Filled With Delight

I'm posting a few more photos from the past two days. Everywhere you look in Sanibel is a photo op. You're only limited by your creativity and time. Click on the picture above to see some palm tree photos that I took while Sharon and I were on a bike ride this afternoon. We stopped at a small little shelter to spend some time praying together and these palm trees caught my attention.

You can click here to see photos from our bike ride to the pier last evening. The setting sun was so beautiful as it shimmered over the water. This has been an incredible week. The weather has been wonderful, and we have thoroughly enjoyed walking the beach, bike riding, watching the setting sun, and laughing at the crazy pelicans.

I love the passage from Proverbs 8:30-31 that I read this morning. It speaks of Jesus Christ and his delight in his creation.

Then I was the craftsman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mankind.

It's A Small World After All

It's a small world and it's getting smaller every day! CNN.com reported yesterday that the government of Brazil will provide free Internet access to native Indian tribes in the Amazon in an effort to help protect the world's biggest rain forest. You can read more about the Amazon tribes at the National Geographic site.

The environment and communications ministers signed an agreement Thursday with the Forest People's Network to provide an Internet signal by satellite to 150 communities, including many reachable only by riverboat, allowing them to report illegal logging and ranching, request help and coordinate efforts to preserve the forest.

The ministry said city and state governments must first install telecenters with computers in selected areas, including indigenous lands. The federal government then will provide the satellite connection.

There are currently a few telecenters on the outskirts of cities, but that the new ones will be built deep in the forest and will allow Indians easy access to public officials so that they can alert them of illegal miners, loggers and ranchers.

Indigenous leaders support the program but worry that computers might erode native cultures in a country that has well over 200 tribes, said Ailton Krenak, a member of the Krenak people and also of Brazil's national Forest People's Network. "I don't like computers but I don't like planes either," he said. "What can you do?"

What can you do? May I suggest that we leverage and use technology to advance the kindgom. The gospel knows no geographical or cultural barriers. It is good news for all mankind, including tribal Indians who live in remote villages in the Amazon.

My oh my, internet access for bush villages in the Amazon! Who would have ever guessed? It's a small world after all.

The Beach Experience

One of the attractions to Sanibel Island is the fabulous beaches. And what can you do on the beach you ask? Almost anything you can think of!

Here are some of the things I have seen people doing on the beach - walking the dog, flying a kite, sun bathing, reading, sleeping, talking on a cell phone, talking with friends, shelling, swimming, snorkeling, throwing a football, playing whiffle ball, tossing a ball with lacrosse sticks, fishing, building a sand castle, eating, teaching a child how to swim, tossing a frisbee, jogging, boogie boarding and listening to music. And of course, there are a few weird people who like to take photographs at the beach!

You can click on the picture above to see a slide show from a mid-afternoon walk and an early morning walk on the beach this week. The sights, sounds, smells and textures of the beach are captivating. But best of all, the beach allows you to experience it in your own way, at your own pace. The beach is a place you truly have to experience to believe.

Win, Lose or Draw!

Have you ever heard of a tie in baseball? We saw one today! The final score was the Boston Red Sox 3 and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 3. Most teams don't play extra innings in spring training for fear of injury or over taxing their pitching staff.

The stars were on display. We got to see Manny Rameriz, David Ortiz, Carl Crawford, and Jorge Cantu all play and get hits. Jonathan Papelbon came into the game and worked a perfect 9th inning to get the tie! Does that sound funny or what!

But the hitting stars for Boston were Alex Ochoa who hit a home run in the 8th inning and Argenis Diaz who hit the tied the game up with one out in the 9th with a homer of his own! Alex and Argenis, not exactly your household names.

It was a great afternoon at the City of Palms Park in Ft. Myers. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show with some action shots of the game. Warning! There are a lot of photos and it may take a while to load on your computer.

And just in case you haven't been paying any attention, Opening Day is on Sunday! Play ball!

Make My Day

Sharon and I went to the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Devil Ray game today. More on that later. This blog post is about what happened before the game.

Traditionally, professional baseball has never been exceptionally "fan friendly." Over the past few years Major League Baseball has been trying to warm up it's image and reach out to younger fans.

For instance, you are now allowed to bring food and beverages in closed plastic containers into major league parks. That's a move in the right direction. Discounted tickets on family days at the park are also popular with young families.

The other thing baseball has been doing is having players sign autographs before and after games. Today Josh Beckett and Curt Schilling spent over 30 minutes signing baseballs, shirts, caps, programs, pictures and anything else that a Sharpie can write on. Kudos to Josh and Curt. There were a lot of happy young children at the park today - and maybe even an adult or two. And no, I didn't even try to get an autograph. I was too busy taking pictures. That's way more fun!

For those blog readers who are baseball fans, you can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the autograph signing. Warning! The non-baseball fan may not fully appreciate all the photos of two people. Enter the slide show at your own risk!

Sanibel Bean Coffee

In our bike ride yesterday we discovered Sanibel Bean Coffee. I had the Sanibel Island Blend Medium Roast. They use the insulated, self-serve pots so you could help yourself. The coffee was good but not outstanding. We enjoyed our coffees on the front porch, basking in the 80 degree weather! You can click on the picture above to see a slide show.

Finding this coffee shop got me to thinking. What would you get if Sanibel Bean Coffee merged with Mr. Bean? I think I know the answer! You'd get Mr. and Mrs. Bean! I think it's time to go!

Pelican, Porpoise and Painted Sunset

Today was a beautiful day. We took a bike ride, walked on the beach, completed session two of the Good $ense DVD, and watched the sunset at the pier. While we were at the pier we watched a pelican show off, dive bombing for fish! I got some awesome photos. You can click here to see the pelican in action.

While we were at the pier we saw two porpoise. The porpoise are a little harder to photograph! I think it's because they're more humble, unlike the pelican! You can click here to see pictures of the porpoise.

We also saw several birds catching fish in shallow water. I'm not sure what kind of birds they are. The one looks like a red heron. Help me out Weir! What are these? You can click here to check out the two birds.

The sunset this evening was awesome! Oranges and golds lavishly painted on the sky and water! What a creative God. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the sunset this evening.

And if you get tired of seeing birds and other animals, you can click here to see a couple pictures of the lighthouse and of Sharon and me. And speaking of tired, I've got to get to bed. We've got another full day planned tomorrow - more walking on the beach, bike riding and a Red Sox game!

It's Going To Be A Great Week

We flew out of Moline today to visit my dad at Sanibell Island. We arrived early enough to have dinner and get to the beach. There's nothing like the sound and smell of the ocean! It's going to be a great week!

We flew to Detroit to get a flight to Ft. Myers. Detroit has the most awesome tunnel that links two of the terminals. And best of all, they have Caribou Coffee shops! You can click on the picture above to see a short slide show.

Periwinkle Park where my dads lives, has wireless internet. Right now I'm sitting in dad's Florida room enjoying a cool evening breeze and a cup of Starbucks Casi Cielo coffee, writing this blog post. We have a full day planned for tomorrow - early breakfast, time in the Word, walking the beach, bike riding, time with my dad, exploring, and more! Whew! I better get a good nights sleep. It's going to be a great week!

Have You Ever

The Linn-Mar Variety Show was held last week. There was a fun mixture between the serious and the humorous, and student and staff. I was so impressed by the talent level of the students and their willingness to put themselves on the line to perform in front of their peers.

The show stopper was the last number, Lean on Me, performed by members of the chorale. It was inspirational! You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of the evening.

David Hoobler and Jon performed Shawn McDonald's, Have You Ever. It's a beautiful song about wanting and longing for more out of life. They dedicated the song to all those who are seeking and questioning the meaning of life. I couldn't have been more proud of these two young men and their longing to share Christ.

I was introduced to Shawn McDonald through Josh and Jon. I absolutely love his heart for the Lord and his music. Here are the lyrics to Have You Ever.

Have you ever wanted to be someone else
Have you ever wanted just to be someone
Have you ever wanted to reach your dreams
Have you ever wanted life to be more than it seems
I have tasted of a love so wide
That it stops all my time
I have tasted of a love so deep
That it blows my mind
Have you ever wanted to reach up and touch the sky
Have you ever wanted to pack it up and say good-bye
Have you ever wanted someone to care
Have you ever wanted someone to be there
He is sweet, He is sweet
What your looking for
Is my sweet, sweet Jesus
What You're looking for
Is my sweet Lord

Manhood Ceremony

Our Men's Fraternity finished up this morning with a special ceremony. Over 80 men completed their Manhood Plan, received a customized Men's Fraternity certificate and name tag, and were "knighted" into manhood. Matt Thede surprised everyone by showing up in a coat of armour to lead the "knighting" ceremony.

You can see a slide show of the ceremony by clicking on the picture above. It is a large slide show so you may want to adjust the speed to two seconds or less in order to get through all of them. Once you finish the first batch it will ask you "if you would like to see more." Click yes and it will take you to the second set.

It was a very meaningful time watching each man come forward, kneeling for the ceremony and then receiving a round of applause. Kudos to Matt Thede, you did an outstanding job facilitating our meetings! You are one special guy! And kudos to the Men's Fraternity leadership team. You guys did an awesome job. Thanks for your servant hearts and willingness to get up early each Wednesday morning!

Now it's time to put into practice what we've learned throughout the year. Men, it's time to work our plans! See you next fall at Men's Fraternity. Bring a friend and join us for a journey into authentic manhood.

I'll Drink To That!

In case you haven't noticed, tomorrow is the first day of spring! Can you say, "Hooray!" And to help us all celebrate, Dunkin' Donuts is offering its first ever, Free Iced Coffee Day. Stop by your favorite Dunkin' Donuts shop and enjoy a free 16 oz. cup of premium iced coffee. If you live in Cedar Rapids, you're out of luck - we don't have a Dunkin' Donuts. Bummer! You can go to the Dunkin' Donuts web site to find a store location nearest you.

Kudos to Dunkin' Donuts for a great way to welcome spring. Tomorrow is supposed to be overcast and rainy, but don't let that stop your from celebrating. Get a good cup of coffee, take a walk, and enjoy the sounds and smells of spring. Winter is officially over and spring is here. I'll drink to that!

Pageflakes

I came across a site called Pageflakes today. It's pretty cool. It allows you to create your own online content and then collaborate or share it with others. It's quite a bit like the MyYahoo that I use for my homepage. You can subscribe to RSS content and add what they call "flakes" or tools that add functionality. I've published one of their "flakes," a cool little tool that allows you to track sports scores and keep up with the latest news.

I'm going to play with Pageflakes for awhile to see how I like it. MyYahoo has also released their new Beta version. I gave it a try at the end of last week but found it to be too sluggish. I'm sure that they will be tweaking it in order to improve its performance.

The future of the web is moving toward content sharing, collaboration, customization and personalization. I look forward to the day New Covenant leaders will have access to the information that they need pushed out to them via the web. A small group leader would be able to report and track their group attendance online, communicate with others leaders and groups, and stay up to date with the latest small group announcements. We hope to do all this and more with Arena Church Management Software.

We are hoping to implement Arena this summer and roll it out into our various ministries. Technology and virtual community can't substitute for face to face interaction and connection. But as a tool it can expedite and facilitate ministry. The future is Web 2.0. Let's use it to leverage the gospel and to make an impact for the kingdom!

24 Hours

We had an equipping staff and spouse retreat this past Friday and Saturday. We set time aside in our schedule twice a year in order to get away and to reconnect. This is a tradition that we started many years ago and have continued on as we have added more staff.

We begin our time by going out to eat on Friday evening. We tried Kaji Japanese Grill and had a great time. You can click on the picture above to see a slide show of our evening. We then go to Camp Io-Dis-E-Ca for an overnight. Late night conversations, snacks and games usually keep us up well past our bed time. We enjoy sleeping in on Saturday morning, breakfast together and then a time of worship and prayer. We hang out until lunch and then enjoy some more leisurely conversation before we have to clean up and head for home.

I can't begin to explain how important these times together are and how much I enjoy them. And I can't believe how fast they roll around. If we didn't schedule them six months in advance they'd never happen. Our schedules would fill up and we would be unable to find a time to get together. It's called, putting the big rocks in first!

So there you have it, a formula for a great retreat - a little food, good conversation, snacks, games, worship and prayer. It's a great way to spend 24 hours!

Women Pay All

Last night was the Women Pay All (WPA) dance. I don't know who thought up WPA, but I think it's a really good idea! Allyson invited Josh and Kelsey invited Jon. You can see a short WPA slide show by clicking on one of the pictures above. You can see all my WPA pictures by going to my flickr account. And a special "thank you" to the Purdy's and Burn's for opening your homes after the dance.