A very convicting look at how poorly the world is responding to the AIDS crisis in Africa… I’m just as guilty as most, but I did just give $20 to World Vision so I’m not a total loss.
“PlastiCard Plus reports its August to December gift-card sales increased 56% from the same 2002 period…”
Is that really a good thing? I may be the exception, but I buy gift cards for someone when I don’t know what they’d like — when I don’t have a good enough relationship with them or the relationship has grown distant.
I try not to buy them… to me they say: “I didn’t care enough to think about your gift, so here’s a few bucks — go buy yourself something nice…”
So is the increase indicative of Chrisitans taking the easy way out? Of not being in community enough to know what CD/Bible translation/book someone would like?
Aren’t gifts supposed to be from the heart and not the wallet? Am I crazy here?
My Pastor is doing a series on the “Community of the Way.” What is a COTW you might ask? Well… it’s a community of people following “the Way” (Jesus). It’s an communal adaption of the term for early Christians: “followers of the Way.”
I’m really digging it. You can listen to the first 2 sermons on the bluer site if you so desire. I’d encourage it. I mean… I tried it.
What I’ve been reading this week… in preperation for my new job duties… it’s nice to get paid to learn new stuff 
I’m not mentioned anywhere on the website… but I will be a panelist at this thing here…
I get to rip apart… I mean… look at EPA member publications’ Web sites and evaluate them. My buddies Andy Wright and Matthew Taylor will be joining me. The old gang back together — should be a blast.
So I’ve been reading Red Moon Rising and just got back from One Thing so I’ve got 24/7 prayer on the brain.
There’s an IHOP starting in St. Paul but it’s on Tuesdays — the same day as my small group (ironically a prayer group) so that’s out. Then I got this new job at Bethany and they…
1. Have a prayer room in the 24/7 model
2. Hold small prayer & worship gatherings every day
3. Are planning a week of 24/7 prayer next month
I wouldn’t know any of this if… I hadn’t bumped into John (a student here at Bethany College). John and I keep bumping into each other. I think God going to do something here and I’m excited to be a small part of it.
Oh yeah, I just spent an hour in the prayer room (seemed like 20 min max) and didn’t want to leave. I was seriously digging John’s (the apostle) story of imprisonment by the romans.