Wordle for June 26th

If my blog were a Wordle today it’d look remarkably like a fish I suppose:

That’s a fun little tool!
Thanks Wendy

Computer/Video Poll – PLEASE HELP!

I can’t figure out how to create a poll so please, PLEASE fill in the comments section about what your church uses:

1. Computer: Apple or PC?
2. Presentation software: ProPresenter or MediaShout or EasyWorship or what?
3. Media Intensity of your church?
   5 – Multiple background screens, camera cranes in the audiences, videos made in house, local news stations come to you when the power goes out to broadcast the 5:00 news
   4 -
   3 – Running some sort of lyric presentation for songs, dabbling in video loops for backgrounds but mainly doing a killer job of stellar still images
   2 -
   1 – Video presentation? Doesn’t everyone still use transparencies?

I think I know what the “right” answers are but I’ve become the droning white noise that gets ignored around our staff. I want to make sure I’m still thinking objectively and rationally and would LOVE to know what other churches are using and doing with their video resources.

Who would you rebirth?!?

With my recent trip to see The Incredible Hulk and pouring over this week’s episode of Entertainment Weekly I had a thought about recent movie making trends. The old saying “Nothing new under the sun” has always been spoken about movies sharing similar plots and lessons etc. We even love to see movies that have been remade. However, recently it seems like the trend is “rebirthing” a movie or franchise. Whether we’re looking at this year’s release of The Incredible Hulk or 2006’s Casino Royale or the perhaps the most notorious rebirth of them all, 2005’s Batman Begins it’s clear that movie makers are desiring a crack at a known character without the precedence set before them.

It’s not so much a revamp of an old classic like Peter Jackson did for King Kong. It’s not even a replicate like Made of Honor was for My Best Friend’s Wedding. It’s like completely wiping the slate clean and starting from scratch.

So I ask you:

If you could rebirth any movie or franchise, what would it be?
What would you like to see reborn?

Would you like to see God?

Remember when life was easy?

Chloe’s 2 and 1/2 and we’re passing from reading books at night to Daddy telling stories at bedtime. One of her favorites is the Story of the Trees. The gist: “Once upon a time God created the Earth and everything in it.” And I tell a whimsical story of God creating the world that ends with God taking a “nap” which is the most perfect segway for our turn to go to sleep also. UNTIL TONIGHT when it went down like this:

He’s taking a nap.

Mmmhmmm. – Sudden realization that she wasn’t asking me if God had taken a nap but matter-of-factly telling me that God is napping right now.
Well honey, he’s not sleeping right now.

Where is He?

Well, He’s high above us watching down on you and Daddy and Mommy and Gavin. – Sudden realization that I’d also like my daughter to know that God desires a personal relationship with us and is as close as I am to her as well!
He’s also right here in your heart. -I tap her little chest.

She taps her little chest.

He’s making you breathe in and out. He’s making your heart pump inside your chest here.

She breathes in deeply and smiles.

Well, I want to see Him!

I am literally dumbfounded at this point!

The simplicity of my daughter’s “grasp” of the subject was not only hilarious but left me just speechless. I mean she needs no explanation of The Trinity. She doesn’t need to debate whether we should sprinkle or dunk for baptisms. She doesn’t ask if she’s part of the elect or whether she has the ability to make her own decision about God.
We go through a story about this guy named “God” who has created all these wonderful things. Then she tags on all the wonderful things in her “world” that he must have also created. (Tonight those things were my hairy chin, ballerina slippers, pretty dresses, and horses mostly!) and then enthusiastically wants to see Him!

I mean I know this was a silly example and all but I’m just excited about being a parent and having these opportunities with my kids!

You will Sweet Pea. Now let’s get some sleep. – Thank you God for my children!

downhere hopeful of recruiting new fans wide-eyed and mystified

So those of you already fans of downhere get the shameful implication of my title there. Those of you who didn’t, allow me to explain. downhere in an effort to promote their new CD due out in August is giving away their 2006 release: Wide-eyed and Mystified.

Pretty simple. Input your name and email addy and voila. Immediately download the CD. I’d been on the fence with them. I had my hands on a screener of their official debut CD downhere. It was good but not good enough to grab my attention and become a follower. I’m interested in seeing how the years have treated them.

[While browsing your blogs today in my massive GReader update, one of you alerted me to this but I don't know who to give credit to. You know who you are though. Kudos and thanks!]

Progress

I’ve been getting into the swing of blogging now that my professional life has begun to develop some pace and my personal life has been sleeping through the night

Before today this had said 1000+ for WEEKS!

I thumbed through you all but I was so far behind that “Mark As Read” was clicked a few times. A few of your blogs are actually Tabs across my FireFox window. You should be seeing me by the day’s end

Huggies Hidden Camera in my Bedroom

I don’t know how they did it but Huggies placed a hidden camera in our bedroom!

The Car Ride I’ll Never Forget: Life Lesson #97

Some tales just need to be told.

It began as most Sundays would begin however it took a slight turn when Rae and the family came to church with a friend so that we could all ride home together. I was elated! This would be so much fun. As I began to get into the car, Chloe asked me to help her into her carseat to which I enthusiastically obliged! With everyone set and buckled in we began our drive home laughing and discussing how my last Sunday went and what our Father’s Day activities would be when all of a sudden…BING…BAM…BOOM… I look in my rearview mirror to see this thing black object bouncing down the highway now several yards behind us. It’s amazing how fast the mind can work in a matter of a second. Initially, blew it off. Then I realized something all together horrible.
Rae inquisitively asked: Was that a piece of a tire?
no… I replied
Was it a stick or something?
no…
Well what?
i think it was my iPhone…
NO!

Sure enough it wasn’t in my pocket or on the seat next to me! I had been going 65 mph down the highway in the fastlane and surely it was in pieces littered across both lanes by now. I pulled a wicked Uey and sped back down to where I thought it fell off the hood of the car and pulled another wicked Uey and began to creep along.
Pulling off to the shoulder and seeing my iPhone face down in the middle of the road was the most horrific site I’ve ever seen. I know one day my children will do something that will trump that, but to date I don’t know if there’s been something more disturbing.
I ran out and nabbed it before another wave of cars came down. Gashes all across the case. Oddly enough the screen seemed completely unaffected. I waited until I got in the car and held my breath while I tried turning it on…
slide to unlock
flashed across the screen!

That happened Sunday. It’s worked completely normal and fine all week long! A phone that can fall off a car traveling 65 mph and I’m telling you, bounced and skipped along a highway as beat up as Airline and doesn’t get a scratch or reset or have any problems is a phone I want!

Thank you Agent 18 iPhone cases! The Eco SHIELD is an appropriate name!
Thank you Steve Jobs

Note to self: Keep phone in pocket until getting INTO the car.
Life Lesson #97: Setting phone on the top of the car with kids that will inevitably distract you is not a good idea!

Twhirl vs. TwitterFox and other Twitter apps

In response to my good buddy Jonathan’s question I thought I’d post this so that maybe those other users could join in as well.

My progress has been from Twitbin -> Flock -> TwitterFox -> Twhirl. You asked for the short version so here you go:

I like Twhirl because:

• It has all the functions of TwitterFox that I liked and then some
• It has it’s own window outside of the toolbar
• It’s customizable with skins and such
• It shows @s and DMs and normal tweets in different colors
• It shows my Tweet’s profile pic and hovering over it gives me instant access to @ or DM
• Send pics from w/in twhirl
• Search, filter, mark as seen, trash, favorite with the click of a button
• Auto updates and notifies you with pop-ups

Anyone else? What are your thoughts on Twitter apps? What do you use?

Test with ScribeFire

So I’m testing out ScribeFire on Firefox 3. So many “fire” references here.
Anyone else using this?
Is it getting hot in here