RNS Feature: "Atheists put their faith in Twitter"

By S.J. Velasquez

(UNDATED) P.Z. Myers’ Twitter bio reads, “godless liberal biologist.”

The avid atheist is far from alone in the cyber world. He has more than 7,700 followers who subscribe to his atheism- and evolution-themed Internet updates.

When Myers led about 300 like-minded evolutionists to the Creation Museum, thousands more followed along via the Internet, avidly anticipating each 140-character “tweet” about the Kentucky center, which renounces evolution in favor of a Bible-based view of natural history.

“It’s a very peculiar medium,” Myers said of Twitter. “I can also see that it is quite useful.”

Social networking sites and microblog hosts like Twitter are drawing atheists and agnostics out of seclusion and giving them a platform on which they can discuss and debate their religious beliefs—or lack thereof—with the world.

READ AT www.religionnews.com

I am actually quite grateful for the opportunity to read these viewpoints and address them.

I appreciate the dialogue and opportunity for give and take in the public forum.

Having managed TheRelgionForum.com for many years, this is not as much a new experience for me as a broader one.

We start with honesty and respect and move on from there.

Now if we can coax some Christians out of hiding ...

Feeding the Hungry: Remembering Norman Borlaug - Ernesto Tinajero - God’s Politics Blog

by Ernesto Tinajero 09-14-2009

My church started a community garden this summer. Our tomatoes, beans, and greens now grace the shelves of our food bank. The inspiration for the garden came from simply seeing available land and hearing the dire need of our food bank. We turned a small patch of our church land into a bit of Gospel. We also had to learn by doing. It was our small attempt to answer Jesus’ call to feed the hungry.

Bread is central to the Gospel: Jesus offers himself as the bread of life. The Lord’s Supper represents the reality of Jesus’ work of redemption, and it is also a meal. The politics of food are the politics of Jesus, and they extend beyond any ideology.

So it is that many mourn the loss of Dr. Norman Borlaug, who passed away on Sept. 12th.

blog.sojo.net TO READ

I have been grateful for the several reports of Borlaug's life and work I've heard in the last couple of days.

This is a great tribute.

"I refuse to believe that i am part of a lost generation."

Which is true?

The despair or the hope?

Which will we choose?

The HARD WAY

 ⁶⁰Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?   ⁶¹When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?   ⁶²What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?  ⁶³It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.  ⁶⁴But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.  ⁶⁵And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.  ⁶⁶From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.  ⁶⁷Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?  ⁶⁸Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.  ⁶⁹And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.  ⁷⁰Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?  ⁷¹He spake of Judas Iscariot the son of Simon: for he it was that should betray him, being one of the twelve. - John 6:60-71

What and if you see the Son of Man coming and going from Heaven? So you think you are offended now? Wait and see.

It is an aside but an effective one where He says, in essence, I don't have to prove to you who I am in order to be who I am.

But until things are settled, there are some HARD teachings that are difficult to hear (accept) and Jesus does not water them down. "You have to feed on me," He challenges His disciples. "You need me to really live." He just says it and lets people decide what they will do about it.

But it is HARD:

H - Holistic - It covers everything about their living. Tillich said that religion is ultimate concern. It envelops us and defines us. That offended many who were following and were looking for an "add-on" religious experience that could be "part of their lives." That is not what Jesus is teaching. If He is the Bread of Life, He is the primary nutrient of our being and saturates everything in our lives.

A - Activating - The spirit quickens, gives life, activates our latent potential as well as everything in our being. Sometimes in a physical healing process, we begin to have pains that we have never experienced before. That which is dead in us feels no pain or discomfort. When it is enlivened and activated, we resist. We are not sure we want to be that much alive.

R - Restrictive - It is not the invitation that is restrictive; it is the path. Elsewhere Jesus said that no man comes to the Father but by Him, but here He says, that no one can come to Him except by God. In other words, coming to Jesus is a God-thing. It is a spiritual response to a spiritual call. If we resist that, we restrict our access. These disciples and others were arguing and murmuring - perhaps with the undefined hope that Jesus would overrule their objections and overpower their doubts. He does not do that. We have to respond to whatever wooing of God we sense with openness and willingness to receive.

D - Definitive - Some will turn away. There were many, in fact. They were disciples and they quit. It was too hard. What was too hard? Jesus had just told them that He would give them eternal life, eternal food, and His eternal presence - freely and unconditionally if they believed and received. That was too hard for them. What did they have to give up? Was it pride, some notion of absolute self-sufficiency, self-righteousness, extreme legalism, an inner drive to achieve righteousness on their own. an unwillingness to give and receive grace? I don't know. It may be different from every person, but these hard sayings were definitive for them.

Then Jesus turns to those who remain and asks them to make a definitive choice.

"Will you also go away?"

They could have. He would  not have prevented them. It was their choice. It is our choice.

Where would we go?

There comes a time in our lives when we come to a place of no return. Knowing what we know, experiencing what we have experienced, there is no turning back. As the relatively contemporary hymn puts it, "I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back.

You have the words of eternal life.

They had become addicted to His words the way we are addicted to food and water. This is a positive addiction/dependence because it is dependence on what is real and enduring. It is a stage in our spiritual development where we crave the "sincere milk of the word," and begin to long for meat. We can't live without it. We know that no matter what our doubts or fears. We have been drawn to God, chosen by Jesus and we know it in the depths of our beings.

We believe and are sure that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

It starts with belief that brings a surety to our hearts. Some may call that "blessed assurance." Some may call it peace. Some may call it spiritual enlightenment. It is a gift.

Their assurance was that Jesus was the Christ/Messiah, the anointed and appointed One of God, the Chosen One, the ONE. They had found Him and there was no point in looking for anything or anyone better.

It was also a conviction of His relationship with God and their potential for a relationship with God through His Son. If knowing Jesus meant they could know God, then there as no point in turning back.

The footnote to the story is that there was a faker in the group and Jesus knew it.He knew it and did nothing about it because the turn-about would come later. It was necessary to let things happen in the way they would happen. The Jesus way was not and is not to prevent all trouble before it happens or to fix everything up front.

The Jesus way is to follow Jesus as Jesus followed God's way and truth to the cross and beyond.

It is HARD and it was HARD for Jesus too, but the hard way is the true way and the way of grace and life. It is holistic, activating, restrictive (and paradoxically liberating) and definitive. Will you also turn away or will you follow?

CHADD Live | Adults with AD/HD

CHADD - Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder - has one of the most helpful resource sites on the Internet.The adult area is well worth a visit and should be on your list of resources.  Visit and then stop by our new blog site: DISTRACTIBLE to receive and discuss the latest news.

There is good news, however: Help is available. If you’re new to AD/HD and CHADD, here are some steps you can take to begin to address this serious but highly treatable disorder.

1. Learn the basics about adult AD/HD and view a symptom checklist.
2. Request an adult information packet, and tell us more about you.
3. Visit a medical professional to begin the evaluation process.
4. Find a CHADD support group in your area.
5. Join CHADD and start receiving Attention magazine, gain access to past articles, and receive a complimentary copy of The NEW CHADD Information and Resource Guide to AD/HD, plus much more!

via www.chadd.org

The 8 Marks of a Robust Gospel | Scot McKnight | The Christian Vision Project

by Scot McKnight

Reviving forgotten chapters in the story of redemption.

Any gospel that is not announcing a new society at work in the world, what the apostle Paul called the church, is simply not a robust gospel.

Our problems are not small. The most cursory glance at the newspaper will remind us of global crises like AIDS, local catastrophes of senseless violence, family failures, ecological threats, and church skirmishes. These problems resist easy solutions. They are robust—powerful, pervasive, and systemic.

READ THE STORY

Scot McKnight challenges the reader to consider these eight marks and they provide a good framework for thinking through how we share good news with a thirsty world.
To summarize: 1. The robust gospel is a story. 2. The robust gospel places transactions in the context of persons. 3. The robust gospel deals with a robust problem. Read the full story

Scot McKnight challenges the reader to consider these eight marks and they provide a good framework for thinking through how we share good news with a thirsty world.


To summarize:
1. The robust gospel is a story.
2. The robust gospel places transactions in the context of persons.
3. The robust gospel deals with a robust problem.
4. A robust gospel has a grand vision.
5. A robust gospel includes the life of Jesus as well as his resurrection, and the gift of the Spirit alongside Good Friday.
6. A robust gospel demands not only faith but everything.
7. A robust gospel includes the robust Spirit of God.
8. A robust gospel emerges from and leads others to the church.

Cloud floats among India's large firms | Tech News on ZDNet

By Swati Prasad, ZDNet Asia
Posted on ZDNet News: Sep 11, 2009 5:36:02 AM

INDIA--Given the concerns over data security and regulatory compliance, large companies in the country are choosing to adopt private clouds and hybrid models of cloud computing.

Cloud computing is commonly perceived to benefit mostly small and medium businesses (SMBs), but a growing number of large Indian organizations including Shoppers Stop, Bharti, Ashok Leyland, Asian Paints, Maruti Suzuki, Bajaj Auto, Infosys and Tata Elxsi, are turning to the cloud, too.

via news.zdnet.com

Worth noting.

http://www.datavaultsecurity.com/TomSims

Roger Ebert's Journal: Darwin, My Hero Archives

During the first press screening here of "Creation," during a scene when Charles Darwin walks out of church during a sermon on the first book of Genesis, an audience member stood up and walked out. Was he offended by the film? There's no way to say. There were an unusually large number of walk-outs, but who knows if they were leaving for theological reasons, or to get in line for the screenings of "Bright Star" or "Fish Tank," or because of boredom? I hope it wasn't boredom. Although it's a movie with a good deal of talk, at least no one shouted out, "You lie!"

blogs.suntimes.com to READ

The British are saying this is too controversial to bring to the U.S.

Since when has any film critical about religion been too controversial for the U.S.?

Roger Ebert thinks that Darwin's objections to faith are equally "straw-man-esque."

Ebert says, "Fearing to offend his wife, he was shy about extending his belief to the evolution of mankind itself, but it is certainly what he privately thought. He denied being a atheist, but said agnosticism came close to reflecting his views. Apart from his research and ideas about science, that conflict in this marriage and with the conventional religious of his times was the most significant thing about him. The movie devotes most of its attention to the marriage, as Emma (Jennifer Connelly) rebukes Charles (Paul Bettany) for his heretical convictions and thinks they mean the two of them cannot spend eternity together. They're both intelligent and deeply in love, and it's a shame the movie doesn't allow them to fully debate their differences. It sees their opinions instead somewhat vaguely as personality characteristics. Did it occur to Darwin or his wife that nothing in his ideas precluded the existence of God? Today, no major religion finds conflict between God and the theory of evolution. The majority of Christians can live with both ideas; religious opposition to Darwin is limited primarily to a fundamentalist minority of American Christians."

He further notes that Darwin says nothing about Genesis that many leading theologians of his time were not already saying.

The history of Darwin's struggle with faith is far from conclusive. He started out as a student headed toward ministry. He began to gradually question his faith, but never declared himself any more than an agnostic on a continuum of belief and non-belief.

The role of a daughter's death in his journey from faith is speculative. It certainly was not anger at God - especially if he doubted God's existence. It would be tantamount to be blaming the Easter Bunny for my heartaches. Some have suggested that his understanding of the cycles apart from any divine intervention of life actually brought him comfort.

Ebert seems to suggest that Darwin could have continued to believe in God if he had not concluded that religion would not be willing to coexist with his theories.

In these days, Darwin and his work is still at the center of many debates over theism vs atheism.

Perhaps it is one thing to disagree with a comprehensive evolutionary paradigm - even on the basis of scripture - and to make it a test of faith to adopt such a disagreement in order to be a Christian. Are we setting a false bar against people exploring faith and the claims of Jesus when we imply, "You must choose between God and Darwin and you must choose now?"

Perhaps the claims could be considered independently at the outset and then worked out later. Perhaps reason, revelation, and the Holy Spirit could be trusted a little more and we could fight our battles in a different arena.

As for the faith, my position remains the same:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
    the Maker of heaven and earth,
    and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
    born of the virgin Mary,
    suffered under Pontius Pilate,
    was crucified, dead, and buried;

He descended into hell.

The third day He arose again from the dead;

He ascended into heaven,
    and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
    from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost;
    the holy catholic church;
    the communion of saints;
    the forgiveness of sins;
    the resurrection of the body;
    and the life everlasting.

Amen.

I have yet to read anything in science or theology to convince me to believe differently.

Most Recent News from Christianity Today

More news and headlines at Christianity Today

• Anti-Abortion Protester Slain; Suspect Is in Custody
  A man who had long been vocal in his opposition to abortion was shot to death outside a high school while staging an anti-abortion protest, authorities said. (The New York Times)
• Chimes: Calvin reacts to Board of Trustees’ memo
  Issue raises questions about homosexuality, academic freedom and confessional identity at Calvin. (Chimes, Calvin College newspaper)
• Religious Freedom Commission's Struggles
  Is the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom going to disappear in 2011? (The Washington Post)
• How immigrants are affecting US religion
  Immigration is leading to an increase in the number of Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims in the United States, but a large majority of new immigrants are Christian. (Boston Globe)
• Anti-Abortion Protester Shot to Death
  Prosecutors said the suspect, who is 33, targeted Mr. Pouillon because he disapproved of the victim’s protests in front of children at the school. (NY Times)
• Archbishop, wife to divorce
  Archibishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, 68, is divorcing his estranged wife of 22 years (Sunday Times, South Africa)
• Ky. mother upset by football player son's baptism
  parents of a 16-year-old Kentucky football player who was baptized along with some teammates during a trip organized by their coach said Tuesday they believe their son may have felt some pressure to go through with the ceremony (Associated Pres)
• House of Worship
  The Fellowship is a secret religious group in Washington populated by some of the most powerful people in America. What, exactly, does it want? (Newsweek)
• Remembrance: Chaplain recalls 9/11 attack on Pentagon
  Pentagon Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Henry Haynes had just come out of a meeting and was on his way back to his office when he heard the news: A plane had hit one of the World Trade Center towers in New York. (Fort Jackson Leader)
• Remains of Jesus-era synagogue found in Israel
  The remains of a 2,000-year-old synagogue where Jesus may have preached were found on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, archaeologists said on Friday. (AFP)

Healthy Pastors: Pastors Do Get Depressed | TheResurgence

John Catanzaro

N.M.D. - Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

Healthy Pastors Series [Part 3 of 3]:

theresurgence.com to READ

It is seemingly paradoxical, but true.

Catanzaro explores causes in an historical context, citing the experience of Spurgeon.

Al Mohler Defends Obama...Sort of | Out of Ur | Conversations for Ministry Leaders

"The President's address to students has stirred controversy. How should church leaders respond?"

"Al Mohler, the outspoken president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, has written about the controversy surrounding President Barack Obama's address to school children today. Normally Out of Ur doesn't venture into the political fray, but in this case Mohler models a thoughtful and moderate response--one that might be helpful to other church leaders struggling to communicate with their congregations about the matter."  blog.christianitytoday.com to READ

You might ask, "Who has kidnapped Al Mohler and replaced him with a moderate leader?"

But I would suggest to you that this is a manifestation of real conservatism - the best of conservatism - reason, moderation, and respect.

Mohler cautions against irrationality, conspiracy mongering (my word), and disrespect for the office of President.

He says, "Christians must be the first to pray for this president and to model respect for the presidency, even when we must disagree with the President's policies and proposals."

Question - Is this spokesman for the conservatives within Southern Baptist life take heat from his friends for this?

That has never seemed to deter him in the past.

Bike Messengers and Living

So many lessons for living here - such an impressive combination of agility, focus, multi-tasking, physical fitness, coordination, cooperation, and intelligence! I am thinking I can use this video in leadership training.

My friend, Rob Green works for this company and sent me the video. He spent years on the bike.

See what you see in it and share.

I am waiting.

The 10% Really Are Different - Not Just Distracted - ADHD And The Brain's Reward System - Science Friday

New research says that people suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are lacking in certain brain proteins essential for experiencing reward and motivation. Writing this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers report on a brain-imaging study that used used positron emission tomography (PET) to examine the brain's dopamine-mediated motivation/reward system. The researchers found that ADHD patients had lower levels of dopamine receptors and transporters in two brain regions, the accumbens and midbrain. We'll talk with Nora Volkow, lead author of the report and Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, about what the findings might mean. Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

www.sciencefriday.com to READ SYNOPSIS,  ,  to READ TRANSCRIPT and   DOWNLOAD AUDIO

This study, from the Journal of the American Medical Association is entitled Evaluating Dopamine Reward Pathway in ADHD. It verifies some suspicions that have been held for some time about how the brain rewards focus and concentration on tasks in people diagnosed with ADHD.

Its implications for how we teach and learn are enormous.

There are also implications for how adults with ADHD may order their lives, businesses, and even spiritual disciplines.

Without motivation and reward, many of the things we do in life are not just tedious, but agonizing. To recognize differences in hard-wiring facilitates accommodation and even capitalization on the inherent strengths in people with ADHD.

NASA - A Day of Remembrance

These pictures are dramatic.

This is how it looked from space.

imagine what it must have looked like from God's vantage .... far removed and yet ... right in the middle of it ... as He always is when humans suffer.

VIEW THE PHOTOS at: www.nasa.gov

We Have Not Forgotten

We have not forgotten what happened on September 11 in our recent past.

I remember where I was when the first hint of news came across the wave via NPR. I remember my thoughts.'

I remember how we came together and put our differences aside. As Randy Sparks wrote in a song, "On September the 11th, we became just Americans."

I remember how some folks said that nothing would ever be the same again ... but they are in most ways except the ways that time and progress change everything.

Then, we started using the tragedy to move from being a people who valued freedom above everything else to being a people who would surrender freedom for safety and security.

And we started a couple of wars, at least one clearly in response to a very real threat of terrorism in the world.

And we started rethinking the meaning of our Constitution - not that we shouldn't from time to time. We just need to hold on to what is true and just and good.

And we started bickering again.

Yet, we have not forgotten.

We are not exactly sure what the lessons were, but we learned what it meant to share a common heartbeat and a common heartbreak.

We remember what it was like to deeply care about one another.

We remember what it was like, for a moment, to respect our leaders and give them a great deal of leeway and trust along with much prayer.

What stands out for me in my memory is a heightened value for the heroes among us, in and out of uniform who are willing to lay down their lives for others. Many of these are still placing themselves in daily harm's way.

We flew flags.

We sought the comfort of God and of one another.

We sang together, mourned together, and worked together.

We can remember, but we cannot be defined by tragedy. Nor can we live in a perpetual state of emergency.

The world is dangerous. Horrible things could happen. We could all die -- but that is not the most important thing.

The most important thing is whether or not we will choose to live, and to live as free people until we die. Will we love each other? Will we pray when we are not in crisis? We will show each other respect? Will we be "just Americans" and not blue or red or whatever that is and whatever that means?

If we will remember, then we can commit to being our best as Americans and working together for common good.

For now, let us pause to remember.

God bless you.

Not Just Interesting: The Internet Changes All the Rules | TheResurgence

This video is worth taking a few minutes to think about—what are some of the ways that you should change some of your ministry methods to tell more people about the principles of Scripture that we hold so dear? - Mike Anderson

theresurgence.com to see video and read

We are going to keep up or be left far behind.

If we are going to keep up, we are going to have to do so with intention and purpose.

The older we are, the more we are going to have to work at it.

If we don't do this, we will lose a generation.

The church must be where the people are. Otherwise, it is not really the church.

Businesses must relate to people or go out of business. That is just the way it is.

Therefore, this material and much like it is not just interesting and entertaining. It is vital.

Tweet Week through 10/9

I am posting my tweets at Tweet Week.

The latest is: http://pastortomsims.typepad.com/tweet_week/2009/09/tweets-for-9209-91009.html

Pew: Religion and Science: Conflict or Harmony?

Some of the nation’s leading journalists gathered in Key West, Fla., in May 2009 for the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life’s Faith Angle Conference on religion, politics and public life.

Francis S. Collins, the former director of the Human Genome Project, discussed why he believes religion and science are compatible and why the current conflict over evolution vs. faith, particularly in the evangelical community, is unnecessary. Collins, an evangelical Christian, talked about his path from atheism to Christianity and his belief that science provides evidence of God. He cited the Big Bang theory and the fact that the universe had a beginning out of nothing. He added that the laws of physics have precisely the values needed for life to occur on earth and argued that would seem to point to a creator.

via pewforum.org to READ

Pew has published the transcripts from its recent Faith Angle Conference on religion, politics, and public life. Among the participants is Francis Collins, newly appointed to lead the National Institutes of Health.

Other participants were Fred Barnes, Jonathan Karl,Michael Cromartie, Barbara Bradley Hagerty, Kathleen Parker, Ross Douthat, David Van Biema, E.J. Dionne, Michael Gerson, Dan Gilgoff, Naomi Schaedder Riley, Claire Duffy, Claire Brinberg, Daniel Burke Reihan Salam, and Adrian Woolridge.

I'll be copying the entire transcript and reading it again.

"Barbara Bradley Hagerty, the religion correspondent for National Public Radio, discussed how the brain reacts to spiritual experiences. She talked about the current debate over whether transcendent experiences are merely physiological events or whether they reflect encounters with another dimension. Bradley Hagerty said she believes that “God is a choice,” that people can look at scientific evidence and conclude that everything is explained by material means or that they can look at the universe and see the hand of God. "

That of course, is the choice that I have made and Collins has made.

Pew Forum: President Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships

On Feb. 5, 2009, two weeks after taking office, President Barack Obama signed an executive order establishing the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. The new office retains the basic administrative structure of President George W. Bush's White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. The central White House office and satellite offices in 12 government agencies work together to encourage partnerships between the government and religious and community groups for the delivery of social services.

The White House office, led by executive director Joshua DuBois, has identified four primary goals:

• Connecting faith-based and community groups to economic recovery;
• Promoting interfaith dialogue and cooperation;
• Encouraging responsible fatherhood and healthy families;
• Reducing unintended pregnancies and the need for abortions, strengthening maternal and child health, and encouraging adoptions

To address these policy goals, Obama also has established a 25-member President's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships to make recommendations to the president on how to improve government partnerships with faith-based and community organizations. Members of the council represent a variety of religious traditions and policy positions and serve one-year terms. The current council members will issue their final report to the president in February 2010.

pewforum.org to READ REPORT and PROFILES

Here is the line-up of people who will be advising the President on this initiative which is of special interest to faith based organizations in the United States.

There is a profile on the members of each task force with a description of their duties.

"Lord, Save Us from Your Followers" Coming Soon to a Theater Near You!

Dan Merchant dressed up in bumper stickers and hit the streets looking for conversation.

The church needs to hear what Dan heard. We need to see the film that resulted: "Lord, Save Us from Your Followers."

If you visit the web site, you'll see this background information:

The Great Divide

If you were to meet ten average Americans on the street, nine of them would say they believe in God. So why is the Gospel of Love dividing America?

Dan Merchant put on his bumper-sticker-clad jumpsuit and decided to find out why the Gospel of Love is dividing America. After talking with scores of men and women on streets all across the nation, and also interviewing many well-known active participants in today’s “Culture Wars,” Dan realized that the public discussion of faith doesn’t have to be contentious.

Lord, Save Us From Your Followers is a fast-paced, highly engaging documentary that explores the collision of faith and culture in America. After seeing Lord, Save Us From Your Followers, you’ll never talk about faith the same way again!

It is not about watering down the truth of scripture. it is about not obscuring it. It is not about denying our faith. It is about not distorting it. It is not about shying away from our calling to be prophetic in the world. It is about being prophetic to the church.

We are not fairly representing Jesus when we share His words in ways that are incompatible with His lifestyle and teachings.

Somehow, we have to recapture our essence and bring our message and lifestyles into agreement with what it really means to be Jesus followers in a hostile world.

Hint: It is not being hostile in return.

Even this trailer is an eye-opener.



I am looking forward to this film. For more information, go to: http://lordsaveusthemovie.com/

Faster without Losing Features - Facebook Lite | The Web Life | ZDNet.com

ZDNET: Last time I checked, when you logged into Facebook’s home page, over 1 megabyte of Javascript was being executed. For a dialup connection, that could take up to 3 minutes to load.

blogs.zdnet.com to READ read reviews and see screen shots.

I just tried it and it was very quick.

I am not sure what is not accessible.

Birthdays are there. Notifications are easy to find. Mail is up front.

I will probably try it in one of my other browsers for a while and then consider whether or not to make the switch.

Do we have to switch in settings or can we go back and forth?

Five Magic Words | Sanborn and Associates

September 10th, 2009 by Mark Sanborn

Magic is mysterious…until you know how it works. Once you learn the technique behind the trick, you too can work magic.

Here are five words that can solve problems, defuse conflict, increase loyalty and build relationships with customers:

www.marksanborn.com to READ MORE

The magic words according to Mark Sanborn are pretty simple: "I'll take care of you."

That is what most people are asking for. In most cases, it is all they really want.

It is also what they so seldom hear.

If we can fashion our services to take care of people where they hurt, then we will establish reputations that bring others to us.

Micahel Hyatt: Responding to Poor Customer Service

Perhaps you’ve noticed: customer service has deteriorated noticeably since the recession began. Fewer waiters in restaurants. Slower room service in hotels. Longer wait times for support.

michaelhyatt.com TO READ

Michael Hyatt ought to be on everyone's favorite's list. His RSS resides in my Outlook and I check it daily. This list is a good example of why.

Hyatt lists 4 responses:

(1) Be more understanding. (2) Express gratitude. (3) demonstrate patience. (Extend grace.)

Nothing here suggests how we might retaliate, punish, or degrade people for their poor service. everything is about how we can have a contagious, positive attitude that encourages the best in others.

He says, "But you are more likely to get good service if you have a good attitude rather than a bad one. "

I think all other responses tend to reinforce the negative. Michael has the suggestions that can actually make a difference.

Facebook Turns To Twitter For Inspiration Again, Brings @ Tagging To Status Updates

Facebook has launched an interesting feature today: the ability to tag friends in status updates and other messages from the publisher. As with Twitter, you use the “@” symbol followed by your friend’s name (or the name of a Facebook Page or Group) to tag something, but the message shows up without the symbol and just a link to the person’s profile.

The ability to “Tag” friends was one that Facebook popularized with its tagging feature in photos years ago. As Facebook notes in its blog post announcing the new “@” feature, tagging is one of the most popular features on the social network. I’d venture to say it’s probably one of the early features that made Facebook’s social technology so distinct.

But Twitter, or at least its users, pioneered the “@” functionality to tag friends, which has long been missing from Facebook’s status updates. That said, there are some key differences both from a UI perspective and in the way tagging on Facebook works. Unlike Twitter, where you have to memorize your friends’ usernames (or use a third party client that features auto-complete), on Facebook when you begin typing in a friend’s name following the “@” symbol, you’ll see a drop-down menu that will let you choose from your list of friends, groups, events and applications.

www.techcrunch.com to READ THIS

I am just wondering if this will make a difference in your life? Will it change the way you use Facebook?

How will you use this feature?

I can think of several ways.

1) It might eliminate some time expenditure when I get behind. I wade through all the old messages rather compulsively not wanting to miss a conversation where I am expected to respond.

2) It can make things a bit more interesting if one is being discussed.

3) It can enable people who might be interested in a topic to be invited in to share their views.

How to Go on the Offensive with Facebook : The World : Idea Hub :: American Express OPEN Forum

How to Go on the Offensive with Facebook : The World : Idea Hub :: American Express OPEN Forum

Guy Kawasaki (Alltop)
Sep 08, 2009 -
A friend of mine conducted this informal poll about what a person should do if she were asked to show a male interviewer her Facebook page. Only 12% said they would agree. Thirty-three percent said they would walk out of the interview or refuse. Fifty-five percent said they would ask why and then decide.

It’s time to “face” two facts: First, most organizations are either already looking at candidates’ Facebook profiles, or they are going to start soon. (How many business owners are doing this now?) Second, people who are worth hiring either have a social-networking profile on some service or will soon—indeed, recruiters may already think that a candidate who doesn’t have a profile is hiding something, disconnected, or clueless.READ MORE.

Has anyone here sensed that they have been screened in employment by information on their sites?

Do you see it as an advantage or a disadvantage?

"... a deep and serious malady of the soul."

"A generation of Christians reared among push buttons and automatic machines is impatient of slower and less direct methods of reaching their goals. We have been trying to apply machine-age methods to our relations with God. We read our chapter, have our short devotions, and rush away, hoping to make up for our deep inward bankruptcy by attending another gospel meeting or listening to another thrilling story told by a religious adventurer lately returned from afar. The tragic results of this spirit are all about us. Shallow lives, hollow religious philosophies, the preponderance of the element of fun in gospel meetings, the glorification of men, trust in religious externalities, quasi-religious fellowships, salesmanship methods, the mistaking of dynamic personality for the power of the Spirit; these and such as these are the symptoms of an evil disease, a deep and serious malady of the soul." 

- A. W. Tozer

Tozer is drives a hard bargain most of the time.

I never read even a paragraph of this man's reflections without feeling challenged in the deep places of my life. He is like a chemical which, when poured over our lives, removes all the veneer of religious pretense.

To say that Tozer calls us to a God-centered approach to thinking and living out our faith would be overstating the obvious.

He is not a grumpy as he may seem, but he gets in our faces about our reliance of fluff, frills, and our insatiable "need" to be entertained by the external elements of Christianity.

I don't know where he would go to church if he were alive today, but I suspect that he would be looking for something that many of us are seeking - authenticity.

The Dreaded, Subversive Speech - A Stupid Made-for-TV Controversy - Jim Wallis - God’s Politics Blog

A Stupid Made-for-TV Controversy

by Jim Wallis 09-08-2009

Cable news and the blogosphere heated up with a new controversy in the lead-up to a noon-time address that President Obama gave as a back-to-school message for students across the country.  Jim Greer, Republican Party chairman of Florida, had this to say: “President Obama has turned to American’s children to spread his liberal lies, indoctrinating American’s youngest children before they have a chance to decide for themselves.”  A state legislator from Oklahoma said, “This is something you’d expect to see in North Korea or in Saddam Hussein’s Iraq.”

blog.sojo.net to READ MORE

I have to agree with Wallis on this.

This controversy seems to have been created to sell advertising on talk radio where people yell, hang up on folks with opposing views, belittle views not their own, gloss over the facts, and promote otherwise non-existent divisions within our country.

They call it politics. I call it sleaze.

It is not conservatism. It is not liberalism. It doesn't have enough thought behind it to be an "ism" of any sort. It is certainly not Americanism.

The President of the United States addressed school children to encourage them to take their educations seriously. I cannot imagine anyone who loves children, loves education, loves this country, or loves God objecting. It is beyond comprehension.

What is also beyond comprehension is how many good and decent people cling to every word these entertainers who call themselves commentators say. They really feel that they need to protect the children. These shock jocks who were once considered fringe elements have become so accepted and honored that many of my friends believe whatever they say.

Talk about political correctness! They decide what will stir up the most sand and start kicking it without any regard to what it does to the country and to the truth. Then they complain about the rest of the media being too liberal. They are being extremely liberal with the truth to the extent of inventing their own when what is real does not help their ratings.

The left does it too. They are just not the ones I am complaining about now. There really is no difference. This has nothing to do with political ideology. It is about good behavior and bad behavior. If there was more money in liberalism, I have no doubt that many would change their stripes.

So, I am not in favor of people calling those who follow these "teachings" stupid or evil. That would be resorting to the same tactics.

You never heard this sort of thing from real conservatives like William Buckley or Barry Goldwater.

The President's words were wonderful. They were conservative. They were traditional family values. The vitriolic and unchristian hatred for this man prevented many children from hearing a good word that they needed to hear.

As Wallis says at the end of his blog, "Read the speech for yourself and see what sort of agenda is so harmful: http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRemarks/

Back to Work

"The labor of a human being is not a commodity or article of commerce." - Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914.

After a day or rest to celebrate the value of labor and the dignity of the laborer, it is time for the laborer to return to his or her labors.

The Bible says that "the laborer is worthy of his reward." (I Timothy 5:18). In another place, it refers to "labor of love." (I Thessalonians 1:3)

The truth is, I am a bit tired. I spent Labor Day moving from my desk to the kitchen to the yard and to projects in the house and back and forth till late into the night with a few breaks here and there.

I am not sure I agree with Clayton entirely. I am not sure the Clayton Act agrees with itself.

My labor is not commodity or article of commerce of anyone else. Futures in my work cannot be traded or used as collateral. The fruits of my labors may be purchased or rented for a price.

However, my labor is my only real commodity and article of commerce for myself when combined with my ideas and thoughts. My labors of love are all I have to trade.

The laborer labors and gets a reward, but that is not what makes it a labor of love.

What makes labor more than a commodity and article of commerce is significance. If we believe that what we are doing is making a difference and fulfilling a great purpose, hours will go by without us noticing and the time to quit will seem like an interruption. We will awaken with new ideas and we will be driven by passion.

We will be energized in the expenditure of our energies.

The challenge of the vast majority of employers is to invite their workers to become partners in some great enterprise and to celebrate their labors as purposeful and significant. The challenge to each of us is to do the same for ourselves whether or not the boss "gets it."

Then, this return to labor will be a pleasure as it is for me.

A.N. Wilson's Return to Faith - New Statesman - Why I believe again

  Why I believe again   - A N Wilson

    Published 02 April 2009

A N Wilson writes on how his conversion to atheism may have been similar to a road to Damascus experience but his return to faith has been slow and doubting

Unlike his conversion to Atheism, Wilson's path back to faith has been a slow one

By nature a doubting Thomas, I should have distrusted the symptoms when I underwent a "conversion experience" 20 years ago. Something was happening which was out of character - the inner glow of complete certainty, the heady sense of being at one with the great tide of fellow non-believers. For my conversion experience was to atheism. There were several moments of epiphany, actually, but one of the most dramatic occurred in the pulpit of a church.

www.newstatesman.com to READ MORE

As encouraging as it is to read of one who has moved from belief to unbelief and back again to belief, it is really the journey itself that I find illuminating.

For one thing, we can be sure that Wilson has now asked and resolved the most troubling questions, at least to his own satisfaction. Most believers never really grapple with these. Wilson has and it is good to know that they can lead back to faith.

Another thing is that we can come along with him on his pilgrimage and be guided in a tour of his decline and incline with regard to faith. We can be instructed as to the steps along the way and the thought processes of one who travels that path.

It is good to see that questioning can actually be a way of renewing faith as much as it is a way of dismissing it.

Finally, we can take courage in the courage in the knowledge that there is a path of return and some do come home.

Top 100 Church Blogs | churchrelevance.com

Top 100 Church Blogs

There are hundreds of great church blogs and ministry blogs to read, but do you ever wonder which church blogs everyone else is reading?

I do, which is why I have compiled a list of the world’s top church blogs.

Some focus exclusively on ministry, while others are more like theology blogs. Regardless of how you label them, these are the world’s most popular church blogs written by many of today’s most influential church leaders, theologians, and Christ followers.

churchrelevance.com to READ ALL

Impressive list.

I am not on it.

Some of my favorites are.

I am wondering here, and inviting response, who you read regularly.

Religious News Compiled by PEW - 9/1-9-4

September 4, 2009 - The Wall Street Journal
China Responds to Fresh Protests in Urumqi
SHANGHAI -- Authorities stepped up already heavy security in Urumqi -- the northwestern Chinese city torn by deadly ethnic riots in July -- after thousands of protesters took to the streets Thursday criticizing the government for failing to protect people after a recent spate of attacks by assailants wielding syringes.

September 4, 2009 - The Orlando Sentinel
Fathima Rifqa Bary: Judge keeps girl in Florida, seals investigative findings
For an hour and a half Thursday, lawyers argued about how to handle the legal battle that has sprung up around Fathima Rifqa Bary, the tiny 17-year-old who ran away from her Muslim home in Ohio to the shelter of Christian evangelists in Orlando.

September 3, 2009 - The Economist
Trying to pep up the opposition
IN THE autumn of 1978 the beleaguered shah postponed the autumnal return of Iran’s politically disgruntled students to their universities by several months.

September 3, 2009 - The Wall Street Journal
Making God more accessible
The television commercials were disturbing: Traditional-looking churches barring or physically ejecting racial and ethnic minorities, gay couples—and people with disabilities.

September 3, 2009 - The Buffalo News
Outside faith, a rising tide of 'nones'
A few years ago, Tyler Manley would have considered himself a Presbyterian.

September 3, 2009 - The Daily Star
Women must wait longer for equality in Lebanon
Lebanese women face a long wait for equal rights as delays to Cabinet formation enter their third month, according to a spokeswoman from Human Rights Watch Wednesday.

September 3, 2009 - The Boston Globe
O’Malley defends role at Kennedy rites
Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley last night issued a forceful defense of his decision to participate in the funeral of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, an appearance that has drawn sharp criticism from some conservative Catholics because of Kennedy’s ardent support for abortion rights.

September 2, 2009 - Deseret Morning News
Supreme Court considers legality of couple's marriage
Neldon and Ina Johnson shared their lives for more than 35 years. They were sealed in an LDS temple, had children and celebrated an anniversary each year. They had shared insurance policies and joint tax filings.

September 2, 2009 - The Associated Press
Old laws banning religious clothing for teachers remain in 3 states; Oregon's gets scrutiny
A law backed by the Ku Klux Klan nearly a century ago to keep Catholics out of public schools is still on the books in Oregon, one of the last states in the nation to prohibit teachers from wearing religious clothing in classrooms.

September 2, 2009 - National Post
Students must learn about other religions: judge
Christian parents who objected to their children being taught about other religions in a mandatory new Quebec school course have suffered a serious setback with a ruling this week that the teachings do not infringe their religious freedoms.

September 2, 2009 - The New York Times
Religious-secular divide, tugging at Israel’s heart
On Saturday, as on every Saturday in recent weeks, hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews gathered before dusk on the terraces above the Carta parking lot just outside the Old City walls.

September 2, 2009 - The New York Times
A justice slows his hiring, and some wonder about his future
A Supreme Court clerkship is a glittering prize and the ultimate credential in American law, one coveted by the top graduates of the best law schools. Until recently, though, only connoisseurs of ambition and status followed the justices’ hiring process closely.

September 2, 2009 - Reuters
That's a stretch: states seek to regulate yogis
U.S. yogis are being asked to regulate more than their breathing -- and they are fighting back.

September 2, 2009 - USA Today
Update of popular 'NIV' Bible due in 2011
The scholars and publishers behind the world's leading English language evangelical Bible announced Tuesday that they would publish a updated translation in 2011.

September 2, 2009 - Los Angeles Times
Californians' support for death penalty waning
A majority of Californians still favor the death penalty, but their support has waned from 79% to 66% over the last two decades as fears of executing the wrongly convicted escalate, a researcher reported Tuesday.

September 2, 2009 - The Independent
Fragment from world's oldest Bible found hidden in Egyptian monastery
A British-based academic has uncovered a fragment of the world's oldest Bible hiding underneath the binding of an 18th-century book.

September 2, 2009 - Associated Press
Dutch prosecutors to charge Arab group with hate speech for Holocaust cartoon
Dutch prosecutors said Wednesday they will charge an Arab cultural group under hate speech laws for publishing a cartoon that suggests the death of 6 million Jews during World War II is a fabrication.

September 1, 2009 - The Associated Press
Obama hosts dinner, praises American Muslims' contributions in celebration of Ramadan
President Barack Obama on Tuesday praised American Muslims for enriching the nation's culture at a dinner to celebrate the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

September 1, 2009 - The New York Times
Purge of Iranian universities is feared

As Iran’s universities prepare to start classes this month, there is growing concern within the academic community that the government will purge political and social science departments of professors and curriculums deemed “un-Islamic,” according to academics and political analysts inside and outside Iran.

Listening to Randall Thompson and singing "Alleluia!"

This evening, I am enjoying some of the works of Randall Thompson and wanted to share them with my friends.

Randall Thompson (April 21, 1899 – July 9, 1984) was an American composer, particularly noted for his choral works. He was an educator and a composer who had great interest in vocal pedagogy. 

Perhaps his greatest and most memorable work was, "Alleluia." It is certainly my favorite.

One word, repeated over and over and it says enough. It fact, it is the most oft repeated word of praise in Heaven according to the book of Revelation:

Revelation 19:1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:

Revelation 19:3 And again they said, Alleluia And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.

Revelation 19:4  And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.

Revelation 19:6  And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.

In composing "The Peaceable Kingdom" Thompson first viewed the visual masterpiece by Edward Hicks. The theme struck a chord within him as he considered the final vindication of the righteous and he prepared himself by reading the book of Isaiah - all 60 chapters. As he did so, certain passages spoke to him and he composed his cantata based upon those words.

Alleluia

via www.youtube.com

And that is what we have to say to God.

The Paper Reeds by the Brooks from The Peaceable Kingdom by Randall Thompson

For further reading on the life and work of Randall Thompson:
- http://www.mvdaily.com/articles/1999/04/thompson.htm
- http://www.thorpemusic.com/thomps03.html
- http://www.scchoralsociety.org/Thompsonbio.htm
- http://www.scchoralsociety.org/fa00sched.html
- http://www.mosingers.com/recordings/alleluiaprognotes.html

Social Media News: Get More Out Of Social Websites!

Both ‘YOU and YOUR’ Company Needs To Get More Out Of Social Websites!

News Day, By Jamie Herzlich– With the explosive growth in social media, it’s no wonder that more companies are turning to sites like Twitter and LinkedIn to help promote their brands.

A recent survey of 172 marketeers found that 66 percent of respondents were utilizing social media in 2009, up from 20 percent in 2007, according to the New York-based Association of National Advertisers, which conducted the survey with BtoB Magazine and mktg., a marketing communications firm.

www.socialnetdaily.com to READ

This are some great guideline for businesses and anyone using social media to communicate with prospects or clientele.

http://pastortomsims.typepad.com/the_dream_factory/

Back up and back it up! - Computerworld Blogs

September 2, 2009 - 6:49 A.M.

Back up and back it up!

The wildfires in California are nothing new. They do however serve as a stark reminder that life is unpredictable and that data could be wiped out in an instant. Offsite storage of backup data is best and with today's high-speed Internet connections, they are relatively fast, too.

There are a few points to keep in mind before selecting an automated offsite back-up solution. Does it come with 24/7 support?

blogs.computerworld.com to READ MORE

Douglas Schweitzer has distinguished himself as an expert on computer and data security. He has over 20 years of information technology experience. As the author of three computer security books, he is acutely aware of the disaster that are often waiting on the horizon for information managers.

His "few points" are worth noting and should serve as a checklist for businesses and individuals investigating companies that offer them a plan for securing their data.

Data Vault Security invites anyone to use Douglas' criteria in investigating their services.

http://www.datavaultsecurity.com/TomSims

Data security has become a necessity today. We must protect critical data on a higher standard than ever before. hat’s where Data Vault Security takes the lead, giving clients total peace of mind with its leading-edge solutions and an exclusive $2 million 100% restore guarantee!

Important facts regarding backup restoration:

• 1 in 10 hard drives fail during the first year with an expected life of 1-3 years. External hard drives are not dependable for data storage.
• Tapes – DAT or LTO begin to lose their integrity within 1 year. The more they are overwritten, the less reliable they become. DLTs have over 50% failure rate if re-written more than 5 times. Tapes are more expensive and time consuming than Data Vault Security’s guaranteed backup.
• 60% of file backups are incomplete; conventional recovery fails 50% of the time.
• Most companies don’t test or practice data recovery on a regular basis. By the time a disaster happens, it’s the worst possible time to find out that their backup is incomplete, or completely lost.
• On site backups offer no protection against FIRE, FLOOD, EARTHQUAKE, VIRUS or THEFT.
• After a disastrous data loss, 70% of businesses area out of business within 18 months.

Superior Benefits of Data Vault Security:

• Highest level of backup software security currently available in the US, utilizing
• Military Style Encryption (AES / 3DES / 2FISH).
• Has Automatic File Integrity Management System. Once files are backed up, files
• are not allowed to be backed up whose integrity is in question.
• The backup system meets and exceeds all data protection legal requirements including HIPAA.
• Superior world class carrier-grade data center/storage and management facilities.
• 64 full time accredited software designers - supports 22 languages.
• Up to 250 computers/servers on one single account.
• All operating systems are compatible.
• Client creates and holds their own private encryption key, thus ensuring that ONLY THEY can see their backed up private data.
• Not even Data Vault Security can access their data!
• Remote Secure File Access – No more hassle traveling with your computer.
• With your private ‘key’, you can access your data from any computer worldwide.
• Advanced archiving facility for up to 7 years.
• FREE technical support 24/7.
• The ONLY company that gives an exclusive $2,000,000 100% restore guarantee.

Visit http://www.datavaultsecurity.com/TomSims where you can order online, download your product, begin your service, and sleep a little better tonight.

When losing data is not an option, be protected by Data Vault Security for total piece of
mind. With Data Vault Security, you simply Set IT, Save IT, and Forget IT until you need it.

Why do we freak out every time Gmail goes down? - By Farhad Manjoo - Slate Magazine

So Gmail Was Down. Get Over It.Google's e-mail service works 99.9 percent of time. Why do we freak out during the other 0.1 percent?

By Farhad ManjooPosted Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009, at 5:09 PM ET

Gmail went down on Tuesday afternoon for a little more than an hour and a half. Were you terribly put out? I was, at first. I check my e-mail about four times a minute, so any outage instills a sense of panic and isolation. I got over it, though. On Twitter, which was still working, I discovered that everyone else was having the same problem, so I decided to take a nap. When I woke up a half-hour or so later, Gmail was humming again. In a blog post, Ben Treynor, Google's reliability czar, explained that the problem was caused by a routine server upgrade that somehow went awry. Treynor added that his team was working on ways to prevent such a failure in the future and considers it "a Big Deal."

via www.slate.com to READ MORE

I agree 100%

G-Mail is a gift, especially with their no-strings attached SMTP servers available for all of a person's email accounts.

Things happen. They are bound to happen.

Every day I benefit from Google's services and I have never paid them a dime. In fact, i have made a few dimes on Google.

We have such a sense of entitlement these days. Gratitude would be far more becoming of us.

Easier for Whom? | Sanborn and Associates - Customer Service/Golden Rule

I wanted only to deposit one check and cash another. It took an inordinately long time at the teller window. When the supervisor helped the teller do an override, she asked me “And how are you today?”

www.marksanborn.com to READ THE REST of the article

Sanborn tells the rest of the story and recounts how he did not have an ATM card with him for identification.

He received this response:

“Well,” the supervisor responded, “if you had your debit card it would make it a little easier for us…”

Those words tell all.

"For us."

Just who is "US?"

If I am waiting on you, the customer and us is me then I am already starting the process of decline in business. The moment my service become about my convenience, profit, well being, peace of mind, or anything about me, I have lost my purpose for being in business and I will eventually lose my business.

But this seems to be a trend. Us-based decisions seem to be trumping all manner of you-based concerns.

Contrast it:

• U - Un-everything: unsuccessful, uncreative, uncooperative, unmotivated, uninspired ... un ... un ... un ... and eventually undone.
• S - Stalled by selfishness and stuck on stupid (I told my friend Kenny Higgs I'd give him credit when I used that term).

• Y - Yes! Yes! Yes! Whenever possible, YES! We make it work for the customer because that is why we exist.
• O - Opportunity - Your problem is our opportunity to serve you and to grow in our service. If we can become more valuable to you, we become more valuable to all.
• U - UP - We lift people up and they lift us up. The Golden Rule teaches individuals and others to treat our neighbors well and the great Servant taught us that the way up in down.

I have been writing about the call to renew civility in our society and I think we can start anywhere as long as we include commerce and business.

What if we take a YOU approach?

Other articles of interest:

"Men think highly of those who rise rapidly in the world ..."

I am wake-walking through a garden of dreams, eyes open, heart pounding, life-affirming.

Living in the GAP

Go For It - Fight for Your Dreams!

Pat Williams: Greatness, The Power of Great Character

Make a Difference Today - The Starfish Story!

Special Olympian, Loretta Clairborne Pays Tribute to Eunice Shriver

Netflix' Reference Guide on their Freedom and Responsibility Culture

"You are the stars and the world is watching you ..."

Just an Ounce of Ranch Dressing - 24 cents

and more ...

15 Awesome Tutorial Websites You Probably Dont Know About - Dumb Little Man

StumbleUpon WebToolbar - 15 Awesome Tutorial Websites You Probably Dont Know About - Dumb Little Man

Good list of valuable resources.

"Good counsel has no price." - Mazzini

"Many receive advice, only the wise profit by it." - Syrius

Have you read these recent entries?

Charlie "Tremendous" Jones' Memorial Service

A Blog for Tweets - A Simple Archiving Method

Coming Out of Hiding: Facebook's Religion Question Prompts Soul-Searching - washingtonpost.com

Boxed In: Bank wants thumbprint from man with no hands | 10connects.com |

The biggest questions ever asked - New Scientist

Bob Burg »“Forgive, Forget, And Way to Go, Joe!”

10 things you can do to protect your data

WIRED: American Vice: Mapping the 7 Deadly Sins

WIRED MAGAZINE: 17.09

By Kristina Shevory
We're gluttons for infographics, and a team at Kansas State just served up a feast: maps of sin created by plotting per-capita stats on things like theft (envy) and STDs (lust). Christian clergy, likely noting the Bible Belt's status as Wrath Central, question the "science." Valid point—or maybe it's just the pride talking.

www.wired.com to VIEW CHARTS

Living in Central California makes me feel pretty sinful.

What is pretty surprising is the wide distribution of moderate gluttony. It makes me wonder what they are serving in that pocket of Texas. The Virginia connection is not all that shocking. I at my first 26,000 or so meals.

There is a lot of saintliness in middle America it seems.

Sloth is evening distributed. How is it that we are producing anything?

It concerns me that i live in a devilishly greedy state.

It is a good thing that grace abounds where sin abounds - not that it is any excuse.

This study was conducted in Kansas, which came out smelling relatively rosy.

Charlie "Tremendous" Jones' Memorial Service

I downloaded and have been watching the "Homegoing Celebration" service for Charlie Tremendous Jones who died last October.

It is turning out to be one of the best spiritual lifts I have had in a long time.

Charlie Jones designed the service himself shortly before he died based upon the readings of Oswald Chambers.

He was one of a kind, one of the most in-demand motivational speakers ever, but also a man of "tremendous" spiritual depth.

I should warn you that it is two hours and twenty two minutes and forty three secondsong and well worth every second. Make sure to watch the excerpts from his speeches from about the two hour mark.

Watch it online or download it.

Here is video from late in his life.

Worship vs. Work

This is a great insight

Turn About Is NOT Fair Play - Sean Hannity| Media Matters for America

The headline today read:

Sean Hannity should write a thesis about his hypocrisy

On his radio program, Fox News' Sean Hannity claimed that The Washington Post is trying to "smear, besmirch, [and] demonize" Virginia gubernatorial candidate Robert McDonnell (R) by going through "the great effort to dig up a graduate school thesis that he wrote," adding that a thesis "by design is supposed to be provocative" and that McDonnell wrote his "20 years ago." But during the 2008 presidential campaign, Hannity aggressively attacked Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton for college theses they wrote more than 20 years ago. mediamatters.org to READ MORE and see video

That is exactly the sort of name-calling and rhetoric I have been writing against when it comes from the right. We don't need it from the left either. Nastiness is nastiness and knows no party affiliation. It is simply immaturity and bad manners.  We really don't need to be calling people "hypocrites" or digging up ancient "dirt" on them if our own arguments are strong enough.

Turn about is almost never fair play.

If it wasn't fair play the first time, it is not fair play the next time.

Just because it was done to you, does not mean it should be done to the person or group that did it to you.

Civility will never return to America as long as we keep trying to get even and treat people the way we have been treated, Someone has to stop it.

YES! There were low blows, misrepresentations, and outright lies against Obama. And yes, the pastor card was very low (I have often said that Pastor Wright never said anything about God judging America that I haven't been hearing white fundamentalist preachers saying for decades).

However, that is no justification for Democrats using the same tactics on a Republican.

Maybe Sean Hannity is not the guy to point this out, but I guess it can come from anywhere.

What I would prefer is a body politic where everyone spoke up for the other side. Then all would have far more credibility. When crying "foul" for oneself and ones friends, one is always suspect and comes across as self-serving.

That being said, lay off the McDonnell kid (That is what he was when he wrote it and he needed to explore weird ideas) and discuss what he says he believes today. Otherwise, you

risk losing my mother's very reliable Democratic vote (and a lot of others).

I'd say, let the most mature people be the first to stop and we will sit back and wait and see who that might be.

I hope it is whatever side I am on that always takes the high road.

Gmail blackout caused by engineering error during routine upgrades to web servers - SC Magazine UK

Related ArticlesTwitter hit by denial-of-service attack which puts it offline for around three hoursHacker Croll details how he hit Gmail account of Twitter employee that led to last week's incidentGmail hit by problems once againGmail can be easily spoofed

www.scmagazineuk.com to READ MORE

It can happen.

It does happen.

Many store valuable information that needs to accessed in email - even in web mail. When it goes down, it cannot be retrieved.

The lesson is that we all need to take personal responsibility for our own data security.

If the best of the best will sometimes fail, we need backup.

Best Website Monitoring Services Review

There is nothing worse than going to your blog or website and seeing that it’s not loading. What is even worse is the amount of readers and/or customers you may lose just from a few minutes of downtime. Plus, a lot of times you may not even know that your website was ever down. Luckily, this list of services can help monitor those unfortunate, yet hopefully far and between, outages.

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"There is so much good in the best of us, and so much bad in the best of us ..."

There is so much good in the worst of us,

And so much bad in the best of us

That it ill behooves any of us

To  find fault with the rest of us. - Anonymous

I must confess that I dislike controversy. I can tolerate it in others, but I realize dislike being controversial.

I think the reason is that I know that when i am most controversial, I stand as much chance as anyone of being wrong.

I don't even agree with myself some of the time.

I also know that when I criticize anyone I am often just as guilty of the same sins in other contexts. I know that there is a measure of good in me and I believe it is Jesus within me. I also know that there is plenty of not-so-good in me and I am totally responsible for that.

The other problem is that the moment one takes a position about anything, people jump to all sorts of conclusions and start associating you with positions you did not even address.

"Everyone who thinks this way about that thinks that way about the other and holds this view about thus and so and is a died in the wool you know what."

As absurd as that sounds, it is how we think. Take away our neat little boxes that have been constructed in our ideology factories and we feel naked, exposed, and lost in a world of ideas.

Our solution is to get in our boxes and force others into theirs and start pulling out our labels and along with those labels, characterizing this one as 100% good and the other as 100% bad.

Most of our parents and grandparents knew better than to do that.

There used to be a graciousness, courtesy, and gentility in America that I long to see again. People thought the best of each other. They had patience with human foibles. They made allowances for the weaknesses of their fellow human beings.

Or am I idealizing the past?

Whether I am or not, it is the kind of future I desire to see and the kind of present I want to work on.

In the meantime, I need to work on my reluctance to being controversial. My good friends will like me no matter what I think or write.

What Is the Fuss About? Parents can opt out of Obama address to kids - Where are the real conservatives?

Where are the real conservatives these days? Perhaps they exist in the form of gentlemen like Oren Hatch and John McCain, but many who claim to be conservative really are not. They are rude, disrespectful, loose with the truth, inaccurate in their portrayal of other people's views, and mean spirited.

And of course, some so-called "liberals" behave the same way.

None of those qualities can be characterized as traditionally conservative. And when they are acted out in the behavior of people who claim to be liberal, they are not that either.

To be conservative is to be reserved and gentle. To be liberal is to be generous toward other people and their views. A "conservative" can be "liberal" and, in fact must be to be truly conservative. A "liberal" can be and must be "conservative" in these ways. To be really conservative or liberal, one must be moderate and respectful.

BY TENA LEE/The News Examiner • September 3, 2009

In response to calls about President Barack Obama’s plan to address the country’s school-age children on Tuesday, Sumner County Schools is letting parents choose whether their children hear the speech.

Obama will deliver a national address to American school-age children via whitehouse.gov/live and C-SPAN at 11 a.m. central time on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

The contents of the address were not immediately available, but a press release from the White House said the president would speak about persisting and succeeding in school.

“The president will challenge students to work hard, set educational goals, and take responsibility for their learning,” the release said.

www.tennessean.com to READ MORE

Maybe I am naive or stupid, but I don't get this.

The President of the United States, elected by a majority of the people, wants to talk to school aged children about succeeding in school and persevering? How could anyone object?

He is their President for crying out loud. He is my President and the President of every American.

No one can dispute his family values - the values he exemplifies in his family. No one can say that this message is not something kids don't need to hear. So where is the objection?

What kind of national stupidity, evident on the right and the left, requires that we demonize our political opponents in order to elevate our positions?

Senator Bob Dole said, more than once, "Bill Clinton is my opponent, not my enemy."

No one ever disputed the Senator's credibility.

President Obama is not asking students to become Democrats or Republicans. He is not advocating a particular sexual viewpoint. He is not talking about abortion. He is not discussing economic theory. He is encouraging them to be good students.

There is nothing conservative about objecting to the leader of our nation speaking to children. The conservative people who raised me taught me to respect my leaders, love my country, and put differences aside for the common good. They taught me courtesy. They taught me that people can disagree without being disagreeable. They taught me that to wish anything but good for other people or to attack their characters was sinful.

Whatever issues we disagree about, our biggest problem is the disintegration of our commitment to civility. As a church, we are not loving our neighbors unless they agree with us politically. We cannot even change hearts and minds because we are losing our voice and right to speak through hyperbole and harshness in the public sector.

We talk about worldliness creeping into the church and this is one of the prime examples. It does not matter how correct our message is if we deliver it without love, grace, and mercy. It is not prophetic if it is not Christlike.

If we would stop and listen to each other, we might find that the other side has some of the same goals and we might be able to give them credit for helping us solve the problems. That is the way of the servant. That is the kingdom way.

Lest anyone think this is all about people who call themselves conservative, I have seen the same sort of nastiness coming from the other side. Christians who call themselves "liberal" should also take heed.

Our opponents are not necessarily evil.

Conservative Christian parents should encourage their children to listen to and honor their President.

YouTube - Sanctus 2009

This group of young men always lifts my spirits within me ...

and my heart toward God.

Is There Hope on the Horizon? Neuroplasticity May Help Schizophrenics

Newsweek Voices - Sharon Begley | Newsweek.com
Training Faulty Brains to Work Better
New treatments may help schizophrenics.
Whenever I speak to educators and interested laypeople about neuroplasticity—the ability of the adult brain to change in function and structure—one of the questions I often get is whether neuroplasticity can be tapped to treat truly devastating brain diseases such as Alzheimer's or schizophrenia. After all, neuroplasticity has been used to treat stroke, depression, dyslexia, and other diseases or injuries of the brain. The jury is still out on Alzheimer's (though since this disease involves massive neuronal death, my bet is that the answer will, sadly, be no). But to my surprise, the answer to schizophrenia might just be yes.

via www.newsweek.com

A Blog for Tweets - A Simple Archiving Method

One way to keep up with your own tweets is to archive them in a blog that you dedicate to that purpose.

I call mine TWEET WEEK and my entry for 8/22-9/2 is found here.

After I post them, I tweet the tweets.

Religion News from the Pew Forum 9-1-09

September 1, 2009 - The Washington Post
Governor's race erupts over McDonnell's past views
The Virginia governor's race ignited Monday over Republican Robert F. McDonnell's 20-year-old graduate thesis: Democrats assailed him in e-mail blasts and interviews for what he wrote about working women, homosexuals and "fornicators," and McDonnell tried to explain his views to crucial moderate and female voters.

September 1, 2009 - The Boston Globe
Protestant churches shift slowly toward gay equality
American religious organizations have rarely been leaders in national movements for gay rights.

September 1, 2009 - Foreign Affairs
Opinion: Born Again in the U.S.A.
In international politics, religion has been the elephant in the room for most of the modern age. And in recent years, it has only grown larger and louder.

August 31, 2009 - The New York Times
Burqa furor scrambles French politics
PARIS — It is a measure of Fr ance’s confusion about Islam and its own Muslim citizens that in the political furor here over “banning the burqa,” as the argument goes, the garment at issue is not really the burqa at all, but the niqab.

August 31, 2009 - The Associated Press
Hamas leader denies Nazi genocide of Jews
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — A Hamas spiritual leader on Monday called teaching Palestinian children about the Nazi murder of 6 million Jews a "war crime," rejecting a suggestion that the U.N. might include the Holocaust in Gaza's school curriculum.

August 31, 2009 - The New York Times
Montana court to rule on assisted suicide case
HELENA, Mont. — Robert Baxter was by all accounts a tough man. Even in the end, last year, as lymphocytic leukemia was killing him, Mr. Baxter, a 76-year-old retired truck driver from Billings, Mont., fought on.

August 31, 2009 - Cox News Service
Officials Seek Balance in Religion, Work
For U.S. Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler, Christianity and politics are interwoven in the fabrics of American history.

August 31, 2009 - Associated Press
Digging up the Saudi past: Some would rather not
Much of the world knows Petra, the ancient ruin in modern-day Jordan that is celebrated in poetry as "the rose-red city, 'half as old as time,'" and which provided the climactic backdrop for "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade."

August 31, 2009 - The Irish Times
Catholics and Protestants 'see human rights differently'
PROTESTANTS AND Catholics have markedly different views on the question of individual rights and the need to protect them, the McCluskey Civil Rights Summer School was told.

August 30, 2009 - The New York Times
Hints of pluralism in Egyptian religious debates
Writing in his weekly newspaper column, Gamal al-Banna said recently that God had created humans as fallible and therefore destined to sin.

via pewforum.org

Coming Out of Hiding: Facebook's Religion Question Prompts Soul-Searching - washingtonpost.com

Creating a Facebook profile for the first time, Eric Heim hadn't expected something so serious. Hunched over his laptop, he had whipped through the social network Web site's questionnaire about his interests, favorite movies and relationship status, typing witty replies wherever possible. But when he reached the little blank box asking for his core beliefs, it stopped him short.

"It's Facebook. The whole point is to keep it light and playful, you know?" said Heim, 27, a college student from Dumfries. "But a question like that kind of makes you think."

Such public proclamations of beliefs used to require a baptism in water, or a circumcision, or learning the five pillars of Islam. Now Facebook users announce their spiritual identity with the stroke of a few keys. And what they are typing into the open-ended box offers a revealing peek into modern faith and what happens to that faith as it migrates online.

Of its 250 million users worldwide, Facebook says more than 150 million people choose to write something in the religious views box.

www.washingtonpost.com to READ MORE

William Wan raises some significant issues about why the religion question (which is optional) is such a struggle for many who are declaring themselves on the social networks.

The comparison to baptism, for Christians,  is perfectly valid.

Most Protestants - and especially Evangelicals, believe that baptism is a declaration, a public witness, and a symbol of a faith that already resides inside a person.

Recently, a group from our church went to a public beach and, without fanfare, but also without trying to hide what we were doing, baptized two young people. They were willing to go public with their faith.

The social media phenomenon seems to have a dual affect. While many are declaring their faith, others are, for the first time, declaring their lack of faith.

The outcome is perhaps unexpected: honesty and dialogue. While it may be disconcerting to a parent to open an adult child's profile and discover that he or she is a non-believer, it is also liberating to say what you are.

The church has been teaching that for centuries.

No one is forcing anyone to announce their faith online, but the technology gives rise to opportunity and some folks may be coming out of hiding for the first time.

Boxed In: Bank wants thumbprint from man with no hands | 10connects.com |

Steve Valdez says he was shocked when he was told he had to put his thumbprint on a check written on his wife's Bank of America check. Valdez says the check was written to him with the same address he has on his driver's license. Although he had two forms of identification both with pictures, the bank still required Valdez to give a thumbprint before it would cash the check.

www.wtsp.com to READ MORE

I just could not believe this when Dave Ramsey posted this on Facebook.

How do they hide their corporate embarrassment?

In three hours, Dave got 235 comments.

This is right up there (and surpasses) the 24 cent ranch dressing incident I recently blogged.

It is hard to fly with the eagles when you're quacking with the ducks.

First, I only blame the "line staff" to the extent that they did not call in someone who could override policy.

Second, I only blame policy to the extent that they failed to anticipate the circumstance.

I blame leadership who had the power to intervene and did not and who did not create an environment where customer service (even to non-customers - If I write a check on my account in your bank and give it to one of your non-customers, I expect you to cash it as a service to ME and to that potential future customer!)

It is hard to fly with the eagles when you're quacking with the ducks.

We must create cultures that go the second mile as naturally as they stamp forms.

For what it is worth, my personal and business experience with bank of America (especially their Fashion Faire branch in Fresno, California) could not be more accommodating, pleasant, and positive.

I hope the folks at this branch can learn a few things from this incident and be redeemed (not fired). Why start with a new batch of people who have to learn lessons the hard way?