Ramblings

PlayStation = Uber Fail

2011-05-13T16:59:00.002-04:00

The PlayStation network snafu is still being felt even today. Many of the PSN users are upset, going after Sony, plus switching over to the XBOX 360.

The key thing to remember is that the PSN network isn't just for online stuff for PlayStations, it also deals with the tiny handheld PSP and other guys running around. Hence the major issue of the PSN network being down and out for so long.

Some have stated they didn't even patch their servers with the latest updates. To me that spells one word: FAIL.

Even a guy outta the computer server 101 class would tell you that the easiest way to fix/help a server is via putting the latest patches on their.

Still, having numerous user's data and credit account information swiped is not good whatsoever. I do feel bad for the various Sony PSN users though maybe next time just use those prepaid cards gang.

Have a good day all. :)

Stress Test

2011-03-16T23:57:00.003-04:00

So, for those of you who have not done beta testing of a game it is fun though at times painful. When one beta tests a game, you basically break it in any way possible, expose the bugs, inform the developers, and help make the game better in the process.

One key part of this process is stress testing the servers. This step happens usually with Massively Multiplayer Online games i.e. World of Warcraft, Rift, Star Trek Online etc.

During the beta test the developers see how many people can hop onto the server and play the game without much lag or the server crashing.

Now check out this article

If that many people hit the Star Wars: The Old Republic server(s) during beta, it will give them a HUGE idea of the load and what it can handle.

Big question of the day: have I registered to beta test the game? No due to the unlikelihood of me getting on it at all; the public one sure.

Thoughts/comments? Let me know

Wi-Fi and Senate people: they don't understand it

2011-03-02T16:04:00.003-05:00

Article Link

So it seems Senator Schumer would like our public hotspots to be more secure. OK...... Yet, if you keep reading the article he says we should switch to https.

Now, that basically means you're browsing/using a secure webpage i.e. your bank website, PayPal account etc.

Ready for the catcher? Sen Schumer does not realize the technical error he just made.

Why?

The https would not protect someone while at the local coffee shop

Ok, now you're probably wondering the reason I stated that so here it is

Wi-Fi hotspots at the local coffee house are PUBLIC NETWORKS In English it means they aren't encrypted, no password to gain access, and anyone can join.

Therefore, if you were at https://www.cooldudejb.com I could still read any information you sent over that network, including your credit card info, e-mail passwords, Facebook etc.

Conclusion: don't let non government IT people start to mess with what is already out there; they only will make things worse or slower with more official government guidelines.

Who knows......maybe all of us will be using 4G LTE on Verizon with our mobile phones if public hotspots get regulated. LOL

Texts R Us

2010-10-19T01:42:00.002-04:00

Article Link

So, you think you send a lot of text messages? Sorry yet your friend's kids do more then you by a mile. According to the study, it seems a teen sends nearly 4,000 messages a month!!! That's crazy (and they wonder why their thumbs hurt... sheesh lol)

Here's my take away from the study:

-teens will outpace all you adults out there in technology

- do a marketing ads/campaign towards teens and mobile phones = money

- kick apps to this group of people and you'll get $$$

- phone providers NEED to update their network infrastructure

Why? The teens will overload your systems with sms, mms, or data on their phones. (AT&T found this out with releasing the iPhone which is still plaguing their network and it isn't even teens who are killing it)

Thoughts? Leave em below.

AT&T Turns Red

2010-10-05T19:54:00.005-04:00

Article Link

So, it appears AT&T is now going to be running a few Droid phones. One might think it is a bad sign although having a diverse line up of phones is not. My thoughts below:

1. This move is a good thing

It will help bolsters AT&T and shy it away from iPhone land.

2. The network will benefit

If a user is in a spot that only has AT&T coverage yet, is able to get a Droid on the network = a win win for both parties.

3. It will help AT&T down the road

The rumor regarding them loosing the iPhone contract will hurt them yet, having the Droid help fill the financial gap down the road couldn't hurt.

My gripes:

1. Network speed

I still remember using my BlackBerry on the "Big Blue" network. It worked, minus the data speed on EDGE (I'm not in a 3G area) was slooooowwwwww.

2. Droid fast vs Big Blue spotty/dead coverage

If the phone itself is fast (and it is) yet, the network goes crapola = no good.

AT&T is in no position to have an influx of Droid users kill the network even further. I wonder if they considered this fact when they signed up for Droid life etc.

3. Tiered Data plans

I don't like the idea of having an uber phone then an tiered pricing structure. If I'm going to have a phone, I'd rather have unlimited data and not worry about it.

Thoughts/comments?

Let me know :)

BlackBerry Tablet?

2010-09-27T20:55:00.004-04:00

Article Link

So RIM has just kicked off a BlackBerry tablet.... is anyone really surprised?

I cannot say I am. RIM is always linked with the BlackBerry and e-mail and business and corproate world or professional people. Now they've kicked into high gear to help catch up or make another dent in the consumer market.

See here for why users jumped from BlackBerry to Android devices

It is basically a bigger screen BlackBerry still with limitations and whatnot. Will the average user pick it up? Possibly only due to the low price vs Apple.

The device being able to use HTML 5 and Flash 10.1 is a step up (even over a new/latest BlackBerry).

Other then that I don't see any major reason as to why you must get/have one.

Thoughts comments? Let me know. :)

BlackBerry Outed? & IE 9 Beta

2010-09-17T21:07:00.003-04:00

BlackBerry Article

IE 9 Article

Some have wondered if the BlackBerry is going to be eclipsed by the iPhone or even the new Android devices that are now taking a rather large chunk of the market. Competition is good sure yet, should companies ditch the BlackBerry?

I must say I am glad to see JPMorgan looking at alternatives to the usual platform. It would be nice to just have an iPhone or Android device and have it connected to the workplace. It would save the company money & allow the employee just to carry one device vs the multitude now i.e. phone for work, phone for home, notebook PC for work etc etc.

The key is always security especially in the financial sector and BlackBerry has been a major staple of that aspect. I myself have a BlackBerry and have had a few over the past few years. It does what it needs to: e-mail, calendar, and phone. The downside is being able to view certain webpages, store lots of media on the device (apps cannot be put onto the SD card unless you purchase one; the problem is apps aren't designed to be run on the SD card which sucks if you a lot of apps=storage on device gets low). I also have been finding it to be somewhat glitchy (over a year old) yet, it still is plugging along. My next device will be an Android. Why? More storage space, smoother and faster, more OS updates, and a better multi-function device.

Here's where the issue might happen such as with JP Morgan: user happens to loose his or her iPhone. Said iPhone has company documents on it. Does company wipe device and said user then also looses said family vacation pics as well? See that is where it will get mucky just using one device.

Solution: only put company documents or whatnot onto dedicated SD card. If device is lost, wipe said SD card. Gee that sounds like BlackBerry (which you can do). Problem? You need all the BlackBerry stuff in order for it to happen whereas on the iPhone or Android device (which someone may develop) ya just download an application to make that happen.

Internet Explorer 9 Beta

I myself have not tested out this new version though some of you might want to or will get hit with the final product down the road. My gripe with IE is just slow and not what I like to use. I mainly use Google Chrome, FireFox, and IE (in that order.) Why? Chrome is simple, fast, and good for what I use.

The only glitch is webpages that say you must use Internet Explorer and then I flip to that browser.

Microsoft is only working on a new browser to keep/catch up with Chrome and FireFox. They still only get the most browser market due to IE is stuck on any computer you purchase no matter what.

They still have a high market share only due to the reason I stated above. That's it.

Here's a link to a current view of the browsers and their rankings.

In conclusion I'm sticking with Chrome unless I really need to flip to something else. Bash me all ya want yet, Chrome still is uber speed wise.

Thoughts/comments?

Share em or kick me a message jbblogs at gmail dot com

The Apple Breaks a Window

2010-05-31T23:15:00.002-04:00

Article Link

So, Apple is now ahead of Microsoft. Is too surprising? No considering Apple has spread into the Operating System market, devices, and other various avenues. Microsoft is still just mainly the operating system, Office suites, and a search engine.

The question remains: will Apple be king and keep that top spot?

My prediction: yes due to their innovation and multiple products that consumers like, enjoy, and keep coming back for. Would you rather get a new iPhone or a new Office suite? I, like many of you, would choose the first option. Apple also listens to the consumer, keeps things simple, and makes things work whereas Microsoft just pushes stuff out there at the consumer.

Could Microsoft pull ahead? Possibly, though they have a long way to go to catch up in the phone, iPod, and other user devices areas.

Only time will tell and at the moment the Apple has broken the Window. :)

Google's Wave A Comin

2010-05-20T22:50:00.003-04:00

Article link

For those of you who didn't know, Google Wave is now open to the public. What does that mean to the average guy or gal on the street? You now have a new way to collaborate, share information, work on a blog, put together a meeting, and more.

Will people be quick to adopt it? Maybe though only the tech people or those who aren't afraid of new stuff.

It has a lot of features (and I'm still new to Wave) yet, here is one that applies to everyone.

Let's say you walked into a room and missed an awesome conversation. Bummer right? What if you could play back that awesome conversation, see who said what, examine the kick butt lookin photos, and jump right on in as if you had been there the whole time. Neat eh?

Google Wave can do that! There's a button that plays back the entire wave. So, you can invite a buddy into the wave, they push playback, and are caught up to speed as to what has been going on with the wave.

That to me is freaking awesome.

So hey, carry on gang and be sure to get your wave on. :)

PS I'm on Google Wave; kick me an e-mail if you want me Wave address. Hit me up at jbblogs at gmail dot com and I'll give you my wave address.

Face to Face Time

2010-05-11T18:35:00.004-04:00

Article Link: Click here to read it

So, technology looses another battle vs actual face-to-face communication. It took a study to find that out? I could have told you that without even thinking about it. I enjoy hanging with my buddies or having them over for a gaming session on my XBOX 360. That is fun.

What I don't understand is people who throw all their time into the online realm and expect to be happy. Let me tell you from a guy who has been in the online realm awhile plus in the communications venue: face to face beats any e-mail, text message, Facebook comment, or latest Twitter update. Seriously.

You can't find happiness online, many have attempted and failed. Granted it is nice having an online guild/clan while in an MMO or online multiplayer game sure. Yet, that can't take the place of sitting down, having a cup of coffee, and talking with your best friend.

I myself have a wonderful friend who I hope to sit down with sometime and enjoy a cup of coffee/hang out/ go shopping etc. There are numerous issues in the way (and both of us are aware of that) yet, we are looking forward to the day when we are able to hang out and talk face-to-face. That'll be awesome for sure.

Flipside:

Now, I know there are those of you out there saying, "Hey JB! There's no way (insert online friend's name here or loved one) we can sit down and chat. (Insert name here) is on vacation, out of the country, across the world, doesn't live near by me etc. So what do you expect us to do JB?"

I'm aware of those kinds of situations myself due to I'm in that boat regarding some of my friends out there. You could try doing a webcam chat, which in my opinion would be the halfway point, and having a conversation that way. Another idea would be to vacation near your friend or halfway then have him/her/them (clan/guild) meet up and hang out. That could work too. So, don't think I'm bashing you if you are in that situation. It is part of life and technology can help bridge that gap to an extent.

Conclusion:

Online avenues only supplments/adds to communication between people. Nothing beats talking face-to-face whatsoever.

Technology vs. Human Touch

2010-04-12T15:18:00.002-04:00

One has to wonder with all of our current technology if it will ever take the place of actual physical human touch. With all of our Facebook and Apps on the iPhone or BlackBerry for this and that, sending virtual hugs or smiles if we will just send a little message saying “You’ve just received a virtual hug!” while sitting or standing near an individual.

My theory is that it will not come to that particular end. Why? It is a cycle where the technology will keep moving us forward yet we (built into our own human condition) want even DESIRE touch. Touch ranging from a hug, a kiss, a pat on the back, holding his or her hand, a sexy S trace down your lover’s back etc.

It is somewhat depressing to see two individuals sitting across from each other at a table at your local restaurant, staring down at his or her phone texting or Twittering away while not even uttering one word to the other minus the “Let’s go” phrase.

Will we find ourselves with robotic hands similar to Luke Skywalker’s in Star Wars or devices such as the tricorder from Star Trek? Possibly and only time will tell how far we advance technologically as a society and what we will create or invent along the way.

The inevitable human touch will continue as a deep, inner longing until the end of time. Why? Nothing, not even virtually reality can ever replace feeling the touch or sensation of another physical, living, breathing human being no matter the technology.

Technology Works

2010-01-25T21:05:00.003-05:00

Article Link: Click Here to Read

You say technology is bad and people don't need cell phones? Think again after reading this article. Cell phones save lives and these aren't even iPhones or Blackberries. So, the moral of the story? Get some type of cell phone even if it is a prepaid one. It could save your life.

WOOT for technology! :D

Catholic Church moves to Cyberspace

2010-01-23T21:21:00.005-05:00

Here's the article: Click Here to Read

So, the Pope wants priests to start blogging. I think that it will be a good thing and is a tad overdue. You are probably thinking that a priest at your local parish blogging is insane and crazy. In all honesty it isn't. Today it is not about doing the traditional way of doing things rather connecting with people on various levels where they are at and giving them access to their spiritual advisors more then just face-to-face meetings. If they took it a step further (the priests) and had virtual office hours so let's say a parishioner is at work, has a question, pings his priests via chat, and then gets on with his day. Simple, easy, and very effective. That would be even better and add more icing on the cake as it were.

I am looking forward to the priests blogging and getting into this new digital age.

My view is that people who go to church want access to his or her priest, pastor, spiritual advisor easier and quicker more then ever. Think about it: when was the last time you say an individual without his or her phone at a coffee shop, in the line while at the store, or at the movie theater? People are accessing the web via their mobile phones now more and more. It is only logical that the church (Catholic and the rest of the gang) get into step with people out there.

The more avenues of communication the better and as the Pope said: "...start blogging!"

Wonder

2009-07-24T14:27:00.000-04:00

Ever have one of those days where ya wonder why something is happening to you/ what are you supposed to learn from it?

That's me today wondering and hoping for answers.

I hope you have some insights into whatever it is you're facing too.

A wise Godly man once told me and my class in high school: life can either make you bitter or better.

I hope the situation I'm facing will (somehow) make me better.

Have a good day all. :)
JB
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Chemotherapy & Technology

2009-07-08T10:41:00.004-04:00

Heyas all,

I must say getting chemotherapy isn't all that it's cracked up to be. :P LOL

It is nifty in that they can use an IV pump and put 1,000 mL of fluid through your system in a matter of 2 hours. Gang, that's nothing to sneeze at. On a sidenote, it does make sure your kidneys are working. :P

I'm doing ok and I don't think I could go on one of those eat green and purple food health diets which saves you from cancer etc etc.

For crying out loud I'm a techie, I couldn't be a food guy. If the technology is there for chemo, I'm gonna use it.

I must say so far so good. Medicine helps too along with the technology so chemo isn't as bad as some might say. I could be wrong and it might catch up with me over the weekend who knows.

The unknown part is that chemo affects people in different ways. So it isn't like you could say you'll have symptoms 1-5. No, you might get one or all 5. It depends.

So there's my rant.

Have a good day all. :)

Staring Down the Barrel

2009-06-17T22:49:00.002-04:00

Ever face a moment in life where ya were staring down into the barrel of something bad? I don't mean an actual gun rather in a figurative sense.

I unfortunately had to face my own life head on. Due to some medical stuff, I could either be facing life or death. Cancer has hit me though the kind I have is curable. I don't have any specifics or details yet, we'll see what happens.

One might think I should have a bad outlook on stuff and what is gonna happen next. I don't. Why? I can't control it and besides modern technology and medicine is pretty cool. I had my first cat-scan the other day. Basically a big doughnut and I was moved back and forth on it while being scanned. Pretty nifty to say the least.

So don't be against technology til ya try it. It might be better then ya expected.

That's it all and have a good one! :)

Technology & Distance

2009-05-21T13:30:00.000-04:00

Isn't chatting or calling a friend overseas fun? I can agree with the rest of you that it is. I even had a webcam chat with a buddy who was in China for work. It was cool and awesome to see him.

It still amazes me one can be chatting with someone who's on the other side of the world in real time. Pretty awesome.

One program I would recommend is called Skype. It's secure, reliable, and has great voice quality. Plus it's free; Skype to Skype PC calls are. Skype to a land line is not.

Try it and see what you think.

http://www.skype.com
JB
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

New Tech in a Movie

2009-05-09T21:16:00.000-04:00

So, you wanna see some new technology? How about stuff that's not even here yet?

If so, then go watch Star Trek. There's new technology plus a darn AWSOME movie. :D

JB
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Appreciation

2009-04-18T23:00:00.003-04:00

One thing that occurred to be the other day as I was driving home in this warm weather and tonight where friends we're sharing their life experiences, is how we as humans don't appreciate things or the "little things" as much as we should.

I do that at times, do you?

We all are happy when it is sunny and warm (especially here in Michigan) after the winter season or a bad storm. My friends were telling about how they had just 1 faucet or going from a toilet outside to one inside the house. To me that's something else. I am blessed to be living in the time I'm in. Heck, I was able to chat with my webcam with a good friend of mine who was over in China for some work stuff. It was as if we were in the same room yet thousands and thousands of miles apart. Neat huh?

God appreciates us as well. Here's the difference though: it is so vast, everyday non-stop, and it doesn't matter on what happens on day 42. Seriously. His love and appreciation for us is so much, if we felt the full brunt of it, we'd go insane I'd think. Isn't that awesome about God? I sure think so. :D

Just something to much on & think about.

Have a good day all :)

New Game Technology

2009-04-01T16:55:00.003-04:00

Check this out!!!

http://www.onlive.com

Press Conference Video:
http://tinyurl.com/cyuqf2

Thoughts on Unity

2009-03-02T16:46:00.002-05:00

Heyas everyone,

Today while at the Surgical Center (Building P) while at the Cleveland Clinic, something struck me. It was the thought of unity. One might not have that while waiting for a loved one to get out of surgery or just killing time waiting until he or she can get an update from the doctor. It stuck me when I walked around just to stretch my legs a bit. Out from (when we arrived at 6 AM nobody was there) where the main doors and on the main floor were people just waiting for a loved one to get out or surgery, get the doctor call, or a text messages notifying them of their loved one's progress. They were all there just sitting, some sleeping, and others using their PCs and we all had something in common: we were unified in the waiting process. Granted some might have not believed in God, were from the West coast, or even might not have had English as their main language, we still were waiting. Some had just started the wait game for today, others were even here before we showed up. Many I'm sure were anxious just like myself yet, regardless we all were waiting.

So, even when things seem down or might not make sense look around. You might have something common with the person sitting next to you.

Have a good day all. :)

Love & Life

2009-02-15T22:10:00.004-05:00

Love is a curious thing. It can bring two people closer together or at times drive them apart. I am currently finding out more about this weird thing we call love. I'm not going to share all the details, yet I will say it is interesting to say the least.

So far it has been rough and painful, yet I'm moving forward as best I can in this relationship. Some might say, "John, this relationship of yours does not count, it isn't real." That might be true yet, considering a friend and I had a few knocking of the heads yet, we made up, doesn't that show that it isn't "fake?" If it was, this relationship would be over in my opinion.

One thing regarding human love is that it can change, not be entirely real or fade vs. God's love is non-stop and has no bounds. To me that is pretty cool considering some of the crap & bad stuff I have done.

Still this relationship I have is different; I don't know what is or will be down the road nor am I shutting out my other friends. I'm just sharing that I am learning/finding out more.

Is this love thing singled out and nobody else? No, otherwise I could not love Dad, Mom, or my brother. Love is complex and has different meanings/layers just like our relationships. One thing in communications class is that a relationship is like an onion. Layers ranging from surface stuff i.e. how are you? to the deep, inner core i.e. what is your deepest fear? That kinda stuff.

I hope that helps and just gives ya something to chew on as you go through this week.

Have a good one all. :)

New Star Trek Online Video!

2009-02-08T16:47:00.002-05:00

WOOT!

I am so excited about this upcoming game; I will say this Star Trek game will probably be the one (only?) game I do my best to get on, and play my heart out in. I've included the new character creator trailer plus the Star Trek Online trailer itself so enjoy.

:D

Relationships

2009-02-04T20:18:00.002-05:00

One wonders about life at times. I have found out (as many of you out there have) that any relationship is complex and can be challenging as well. The key thing about any relationship is that one must be diligent in working stuff out. Be it good or bad or something entirely in between. That is the key. If one forgets to do that, things will get funky that's for sure. I'm not even talking about marriages here, just the regular friends you have at work, church, school, etc.

One of my friends and had a long talk last night (chatting online if you wanna be picky :P ) about some stuff. What was going on between us/what each of us thought about our friendship. It was a good talk don't get me wrong and somewhat confusing. Though the key is we talked vs just one of us bailing out. Something stuck my nerve and I pinged my friend and said ok have fun/whatever and was gonna just log and go sleep. Yet, my friend said hold on wait/talk and we did for quite awhile. I'm glad my friend did that.

So, in closing if you are feeling funky about a relationship, just sit down over a cup of coffee and just talk. You'll be amazed at how just by talking, discussing, and thinking about what's going on how it will help you then and down the road. The bonus of course, it makes your relationship stronger. :)

Snow and Nature

2009-02-01T19:26:00.004-05:00

Well, I am not a big fan of snow. Granted I use a snowblower to move it for a snow shovel as necessary, I still hate it with a passion. Why you might ask? I'm either clearing off the driveway or driving it in, neither of which is fun.

Now today I had to snow rake the roof to remove the snow that was piling up. It did go easier then normal due to the warm temperature outside today. Now as I was doing it I stopped and took a brake a bit while doing it. The folks have a big roof let me tell you! lol Anyways, I stopped once and just looked around and listened. It was funny due to it was quiet, mostly everything had some snow on it, and it was just cool. Usually I'm not one to do that (especially regarding snow). I guess I just had some time to relax while working, clear my mind, and appreciate the prettiness/beauty of nature.

I also had a thought regarding snow, how it says in the Bible that we'll be cleansed as white as now plus how it related to the seasons. Think of it, winter where stuff dies and the white snow covers it. Next is spring where there's green and new life comes back and kicking. Summer where the temperature warms and the sun is out making life/the plants/trees etc greener and more oomfy. Fall where the leaves change color (who we in life might change our hearts or thoughts about God) plus this is the time where the plant/trees etc get ready to shut down and some even might die. Then the cycle goes all over again. Some neat connections there don't ya think?

That's it for now everybody. Enjoy! :0

Life and the Road we Travel

2009-01-30T20:58:00.005-05:00

Heyas all,

Recently I am facing once again an issue of life and death in my family. It is not easy for sure yet, it causes me to wonder about things. Particularly, "Why is it happening to me?," and second "What am I supposed to learn from this (insert any situation here)?" It is puzzling and not cool to say the least. I of course and doing the typically thing of sorta knocking on God's door and saying, "Hey man, why? What did I do this time?" Ya know?

I just keep moving forward as best I can even though it is not easy. I guess the key thing to remember in any tough event, is that we are human not robots. We do cry and that's an OK thing to do. Besides it helps, just try it sometime you'd be amazed.

That's all for now & have a good one! :)

Thoughts

2009-01-04T14:32:00.003-05:00

Ever had one of those days were you were just doing your own thing then suddenly something just hit you? No, I'm not talking about a two by four rather just a thought? That happened to me today.....

I was chatting online when my mind wandered back to my previous post here...plus at how I am not quite lining up like I should be... Let me use analogy/word picture to help you out

I have been sitting on a fence with a leg hanging over each side or I have both feet on either side of the yellow lines on a road. The left side being bad and the right side being good. Now we all know that we cannot as God said be either hot or cold (a song comes to mind that sorta fits it). Somehow I have been at least thinking I've been doing both yet that cannot really be. Rather I've been on the left (bad side of the road) and other days I've been on the right (good side). Lately I've been on the bad side more than the good; granted that does not sound cool yet, I have been having fun on the bad side. As with anything, the bad stuff (things we should not do) are the hardest to drop and give up at times. I know how that is friends......

I went to Granger Community Church this past weekend and Dr. Beeson was asking various questions. One had to deal with "Can someone loose his or her salvation?" He responded rather interestingly. He stated that the question was not more about can him/her loose salvation rather from a heart wanting to know basically how far can I go to the edge before I fall off it. He asked us a question which was (and I'm paraphrasing) "Where is your heart pointed? Towards Jesus or as far away as possible?" Let's just say that I was going away and somehow now (today/this weekend whatever) I guess I'm feeling somewhat convicted? Sorta? I'm not entirely sure.....I still am figuring that out.

I know it might seem like I sound down/bummed but I'm not. I'm alive and could be in a totally different part of the world. I just want you to know that I struggle just as you do with life and questions etc. It is part of learning and growing as we travel down the road of life.

Have a good day all. :)

2009 & New Stuff

2009-01-04T00:06:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone,

The new year has official started! Woot! So, what does that mean for you? Only you can answer that question. For myself, I have decided to become part of a newsletter team at church. That for me is new. Why? I haven't done much there since I stepped down as Media Director back in May of 2008. I do not know what it all entails nor how things will go. It basically started after speaking with Deb and saying that I should be willing to be part of the solution/help (that is the key thing with numerous church or business realms). I just kept pointing out errors in the newsletter vs saying Hey, I'm detail oriented/ I have some technical skills.

I must admit that is the hardest thing to do nowadays: become part of the solution. It is so much easier to critique or add one's thoughts vs saying I'll get down in the mud and help get this box outta here or whatever. I will say I am not fond of getting into the mud nor wanting to help out at times yet, one must help another or we are all doomed in this life. Jesus stated that rather simply: love God and love your neighbor. Boom done. So you might be thinking, "how does Jesus' command apply to me?" Well, in order to love someone, doesn't that mean you help them out at times? You might give them a ride to work or help them move furniture or even fix a PC. Think about that friends.

Also, my Blog is new. I've added some blogs that I keep an eye on plus I have renamed my blog title. That is new as of this year as well. I hope to keep this blog more up to date then in the past. Plus I am also considering joining part of the Twitter bandwagon though I have not yet made up my mind. Please feel free to send me your thoughts and comments regarding the program.

Have an awesome New Year everyone! :)

Step Down

2008-06-08T17:19:00.003-04:00

Hello everyone,

Well, I have stepped down as the Media Director for the church I am currently a member of; this happened on May 25, 2008. I have also stepped down from the other areas I was serving in as well. It was not an easy thing to do though I do feel better after letting that responsibility go. Ya know? I will miss being part of the various teams and working with people that I've gotten to know over the years. That is where part of the pain and tears will/have come from. There will be more tears I'm sure later on down the line.

We'll just see where my path down this road of life takes me next.

Have a good one everyone. :)

Thoughts

2008-05-18T17:18:00.002-04:00

Well, today's Family Worship service went well and everyone did a great job. Though, I wish I could say the same for the process church is going thorough at the present time. Once again there are people who are trying to stack the deck or impede the process any which way. To me: that is sickening and just not cool at all. I personally wish I had the power to fire the people who did not want to support the mediation process and give it their full 100% backing/"buy in" etc. We'll just have to see what happens and how stuff plays out.

Click

2008-05-04T22:45:00.002-04:00

What comes to your mind when you see the word click? Various things and ideas I'm sure such as a seat belt, a gun out of ammo, or even a maybe even a recent movie titled Click. My thought here as nothing to do with that rather, gears turning and some insights.

I was reading in John chapter 4 using The Message yet, called Conversations with Eugene H. Peterson where he shares his insights and thoughts from time to time about the passage your reading. He was talking about how verses 43-54 link up with his first sign when he turned the water into wine specifically the man who asked Jesus to heal his son. Eugene stated that the father took Jesus simply at His word without any supercool sign or evidence his son was healed. Just his words (Jesus).

Now, I thought, that is what we have to take regarding Jesus. Some may say, well there is historical evidence that Jesus existed Jerusalem etc. Jesus raising from the dead was a miracle yet, in reality we have no evidence or super cool signs to back that up. One might ask, well then what do we have? Only the words found in Scripture specifically Jesus stating He would rise up again after 3 days. That's it. We weren't there to witness it or confirm it.

Words, yet what do we as believers do? We take Jesus at His word.

I may be taking it too far/a huge stretch yet, that's what clicked in my head. I take Jesus at His word i.e. raised up again & He's the truth and the light & He's my savior.

Hope that made sense to you all and have a good one! :)

Conflict

2008-05-01T22:19:00.002-04:00

We all know what conflict is no doubt. There are times where it is good, bad, or ugly and we even may want to ditch and run far from it. I know, I've been there friends. Our church is in the situation of facing conflict head on, which is good yes though painful. That has been swirling around in the back of my head yet, what about internal conflict? Who will win inside of you today or tomorrow or the next day? Good or evil? Its something we all face whether we accept or deny it. I'm there friends, there are days where I'm cruising along just dandy and the next day I think to myself, "Holy crap, what happened?!" Ya know?

The key is whatever spot you're in with conflict be it at the workplace, home, or even online in a game is: talk to whoever and work through it. Granted it may not happen or even come out peachy keen. Just do your part whatever it may be and let God do the rest.

If I can make it, you can too friends. Have a good one. *waves* :)

Lessons & Seeing Things

2008-04-11T16:35:00.004-04:00

Heyas all,

I know it has been awhile since my last post; I'll be making sure I keep this updated more often.

Today I was able to spend most of the day with a good, godly friend of mine. We discussed all the things going on at our current church particularly the bad/crappy stuff. Yet, throughout all of today I kept getting the same message/wanted to tell people that God/Jesus loves you! That's it/plain and simple. The real clincher is that I was heading home after getting gas for my car and I flipped on the radio and heard a song. Guess what it dealt with? Yup, L O V E

So today my message/info to you is simple: Jesus loves you, right where you're at in your life with whatever is going on. He loves you! I needed that today and if you did too, then I am happy and honored that God worked though me to tell ya that.

Have a good one everyone!

Song Link http://brownsfamily.imeem.com/music/rnY0nAgE/sanctus_real_the_face_of_love/

Good Friday and Easter

2008-03-21T20:15:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to wish you all a Happy Easter. :)

I know that today is Good Friday and I am bummed for a few reasons:

1. is today being Christ's death (which is good/bad sorta thing)

2. the snow storm that has hit the Midwest area

3. not being able to attend the Good Friday Service at Willow Creek Community Church

I was able to go last year, yet the bad weather stopped me this time around. I just pray that the performers and all involved do well with their last run of it today plus get some rest this weekend too.

Have a good one everyone! :)

Something New/Cool

2008-02-28T17:27:00.003-05:00

Hello all,

Below is a link to a new and cool program.
http://www.piclens.com

Now if you haven't been living under a rock (which the only person who is/does is Patrick the starfish i.e. SpongeBob SquarePants) the iPhone has been released. It (along with the other iPod products) has a thing called coverflow where you can flip through your albums by their cover. Now there is a technology that does the same sorta thing when you search for images using Google, Yahoo, Facebook etc. You can flip through the images in a 3D view (which is awesome) plus even click a button to go to the page where the image is located.

Enjoy everyone. :)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

2007-12-23T15:08:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone,

I know I have not posted in awhile yet, I figured I would get one last one in before the end of the year. It is hard to comprehend that another year has almost come in gone. We all have made new friends, gone to new places, and have some troubles along the way myself included of course. We'll make it through another one just like we have this past year and the ones before.

I hope you all have a great Christmas and a great, fun, exciting New Year!

JB

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T14:29:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone,

I am sure you are busy with getting together with family or eating/preparing a big meal for later on. I just wanted to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! God is awesome and I am thankful for all He has done for me. I am sure we all could list many, many things we are thankful for. I would say that I am just happy to be alive; heck, I'd miss out gaming with friends or just seeing the pretty leaves change. Some still are on the trees out near my home. Pretty ones too. Have a good Thanksgiving everyone! :)

Thoughts about Church and the Digital Realm

2007-11-05T23:33:00.001-05:00

Hey there everyone,

Yes, I'm aware that it has been awhile since I last posted. I at the present time am still doing the college thing plus church work is keeping me fairly busy. I am a bit worried about an upcoming meeting on Tuesday. The main leaders of the church are meeting to discuss various issues. My gut feeling is that it will not be rather pretty and if not ugly then juts plain chock full of tension and frustration. I wish I could say more about the meeting yet, I cannot due to that it would affect what we as a church are trying to do. I also was pondering and just thinking about how our regular lives are intersecting and becoming more public/digital everyday. I recently found a friend of Facebook and I found out about his marriage. I did just more than find out about who he was married too, I found out who was at his wedding i.e the groomsman and bridesmaid etc. I found out how they came together plus how he propsed to his wife. Ya know what the scary thing is? I never attened the wedding nor asked him about it. I found all that information online. Scary isnt it? The digital realm such as my blog and Facebook etc are becoming more and more part of our lives. Information is increasingly becoming less private and is shifting more into the public realm. Being in communications I am rather aware of this fact and have read a few articles here and there about various aspects of the digital realm specifically Reality TV as a recent example.

I hope you ponder and consider that a bit this week. Have a good one! :)

Dance with Jesus

2007-10-16T15:54:00.001-04:00

I'm not going to say much and just let this video speak for itself. Here it is:

Hello all!

2007-09-21T11:09:00.000-04:00

Yes, I know it has been a long time since my last post. :( My blog is a blog and life is life. I was sitting at a Subway in a Wal-Mart yesterday just people watching. Lots of thoughts yet, one comes to mind: all/most of these people entering an exiting the store don't know Jesus. I wonder what their thoughts are; it'd be neat to have that ability and see all the various thoughts and things running through their heads. What's going on through your head? Here's the kicker: is it good stuff? Thoughts that are pleasing to God or that He wouldn't approve of? Just ponder that this weekend a bit, you'd might be surprised Have a good one everyone! :)
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Day 3 Summary

2007-08-11T19:39:00.000-04:00

Hey there everyone,

I'm currently still heading along back towards Michigan. I really enjoyed worship today with Kirk Franklin. A great guy, lots of energy, and a joy of the Lord. A few things I picked up on today:

Surround yourself with leaders who know more about things than yourself. That of course is obvious yet, not followed through at times.

Another point is that we need to inspire others. Yet, a question comes to mind "Who should inspire us, if we are a leader or senior leader?". The answer: us/me. Kinda scary huh? I sure don't do that at times nor do I have that down. King David did though; before a big battle he went off and prayed/spoke to the Lord. That's we he got his strength and courage.

I wish you all could have been here this year to experience something different, learn something and God's joy in worship.

If you have any questions or would like to know more just contact me. I always have my "virtual" office door open plus stop me when I'm at church. :)

Have a good rest of the weekend and stay cool. :)
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Day 2 Summary

2007-08-10T22:23:00.000-04:00

Hey there everyone,

Today has been another good day at the Leadership Summit. I have learned a lot and am in somewhat of an information overload. Why? Starting from 9AM until 5PM with lunch and breaks in between with speakers sharing information while myself and the other attendees are taking notes like crazy. Anyways, here is another brief summary of some of the various information I picked up on today.

First off, the worship time today was AWESOME!!! I had tears of joy and had to stop singing throughout most of the worship time earlier today. Just imagine, in a room with 7,000 people all singing and praising God. Just singing their hearts out, plus other sites throughout North America singing praise to God as well. That to me is just very, very awesome and cool. I wish you all could be here to see and experience that.

Second, my summary of what the various speakers today has to say:

Michael Porter from Harvard university spoke about how we (the church or company) should best serve the community. He focused on making sure the reasons behind our actions (our meaning your church or company) are valid plus effective. The key is that we create social value. Here's the equation for social value

Social Value= Social benefits
---------------
Resources expended

So, that was interesting. We just need to be clear and to make sure that what we are doing is effective, clear, and actually doing something.

General Colin Powell was interviewed; this was a pre-recorded one. He had a lot of what he liked to call Powell principles and I've touched on a few below.

Oh, oh oh, one key point (what I'm sure most of you already know)

Trust is key in interpersonal relationships.

I'm sure you all know what will happen if you don't have that key in your relationships.

Another principle is that only people can get things done. This means followers and not charts, PowerPoint presentations, groups etc. That's all good at the end of the day yet, the people will get things done. Now, I know that because you people, wherever you're serving, is getting things done. So, keep up the good work. Lastly, another principle is that you need to be prepared to disappoint. Now, doesn't that sound odd? It does to me yet, after chewing it for awhile it makes sense. You or I cannot make everyone absolutely happy no matter what. You might have done all you can do that you think will make your boss or pastor happy, yet he or she still might leave at the end of the day not pleased nor happy with what you worked on that particular day.

John Ortberg spoke about a leader's greatest fear. This talk was more of an introspective look into what we as leaders do that tear us down, rip us on the inside, and something that is entirely selfish. He used the story of Esther as an example to focus on shadow mission. An example of a shadow mission in the story of Esther is Haman who was trying to get fame, glory, and more. Yet, he kept saying it was for an official purpose and snuck his order to wipe out Mordecai's people.

Lastly, we watched a video interview of Richard Curtis. An interesting man who is trying to make a difference in the world, but is not a Christian. Two things I took away form him: 1. There is power in humor 2. Pick people for the right reasons Now, keep in mind that he is not a Christian plus he's a director not even a church person. Odd, on how that is two rather somewhat obvious principles yet we (church people or business people) do not make us of either as best we should at times. Myself included in that group.

That's a rather detailed summary and I hope you are able to see where I'm at while at this year's Leadership Summit. Have a good weekend everyone! :)

Day 2

2007-08-10T16:52:00.000-04:00

Learning lots again today and will post later about today's sessions.

One thing: I love (emphasis on love) worship here. 7,000 some people and all over North America singing and praising God. Wow; I could hardly sing today earlier due to tears of joy and happiness.
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Day 1

2007-08-10T09:08:00.001-04:00

Hey there everyone,

Sorry for not posting last night. I was up late enjoying people's company and rather tired too. Overall, the sessions were great and I sure could hear the Lord speaking to me about things be it about myself or Redeemer. Below is a summary of Day 1:

Many people focus on their weaknesses rather than their strengths.

If a leader has a vision, they must promote it, and get people's input while creating it. If someone really has "bought in" to the vision, they (haven forbid) will die for that vision

You can learn something from everyone. Plus there is a gift in everything, we just have to *look* for them.

Blessings all.
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Day 1 Post

2007-08-09T18:00:00.000-04:00

I shall have a post sometime later this evening, so keep an eye out.
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Time

2007-07-27T14:47:00.001-04:00

It's hard to believe yet summer is almost over. It's coming to the end of July and into August. That means everyone will be back to their normal routine i.e. college kids, high schoolers and below, plus families etc. I must admit I'm bummed that summer is coming to an end and at the same time glad too. I've been relaxing and whatnot a lot; a switch to a more rigid schedule and keeping busy won't hurt things. Church wise it has been a fairly "uneventful summer", granted we've had various things occur plus the ministry fair. I'm just referring to nothing bad or disasterous occurring I've gotten a few things done here and there over the summer church wise so that's a good thing. My next big, major task will be replacing the lamp in the sanctuary projector. Just plugging away as best I can. God's still God and I'm still me. Good things both ways. Take it easy everyone.
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Something to Ponder & Think About This Morning

2007-07-15T07:37:00.000-04:00

Morning everyone,

Just here at church early again this morning though not as early as last week. I arrived here at 7:10 AM this time around. I read through Luke 12 this morning and I wanted to share some insights with all of you.

There was just a lot in this particular chapter to say the least. I liked verses 22-34 where it talks about focusing on God rather than on clothes. The Message titles it Steep Yourself in God-Reality; pretty cool way of putting it eh? In verse 29 it says "What I'm trying to do here is get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting so you can respond to God's giving." Oh how true that is with me, I'll throw out all these prayers about me, something church related, or help in situation i.e. give me whatever I just asked for. Granted, we are supposed to pray and be talking with God in every and any situation yet, we should have more prayers/praise of something about he's made i.e. flowers, another day to breathe etc. Plus once we don't just focus on us rather what God wants us to do/Him we'll be so much better off.

That focus also ties in with Pastor's Message today which will be focusing on Acts 9:1-31 where Saul becomes a believer with the new name of Paul. He was focused on himself crushing those who believed in Christ. He wasn't focused on God nor had his gazed fixed on Him. After he became blind and was filled with the Holy Spirit, things took a 180.

Lord may I and others be filled with the Holy Spirit and have our own 180 degree turn. May we focus on eyes on You and not on ourselves or things of this world. Be with all of us today and every day as we walk through this life. Amen

Have a good one everyone! :)

Just A Few Notes

2007-07-08T07:13:00.000-04:00

Morning everyone,

I still am somewhat surprised that I arrived at church at 6:40 A.M. today; I figured I would have slept in awhile or have gotten here at 7:30. I think it was mainly due I wanted to be here in case anything needed to be fine tuned today plus my nerves. I know that God has everything under control though I'm still a bit edgy. Both of today's services are very tech heavy with CDs for our early service and various DVDs for our late service. I pray that everything will go smoothly and even better than I expect. May God use whatever happens for His glory and purpose.

The reasons it's hard today is that I'm coordinating the late service plus mainly in charge for today. I'm not preaching, but I'm just making sure that our guest pastor is all set and everyone knows what's going on etc.

I just read through Luke 10:1-20 in the Message and here's a verse that stood out: "Not what you do for God but what God does for you -- that's the agenda for rejoicing." To me that just sounds so cool plus I should rejoice when God does something for me or works in me.

Here's the verse in it's complete context: Luke 10 Lambs in a Wolf Pack

1-2Later the Master selected seventy and sent them ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he intended to go. He gave them this charge:
"What a huge harvest! And how few the harvest hands. So on your knees; ask the God of the Harvest to send harvest hands.
3"On your way! But be careful—this is hazardous work. You're like lambs in a wolf pack.
4"Travel light. Comb and toothbrush and no extra luggage.
"Don't loiter and make small talk with everyone you meet along the way.
5-6"When you enter a home, greet the family, 'Peace.' If your greeting is received, then it's a good place to stay. But if it's not received, take it back and get out. Don't impose yourself.
7"Stay at one home, taking your meals there, for a worker deserves three square meals. Don't move from house to house, looking for the best cook in town.
8-9"When you enter a town and are received, eat what they set before you, heal anyone who is sick, and tell them, 'God's kingdom is right on your doorstep!'
10-12"When you enter a town and are not received, go out in the street and say, 'The only thing we got from you is the dirt on our feet, and we're giving it back. Did you have any idea that God's kingdom was right on your doorstep?' Sodom will have it better on Judgment Day than the town that rejects you.
13-14"Doom, Chorazin! Doom, Bethsaida! If Tyre and Sidon had been given half the chances given you, they'd have been on their knees long ago, repenting and crying for mercy. Tyre and Sidon will have it easy on Judgment Day compared to you.
15"And you, Capernaum! Do you think you're about to be promoted to heaven? Think again. You're on a mudslide to hell.
16"The one who listens to you, listens to me. The one who rejects you, rejects me. And rejecting me is the same as rejecting God, who sent me."
17The seventy came back triumphant. "Master, even the demons danced to your tune!"
18-20Jesus said, "I know. I saw Satan fall, a bolt of lightning out of the sky. See what I've given you? Safe passage as you walk on snakes and scorpions, and protection from every assault of the Enemy. No one can put a hand on you. All the same, the great triumph is not in your authority over evil, but in God's authority over you and presence with you. Not what you do for God but what God does for you—that's the agenda for rejoicing."
21At that, Jesus rejoiced, exuberant in the Holy Spirit. "I thank you, Father, Master of heaven and earth, that you hid these things from the know-it-alls and showed them to these innocent newcomers. Yes, Father, it pleased you to do it this way.
22"I've been given it all by my Father! Only the Father knows who the Son is and only the Son knows who the Father is. The Son can introduce the Father to anyone he wants to."
23-24He then turned in a private aside to his disciples. "Fortunate the eyes that see what you're seeing! There are plenty of prophets and kings who would have given their right arm to see what you are seeing but never got so much as a glimpse, to hear what you are hearing but never got so much as a whisper."

The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Have a good Sunday everyone.

Just some brief thoughts

2007-07-01T21:46:00.001-04:00

Hey there everyone,

The cool part about todays service is that a lot of it coincided with what I posted earlier today. Pastor's Message and the various parts related back to the Holy Spirit plus the chapter in Luke that I read earlier today. Not quite sure what to say yet, the only thing that comes to mind is that I was on the same page that God was on; without that I wouldn't be able to relate or make the various connections. Have a good week all and Happy early Independence Day!!! Woot!!!
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Cool Stuff & A Verse in God's Word

2007-07-01T02:41:00.001-04:00

Morning friends,

Yes, I'm up late; had some coffee plus a nap so I screwed myself up tonight/this morning. Anyways, I was reading in Luke 11 this morning and it was pretty cool how The Message translation puts the Lord's Prayer, and the seek and knock passage. Here's the Lord's Prayer: "Father, reveal who you are. Set the world right. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.". Pretty cool eh? I think so. Here's the seek, knock passage: "Ask and you'll get; Seek and you'll find; Knock and the door will open." Plain and simple when you look/examine it over closely. After that it says to be direct with God, ask for what you need. So simple yet, I sure don't do that at times. At the end of that section it hit me where if you ask God to give you the Holy Spirit He will. I know I have it yet, it wouldn't hurt to get filled again or have a brighter/bigger filling of it. Lord give me more/fill me up/make my heart burn with the Holy Spirit. Amen.

A bit later Luke talks about your light and letting it shine. Check this out: "Keep your life as well-lighted as your best-lighted room." I love that verse there; it's verse 36. Overall good plus some convicting there and I'm glad that the Lord showed me some things plus I'm conscious enough to grasp it. Blessings all; sleep for me now.
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Strong Until the Finish Line

2007-06-17T22:55:00.000-04:00

Hey there everyone,

First off happy Father's Day to all you Dad's out there and hope you had a good day celebrating it in whatever fashion that turned out to be for today.

Secondly, I must admit I'm still somewhat bummed out about today's service. It was a bit more stressful than most Sunday's in the past. Why? Partly due to that I was involved in more of putting it together than normal even including changes and additions in the morning. We had 3 DVD clips plus some pictures that was part of the kid's presentation. The pictures of the kids got some laughs especially one where a guy (I don't know his name) was exiting the bathroom. I must admit it took a bit of fine tuning i.e. removing some red eyes plus adding eyes to a kid. In the final group shot a kid on the end, in regards to his eyes, looked funny. The camera made it so one of his eyes looked odd; it had a white glare/dot. (Trust me it is hard to describe) Anyways, I used the red eye removal tool in Adobe Photoshop CS2 (plus I made some automation along the way to help me in the future while editing photos) which caused him to have entirely black eyes i.e. you couldn't really see a white pupil. So, in order to not make him look weird in the photo, I zoomed in on his eyes, used the pencil tool to add some white to a pixel on each eye, and when I zoomed out it looked more normal. Granted on a close look from the other kid's eyes to his it might not appear right, but up on the screen it looked better than just a kid with black eyes.

Lastly, about today's service...it was not pretty to say the least. On the last DVD that was cued up I closed the program and cued it up again, just trying to make it easier to start. That's it; nothing major technical failed, the equipment was working fine, and I was back there. I made the decision, closed the DVD playback program, and cued it up again. I alone caused the technical failure to occur and nobody else. I also take the full responsibility and ramifications for my actions. *sighs* I probably should have left well enough alone and it would have ran fine yet, that wasn't what happened. I was just trying to save a step and make it easier to start the DVD; instead of clicking OK on a dialogue box just hitting the play button.

On a positive note, the service overall went very well (late) and I felt the Holy Spirit there. I hope the rest of you did too in some way or another. Plus I'm looking forward to the upcoming Leadership Summit 2007; it will be a good team for us leaders (and others too) to connect, refuel, and have some fun along the way.

That's it for now; have a good week everyone.

Plus, I'd appreciate your prayers and I must admit I was not in Bible class today like I stated I would be in my previous post. Things just didn't quite play out liked I planned today. That's life: turns, twists, accidents, stalls, unforeseen changes, plus friends, families, and good times along the way.

Take it easy all.

Thoughts after Reading God's Word

2007-06-10T01:04:00.000-04:00

Hey there everyone,

I just was reading in Luke chapters 9 and 10 in The Message. I recommend that particular translation, by the way though it helps as I've found out plus a fellow staff member at church told me as well, to have a regular translation handy like the New International Version (which I also have) and use.

Anyways, I was reading in the last part of chapter 10 where it talks about Mary and Martha and something hit me. I do (and have been (hate saying this; hurts)) get caught up in the stuff of things on Sunday. I need to just let God control things and hand stuff over to Him. I'm not saying I should just slack off and not do my part serving (job/work doesn't sound good to me nor should people say they're working on Sunday; serving is better, in my opinion). I need to be in Bible study on the Sunday's I'm not part of the technical team. So, I'm making a commitment here that I shall attend Bible study on the Sunday's I'm not serving. :)

One final note, the voter's meeting is today. I hope and pray that the Lord blesses it. May we recognize His presence, His love, and His insight into what's going on at our church.

Have a good Sunday and week everyone.
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Thoughts and Dreams

2007-06-05T20:28:00.001-04:00

Hey there everyone,

I must admit that today (at least internally and brain wise) has not been one of my best days. I hopped out of town for dinner and to just think/ponder I suppose. I must admit that the orange mocha I'm having (courtesy of Starbucks) is.. Different to say the least. It reminds me of the orange flavored chocolate candy that surfaces now and then at parties. Ya know the chocolate orange wedges that taste good? Anyways, internally I think I'm coming down with something (possibly a cold), but I hope that's not the case. Today I went back into one of my old ruts and I was sitting there thinking "It's wrong; stop now; die to yourself on the cross..." I have been pondering that and just find it....different that my mind and probably the Holy Spirit were waving red flags at me. I can say my conscience was working yet, I didn't follow it. Oh well, just have to do better next time.

My past has been nawing at me today moreso than usual. A relationship that, I am not sure entirely what its purpose was for. I can say it took care of some of my "wants" yet, there were good points to it as well. *pauses and frowns* I must move forward and on...*shakes head* Easier said than done.

Wednesday is practice night and I must admit I'm not entirely looking forward to it. The sound issues that occurred on Sunday must and will be dealt with. I just hope its an easy solution.

*sighs* dang all about me yet not of my dreams yet (church wise)

I'm going to try and setup a wiki plus some forums for the church. Maybe we'll be able to have multiple wikis where members can post, edit, and add there own pieces of information about their tips for praying or Bible study suggestions/ideas/plans etc. The forums could have discussions about the previous service or event. Small groups could have a continuing conversation online about we they discussed at their last gathering. Suggestions and ideas could flow from the congregation to the staff or other (key?) leaders.

If we (meaning the church arena) could take/create awesome websites or programs (maybe even games or virtual guides) as good as the PC video gaming industry does, possibly throwing that into our websites at the very least, we'd have one heckuva (fill in the blank here).

Lastly, there is something(s) that'd I'd love to do/have. Though being a guy plus a follow of Christ I cannot have unless through one option or options depending on the thing. The ironic part is I know that it (or the other stuff) will not fill my heart or even raise my feelings if just for maybe a brief period of time. The only thing that will is following Christ and relying on Him for my needs/wants/desires everything!

Plus I'm thinking about our voter's meeting on Sunday too, yet I'll not delve into that subject again.

May Jesus give me and you His strength, mercy, peace, joy, hope and anything else you or I need today and everyday as we walk through life.

*waves from Barnes & Noble from the capital city*

Have a good one everyone.
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Here Comes Trouble

2007-06-03T17:38:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone,

Today's service was ok yet, not one of our best here at church. I myself did not arrive on time to help run the computer plus there was something wrong audio wise. It sounded muffled and things were "too hot" from what I heard plus what some told me. Hopefully we'll be able to figure out what happened and resolve the issue by Sunday.

Our annual voter's meeting is coming up on Sunday and I must admit I'm not entirely looking forward to it. One of the agenda items deals with adding a stage to our gym. As I stated in one of my previous posts, there are those who are against it while others are for it. Both have good points on either side which in the end makes it even harder to come to a conclusion about which side to support. I'm concerned that it will not go smoothly and cause tension for various members of the congregation. I don't think people will "put up their barricades" and have a split between people. I just hope people come and are respectful of people's thoughts and viewpoints. In the past things have not gone smoothly yet, I'm hoping and praying this meeting sets a new level for everyone.

One thing that this stage issue deals with is change and it reminds me of where in Luke Jesus cures a demoniac of many demons. The people all went and asked him to leave beacause (as The Message translation puts it) "Later, a great many people from the Gerasene countryside got together and asked Jesus to leave—too much change, too fast, and they were scared." I'm sure that some in our congregation are scared about putting a stage onto our gym plus others might think that we are just moving to quick forward with more changes.

The key issue is that we must be listening for and asking God's insight into this matter. I am going to be praying all this week up to Sunday and asking God to give myself as well as others the insight and wisdom plus if this new stage is in His will and plan for us.

That's about it for now; it is currently raining here at the church. I must admit it is neat watching thunderstorms especially the lighting in the sky at night. Pretty and fun though when I'm driving in such conditions, not so much.

Have a good one everyone.

Thoughts & Escaping Reality

2007-05-29T17:37:00.000-04:00

Hello eveyrone,

I hope you enjoyed your extra day off this weekend; I myself did though worked on lots of various projects on Monday. I'm still recovering from it today with a slight sunburn plus my muscles saying "Ow!" Anyways, onto my thoughts about escaping reality.

Today I got into church a bit late and spoke with some fellow staff members about various things. I picked up the "bug" as I sometimes call it. It's a rather nasty one that makes ya think about various issues, people, life etc. It's one that just makes ya feel sorta blah and tired of things. So, I'm now sorta doing the same thing my fellow staff members were/are doing. I haven't gotten to the church work stuff just yet and am trying to escape reality (hence the name of the post).

I escape reality though various ways: one might be just talking with a friend or hanging out in town or a different one i.e. East Lansing, Chicago (when I am able to go there). Another is to hop online and play Guild Wars. I might just go on a long drive around the winding roads with the windows down just cruising along.

The weather plays a role into this thing too. It's nice out which results in my not wanting to work on projects or church work. I'd rather be swimming in some cool water or on a boat out on the lake maybe even water-skiing who knows. Plus just staring out the window at times and letting my mind wander is another way.

How do you escape reality? Reading, watching TV, or a favorite hobby? I hope its not through some of the worse ways of escaping i.e drugs or alcohol.

Have a good rest of the week everyone.

Sunday Service & Thoughts

2007-05-27T15:36:00.001-04:00

Hey there everyone,

Today's service went well; we had some plugs about the new kids program over the summer. There was a skit plus a PowerPoint with the kids as the main characters. Some small technical things, but nothing super major. No explosions or nothing so that's a good thing. :)

My wandering thoughts are on a different matter today. It has to deal with the RAC expansion and what all that entails. Some have already voiced that they will not support the endeavor whereas others are for it. I wonder if we as a church are doing the right thing since there's resistance to this project. I'm under the assumption that when one is doing the right thing and it's what God wants there would be attacks from the devil trying to stop whatever it is. I'm not saying that the devil takes a vacation and doesn't attack us when we are doing something wrong, just that when it is the right thing he steps it up a notch. I plan to support this project and here's my thought on the issue: if God really doesn't want it to happen He will stop it. Granted we could do the project even if God didn't want us as a church doing it; I'd say in that case various things would be more difficult than normal.

People on both sides of the issue have valid reasons and I'm not "knocking" them whatsoever. I want the project to have God's blessing and if we as a church aren't supposed to do it, I'm asking the Lord to let us know. I foresee this project possibly causing some tension between people and the church as a whole. I hope it doesn't get "ugly" in the next few weeks before the voters meeting.

Lord give us insight and wisdom in this matter. May we have one mind in this issue and do what you would have us do.
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Just Thoughts

2007-05-23T23:25:00.000-04:00

Greetings again friends,

I wonder about many a things at times probably too much. I had a thought today while in the shower and it deals with being lukewarm. The water was lukewarm and I sure didn't like that at all. I (plus the rest of you) would probably have wanted hot water or cold water (if you were hot and running a temperature). It reminded me of the verse in Revelation 3:16 where God says that if you're lukewarm you'll be spit out. The Message states it this way: "You're not cold, you're not hot—far better to be either cold or hot! You're stale. You're stagnant. You make me want to vomit." Rather disgusting eh? I'd sure say so. I know that at the present time my walk with the Lord isn't as good as it could nor should be, I'm working on that. How's your walk going?

Another thing today was that I'm currently listening to a CD and when they "hit the wall." I'll admit it, I've done that or as I like to say have hit the wall yet, kept going forward through about 5 more. I'm not implying I'm going to crash and burn (I sincerely hope that doesn't happen) nor am I the perfect leader of the Media Teams. I'm struggling with some things in all three realms: personal, spiritual, and physical. I'm human just like you all are. So, I'd appreciate your prayers please. Thanks.

I'm still here at church and to be honest I don't quite know why I'm still here. I'm sure I could be doing something more productive or fixing some computer issue somewhere. I must admit I'm rather fortunate this summer. There really isn't anything big going on plus now that I'm off until the fall when college starts again, I have more time to ponder and think about things. That friends is a blessing which I'm sure most of you don't have or if you do have it, it's seldom and far between.

I'm fighting friends, and that's no joke. I'm fighting for things in church it seems like at times plus my rag which I dropped on Sunday. There were a lot of things that "made up" my rag this past Sunday one being my past. Ahh crap I'm reminiscing, can't go there......*shakes head* I've moved beyond that....

I do remember that one individual held onto the rag they had until after the service, placing it on the cross before this person left. I get teary-eyed and just... I dunno thinking about that.....hits a heartstring yet not as powerful as earlier in the week. I tell ya one thing, I've gone back to some of my old "stuff" I'll call it, *laughs* I even did that on Monday. Monday of all days after the great experience on Sunday!!!! *shakes head*

I'll admit I'm a bit worried about Sunday, my gut says that "we" (as a church) will go back to the "usual" way of doing things. I sure hope that doesn't happen; I pray I'll be able to do my part to help change things into something different or move things in a different direction than before.

Lord, may all the words I've typed above and what's in my heart... I had it over to You. Bless those who came on Sunday and myself. Help us all to be better followers of You and do what You would have us do. Thanks for being there Abba (Father).

Frustrations

2007-05-22T23:05:00.001-04:00

See the title? That's how I'm feeling at the moment. Just some stuff in regards to church have hit a chord in me. Ugh! Yeah, I've talked to the Lord and told Him how I'm feeling etc. That still doesn't mean I'm all good now. I think it's just a matter of being tired plus thinking to much probably. I think I'll take a bit of my own advice and frag some people/stuff online. It helps; trust me I'm a certified Dr with an MD in PFSG. That stands for plays/frags stuff in games. I did that the other night/morning with tanks, battleships, planes, nukes, and a powerful gunship. Had a friend over so him, my brother, and myself playing a game called Supreme Commander. It's a RTS (Real Time Strategy Game); lots of good fun. Oh! I just had a thought: use video games at church to help bring people in. I can picture a lot of guys & gals at church duking it out over a LAN (Local Area Netowrk) on Hoth with Stormtroopers taking out the Rebels in Star Wars: Battlefront II. That's also a fun game too. Plus the Wings are losing 3-0 vs. Anaheim. Hopefully they'll get their game together. Anyways, just rambling as usual. Take it easy everyone.

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New Features

2007-05-22T00:20:00.000-04:00

Hello friends,

I just recently added two things to my blog: the ability to add it to any feed reader plus e-mail updates. Just click the orange icon on the right hand side of the page and select the program that you use. For e-mail updates just click the link on the right hand side of the page and follow the prompts. Subscription updates will arrive in your inbox between 7-9 AM daily. You won't receive any spam either when you subscribe.

Oh, if you see a post you like and want to leave a comment, just click the word comment at the end of a post then follow the prompts.

Enjoy everyone! :)

(Wrote on BlackBerry)
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Special Sunday Service/ Something Different

2007-05-21T22:21:00.001-04:00

(Wrote on BlackBerry 8800)

Greetings everyone!

It has been awhile since my last post, yet I now have time to keep up on my blog more during the summer. Anyways, onto this week's topic: Sunday.

We had a special service at our church that focused on Repentance and Renewal. I've been kicking around what all occurred plus what I took away from it. One thing that struck me while I was having dinner at McAlister's Deli was environment/mood. Here this restaurant is a deli; it has green colors, great food, and various nick-knacks on the walls. It all helps set theme/mood/environment that says: "Hey, you're in a deli." Its better than Panera, that's for sure. More food plus it tastes better too. I had the McAlister's Club on wheat bread with bakes lays chips, a big chocolate chip cookie and a diet. Oh plus a pickle and a little mint too for after you finish eating. Yum! Ok, back to Sunday and theme/mood. We changed the format compared to our usual services plus stuck with white text on a black background for everything we used on the screen except for the last song. Plus moved the altar onto the stage and used dimmer lighting than usual. All those different aspects help set the mood and tone. That's one of the key things that we sometimes do at my church yet, not every time. I hope that I'll be able to change that as we move forward. Another point in regards to Sunday, what did you personally take away from it? Do you need to walk closer with the Lord? Do you need to forgive someone that you haven't? Do you need to (not forget) but move on from your past and let that go? The last one is one thing that I gave up and am working on doing in my life. Just because I'm on staff or in charge of the computers doesn't mean that I'm doing well in life or exempt from things. If you'd like, drop me a comment below to share your thoughts, comments, and what you took away from this past Sunday. I pray that the Lord would help you and me in our walks and what occurred this past Sunday, whatever that means, looks like, or something that we have to do.

Some other notes: at staff meeting today we discussed blogs and everyone thought that was a good idea. Keep an eye out for some new blogs from the rest of the staff to pop up sometime down the road. Plus in both services keep an eye out for some slight, small changes from the "usual." Have a good rest of the week! :)

JB

Q and A Session

2007-02-21T21:01:00.000-05:00

Hello again everyone,

I must admit today has been a rather long and busy day. Have I accomplished something along the way? Yes, I'd say I have and hope you did too today. At the present moment in time I just am pondering about what's next for my church. Where are we going? Will things change for the better? What exactly am I supposed to do or not do during this time? Am I following the direction I'm supposed too in keeping the PCs and other tech stuff running? It's just one of those things where I'd love to go up to God with some questions, ask them, and get some answers. Have you ever felt like that? What questions would you ask Him? How do you'd think He'd respond? All I can do is just pray and ask the Lord to show me the way and if that's not where I'm supposed to be, let me know so I can change.

Another thing that's a bit off topic: today is Ash Wednesday. What did you do to today? Did you attend church if you're a believer? If not did you do anything at all or nor what today represents? Today for believers it is the beginning of the Lenten season where we follow Jesus along to the cross, his death, and finally His resurrection on Easter Sunday. A long journey to say the least; part of the journey is some have decided to give up something during this time period. It might range from not watching TV to chocolate to not playing games on the Internet. Have I decided on what I'm going to give up? Yes and know. I have already done some "pruning" as it where before Lent started today, so I'm not entirely sure what exactly I could give up to remember and focus my attention on Christ during this Lenten season. If you have any suggestions, please drop me a comment. I'd love to hear from ya. :)

That's it for now and until next time: keep on plugging away at this big thing we call life. Blessings! :)

Prayer Helps

2007-02-18T15:35:00.000-05:00

Photo Link: http://a1259.g.akamai.net/f/1259/5586/5d/images.art.com/images/-/Danny-Hahlbolm/Power-of-Prayer--C10109500.jpeg

Hello everyone,

Yes it has been awhile since I last posted; busy just as you all are. I must admit overall church life is not easy ever moreso if you're on staff. Granted, the sun is shining and it is somewhat warm (21 degrees F) though inside it is different. It occurred to me today that I had not prayed about some of the issues, challenges, stuff I'm currently facing. I did and the result? I'm not up to "full par" just yet, though I feel a tad better. It's amazing on how we can contact God no matter where we are located or what we are doing. He's there 24/7 which is awesome. If you are feeling funny or just "blah" pray about it; let God know what you're facing. Have a great week everyone! :)

PS I'm going to work on updating my blog at least every 2 weeks or sooner as time permits. Blessings.

Looking Ahead and Transition

2006-08-01T19:00:00.000-04:00

Hey there again everyone,

Yes it has been awhile, but I've been busy just like everyone else. We church workers are not exempt from the usual workload being expanded or even from being fired. The first part has occurred yet, it the load may change at a moments notice... only God knows. Anyway, overall things are going well; just been wondering and thinking about things. I ran across an old e-mail (been working on cleaning up my backlogged of some newsletters lately) part of it dealt with planning a worship service particularly a brainstorming session. I watched a video of the team doing that and thought "I so wish that would happen here at my church." I'm not saying it does not; we do plan things out though not as best. Everything could be improved even inside the church in regards to events or worship services across any denomination or whatever. I saw that clip and my heart was happy yet aching at the same time. I got a bit teary eyed too. That video was how it should be and I hope that we here at my church will reach that point..... All in good time.

I've been also wondering and thinking about what's next for our church and focused on the media team aspect of it. I'm the IT Guy yes, but also in charge of the media team. The team helps put together the PowerPoint presentations or MediaShout scripts for the various worship services on Sunday's or other special events such as VBS for example. I wonder if we'll grow, get more people, find new ways of doing things, or what will it look like down the road in 5 years? Granted that there are transitions occurring in various aspects of my church and I have a sense that we are going to enter another transition if not already are in one yet, just don't see it at the present time. One key aspect of transitions is the difficulties. I've seen some already and there is more on the way too. The word challenge spikes comes to mind in what Bill Hybels said that the 2005 Leadership Summit. Every leader goes through those periods be it in church work or outside of the church. Those points will make or break a leader and see how he or she handles the storm and comes out of the other side. They'll add passion as well as guts once they emerge from the storm into the sunlight on the other side. I hope to be the best leader I can be in what the Lord wants me to do. There are some challenge spikes going on at the present time yes. They're not fun and make the minds (the leaders even more so) question as to what's ahead and wonder even more. I just like everyone else have to keep my feet planted on the ground with my eyes looking upward for strength and peace from the Lord. Not just during the hard times, but every time. Granted easier said than done, but every single day is another opportunity to get it right.

If you're a leader or even a volunteer going through some challenging times/ challenge spike let me just say you're NOT alone. God's with you throughout the whole ordeal no matter how great or small. He'll help you and see you through no matter if its something inside the church, workplace, or home. May God give you strength, peace, and courage to help you through your own challenge spikes.

Thanks everyone and have a great week! :)

Why Do People Hate Change

2006-07-19T21:54:00.000-04:00

Hey gang,

Sorry for not updating in awhile just been busy with things. One thing that came up today, as was many other stuff, is that some chairs were moved by someone only to be put back in their original position. This moving caused a few individuals to get upset and wonder why someone would want to shift the chairs back every week. I've been kicking that around and the obvious answer is that people don't like change. Granted I'm sure some of you all out there are saying "Duh! JB!." Yes, it can seem that way, but what is the reasoning behind it? One is the fact of things not being normal i.e. out of one's comfort zone. I have trouble with that as I'm sure you all do. Another thing is habit. Keep things the same and don't change anything. The rut syndrome I suppose one could call it. What about you? Do you like change? I know I do at times and others not at all. Yet, life is about change and moving forward. If we didn't change we'd still be using old cars with tires that blew out every 30 miles or so plus not air conditioning. The key point to remember is to stay flexible and embrace change as best you can. I'm not saying to say change, change, change non stop no. Rather be flexible and let things shift. See how you or other people react THEN make a decision about change. As the old saying does don't bash something until you try it.

Have a good week everyone. :)

Prayer

2006-07-06T21:53:00.000-04:00

Hey there once again gang,

Tonight at church we had our usual prayer time where anyone can come in for an hour and pray. It was interesting in that during the day I was feeling disconnected and just out of it plus not really wanting to do church stuff. I'm sure that you all who are in the church area know what I'm talking about and let me say that I'm right there with ya on those days. Well, after that period of time I was speaking with another staff person about it. I told this other staff person that it was funny how after just an hour of prayer time with other people (church members and non-church members alike) that I felt better and had more... strength is the word that comes to mind. I guess that the lesson is that no matter how you're feeling yet, especially if you're feeling drained, or just out of it etc ask God to give you what you need to finish out the day strong and at full power.

Until next time everyone. :)

Vacation

2006-07-06T17:05:00.000-04:00

Hey there everyone once again,

I've been busy and that is why I have not posted anything recently. In regards to church work especially since the church runs more on volunteers than anything else people will become burnt out. Let me say that I have been there and done that so I know the feeling. I came back a few days ago and today I am in what I like to call vacation withdrawal mode. Still wish I was there in Chicago and just having fun. Life and work must go on though.

One key thing I've learned through my time here at church is that you do need to take some time off. The key point being is that it cannot be once and awhile. At least take some time off once a month or a 3 day weekend a year. Granted that I'm saying it here in my blog even I have not followed my own advice there. Yet, I will and plan on doing that more often. I'd encourage all of you to take a look at yourself for a moment. How are you feeling and especially about your work? Are you tired and not focusing? Does an e-mail pop into your inbox and you grunt and are angry/don't want to do what was enclosed in that e-mail? Is your internal dialogue saying just another task to do until the next one? If so you need a vacation so take one. It doesn't even have to be a big, grand drawn out one. Mine was just 3 days out of town then back so I could get cracking on things for Sunday and into Monday. If that doesn't work out just take a short one on Saturday. Go to a park, swim, read, or shop out and about for a bit. Maybe grab some ice cream who knows. Your decision, but whatever it is: 1. Enjoy yourself 2. Do something for you 3. Bring someone along too if you feel like it Hope that helps you all out there.

Superman

Official Site: http://supermanreturns.warnerbros.com/

Another thing is that while on vacation I was near an IMAX theatre where Superman 3D was playing and all the times where sold out. Would have loved to have seen the movie there yet, I did once I was back in my hometown. It was an ok movie action wise alas the plot was not all the great. One interesting thing that I picked up on was all the symbolism in the movie especially a few spots where Superman was put on a parallel with Christ. Some of the usual symbols easily stood out i.e. the bad guys where doing things with darkness and big thunderstorm systems. It is interesting and I challenge you all to watch the movie and see what symbolism you can pick out. You might be surprised at your findings.

That's it for now and I will be sure to update my blog weekly or more as time permits. Thanks everyone and have a great day/weekend. :)

Funeral Service

2006-06-26T17:48:00.000-04:00

Hey there once again everyone,

Today was an interesting day in that I attended a funeral mass for a dear friend of mine who passed away. It was a different church than my own, home one bigger and different to say the least. Its stain glass windows were amazing plus it was good to see lots of people there to support the family during this very difficult time. One thing though while there was the liturgy and how wonderful it was to do a say and response or sing in a kyrie. (Correct me there if I spelled that wrong). Plus hearing all the people there (I'd say 200 some people though I could be wrong) sing and their response. Was just neat to hear and be part of which brings me along to my thoughts and a question: does your church do liturgy, do you enjoy/like it, and if so how well does your church do it?

I happened to swing into the office today and was speaking with a fellow staff member about it and mentioned that I felt weird missing that at times. He said basically that I should not feel weird and that's what it is all about; where we got our roots from. He also said to read the book of Revelation where it is all liturgy. I'm still kicking that around in the back of my head while I write this. That's what we all will be doing (for those of us who are Christian) when we reach heaven. So, we should get used to it and like it don't ya think? :P

I'll answer for myself those questions I asked earlier to you all: Yes, I do, and not well. Granted that a church including mine might not be able to do it just right or as best as the bigger churches around. Still, it is better than nothing, BUT if the liturgy is bad see what you can do to fix or improve it. Granted that one might not be on the board or the head Pastor; at least ask some questions of people in your congregation or of your Pastor is possible. Get a feel for things and just ponder/think about it. Plus I'd also recommend to (granted this might scare some of you) go to another church and see how they do it, even another denomination. By this I mean if you're Lutheran go to a Catholic mass at a church in your area and see how they do it. You might be pleasantly surprised by your findings.

The First Entry

2006-06-22T17:09:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone,

Greetings and welcome to my blog. :)

As you may have guessed I'm the IT guy at my church and for those of you who are in that line of church work *tips hat* I'm right there with ya. I also help out with other things at church too due to being a tech guy. Greetings to all my fellow techies out there too. Granted people might not always see what you do nor give you thanks/praise, but from a fellow techie to another thanks for a job well done and keep it up! :D

Was reading an article in Worship Leader Magazine (June 2006 Issue and a very cool one I must say plus here's their website: http://www.worshipleader.com ) about blogging and thought I'd give this whole blog thing a go.

Ok, I'm rambling (hence the name of the blog lol) so now onto the "meat" as it were:

Today was a long day for me as well as numerous other people. At church we had a funeral service for one of our member's who recently passed away. Everything overall went well, and I must say that seeing a whole lot of people praising the Lord while lifting their hands to Celebrate, Jesus Celebrate is still in the back of my head. Pretty cool and a neat sight to see since I was in the back of the sanctuary running sound; that's how I was able to see it. Yet, later on in the day I was speaking with my Worship Director about some things and we got to talking about being connected in that sort of a setting. I stated that it was a mix of both worlds in that 1. I had a job to do/focus i.e. run the sound mix for the mini praise band that was playing 2. That I was saddened at the loss of the church member who passed away. I'm sure all (if not most) can identify with me and my Worship Director there on that note. Either you're all there doing what ya need to do or crying your eyes out unable to do the job ya need to do. I must say that our church will feel a loss with this member's passing; though as Pastor said we will see this member and all those who we love once again in heaven. :) All the more to spread the Good News to everyone we encounter so we don't have to say goodbye rather see ya later.

I'd also like to say a big thank you to all those who helped with this funeral service and the hard work others put into it. I know that it took time out of people's work and a decent chunk of time during practice for it as well as the day of itself. Thanks and a job well done. :)

Well, I think that's enough for my first post here. Check back again for more from my virtual blog desk.