Israel vs. Hezbollah

If Hezbollah would lay down their weapons there would be peace. If Israel laid down their weapons there would be no Israel.

Just an interesting thought.

-Durk

Where is the Church? My 1st Rant

I have been talking to my mom about the emerging church or the Emergent Conversation that is taking place in the Christian church around the world. Google those phrases and check these out:

• Wikipedia's definition of emerging church
• explorefaith. org
• theemergingchurch. com
• anewkindofchristian. com

I don't fully understand it, so I am not too sure how I can explain it. I have read criticisms and I have read A New Kind of Christian by Brian McLaren who is really at the forefront of this conversation (they do not like to be called a movement). I also saw McLaren speak at a conference. I do know this: The Christian church has dropped the ball. Now I want to say that I am not ranting and raving against my mom. I’m just ranting to the air. I guess it is to the church, but to no one in particular.

The church has dropped the ball…and who is picking it up? The government with their welfare programs that keep the poor just poor enough to not want to do anything about not being poor! Who is picking it up? Planned Parenthood slaughterhouses that get rich by pretending to love their victims, while still manageing to offer some sort of false hope. Where is the church? Encouraging the discrimination of gays and promoting war (KEEP READING…). Why isn't the church helping low-income families? Why isn't the church helping single-parent families? Why isn’t the church helping the sick and poor? Why isn’t the church promoting peace? Why isn't the church doing its job? I don't know, but I understand that the world has turned from the church that stopped offering hope and to the world that has nothing to offer.

So let me clarify a couple of my above statements. I think homosexuality is a sin. Thankfully it is the church's job to help introduce the sinner to Christ-who forgives sins and transforms lives. I think the winds of change in Iraq were the right thing to force. But I am not blood-thirsty. As I write this there has been a thwarted terrorist attack in Europe, Hezbollah is attacking Israel and Israel is defending themselves and I have not forgotten 9/11. Tyranny and terrorism should be fought against. HOWEVER, war should not be romanticized. War is not good! It is necessary at times. Those times should be decisive and short.

I think part of the problem is that the church should be separate from a capitalistic culture. Don't get me wrong, capitalism has its place: in the economy! Heck, I eBay, that is capitalism at its purest. But the church should be a socialistic community of believers (within the church and within society). The church should be a place where the members want to make more so they can give more away to those in need! I remember thinking in college that the early church practiced socialism and that socialism could be a good American economy. I was very wrong. Bresee had it right or maybe it was Wesley, "Make all you can, save all you can and give all you can!"

It’s the church, THE CHURCH that should take care of people. The church should love people. The church should give away time and money and love. The church needs do invest in people and not expect a financial return.

Where is the church when it comes to illegal immigration? Should the church be on border patrol with guns? Should the church be harboring fugitives and helping people break the law? Is their another way? Why isn't the church offering to help immigrants come to The Land of Opportunity LEGALLY? Because it involves, spending money and giving up time! That kind of compassion used to be called sacrifice. Christians are not so good at that anymore; they leave that up to Christ, they nail Christ back on the cross and tell Him to stay there.

I am not a supporter of separation of church and state, I think it is unconstitutional. But it is happening everyday. So Christians can choose to fight it or they choose to accept it. I guess I do both. I vote with my heart, but I also do not believe in legislating morality. We no longer live in a Christian nation (if we ever really did), so once again Christians find themselves as the outsiders or the foreigners within their culture. I think it is important to make that distinction. The world does not understand Christianity! It isn't their job to pass Christian legislation or to believe the way we do! The world does not follow Christ. It is the job of the sinner to sin! That is what they know! That is what they understand. But yet we Christians still operate like we are still in power. But we aren't. And that's OK; it is the way it has always been! That is when Christianity does its best-when it is under fire! It was Tertullian who said, "In the blood of the martyrs lies the seed of the Church!" I'm not saying that we should sit back and watch while Christianity gets outlawed, but I don't think that it is always the church's job to legislate morality.

I think homosexual marriage can put an end to the sacred institution of marriage and I also think that banning homosexual marriages alienates homosexuals from the church. On one hand you have the world doing what the world does, sin! On the other hand you have the church hurting a group of people. It is a way for the church to discriminate against a community of lost people. Christians don't fight to outlaw couples who live together or protest against couples who get divorced for non-biblical reasons. We don't rally to outlaw affairs. I mean what is the church doing about Rev. Phelps and his band of haters; they protest at funerals! AT FUNERALS! I don't know what the solution is, but what if the church fought with the homosexual for their freedom (to sin)? Don’t you think that at some point they are going to take notice and build healthy relationships with folks that represent Christ? And maybe learn what it means to live a life without sin? Wow, how cool would that be? I know, many of my friends don't agree with me on this. I am also not out there holding hands with the homosexuals as they march down the street. But I struggle with voting to ban gay marriages and civil unions.

Take a slightly less controversial issue: Children with AIDS. What if the church worked with AIDS stricken children the way Mother Teresa worked with those stricken with leprosy? And why are Christians more apt to help children and kick sick adults to the curb? Where is the church? Campaigning for Republicans? Trying to rebuild the Religious Right? Trying to defend the actions of George Bush? I’M GUILTY, right here, that's been me.

I think I am winding down a bit…

Oh yeah, the Emerging Church… Well, it is all about what it means to be a Christian in a post-modern world. How do you build the Kingdom of Christ when those that need to be transformed are no longer convinced by apologetics? Post-modern people no longer respond to arguments. Systematic theology tries to convince folks that Christianity is truth, that kind of method is a thing of the past. People don't want to be convinced, they want to see Christians living out an authentic life that actually means something to them. They want to see it, they want to experience it. They don't want to hear sermons on prayer; they want to learn how to pray. They don't want to hear about the attributes of God, they want to experience the love of God. It is very experiential which is very close to existentialism, but that is exactly where the unchurched, non-Christians are and they can't be convinced or talked into something. They want to see it. They want Christians to live what they believe so that it makes a difference in their lives.

How do you present Christianity in a media-driven culture? You present Christianity with media. You present the e-Gospel. It is the same ageless message, but presented in a modern way. And not watered down, but in terminology that represents modern language. Not catering to people that are seekers, but having a message that is presented in a way that the average person can understand. Post-modern people communicate on a 6^th-grade level, but are educated on a master’s level! Use smaller words to describe the same message of hope.

How do you build a community of faith in a culture that longs to have community again? Well, you participate in the community!

OK, I am almost done.

Finally, a word about justice. Brian McLaren tells a great story that illustrates the difference between justice and mercy. Say you are standing before Niagara Falls, just looking out into the water in awe. Suddenly you see a person floating in the river, they are drowning, fighting for their life to get to shore before they go over the edge! You panic, regain your composure, get some folks together and pull the guy out of the water to safety! That is an act of mercy. Say you see another person, you pull them out, and then another, and they seem to keep coming! Again, pulling these drowning folks out of the water are acts of mercy. But where is the justice? Justice is when you walk up river and stop the guy that is pushing people into the freaking water! STOP THAT GUY!

The church needs to practice justice & mercy. But the church also needs to first stop pushing people in the water, and then they need to stand up against others that are doing the same.

OK, I feel better.

-Durk-

August 2006 Family Pics for Mom

Fasting (Part III . The Conclusion)

In part one I explained that my pastor had given a challenge to fast 1 24-hour period a week for 4 weeks. Sounds pretty simple right? Well in Part Two I told you how the fist 3 Wednesdays went. Here is the conclusion and my thoughts.

Wednesday #4 The last Wednesday. The last challenged fast.

• OK, I had a great breakfast, egg casserole; hash browns...OK enough of that, no reminders of food.
• 12:05 and all is well, I am not hungry. But again, I am drinking lots of water and keeping my mind active. 3:25 and all is well. Been SUPER BUSY AT WORK, I think that makes it easier.
• 4:15 Experiencing hunger pangs, but still standing strong! I have been writing this while fasting, I really enjoy the research and journaling.
• 5:30 As I am leaving I get a phone call form home, supper is waiting...I reminded my family AGAIN that I am fasting. I get home and what is there for me to put away? Supper, the family is on their way out the door.
• 6:30 Finally getting around to putting the food away...it looks soooo gooood. So I look for ways to justify breaking the fast. I don't find any. I put down the tiny piece of broccoli. I hold strong. I prevail. I am hungry.
• I made it through the evening. 3 out of 4 Wednesdays, not too bad.

Observations

I'd really like to work up to the fast during Lent. Lent is the Christian season before Easter. It is a time set aside to identify with Christ who had been fasting in the desert for 40 days. At the end of that time he is tempted by Satan-one of the temptations involves bread, Christ has the strength to deny the offer and rebuke Satan.

Lent is the time when you see a lot of folks order fish-they are not eating meat...that one always puzzles me, I mean fish are not meat? It is also a very holy Christian season. Lent starts with Ash Wednesday this is an identification of dying with Christ. And ends with the arrival of Holy week which includes Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday and finally culminating in a celebration on Easter Sunday.

There are many spiritual benefits from fasting. All result growing in one's relationship with God. Just like the body goes through a cleansing during a fast so can the spirit. Just like the body is starving for food, so does the spirit. During a fast the body is denied and the spirit is fed. Isn't it just the opposite most of the time? It is nice to intentionally set time aside to focus on God.

Many people fast when seeking God's will for their life or the answer to a decision or problem. When you are a week or so into a fast there is a physical sensation where one feels elated, very in-tune with their surroundings; simply put, they feel great and ready to take on the world! The same can happen spiritually, instead of spending time at a meal or just doing whatever over your lunch periods or at dinner time, spend that time feasting on the Word of God (as Pastor Donnie says, "Fasting is Feasting"; see I was listening), and spend that time communing with your creator and analyzing your spiritual walk. It can be a very joyous mountain-top experience.

A few good books on the subject are God's Chosen Fast, Celebration of Discipline, and lastly the book that my pastor has been primarily using for his sermon series, The Sacred Way: Spiritual Practices for Everyday Life (Emergent YS) by Tony Jones.

My Disclaimer: You gotta see your doctor and study the practice before you start a fast longer than a couple of days. You can hurt yourself if you don’t, so do!

What I Learned

I learned that fasting can be done with a little effort. I learned that I am definitely emotionally addicted to eating. I guess that every time I look in the mirror, guess confirmed. I learned that with a little effort eating can be ignored. I learned that I am fasting for the wrong reasons; I am fasting from being challenged not to eat and not from being challenged to grow in my relationship with God-my fault, not my pastor's.

I am glad I took on the challenge. I can also see why one of the examples that Donnie gave from the pulpit was a guy who fasted once a week for 2 years. TWO YEARS! But it makes sense, I mean after a month of fasting (which was only 4 days) I paid little attention to God, His word and His son and instead paid much more attention to the lack of food. But maybe after 104 days of fasting I will have a better understanding of the Bible and have developed a deeper relationship with Christ.

Conclusion

Lastly, fasting should always be a spiritual exercise, at least in context to Christianity. Either do it for your personal, non-church related, physical reasons or do it for spiritual reasons. Don't fast during Lent to lose weight! Fasting is definitely not some spiritual diet plan. So don't mix the two up. I say that to remind myself that even though I do need to lose weight, a 40-day fast is not the answer. Why? Well, because during a fast the hunger is supposed to shift from the physical to the spiritual; that is the purpose of the spiritual discipline-to grow in your relationship with God

-Durk-

Fasting (Part II. The Fasts 1-3)

In part one I explained that my pastor, Donnie Miller of Trinity Family Church, has been preaching a series this summer that has been designed to be a spiritual summer training program. He started off with prayer and journaling and has moved through fasting to silence. Donnie challenged us to fast 1 24-hour period a week for 4 weeks. Here was the challenge: Fast for 4 consecutive Wednesdays. Fast for a 24-hour period. Eat breakfast, and then don’t eat until breakfast the next morning. Sounds pretty simple right? Well, here is how it went.

Wednesday #1:

I ate a descent breakfast at McDonald’s with my wife and little ones. I had no problems skipping lunch & dinner. Then I went to help a friend with his flooded basement. A little manual labor here, a little sweating and tears there…then he ordered pizza for us. Fast broken. But I learned an important observation: The earlier skipped meals were a breeze! I wasn’t even hungry until I saw that delicious cheesy pizza and smelled the sweet aromas of pepperoni and hot steamy deliciousness, just sitting there in front of my face begging for me to consume! I feel I could have made it with just a little more effort (and the lack of pizza in front of my face)!

Wednesday #2:

I put in a little more effort and I survived the fast! But see, that is way too dramatic of a way to express it! I REALLY WASN’T ALL THAT HUNGRY! I experienced no hunger pangs (fake hunger pain-just the body used to eating at a certain time and gets ready for the food to come on down the ‘ol pipe). I had a bigger breakfast, but I tried not to gorge myself, that is just silly and in the end it does not work. I did drink quite a bit of water and I did drink some tea in the evening (it was hotter than Hades outside, over 100 degrees), I even went to the movies, and get this, I DIDN’T EVEN EAT POPCORN! And I wasn’t even tempted, I even thought about continuing into Thursday! Observation: I understand my addiction. I am taking baby-steps to be the one in control of my own body. I noticed that as I kept busy and drank water, that I was pretty good to go. Another observation: I am not going out of my way to address the spiritual side of all of this.

Wednesday #3

• (Written while fasting) I am doing well. I ate a good breakfast and here it is 2:37. I am bored. I also need to drink more water. I find myself hungry, but no hunger pangs, I am just bored! I still find it fairly easy to get through the day. I am realizing that I am not actually hungry, I just want to eat; another confirmation that food is an emotional outlet for me.

• (Written after fast) Again, I did it! And again, it wasn't so bad, really. Most of the time I wanted to eat out of habit or from an emotional response-I was bored to tears in the afternoon, so I wanted to eat! I will say breakfast (today-the day after the fast) tasted extra good and I ate a big lunch. I ate a big dinner too. I like eating. I like food. I'm hungry.

There’s only one more Wednesday to go; to be concluded in Part III.

-Durk-

Fasting (Part I. The Challenge)

My pastor, Donnie Miller of Trinity Family Church, has been preaching a series this summer that has been designed to be a spiritual summer training program. He started off with prayer and journaling and has moved through fasting to silence. I would like to talk about fasting.

Fasting is simply the denial of something. It is commonly in relation to food. So if you fast a meal you skip a meal. There are many variations. Most of the time it does not involve excluding water and sometimes juice may be drunk as well. Most of the time the practice is related to religion; many world religions acknowledge the practice. In Christendom many fast for many different reasons. The Lenten Fast is the most common or "popular"; it coincides with Jesus’ 40 days in the desert before he started his ministry. Christians’ observance of the practice vary from not eating meat on Fridays (except fish...) to a real honest-to-goodness 40-day fast! Some people fast sleep, some people fast eating chocolate or not listening to the radio. But this isn't fasting in the strict use of the term, it has just evolved in practice.

Why folks fast also vary. There are folks who regularly fast for healthy-related reasons. Fasting helps detox the body. In the case of religion, and specifically Christianity fasting should only be done in relation to a spiritual discipline, to seek God or to draw closer to God.

I have attempted fasting in the past; I have never been too successful. I have even felt panicky at the prospect of denying myself food. Honestly, I like to eat, just take one look at my physique (or my chubby face).

I would say more accurately that I am addicted to eating. OK, I know what some are saying: We’re all addicted to eating! But I am not talking about the physical need for sustenance-I mean we have to eat or we'll die, yeah, I get that.

I am talking about an emotional desire to consume tasty, delicious food! Steak & potatoes, sweets, fast food, ice cream, French fries, candy, pop, chips...well, you get the idea. I like to eat! And I don’t necessarily like to eat unhealthily; I just like to eat what tastes great! Most of the time that is junk food, fast food, fried foods, pizza, etc. Occasionally it is the succulent peach that is in season and perfectly ripe. Rarely is it a salad with the exception of a salad from Pizza Shoppe with extra pink stuff and pizza on the side! OK, I’m drooling.

I like to sit down with friends and share a meal; this is very important to me. I like to eat while watching TV. I like popcorn during movies. I like snacking at the mall. I like late-night runs for ice cream with the family. I like multiple portions.

So when Donnie challenged us to fast 1 24-hour period a week for 4 weeks, well, I was happy to think that I could do it, but not too eager to actually go through with it. Here was the challenge: Fast for or 4 consecutive Wednesdays. Fast for a 24-hour period. Eat breakfast, and then don’t eat until breakfast the next morning. Sounds pretty simple right? I'd really only be skipping 2 meals.

I'll tell you how it went in Part II.

-Durk-

Book Review: Titanium EBay by Skip McGrath

I love eBay. I love buying on eBay. I love selling on eBay. I love browsing eBay. I love sneaking in eBay at work. I love looking for silly stuff on eBay. I love wasting time on eBay. I love designing auctions and creating descriptions on eBay. I love making money on eBay.
It is that last one that I have been spending much time and interest in lately. And to that end I have picked up a great book by Skip McGrath, entitled Titanium EBay.

Titanium is the top level of eBay power seller. A power seller is someone who sells a certain amount of stuff on eBay...the bottom level is brownse-$1000 a month. Once you have sold $1000 worth of stuff on eBay for three consecutive months and met the other requirements (account in good standing a descent feedback score, etc) then eBay invites you into the Power Seller Program. This doesn't mean that they have profited $1000, just moved that amount of stuff on eBay within a 30-day period for at least 3 consecutive periods. If one is at the Titanium level then they are selling over $150,000 A MONTH on eBay! Basically you are an eBay Rock Star! There really are Titanium Power Sellers out there!

Titanium EBay is written to teach how to be an eBay rock star! It really is a great book. It covers all of the basics-getting officially organized as a business, how to sell something on eBay and where to find stuff to sell on eBay and how to sell stuff more efficiently on and off of eBay. It talks about business management, financing and organization. The not-so-basic is how McGrath simply explains the ins and outs of those subjects.

I have been thinking about officially getting organized (in the IRS sense) as a business for some time. But I thought it was expensive and complicated; I was very intimidated! But McGrath explains the process in plain English and it turns out it is fairly simple and not too expensive! Chapter 3 is dedicated to the different types of businesses-how businesses can be organized. Chapter 4 talks about local business licensing, federal tax ID numbers, state sales tax numbers, and talks about employee taxes. The author even provides links to download forms for organizing businesses. I printed out several forms and have been carrying them folded up in the book!

The book gives you very simple and powerful tips and tricks to sell on eBay. Much attention is given to researching products to sell on eBay. In my opinion this is one of the most important subjects of the book. My problem of late is not finding a source from which to buy products to sell, but which of those products will actually turn a profit on eBay, which ones will sell! McGrath goes into great detail about the different methods to research the salability of a product. He talks about life-cycles of a product. And even how to track products that have sold through eBay.

My other problem of late has been finding stuff to sell on eBay at a cheaper price! McGrath spends much time addressing this as well. In my opinion this is the other most important part of the book! One of the best quotes from the book:

There are four levels of wholesale distribution: manufacturer, importer,
distributor, and middleman. The closer you can get to the manufacturer the less
your product will cost. Never buy from the last level, the middleman. It is
virtually impossible to make money.

So of course I currently have access to a middleman. But after reading Part 3: Product Acquisition, I have a much better knowledge about finding products at a cheaper price.

I discovered that there is a whole lot that I am doing right on eBay and a whole lot that I already knew about. For instance, using auctions to promote store items and using the "About Me" page to promote an Internet web store (off eBay). It is a pretty cool feeling to know that I am on the right track. But there are many things that I learned and can’t wait to implement.

One thing that I did not know before reading the book and did not wait to implement was almost worth the price of the book: How to extend an auction from the normal 7 or 10 days to 26 days! This was almost worth the price of the book. Almost because eBay changed their policy! So this trick no longer works. I lost some money figuring that one out, over $100.00.

Which brings me to a big disappointment: The author directs you to his website where there should be a section devoted to those that have bought this book, his book; a sort of community. I was hoping for updates, corrections, or expanded explanation, maybe questions submitted by readers or a blog. But if you go to that address www.skipmcgrath.com/titanium the only thing you will see is “UNDER CONSTRUCTION”. I have been checking for about a month with the same results. The book has a copyright date of 2005, plenty of time to have SOMETHING up and running. I contacted Mr. McGrath and he responded to this issue, he had requested a Titanium site from his web server and they merely hadn't put it up-they forgot (or made it a low priority) and no one had ever brought the issue to his attention, he promised that the site should be up in a day or two of our correspondence. The site should be up and running at the time this is initially posted. On a related note I was very impressed that the author took time out of his busy schedule to not only reply to my email, but respond to my specific issues and to correspond with me, thank you sir.

Automation is another huge issue that is addressed in the book. With the right tools one can automate most of the selling and buying process. There are many tools out there that will help you post many auctions or store items in large quantities. For instance, you can post 100 or even 1000 items at once. The more auctions the merrier right, more money to be made. But this brings a whole new problem: WHAT IF THEY ALL SELL?! How are you gonna handle that many orders? Again, automation is the answer.

With the tools mentioned in Titanium EBay one can easily impliment automation. An initial automated email from the seller indicating that the buyer has won an item. An automated email from the seller acknowledging payment has been received. Automated feedback. An automated email to the seller specifying what items need to be shipped and to where! An automated email from the seller verifying that the item has been shipped and maybe providing a tracking number. An automated follow-up email asking the buyer to provide feedback or asking them if they are satisfied. Customized up sells can also be provided at every level of the correspondence directing buyers back to an item you are selling on eBay or, better yet, directing them to your personal website where they can place an order. Automation solutions to automated postings. AWESOME!

I would have liked for the author to go just a little deeper concerning how one might "connect' up with eBay. For instance, one of the things I would like to learn how to do is integrate my website with eBay's so that I can automate myself. I would like to use my own code to interface with eBay and implement automation.

For instance I would like to create my website so that I can provide feedback automatically to an eBay customer; use the website that I am helping design so that MY website can automatically give an auction winner the appropriate feedback. I know it can be done; the author lists many services that are already doing it. Instead the author directs you to a myriad of services who have already figured out how to integrate with eBay. He could have, at the very least, pointed in the general direction. But the author lists many websites and programs that are available for folks to automate certain facets of their business operations. I contacted Mr. McGrath and he responded to this issue, it is possible to integrate with eBay, but that I would have to become an "eBay Certified Solutions Provider" and that "costs a lot of money". McGrath encourages the use of Vendio within his book and within his email correspondence. Again, thank you Mr. McGrath for addressing this issue personally. This was especially useful to me as there may just come a day when I bite the bullet and take the Ebay certification journey.

It is fairly easy to implement automation. Most of these solutions require the eBay seller to direct the eBay customer to a 3rd party non-eBay site (such as Vendio). I would like to avoid that; I would like to automate as much as I can without directing the buyer to a different site, even if it is my site. I've heard negative feedback concerning having to use a checkout process that is not eBay's-at best a matter of inconvenience at worst a nightmare of confusion for the buyer to make a payment! Regardless, the buyer’s info has to be initially entered into a personal website or a 3rd party site for the automation to work, so the final question is should the buyer do this manually or should the seller do it manually for each and every purchase?

One thing is for sure: It takes money to make money. For the person just starting out, there does not have to be that big of an investment, but there may be smaller profit margins than if you have money to invest to buy product at a cheaper cost. McGrath also addresses this problem with chapters on how to raise money; either through loans, grants, or investors. He also talks about creating business plans and proposals.

All in all it was a great read. It was an easy read and mildly inspiring. There was much information that could direct newbies to many different paths that could lead to success with hard work and determination and with just a little bit of money. Skip McGrath’s website is full of excellent resources, and I hope that web experience will only be enhanced once the Titanium section is finished.

-Durk-