Trying to keep up with a bunch of blogs and website can be a real hassle. Especially if there are important ones you really want to read (like family blogs) and can’t always remember the website. That’s where a Feed Reader comes in handy.
I use Google Reader because it’s just that good. It’s free and has a great web interface. I’ve also got an iPhone app that syncs with it (for free) so I can get my latest news on the go.
Here are a few tips for how to use a Feed Reader effectively:
- Only subscribe to blogs and feeds you really want to read often. News feeds tend to send LOTS of articles every day and become quickly overwhelming.
- Organize your feeds based on blogs, family, corporations and other news. This makes it easier to remember who you’re reading so you know when to skip through headlines (corporations) and when to slow down (family).
- Check your feed reader, not their website. Checking the website gives them handy stats and lets them see who is coming. However, this can be overwhelming for the number of websites you have to check.
- Get to know Keyboard Shortcuts. These really help with flying through the feeds.
- Don’t keep everything just because it’s unread. If it was from a month ago, you probably don’t care that much. Keeping up with your reader could be a lot of work. Make it easier by only paying attention to what you REALLY want to know, such as the latest news. If it’s someone personal blog you really want to read up on, go through just that feed.
- Don’t be afraid to unsubscribe. I made this mistake early on. I was subscribing to BBC, CNN and the New York Times news feeds. I had hundreds of unread articles. I couldn’t keep up. I didn’t want to remove them from my list because every 1 in 1,000 posts were interesting to me. The time it took to scan the 1,000 posts was not worth the benefit of finding the one good feed.
If you want more tips on how to use social media and free computer tricks like a Feed Reader, check out my friend Aaron Marshall’s blog. He’s created two companies (TechSMO and ChurchSMO) that exist to teach people how to use technology effectively. He’s REALLY good.
So I recently purchased a Queen album. They’re tool hilarious to pass up.
Thanks to a blog I have in my feed reader, I found this amazing mucic video. Beware: you may laugh a lot. If you are drinking, you should stop or it will come out of your nose while you’re laughing at this video.
I’ve posted about the ESV Study Bible here and here. But today, I want to tell you why it’s so great.
This morning I sat down to read 2 Corinthians. Before diving in, I took my time reading the introduction in my ESV Study Bible and considering what it had to say. It was amazing. When you understand why the author is writing what he is writing, and what is going on behind the words on the pages, it helps you understand more of the context in which this is being said. It also help you see more of the meaning behind the text. Though it does not change the actual words or the truth they proclaim, it helps you understand it in a more personal way.
Now, before I go any further, you have to understand that the notes, articles and introductions in any Study Bible are not the inerrant, inspired Word of God like the actual words of the Bible are. But, after much research, the best scholarship they could provide, and years of insight, they help guide the reader to know more about what is being said and to bring you to other passages that will help your reading of the Bible.
So back to the story.
I read the introduction to 2 Corinthians and it was very helpful. Instead of diving in and reading the text, it gave me a lot of the background and a fresh understanding of why Paul wrote this book. From this intro, I started reading and felt like I could understand what Paul was saying with a lot more context. From there, his words became even more powerful.
So what’s in the ESV Study Bible that makes it so amazing? Well, a LOT of notes, introductions, articles, and cross references. In the introduction to the ESV edition, they talk about how this is not an entirely new thing but rather this edition was written on the shoulders of so many wise men who have gone before them. Benefiting from centuries of study, the contributors were able to provide more insight into both the meaning and occasion of the text. Developments in historical understanding, archeology, language research and other contemporary sources that give us an understanding of what was going on then, help enrich the understanding and background of the text.
At no point does any footnote or article make a theological stand on a controversial passage. Instead, they clearly state what the scripture says. And if the issue is not clearly decided by the text (such as the second coming), the contributors have done a very wonderful job of presenting what the text says and providing differing understandings.
The Resurgence, a blog I really enjoy reading that is written by a variety of current Evangelicals, just did a series on the ESV Study Bible. I found it this morning after I wrote this post, so please go here and enjoy their posts about the Trinity. Here’s a quote from The Resurgence that gives the resasoning for their series:
The ESV Study Bible is our bible of choice. To show you how good the notes are, we’re sharing pieces from the ESV Study Bible’s article on the Trinity.
If you don’t have one already, I would highly recommend purchasing an ESV Study Bible. You can find them in many different bookstores. Here’s a link to CBD, who has them at a great price.
One last note: Crossway, the publisher, provides a lifetime warranty on the binding. That means if it starts to fall apart, you can send it in and they’ll fix it. I don’t know how many bibles I’ve had to retire because the binding has fallen apart (including my NIV Study Bible). This is especially nice on a bible as thick as this…
Can’t decide which one to buy? I started with a hardcover. It is a great edition and makes a nice book if you like the hard binding. But after a little while, I really wanted to go with a soft cover. I couldn’t stand a textbook feel for a book so important to me. So I was able to switch with a good friend of mine who purchased it for the online version (as I did) and the TruTone was on sale for less than the hardcover. Since neither of us had written anything in it and both were in pristine condition, we swapped. I’m VERY happy with the TruTone.
Here are a few peeks inside (Thanks to CBD) the ESV Study Bible to show you how great and extensive the notes are:
Introduction to Genesis
Study notes in Genesis 1:3ff
Timeline example in the Introduction to Mark
Full Color Map
Tonight I was able to pray over a friend who is leaving Louisville for Chicago to take a position at a church. His position: elder.
He’s 23.
He may be one of the younger people in the group, but his words hold such weight. When he speaks up, you know it’s going to be good. He’s always affirming but doesn’t leave you feeling better about yourself… he leaves you feeling better about who God is.
Just moments after a time of prayer where everyone was able to pray and lay hands on him and his wife, while everyone is still wiping away tears, he stands up and says he doesn’t want this to be one-sided. Then he gives us all a challenge to keep living in light of the Gospel.
He promised to be praying for us.
Who is this guy? Where does this wisdom come from? How am I his pastor?
A while ago, during a very emotional and stretching time for our community group, I gained a ton of respect for him. We were all sharing spiritual milestones in our lives, times that we look back on and see that God used then to shape us for now. After one particularly emotional story of loss, he softly said, “I’ll never forget that.” It was strange the amount of validation and comfort that brought to everyone in the room. But we all knew what he meant. It wasn’t about the story. It wasn’t about the tears everyone was wiping form their eyes. It was about the way God worked in the person’s life. How God had brought them through pain and loss and showed Himself to be true in the midst of suffering.
That same night, I gained an amazing amount of respect him as his wife shared her testimony. He discipled her. She loves him so much because of that. We were all speechless as we surveyed her love for him and we were moved by the way she looked across the room at him and said, “I love you.”
Is he young? Yes. Is he fit to be an elder? Yes.
We’ll miss you Joey and Faith. We rejoice for Chicago that they get you for now. We pray that God would continue to use you in mighty ways. We love you.
Life gets hectic. People get busy. We’ve been away from the blog for a few months. Good news: We’re back!
My apologies to both of my readers that it’s been so long since we’ve posted. The good news is we’ve taken the time to fill in the gaps of what has happened in the past few months.
So enjoy.
Pete Mosher, a good friend of ours and a deacon at our church, always comes in great costumes. Last year was the famous “RAMPAGE” costume that took the contest award and still gives us laughs today. This year, Pete thought outside the costume and came up with this:
He’s pretty hilarious. If you don’t understand the costume, watch this commercial.
Look for the Geico money from Pete’s head to show up soon…
And just for kicks, here’s a picture from last year:
We have a halloween party as a tradition in our Kentucky Home. It’s the 5th party this year, and it was awesome.
There weren’t as many people as there were last year, but let’s blame that on the economy.
Here’s Jeff and his wife Kristin. Jeff’s a professional photographer, among other things, so thanks to him for the outstanding photos on the blog recently.
Every year we have a pumpkin carving contest. This year, for lack of pumpkins, we didn’t actually do that part.
There WAS a costume contest. The winners are the type that go all out for everything. I do have to say, it was probably the best costume I’ve seen in a long time. They went all out… everything from the clothing to professional-style makeup. They think long and hard, then start on their costumes long in advance.
Here’s Clayton & Jes Rothwell, the winners of the 2009 Halloween Costume Contest.
We had fun. It was a great time with friends hanging out and having a party. One of the things I love about our church is that we LOVE to party! Because of all that we have been given in Christ, we have more reason to celebrate than anyone else. And you better believe that we do party!
Here’s a picture of me and Steph. Our costumes weren’t nearly as cool as Clayton & Jes, but we had just as much fun that night.
My kind of town… Chicago!
For an anniversary trip, we went to Chicago, IL. Growing up in Florida, we aren’t used to being able to quickly travel to other major cities in other states. From Hollywood, it takes at least 6 hours to get out of the state. So living in Louisville, within a few hours to Nashville, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Chicago, Cincinnati and so many other cities, we’re taking advantage of our location!
Thanks to Travelocity, we found a great rate at a swanky hotel off of Michigan Ave in the heart of downtown Chicago. It was a great trip! We had a lot of fun just walking up and down the streets of downtown and browsing in the stores and eating local food.
Highlights include: The Gangster Tour, the Original Pancake House, and Giordanos Pizza and a 7′ Lego Darth Vader!
Here are some pictures from our trip.
Happy Anniversary Stephanie! It’s been 4 wonderful years of being married to the greatest woman in the world!
Here’s to 90 more
We all woke up a little early. I was up and working on a morning fire by 5:30 a.m.. We had coffee and oatmeal by 7. After relaxing by the fire and waking up, dad and I nursed our coffee while checking out the map. We decided to go to a different part of the forest called Seneca Creek. Much safer sounding than Bear Heaven! On our way to West Virginia, Stephanie and I read an article in Backpacker magazine that featured Seneca Creek and a 17 mile loop trail that follows the creek. As soon as I mentioned the part about abundant trout in the creek, dad was sold. However, he did take a fee minutes before “suggesting” we try out that area. We divided up our gear, packed our bags, and set out for Seneca Creek.
An hour and a half later, and quite a breathtaking drive by the way, we arrived at the trail head.
We headed in and the scene was picturesque! Evergreen forest, open meadows, a crisp blue sky. It was about 65 degrees, which was perfect for this sunny hike. About 12:30 we came upon a campsite that was straight out of Lord of the Rings. There was a 6′ fire ring in the middle surrounded by stone seats for 12. If I wasn’t so excited, it would have been creepy.After lunch, Dad and I setup our tents while Stephanie DIDN’T take a nap. After the setup, dad went fly fishing and I snapped a few photos before journaling a bit. Then, Steph and I jumped in the creek and had to warm up in the sun. By the way, the creek was about -12 degrees.
After returning to camp with dinner on my mind, we saw a group of 15 college students move in as our neighbors. We could tell by the way they paused and sized us up that they were aiming for our spot. After all, it is a sweet spot. Stephanie made Anniversary Stir Fry for dinner. It was great! After dinner, Stephanie and I got a private lesson in how to make several different knots. There’s the Taught Line Hitch, Clove Hitch, Bow Line, Fisherman’s Knot, and the Double Fisherman’s Knot. Then we sat around the fire pit until we were all dozing off.
We left Louisville right after church to head toward the Monongahela National Forest to meet Stephanie’s Dad for some backpacking. Of course I had a few responsibilities to take care of before hitting the backcountry. It was pretty awesome to be able to do a bunch of work on my laptop while Stephanie started the trip and then stop at a Panera to upload what I had done (Website post, sermon to publish, emails to new visitors, etc). Then, I was able to edit the rest from my iPhone while on the road. Mainly, I was able to make sure the website post I submitted was showing properly and didn’t have any typos. For this reason, I love technology. It lets me get out in the woods more often.
Seven hours later we arrived at Bear Heaven Campground in Elkins, WV. Yeah, I love the name too. Dad had already secured a campsite for us and built up a nice fire. Lucy went crazy not only to see him, but to be out of the car after 7 hours of sitting still. We were really excited to be here and ready for our great backpacking adventure.
Tonight’s agenda: talk trails, final trip decisions, catchup over the campfire, bask in each other’s company.
Because of the wonders of technology (and the GPS capabilities of certain toys), I’ve been able to capture our trip via GPS. Here’s a link.
GPS coordinates: 38.930213, -79.68037
Well, it’s been a while since we’ve had any new posts up here on our blog, but there has been something cooking up for a while in our lives. Can you guess what it is?
This morning I’m having breakfast with two great men; Mark Coleman and Craig Shuff. They’re on staff at my parent’s church in Davie, Florida. Mark is the pastor and Craig is the administrator.
At yesterday’s Baptist 21 panel discussion, we had a chance to catch up and talk for a few minutes before returning to the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC). I really enjoyed our abbreviated conversation about the younger generation pulling out of the SBC and disengaging from the conversation as a whole.
There is so much to talk about and so much wisdom to learn from Pastors who are not constantly involved in the bureaucratic discussions that surround the convention. Mark, after working for Florida Power and Light, got his seminary degree and planted New Life Baptist Church in 1993. He has 15 years of experience with his church that I can learn from. They’re connected to real people doing real ministry in South Florida, where life is much more hectic and the pace is much faster than what we’re doing in Kentucky.
I barely know Craig but I am looking forward to knowing him more. He handles all of the administration at New Life and is a SBTS grad.
And as if this couldn’t be a better breakfast, we’re meeting at Blue Dog Cafe, one of my favorite Louisville places to eat. I hope to post a few pictures after we get to meet.
I anticipate we’ll talk more about our churches getting involved in the Cooperative Program (CP), how to educate the younger generations in enacting change in the SBC, and how to thank our churches for the good work they have partnered in by giving to the CP.
More than anything, I anticipate this being a beautiful meeting of two different style churches that want to partner to see the gospel advanced and Jesus given the glory. I don’t imagine we’ll ever serve together at the same local church, but we get to partner in bringing the Gospel to the world. That’s pretty awesome.
I usually don’t blog about church life things. However, today I’ve been attending the Southern Baptist Convention held in Louisville, KY.
There are benefits and costs to being a Southern Baptist. The SBC is sometimes related to the awkward family member that shows up at family reunions. They’re family and you love them, but sometimes they act in ways that embarrass. Today, I am proud to be a Southern Baptist.
I’ve watched a business meeting that started at 8 AM and is scheduled to end at 9:15 PM tonight. Then it goes on tomorrow. But what I am most excited about is the passing of a resolution that will add greater accountability and effectiveness to the SBC for our future. It’s called the Great Commission Resurgence. You can read it here.
There were some that opposed the resolution, but it passed with amazing unity. That makes me happy.
I may not like to spend the rest of my life living with this awkward relative of the SBC, but they’re family and I love them for that. And yes, we can do more together than we could apart.
Wow… I haven’t posted anything since June started. Sorry about that. I guess I didn’t realize how busy I was getting.
So, to give you an update… here’s what I am doing right now.
Studying
And here’s what I would rather be doing.
Cutting the Grass
Cutting the grass is relaxing and you can see immediate results. We’ve had a lot of rain recently and I haven’t been able to cut the grass because I’ve been really busy. It needs it, but the tyranny of the urgent keeps me here, at my desk.
Wish me luck on the final tomorrow. I’m being tested on material I’ve learned since Wednesday afternoon in 12 hours of lecture we’ve had.
Though this class is tough, I’m really happy I am taking it.
In the spirit of Spring/Summer, I have changed my theme. Hope you enjoy the new one!
We put petunias in the hanging baskets on our front porch. They not only look nice and their leggy nature works well in a hanging basket, but they smell wonderful!
Because of the miracle of modern technology, I’ve been able to include this scratch ‘n sniff picture of one of the petunias.
Scratch 'N Sniff
If it doesn’t work, refresh the page and try again.
I’ve been struggling with my lawncare. I have enjoyed gardening with Stephanie, but for some reason, I’ve been drawn to the turf. We have a lawn service that cuts the lawns of our entire subdivision. I’ve very thankful that they cut all of my neighbor’s yards, because I don’t think the majority of them would care that much.
Over the 4 years we’ve lived here, I’ve reseeded 2 times and over-seeded at the end of every season. I’ve also taken special precautionary measures to make sure I’m watering the lawn the right way.
This year, I’ve taken the next step. I invested in a good lawn mower. The lawn service comes and cuts the lawn at regular intervals. They don’t, however, come all that often. Sometimes the lawn is overgrown and in need of some serious maintenance. We love having parties outside, so I really want more control over my own lawn. And because we have a thin, soft turf, I can cut it with a reel mower, which is much easier to maintain, use, and all-around better for the environment.
Two weeks ago, I was able to cut my own lawn for the first time. It was a proud moment. So proud, in fact, that I took a picture.
Then, to top that off, my friend had an extra weed wacker that he gave to me. So, I am able to take complete control of my yard and really make it look good.
For those of you who are interested, I’ve got a mix of Tall Fescue, Kentucky 31, and Kentucky Blue Grass. If I were to do it all over again (which I won’t because it was a lot of work and I have a great lawn now), I would only use Scott’s Premium Turf, which is a Kentucky Bluegrass and Tall Fescue mix. Kentucky 31 is a broader blade that is more course. I really prefer the softer turf… it fills in better and is really nice to walk on with bare feet. Here’s a picture of the Premium turf:
It also does a great job of repairing spots. Here’s a place in our front that has always been bare and rocky. A few weeks ago I dug out the rocks and filled it in with my own patch kit of Scott’s Premium Turf, Scott’s Starter Fertilizer, and our own rich compost instead of potting soil. Here’s a good before and after for you:
Before
After
So there you have it. My whole new lawn… and lawn maintenance.
As a side note, in the first 4 days I owned the mower, I used it on 3 different occasions. I really enjoy mowing the lawn!
Today we went to the Billie’s Swamp Safari… a Seminole Indian owned “amusement park” in the middle of the Everglades. After driving in a sea of grass on a straight road that neither had elevation nor direction changes, we came to this “safari.” We signed up for the air boat ride and swamp buggie safari. It was well worth it. We saw so many things I was not expecting. I grew up in south Florida and I never saw a lot of the things they had here. Nor have I enjoyed it so much!
While we’re out of town, we’re wondering what the pets are up to. Most likely, the usual trouble.
I'm a Floridian who moved to Kentucky in 2005 for a Masters. Soon after moving, we (my wife and I) made Louisville our home and now enjoy the change of seasons, horse races, and when it gets really cold. Wait... we're not so sure about the cold...