Predictomobile and EZ Tracks

WARNING!!! Check your cell phone bill NOW under "Usage Charges" for $9.99 charge(s) by either PredictoMobile or EZ Tracks. UNLESS you have downloaded anything through your cell phone, you can contact PredictoMobile (1-800-360-0518) (I don't have a number for EZ Tracks). Also, contact your cell phone service carrier and have PredictoMobile's and EZ Tracks' charges REMOVED. T-Mobile has the capability of "blacklisting" (blocking) both PredictoMobile and EZ Track. 

CHECK your cell phone bill NOW! It could save you $$$!

Is technology taking over your life?

Once a week(?), I would like to open a discussion -- this week, the question is, "Is technology taking over your life?" In other words, is today's technological advances causing a distraction for you in your Christian walk? How does one control this technology? 

This week's question was inspired by Dr. R. Albert Mohler's Radio Program (07-25-2008) entitled "Is Technology Distracting Us to Death?" In this particular podcast, Dr. Russell Moore is moderating during Dr. Mohler's vacation. 

So, back to the question: Is technology (like Blackberry's and other PDA's, mp3 players, text messaging and email) taking over [our] life?" 

I have heard of people who have seemed to be obsessed with their PDA's and/or text messaging. I, personally, have sometimes wondered if I have that struggle as well. In reflecting over my life, I have discovered that I have disciplined myself to use these technologies differently, depending on the scenario.

  

For my mp3 player: I use it while I work (a menial paper-pushing task) for listening to worship/praise music and catching up on news and podcasts (like the Albert Mohler Program!). I have found many times that the news items contained within podcasts are news items which many of our news media just doesn't cover! Sometimes, I listen to it while driving (using a FM transmitter!) and sometimes while I am grocery shopping or having to stand in long lines. 

For email, there are two instances: for my job and the particular position, most of my email is demanding immediate responses and actions needed to be taken. In disciplining my productivity, I created a some folders so that emails can be separated into "notices" (just need to be read) and "to do" (where action needs to be taken). Additionally, I check my email about once an hour. For my personal email (which I check at home), during the week, I check it when I get home and right before I go to bed. Most of my friends know that if they need to get ahold of me, my cellphone is on 24/7. 

For my cellphone and voicemail - A couple of things: my cellphone is my sole phone at the house. My voicemail (like my personal email) is treated a lot like the old-fashioned answering machine: it's there for MY convenience! Secondly, at work and worship services, my cellphone is on "silent" because it can be a distraction for other employees (and myself!). After service and on my breaks and lunch during the week at work, I check my voicemail and for "missed calls" and return messages. For emergencies, my closest Christian community and my parents know my office desk number. 

A couple of interesting articles to read: 

TimesOnline "Stoooopid .... why the Google generation isn't as smart as it thinks"

"Are We Distracting Ourselves to Death?: Five Practical Tips Our Family is Trying"

"The Happening" - Just another environmental movie!

Over the past several years, there have been an influx of movies geared toward making our public more aware (and sometimes, scared) of our misuse of the environment (like "Armageddon," "Day After Tomorrow"). Now, M. Night Schyamalan has joined the ranks of the ridiculous treehuggers and wrote and directed his own scare-tactic movie about the environment entitled "The Happening", starring Mark Wahlberg. 

Look, people, I have no problem doing things to protect and preserve our environment, like recycling at work (yeah, my condominium complex, along with so many of D/FW's apartment complexes don't have recycling facilities!), but PLEASE, don't use scare tactics like "The Happening" (where plant life releases toxins in the air, causing homo-sapiens to begin committing suicide!) to scare me into submission. I would much more prefer to follow God's provision in Genesis 1:26-30 (ESV):

"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.' So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.' And God said, 'Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food. And 'to every beats of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.' And it was so."

Night, write, direct and produce a movie about the above quote and give me a call! 

Christian the Lion - the full story (in HQ)

Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus-THE Review

During my freshman year in high school, my parents and I took advantage of an opportunity to tour the Holy Land, Egypt and Amman for 15 days. Words cannot describe the awe and wonder of walking where Jesus walked over 2000 years before, seeing Jerusalem, the Western (Wailing) Wall, to see the Garden of Gethsemane where He prayed and was arrested, to see Golgotha and finally, to see the Empty Tomb (He has risen indeed!)! Sadly, I didn't have the maturity and foreknowledge to journal all the things I saw, smelled, tasted, felt, and heard during my experience and thus, so many memories are lost. It is my greatest and deepest regret. Many times I have prayed for another such opportunity to visit Israel in the hopes of revisiting the hallowed ground and to journal my experiences there. 

As Wayne Stiles states in his introduction, Walking in the Footsteps of Jesus is NOT a chronological journal of the entire itinerary of Christ's life. Instead, it is one man's writings of his impressions, encouragement and challenges as he walks in Christ's footsteps and how He impacted those around Him during His ministry. Throughout the book, Stiles encourages us, the readers, with powerful words of wisdom, including his own personal experiences, lightly seasoned with good-hearted humor. You also get a glimpse into the heart and mind of the author as he challenges himself in his own relationship with Christ.

Justice, Plain and Simple

Edmund Burke (1729-1797), the British statesman and philosopher, once said, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing." Today, I have witnessed this and could no longer allow injustice to reign on our city transit bus. 

Over the past few weeks, we have had two riders who have misbehaved badly. The first gentleman has been riding for years and has developed the habit of "cutting" to the front of the line for his connecting bus, which is the express bus from one of the park-and-rides to another transit center. The other gentleman is a little older in age, is a relatively new rider and two weeks ago, verbally assaulted the first gentleman, with finger in his face, shouted, "Just who do you think YOU are to go to the front of the line?!" Well, for the past two weeks, the second gentleman has been quietly fuming about the situation. Until today . . . Today, the first gentleman had boarded the bus and had taken a seat at the front. The second gentleman, after boarding the bus, as he began to walk down the aisle, purposely (I saw this!) struck the second gent in the face with his backpack on this back, then, overdramatically said, "Oh, excuse me!" then continued walking down the aisle! 

GOOD GRIEF! It boiled me over inside . . . what is this world coming to? I decided then that I had to take action before this escalated further. When I arrived at the office, I called the city transit police and reported what had happened. They made the suggestion that I report it to the driver immediately if it should happen again, who will in turn notify the police via silent alarm, who will meet the bus at the next transit center. There, I will file my report and press charges. 

I must confess: I have no ever done this type of thing before. A coworker warned that the report of pressed charges would become a matter of public record and that I might in danger of reprisal. While I am strangely not concerned with that, I am more concerned about insuring that justice is served, plain and simple. 

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

OUR BOYS OVERSEAS

I am watching "Saving Grace" tonight and the episode's subplot includes someone's brother fighting in Afghanistan. It reminded me of a time in my own life where, although, the young man was of no blood relation to me, he was both very special to his parents and sister, and to me, as I had known him when he was a toddler when his parents led Whirlybirds in my home church. 

They had twins, a boy and a girl, both red-headed and smart. Both began attending Dallas Christian College their freshman year, then both enlisted in the Army shortly after 9/11. Due to a medical condition, the girl was kept from progressing on toward the battlefields of Iraq, but the boy soon found himself there, fighting for his country. Along with his parents, we watched the news, prayed for his safety and his eventual return, cried a lot, and prayed more. His two-week visit home was tortuous for me in that we all knew it just a visit, it was more tortuous for him because of the quiet in contrast to the bombshells bursting in the distance and airplanes constantly flying overhead and the realism that his friends were still overseas, fighting in his absence. Eventually, though, his tour of duty ended and he returned him. 

There are still sons and daughters of our fellow Americans overseas, fighting to both protect our freedom and to keep terrorism from ever nearing our shores again. Tonight, say a prayer for their safety and their families here, awaiting their safe return.

The Twos List

[I borrowed this idea from The Holleman blog]

Two names you go by (at the office):

1. Sloppy Joe

2. Bunky

Two things you are wearing right now:

1. Multi-pocketed shorts

2. Union Bay long-sleeve t-shirt

Two of your favorite things to do:

1. Quiet reading time on Saturday and Sunday mornings

2. Watching news on TV and online (it's the geek in me!)

Two favorite pets you have had/have:

1. Fluffy (Siamese)

2. Patches (a puppy before Fluffy which I just don't remeber!)

Two things you did yesterday

1. Went to 5 PM worship with Jonny and Condra

2. Hung out with Jonny and Condra until 1 AM! 

Two people you last talked to:

1. My roomie, Adam 

2. Condra

Two things you plan on doing tomorrow:

1. Work (yike!)

2. Reading

Two favorite holidays:

1. Wallow (long story!)

2. Christmas

Two favorite beverages:

1. Dr. Pepper

2. Mocha white mocha ("zebra") Starbucks drink

Blogging--What's the point?

Recently, an acquaintance of mine began blogging. He's high up on the ministry ladder and announced he was blogging. I was excited for him...finally, my brother was blogging and sharing his life on the blogosphere! 

So, I did what any other blog reader would do: I left a comment, congratulating him on starting a blog. WOW, what a mistake that was! 

The following weekend, his assistant informed me that I needed to pay closer attention to the "rules" of the blog and only comment on the content of the blog. Oh, I see! So, REALLY, the blog isn't so much just being written AND operated by the author, it's only written by the author and audited and operated by his assistant! 

Lessons learned:

• Closely observe any "rules" regarding a particular blog and if the author is mentioned in third person, most likely, it's being administrated by someone else
• The best blogs are those whose author is writing and reading the comments. 

Under normal circumstances, I would confront my acquaintance, but he's only reachable by email and again, his assistant handles his email! Oh well! 

Sadly, I won't be reading my acquaintance's blog or encouraging others to do so, as I just don't see the point! 

TO WILL FRANKLIN CHAPMAN

It has been several months since Maria Sue's passing. My work schedule and other responsibilities prevented me from seeing you and your family on "Larry King Live" Thursday, August 7, 2008. I so wanted to see and hear your story.

You have been on my heart and in my prayers since May. As your father so adequately put it, no words can be said. Personally and truthfully, I cannot empathize with your loss (and I'm an only child!).

My thoughts and prayers for you will continue as you continue to both grieve and go through the grief counseling. You will grow stronger through this experience and I believe that your faith will grow stronger as well because of this tragedy. I am just sorry that this tragedy has to be a part of that spiritual growth. 

Thank you for showing His strength and courage on the "Larry King Live" episode. And always remember that not only does your father love you, your Heavenly Father loves you more! 

Who Defines Me?

[Initially, this was a comment to the blogpost "Change the World, Today?" written by Christina Dickson as a guest poster on the blog, therebelution.com) and I thought I would share it here as well.]

"It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me."

This quote, from the 2005 movie, "Batman Begins", has haunted me for the past 3 years. Read it again. 

While at one angle, we can interpret it to mean that our actions are what defines us, thus ignoring who (or, in this context, Whose) underneath our actions. Or, as in the context of Doing Hard Things, we can interpret it as our actions through the strength of Christ are what defines me. 

As a 44-year-old adult single male who has grown up in the church, attended Bible college and is currently employed in Corporate America, I, like many of you, find myself STILL wondering, what kind of an impact will I make/have I made on the world and the people around me? Sadly, for me, I don't see that I've made much of an impact; however, from what my friends tell me, I have made an impact in their lives. 

As Christians, we need to do EVERYTHING we can, in His strength, to impact the world for Him and to His glory. Paul says it best in Philippians 4:13, (ESV), "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength" and later to the Corinthians, "But as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you--see that you excel in this act of grace also." (2 Co 8:7, ESV) Peter writes that, "... in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ"   (1 Peter 4:11c, ESV)

As a Christian, "It's Whose I am underneath and what I do for Him to bring Him glory that defines me."

How do I see this practically, Alex? In my life now, it means 

*PRAYER and BIBLE READING to God that He will guide me throughout my day and guard my heart against temptations within the workplace. 

*Always being truthful to my managers and co-workers, no matter what that may mean. In other words, when I err, I take the responsibility of owning up to it instead of making excuses or blaming others (us men refer to this as "manning up"). 

*Doing my best in every task I undertake. If I have to work with a computer application like Word or Excel and I am not familiar with it, taking ownership and proactive initiative and doing some outside reading on it. It might even require purchasing a book and learning more about it (think: Half Price Books and Excel for Dummies!).

*Asking for help (see last bullet-point)--if I don't understand something, proactively initiate with someone who does understand. 

Idolatry and Dependence

Just as the common denominator to all sin is some form of idolatry, so is all life and everything in its existence (our jobs, work, major decisions, dreams, goals, relationships), totally dependent on our faith in God and Him alone. 

Friendships

So, I'm on "staycation" (that's where you are on vacation but stay in town!) and hanging out with some friends with whom I attended Bible college. And, believe it or not, it's great. We do this every year, where we just hang, talk about and catch up with each other on our lives, struggles, jobs, etc., and encourage each other, eat, swim (okay, I just wade and float!), play instruments (I don't play, I just enjoy!), eat, watch movies, talk about movies, stay up late, eat (didn't I just say that already?) and enjoy life together!

Even better, it's just like how I spend time with the friends I have at The Village, with whom I am in community.

Isn't God grand?