40 Days of Purpose Blog

Why do creationists sound like nut-jobs?

2009-10-18T11:57:00.008-04:00

I'm increasingly attracted to following the young-earth/creationist dogma that is on the web. I guess it's my fascination with witnessing train-wrecks, much like reading Fail Blog or Web Pages That Suck.This one I found on the radio, however, and it was certainly a great chance to hear a creationist sound, well, like a nut-job...At the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Bill Jack, a Christian

Do something scary

2006-05-09T09:15:00.000-04:00

Creating Passionate Users is one of the best blogs out there. Its genre-defying content that purpose-driven folks need to be plugged in. Here is the start of a recent post that can rock your world: "Eleanor Roosevelt said 'Do one thing every day that scares you.'I don't know about the every day thing, but taking risks takes practice, and if we keep doing the same things we already know, in the

Church Marketing Sucks: Gay-Friendly Churches

2005-10-17T15:36:00.000-04:00

Maybe we've all been down this path before, but since there is no final answer, here we go again:Shouldn't gay and lesbians feel most welcomed in the Church? In other words, shouldn't every church be gay-friendly, just like every church should be adulterer-friendly, liar-friendly�in short, sinner-friendly? Me-friendly?Church Marketing Sucks: Gay-Friendly ChurchesOne of my fav replies: "my gut

The problem with technology

2005-10-14T10:54:00.000-04:00

Comments I posted to this blog post: Fools Box: On the "Tech Bus" - Are you a rider or a driver?It is a feedback loop. Technology changes, we use it, then technology is improved based on our use, and so on.Even our use of technology is driven by feedback. Why do I sit and attempt to play a game on my PC instead of practicing my harmonica? Because the PC gives instant feedback to my performance.

What's the purpose of a parade?

2005-07-06T12:53:00.000-04:00

Here's a emotional post from Gerah: She hates a parade: Rednecks and TransvestitesI have had it with "GOD BLESS THE USA!" stuff. Look around, folks. We're all overweight, happy, driving SUV's, living in huge homes, and eating bags of candy at a parade while many, many other people on this planet are starving and don't have cars or homes. If you ask me, God has already blessed us. Stop asking for

Are You Happy?

2004-05-20T14:32:00.000-04:00

Which do you select at the forks in the road, the happiness path or goal-fulfilling path? Two recent blog posts tugged at me from each direction: Worthwhile: What makes you love what you do. Seth's Blog: On thinking big. Seth's post is like a kick in the gut, but one I can withstand. Perhaps the credit-card execs are pulling down the big bucks and having good eats. The CPAs down the hall (

More for church webservants

2004-03-24T08:46:00.000-05:00

If you dig around a little, you will find some support groups for church 'webservants'. The best one probably is at: churchsite-chat. I've never gotten involved in this group, probably because it never made it to my bookmarks. I also enjoy the blog Heal your church website. And if you want to see the best church website go here. And here's an article to fire you up (written by the creator

How can a webmaster support a 40-days campaign?

2004-03-17T09:57:00.000-05:00

Or so one reader recently asked me. Here is my reply: I saw the potential for a discussion group online as part of the 40-days thing. It seemed obvious. As progressive as the leader of our campaign was, he is 'not an email person', so I didn't get any real support from him or others I suggested it to. So I blogged thru the campaign, instead, which I enjoyed...Especially when I get to meet

Dave to the rescue!

2004-02-11T17:41:00.000-05:00

How many times have I passed someone on the side of the road who needs help. Usually I only figure out that I could help after I'm already past. Today, I turned around and went back. I'm glad I did. While taking an uncommon route to work this morning along less-travelled roads, I came across a situation. Snowy road. Dog sitting near the berm. Woman standing in driveway with a blanket. Dog

Article about PDL at blogs4God.com

2003-11-10T12:43:00.000-05:00

For those hitting this page interested in learning more about Purpose Driven Life, check out this article by Mean Dean. He has lots of links to commentaries on the book and program. Dean says of the 40 days program's worth: "it depends". Porpoise Driven Life, or diving through the flaming hoops of PowerPoint Theology Coincidentally, I also got an email from a member of Saddleback Church with

Are you lucky or a fundamentalist?

2003-10-10T13:13:00.000-04:00

I found these two articles in Fast Company. On their own they are interesting, but put together, they help you start understanding your outlook on life. How To Make Your Own Luck "Unlucky people are stuck in routines. When they see something new, they want no part of it. Lucky people always want something new. They're prepared to take risks and relaxed enough to see the opportunities in the

Church website update

2003-10-07T13:02:00.000-04:00

Second meeting of web-team went well. I am putting together a bare-bones site just to get us moving ahead. Very exciting to be fulfilling the Purpose I saw in by 40-days experience.

Why I got the blues

2003-10-01T13:08:00.000-04:00

Dumb title, perhaps, but I wanted to share my latest post about harmonica-blues playing on one of my other blogs. The Blues is a 7-part show on PBS this week. I've chosen to watch to learn about the roots of the music I aspire to play. It reveals a couple emotional facets that seem to relate to this blog about being Purpose Driven. So, please check out this post at Cool Harp Links.

Marketing for churches?

2003-09-02T13:27:00.000-04:00

Often it has been my joke that 'churches don't do marketing', trying to highlight that is their exact problem. At Doycave.com, Doy ponders whether marketing is cheapening the purpose and behavior of the chuch. Wouldn't straight stewardship be better, he states. My posted reply: The church needs a backbone to operate. Marketing helps provide that structure. My church operates more like a

Montgomery: a desecration or a tradition?

2003-08-28T08:53:00.000-04:00

Make no mistake about my opinion about the recent flap about the 10 commandments being displayed in the state courthouse in Montgovery Alabama: I think these people are misguided. Misguided is a polite, and accurate, term, rather than what I want to call them. I just think that it is a lot of effort to protect a symbol, whose removal will have no effect on anyone, except those arguing

A contrast in purposes

2003-08-11T09:41:00.000-04:00

At a get together last week, I listened to two friends of mine disagree about their purpose in life. One had just landed a cushy state-government job and the other had recently started working for a TV-cable contractor. The state-guy was proud of his perks and light work load, but he was also proud of the important job he had looking for progress of tree disease in our area. The job is union

The Bible: True or False?

2003-07-31T10:09:00.000-04:00

A fresh viewpoint on why the Bible doesn't seem consistant...God adjust his message and plan to the situation. To some He says NO, others YES. That doesn't mean that the Bible is false. The Bible: True or False?: "Therefore it's not a problem that God appears to 'change his mind.' Indeed, what would be a problem is a God who tried to impose 'one size fits all solutions' to the complex problems

What do you mean--Write it on the back of your envelopes

2003-07-16T09:52:00.000-04:00

I got this email forwarded to me twice at work: WRITE IT ON THE BACK OF YOUR ENVELOPES You may have heard in the news that a couple of Post Offices in Texas have been forced to take down small posters that say"IN GOD WE TRUST." The law, they say, is being violated. It is something silly about electioneering posters (is God running for office)? Anyway, I heard proposed on a radio station

Figurative Juggling

2003-07-15T13:26:00.000-04:00

This article on Figurative Juggling describes the harried life that Rick Warren tries to get us to leave behind. Figurative juggling is the spiritual opposite of the real thing. It's the burden of inescapable, unending chores, errands, and obligations, a drain rather than a suffusion of energy. The author suggests five strategies to help: Outsourcing Bundling Technology Alternating Simplifying

A calling

2003-07-09T23:04:00.000-04:00

I wanted to say here that I have been asked to help with middle school CE again, for next year. I was off for a year as we had switched to confirmation class as the curriculum. Next year the proponderance of boys requires an additional hand, so the youth pastor has asked me to help. The challenge for me will be that I won't be in charge. But it will be fun to serve the kids and learn more (

I told my story

2003-06-17T12:59:00.000-04:00

There were just three of us who shared our '40 days' reaction/testimony. And no sermon. I could have planned to speak more or have been more emphatic. But I hope my sharing of my thoughts from this blog were useful 'review', plus I wanted my metaphors to be more memorable as summaries of the book. I closed by sharing two things I've written about here, but in my own words. 1. The development

Presenting tomorrow

2003-06-14T23:48:00.000-04:00

I know I never summarized last weeks service. I lost my sermon notes, and I can't think of anything insightful to say about mission/evangalism. I will say that I am becoming more concious of others faith and needs around me. I will be using excerpts from this blog to share my story tomorrow in church. Lets see if I can sound purpose driven. I fret over sharing my Jonah revelation with the

Harry Potter

2003-06-14T00:52:00.000-04:00

Following is what I wrote as a comment to a Christian blog post about Harry Potter: Personally, I enjoy finding the metaphors about faith in movies and books. I tried using an event in a Harry Potter book as a way to explain being faithful in 3rd grade Sunday School (I was subbing). The one boy in the class who isn't allowed to read/watch HP, asked to change the subject. The lack of

I get to tell

2003-06-09T13:18:00.000-04:00

I'll sum up last Sunday in a post later. I just wanted to blog that my small group nominated me to share my 40 Days experience next week at church. At the time, I wasn't sure what I would share, but now I do. I'm going to be 'purpose driven', sharing about the new 'web ministry' I've just started. I have to be careful not to be whiner like Jonah! I'm geeked, really.

I finished the book!

2003-06-07T22:31:00.000-04:00

And didn't even have a night where I had to read more than one chapter. I'll give my full summary tomorrow, after we wrap-up at church, but want to review what I've learned or thought this week, since I didn't do any posts here. This week primarily focused on purpose #5--mission, which is the drag of christianity to me. In my sales job, I am used to selling to people who are interested in my