They’re also having a special limited-time sale on their Mac and PC base packages and upgrades. Check it out!

I created a countdown, to let folks know when the service would begin:

I did a Title “loop” (not true looping) to run during the service:

And, I made a blank “loop” to run behind song lyrics, etc.:

If I think about it, I’ll try and post some more later.

Ed Stetzer – A LifeWay Research blog on theology, missiology, missional church, church planting, church revlitalization, and innovation.

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Chef Gordan Ramsay is going to have a live cook along on December 15th, 9pm Eastern. He provides a list of the ingredients you’ll need to cook along, and promises that you’ll be able to have some great dishes ready at the end of the hour.  Pretty cool.  Except, of course, for the fact that the food will be ready at 10pm Eastern.  I usually eat dinner earlier than that!    You can check it out on http://www.fox.com/cookalong .

Have you ever deep fried your turkey?  (Try to move past how awkward that question sounds.)  How was it?  Worth the hassel?  Any pointers?  And, if you’ve been inspired to try it this year, let me know how it turns out!

Outlook determines outcome, and attitude determines action. God tells us to expect trials. It is not “if you fall into various testings” but “when you fall into various testings.” The believer who expects his Christian life to be easy is in for a shock. Jesus warned His Disciples, “In the world ye shall have tribulation” (John 16:33). Paul told his converts that “we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).

Because we are God’s “scattered people” and not God’s “sheltered people,” we must experience trials. We cannot always expect everything to go our way. Some trials come simply because we are human–sickness, accidents, disappointments, even seeming tragedies. Other trials come because we are Christians. Peter emphasized this in his first letter: “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you” (1 Peter 4:12). Satan fights us, the world opposes us, and this makes for a life of battle.

The phrase “fall into” does not suggest a stupid accident. Translate it “encounter, come across.” A Christian certainly should not manufacture trials. The Greek word translated “divers” means “various, varicolored.” Peter used the same word in 1 Peter 1:6–”Ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations.” The trials of life are not all alike; they are like variegated yarn that the weaver uses to make a beautiful rug. God arranges and mixes the colors and experiences of life. The final product is a beautiful thing for His glory.

It’s not often that we think of times of trouble, or tribulation, as a beautiful thing. But, here, we see Wiersbe showing just how the “stuff” that we might be going through can be thought of as a beautiful thing, indeed. A time of growing, and testing. A time that God is using to perhaps prepare us for the future. A time that you may be able to use as an illustration as you minister to some one in the future. A time that will produce a “beautiful thing for His glory.” Not an easy lesson for us to learn, but one that we need to understand, nonetheless.

I think what I’d like to do is to is to use this blog for, well, random stuff. Could be some posts on leadership. Could be some posts on cool electronic gadgets being released. Could be some posts on what the family is up to around here. Could be just about anything! And, maybe we’ll even have some guest bloggers along the way!

I think I may even update the appearance of this bad boy, while I’m at it! The summer is coming to an end; so, as the seasons change, so shall the blog! Thanks for stopping by, and we’ll chat again, soon!