Recent Places of Interest

The internet is a fascinating phenomenon : "web" is the correct metaphor : non-linear network of loosely connected ideas joined by pretty colorful underlined links : magic portals from one world to another to another... Some new mousetraps that have caught my attention recently:

http://www.librarything.com/
Enter what you're reading or your whole library—it's an easy, library-quality catalog. Because everyone else is doing it too, LibraryThing connects you with people who read the same things, and gives you great recommendations. Check out the buzz.

What's good?

• Rapidly searches Amazon, the Library of Congress and 45 other world libraries.
• Show it or keep it private. Show your books on your blog too.
• Get recommendations. Connect to people with all your obscure stuff.
• Tag your books as on Del.icio.us and Flickr (eg., wwii, magical realism, vampires, theology, dogs, philosophy of science).
• Export your data. Import from almost anywhere too.
• Enter 200 books for free, as many as you like for $10 (year) or $25 (life).

http://www.yourmusic.com/



http://imagineerebirth.blogspot.com/
A forum for Pixar and Disney professionals passionate about the Disney Theme Parks to catalog past Imagineering missteps and offer tenable practical solutions in hopes that a new wave of creative management at Imagineering can restore some of the wonder and magic that's been missing from the parks for decades.

Mother's Day Sermon

If you missed the Mother's Day sermon at PUMP, then you can watch it below. I was not able to be in church on Sunday so I made this video to preach in my place. I thought you might like to see it.

Theological Economics: God's work v. Our work

God's Work
God made the world. He made everything visible and invisible with His words. Nothing that continues to be in existence does so without God saying so. Every material object in existence: from the diversity of the constellations to the weather outside your window; all made and maintained by God's word.

Go and look at yourself in a mirror. Your person is made and maintained by God. When you woke up this morning and lifted your head from the pillow it was by God saying you could. If your body had the strength to get you out of bed it is because God assigned you that power. Your messed up hair or a lack of hair all together; by God's word. In fact there is nothing about your person that was not predetermined and is not perpetuated by God.

Our Work
God has in His great generosity offered us two very limited but powerful gifts:

1. Our choices. Generally speaking (there are exceptions that prove this rule) God has put an intention in us that allows us to make decisions for ourselves. We do not have control over anyone else or even complete control over ourselves for that matter. (For instance, who wouldn't by their own decision rid themselves of cancer or AIDS, if by simply deciding so they could.) However, God has given us a limited amount of dominion over our persons.

2. Today. Let's avoid the cliché as much as possible. It is the middle of the morning where I live. Barring cataclysmic interruptions such as the return of Jesus, a nuclear war, a major car collision, or an undetected and devastating terminal illness, I have approximately 12 hours of conscious animation before I lay down to sleep again.

The Good News
As I see it God has offered you and me a fair and ostensibly manageable share in His work as long as we persistently adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Stay out of God's way. Don't get God's work and my work mixed up.

2. Get in God's way. Invite God to show me how He would handle my stuff.

The clock is ticking and good luck!

Malachi