Category: Stuff (Page 7 of 65)

I had heard about the 40 Day Fast last year and was seriously interested in it. This year is is starting back for the second year, and I’m going to be a part of it. Here’s the lowdown: a group of 40 bloggers (actually this year it’s two teams of 40 bloggers each) compose a schedule. And for what ever day the blogger is assigned they will blog about an area of need in the world (either a cause or a country) and an organization that strives to meet that need. And they will also fast and pray that day for that need and that organization.

The purpose behind it is to give people an opportunity to:
1. Experience a bit of need
2. Learn about the need in the world
3. Do something about it

So be checking out the widget over on the right side. There will be a link to who is fasting for the day. Be sure to check them out. Do a little thinking. and some praying as well. And if you’re interested in participating as well (the 2nd team isn’t completely full yet) let the organizers know.

I’ve worked in/at churches for over a decade now. So that’s all my children have come to understand. When I went to the office, I would drive to the church building. When we went to a church service, it was at the church building. And for the last 3 years before moving to Oxford, the church building was the big stone building across from Newk’s on Hwy 80 in Clinton. That was church to my daughter.

But now our Church in in Oxford. But we don’t have a building of our own. So when I go to the office, it’s in a building over on Molly Barr Road. And we have church in The Powerhouse which is the community arts building here in town. So when my 7 year old says “are you going to the church”, I try to explain that I’m going to church, but not “the church building”, but that we meet as a church in The Powerhouse. After a few rounds of repeating that every time she said “what do you mean” I realized I needed to change tactics.

To her, “church” is a building where you meet and do stuff “churchy”. She’s not grasped the concept that “The Church” is really people following after Christ. That we, as the Church, are His body. But I don’t think my 7 year old is alone in this. I think that it’s quite the common mindset of a lot of church goers that we “go to church” and even “do church”, but quite often are not near as focused on “being the church”.

Does that make sense at all? God loves for us to gather in one place [maybe a building] and worship corporately together. But we should be “the Church” even when we’re at the ball fields and in the cafeteria and out on the town.

So as I try to show my own children that being the church is just as important [more?] as going to church, I’m asking God to show me the same thing as well.

Here are some good questions to ask yourself now and then. I found then stuck away in my Bible from a meeting. But I realize I need to look over these very frequently. And these are good to share with a friend as well.

• How is your prayer life?
• How is your personal Bible study, scripture memory?
• How is your obedience? Following Jesus closely; any sin you love more than GOD?
• How is your LOVE life? Pure; loving others in Jesus’ name?
• How is your character? Is the Holy Spirit evident? Are you tired – or resting in Him?
• How is your lifestyle evangelism? Told any about Christ lately? Would they believe you?
• Counted the cost of commitment to follow Jesus? Is Jesus first in all relationships; above all and in all? is Christ more important that your possessions?: Are your personal goals under his Lordship?

Are there any you think need to be added?

Oxford, Mississippi could be known for a lot of things. One of those things is “The Square.” The Courthouse Square sits in the center of town just a few blocks up from the campus of UMiss. It is full of shops and stores and restaurants and clubs and law offices.

The summers that I worked at Camp Lake Stephens I’d often times come look around The Square at Uncle Buck’s (a music store that is no longer there) or look in an art gallery or two. I always stopped in Square Books or Off Square Books too. The Square can be a very cool place. Lots of good eats.

Anyhow, I found this short video that highlights The Square. And it just so happens to be hosted by a friend of mine, Micah Ginn. Enjoy

For the summer The Orchard here in Oxford is moving to one Sunday service only. This is for a few different reasons, and was a difficult decision. And one that raised the next question of if we’re only going to have one service, then do we have an evening service or a morning. We settled on the morning service. And you know what that means, right?

That means that for the first time in the last eleven years of my life I do not have church responsibilities on Sunday evenings. I can’t wrap my mind around it yet, but today is the first one of the summer. So now I might go swimming or take a late afternoon nap, or go out to eat, or rent a movie or a host of other things.

But as much as I look forward to some Sunday evenings off, I think I may already be looking forward to some fall Sunday nights with people walking across the parking lot and through the doors of The Powerhouse for church.

But by now most people know about the tragic accident where Steven Curtis Chapman’s youngest daughter, Maria, was hit by a vehicle in the driveway of their home yesterday evening. The vehicle was driven by an older brother, and the girl had just turned five years old less than two weeks ago.

I ache for the parents who are missing a child now. I cannot wrap myself around what they must be going through as they miss their little girl. But I ache too for the older brother who is experiencing a heaviness of life that is immeasurable. And then again for Steven and Mary Beth as they are their for their son. It hurts both my head and my heart to try and comprehend the range of emotions and thoughts that are happening inside the family. So pray for them.

And then I try to figure out God some more and the questions I read of “Did God do this?” or “Did God allow this?” or countless others. One day, I hope to understand.

The Chapman’s had six children. The youngest three were adopted girls from China. Here are a couple of videos of Steven and his youngest girls:

Maria Sue Chapman, adopted and youngest daughter to Mary Beth and Steven Curtis Chapman, was killed Wednesday night in a tragic accident in the family driveway on Wednesday evening. She was LifeFlighted to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital but for only reasons God can explain she went home to Him… not to Franklin as we all so desperately wanted.

Your prayers are needed for all in the Chapman family. This is a family who has so generously loved and given to so many. Just hours before this close knit family was celebrating the engagement of the oldest daughter Emily Chapman, and were just hours away from a graduation party marking Caleb Chapman’s completion of high school. Now, they are preparing to bury a child who blew out 5 candles on a birthday cake less than 10 days ago. These words are unthinkable to type. And yet we trust in a God who was not surprised by this and because of Jesus I am certain through faith in Him we will see Maria again. – Jim Houser (Manager)

From http://chapmanchannel.typepad.com/inmemoryofmaria/

Quite funny and cute.

I remember my senior year in high school some goofy guy with a mullet singing about his heart might blow up and it would kill him. That was Billy Ray Cyrus. Around that time he had a daughter.

Now, years later, his daughter is arguably one of the biggest stars in the world. Miley Cyrus exploded on the scene as the character Hannah Montana. She quickly became Disney’s biggest money maker with a hit tv show, tons of cd’s sold, a movie, and a sold out tour. And now she’s crossing over in to being herself and performing as Miley Cyrus.

But she’s recently gotten into trouble with some pictures she took herself and somehow got onto the internet. They were a little racy. But then the famed photo shoot with Vanity Fair magazine and Annie Liebovitz that were pretty risque in nature, especially when held up against her image of Hannah Montana on Disney.

Some fault her. Some point fingers at her parents. Some say it’s just the industry she’s in and was inevitable. But she was in various states of undress holding a blanket or sheet to cover what were are not supposed to see. All over the place, people blasted her saying, “She’s only 15! She’s a child!”

Now while I completely agree that a 15 year old has no business what so ever in taking “sexy” pictures for a national magazine [or really at all], it’s really the world that most 15 year olds live in. I know that there are plenty of “regular/normal” 15 year old girls who would [sadly] love to have a photo shoot like Miley did w/ Leibowitz. Teen girls today and what our culture and media blitz them with all the time tells them that they need to grow up quickly and be more adult like in as many ways as they can.

And in turn, they try to mimic what they read, see, and watch. [Remember, MTV is watched by a TON of teens, both boys and girls]. And Miley is afforded more opportunities than most 15 year old girls. Now I would never allow my own daughters to do something like that if I could help it. But I have to wonder if Miley is just representative of a lot of other girls these days….? Fifteen years old today is not the same as fifteen years old when I was in school.

Oh, and now Hugh Hefner has offered Miley a full center spread in his magazine (Playboy) for when she turns 18.

I first heard of drop.io on a podcast by Tony Steward and Who Are These Guys? podcast. It sounded cool. Basically a free service to be able to upload files of whatever kind for someone to be able to download. So, you have an audio file you want to share w/ a friend? Have a group of pictures? A document? Anything? Just upload it, create a url for it, and then share that URL w/ your friends.

But then I found a great review of it. A stinking great review by Ben Stewart. So here is his review. Make sure you go and give a little love to Ben.

Drop.io calls itself “simple private exchange.” Basically it is an easy way to share files online. On the surface it’s as simple as choosing a name for your “drop” (or using the random default name provided for you) and then choosing a file to upload to your “drop.” Then all you have to do is email anyone in the world the URL to your newly created “drop” and they have access to whatever file(s) you uploaded.

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However, Drop.io goes beyond simple file uploading. First of all, it allows you to configure some basic settings while creating your drop. If you want everything in your drop to stay private and you want more security than just the randomness of your chosen URL then you can set a password for your drop. With a password set, anyone who wants to view your drop must know the password to gain access. You can also select how long your drop should be available to the world. You can even select what you want other to be able to do with the contents of your drop. People can either view files, view and add files, or view, add and delete files.

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But it doesn’t stop there. Once your drop has been created you are asked if you want to Continue reading