Posted at 07:46 PM in Christ Fellowship, Multi-Site Church | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (1)
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Last week the Catholic Church released a document announcing there are now Ten Commandments of Driving... I know, I don't get it either.
One of the commandments stated:
5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.
This statement brought offense to Ferrari, saying their cars are not a sin...
Ferrari's General Manager Amedeo Felisa told Reuters this week "Unless having fun has become a sin, I don't believe it (to be wrong)."
Looks like we got a little controversy going on. Is it a "sin" to have a high powered vehicle? If it's a "sin" to have a high powered vehicle, what about a high powered cell phone like, oh I don't know, an iPhone? 'Cause if having an iPhone is wrong, then baby, I don't want to be right.
Posted at 07:28 PM in In The News | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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Posted at 11:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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Let me preface this by saying that Sonic was one of my favorite restaurants in Texas. Their slushes and limeaides are legendary. To my knowledge there hasn't been a Sonic in Miami in 10 years.
I went to lunch today with Amy and her mom and brother (John is going to Ukraine with Amy, so the fam is in town to prepare for the trip.) We went to Rodbenders, down Cutler Bay (off Old Cutler Road). I love this place, eat there frequently.
While waiting for the food, out of the corner of my eye I'm keeping tabs on the Marlins game on the TV. There was a close play, so the FSN Network ran a replay, which of course means we get to see the corporate sponsor of video replays for the Marlins games.... Sonic Drive In.
I am stoked. I love Sonic. There used to be two Sonics in Miami (maybe three) when I was in high school, but they closed and moved on. Surely, if the Miami-based Florida Marlins is showing corporate sponsors on their game, those sponsors do business in their city. FSN would not accept corporate sponsors where there is no business within the home viewing market. Sonic has finally returned to Miami! Maybe by dinner I can be eating my food out of a box in my own vehicle, served by girls on roller skates listening to 50's Rock and Roll... WOOHOO! I rush home and check the Sonic Web site.
I am angry. I am furious. There's no Sonic Drive-Ins within 150 miles of my house. There's not even a Sonic Drive in within 150 miles of my C28 location in West Palm Beach. No Sonics in South Florida period. D'OH!
I'm fine with Sonic not coming down into South Florida. In a city where Krispy Kreme is closing, unless your restaurant is accepted by Hispanic Cultures I wouldn't come into this city either... but don't advertise to people teasing them that your services are available (if you're not equipped to meet the demand you create).
It's Reverse Marketing. Instead of liking Sonic and spending money with them, I'm angry with them that they are creating a desire within me, yet they are not giving me an outlet to get those desires fulfilled...
Posted at 06:56 PM in Business, Musings | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
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Posted at 11:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist. - Usual Suspects, 1995.
According to a recent Gallup poll, 90% of America believes is God, or the "universal good". Alright! 81% believes in Heaven. 70% believe in Hell or the Devil. 20% of those believing in God will not acknowledge the "evil" side of spirituality...
I thought these numbers would generally be lower. I'm always shocked to see that only 10% of America doesn't believe in God (however, did you know every major contender for the 2008 Presidential Election claims to be a Christian?) Involvement in the church is at an all-time low. So we are seeing that people believe in God, yet they do not want to be involved in an "organized religion" that is dedicated to Him... (I'll let you come to your own conclusions there...)
Having seen what Gibson's Passion of the Christ did for cultural awareness of Jesus in America, it will be interesting to see what the number of movies dedicated to Lucifer will do to the acceptance of the fallen angel.
Thanks to CROnline.com for the scoop.
Posted at 04:37 PM in In The News | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
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Posted at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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I'm not the guy that likes to sit and wait for things to happen... I like to make them happen. Patience is, in fact, a virtue. However, it's not my virtue. It's hard, though, because sometimes you have to wait for the pieces to come together. Although I'd love to get in a time machine and jump six months, two years, five years into the future, I find myself waiting... wanting...
Patience stinks. I'm finding out what my issues are. I hate it when I am tasked to do a job, yet something/someone is holding me back from doing it. I'm project-oriented, and when other people prevent me from getting projects done, I feel like I'm "sitting by the side of a river..."
During these down times I strive to find something to do. Today may be slow, tomorrow will be chaotic. So what can I do today to make tomorrow less chaotic? So, while my roast duck may not be served today, at least I'm getting ready for dinner.
I'd love to give credit to who I got this graphic from, but I can't find it. Thanks to Guy Kawasaki for the quote.
Posted at 11:48 PM in Musings | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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Posted at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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I am not political. Really. This is about as political as I get (keeping in mind that this is more "cool" than political).
This is a graphical representation flow-chart format of where our Federal Tax Dollars go. How cool is that? I always wanted to know that K-12 Education get $30.96billion, but the Department of Defense gets $481billion. Oh wait, was that political? Check out their online READABLE version, and you can even follow the link to buy it there as well.
Thanks to Guy Kawasaki for finding this, and for helping me add something to my Christmas list.
Posted at 05:13 PM in Gov't/Politics | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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Posted at 11:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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No, I have no inside info on this. This HAS NOT BEEN ANNOUNCED! But I thought the visual was hilarious. If Apple wants to take over the world, they're going to have to sell phones cheaper than $599. BUT this is the same biz model they did for the iPod...
I don't know about you, but I'd love an iPhone Shuffle...
Thanks to Engadget for the heads up (and creating the graphic).
Posted at 12:01 PM in Apple, FUN | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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Posted at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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Anne Jackson brought attention to a CNN Article that for the life of me, I really don't understand. The Vatican has issued "Ten Commandments" for drivers.
The "Drivers' Ten Commandments," as listed by the document, are:
1. You shall not kill.
2. The road shall be for you a means of communion between people and not of mortal harm.
3. Courtesy, uprightness and prudence will help you deal with unforeseen events.
4. Be charitable and help your neighbor in need, especially victims of accidents.
5. Cars shall not be for you an expression of power and domination, and an occasion of sin.
6. Charitably convince the young and not so young not to drive when they are not in a fitting condition to do so.
7. Support the families of accident victims.
8. Bring guilty motorists and their victims together, at the appropriate time, so that they can undergo the liberating experience of forgiveness.
9. On the road, protect the more vulnerable party.
10. Feel responsible toward others.
In all that's wrong with the world, the depravity of man, Aids wrecking havoc across Africa, Wars across multiple continents, Terrorism causing people to live in fear... The Catholic Church forgot to tell us to buckle our seat belts...
Posted at 09:20 AM in FUN, In The News | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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I mentioned earlier that I wanted to delve into Sweet's newest book, The Gospel According to Starbucks, so let's go ahead and explore it deeper.
Don't think of this book as one of the "Gospel According to...." series. You know, Gospel According to The Simpsons, The Sopranos, Harry Potter, Star Wars, etc... This book is really not about Starbucks. Other than a Venti-cup of bad coffee analogies and random coffee facts, it's not about Starbucks. It's about the Christian life. Sweet says that like Starbucks runs its biz, we need to live our life on an EPIC Scale: Experience, Participation, Image Rich, and Connection.
As I mentioned SoulTsunami is one of my favorite books. And while I loved SoulTsunami, The Gospel According to Starbucks started with a bang, but didn't quite connect with me in the second half. It was good Sweet. BUT it wasn't where I was at. I read the first half of the book in about two hours, but struggled to get through the rest.
Here's what I got from the book (unless referenced, all quotes are direct from Leonard Sweet (with page references):
* "Intellectual arguments over doctrine and theology are fine for divinity school, but they lose impact at the level of daily life experience. Starbucks knows that people live for engagement, connection, symbols and meaningful experiences... Life at it's very best is a passionate experience, not a doctoral dissertation. (5)
* "Jesus never traveled more than eighty miles from his boyhood home, but no one would accuse him of living on a small scale." (19)
* Ever heard of a Kopi Luwak Coffee Bean? They sell it at $600 per pound. Want to know why that's significant? Read what wikipedia says about the "cup of crap, yes crap" you'll drink. (29)
* Following Kopi, it's amazing how God continues to use trash. "Doves" are nothing more than a trashy pigeon. Moses was a murderer. David an adulterer. Esther a harem girl. Ruth an idol worshipper. (27-30)
* "The gospel was not meant to be comfortable or safe. Jesus does not invite lukewarm faith, the brand practiced by the Church of Laodicea. Instead, God promised to spit the lukewarm out of God's mouth." (33)
* "In spite of being engineered to sell coffee, Starucks does everything corporately possible not to create a preplanned compelling experience for the customers, but to help customers create experiences for themselves." (34)
* "Authenticity is not about being more relevant but about being more Jesus. Do you speak with a Jesus voice? Do you see with Jesus eyes? Do you listen with Jesus ears? Do you touch with a Jesus touch?" (49)
* "The cross is beautiful because it reveals love, the substance that bonds between beauty, truth and goodness together." (57)
* "It makes me nauseatingly sick that half a dozen megachurches in USAmerica cast the molds for what goes on the the majority of Christian churches around the world. It's not their fault. It's ours." (60)
* "When focus groups are now being used at all, they are designing products, not evaluating and judging products already on the market." (70)
* "Missional means: to participate in the mission of Jesus in the world, to incarnate in the experience of our lives and our communities the good news of God's love for the world. We must become a GOOD (Get Out Of Doors) Church." (82)
* "Jesus' goal was not that everyone understand him, but that everyone experience him. In fact, Jesus didn't expect everyone to get his revolutionary message. He did invite everyone, however, to hear God's story, to become part of God's story, and to learn about others who joined God's story or were seeking God's presence." (92)
* "Technology isolates us at te same time it connects us, thereby stimulating us in a hunger for the very thing it deprives us of." (143)
Posted at 12:00 PM in Re:views | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
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Posted at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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I figured this would be news to many of you (since you're not keeping up with the Christian Urban/Hip Hop Movement)...
Beatmart Artist "Soul P" filmed his newest video, Whoa Whoa, wearing several NOTW/C28 products. See the video below:
For those of you that are dying to know, he is seen wearing the Roughcut Hoodie, Gate Shirt, and the Gospel Cross Hoodie. Check out C28.com for more info on the styles...
Wait, you say, C28 is supposed to be skater/hard rock. What's hip hop doing there? I love this. Last month Hip Hop was C28 West Palm's #2 selling category, beating out hardcore, pop contemporary, and praise and worship. (Rock Alternative won, hands down...)
Thanks, Soul P, for opening new doors at C28!
BTW, there is a great sale going on right now at C28 and The Living Word. Many Rock/Rap/Hip-Hop CD Titles are on sale for $9.97. Get a physical CD for less than what it would cost on iTunes! WOOHOO!
Posted at 09:30 AM in C28 | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
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"Christians are hard to tolerate, I don’t know how Jesus does it."
Bono, Lead Singer U2
Multiple people have the quote...
I've started reading Dan Kimball's They Like Jesus But Not The Church. Wow. I'm 20 pages in and this book is hitting me hard. Great stuff!
Posted at 09:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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Having recently read John McCarthur's Introduction to Biblical Counseling, I really appreciated the MadTV video clip found below. Inspiring.
Travis Johnson over at LifePointe in Homestead found this vid. Life Changing...
Posted at 07:34 PM in FUN | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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Interesting blog from the mind of Seth Godin:
Here's today's entrepreneurial trivia question:
Even after Starbucks had five stores and more than 20 employees, which item was unavailable for purchase at their stores: a) Espresso b) Hot Coffee c) Biscotti d) Frappucino® blended beverage
Actually, it's a trick question. The answer is 'all of the above.' It wasn't until several years after the company was up and running that they realized it would be a good idea to sell any beverages at all. All they sold was beans (but you could get a free taste of coffee if you asked nicely).
Just goes to show that it's never too late to change your biz model, and that it's difficult to let go of what you know (and replace it with the unknown).
Posted at 06:00 PM in Business | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
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Posted at 02:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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What a weekend. In case you hadn't heard, Christ Fellowship celebrated our 90th birthday (if you combine the years we worship as First Baptist Church of Perrine) this week. To celebrate, we had a month worth of services combined into one. At Palmetto Bay we had baptism, Lord's Supper, a Guest Pastor (I'll get there soon), multiple presentations, plaque presentations, nine videos, multimedia worship, and I saw someone carrying in a partridge and someone else with a pear tree! It was great.
The fabulous thing was that it didn't feel chaotic. Maybe that's because I was on vacation during the creation part, but I walked in Saturday looking for something to do (and found I really wasn't needed). When talking about ownership, that's a great place to be! It's great to not be needed.
Tommy Watson, Pastor at First Baptist Church of Perrine for 35 years, was our guest pastor. With everything else going on in the service, Tommy had like 16 minutes to speak. The stories surrounding Tommy are almost legendary... most of them are true too! If you've never heard Tommy speak, that 16 minutes is more like 15 minutes of laughs with one minute of seriousness, yet still with all the laughs you leave being challenged. Hearing Tommy reminded me of church growing up (since I grew up @ Perrine, and heard hundreds of his sermons over the years). I loved it, and I have the utmost respect for Tommy and Mollie, both as Pastor and people.
At Homestead we were blessed with Rev. Tony Isaacs, our Small Groups Pastor. Every time Tony speaks, I get challenged. I wish we would get to hear more from him. This was the first time CFHomestead had a separate message than CFPalm Bay. What was great for me, though, was both Tommy and Tony spoke on my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE scripture... Legion in Decapolis. Tommy's message was creatively entitled "Even a Caveman can do it", pushing the fact that Legion was not trained in evangelism - he lived in a cave - but he was touched by Jesus and did great things. Tony's message, "Maniac Missionary" was about losing control of your life and letting God guide you, like he did Legion to Decapolis. The great thing, and I never saw it, was seeing the effects of Legion after he hit Decapolis (check out Matthew 15:30ish.)
Both sermons will be available on our podcast right about now... or you can download the MP3 messages from the CFFamily.org website in a couple days. On a side note, Christ Fellowship has been podcasting for officially one year now. We got started June 17, 2006. Subscribe now!
I know I've said it before, but it's fun looking forward to each week. Honestly, it's always a surprise to hear what they've thought of next! God, thank you for what you have brought us to, and we look forward to what you have in store for us soon.
Posted at 10:06 PM in Christ Fellowship | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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Yeah, I'm an iPhone freak. I'll admit. I'm planning my 29th solely around the fact that I will have an iPhone in my hand that day. I'm prepared to drive up to West Palm and stand in line if I have to, but I will get it.
Evidently, not everyone feels my iPhone love. To quote Relevant Christian (interviewing teenagers):
the commercials are not geared for young people…they’re a corporate sell-out to reach 30-somethings…they’re trying to impress older folks. Pirates Of The Caribbean is a family movie, calamari is a rich man’s food and the seafood place they found online is no place that people my age would go. It’s so over-hyped and marketed that it just comes off as cheesy.
Oh, wait, I am a corporate 30-something older folk. I love sushi, POTC is okay, and I love hype. So the phone is for me. Good. I was worried there for a second.
Check out the article from Relevant Christian. It's got some great stats, and if nothing else stresses the importance of focusing on a core, target audience (and not trying to reach everybody else). As we've said, know what you do, do it well.
Thanks to Monday Morning Insight for the heads up.
Posted at 08:46 PM in Apple | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
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Vacation was incredibly restful. But, if you know me, you know even my vacations have to be "project-oriented". I read two books and Amy and I watched six movies, along with a ton of relaxing time. I did miss my Internet, though. Here's some random musings from the trip:
* There was a thunderstorm warning that hit when we were leaving town. Rain was pouring. Wind was so strong it was blowing branches off trees. I gotta say, I've driven in at least four hurricanes since I've been back in Miami, and that is the most scared I've ever been driving in Miami. (It still doesn't beat frozen roads in a Texas blizzard.)
* I read a book on blogging (Clear Blogging) by Bob Walsh. Didn't learn that much. However, there was an interview with the CEO of ProBlogger.net, Darren Rowse. Darren (who used to be a pastor of a church in New Zealand), started blogging back in 2002. Bob Walsh (author) speculated that meant that Darren was "one of the first thousand bloggers out there." Darren agreed. This is significant b/c I was doing SushiRocks back in 2002. So theoretically I'm one of the first thousand too! (Please don't read pride into that statement, but if you do, go ahead and give me credit for inventing the Internet too!)
* Leonard Sweet is by far one of my favorite authors (SoulTsunami is one of the reasons I went into ministry). Upon reading Sweet's new book, The Gospel According to Starbucks I discovered that the same principles (EPIC= Experiential, Participatory, Image Driven, Connected) that I loved in SoulTsunami were discussed word for word in TGATStarbucks. Good read, I'll try to blog it this week.
* How do people watch TV without TIVO? Really! If you don't have a DVR PLEASE GET ONE. You waste so much time watching the stupid crap that's on TV. It's so much more enjoyable when you can filter through the crap and only watch what you want...
As for the movies we watched:
* Ocean's 13: Great Flick! Love the Modern Day Rat Pack! They've come a long way from the Frank Sinatra days! It's interesting to watch the cultural differences between Sinatra's Ocean's 11 and where Ocean's 11-13 end up. In Sinatra's Ocean's 11, no one wins (watch the movie, very depressing). Then watch Ocean's 13, where it's not a matter of Clooney's crew winning, but how slick they look doing it.
* Pirates Of The Caribbean (At World's End): Eh, I love the fact that movie trilogies like The Matrix and Star Wars define the rules and conventions of their movies early on (and then stick to it). I love even more that Pirates literally makes up the rules rules as they go. I'm glad I saw it so I can folow the story, but POTC 2 and 3 both left me wanting...
* The Departed: Best mob movie I've seen in years (Disclaimer: I haven't seen many mob movies lately). Any time you put Jack Nicholson in a Martin Scorsese Movie, I'm happy. I had seen all but the last 20 minutes of the movie before, and it was good to get an ending on the film. (Spoiler: For what it was worth, I thought the ending was hilarious... but that's just my sick sense of humor).
* Napoleon Dynamite: Believe it or not, this was the first time I had seen it. Honestly, I know it's a cult-favorite, but really? It was probably the worst MTV film I've seen (once again, haven't seen that many...)
* Lady In The Water: I am a huge Shyamalan fan. I've been through film classes studying this guy. I've taught classes that focused on this guy (and the Auteur Theory). I love this guy, and I can honestly say that this movie STUNK! While it was a good movie, it doesn't belong in the same sentence with Shyamalan's other works. He ran out of gas. Know what the worst thing is? Having expectations put so high that there's no way a person can constantly meet them. Scary stuff. I hear rumor Shyamalan's done making films. If so, that's a sad day for American cinema (one of many sad days to come in American cinema...)
* Kolya: I love subtitles. There aren't many of us left in this country. Great mix of Czech/Russian cinema. It brought me back to film school days. I love movies that make you think.
I guess I got to get away to get things accomplished...
Posted at 05:55 PM in Controlling Chaos, Musings, Re:views | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBack (0)
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Amy and I are taking a much needed vacation. We're goig up to my parents condo in Hutchinson Island, FL. We were going to go up for the weekend, but with all the things happening in Miami this weekend, we moved the vacation up a couple days.
The condo is great. Relaxing. Quiet. Peaceful. Pastoral. Everything you want to get away to. Except Internet. D'OH!
I will be on a blogging hiatus until weekend. I'm not sure I will survive. There will be plenty of time to catch up when I get back.
Posted at 05:30 PM in Controlling Chaos, Musings | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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"Purple" Christians is the merging of the Democrats and Republicans under the banner of Christ. Wow, the Religious Left has come a long way in the past two years. (This may be a blog for another day...but even I don't want to get political).
Kevin Kelly of Wired Magazine recently discussed the next 1,000 years of Christianity (can't wait to get a copy of this online). There are some great points theorizing what the next 13 generations will bring (if Christ doesn't come). The most interesting to me is the theory involving the center of Christianity:
1 AD :: Christianity begins in Israel
500 AD :: Christianity’s center moves to Rome
1000 AD :: Christianity’s center moves to Europe
2000 AD :: Christianity’s center moves to North America
2500 AD :: Christianity’s center moves to Asia?
(Jeff theorizes) 3000 AD :: Christianity's center back to Israel?
I also love the statement:
Wikipedia does not work in theory but in practice. What about Wikichurch?
Oh, and bring on the Purple Christians!
Posted at 10:07 AM in the "church" | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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The nice people over at swerve.LifeChurch.tv showcased a new comment system called "click comment" that I'm going to test-run for a while.
Long story short, I'm always looking for feedback. But I know that people don't like to register on a website. Heck, my own wife is too afraid to leave a comment on my blog...
That's the idea behind the move to Click Comment. Basically, just click on the emotion you get from my blog. There are eight choices. Mouseover the choice to get a description. Then click however many you want! Go crazy!
We'll give it a try, and for those (faithful) of you that leave comments the old fashioned way (by typing) please continue to do so.
Posted at 12:27 AM in Blog Stuff | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
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Digg recently released statements from MacRumors.com online forums showing the general publics response to Apple's First Generation iPod back in 2001. Shocking.
* iPoop... iCry. I was so hoping for something more.
* Great just what the world needs, another freaking MP3 player. Go Steve! Where's the Newton?!
* Sounds very revolutionary to me. :(
* OH NO! Just checked Apple Store - they want $399.00 for this thing...Ouch!!!
* I like it. Seems pricey though.
* No matter what Apple does there are always people who are NEVER happy. Give it a rest. It's a great idea and the first of many. Why don't you give it a chance?!
What's interesting, in the big picture, is that while there is hype, there are also people who will automatically struggle with newness, change. What is it about thinking outside the box that is so repulsive to people?
What's also interesting is to see the same criticisms people had with the iPod so many years ago are the same criticisms they are having (theoretically) with the iPhone. Makes you wonder...
Posted at 11:34 PM in Apple | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
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It's about time.
Seven years ago when I was just starting my web development company, all my clients would complain about the size of the HTML pages, and instruct me to design sites that are dialup-compatible. Yeech, I get nauseated just thinking about it.
Stats are now coming out that paint a better picture now (than seven years ago).
53% of US Homes have broadband.
72% of all Internet connections (work + home) are broadband. (That is up 12% from 2006).
68% of households over $50,000 annual income get broadband. - GOOD!
39% of households below $50,000 annual income get broadband. - BAD!
While it is true that lower income houses are less likely to have a computer in the home (or any Internet connection in the home), this it makes me appreciate that the Internet is not always the answer for everyone.
However, just as our Podcasting stats revealed a couple weeks ago, middle to upper class is on the 'net. And if they have a broadband pipeline coming into their home, well, that just gives us (yes, the church) more room to reach them.
Thanks to gigaom.com for the stats.
Posted at 09:37 PM in Producing Church | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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There is a great article at Christianity Today on Donald Miller. If you're not familiar with Donald Miller, he is defined as "progressive but not pissed." His book, Blue Like Jazz... "it's, like, a Christian book, but it doesn't make you feel bad about yourself."
It's a great read, eye-opening into the differences of the "evangelical culture" and how far we/they are from understanding the world. Highly recommend it. Oh, it's always on sale at the bookstore. Come by and get a copy!
For now, though, enjoy the article from Christianity Today.
Posted at 09:11 PM in the "church" | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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I don't often blog about blogging. But with my work with CFMissions.org and my mom starting her own blog soon, I thought it would be worthwhile to post a link to The Blog Herald: 10 Minute Blog Tips: Is Your Blog Approachable.
Highlights include:
It’s easy to fall into a pattern that makes our blogs more mechanical and less human. Some bloggers focus so much on being “correct”, editing and fussing over grammar and formatting, that they forget their audience is not a team of school teachers armed with red ink test marking pens. Others find it hard to break out of “corporate speak”.
It’s not just your writing. In fact before your reader has begun to digest your content they are making judgements about you. The web after all is a visual medium. Smile! Include a small picture of yourself on the homepage. Use photography in your posts. Warm up your colour scheme. If your blog is informal, feel free to use smileys. You might think this is twee and unprofessional but its worth testing.
Keep Blogging!
Posted at 08:23 PM in Blog Stuff | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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I got the call. Saturday about noon. It was one of my (many) CF bosses, Hector. "Hey Jeff, I need you to direct tonight. [The guy who was supposed to direct] is out sick." Hey, no problem.
On the way to the 5pm rehearsal, I got a call from one of my other bosses, Sammy, that he was still on vacation (I forgot he was out) and that JR was leading worship. Hey, no problem.
On arriving, I was met by Brian (not one of my bosses) reminding me that the "hazer" we had rented for the Worship Center was here and needed hooking up... Uh, did someone say hazer?
I was pretty distracted this week, and while I covered all my responsibilities, I totally forgot there was a hazer coming. There's a long story on why this one was rented... ultimately with Rick preaching on "Light" we REALLY wanted to put a hazer in the Worship Center and do some cool (and tasteful) lighting effects with it. We discussed it last week and finalized plans on Tuesday. At the Creative Meeting, my exact words were "I'll pay the rental fee myself if we don't have money in the budget." (Of course, we did have money in budget.)
Anyway, long story short (too late)! We wanted to get all the kinks worked out during our 5pm rehearsal. We hook this bad boy up and give it a GENTLE Test Drive. I mean gentle. Not Sports Bar. Not Nightclub. Not even Pageant level haze. Think Morning Mist. Gentle. Breezy. And the lights were popping. I was happy. Mary (stage manager) was happy. Eric was grinning. It was great. Keith was just finalizing the light programming when I saw a strobe light out of the corner of my eye (back right balcony). Eh, cool Keith. When did you put strobes up there? We don't want to use those for the service though. Wait, Keith, when did you put strobes all over the worship center. Keith, why is there a woman's voice saying "Please exit the building now"?
Yes, ladies and gentlemen. We set off the smoke detector in the Worship Center. WOOHOO! After being asked multiple times by our buildings and ground crew "What exactly were you doing?" they showed me what I was doing, and where I made my mistakes. It took about 20 minutes to get the alarm cleared, the noise stopped, and the light show over. (It did make for good disco-ing, not that we were going for that).
We were able to correct my completely ignorant mistakes, (I'll take full blame on it) and thankfully the hazer worked great for Saturday (and I'm assuming Sunday) services.
The good news is I know what to do next time to avoid that problem. Could you imagine if we didn't test the equipment during a rehearsal, and that happening during the worship service? Well, let's try not to imagine.
Mental note: when you're testing new equipment, test it thoroughly in a non-pressure, non-live situations.
Posted at 10:41 PM in Christ Fellowship, Producing Church | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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Time Magazine and I, we're like on first name basis now. We're tight, yo.
Check it out. I wrote a rather lengthy article on the fact that the downfall on Christian Retailing is not a "downfall" but a thinning (survival of the fittest). It wasn't my best work, but I was vocal in my tirade.
Well, Time Magazine has an article on Christian Business (Praying for Profits) that references Christian Beauty Salons, Insurance Agents, Bookstores, and even Aurelio over at C28. It's a great article.
Then something cool happened:
What you're seeing is a list of Time.com's "Related Material" on the online article, and the #1 Referred Blog is my Christian Retailers going the way of the buffalo post. WooHoo!
So welcome Time.com, glad to have you on board. If you'd ever like me to co-write anything for you, I'd be glad to.
Be sure to check out the referred blogs (and the rest of the article) on page 4 of the Time.com article.
Posted at 12:06 AM in Christian Retailing, Musings | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)
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Greg Atkinson (ChurchVideoIdeas.com) had a great article recently on church volunteers and ownership. It's great stuff.
One thing that I love about my church is how we love on, shepherd, train and empower volunteers. I’ve never seen or been a part of a church quite like my current church. The volunteers that make up the Technical Arts Ministry of my church truly take ownership of the ministry and continually prove it through their amazing devotion and commitment.
I wish I could take credit for it, but I’ve only been on staff here for 4 months – this was something that is in the church’s DNA and was fostered and encouraged long before I came aboard. One of the reasons that I “clicked” with this church and felt a strong calling to serve here was because of the emphasis that the leadership placed on volunteer-led ministry (something that I’ve been a proponent for, for years).
I love our volunteers. At CFH, Media volunteers work harder than any others... sometimes putting in as much as 10 hrs a week. CRAZY! CFPB Media volunteers... well, the entire church is doing a 46:10 project (which basically means Wednesday nights are off) EXCEPT for the Media who is still at work creating for the service! I was told recently that our volunteer that is in charge of duplicating the CDs and DVDs (over 100 a week) is coming in at 5am to work. CRAZY!
Our volunteers have a huge work ethic. Unfortunately, they use their work ethic in other places (like their work). So while we are using their strong work ethic on the weekend, the volunteers are usually busting their humps during the week at their paying job!
As a business owner, I understand that sometimes my job requires me to go beyond my "job description". Point being, if there is ownership behind an idea, volunteering can be enjoyable. If a volunteer feels ownership, they feel respected, needed, appreciated.
And if we can get a volunteer to own it, they'll run with it. They'll change it. They'll invest themselves into it, and before you know it, your idea has multiplied beyond what you're capable of. We've talked about ownership before. It's hard to let go sometimes, but it's well worth the wait.
Posted at 12:28 AM in Producing Church, the "church" | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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Well, it's time for another irrelevant iPhone post. For those of you dying to hold an iPhone, iPhoneCountdown.com has released a PDF Document that can desperate "suckers" can cut and fold into an iPhone. WooHoo!
Posted at 11:42 PM in Apple | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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Below is an article from CROnline discussing the morbid state of Christian Retailing. Christian Bookstores are struggling. As far as I know, 10 stores in the state of Florida have gone out of biz in 2007. I'm not going to make excuses for it. Just as the church struggles to stay relevant to the culture, so does the Christian Bookstore. There are some things I love about the industry. There are some things I loathe (but that is a post for another day). Just as the church struggles to stay relevant into today's culture, I believe Christian bookstores are struggling to stay relevant. Unfortunately, for 10 stores in Florida, it was a losing battle.
Let me reassure you. The Living Word is not going out of biz. While the industry is struggling, God continues to provide. We are stable, healthy, and show no signs of letting up. Thank you to all of my customers and employees for helping TLW and C28 stay active in ministry.
God, help us to stay relevant in Miami, in West Palm Beach. May we stay focused and driven, not on Balance Sheets and P&L Statements, but on the ministry you have set out for us.
Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.
II Corinthians 4:1
I'm going to add commentary in the article below. My words will be italicized and tabbed. Enjoy.
Thanks to CROnline for the report.
----------
Small Christian retailers losing out to chains, the Internet
By Zachary Lewis
Religion News Service
CLEVELAND — David may have defeated Goliath, but in the battle between independent Christian bookstores and retail giants, it's the little guy who’s losing.
If what’s happening here in the Midwest is any indication, small, locally owned religious bookstores and church suppliers are going out of business, conceding defeat to the Internet and big-box retailers like Wal-Mart, Borders and Target.
One of the latest to fall: The Word Christian Resource Center in suburban Parma Heights, the third and final store in the small chain to close since 2005.
“People don't understand what’s going on,” said owner Rob Haskell, whose parents started The Word in 1976. “If people are willing to give up their local jewels, that’s one thing. ... But if they're not, they need to support the independent stores.”
Honestly, I never really understood this mindset. If another business has a better business model than me, (read: if they can sell items cheaper) then good for them. It frustrates me that some of my contemporaries think that the customers HAVE TO SHOP with them or they are being unfaithful, unspiritual. Guess what. I'd do the same too. In the day of $3.29/gal for gas, you can't blame people for being cheap with their funding.
Continue reading "Christian Retailers going the way of the buffalo" »
Posted at 04:30 PM in Business, C28, Christian Retailing, The Living Word | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)
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Wanted to give you all a sneak peak at a new website coming out. Christ Fellowship Missions Group is starting to BLOG! CFMissions.org.
I love the concept behind this. CF's goal is to take over 300 people on mission trips this year. That's a huge number, and we're well on our way. CFMissions.org is looking for people to blog their mission experience.
Joys. Successes. Praises.
Fears. Prayer Requests. Trials.
This will be a huge thing for missions:
1) those on the trip be able to express their emotions on the trip.
2) those remaning back will know how to pray
3) those interested in missions will experience the trip
For the CFMissions.org site to be successful, we need your help. First off, if you're going on a CF Mission trip this year, see your group leader and BLOG YOUR TRIP! If you're not going, sign up to get the e-mail updates, or subscribe to the RSS Feed. The site launches officially on Saturday, but enjoy the sneak peak and sign up.
In order to support our CF Missionaries, we need the CF Community (and beyond) to get behind them, support them, and pray for them.
Posted at 09:25 PM in Christ Fellowship | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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