Ministry Fair Video

Here's a short little video that I put together for our ministry fair this weekend. I just thought I'd share.

Jim

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZI-da5c9jM

Back to normal... sort of??

I'm back in the office today. And man, does it feel good!

I've been out a lot lately and not that I"m just an office jockey. But when I'm not here on a regular schedule I feel out of sorts. Last week, I had to handle some things in the church because our Senior Pastor was out of town. They were good... but time consuming and challenging. I have been working a paper for my worship class at Lincoln and was planning to work on it last week... but it got bumped because of the church business...

So, Monday I spent most of my day working on that. So... things have been hectic. But it's back to normal today... at least, as far as normal goes...

Jim

Apple iPod touch Ad: Touch

This commercial is great. A friend has one and loves it. Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkUqqA23XNQ

Jim

Paper is done!!!

Whew...!!!

My 12 page research paper for "Biblical Worship for Today" in completed. Awesomeness!!!




Jim

Go Buckeyes!!!

I just got done watching my Ohio State Buckeyes roll the Penn State Nittany Lions...

It was a great game... for the Buckeyes... hehe... 37-17 (but it wasn't really that close... the Lions got a cheap last minute kick off return).

#1!!!!

And staying #1!!!

Jim

Google Searches Leading HERE...

I'm always amazed at what combinations of "Google Searches" lead people to my humble blog...

Here are some of the most recent:
-guitar hero 3 aspyr
-starbucks iphone
-starbucks song of the day
-guitar hero 3 mac
-how do I get iTunes on my iPhone
-starbucks "song of the day"
-24 season 7 commercial
- "Tunak Tunak Tun translation"
-iphone diet
-man vs wild fake
-spiderman recap
-guitar hero 3 for macintosh
-youth ministry iphone
-michigan stinks
-starbucks song of the day playlist
-man vs wild dvd

Interesting...
Looking at those who have googled and arrived at my blog, I listen to a lot of music, play a lot of video games, watch plenty of Discovery channel and hang out a lot at Starbucks...

Maybe it's more accurate than I thought...

;)

Jim

My cat Spot watching Meerkat Manor again...

My cat Spot caught up on her Meerkat Manor this weekend...

Meerkat Manor (Friday nights on Animal Planet at 7:30 pm) has made it into our weekly TV shows to watch...

Spot seems to approve.

Jim

Car Rally pics from last weekend...

Last weekend we had a great student ministry event that we have done the last couple of falls called the "Car Rally."

Basically, we put middle and high school students together in teams and then match them up with an adult driver and send them out with a digital camera to answer questions, collect clues and take pictures in a huge scavenger hunt.

It really is a lot of fun. This year's winners for Middle School were Sarah Ray and Sarah Pierson. The High School winners were Nate Nasralla, Will Deuerling and Brooke O'Neal.



The picture above is Mary looking awesome on that Harley...


Here, Kayla, Rebekah and Shelby are moving on to another site and having a blast...







Here are the Middle School winners... Sarah and Sarah... looking buff!!!













Here's our last middle school team pumping some iron... and Lucas is showing it off while Will gets ready to work out.











Here's one of our high school teams... Bailey, Natalie, Clayton and Paige are fighting it out in the parking lot of our old church building in Batavia.










Here is the winning high school team... Will, Nate and Brooke...

Congrats!!!


It was a great event. We had about 25 students participating and had some great adult drivers. Thanks Jeff, Craig, Becky, Andi, Betsy, Carolyn, Mark, and Gary. It was a great event. And especially thank to Sandy and Ann who put it together. It was truly great!!!

Jim

Transformers DVD... interesting 'warning'

So...

The other day, I picked up my copy of the Transformers on DVD... which I just finished 'ripping' for my iPod and iPhone.

As I was putting the DVD back in its case, I noticed this contest to win a 2008 Chevy Camaro like the one featured in the movie. So, I thought... why not?

As I was looking over the flier and entering, I noticed this 'warning' in the lower left corner of the flier:
"Cybertron law forbids these vehicles to be equipped with Energon-powered alien technology of any sort. These Camaros will not transform into 18-ft-tall Autobots. If they did, they would not do so in your presence. (It goes against the whole 'robots in disguise' directive thing they do.)"

I just made me chuckle...

Jim

24 Season 7 Trailer Looks AWESOME!!!!

Sorry... low blogging turn-out

Hey all...

Sorry that I haven't been blogging as much lately. It's not that I hate you... It's that I'm working on a big paper for school. Once that is done, I'll be back to my normal blogging patterns.

More blogging beginning next Tuesday afternoon. I promise.


Jim

Cat enjoying some TV

Yesterday I snapped this picture as my cat, Spot, was watching Meerkat Manor on Animal Planet. She seemed fairly interested!!!

She loves her TV.

Jim

Apple iPhone Ad: Ken - My Show

These Apple Ads are great!!

Check out the website here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng8Vyg8vlKY

Jim

Webapps Rock!!!

I just want to go back and say this again...

"These webapps for iPhone ROCK!!!! And rock hard!!!!!"

Apple has released a ton of Webapps for iPhone and iTouch users. The set up is formatted perfectly for iPhones/Touches and they are great. And they are adding more all the time. To check them out, grab your iPhone or iTouch and head HERE.

You won't be disappointed.

Jim

Mac OS X Leopard...

Apple has officially releasing the date for Mac OS X Leopard...

I can't wait. Everyone has said how incredible it's going to be. It should be awesome.

Jim

Pizza with a GREAT friend...

Last night, Jackie and I stopped by and had pizza and conversation with a GREAT friend... Chris Genders. Chris was the executive/teaching minister here at Fox Valley for the 2 1/2 years that I have been on staff here at FVCC. About 6 weeks ago, Chris relocated to Metamora (outside of Peoria) IL.

It was great to sit down... talk a little face to face (we've talked over the phone... but it just isn't the same)... catch up on life... and the pizza was pretty good too!!!

Jim

New iPhone TV Ad / Stephano

#3 of the new commercials...

Sweet!!

Jim

~Apple iPhone - Elliot Meredith. Commercial

The mobile web is awesome... I use it all the time!!!

Jim

~Apple iPhone - Doug Mankind. Commercial

Visual voicemail rocks!!!

Jim

iPhone webapps!!!

Wow!!!

If you've got an iPhone or an iTouch, you are going to want to check these out. Apple just released a ton of web apps for iPhones and iTouches. Click HERE to check them out.

I bookmarked several!!!


Jim

I'm still here...

I just realized that it's been a couple of days since I last blogged.

No... I haven't forgotten about you... nor do I hate you. It's just been a busy couple of days...

Hopefully over the next couple of days I'll get a chance to catch up on my blogging.

Jim

Friday Night Football

Jackie and I took in a little Friday night football on Friday night. We went to West Aurora High School's homecoming game against Naperville North.

I'm sorry to say that for West, it wasn't much of a homecoming. (They lost 37-0.) But the band was good!! And that's why we went.

Way to go West Band!!!

Jim

Weekend Outline

This weekend, for High Voltage, music returned to the line up. It was scheduled for Live Wire (Middle School) as well, but a schedule conflict came up.

We're hoping that this marks the return of regular music to the High Voltage and Live Wire line ups.

This is a quick picture I grabbed from the back of the room as it was getting started with my iPhone. Doesn't it take good pictures for a phone?

Here's the weekend outline:
Week 2: Better Together
Live Wire/High Voltage – Jim Clark – 10/7/07
What is 40 Days of Community?
“Community”… a reference to deep relationships
“Relationships”… you are better together

What are we doing during this series? We’re going to…
∑ Teach it Everyone
∑ Talk about it Small groups
∑ Live it out YOU (in community)

Why care/why listen?
Because solitude stinks
∑ Happiness isn’t shared
∑ Sadness is magnified
∑ Experience life through a filter
Again I saw something meaningless under the sun: There was a man all alone; he had neither son nor brother. Eccl 4:7-8

What are my relationship options?
∑ Don’t care superficial community
∑ Buy in artificial community
∑ Give up unofficial community
∑ Get it together genuine community
Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Philippians 2:2

What is genuine community?
A group of people who are characterized by faith in Jesus
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. 1 John 1:7
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. John 13:35

What can I do to be part of this action?
∑ Identify the relational option you’ve chosen
Don’t care--Buy in--Give up--Get it together

∑ Pursue Biblical community
*Attend the weekend services
*Read the daily devotional
*Memorize the 6 Bible verses

∑ Practice genuine community
*Get in a small group
*Participate in our community food drive

The Bottom Line: Don’t settle for the superficial, artificial, or unofficial when God has created opportunities for you to be known and experience genuine community.

-------------------
Discussion Questions:
1. Which of the relationship options do you find yourself doing most? (Don't care... Buying in... Giving Up... Getting it Together)
2. What is the hardest for you about developing genuine relationships? Why?
3. What specific steps do you need to take to build more intentional and genuine relationships?

-------------------

Overall, it was a good weekend. Attendance was up, despite a lot of people being out of town. So, overall, it was good.

Jim

Cubs... Oops...

Maybe next year...



That's what being a Cubs fan is all about right?



Jim

Keeping the faith... Go Cubs!!!

I'm keeping the faith...

I'm hoping that since the Cubbies are back in town for 2 games vs. the D-Backs at Wrigley... with the home fans and Chicago behind them...

They're going to win tonight!!!

5 pm...

Go Cubs!!!

Jim

Starbucks Song of The Day

Well... I've pretty much been on a Starbucks run everyday this week picking up Song of the Day coupons. They are pretty awesome. If you buy a drink and pick up one, it will get you a free music download.

Tonight, I walked into Starbucks and picked up Keith Urban's "I Told You So" off his newest album. It's on the radio currently!!!

Score!!!

Jim

Paintball Tank!!!

I'm not into the whole paint ball thing. There's just something about shooting a projectile at someone at another human being that I have a little weird feeling about it. (I'm not saying it's wrong... I'm just saying I'm not into it.)

But if I could get one of these "Paintball Tanks" I think I could get into it. (Christmas alert!!! Jeff O'Neal!!!! Christmas alert!!! )

Click HERE to check out the full story!!!
Here's a snipet:
"That's because a mini-arms race may be about to break out after the introduction of the first paintball tank.

The Paintball Panzer is armed with a 60cm (24in) gun that can pepper opposition players with 15 paintballs a second."

Sounds like fun...
Jim

Shuffle Up and Deal

I realized this morning that I haven't done a Shuffle Up and Deal in a while. So, I thought I would:

Rules: Turn shuffle "on" on your MP3 player than then hit play... and list the songs in order that they come up without skipping to a "cooler" song.

Here's mine... (and I was really tempted to hit skip... but I didn't)
1. "Piano Trio No. 4 in B flat Major, Op. 11" by Beethoven off the "Chill with Beethoven" album
2. "My Generation" by Starfield off the "Simply Great Music" album
3. "The Only One" by Caedmon's Call off the "Wow 2001 - Blue Disk"
4. "Have You Ever" by Shawn McDonald off the "Live In Seattle" album
5. "Down Once More/Track Down This Murderer" by Andrew Lloyd Webber off the "Phantom of the Opera" movie soundtrack


Also...
As a freebie... My last iTunes Store purchase was 3 songs purchased from my iPhone:
1. "Take Me There" by Rascal Flatts off the new "Still Feels Good" album
2. "Amazing Grace (My Chains Are Gone)" by Chris Tomlin off the "Amazing Grace Movie soundtrack"
3. "Rock of Ages" by David Crowder Band off the "Amazing Grace Movie Soundtrack"

There are some good tunes for listening!!!

Jim

Good Article on Myspace

One of my Cali friends, Josh Griffin, wrote a great article on Myspace/Facebook/online community sites. You can check it out HERE. Here's a brief snipet:

"The simple fact is that, like it or not, your students are online. They are going to be gathering where their friends are. They will log into MySpace, Facebook or AOL (and whatever’s next) before most of you have had your morning coffee. With that in mind, how can you help students navigate the world of online social networking?

Here are the three commitments I ask students to make when I teach when speaking with them about the time they spend online:
1. I will stranger-protect my MySpace profile.
2. I will limit the use of personal information online.
3. I will open myself up to my parents and accountability."

Good article Josh!!!

Jim

Guitar Hero III - Legends of Rock playlist...

I stumbled on THIS website today that had a listing of the GHIII songs that are confirmed. Looks like a pretty cool list.







The new tracks are:

1. Same Old Song and Dance (by Aerosmith)
   
2. Helicopter (by Bloc Party)
   
3. Stricken (by Disturbed)
   
4. Monsters (by Matchbook Romance)
   
5. Before I Forget (by Slipknot)
   
6. Kool Thing (by Sonic Youth)
   
7. When You Were Young (by The Killers)
   
8. Devil Went Down to Georgia (as made famous by Charlie Daniels Band)
   
9. Sunshine of Your Love (as made famous by Cream)
   
10. Holiday in Cambodia (as made famous by Dead Kennedys)
    
11. Cliffs of Dover (as made famous by Eric Johnson)
    
12. Hit Me with Your Best Shot (as made famous by Pat Benetar)
    
13. Black Magic Woman (as made famous by Santana)
    
14. Story of My Life (as made famous by Social Distortion)
    
15. Pride and Joy (as made famous by Stevie Ray Vaughn)
    
16. The Seeker (as made famous by The Who)
    
17. Black Sunshine (as made famous by White Zombie)"

Looks pretty cool that a little "Charlie Daniels Band" made the list. That will be a fun one!!!

Jim

Go Cubs Go lyrics

I thought I would go ahead and throw out the lyrics for "Go Cubs Go" so that everyone can get ready for tonight... I have mentally been singing this song all day...

Hopefully (if Big Z pulls one out tonight) I'll be singing it around midnight tonight!!!

The lyrics can be found HERE:
" Baseball season's underway
Well you better get ready for a brand new day.

Hey, Chicago, what do you say
The Cubs are gonna win today.

They're singing ...
Go, Cubs, go
Go, Cubs, go

Hey, Chicago, what do you say
The Cubs are gonna win today.

Go, Cubs, go
Go, Cubs, go

Hey, Chicago, what do you say
The Cubs are gonna win today.

They got the power, they got the speed
To be the best in the National League
Well this is the year and Cubs are real
So come on down to Wrigley Field

We're singing now ...

Go, Cubs, go
Go, Cubs, go
Hey, Chicago, what do you say
The Cubs are gonna win today.

Go, Cubs, go
Go, Cubs, go
Hey, Chicago, what do you say
The Cubs are gonna win today.

Baseball time is here again
You can catch it all on WGN
So stamp you feet and clap your hands
Chicago Cubs got the greatest fans.

You're singing now ...

Go, Cubs, go
Go, Cubs, go
Hey, Chicago, what do you say
The Cubs are gonna win today.

Go, Cubs, go
Go, Cubs, go
Hey, Chicago, what do you say
The Cubs are gonna win today."

Jim

Go Cubs Go!!!

Tonight... 9:05 CT... is the first pitch of the NLDS in Arizona. I'm hoping and will be watching for the Cubs to put a hurtin' on the D-Backs!!!


Go Cubs Go!!!!

Jim

iTunes at Starbucks!!!

Yesterday was the day for the roll-out of the the Exclusive Starbucks store on iTunes when in a Starbucks. I can hardly wait until March when it hits the Chicago market. It makes me almost want to hop on a plane and fly out... just kidding... but kinda...

Here's a clip of a story found HERE complete with pics!!!
" As promised Apple and Starbucks started their rollout of the Starbucks WiFi Music Store in select cities. Gear Live is lucky enough to be in Seattle, the first city to get the special version of the iTunes Music Store in our Starbucks. The service allows laptops, iPhones, and the iPod Touch users to connect for free to the iTunes store while sipping lattes without having to pay for for a T-Mobile Hotspot account. Click through for our full impressions on Apple’s new partnership with the coffee mega-store Starbucks."

Very cool... very cool...

Jim

iTunes on my iPhone!!!

Monday iTunes downloaded a new firmware update for my iPhone.

This was pretty exciting because this was the first time that this had happened since I bought my phone about two months ago. It took a while to download... but it gave me two totally excellent things.

First, they changed a couple of the icons. Now, that might seem like a little thing. But just the fact that they could change that means that the iPhone will continue to change and adapt as new ideas come out. Very cool... unlike most phones where you're stuck with what you're stuck with when you buy it.

Second... along that same idea... they finally have iTunes available on the iPhone. Now, from my phone I can purchase music (I bought a couple of songs yesterday and today trying it out) directly on my phone and it syncs back automatically to my iTunes on my computer when I plug it in. Very cool.
**Two potential downsides which I hope they rectify in the future. 1. You can only use the iTunes store from a location where you have access to a Wifi signal. No Wifi... no iTunes. That's a pretty big bummer because you don't always have Wifi... Plus, the whole idea, from what I understand, is that you can download music on-the-go because "music happens." Well... not if you don't have Wifi... Maybe the "Edge" network from AT&T can't handle it... yet. Maybe they will get it going soon.
#2. There isn't any access to podcasts. My thought was... "Hey, I can download my podcasts directly onto my phone without having to waste the space on my computer in iTunes." At this point... no such luck... unless I haven't found the location yet.

But hopefully Apple will fix these two little oversights and give us faithful iPhone users complete access to iTunes. We'll see.

As for now... Maybe I'll go download a song or two...

Jim

I hate mornings...

I really hate mornings...

Not necessarily because I don't like mornings... but because I like sleeping more.

This morning was another early morning... 4 am up... 5 am out the door to class. And for the most part, this stinks. But this morning, as least as I drove down I-55 I had the opportunity to enjoy this sunrise.







It makes it a little bit better.



Jim