Called By A Geek

Well, today was a bit of mixed emotions for me. I got my computer back for the shop and it seems to be running just fine. I was so thrilled when I received the phone call and the voice on the other end said:

"Hello My Name is "Joe" and I am calling from the Geek Squad to tell you your computer is ready to be picked up."

In my disbelief, my response was: "I will be there in 10 minutes". I walked out the door with a smile on my face that curled passed my ears.

But I have to admit that the passed couple of weeks have been very awkward for me. I have really wrestled with knowing whether I am dependent on my computer for work or personal reasons.

I discovered myself, many times reaching for my laptop just to check my e-mail for the 'umpteenth' time and having a withdrawal feeling. But there have also been a number of real needs for my computer. I have not been connected to my military e-mail, which is a requirement, and I have found myself looking for ways to complete youth and music related work for the church as well.

I am sending out a big Thank you to all those whose computers I borrowed: Pastor Paul, Gen Ennis, Dawn Edgar, and the gal down at the "Wired and Wireless" coffee shop downtown who allowed me to use one of their computers to finish my PowerPoint for Sunday morning worship.

I couldn't have done it without you all.

There was once a day back in the 80's when I laughed under my breath at those people who just had to have their vintage car phones -You remember the ones: those five pound phones that plugged into their cigarette lighters in the car and were toted around in those bulky moto-bag just in case you wanted to walk around and talk.

I recall those technology geeks in my high school who bragged about knowing how to read FORTRAN and talked about gigabytes and nano-technology as if it was the future.

My biggest technological achievement in those days was to watch and episode of Star Trek. Those Di lithium Crystals amazed me as they caused the Enterprise to shoot across the Universe at warp speed.

I suppose we have worked ourselves into a technological corner. We have created a need for ourselves. When we arrive at church on Sunday mornings we have come very accustomed to the PowerPoint words on the screen and the sound and mics and videos shown on the 72 inch screen at the front of the sanctuary.

By the way, my computer had the DVD Drive and the entire keyboard replaced as well. It is working smooth and the best part of everything is that the computer is under a three year full replacement warranty. So the work was free.

Way Cool!

Several of our students made it into the Mountain Home News newspaper today: Check out the following article:

I gave you a direct link below, however, I have copied the text and the picture for your convenience: :)~ It is tough to see much detail of the boys, but they are there.

Pictured are Levi Metcalf, Cade Summers, Braydon Metcalf, Jameson Brown, and Jacob Ibarra. They're all scattered throughout the picture.

http://www.mountainhomenews.com/story/1442279/photo/1158219.html





Christian kids help clean up city
Thursday, July 3, 2008

Members of Commission, a church camp, helped clean up some out-of-code property
In the middle of a hot summer day about a dozen teenagers, wearing matching T-shirts, spent the day doing yard work for someone they've never met before.
"We're not in trouble, we're doing this on our own," one of them called out.
The group was one of five teams from Commission, a week-long, nondenominational church camp for junior high and high school students that focuses on community service.
"Students come together and realize they don't have to be adults to serve," camp director Crystal Gunderson said. "So often teenagers are focused on themselves, this is a week for them to focus on others."
The camp's 50 students from Idaho, Oregon and Colorado, along with 11 counselors and 20 staff members from Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Texas, are broken into five teams.
One team put together backyard Bible study groups, another spent the week painting and making repairs to a house, another put on puppet shows, skits and plays at the Senior Citizen Center and local parks. Another group took pictures and videotaped the other groups in action for slide shows, presentations and memories.
The fifth group, the element team, spent Wednesday helping a Mountain Home resident with yard work. Her yard was in violation of several city codes and Kelly Janis, the city of Mountain Home code enforcement officer, paired the team up with the house owner as part of her program to help citizens who are physically and financially unable to comply with city codes. They spent the rest of the week doing work of the same nature at various locations throughout town.
Students camped at the Bruneau Sand Dunes and spent time in worship sessions and Bible studies based out of the First Baptist Church.
Gunderson started the camp in 2000 because she had attended a similar camp in California for two years while in high school and said she wanted kids in this area to be a part of something they might not have otherwise been able to afford.
She said the camp's focus on community service sets it apart from most church camps that focus solely on having fun.
"Some kids at the beginning of the week complain their parents sent them to a forced labor camp but most realize there's something unique about giving back to the community," Gunderson said.
Kevin Osborne, 15, has attended the camp for the last four years.
"This is the best week of the year," he said. "We're working and helping people out. Last year, this lady at the Senior Citizen Center cried because she was so excited to see what we were doing. That's always good to see."
Osborne is from Ontario, Ore., and the camp is a family affair at his house. His parents and four siblings took part in the camp this year.
Student Jackson Ried said he really enjoys the camp and said it was one of his favorite times of the year and things to do. The 18-year-old from Boise has attended the camp for the last seven years.
Jackson said the camp costs between $180-200 to attend, money students raise themselves throughout the year by mowing yards, selling pizza cards and holding yard sales.

Billy Graham

I have been headlong into a research paper on the life of Billy Graham for my Baptist History course and I recently ran into these vintage videos I thought I would share with you.