RUNwithGOD

Stephen Colbert tackles "Bad Theology"

America's Comedy Central's favorite ultra-conservative comedian takes a crack at liberal religion. Stephen Colbert interviews Bart Ehrman, author of Jesus, Interrupted.

Favorite lines:

• "There's a misinterpretation of Jesus, and you're blaming this on the Early Jews"
• "What's the son of a duck. It's a duck. It it walks like a duck and it quacks like a duck and it raises the dead like a duck, it's a duck."
• "That's why John's last [of the four Gospels]. The first three were rough drafts."
• "Isn't it possible that you're missing the point, and Jesus is an elephant?"

Check out the entire interview below.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Bart Ehrman
colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor NASA Name Contest

UMiami rated Top Party School in America

Okay... twittered this earlier, but it needs a revisit. The University of Miami was voted the Top Party School by America's #1 nudie magazine, Playboy. Link: UMiami Student Newspaper

Thoughts? Well, initially I'm just happy we won at something. I mean, Football's a joke. Basketball streaky. Baseball doesn't live up to it's potential. But hey, at least Miami's coeds know how to PAR-TAY!

Am I surprised? Not really. I'm not in the college scene that much anymore, so it's not like I know from personal experience... myBabyGirls would kill me...

What this is, though, is a symptom of being in this city...
I love that God's called me here...
- to make a dent in this city...
- to help a city that's in dire need...
- to share His love to people that don't know...
God, thank you for the honor of working for you...

For the record, Playboy voted University of Florida the #4 Party School. At least the "U" can beat the Gators in something...

How the Dolphins "Changed the Culture"

So how does a football team go from 1-15 to 11-5 and win their division? They changed their culture.

On Wednesday (12/31/08) at a Dolphin Press Conference, Chad Pennington (#10) was asked about changing the culture. Below is his response.

Coach Sparano has talked about changing the culture to all of us... Trying to help us understand what it actually takes to change the culture... you just can't talk about it. There's a lot of different things you have to take into consideration, and then make it happen... and change. We talked to us about it on individual levels, and he talked to us on a team level. All of our guys have bought in. All of our guys wanted to change the culture. And all of our guys wanted to find out what this winning thing is all about, and what success is all about, and how it creates confidence and momentum...

More in the video embedded below...

Not so long ago, in a CNN Studio not that far away...

Love 'em or hate 'em, it's President-elect Obama. Romans 13:1. And that's all I'm going to say about that...

Check it. Watching the Election coverage Tuesday night I saw one of the coolest things I've ever seen on TV. Will.i.am "beamed" into the CNN studio circe Star Wars' Princess Leia ("Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope...")

Check out the footage below...

Awesome. Check out some of the behind the scenes footage...

It's an exciting time to see what is technologically possible...

World of Warcraft subscribers = Entire population of Ohio

GamePro has the story...

Blizzard Entertainment today announced that total World of Warcraft [WoW] subscribers has surpassed 11 million, equal to the population of the entire state of Ohio, according to 2007 census estimates.

The news comes as anticipation builds for the release of the game's second expansion pack, Wrath of the Lich King, which launches on November 13.

"Since debuting in North America in 2004, World of Warcraft has become the most popular MMORPG in the world," Blizzard announced in a statement today...

World of Warcraft is unique (compared to most games) in that gamers must pay a monthly subscription fee of $13-15 per month to play, in addition to buying the game for $30. The MMO has also drawn criticism from disgruntled spouses and researchers for being abnormally addictive.

Jeff's Thoughts: No word on whether congress is going to allow the WoW state special representation in the Electoral college. Okay, that was stupid...

Yet another stat showing that the 2.0/virtual world is becoming more tangible.

There's 11 million people spending a TON OF TIME hanging out in a virtual world that I know absolutely nothing about... like I got time for that.

Anyone involved in WoW? Does it still live up to the hype? Do you see anyone from the WoW world in the real world? Someone once told me "What happens in Facebook stays in Facebook!" Is that true of WoW? Or does the virtual world bleed into the real one?

Woman Arrested After Killing Virtual Ex-Husband

Wired News has the story...

A 43-year-old Japanese woman, angry over a sudden divorce in the virtual online game Maple Story, has been arrested on suspicion of hacking into the game where she killed her once-virtual husband, authorities said.

Authorities said the Miyazaki woman illegally accessed the game with a password she hijacked from a colleague. That made it appear as if her coworker committed the online murder.

According to The Associated Press, the woman told police: "I was suddenly divorced, without a word of warning. That made me so angry."

The hacking allegation carries a maximum five-year prison term.

Mental note... don't have affairs with people online. 

UPDATE 10/24/08 - 12:02am: Better yet, just don't have affairs...

Polar Bears no longer around the Iceholes...

Bad news for the Polar Bear community... Evidently you are now a "Protected Species". NY Times once again has the article... Unfortunately, the bears aren't being killed off or threatened by the Greenhouse Effect... it's human hunters that are doing the damage.

One thing we have not considered yet is how many of these Polar Bears got magically transported to the LOST Island. Come on! They've got Polar Bears on a tropical island in the South Pacific... They've got Polar Bears in the middle of Afghanistan... Where else have these elusive creatures run off to?

Sad to say, I'm not sure how much longer I'm going to be able to say:

The key to the game is in the name. The name of the game is Polar Bears around the Icehole. Planets around the Sun. Petals around the Flower. And/Or the many wives of Ghengis Kahn.

And while that may mean nothing to most of you, right now a couple hundred 18-26 year olds are letting out a collective "Oh crap! Not again!"

Seriously, save the polar bears!

Obama is like a Mac (no wonder I want to vote for him)

We're all familiar with Apple's Mac vs. PC ad campaign that's been running for three years now. Wow. Great times. Remember that one where PC was dressed like that dork...

Enter the New York Times (gotta love the Times) that recently parodies the Mac vs PC campaign with that of the Democratic Presidential Race... pinning the "Mac" title on Obama, and of course Hillary Clinton gets the always lovable but not that useful title of "PC".

The NY Times article focuses on what each candidate is trying to portray through their online presence. And while the impact of their website may be downplayed, I believe in this 2.0 society the implication is huge.

Obama understands communication, and how sometimes simpler is in fact better. Clinton tries to hammer in too many points, therefore causing Information Overload...

Wow, almost like real life...

XM + Sirius = XRius?

With the start of the Baseball Season, and my semi-addiction to ESPN Radio, I decided to renew my expired Sirius subscription. I actually like XM Radio better than Sirius. When I lived in Texas, I had XM. When I bought my new truck, it had a Sirius radio built in. I liked XM better...

According to the Department of Justice Antitrust Division, XM and Sirius will be merging into one network.

Prepare for XRius network, coming soon to a Satellite Radio near you. All kidding aside, looking forward to MLB and NFL being combined under one Satellite Company. Good job, US Government. Now if you can get around to fixing the economy, that'd be great!

PS - I have no idea if they are going to go with XRius, but maybe I should trademark the name, just to play it safe...

Death... by Cig or Cell?

Wanted to say this up front... not sure if it's valid or not, BUT it's worth a conversation...

From "The Independent"

Mobile phones could kill far more people than smoking or asbestos, a study by an award-winning cancer expert has concluded. He says people should avoid using them wherever possible and that governments and the mobile phone industry must take "immediate steps" to reduce exposure to their radiation.

Professor Khurana – a top neurosurgeon who has received 14 awards over the past 16 years, has published more than three dozen scientific papers – reviewed more than 100 studies on the effects of mobile phones. He has put the results on a brain surgery website, and a paper based on the research is currently being peer-reviewed for publication in a scientific journal.

Noting that malignant brain tumours represent "a life-ending diagnosis", he adds: "We are currently experiencing a reactively unchecked and dangerous situation." He fears that "unless the industry and governments take immediate and decisive steps", the incidence of malignant brain tumours and associated death rate will be observed to rise globally within a decade from now, by which time it may be far too late to intervene medically.

"It is anticipated that this danger has far broader public health ramifications than asbestos and smoking," says Professor Khurana, who told the IoS his assessment is partly based on the fact that three billion people now use the phones worldwide, three times as many as smoke. Smoking kills some five million worldwide each year, and exposure to asbestos is responsible for as many deaths in Britain as road accidents.

Jeff's Take: I've never smoked a cigarette in my life. Never saw the point. However, if the iPhone was found to cause cancer I can honestly say I do not think I could give up the iPhone. Really. It's communicative hold on me is like crack... (trying to think of a creative joke paring up Blackberry/Crackberry, but I just can't get there...)

So tell me. Year is 2010, and the US Department of Health does find that cell phones do increase the risk of brain cancer... Could you give up your cell phone?

WMCU's Losing Battle

We talked about WMCU being bought out by a Classical Music Station months ago, and many, many, many of you shared or emailed your thoughts on the issue. Several were optimistic that the FCC, courts, SOMEONE would override it and bring Christian music back to Miami's Airwaves.

Uh, yeah, that's not going to happen.

The FCC last week came to a decision on the complaints/appeals that were filed by those opposing the sale, and needless to say there isn't much hope left. Every complaint was shot down and SpiritFM's options are depleating. See the FCC's findings.

Not sure if SpiritFM has many options left. Check out SaveWMCU.com for more info on the soap opera that is Christian Radio in Miami.

Rick Warren on Colbert Report

A couple weeks ago I posted a video clip of Tony Campolo's interview on the Colbert Report. Funny stuff.

Before Tony, Rick Warren was interviewed on the Colbert Report... I missed that one too... check out the video.

I'd love to know what Colbert really believes... when he's off the camera. God is not some "vengeful monkey throwing barrels at Super Mario". The interview is a series of softballs lobbed up at Warren, helping Rick define God not as a vengeful, hateful being... but a friendly, personal, loving "Daddy".

After all, "God gets enjoyment out of watching you be you."

Forbes Take on "Sin City"

Forbes.com just released a listing of America's Most Sinful Cities... guess who made the list.

WOOHOO! I have never been so proud!

Forbes took one of the "Seven Deadly Sins" (Aravice, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Sloth, Pride, Wrath) and then analyzed it from a practical standpoint... for instance...

Vanity/Pride... How does one define vanity? Plastic Surgery, according to Forbes. And Miami's general population has 5.2 plastic surgeons for every 100,000 people. That right there is good enough to get us a #3 Ranking Nationwide. We're ranked third! Awesome. Maybe I should get all this fat sucked out?!?

Miami also ranked 10th for Sloth and 10th for Avarice (aka Greed).

Honestly, we fared better than I thought we would. Being from the second-most unchurched counties in America, I was preparing myself for the onslaught of sin.

While some of their "practical analysis" is skewed ("wealthy people must be 'greedy'"), it still makes for good conversation. Check out the lists, with a ton of analysis, at Forbes.com

Larry Norman: At least he was ready...

Got an email from a friend today:

I know he was way before your time, and for that matter, before mine as well, but CCM pioneer Larry Norman died over the weekend at the ripe old age of 61. Most of the current generation have no idea how much this guy impacted the Christian music scene and I was wondering if you planned to blog on Larry?

This one totally snuck up on me as well. I had no idea Larry died, and the fact was confirmed on Larry's website. Larry was from a different era, but his strides in Christian music are instrumental into where we are today.

My favorite from Larry's discography was his song, I Wish We'd All Been Ready. The song, covered several times by DC Talk, help bring awareness to a younger generation. Lyrics are available here. I've included a couple vids below. First is Larry singing I Wish We'd All Been Ready. Second is DC Talk's cover of the same song, including a video tribute to Larry done in the 90s.

Larry, thank you for your gift, your work, your sacrifice. Enjoy your time as you stand before our Father in worship.

Tony Campolo on Colbert Report

Not sure how I missed this the first time around, but Tony Campolo was on the Colbert Report promoting his new book, Red Letter Christians earlier this month... just happened to catch a repeat of the show Monday...

Check it out...

Campolo: The truth is marriage is in trouble in this country. The heterosexuals are getting divorces. The gays... they want to get married. Colbert: So they can get divorced too? They're jealous... they're jealous of our divorces.

Ironically I just brought Red Letter Christians home from the bookstore today and put it on my pile of books to read... or at least start...

40% of Miami-Dade's Registered Christian Voters are registered Democrats. That is a higher percentage than what Tony referenced in his interview (he said 30% nationwide). Interesting concept, and should be an interesting book. More to come, I'm sure...

Superbowl @ Church? What Church?

Last year I posted an article about how the NFL was putting pressure on churches for having unauthorized Superbowl parties. Evidently the NFL believes they should restrict the viewing size of the game (limited to 55 inches), and church projection screens are TOO BIG! There was a great quote from a local pastor that the ruling by the NFL was "totally whack".

Well, times are changing, and now the NFL is allowing Superbowl parties to show on larger screens. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell evidently had a change of heart, or maybe his lawyers told him there's no way to enforce it... who can tell?

Which begs the question... THEORETICALLY next year where do I want to watch the Superbowl... which Christ Fellowship campus will get the nod...

CFPB: Potential huge gathering, electric atmosphere. Theater seating is a plus, sound system a major positive, screens so far away from audience is negative for football viewing.

CFH: Intimate, close family group. CFH is a portable campus and the fact is I'd be stressed that I had to tear everything down after the game.

CFWK: Huge honking screen. CFWK meets in a movie theater, so it really doesn't get any bigger than that. Unfortunately, the screen would likely be showing some chick-flick, and not the game of the year.

CFDT: Arguably the brightest, clearest screen of any in Christ Fellowship. Stained glass and historical landmark do help create the worship environment, but not so much football watching.

CFR: Beautiful screen that takes up more stage space (percentage) than any other screen. Audience is very close to screen. The players will literally be larger than life... Comfortable seats. Intimate atmosphere. And, knowing these guys, they'd be having a barbeque before the game.

It's a tough call for who would win this THEORETICAL contest... Gun to my head, I think I would attend CFR, but more because I'm a sucker for smoked brisket... and knowing that crowd, I bet we could convince them... stay tuned!

What are you doing here?

Thanks to Reuters for the story...

WARSAW (Reuters) - A Polish man got the shock of his life when he visited a brothel and spotted his wife among the establishment's employees. Polish tabloid Super Express said the woman had been making some extra money on the side while telling her husband she worked at a store in a nearby town.

"I was dumfounded. I thought I was dreaming," the husband told the newspaper Wednesday.

The couple, married for 14 years, are now divorcing, the newspaper reported.

(Writing by Chris Borowski, Editing by Matthew Jones)

Rumors of my demise...

A customer comes into the bookstore today, asks for me by name. An employee gets me out of the back office. The customer takes a sigh of relief... "oh thank God you're alive..."

Jeffery Reeb, a 44-year old Florida Native, passed away earlier this week in the Disney Animal Park Theme Park. I'll let the Associated Press tell the story:

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A pre-existing heart condition caused the death of a man who was stricken while riding a Walt Disney World roller coaster, the Orange County medical examiner's office said Wednesday.

Jeffery Reeb, 44, of Navarre, was unresponsive when removed from the Expedition Everest ride at Disney's Animal Kingdom on Tuesday.

He was pronounced dead at Celebration Hospital.

Following Reeb's death, the ride was reopened Tuesday afternoon after an inspection found it was operating properly.

Prior to Reeb's death, at least 15 people had died at Disney's theme parks in Florida and California since 1989, some with previous health conditions.

Jeffery Reeb, never knew ye. Hope the ride was worth the price.

JeffREy ReeD will be @ Disney (as part of the mystery vacation) December 27-31. I'm sure I'll take a stab at Expedition Everest while I'm there. And I'll be trying my best to stay out of AP while I'm on vacation.

Here's to not being #17!

And no, I'm nowhere near 44 years old. Hairline is. Physically not.

UPDATE: 12/20/07 - 8:07pm
PS - There's some confusion to this guy's real name. Some news sources are saying it's Jeffery ReeB, others are saying it's Jeffery ReeD. I dunno. But if it is ReeD, uh, maybe I'm not going on that ride next week.

On another note, it's pretty sad that a guy died a couple days ago... and we're still not sure what his name is!

Netflix and Small Issues

Netflix has changed the face of entertainment. Their online DVD Rental service has put a major dent into many a DVD rental companies profit. However, while Netflix was pursuing big dreams, they forgot one minute detail.

The United States Postal Service.

Netflix uses these really cool envelopes to exchange the DVDs with the customers. Evidently everybody was happy with the design and process, leaving some people wondering "why didn't I think of this before?"

USPS doesn't like them, though. The mailers are not "machine friendly", and the USPS is prepared to slap a fine on Netflix for their past-crimes... $0.17 per envelope. Not that bad, right?

In total, Netflix is looking at $41,900,000 worth of past fines. If Netflix doesn't resolve the issue, they are looking at an additional $61,500,000 worth of fines over the next two years. What would these fees do to Netflix's profit? What profit? In total, this would kill 67% of their profit, and destroy their biz model.

Uh oh.

It's sad how even the smallest detail can kill the grandest of plans. An assumption, an oversight, a misunderstanding. These can weaken or destroy even the strongest of relationships. Sad thing is that if Netflix had addressed this issue years ago, they would not be in as deep as they are now.

The smallest detail can fester into a business-crippling issue, if it's not discussed. Or it can be addressed and dismissed early, when it can do limited damage.

Thanks to Engadget for the story.

Finding God Online

Found an interesting quote referencing "religious experiences" online.

Internet churches and religious webcasts drawing more congregants
Denver Post, 10/19/2007

..."Church is not the Internet or a building — it's people." If the notion that a virtual community can be as real as a physical one seems crazy, you may be showing your age.

Thanks to online shopping, online dating, online social networking and online darn-near-everything-else, many young Americans don't distinguish between their friends from school and those from Facebook.

These youngsters just see them all as friends, said David Kinnaman, president of the Barna Group, a consulting firm that conducts survey research for churches and other religious groups.

In fact, Kinnaman's firm predicts that by 2010, 10 percent of Americans will rely exclusively on the Internet for their religious experience.

But that doesn't necessarily mean attending church services online, Kinnaman said. Young people define spirituality broadly, to include listening to religious music, discussing religion in an online forum, or watching a video sermon on a topic that interests them at that particular moment.

I love it. 10% of Americans will exclusively rely on the Internet to find God. The church has a long way to go before we can effectively reach that 10%.

Disagree with the Denver Post article? I referenced some articles for the other side in a previous post I wrote called Church Cowards and the USA Today. Of course, I was hyper-critical of their views, but I guess you can ignore that part.

In that same vein, let me go ahead and mention digital.leadnet.org's article listing several churches that have a full Internet-campus. Awesome to see how early adopters are pushing the barriers of technology/tradition.

I kicked Dolphin "Fin" & other ramblings

And by fin I mean...

Congrats to my "brother from another mother" Jeff Reed, Pittsburgh Steelers placekicker for ending a very ugly Monday Night Football game against my hometeam Miami Dolphins last night.

Doesn't take much to beat the Dolphins this year. Evidently, only a field goal. Final score, Steelers 3 -- Dolphins 0.

Where's Ricky Williams when you need him? Oh, yeah. Sitting on the bench injured.

At least we got the Canes. Oh, wait.

At least the Heat can make a push, if they can get clearance from the Nursing Home to attend the playoffs.

At least the Marli.... couldn't even finish the sentence.

Wait, I've got it.

At least Barry Bonds is indicted, and may never play ball again. Finally, justice can be served and we can move on with our sports Steroid-free.

Yeah, that'll happen. And the Dolphins will win one.

Hinn, Dollar, Meyer, Copeland, White and Long under Investigation

Another black eye for Christian Retailing this week. An Iowa Senator (Carles Grassley, R) is investigating six televangelists and their finances for possible fraud. The six include: Benny Hinn, Creflo Dollar, Joyce Meyer, Kenneth Copeland, Paula White, and Eddie Long. Check out the AP article for a more complete breakdown. I'll share a brief quote from Grassley:

"I'm following up on complaints from the public and news coverage regarding certain practices at six ministries," Grassley said in a statement Tuesday. "The allegations involve governing boards that aren't independent and allow generous salaries and housing allowances and amenities such as private jets and Rolls Royces."

It's been a rough year for Christians on the national scale. Paula & Randy White. Juanita Bynum & Thomas Weeks. Ted Haggard. Now possibly five more people's ministries could be taken from them. (It could be argued that Paula's testimony was already taken when she divorced her husband because "God told her to.")

At this time, note, there is no information to cast blame, to point a finger. People often say "where there's smoke, there's fire." I personally have been in multiple situations where that was not the case. And I hope that the Senatorial probe answers all questions clearly so, if not true, these people can continue to serve God.

Honestly, though, can the Christian Retailing Industry take another hit? Three of the six authors were in TLW's Top 10. Another is probably the most requested special order we have through the store.

Yesterday, I wrote an article about how Apple was able to reinvent themselves. It's time for Christian Retailing to reinvent themselves. Recently I would have told you that it was time for them to close their doors (as many are). However, there is a benefit, a ministry, a need that we provide.

Just this past week, a mother who just watched her son die came in the bookstore looking for help. We can do things, and go places, that a church might not be able to.

So we are needed. We're not going to throw the baby out with the bath water. But maybe it's time to get some new heroes, some new names, some new diehards. Maybe that's the problem. We're promoting the names instead of the message? Or maybe we just need to forgive these six (if there was misappropriation) and move on with our life?

Honestly, right now I've got more questions than answers. But I do know this: something has to change.

The "Dark" Days of Apple

Ran across some historical views of Apple, and I wanted to share...

Wired.com posts "The 15 Dumbest Apple Predictions of All Time". Highlights include:

"I'd shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders." — Michael Dell in October 1997

"Apple as we know it is cooked. It's so classic. It's so sad." — Stan Dolberg of Forrester Research, quoted by the New York Times in 1996.

"[Apple] seems to have two options. The first is to break itself up, selling the hardware side. The second is to sell the company outright." — The Economist, Feb. 1995

While we're talking about the rejuvenation of Apple, check out Wired's 101 Ways to save Apple. Written over 10 years ago, Wired back then were one of the first (and the few) to dream a bigger, better Apple.

Look where they are now. Apple is being declared the winner of the MAC vs PC debate by Salon.com. Honestly, when is the last time you've heard someone say that Microsoft/PC is better?

And it's just not computers. Apple continues to reinvent itself. iTunes. iPod. Check out this article from Time Magazine, naming the iPhone the Invention of the Year. You tell me. Did it meet the hype? Now Apple is rumored to be going into the TabletPC market. (Honestly, I'm sure they are designing something, but I'd wager it never streets).

Okay, I'm an Apple guy. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to prove that one. But there was a time back in the late 90s and early 2000s that I debated switching. Really! The thing I admire most about Apple is there ability to reinvent themselves. In this technology-saturated market, that is not an easy thing to do. Seeing Apple do it with the iMac, the iPod, the iPhone... it's a great place to be. So much for the end of Apple.

Thanks, Steve, for coming back!

Last Supper - Internet Style

A company called Hal9000 (no, not that Hal9000) has scanned, produced, and released a digital copy DaVinci's Last Supper. The image has been posted on the Internet, allowing users to zoom in on areas and see the painting in extreme detail.

Scholars believe this has opened new developments... for one, they now believe that Judas is carrying a small money pouch under his tunic (evidently it wasn't visible before).

No word on that whole Magdaline thing. Stay tuned.

Thanks to Wired News for the story.

Housecleaning Top 10

Been a busy couple weeks. I've had some people ask why I'm not blogging much lately. Honestly, I'm so busy "living" my life that I really don't have time to write about it. I actually had some "Me time" today to think, process, and overall defunk what's been going on lately.

Let me catch you up:

1) CF Downtown is going great. The Worship Center conversion will be a monumentous (is that a word?) task. Good news is we're developing a multi-phase plan, and what felt like an insurmountable task is slowly starting to come together.

2) C28's is a Key Sponsor for Wayfest happening Saturday, November 10th at the Sound Advice Ampitheater in West Palm Beach. Also as part of Wayfest, C28 West Palm is hosting an intimate artist signing with Seventh Day Slumber and Storyside B... SSB will also be performing an acoustic set in the store. How cool is that!

3) Pray for C28 in general. Most of the stores reside in Southern California, which is currently being ravaged by fire. I was calling one of my reps earlier this week, who told me "Uh, I gotta go. My backyard's on fire and we gotta get out of the house." Crazy. Absolutely crazy.

4) There are some new CF Bloggers, and I can personally recommend both of these guys. Carlos Lollett is the worship leader for CF West Kendall, and Berchman Paul is the worship leader for CF Homestead. Thanks to E for the reminder.

5) Wanna make God laugh, make plans! The old adage has really rung true in my life over the past month. It seems as if God is content keeping me running. So we'll keep running. God, I trust that you know what You are doing in my life. Keep opening doors and I'll keep running through them.

6) Anyone see Joel Osteen bench 300lbs on TV recently? I've had multiple people tell me they saw him do it. I can't find the video on YouTube, and I'm going to pull a doubting Thomas until I see him do it. The man is a beanpole (albeit an extremely rich beanpole) and I do not see how he could throw that weight up. 300lbs on his chest would break him like a twig.

7) I'm mentally working through a blog redesign for the site. Not like I got time to do the work, but maybe I'll get a day off in December and can have fun with it then.

8) There's a good chance I will be at four different church locations this Sunday. No, not kidding. I'll be sure to blog my day. I think it may be a 200 mile day. WooHoo!

9) Are you celebrating Halloween this year? If the secular world has taken Christ out of Christmas, is it possible that we have commercialized Satan's holiday as well to the point that children getting free candy is no longer glorifying to Satan either? (Don't know the answer, just thinking...)

10) God-sized news this weekend @ CF. Eric's teasing the info again. Come celebrate with us and see how God is moving across Miami.

Church Cowards and the USA Today

USA Today ran an article on Wednesday entitled Some search for church by way of the Web. If you still buy the physical paper, I'm told it's on D8.

Nothing groundbreaking. Let me give you highlights.

"82% of churches with more than 200 worship attendees have a website." That could be an impressive stat. coming from a guy that started a company that built websites exclusively for churches, this is misleading. I cannot tell you how many pastors I talked to over the years who would say something to the extent of "Why should I pay you to do this when my 10 year old (Please, no more 10 year old jokes relating to my iPhone irrelevance.) can do the same thing with Microsoft Frontpage)." So, while 82% of them have websites, what are they broadcasting on them? How/What are they connecting to the culture/their target audience.

To continue quoting the article:

Semblance of a connection

This reality leaves [Steve Clark, Pastor: Evangelical Free Church of Salt Lake City] with mixed feelings. On one hand, he's glad to be communicating with people far and wide. But he also is concerned about offering a tool that creates the semblance of a spiritual connection but doesn't ultimately satisfy a thirst for God.

"It definitely concerns me if it stops there," Clark says. "That's not actually attending church. You miss the benefits of community, of being with other people who will correct and encourage you."

I totally and completely disagree with this. Are you not surprised?

You don't think community can be created online?
Tell that to the 120 people who are my friends on Facebook.

You don't think the Internet can create a venue where people can communicate, correct, and encourage?
Um, ever been on a blog? Discussion Board? Forum? Ever sent an e-mail? Ever talked via IM? All of these are viable communication forms that enable us to communicate, correct, and encourage.

I have friends across this country that I keep up with on a regular basis. We talk, we share, we pray... rarely is communication verbal. More often than not, its text-based communication via the Internet.

What's frustrating to me is that we are NOT doing things differently than the early church did. The Media Small Group I lead is going through II Corinthians. IIC is basically Paul encouraging and correcting the church in Corinth. (More correcting than encouraging, but both play a part). Did Paul do this face to face? No. He tried to, but unforseen jail time prevented him from making the trip.

So what did Paul do. He wrote a letter. Text communication. Paul didn't abandon the church he started. He didn't say "you need to figure out your problems on your own." He didn't say "Find someone else to solve your problems". He communicated with them the best way he knew how. He wrote a letter.

To quote Tom Bandy, EasumBandy & Associates (Church Consulting Company) from the USA Today Article:

"The Web has allowed people to be cowards about profound religion," says Bandy. "It allows us to hide behind our e-mail, jargon names, URLs and stuff like that. But religion is really an act of courage — to submit, to surrender, to be vulnerable to the other, to that which is beyond yourself."

Yes, people will hide behind usernames (what's a jargon name?). But they're probably hiding from judgmental Christians who would criticize them for their mistakes, views, etc. These people are searching, seeking... they oftentimes are being vulnerable. But no, really, thank you for limiting the spiritual depth of thousands of people across America who use the Internet to communicate and invest in people's livevs.

Funny. I never viewed Paul as a coward. I guess he was, though, because what he said he didn't say face to face. Maybe I'm a coward too, for saying what I say via this blog. Maybe being a coward is a great place to be.

I'll wrap this up with a quote from Paul. II Corinthians 1:13-14 "For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ."

Million Dollar Baby, er Fraud

I'm sorry, I saw this coming. Check out the story via CBSNews:

Man Jailed In Pittsburgh After Trying To Pass Off $1 Million Bill At Grocery Store

PITTSBURGH, Oct. 9, 2007

(AP) Change for a million?

That's what a man was seeking Saturday when he handed a $1 million bill to a cashier at a Pittsburgh supermarket. But when the Giant Eagle employee refused and a manager confiscated the bogus bill, the man flew into a rage, police said.

The man slammed an electronic funds-transfer machine into the counter and reached for a scanner gun, police said.

Police arrested the man, who was not carrying identification and has refused to give his name to authorities. He is being held in the Allegheny County Jail.

Since 1969, the $100 bill is the largest note in circulation.

Police believe the $1 million note seized at the supermarket may have originated at a Dallas-based ministry. Last year, the ministry distributed thousands of religious pamphlets with a picture of President Grover Cleveland on a $1 million bill.

Jeff's Take: We used to sell these at the bookstore. They legitimately looked real. Not real enough to think "hey, I could create a scam using these," but real enough to do a double take.

Okay, only a moron would try to cash out a million dollar bill on one side, and on the other text saying "Jesus loves you." The only moron bigger than that is the employee that would actually cash the fake million dollar bill. The only moron bigger than that guy is the manager of the store that has a million dollars in change in the register to allow the moronic employee to create change for the moronic guy who thinks he can trade in a witnessing tract for a million dollars!

Thankfully, there was only one moron here. And that's the moron that didn't take off running when the gig was up.

Truthfully, I just wanted to see how many times I could say moron in a post. Thanks!

Thanks to Anne Jackson for the story.

Marketshare, Macs, and Worship 2.0

Oh, I'm loving this. Don't know whether Mac is "trendy" or we're looking at a new generation of computer users that haven't been brainwashed by Microsoft...

According to recent surveys on college campuses, college freshmen are flocking to Macs in record numbers. Up to 55% of college users prefer Macs.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the future.
It's a beautiful sight.

Aside from that, though, it's amazing to me that that many college students have laptops they use in class. Honestly, I graduated from college in 1999. I took my laptop to class maybe a half-dozen times. Mind you my Macintosh Laptop back then weighed 16 lbs (not kidding) but times are changing... always changing.

A question has been batting around my head for a couple years now... how can we incorporate this laptop-driven society into a worship service? All those laptop screens offer another avenue for people to connect... Is it possible to create a worship experience that can reach the televisiophonernetting society, live? Can we create a live, multi-sensory worship experience that is interactive in addition to educational, informational, and spritual? (Note: Don't have an answer. Just talking...)

Thanks to Cult of Mac for the photo.

Thank You, WMCU

This news will hit the Chrisitan Community in Miami Wednesday, but it's public knowledge in the webosphere...

WMCU (aka SpiritFM) has been sold. SpiritFM has served as a Pop/Contemporary music station in the Miami area for longer than I can remember. And now a staple, a voice that aimed to strengthen it's listeners for the Cause of Christ... is being silenced.

According to reports, WMCU was purchased for $20 million... sold to American Public Media Group. Instead of Christian Radio, APMG will be broadcasting classical music.

Wow. Classical. Really?

As a supporter of WMCU Radio, I will miss the Christian influence that it brought to South Florida. Thank you for investing into the community. Those of you that worked at the station, may God open doors for you and continue to guide your paths.

For more information, check out APMG's Press Release online.

For those of you that were supporters of Christian Radio in Miami, may I recommend 91.9 CallFM? While CallFM may be "slightly more edgy" than WMCU, I think you'll find the staff hugely evangelic, driven to reach the younger generations with the message of Christ! So, while you're going through SpiritFM withdrawls in the coming weeks, turn the dial to 91.9fm and give it a try.

Thank You, WMCU, for your efforts in South Florida. You will be sorely missed.

Steadfast in Christ,

Jeff Reed
The Living Word Christian Bookstore

The most important thing... FAITH?

I met someone today who says to me, "I read your blog...". My response to readers in real life is always awkward... Honestly, if you read my stuff, don't tell me. I'm better off not knowing. I mumbled something stupid in response... Anyway, he went on to say "I try to keep up on all the Christ Fellowship Blogs." My response once again, awkward, "oh, I'm not a Christ Fellowship Blog."

CF plays a very important - and increasing - role in my life. But please, understand that while I may spout crazy nonsense about how Apple will take over the world, or how "infrastructure" is the new buzz word... I never claim to have the answers about God. I try (and occasionally succeed) in helping to create an avenue to "Connect people to God." That doesn't mean that I'm an expert in GOD. I ask a lot of questions. My prayer life has become a Q&A session with God.

This post is about a question I do not know the answer to.

Republican President John McCain was recently quoted talking about his faith. Honestly, I have no idea as to the ethics or morals of McCain. It's not important to this blog. I do, however, want to look at two of his statements...

1) "The most important thing is that I am a Christian."

2) "It [My faith] plays a role in my life. By the way, I'm not Episcopalian. I'm Baptist. Do I advertise my faith? Do I talk about it all the time? No."

Let me walk you through my train of thought.

- McCain doesn't buy into the denominationalism that is literally tearing the body of Christ apart! Awesome. Really, I believe this is a good thing. Good for you, McCain. Way to make your faith real.

- McCain says being a Christian is the most important thing in his life, but he doesn't advertise it. Wait, I'm not sure I'm okay with that. The most important thing in your life, but you don't tell people? I'll be honest. In the grand scheme of things, Apple is like #7 in my priority list. But if you know me, you know I bleed AppleJuice. (Sorry for the pun). How can one be a Christian and not have the grace of God radiating through their skin to the point where they ache to tell others about the change that Christ has brought into their lives. McCain is talking political crap here. Move on.

- Wait. So McCain is not an evangelical beast... so he's not witnessing to people like crazy and hasn't started a church yet... He's in politics, and therefore in the business of not offending people. And we know that our faith is offensive to people... maybe he's missional in sharing his faith. Should it be a requisite that all Presidents need to recite the Romans Road by memory? I don't think so...

- Honestly, I struggle with this. As a Christian, do I want to vote for a President that is a Christian just because he's a Christian. My gut says yes, but then I read Romans 13, where Paul implies that God has established all governing authorities. Wow, even the democrats and liberals? Sure. Maybe He can use the left-wing to some extent... Wait, all governing bodies? Even Hussein? Stalin? Hitler?

All of a sudden I don't like where my questions take me. All this because McCain doesn't advertise his faith. Stupid McCain...

What do you think. My readers are predominately Chrisitans, although I've heard from some spiritual skeptics along the way... How important is Faith in context of leadership, especially in Government?

iPhone, Fourth Generation?

During the night, Apple had a press conference in England, where they announced they are releasing the iPhone in the UK. Here's the story from MacWorld. At the end of the news story, Steve shares some insight into the future of iPhone...

Jobs said the company is really focused on the iPhone and developing the device.

“We’re already working on the next iPhone, and the one after that,” Jobs said, adding, “and we’re already thinking about the one after that.”

I love the fact that Apple is physically "working" on iPhone v2, and iPhone v3. AND THEN they are dreaming of iPhone v4. While some are worried about the iPhone's impact, Steve's able to look ahead and see that the success will come, and is investing resources into making the future "v"s great...

Wow, wish I had that kind of faith...

Marlins play in front of Little League Crowd

I mentioned the other day that I went to a Marlins Game... there were about 3,000 in attendance Tuesday night. For Wednesday's day game, however, attendance dropped to 400 people.

I'll let Mike Phillips with the Miami Herald share the story...

The estimates of people in the stands ranged in the 400 neighborhood, and about half that were on hand to see Todd Linden's game-winning hit in the 12th inning, a grounder that snaked its way through the middle of the infield to bring home pinch-runner Reggie Abercrombie to result in a 5-4 victory over the Washington Nationals... The announced paid crowd was 10,121, but most of them stayed home. When the game ended, there were nine people in the outfield bleachers and about 200 around the stadium. ''It's a little sad that you can play where you can count the people in the stands,'' Marlins first baseman Mike Jacobs said. "But that's the way it is down here, and it's not going to change until we get a new stadium..."

Quite literally, more people attend one of CF's Weekend Worship Services than saw the Marlins play. How sad is that. I've played Little League Baseball Games in a larger crowd than what the Marlins saw Wednesday during the day.

What's the point? When you have Quality Issues (the Marlins stink) Environment Issues (ever sat in the SoFL sun, no shade, for 4 hours?) and Economic Issues (how much are you charging to park here?) evidently people won't show up.

Huh. Whowoudathunkit?

Lessons from a minor leaguer...

I went to a Marlins game Tuesday night. It was my dad's birthday... he unfortunately has to share his birthday with 9/11... It was good to take a night off and have fun at the ballpark. Unfortunately, the Marlins were playing...

Anyway, it was an interesting experience. Sitting in a 70,000 person stadium that had maybe 3,000 people in attendance. Sound system broke (bad amp, bad cable?) in about the 4th inning, so there was no music, no PA system for the rest of the game. It was really surreal.

Let me tell you what I took away from the game. Paul Hoover. Paul is a backup catcher for the Marlins. He's 31 years old, bounced around in minor leagues all his life, and has played a whopping 13 games (31 at bats) in the majors his entire life. In the past five years he has played a total five games.

In short, never heard of the guy.

Which is what attracted me to him. First at bat (2nd inning), he lines a single into left field. Second at bat (third inning), double into center. Who is this guy again? Two for two in his first major leage game in a year? Unfortunately, no one was on when he got these hits, but he did score a run! He was contributing to the process.

So in the fifth inning Hoover gets up with bases loaded. I pull out my trusty iPhone and reference marlins.com for stats... he's never hit a major league home run. Never. Well, dangit, Paul's about to hit a Grand Slam...

This is it, Paul. Come on baby. Prove you can do this. Hit it for us other "loser" 30 year former baseball players that never made it to the majors. Nail it. Grand slam. Wait, Paul, why are you swinging at that crap. If you had a tennis raquet you couldn't hit that. And what were you thinking when you swung at that second pitch? A sand wedge would have been more useful... Oh Paul... Paul, why did you hit an infield fly (pictured right) to end the inning.

All kidding aside, the guy went two for five. Awesome game for a newbie. But what I learned from the situation was that when he succeeded, it didn't matter. There was nothing at stake. When an opportunity arose for him to make a name for himself, he couldn't. Every boy dreams of hitting the grand slam in the majors. For Paul, he couldn't capitalize on making that dream a reality. Now he has to hope that opportunity will open up again at a later point.

In our Small Group tonight we talked about following the Spirit, filtering out the world's "noise" and taking advantage of opportunities the Holy Spirit opens up for us. My hope and prayer is that we would follow His guidance, and try to reach out to those around us with the love of Christ. God, continue to open opportunities to us. Allow us to see our home, our work, our school, our city, our life through a Spiritual Lense and truly see how much our city needs You. Then give us the ability, strength, and persistence to tell them about You!

Michael Vick Jury Selected

Thanks to Michael Zambrano for the find.

Paula and Randy White Divorcing

The Christian "Industry" (I really hate to call it that) is taking a pounding. Megachurch pastors Randy and Paula White announced this past week they are filing for a divorce.

"It is the most difficult decision that I have had to make in my entire life," said the Rev. Randy White, 49. "I take full responsibility for a failed marriage - 100 percent. I don't blame Paula, and I don't blame other parties. But as the man of the house, I take full responsibility for that."

I've discussed this with Ted Haggard. It was just a couple days ago that we discussed it with Juanita Bynum/Thomas Weeks.

And now we're back here again. People who are supposed to be living the example of a Godly life, failing. Paula has a huge following nationally through her books, video and TV ministry, and is easily in the top five female authors coming out of The Living Word. Randy is well known as well (he's famous for doing the Pamela Anderson/Kid Rock wedding... and we all know how that ended...)

The real question I want to ask is: Why is this happening? Are people taking ministry positions they shouldn't have? Are they being thrust into the national limelight that they are not prepared for? Are they living their lives for ego, or for God? Or is Satan doing a very good job at dismantling powerful, God-fearing tools for the Kingdom?

Halo 2: Bible Edition

As a video game lover, and former youthworker, I just had to give this more attention than a simple link!

Check out Halo 2- Bible Edition coming soon to a Christian Bookstore near you! (Lord, help us all!)

Thanks to tominthebox news for breaking this story...





UPDATE: Halo 2 Bible Edition is a satire on Video Games and Christianity. I thought about leaving it open for you to come to your own conclusion, but I could so see someone calling my bookstore wanting to order this, and getting really frustrated when my employees broke into hysterics.

Thomas Weeks forgot to read his book...

When I bought The Living Word back in 2003, the best-selling book was Thomas Week's Teach Me How To Love You. Thomas is married to Juanita Bynum, a well known evangelist, recording artist, and author. Together, they were Pastors of a church they co-founded in Duluth, Georgia called Global Destiny Church. Teach Me How To Love You is a book about their relationship, how it started, and how to become a "Godly Mate" to your spouse. Sounds good, right?

Weeks and Bynum made the news earlier today. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Juanita was severly beat by her now estranged husband in a hotel parking lot. Another story gone bad. Feels like we were just having this conversation about Ted Haggard.

Rule of thumb, I guess, is if you're going to write a book about Christian Marriages, make sure you're marriage is strong enough to handle it.

God, help us to live a life worthy of Your sacrifice. Give us the patience to work through problems and the strength to deal with the consequences of our actions.

Online Love Triangle & the Church

I ran across a story in the Wall Street Journal that I really wanted to share. I've been trying to figure out how to spin it.

Second Life, if you're not familiar, is a virtual fantasy world. It's an Interactive role-playing game of sorts. It's a real life simulation. The game isn't filled with warriors with swords or monsters or aliens. The characters look and act like normal people, and in fact are all controlled by real people. Millions of people have a "second life" in Second Life. They work jobs. Have relationships. Go to church. Go to concerts. Spend money. All in a video game. It's technological escapism. You don't like your life. Create a new one online, and pretend.

But at what point does a game stop being a game? The WSJ shares the story of Ric Hoogestraat. Ric plays Second Life six hours a night and up to fourteen hours on weekends. He uses the game to escape his regular life. See, Ric is married to Sue Hoogestraat in real life, but to Janet Spielman in Second Life. Ric's character, Dutch Hoorenbeck proposed, married and lives with Janet's character - Tenaj Jackalope. Their Second Life marriage is so legit that Sue has caught her husband having "cartoon sex" with his Second Life wife via the computer game...

Read the WSJ article to get the insight on the online love triangle. It shows everything that is wrong with technology.

I've been researching Internet Churches lately... reading blogs, articles, books, talking to people... and what I'm hearing more often than not is that people cannot connect to God via the Internet? Their Reasons? The Internet isn't intimate enough. People put up a facade. You don't really get to know people unless you see them face to face. Physical (face to face) contact is necessary. How can you fellowship through a computer?

Tell Sue Hoogestraat that the Internet isn't intimate. Which is Ric's facaade? The one Sue sees or the one that Janet sees. If physical (face to face) contact is necessary, then Ric and Janet's relationship is completely legit and the two of them are just playing a computer game... right? They're just cartoon characters on a computer screen.

Unfortunately, I think most of us don't think that's the case. And that's the problem with technology and the church. We are so quick to condemn it because of it's weaknesses, but we to afraid to work with it, to tame it so that we can take advantage of its strengths.

Thanks to the Wikinomics Blog for the WSJ article.

Brothers Under Christ vs. UFlorida, Revisited

About a month ago I blogged on Brothers Under Christ (BYX - a Christian Fraternity) and their struggle to set up their organization on the University of Florida campus. BYX is on a number of campuses across the Bible belt. I am actually an old "Buxer" from back in the day...

Reason this is being revisited is that FOXNews has been running a story today on BYX's struggle, and for the most part is siding with BYX... You can see the video clip here.

I've been informed by the BYX information that on Tuesday (8/14) FOXNews will be running an interview with the students that want to bring BYX onto UF's campus...

From all reports, FOX is spinning the article in a positive way for BYX, which is a great thing to see. Plus, there is no such thing as bad publicity... maybe this will usher in BYX on other campuses (outside the Bible Belt).

Stay tuned!

iPhone Surgery, Revisited

I bit. I'm sorry. The iPhone Surgery DID NOT HAPPEN, AND WAS A WEB HOAX. North Denver News, I don't even know if you're legit or what, but AWESOME!

Evidently I'm a sucker. They lobbed up a softball at me and I hit it out of the park (and I did it w/o steroids too!) Honestly, I verified the story with several "more established" news websites, but they bit too! The whole thing felt a little freakish, and honestly I'll "try" to sleep better at night knowing it wasn't true. In typical Jeff fashion, though, if I'm going to crash better to crash hard!

What's worse is I found it was a hoax when I was searching the Internet trying to find a picture of the freak's freakish thumbs when I was surfing the net at 2:45am...

I retract the iPhone Surgery blog post, but will leave it online as a testimony that I was beat by satirical geniuses... Congrats to you guys for working many bloggers into a frenzy. To Barry Bonds: I retract nothing and still look forward to a baseball season where I do not have to hear your name.

Thanks again to Anthony Kirchner for feeding me mis-information. HA! That's what I get for getting on Facebook. I get caught up with an old college buddy from an freshman Bible Study I taught years ago, and next thing I know I'm writting a formal apology on my blog... now if I find out (however unlikely) that Anthony was in on the prank...

Man has "iPhone Surgery"

UPDATE AUGUST 13, 2007: I formally retract this blog. Find out why.

There are very few things in life that truly disturb me. This is one of them:

To quote CBNNews.com...

Man Has Thumbs Altered to Use iPhone

CBNNews.com - A Colorado man recently had radical surgery on his thumbs to use his apple iPhone more easily.

Thomas Martel was having a hard time using the tiny features on his new iPhone with his large hands, The North Denver News reports.

"From my old Treo, to my Blackberry, to this new iPhone, I had a hard time hitting the right buttons, and I always lost those little styluses," The North Denver News quoted Martel.

So he had his thumbs scaled down with a new technique called whittling.

Doctors made a small cut in both thumbs and then shaved the bones. Afterwards they adjusted the muscles and fingernails.

"Sure, the procedure was expensive," he said. "But when I think of all the time I save by being able to use modern handhelds so much faster, I really think the surgery will pay for itself in ten to fifteen years. And what it's saving me in frustration - that's priceless."

Uh, yeah. Is anyone else mortified? He hacked up his hands and shaved bone away so he can type on an iPhone! Listen, I'm Apple's #1 fan. I've got more gadgets than I know what to do with. I'm as wired as they get. I've also got huge hands. I'm a former football player (Offensive Line) that can palm a basketball no problem... But I'm not going to shave bone off my fingers so I can use an iPhone quicker than normal.

Come on! The thing has built in spellcheck! Really! You type wurhim and it knows the word you meant to type is "within". How much of a freak are you that you would rather go through physical pain than mistype a word in your phone!

I'm besides myself. Can you tell?

Get's better: Evidently the guy is now walking around with big fingers, tiny thumbs... To quote the North Denver News...

While Martel's new thumbs now appear small and effeminate in comparison to his otherwise very large hands, he says he can still lift "pretty much anything I could lift before the surgery - though opening spaghetti sauce jars has been a problem. That was a big surprise."

I cannot believe we live in a culture where people are driven to succeed, to get ahead no matter the cost, even if it will cost them physical damage in the future. Or, for that matter, the ability to upen spaghetti sauce jars!

In other news (totally unrelated, of course), congratulations to Barry Bonds for his record breaking 756th Home Run. Now that Barry has finally hit the long ball, maybe he'll fade into his steroid-ridden, HGH-obsessed oblivion and us baseball purists can get back to a game where we're not obsessing over cheaters and other illegal-medical marvels. Barry, I hope the title you carry is worth the damages your body goes through.

Thanks to Anthony Kirchner, Facebook Friend and CBN employee, for tipping me off on the thin-thumbed iPhone fanatic.

The Cesspool known as MySpace

According to a recent post on Macworld's Blog:

News Corp.’s popular MySpace.com social networking site hosted Web pages for at least 29,000 known sex offenders as of July 2007, North Carolina’s Attorney General said Tuesday.

North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper’s office said in a statement that based on MySpace’s own estimates, the number of registered sex offenders with MySpace pages under their own names was four times more than the company’s previous estimate.
...
The site has come under attack not only for the risque content posted by some of its members, but by allegedly providing a venue for sexual predators targeting children. Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal estimated in May that at least 5,000 sex offenders were registered for MySpace using their own names, with an unknown number using false identities.

A rude reminder that "the church" is not the only power out there using the Internet.

Franklin Graham Crusade in Kiev

While Amy is in Ukraine, she and the rest of the group were going to stay in Kiev to help out with the Franklin Graham Crusade... She's posted an update on CFMissions.org, but we're also getting word of the crusade stateside... so I wanted to share an article with you on that...

Quoting The Church Report...

Over 120,000 Attend Franklin Graham's Ukraine Festival

The Franklin Graham Festival in Kiev, Ukraine, drew more than 120,000 to Olympic Stadium. This weekend event was a nationwide expression of religious freedom for those who were formerly subjugated to strict communist rule. This event would not have been possible 16 years ago.

The Festival on July 6-8 drew 124,586 people to Keiv with more that 107,000 participating in the event via live satellite broadcast in 104 additional venues across the country. Some attendees traveled 17 hours one way just to attend the event. The second night of the festival saw more that 40,000 people standing in the rain as thousands filled the field at the end of Graham’s message. By the end of the event, 6,694 people responded to the invitation to follow Christ.

“For years, Samaritan’s Purse has used the Ukrainian Antonov airplane to transport hundreds of thousands of our Operation Christmas Child shoe box gifts,” said Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse. “Now I am here in your country, not because of the Antonov, but because of the Gospel, the good news that you can have spiritual freedom found in Jesus Christ.”

The president of Ukraine sent his Presidential Orchestra, and in an official written welcome to Franklin Graham and the Festival said: “This Festival is one of the greatest things that can bring us closer together. Thank you for all the work you are doing here. May God bless you.” This is a stark contrast to the region’s religious restrictions under communism.

In conjunction with the Festival, Graham’s Operation Christmas Child project handed out some of the more than 100,000 gift-filled shoe boxes to needy children in Ukraine. Graham visited with poor children and orphans at a local charity hospital where he also hand-delivered the shoe box gifts.

$10,000 tip not a "case of misplaced decimal"

Meet Jessica Osborne, 20 year old waitress at an Angola, Indiana Pizza Hut. Why is she on my blog? Somebody just tipped her $10,000 so that she can go to college.

Here's the deal. Mom and two sons come into the restaurant at least once a week if not more, and eat pizza. Every time they come in, they ask for Jessica, by name, to be their server, then chat about their lives when she had the chance to talk. During one of their talks, Jessica shared how she's struggled to do the college thing because of lack of funds. She was even contemplating a move... The family responds with a $10,000 check, folded in half, and slid across the table.

As much as we as Christians focus on the depravity of man, isn't this awesome! When reading this article I found myself wishing/praying this mom and her sons are Chrisitans, because this is probably the most MISSIONAL thing I have EVER HEARD! They build a relationship with someone they are not directly connected to. They talk. They listen. They befriend. And when the opportunity is right, they share.

Mom and kids, whoever you are, thanks for living as an example/symbol of how Chistians can interact with the world.

FoxNews has the story, so go to them to get more than just my slice.

Marriage Advice from Haggard

I was doing some spring cleaning at the bookstore, returning older stock, and I ran across a copy of from this day forward: making your vows last a lifetime" by Ted & Gayle Haggard. You, of course, will remember Ted as the head of the Evangelical organization, pastor of a megachurch in Colorado Springs, CO who had a scandal several months ago surrounding methamphetamine usage and an ongoing homosexual relationship with male escort Mike Jones.

from this day forward discusses a Biblical marriage relationship, how God created marriage, structured it so that it would be a symbol of Christ and the church. Honestly, it's not a bad book.

Does anyone else catch the irony of this situation? from this day forward was published in April 2006. November 2006, Haggard was a household name as the story broke surronding him and Mike Jones, and the advice that Haggard probably wrote in this book went out the window. (In fact, Jones said the relationship went for three years. So when this book was being written/published, Haggard was literally cheating on his wife with another man).

I don't want to delve into the story.
I do, however, have a dilemma.
What do I do with this book?

It's not a bad book. The truths in here are good. Here are some quotes.

* If we live according to God's plans, we receive blessings that benefit us and our family and extend to future generations.

* The goal is for a wedding to brim with significance for the bride, groom, weding party and guests so that everyone can understand the holy solemnity and joy God intended for marriage.

* Every couple must determine the mission and calling of the family, and commit to be joined together for that purpose.

* In marriage, the husband sacrifices his life, and the wife responds by laying her life down, too.

That's good, right? It may be that because Amy's in Ukraine I'm a little more sappy romantic, but if I was to give people advice, I would say something like that. This tells me that the truths in here are valid. Biblical grounded.

"But Haggard's a hypocrite." So because he's a hypocrite and didn't mean these words I should just throw the book away, right? It's trash and he's a sinner. Burn in Hell, Haggard!

Wait, I'm a hypocrite too! I'm a sinner, like him, forgiven by grace. Aren't we all sinners, really? Have we lived a perfect, sinless life? How can I advise someone on something when I, too, have made mistakes in the eyes of God. So I should sell it.

But by selling it I am endorsing a man who wrote a book making his vows last a lifetime, yet was cheating on his wife when he wrote it. Not exactly a good role model for my customers.

See my dilemma?

Haggard had another quote that I find valid:

* No matter what or who we are today, by the grace of God and the forgiveness of Christ, we can become something more, something better.

I hope in time Haggard's wife, children, church and the Christian community will forgive Haggard. Through Christ, we know God will...

If you were me, what would you do with this book?

I (not love) Barry Bonds

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.

Ten Commandments of Driving, Revisited

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.

Devil who?

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.

10 Commandments for Driving

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...

iPhone Coming June 29th

Forgive me. I haven't been this excited about technology in a long time.

Apple's iPhone is scheduled to be released June 29th.
I repeat, iPhone releases June 29th.

Apple, Inc. started a new TV Campaign (coupled with AT&T/Cingular), announcing the release date of the 29th.

Did I mention the 29th?

I will have confirmation soon as to my availability and discounts (if applicable). Believe me, when I know - you'll know. As a certified Apple Biz Consultant, I MAY be able to get a break. Haven't heard yet. If you want me to fight to get a phone for you, let me know. If you've told me recently, I already have you on my list.

Thanks to Joy of Tech once again for the comic.