Funny Letter To President Bush

My brother had another Very funny post on his Blog tonight. I would love to link to it...but alas...no permalinks.... Dastardly I tell you!!!!

BTW- Still up...but going to bed now...need rest for Sunday!

KID U Featured Performer

I am very excited to finally be able to announce that I have been invited to be the featured performer at Kidology's KID U on March 13, 2004 in Barrington, IL. I have been dying for weeks to post this announcement and when I saw it on their website (Kidology.org) I knew I could hold in my excitement no longer. Now this is going to make for an amazingly tiring 2 days for me, but OH WELL, it is SO WORTH IT. We are performing in Indiana on Friday at an interdenminational Children's rally, and then on Saturday at KID U back in Chicagoland. WHOA!!!
If you are unfamiliar with Kidology and serve in the Children's ministry arena, you need to remedy that. They are a great ministry, and Kid U is one of the highlights of my ministry year.
Thank you Pastor Karl for this wonderful oppurtunity.

BTW- Yes I really am up at this hour :-)

The O'Hare Ordeal

I had a flight leave O'Hare today only 2 hours after it was supposed to. We were delayed an hour and then sat on the tarmack for another hour. It was a BAD night! I am now however up in Traverse City Michigan, ready for my AD by AD analysis project on Sunday.

Ctrl-Alt-Delete Inventor Retires

My Brother referenced this article about the retirement of David Bradley from IBM. Bradley is the inventor of Ctrl-Alt-Delete. This key sequence which restarts a frozen computer has become a universal reference for a new start.

Super Bowl of Ads

I want to inform everyone that we will be providing a Play By Play of the Super Bowl of Ads on Sunday night. That is right, I will be providing commentary on EVERY worthwhile ad as they are played. Like an ad, read my analysis w/in 3 minutes. Join me for this fun!!!

Paying Taxes Today on Tommorow's Terroism

This article, Iraq's First Fulbright Scholars, illustrates how Pres Dub-ya, Senator Dashle and all their District of Crime Columbia minions want to steal your hard earned dollars to train tommorow's terrorist. It is apalling to me that Big Government wants to take away from my ability to reach my families finacial goals of becoming debt free so that they can educate members of a terrorist religion in American Universities. Personally I think we might as well consider academia members of a terrorist religion as well, but that is for another post and another day. This program, and all programs like it, are destined to bite us in the back. We must elect men and woment to poltical office who are commited to keeping government small and in the business of LEGITIMATE GOVERNEMENT ACTIVITES. This election year we must send a message to Washington. Read the article, and understand why!

SCO, Getting What's Coming?

Now I know nothing at all about the world of virus writing. My days of a disk full of collected viruses ended 5 years ago, and I have since accepted a much more mature online lifestyle. All that being said, the rebel in me wants to shout, "YOU GO GIRL!!!" to the person or people who planned a large scale Denial of Service attack on SCO.
SCO wants to win in the courtroom bacause it can't in the marketplace, and that type of behavior is INTOLERABLE.
Now the more rational side of me understands that violence is never a means to a solution. I also understand that we can never as a society be supportive of this kind of vigilante justice, Personally I hope that SCO is ultimately destroyed in the courts it ran to and reduced to a purveyor of antique Egyptian sun god statues either you get it your don't, thinking to hard will only confuse you more), rather than being uselessly vandalised by a few malicious code monkeys.
People should make no mistake the writers of the My Doom virus are wrong. However people also need to let SCO know they need to fight in the market and not whine in the courts. The marketplace is where people used to prove their strength and honor as businesses.

Hacker Attack 2

I never finsihed my entries about the Hacker attck. About 3:30 Thursday afternoon, I found the comprimised Group Policy Objects. I also discoverd the extent to which they had trashed my Terminal Server.
I spent most of Friday rebuilding my lost Terminal Server and today has been spent reinstalling programs needed for the people who use it. WHat a mess.

I have heightened network security phenomoanlly and now I am sure half the office is mad about that to, Oh No..they can't use their stupid passwords. Whatever I guess, as far as that goes. I also plugged a couple holes in the server security itself. I hope all is well now.

Lord Supper Service

I was blessed to lead a special Lord Supper service as our Service today. Here is my outline. Lords Supper.pdf It was a wonderful blessing to get to lead such a special service for our church.

Hacker Attack

So where to start in the explanation of my day so far.
6:25 A.M. - Get call from Doris at work - Her and Don's start page are a Porn site
6:30 A.M. - Leave for Work
6:50 A.M. - My alarm clock goes off as I am driving through Bartlett
7:05 A.M. - I begin to look at Don's computer
A. Control Panel, Display Properties, Task Manager, and Command Prompt have all been disabled.
B. Start page has been changed to a very horrific porn site.
7:15 A.M. - My second alarm sounds letting me know it is time to leave for work
8:00 A.M. - Having gotten nowhere with anti-virus scans I call my brother and email my AV provider
8:30 A.M. - I use Jester 2K Freeware to download autoruns.exe and Hijack This
9:30 A.M. - My A/V provider informs me this is not a virus
10:00 A.M. - Begin contact w/ Don's brother - Many great nideas...all dead ends so far.
11:30 A.M. Post message to the forum at Computer Cops I'll let you know if this works out for me.

Although Dr. Shelly had not written anything himself on the subject of human engineering, he did forward an email, which featured this book .National Review: Against the Gene Genies.('Enough: Staying Human in an Engineered Age') as a source on the subject. I am planning on ordering and reading it, so I will try and let you know what I think the futureReview

GATTACAWhere will this slippery slope lead?

Now I do not want to be an old fuddy duddy caught in the past and afraid of the direction of science. I do believe that we live in a marvelous time, when the power of science has brought many new wonderful conveniences to our lives. This same power however has brought many new ethical questions that must be considered, not only by the Christian, but also by society as a whole. Newsweek's cover article this week MSNBC - Brave New Babies presents the future of Gender selection. This leads however to the question of gene selection as the next logical step in this future, "If couples can request a baby boy or girl, what's next on the slippery slope of modern reproductive medicine? Eye color? Height? Intelligence?" These are questions that must be considered, and it must be determined, how far is responsible. Is a world without the mentally retarded a blessing, or a curse? Is even a pagan world view willing to accept a world where people abort their son in the 24% of errors?
I do support this research to a point, I feel however that we MUST be responsible in how far we go to play God and make babies.
I have an old friend who is involved professionally in this research, she is who sent me the link to this article, I am going to send her an email asking her to read this post and comment on the bigger ethical issues, from the standpoint of a Christian in the industry, I am also sending a link to Rubel Shelly, the respected medical ethicist and minister at the Family of God at Woodmont Hills. to see if he will respond. I will post either response I get.

See I Have Handed Jericho Over To You

I think that the story of Joshua and the battle of Jericho (Joshua 5:13-6:27 NRS) is probably one of the most beloved Bible stories that many people know. The story of a nomadic nation and their God that overcome the mighty people of Jericho is inspiring. As beloved of a story as it is to so many of us I think that Joshua becomes the hero of myth and legend, rather than the scared, doubting, yet trusting servant of God that he like any of us must admit we have been.

Allow me to paint a scene for you. God has charged Joshua with the task of filling Moses' shoes. These are big shoes to fill. Any sane person would feel completely inadequate in this charge. Now as Joshua's first test as the leader of these Wilderness people he must take the MIGHTY, POWERFUL city of Jericho. Anxious about the military decisions facing him Joshua has wandered away from the camp. He is alone, no company except his thoughts, no interruptions except his memories of this city from a lifetime ago. It had been so long since he stood at the foot this mighty city before. Everyone he knew and loved, even his mentor had died. Here this old man, one of only 2 remaining people with a memory of Egypt, reflected on the cosmic struggle that stared at from these faceless walls. Light reflected in the windows of the homes built into the mighty walls of this fortress. Families were laughing, fighting, preparing for bed, doing all the things that families do. Joshua watched them all. How would he take this city?
The anxiousness only grew worse the more he wandered, the closer he advanced to the mighty walls he and his wilderness militia would have to breech. So he turned around, ready to return to the camp he had ventured out of hours earlier, and there he was met by Him. He was a man of great strength and stature, he was armored for war and readied for battle with his sword drawn. Joshua filled with fear and awe responded "Whose side are you on?" Joshua, had enough fear of this battle before this encounter, now faced with only himself and this supposed warrior of Jericho the chances of victory had become insurmountable. So Joshua asked a simple question, to see if the being of battle was friend or foe.

The angel of the Lord responds, "neither." This adversary was no warrior in this battle at all. He was merely a messenger. He bore a message of hope to this wary Commander. A message I can only imagine was absolutely not understandable to inexperienced ears of leadership it fell on. Joshua 6:2 is the revelation of that message, "I (the Lord) have given you Jericho!" Joshua heard the Lord he had seen split the Red Sea, provide manna, give water from the rock, fill the camp with quail, and stop up the Jordan river say to him, "I am not bound by military strategy, the wisdom of my commanders, or the strength of their armies." Joshua was reminded by the God who had made his mentors face glow, who had led these people by cloud and by fire, and who had protected them from Pharaoh’s armies with a wall of fire, "My purposes and timings are not your purposes and timings. My ways are not your ways." God gently reminded Joshua, "This battle is mine because the mighty walls of that great city are made of the dust I formed." The anxious steward of God's people, was put at ease by the powerful presence of the people's God.
So at God's command they marched. They circled, they trumpeted, and they yelled. They proclaimed the victory of the victory of the Lord, until those walls had fallen, the people had been defeated, and amongst the rubble stood only one small section of the wall with a red piece of fabric hanging from it's window to remind the people that this was a God of power, and a God of promise.

That power, and that promise has been eternally fulfilled in the great mystery of the Cross. We personally know the presence of God's promise and power. We too can face our adversaries, with the promise of God, "I have handed Jericho over to you." No matter what your Jericho is, no matter what tribulation looms before you like the mighty walls of that great city, God is teaching you the same lesson he taught that wandering servant Joshua, "This is my victory to give." Look at your troubles and see them as the victories God has prepared for you through him. Take God your mighty walls of tribulation, and let him make them crumble.

An Article For My Audiophile Friends

You can do CD-QUALITY ON-LOCATION RECORDING FOR UNDER $500 with a 2 part easily transportable solution discussed in this article.
This is great for churches and mobile ministries who want an afforadble way to archive their sermons or prepare them for digital distribution. Making a live album has never been easier.

Yahoo has proposed a newYahoo Anti-Spam Standard For Internet. I invite you to read the articles about the pros and cons

We are currently inPregnancy Week 15 and all is well. Christi is feeling better. We are eating much better around the house now. Good Food makes Great People!!!

Here are Lance Uloff's opening thoughts on Pre-CES, It Was the Night Before CES. You all may notice from the number of post about CES, that this is like the BIGGEST event of the year in my opinion, and outside of camp week, you would be right on. Check out images 6 and 9 in this slideshow. I only wish that I could be there to behold the energy and excitement in person.

Since the day I got my first TiVo back in November of 1999 I have longed for the day this press release would come out of TiVo central.
TiVo Press Releases - "TiVoToGo"
The day will be here soon, when I can TiVo and burn my shows to a DVD player for later viewing. This is a VERY GOOD DAY!!!! If you are a user of TiVo, you must read this Press Release. If you do not own a TiVo, buy one before this fall.

I had this email forwarded to be by a veteran I am close to.

Dick Forrey of the Vietnam Veterans Association Recently we asked the local TARGET store to be a proud sponsor of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall during our spring recognition event. We received the following reply from the local TARGET management: "Veterans do not meet our area of giving. We only donate to the arts, social action groups, gay & lesbian causes, and education." So I'm thinking, if the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall and veterans in general do not meet their donation criteria, then something is really wrong at this TARGET store. We were not asking for thousands of dollars, not even hundreds, just a small sponsorship for a memorial remembrance. As a follow-up, I e-mailed the TARGET U.S. corporate headquarters and their response was the same. That's their national policy. Then I looked into the company further. They will not allow the Marines to collect for 'Toys for Tots' at any of their stores. And during the recent Iraq deployment, they would not allow families of employees who were called up for active duty to continue their insurance coverage while they were on military service. Then as I dig further, I find TARGET is a French-owned corporation. Now, (I'm thinking again) if TARGET cannot support American Veterans, then why should I and my family support their stores by spending our hard earned American dollars, just to have the profits sent to France. Without the American Vets, where would France be today? Feel free to pass this along to whomever you want. Sincerely, Dick Forrey Veterans helping Veterans

I was truly terified when I read this email, bacuase I would be in A LOT of trouble at home if I told my wife we needed to boycott Target. I am Thankful for this link( Urban Legends Reference Pages: Politics (Target Practice)) on the Urban Legends page.

My brother made reference to this Newsday article on Coffee yesterday in his blog. Now I being the student of natural health that I am, would like to provide a few points to consider in regard to the article.

1. The article points out that this was a DEMOGRAPHIC study, not a medical study. "more than 126,000 people filled out questionnaires reporting, among other things, their intake of coffee"

2. The doctor from the American Diabetes Associaton pointed out that it is "diet, weight loss, and excercise" that are proven to eleminate Type 2 diabetes.

Finally 1 for my brother-
3. There is no doubt that Coffee intake is a FAR BETTER solution to consume than Pop or Sugar Drinks. It is the natural presence of God's design for all plant life that equips it with it's design that far exceeds the design of man made soft drinks. This however does not make coffee intake GOOD, it merely makes it better.

This kind of junk science, gives a bad name to the diligent researchers who are looking not "toward illusory quick-fixes" but instead studying the body as a complete system, and studying the complete effects on a person's entire nutritonal profile.

I have emailed a link to this article to Dr. Joel Robbins and I will post any reply he sends to me.

I was reading from Proverbs 6 tonight and was struck by Solomon's warning to his son in Proverbs 6:32-35. Now I am not a man who would ever consider adultery on my wife, so it would be strange that this verse would set with me. The verse however forced me to remember the lyrics by Derek Webb in his song Wedding Dress.

"I am so easily satisfied
by the call of lovers so less wild
That I would take a little cash
Over your very flesh and blood

Because money cannot buy
a husband's jealous eye
When you have knowingly deceived his wife "

I feel that I like the character in Derek's song I regularly commit "Spiritual Adultery" in my life with Christ. I feel that I let the things of the world entice me in a cheap way. Impurity, strife, jealousy, and selfishness are as much a part of my life as any "Fruit of the Spirit" I might work at mastering. These sin patterns are entrenched deeply into my life. I lust for them with the same intensity a fornicator lusts for his human prize. I let my decisions be marked by their influence in my life. I do not have the freedom to pursue a rich thriving fruit filled life because I am so easily wiling to be spiritually prostituted for a cheap appeasement of my senses.

On Sunday, in my communion message, I read Galatians 5:13-25 in which Paul notes that our salvation in Christ was a verdict of freedom. Paul shows that our lack of freedom is illustrated by the fact the we "bite and devour one another " in contrast to walking in the Spirit. I have so loved practicing this type of behavior because of my enslavement to strife, jealousy, and selfishness. I have gossiped about, slandered the name of, and struggled against my brothers in Christ. I have done this under the false banner of "freedom in Christ from legalism" while truly it was an enslavement to my own lusts. I have been one to "gratify the desires of the flesh" while lambasting my family in faith for not walking in the Spirit.

The answer Paul lays out in this passage is the greatest challenge ever set before me in my spiritual walk; demonstrate my commitment to these spirit character traits when I am most wanting to satisfy my flesh. Colossians 3:17 teaches me that when I understand that if my actions and words are not actions and words I can thank God for then they are actions and words that are in service to my flesh not to my spirit. Paul summarizes his thoughts on the "Fruits of Spirit" by concluding with " If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. Let us have no self-conceit, no provoking of one another, no envy of one another.." My actions and attitudes have been the exact CONTRAST Paul uses to illustrate what a life with freedom in Christ is.

I do not want to have a life of adultery. I do not want to face the Bridegroom knowing that I have adulterated myself, and many of my peers in the church. I need to live a life that is separated from these flesh natured wants, and pursue the communion with the spirit I need.

Here is a program I have used for about 2-3 years now. I downloaded a new version today and wanted to encourage all of you to use it as an EASY way to generate PDF files.

As I was driving to work this morning the words to this song "Save Me" Lyrics - Dave Matthews Band caught my attention. It seems quite strange for Dave Mathews (a man who usually sings about drugs or sex) to be addressing spiritual issues. I think that the final bridge illustrates Dave is an "opium of the masses" type, however I feel from the second verse that he does not want to be. This song struck me, that many of those around us who discount the Bible and the word of God do so at a defiance to themselves and to what they want to believe. We as Christians need to live lives that are more authentically and more passionately affected by grace so that those who are searching for a reason to believe will find the reason in the manifestation of our lives.

How far will the left go to destroy it's own credibilty in it's lunatic ideas about whatn is and is not acceptable in an "left wing open minded" world. Here is an article from yeaterdays Washington Times that addresses the stupidity to which the liberal bouey of the country "Orance County" will go to make sure everyone is as tolerant and "open minded" as they are.Outside View: Robinson Crusoe meets PC - (United Press International)

Principles of the Ring

There is a great wealth of spiritual principles that can be taught using the popular movie and book series "The Lord of the Rings" Tolkein has one race which represents each of the 3 forms of temptation the hearts of man can be allured by.

Elves - Beauty
Dwarves - Wealth
Humans - Power

The Ring itself is sin.
Gollum is mans inner nature.

The rumors are false.. I have not dropped from the edge of the earth. It has just been very busy around the house and I have lacked time to come online and let the world know what was going on.
Everyone is much better from their illnesses. Christi is still suffering from morning sickness, even though we are in her 14th week. By my memory with EB we have only 6 more weeks till we can find out the gender and thus settle all n ame debates around the house.
The last few evenings Christi and I have been watching her Christmas present of all 9 hours of Dune and Children and of Dune. I LOVE those stories.

I Resolve In 2004

I resolve to be more Authentic in my relationship to God this year.
I resolve to show more love to people.
I resolve to be a place of refuge and safety.
I resove to better my family as husband and father.
I resolve to have a deeper ear for listening to the Spirit.