Orange in a glass, originally uploaded by Andrew _ B.

I’m behind. But I’ll catch up to the crowd today. First of all visit Kenny Conley’s site to find the recap of a ton of bloggers: Dan Scott, Matt Mckee, Kendra Golden, Jonathan Cliff, Sam Luce, Gina McClain, and last but certainly not least, my left coast man Anthony Prince, all  giving their insights into the Orange Philosophy. All week long.

I will be bringing a bit of a different spin as Brookwood Church is in the middle of a transition to a Family Ministry. So as I’m posting about each element, I want to give you the benefits of the change and the struggles you might certainly face.

I will try to be as forthright about our struggles as I possibly can thus far, and hope to give you some encouragement if your environment is planning to make the switch as well.

So I believe everyone has heard about the earthquake in Haiti. Some estimates are saying between 50k-100k people have passed and up to 1,000,000 could be homeless. So here’s a chance to get involved. This link will take you to a site where you can get this shirt to help you raise awareness and donate $5.

The shirt is normally $15 but Doubletake Clothing has setup easy entry process to donate an extra $5 to the people in Haiti.

• That’s a meal
• 5 candy bars
• 12 pack of Diet Pepsi’s
• 2 cups of coffee at Sbux

Please take the time to donate to the cause and wear the shirt to raise awareness!

You don’t need to outdo the competition. It’s expensive and defensive. Underdo your competition. We need more simplicity and clarity.

-Jason Fried

Welcome to NBA JAM!, originally uploaded by mYke ciRcle.

I just gotta say, this is really awesome. I can’t wait. EA or Electronic Arts, a video game company, announced that later this year NBA Jam is making a comeback on the Wii this year. I will be in line when it comes out to add to my Wii library.

You can view the rest of the story here.

Are you looking forward to NBA Jam? What’s your favorite saying from the game?

used-car-salesman, originally uploaded by mrkittycatguy.

I think sometimes we get this whole long term planning thing screwed up. Actually when I say we, I really mean me. I try and make plans based on things that I would love to happen. But honestly, I don’t know if they would ever occur just trying to do the best that I can.

So this week my car finally bit the dust. Funny thing it had the exact thing happen to it that happened to my wife’s car about 6-7 months ago. So now we are looking at buying a car. Wasn’t really in my planning breakdown. We were saving up for a home. But that get’s put on the backburner for now.

And guess what. We’ve saved and we’ll be able to buy an ok car with cash and cash only. And while that’s super cool that God has allowed us to be able to do that. We still need the car to not be a lemon.

As much as we research:

Carfax
Bluebook
TMV
Consumer Reports
My degree in Marketing
Negotiation Classes and Training (for the game of course)

This issue still remains an issue of hope. Hope that this car lasts us and doesn’t totally die when we drive it off the lot. Hope that it lasts us for awhile, like more than 1 year. And there’s nothing that we can do about it. Sometimes I really forget what knowing God is really about and that’s just straight up trust. No strings, circumstances, or comfort holding me there, just dangling in the middle of my life trusting that God is taking care of me.

It’s tough and I’m glad that this little experience again helps me to realize that trust is where it’s at and planning is waaaayyyy behind.

Oh and I could give you some tips on buying a used car if you like. Like seriously.

Why be someone else?, originally uploaded by Will Foster Photography.

“Dare to be yourself.”

-Andre Gide

Computer Technology Fortune, originally uploaded by deanj.

Well I’m going to give you my number one tech tool of the last year. Technology is defined as this:

the branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of technical means and their interrelation with life, society, and the environment, drawing upon such subjects as industrial arts, engineering, applied science, and pure science.

Well I guess I’ll have to give you two.

1) Pilot G2 pens. They are the greatest. I really don’t know what I would write with if I didn’t have them. Greatest pen when considering value/price. Hands down used it throughout the year and just an incredible joy to have throughout the day.

and if that didn’t count for you as a tech device then I’ll give you numero two and then my predictions for 2010.

2)Google Reader-I know it’s older, I know it’s not the iPhone, but I use it more than any other piece of technology except for my actual computer and I mean come on, that would just be a cheap answer if I said Macbook Pro.

2010 predictions:

Kindle-the ability to organize your highlights and annotations with it automatically referencing location in the book has already done wonders for my brain. The money I’ll save on books will be worth it as well. Thinking it’s gonna help me a ton!!!

Google Wave-I really think the collaboration aspect of Google Wave is going to be well worth the time to read through the threads. If you don’t know what Google Wave is then check this out and if you’d like an invite then let me know in the comment section below.

But what about you? What device/technology would you be up a creek without? What do you think the most important piece of technology will be for you in 2010?

antique bible 2, originally uploaded by Shannta.

I hope that you had an incredible new year. 2010 is going to be incredible for sure and to get you started on the right foot, I’d like to point you to a resource from Lifechurch.

Lifechurch.tv started a site called youversion.com for this reason:

YouVersion represents a new frontier in LifeChurch.tv’s efforts. We aren’t just building a tool to impact the world using innovative technology, more importantly, we are engaging people into relationships with God as they discover the relevance the Bible has for their lives.

And they have a new resource on their site for those that want to soak in some more of God’s word. They have a list of Reading Plans that vary by length of time and content and are a great place to start 2010!

Check them out and let them know exactly how much you appreciate by being engaged more in God’s word than ever before.

If you haven’t seen this video you need to check it out. At your desk right now, you’ve got a chance to worship with the God of second chances. Don’t miss an opportunity like this.

Authentic, real, worship.

to check out this story from @loswhit himself, click here

Primal, great book. It’s about getting back to the core of Christianity. And it does that. It’s challenging, stretching, and it pushes you to action. I’m definitely a fan of the way Mark Batterson deals with these two issues specifically: Scripture and Worship. I love how he challenges us to get back to the basics of Scripture and pushes you to redefine worship in your own life.

Plus there is the way in which Batterson writes his books. The way that he uses science, art, travel, philosophy, and religion to illustrate the complexity of God’s creation and dare I say “wonderment” of God. He pushes you to think. It’s frightening how many things, most see as mundane, Batterson can totally reform to illustrate the complexity and awe inspiring glory of God.

Here’s a quote that I would love to share with you that gives you a glimpse of the goodness that is Primal:

“For the record, there are approximately two thousand thunderstorms somewhere on planet Earth at any given time. And there are approximately one hundred lightning strikes per second, or 8.64 million lightning strikes per day! That is a lot of standing ovations. But according to the psalmist, the angels shout, “Encore!” after each one.

When was the last time you cried or clapped for the Creator? When was the last time you gave Him a standing ovation? When was the last time you thanked God for a baby’s smile or a child’s laugh or a spouse’s touch? When was the last time you were so awed by the night sky or autumn leaves or snowcapped mountains or ocean waves that you worshiped the Creator in wide-eyed wonder like a little child?”

If you are trying to get back to that place where you felt most primitive, and yet alive in your relationship with God, then Primal is the book for you. Hats off to Batterson for another challenging and inspiring read.

If you want to purchase Primal click here

This book was provided for review by WaterBrook Multnomah.