The Next Big Web Thingy

Amber may have stumbled onto a gold mine.

Recently a friend told her about a new music downloading service that was launched in Beta last year with very little fanfare. It operates much like iTunes, but you set up your own store and get a cut from sales, much like Amazon Associates. You also get a referral bonus if your friends open a store. After looking over it with her, I was sort of interested...until she let me read an email from someone who had seen the 2.0 version soon to be released:

"a one-stop spot for chatting, emailing, blogging, bulletin exchanging, and much more. Users will create with photo sharing, playlist sharing, comment sharing and much more. You’ll even be able upload your own videos (like on youTube)..."

In other words, this service is going to take everything the cool kids like to use online and roll them into one.

If you are interested in getting set up with a store before the 2.0 release, send Amber an email for more information. This is a great opportunity for some part-time income, particularly if you are a college student, stay at home mom, or just know a lot of cool kid type people.

The "I Didn't Mean it that Way" Quote of the Day

Cruise 'is Christ' of Scientology

"And leader David Miscavige believes that in future, Cruise, 44, will be worshipped like Jesus for his work to raise awareness of the religion. A source close to the actor, who has risen to one of the church’s top levels, said: “Tom has been told he is Scientology’s Christ-like figure. “Like Christ, he’s been criticised for his views. But future generations will realise he was right.”

Uhh.....If Jesus was "right", then why go around worshipping Cole Trickle like Jesus?

Kingdom Quote #54

"This world, this reality, revealed by God speaking to us, is not the kind of world to which we are accustomed. It is not a neat and tidy world in which we are in control - there is mystery everywhere that takes considerable getting used to, and until we do it scares us. It is not a predictable, cause-effect world in which we can plan our careers and secure our futures - there is miracle everywhere that upsets us no end, expect for the occasions when the miracle is in our favor. It is not a dream world in which everything works out according to our adolescent expectations - there is suffering and poverty and abuse at which we cry out in pain and indignation, "You can't let this happen!" For most of us it takes years and years and years to exchange our dream world for the real world of grace and mercy, sacrifice and love, freedom and joy."

- Eugene Peterson, "Eat This Book, A Conversation in the Art of Spiritual Reading"

The Stage Has Been Set

If I were a betting man....I would be a rich betting man....

Chicago 39, New Orleans 14

Indianapolis 38, New England 34

NFL Conspiracy Theory of the Week

So I'm sitting here with Bashor arguing the merits of my theory why the following teams will win this weekend (the Indianapolis Colts and the Chicago Bears) culmunating in a Super Bowl win for...

The Colts.

Here's why.

The NFL has been fixed, since at least the mid '90s when Brett Farve was winning Super Bowls, then you had the Cinderella Story of Kurt Warner, then you had the Patriots winning the Patriot Bowl, I mean Super Bowl after 9/11. And so on. This year, the story is Will Payton Manning Finally Win the Big One? Yes, of course, the Saints are a big story with Hurricane Katrina and all...but frankly (and many apologies to my Cajun friends here), who really expects the Saints to win it all? It would be a nice story, but not the story of the NFL year.

So how does this prediction mesh with reality? First of all, the Bears will win in a run-away in Chicago. (Sorry again, to my local Saints friends. I really would like them to win, but sadly, none of us are in control of these things. The outcome has already been chosen.) Rex Grossman has been a stable quarterback for the past few weeks, and lest anyone forget his days as Spurrier's QB at Florida, he kicked serious butt in big games. He will do fine, in fact, he will pick apart the Saints defense. On the other side of the ball, the Saints offense will not be able to move the ball in the freezing, snowy weather, much less against the Bears' great D. A borderline blowout...35-10.

In Indy, the game will be close, but the Colts D will continue its streak of above average games and do what the Chargers couldn't do...give their best players on offense a chance to win the game. Colts by a touchdown...28-21.

Finally, the Superbowl will be a classic barn burner. Rex will again have a great game, although he will struggle early. Same with Manning. The score will be low at halftime, maybe 7-3. But in the second half, the offenses will open up and hold on to your hats. Two minutes left, the Colts will get the ball down by two. Manning will lead the team down the field with a heroic drive and set up, guess who...former Patriot Adam Vinatieri kicks the winning field goal as time expires. 34-33.

You can put it in the bank.

Makes for great TV doesn't it?

This Week's Sign That the Apocalypse is Upon Us...

Championship #1

Championship #2

Championship #3

Uh...It's Great to be a Florida Gator.

Happy New Year - from Mike

See Amber's New Year's post below as well. I was watching mindless NFL highlights and was about to switch over to watch the ball drop in NYC when I had a thought...there has been a pretty remarkable change in our life since last January 1st...I need to post something about it on the old blog.

January 1, 2006. The title of my post one year ago was "Community". It's a fairly unremarkable post from the outside - just some ruminations on barriers to community that are common. However, in the background a year ago was a nagging sense that we just weren't getting it, that the dream God placed in us and the whole reason we moved to South Florida in 2001 was dying. At the time, I wasn't close to throwing in the towel, but the thought had begun to cross Amber's mind about the possibility of moving somewhere. What I wrote at the time was ultimately pointed at myself, but carried with it a sense of disappointment that our faith community seemed so scattered and disjointed.

In March, we made a break with the Vineyard. Although we felt that eventually that decision would allow us to pursue more of what God has for us here, it also cut any remaining strings of "responsibility" that we felt to the work God had started. Even though we had dropped the identity years earlier, this was no longer a Vineyard church planting project. It was now a nameless, unofficial group of people with a fairly weak internal identity.

The next few months were pretty scary, but there were also signs of hope. We came together on Easter for an entire weekend and sought God. Some very clear prophetic words were given that reconfirmed our calling, but our direction seemed to be "wait". In June, Amber and I went to Minnesota to visit my brother's family. During that month, we let the question sit on the table, "God, is this it? Is our work done here?" There were no visions or audible words, but both of us couldn't shake that we needed to return home and let God work it out.

When I look back at that post from a year ago, it's fascinating to see how God has begun to address each of those barriers to community in a very short period of time. Lack of proximity? We now we live within a mile of three other families in our group. Issues with children? We have a group of children ranging in age from 2 to 16 who care for each other and relate well. Transparency and the god of 'me'? I have seen more honesty and authentic "one-anothering" in the past six months than I have in many years. The final component, and one I relish to say, I enjoy these people. All of them, in their own way. That enjoyment is a blessing, a luxury perhaps, but it is incredibly satisfying when I meditate on the events of the past year.

There is much I have to be thankful for on January 1, 2007. But right now, I'm especially thankful for my church family and expectant for the year to come.