3,2,1...Jump, Score, It's a World Record!!!

Checkout this amazing feat that is now a World Record!!! WOW!

12 Days of Christmas Down in Africa... Toto What?

Great tune to give you a holiday laugh. Sit back with a hot cup of cocoa and enjoy! Thanks for this one @shawnw!

Revelation Song

May you grasp the real meaning of this season as you watch this amazing video that needs no explanation. May God be glorified and hearts transformed... today is the day for salvation!

May the Force Be With You

May the Force be with you as you brave the lines at the local shopping centers looking for that perfect gift for that someone in your life. I will just pray that God will protect you from all the squirrels that are fighting over the last Wii game system and talking/dancing/do-the-dishes Elmo while I stay home drinking hot coffee and reading a the Gospel According to Jesus.

Don't Forget the Batteries!!!

Don't Mess with Granny

My friend Marybeth Stockdale posted this on her Facebook recently. I felt I needed to share some laughter with you today. Enjoy. God Bless!

No Glasses, Hats, Scarves — and even Smiles

MUNSTER, Ind. — The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles is restricting glasses, hats, scarves — and even smiles — in driver's license photographs.

The new rules imposed last month are needed so that facial recognition software can spot fraudulent license applications, BMV officials told The Times of Northwest Indiana.

The software compares applicants' new photographs with old photographs on file to protect them from identity fraud, said BMV commissioner Ron Stiver.

"We take very seriously our responsibility to help protect the personal identity of Hoosiers, and the employment of this innovative technology is yet another important step forward in doing just that," Stiver said.

The new technology represents an advancement of what the BMV already was doing, agency spokesman Dennis Rosebrough said. BMV employees always have looked at the old photo of a person to see if it looked like the person seeking a new license.

Indiana is one of about 20 states using the facial recognition technology, he said, and other states have similar restrictions on driver's license photographs.


"We believe it's our responsibility to assure all Hoosiers the credentials we issue ... are as accurate as possible," Rosebrough said.

BMV officials want driver's license photographs to accurately show people's permanent facial features, Rosebrough said. That means glasses need to be removed. And if a person has hair hanging their face, it should be swept aside. Smiling can distort facial features measured by the software, Rosebrough said, so that is also restricted.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,463708,00.html

My First Mobile Blog

It is official. I have turned the tech corner by blogging with my Blackberry. Totally amazed by the versitility of all the technology available to bloggers today. May God be glorified by the use of such tools. Stay tuned to all future posts.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Lukewarmness... Continued!

Craig Groeschel's Follow-Up Blog post on Lukewarmness looks like this:

Question: What do you do when you realize you are lukewarm?

Answer: You do something drastic!

If some small change would have made the difference in your spiritual life, you would have made the change a long time ago.

You might:

• Start a seven day fast and devote extra time to seeking God.

• Take a sabbatical and pray like you haven’t in years.

• Confess to your spouse, your elders, or to trusted friends and ask for help.

• Seek spiritual counseling from another pastor or counselor.

• Take the week off and go to a hotel alone with no cell phone, no computer, and no books but the Bible.

• Read a Children’s Bible and pretend like you’re hearing the gospel story for the very first time.

• Repent to your family for your lack of spiritual passion and leadership.

• Tell your church honestly that you are struggling and invite them to pray for you.

• You might turn off your computer now and go somewhere and cry and repent deeply.

Whatever you do, it should be drastic and you should do it before another voice talks you out of it.

My Year-End Self-Evaluation

Craig Groeschel recently posted some signs of a lukewarm pastor. Since lukewarmness is something detested by our Lord, I think an effective year-end self-evaluation can be created from the points following:

Do I pray as much, or more, publicly than privately?
Am I almost exclusively dependent on others’ sermons to preach than directly hearing from God?
Do I care more about my church than The Church?
Do I preach about evangelism but not practice evangelism privately?
Do I tolerate and rationalize unconfessed sin?
Do I preach for the approval of people rather than the approval of God?
Am I overly sensitive to criticism?
Do I harbor bitterness and unforgiveness?
Do I read the Bible to prepare sermons but not for personal devotion to God?
Am I jealous or critical of someone else that God is blessing?

Do you see any of this in yourself?

According to Craig, a lukewarm pastor:
Prays as much, or more, publicly than privately.
Is almost exclusively dependent on others’ sermons to preach than directly hearing from God.
Cares more about his church than The Church.
Preaches about evangelism but doesn’t practice evangelism privately.
Tolerates and rationalizes unconfessed sin.
Preaches for the approval of people rather than the approval of God.
Is overly sensitive to criticism.
Harbors bitterness and unforgiveness.
Reads the Bible to prepare sermons but not for personal devotion to God.
Is jealous or critical of someone else that God is blessing.

Bruce Wayne... Batman... Dead!!!

Bruce Wayne — who by night is Batman — gets murdered by a man claiming to be the father he thought was dead.

In a highly controversial new comic book storyline, Bruce, who first appeared in 1939, is killed by Simon Hurt — the leader of the shady Black Glove organization.

Simon claims he is really Dr Thomas Wayne, saying he faked his own passing when Bruce was a child.

The superhero dies when he tries to stop his foe escaping by helicopter in the new comic Batman R.I.P.

"This is so much better than death. People have killed characters in the past but to me, that kind of ends the story!" said writer Grant Morrison.

"I like to keep the story twisting and turning," he added. "So what I am doing is a fate worse than death. Things that no one would expect to happen to these guys at all.

"This is the end of Bruce Wayne as Batman."

Help With Autism Research

Check out "What that kind of world do you want?" This web-site will distribute approximately 90% of money donated to selected charities. Watching the video will contribute $.49 per play.

Student Impact at the Luminate Concert

A great time was had by all the Impact Students at the Luminate Concert held at Crossroads in Sullivan. Great sound; Great tunes! Way to go guys!!!

New "Extreme" Activity For the Office

Don't think I could get Pastor Rich to participate, esp. if I was doing the jumping!!! Accident waiting to happen. Maybe a Jr. Higher???

10 Reasons Why You’re Probably Going to Fail
Author: Tony Morgan

I’ve experienced failures. I’ve watched others fail. I’m guessing you’ve seen plenty as well. This morning I tried to think through some common reasons why failure happens. I’m looking forward to some healthy conversation on this one. With that, here are:

10 Reasons Why You’re Probably Going to Fail

1. It’s not your passion. If it doesn’t make your heart beat fast or cause your mind to race when you’re trying to sleep, you’re probably doing the wrong thing.

2. You don’t have a plan. You need a vision, and you need to identify specific steps to make that vision become reality. That includes a financial plan. (I happen to believe you need direction from God on this.)

3. You’re waiting for it to be perfect. Test-drive it. Beta-test that new idea. You’ll fall into the trap of inaction if you think it has to be absolutely right from day one.

4. You’re not willing to work hard. Everything worth pursuing in my life has involved discipline and perseverance.

5. It’ll outgrow you. Keep learning. Keep growing. But more importantly, build a team of people including leaders that can be who you’re not.

6. You’ve had success in the past. I’ve watched organizations hang on to a good idea for too long. Time passes. Momentum fades. It’s risky to let go of the past and jump on the next wave.

7. You’re unwilling to stop doing something else. Complexity is easy. Simplicity takes discipline.
You can’t build a healthy marriage if you’re unwilling to give up dating other women. Who/what do you need to stop dating?

8. You won’t build a team of friends. Anyone can hire from a resume. You need to find people you want to share life with. In the long run, great relationships will get you out of bed in the morning.

9. You won’t have the tough conversations. When breakdown happens (and it always does), someone needs to put on their big-boy pants and initiate the difficult conversation that leads to relational healing.

10. You’re afraid of failure. When fear consumes you, it will cause you to do stupid things. You’ll let negativity distract you. You’ll embrace the known, and grow comfortable with mediocrity. The more often you fail, though, the more often you’ll find success.

Here’s the deal. I don’t think this list is just about personal failure. This is about organizational failure (your ministry, your church plant, etc.). This is about business failure (your start up, your turnaround effort, etc.). This is about relational failure (your marriage, your dating relationship, etc.). The same principles apply.

Now it’s your turn. What else should be on the list? What are some other ingredients for failure you’ve experienced or witnessed? What would you add/delete from the list?

For other great posts, checkout:
http://tonymorganlive.com

Generation "Me"

Today's American high school students are far likelier than those in the 1970s to believe they'll make outstanding spouses, parents and workers, new research shows.

They're also much more likely to claim they are "A" students with high IQs -- even though other research shows that today's students do less homework than their counterparts did in the 1970s.
The findings, published in the November issue of Psychological Science, support the idea that the "self-esteem" movement popular among today's parents and teachers may have gone too far, the study's co-author said.

"What this shows is that confidence has crossed over into overconfidence," said Jean Twenge, an associate professor of psychology at San Diego State University.

Read More:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20081112/hl_hsn/usteensbrimmingwithselfesteem

By E.J. Mundell
HealthDay Reporter – Wed Nov 12, 5:02 pm ET

Many Bitten by the Twilight Soundtrack

The soundtrack to the upcoming teen vampire romance Twilight debuts at #1 on The Billboard 200. Twilight is the first soundtrack to hit #1 in advance of the movie's release since 8 Mile six years ago. And I just thought the books were all the rave.

What if Starbucks Marketed like the Church

Much can be learned from the Starbucks Marketing Strategy.

Live 2008 Election Results

Toy Story Meets Dark Knight

This is one of the best mix-up I've seen in some time!!! So many creative people, so little viewer time!

When Marriage Counseling is Required

Don't impress your wife by singing this if you intend on celebrating your next anniversary.