5 Reasons I Am Glad to be Home...

What a GREAT week we had at camp!!! I can't say it isn't great to be back at work, because it is... As great as a week of camp is... It is good to be home and back to the simple joys of an IT life.

5 Reasons It Is Great To Be Home...

• 5. Managing an 11 person staff at camp is daunting!!! Being a 1 man IT department is a great gig.
• 4. Late Nights with the teens are a blast!!! Sleeping in my bed, with my wife at my side is next to heaven.
• 3. Water Games and The River can cool you off!!! Air Conditioning works better!
• 2. Camp Activities are Plan-Prepare-Play - It's a 1 shot deal!!! Programming is Write-Test-Repeat - Redos are a great thing!
• 1. Summer is almost OVER!!!!

  1 week to my oldest's birthday pool party...
  2 weeks till VBS ...
  3 weeks till new Baby...
  4 weeks till Oldest Starts School...
  5 weeks till Labor Day Retreat...

The Yuck and The Fires & The Fun

I LOVE CAMP!!!!!!!! It is Monday and we have been out at camp since Saturday morning now!!!! It has been GREAT so far! We have had our annual carnival and out Yuck games. We are tye-dyeing T-shirts and tonight... DR. KAOS will be appearing!!!

It is such a needed respite and renewal for me to be out with these kids. The Late-Night with the teen staff has been great too!!! I am blessed to work at a place where I can take some time to come and be a part of this week.

Please pray for us as we minister to these young people.

I Admit I Made A Mistake

I admit that I made a mistake. I agreed to do to many things this summer. I should NOT have agreed to camp, VBS, and the race track. My schedule just does not allow it. I originally told people NO to VBS but when the ministry list for the year was published my name was on it, despite saying I would not do it. I let it go and decided I would make it work.

I tried a few weeks ago to cancel VBS and was brutally attacked for the suggestion. So again, I sucked it up, put something together and decided to maker it work.

Today I get an ABSOLUTELY HARASSING email from one of our elder's wives.

Kevin,

I plan to be at the cookout tonight, so you can just scrawl out the information I requested below with you and hand it to me then, if that's easier for you.

It goes on from there with the details of what I am needing to scrawl out.

Here is my dilemma... I was very stern in the fact that I would plan VBS and would do the opening and closing program. I was very stern that I would not be able to do volunteer recruitment, but would talk on the phone with any volunteer that needed more direction than my Handout.

I have SERIOUSLY considered leaving this church over the way this lady CONSTANTLY treats me. She is the VERY REASON I did not want to do VBS in the first place!

Now I have admitted I overbooked. I am FIRM now in the fact I will NEVER lead VBS again, but what should I do now?????

Natural Homemade Soap

I have wanted for a long time to find a simple way to say thanks to Real Life Preacher. Why do I need to say thanks you ask.... It was him who recommended my absolute favorite blog on the internet Don't Eat Alone.

Today RLP asked his readers to link the words Natural Homemade Soap to his wife's website in order to help her build page rank in the great Google Algorithm.

So RLP, here is my thank you.

Amnesty International and The Internet

Google Watch at Eweek.com linked to and summarized a report from Amnesty International about Yahoo, Google, and Microsoft and their ongoing "human rights abuses" by obeying the laws of China. As a socially councious person I often find myself applauding the causes (if not always the politicss) Amnesty chooses to involve itself as a part of.

HOWEVER!!!

The basic right to food, water, and humane treatment should never be compared to the "right" to information. I thank God that I live in a "free" society. Here where information is a powerful tool. However, that freedom is not, and should not be considered a Basic Human Right. Thomas Jefferson understood the meaning of God given unalienable rights, Amnesty however seems to have lost their way on this.

The Christian Paradox (Harpers.org)

It has been 1 year since this article was published... I think it minds being brought back to the forefront for a re-read.

The Christian Paradox (Harpers.org)

Sweet Potatoe Breakfast Casserolle

For our church potluck I made a wonderful dish, that lots of people wanted the recipie for so here it is. It took me about 30 minutes to chop and peel everything, but I think it would serve 8 people as a breakfast.

In a Dutch Oven (I used my Le Creuset Doufeu) Combine:

4 Large Sweet Potatos (Peeled and diced)
2 Pink Lady Apples (Peeled and diced)
2 Bartlett Pears
1/2 Cup Crushed Walnuts
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 lb Butter (Cut into small pieces)
1/2 Cup Raisins
2 Pkg Al Fesco Sweet Apple Chicken Sausage

I cooked for 1:15 on 350 and then insulated the dutch oven in towels for another 2 hours before being ready to serve.

Don't Try To Cancel AOL...

I swear I am going to use this video in a sermon...

Attn: Randall & Dad

I want to let my brother, my dad, and everyone else know about the ROVER TV. It is a $350 audio / video encoder. I think this would be a great setup for a church wanting to encode content for the web. It will take up a VERY minimal space in any AV booth and get the job done....

I want one!

Michael Moore and Ann Coulter Are Bad For America

In this day of extreme political discontent many people are blinded to the reality of how every coin has two sides. I hear my conservative friends blast Michael Moore as the anti-Christ and call him an unpatriotic liar. I hear my liberal friends blast Ann Coulter as a fear mongering unpatriotic liar. Both sides seem to accuse these two personalities of exagerated statistics, slander, and outright lies in their respective books and movies. As a libertarian I have the luxury of perspective on this issue that many of my friends do not have, since neither speak for "my side" of the issues.

Ann Coulter and Michael Moore are two sides of the same coin, and they are BOTH bad for America. The polarizing slander that has come to dominate our public discourse has become a school yard playground riddle with name calling and other asundered childlike activities. It seems that our politicians and political personalities need a good lesson from mom on getting along.

Allow me to make 3 points here that I truly believe.

1. George Bush, John Kerry, Al Gore, Dennis Hastert, Hillary Clinton, Condi Rice, Edward Kenedy, and Karl Rove all LOVE AMERICA, they are all patriotic people who want nothing more than the best for the home nation.

2. George Bush made the best decisions he could make based on the best intelligence in the world. John Kerry is right that we need a hard fast exit strategy to end this occupation.

3. Michael Moore & Ann Coulter will say and do anything to sell books and neither should be trusted, believed, or quoted by any self respecting person.

I would like to note in closing that what we need in America is more honest open discussion about the real heart of real people's real decisions. What we do not need (and will unfortunately get) is another piece of non-fiction from Ann or Michael.

Starving Jesus

When I went to XXXCHURCH.COM to get the link to X3Watch, I saw an ad for Starving Jesus. It looks like a traveling trade show of Christian ministries for people to get involved in. Get on their site, and get the date where they are near you!

They have an area that outlines, exactly what response they are looking for with this tour.

I have downloaded all three of their podcasts, so as soon as I know more, I will post an update.

Great Sex Talk

My good friend Nikihas spent the last 4 post over at her blog talking about sex and it has certainly been a great discussion.

She and I grew up in the same denomination and my experiences are certainly similar.

My friend Dustin will be starting a post on his own struggles with sex and porn issues tommorow.

I have said before and I say again. Men, choose to be honest in this area and make sure you have a copy of Spector Pro or X3 watch (another day I will explain why Spector is better) installed on your computer so that your activity reports are sent to your WIFE!

Amnesty International - Raise The Roof

This primer on howto effect change in DC is great. I do not agree with all of Amnesty International's politics. Their video is great and useful if you desire to be an acitivst on human rights causes.

WWJW: What Would Jesus Wear?

Often when I speak about the American Christian's responsibilty to Fair Trade, I am met with two responspes from the crowd.

1. Cynical Dismisal ("Kevin is an Alarmist')
2. Cynical Desperation ("There's Nothing I Can Do..."

I will never dignify the first issue with a response, since I think "choosing ignorance" is irresponsible.

However I feel the second response is much more valid, and more easily addressed.

Today, in light of the World Cup the Ox-Fam Sportswear Report was released. This report looks at the trade practices of the 12 leading Sportswear brands.

By choosing to support companies that are improving in their trade practices, is an easy simple step for choosing to do the right thing...

****SHAMELESS PLUG*****
I would always be willing to fly out and speak on these issues... "The Rich Man, The Eye of the Needle, and Fairtrade" is a sermon every Christian needs to hear.
*****END SHAMELESS PLUG****

My Letter To Henry Hyde

I am generally a supporter of respect and honor being paid to those in authority, just because they are in an elected position. However when those authorities go and violate their oath of office, to ensure the bulding size of their campaign warchest, it makes my bllod boil and harsh words are necessary.

The republican decision to vote against net neutrality is just such an occasion. I sent my congressman this letter celebrating his vote.

Thank you for your astute decision to back the large telcomm companies that line the greedy pockets of your campaign war chest rather than voting to protect the rights and needs of your constituents.

Your vote against Net Nuetrailty in the Communications Opportunity, Promotion, and Enhancement Act has been noted; and you have certainly identified yourself and your priorities as being loyal to Corporate lobbyist rather than the everyday voters you took an oath to represent.

I am deeply saddened to live in the district you claim to represent.

Kevin J. Bowman

For those of you who think I am being to harsh, you should have read the first draft.