accomplishments

news flash: i'm a geek. (computer geek, that is). i was thinking of what to write and i thought, "Oh, i'll say how much i got done today." Well, here is my measure of what I got done:

I use Firefox 'cause it rocks! And I had bunches of tabs open (like 10)--I leave tabs open on certain web pages 'cause I need to do something on that page which might be something like: read this news article, laugh at this evolutionary news article, read and reply to these emails, research this topic, download this driver and/or program, etc.-- So, I was able to narrow all those down and now I only have one tab open--meaning I only have one thing that I didn't do.

I also balanced my checkbook and paid my credit card. nice. it balanced nicely...it's always good when it does that.

the tab i still have open, if you are wondering, is regarding some research I need to do. Noah, my bestest friend in the whole world, and I are, Lord willing, going to start a ministry sometime in the future (maybe 2015 or so), and we need to fund it in some way. I'll tell you about our dream ministry in a future blog (at least I plan to). So, we are thinking of making a certain product and selling it for quite a profit. I can't tell you what that product is or you might make it sooner than we do and undercut us or something. I'll let you know what it is after we've made our first mint on it. ...so that's the research I need to do--I need to make sure there's no patent on it, and if there isn't...then we'll make it and be rich!

how'd the last day of February get here so fast?

injured elephants?

just read a news story:
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,147439,00.html
Seems animal rights people are freaking out about about the way Indonesians do things. The Indonesians are using elephants to help clear out rubble and clean up. I think that's cool. I didn't see any while I was there, but I saw a few pics on the web. Looks like guys sit on top of the elephants and give them commands and the elephants really help. I guess they're normally used in the jungles for logging and also as patrols in the jungle against illegal loggers.

The animal rights people are complaining that this is not right for the elephants, they are out of their natural habitat and getting hurt! And they say they aren't being treated well enough while working on clearing up the rubble.

Sounds familiar to me. Seems there are many in that situation right now--The majority of the people of Aceh province, people in Thailand, India...! People have lost their homes! People are suffering serious injuries--emotional, physical, psychological, etc.!

For crying out loud, people! Who are you to go to a country where the people have suffered enormous loss (friends, family, loved ones, jobs, houses, all their belongings...), they're working hard to get over it and you say, "Stop, you're doing it wrong!" Don't go into their culture and tell them to change their culture.

Look at these quotes:

"These so-called animal lovers, they come to me and say the elephants look thin, but it then turns out they have never seen an elephant before," said Andi Basrul, who heads Aceh's government-run conservation board overseeing the elephants.

Sheesh. You consider yourself an animal lover? Do some research before you try telling the locals about things they've been doing all their lives.

Look at these:

Putting elephants to work is a millenia-old tradition in Asia, where they have been used as pack animals and transportation, and are part of ceremonies and religious processions.

"They are enjoying the work," said Madi, a mahout (trainer) who, like some Indonesians, goes by one name. "We can tell if they are suffering, and believe me they are not."

Kept in a parking lot, the elephants are fed coconut palm, bananas, unhusked rice and sugar cane, and bathed regularly. A veterinarian gives the animals twice-daily medical checkups, vaccinates them against tetanus, and treats infections.

"Marni (one of the working elephants) was glad to be home, sure," said her trainer, Safrudin. "But the cuts aren't serious. In fact, she came back to the jungle fatter than when she left because everyone was giving her cakes."

Sounds to me like they are getting better treatment and care than some of the human tsunami victims! Sheesh! Calm down, people!

scatter

Went to Bible study this morning. It was great. Two quotes I want to remember.

The first: "Impression without expression equals depression."

Translation: If you learn something (if something is impressed upon you) and it does not result in a change in your life (expression)...well, that's just sad (depression). In other words, let the Word of God change you.

The second quote from my pastor (who lead the study), he said when he was talking about the function of the church:

"We meet for education. We scatter for evangelism."

I totally agree with him. And the church (the universal church, click here for a pretty good explanation of the church) needs to hear that these days. So many churches are becoming "seeker sensitive". Sure, it's good to reach out to people who want to come to church and who may be scared off by the traditional church atmosphere. But many churches do this and thus sacrifice the purpose of the church. The understanding of the purpose of the church is being lost as a consequence.

People think that the church building and church services are supposed to be the places of evangelism. This misunderstanding is what has caused the sermons of many a pulpit across America (and the world) to become watered down. Christians and others attending the services are receiving milk instead of solid food. This milk is directed at those who either don't know Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, or they have just come to salvation. This is good for new believers. But this should not be done in the main church service. Otherwise how are people going to grow?

We are told many times in Scripture to grow and mature in our faith. Hebrews 6:1 tells us this: "Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and press on to maturity..." (cf. 2 Peter 3:18, Eph. 4:15, 2 Tim. 3:14-17, Col. 2:6-7, et al.)

I have heard complaints about para-church groups, and how they are having to do the work of the church because the church is not doing its job (see this blog, 4th paragraph down starting with "He missed the boat"). What this seems to me is that the people who say things like this have a fundemental misunderstanding of the definition of "The Church".

"The Church" is not a building that Christians meet in. If that was the case the church I go to now wouldn't be a church 'cause we meet in a gym (would we be a gym?). The Church is the people who meet in that building. But it is more than that. I like the phrase "The Universal Church." This helps to clarify that "The Church" is universal. All Believers, everywhere make up "The Church". With this understanding, there is no such thing as a "para-church" organization. Because these so-called para-church organizations are made up of Christians. And Christians ARE part of the church.

Para-church organizations are great! THEY are where evangelism is supposed to take place. They are where we can scatter to (for evangelism) after we meet on Sundays (or whatever day) for education.

arsenic

watched "arsenic and old lace" last night. that movie is funny. two memorable lines:

"hey mister" ~mortimer, first discovering the body in the window seat

"my compliments to the boys in the code department" ~teddy, complimenting on mortimer's explanation of 'brewster' being code for 'roosevelt'

short sighted

i thought about it a bit. i believe that the reason we do not always do what we know to be right and good and according to God's will is that 'our way' seems easier. And, indeed, it is easier, is it not? At first, I believe, it definitely is. But that is our problem. We are short sighted: always looking for the quick fix, the easy break, the easy way out. We do not look down the road, for if we did we would see that, in the long run, God's way is the easiest.

But we (at least I know I am) are short-sighted.

improvement needed

why do we not do what we enjoy and what we know is right? i'll explain. i was talking with someone today about the message we heard this morning at the men's breakfast--about not ignoring the Holy Spirit. He and I were talking and he said, "I get frustrated and I don't know why I don't always put everything at the Lord's feet and live as He would have me live. One summer I lived that way and it was the best summer I've ever had. I know how good it is to do it, and I enjoy following Him completely...but I don't, why?"

I agreed with him. I do the same thing. Why is that? Why, when we know that it is rewarding to follow Christ, and to lay every decision before Him and seek His will, and we know we will enjoy it and it is the right thing to do, do we still turn from Him and live differently?

first

first post...more later...at least that's what i plan. who knows, plans change.

resolution

date: 00:31 19 February 2005 -- whilst pondering my past adventures I have thence and henceforth decided to record my travels and travaling adventures of sorts--ranging from month-long trips to the other side of the world to connect people to the internet by way of such things as VSAT systems, all the way to my various vagabond wanderings through the diverse and beautiful state of california. I will be doing this in an effort to pull meaning and lessons from these seemingly random adventures, in an effort to encourage myself and thus, hopefully someday, encourage others with the lessons I have thereby learned.

for tonight though, i must hasten to bed as I must alight dark and early in the morning and be off to a men's breakfast gathering with my dad and other men from the church (no women, hence the name, 'men's' breakfast). it should be good. considering my aforementioned decision to document my adventures, i will most likely write about it later on. for now i must off and hasten to sleep. goodnight.