Online vs Desktop | Series 2

Before, we’ve talked about Online vs Desktop: Office Solutions. Today I’d like to discuss the little social media that could. Twitter. I wouldn’t consider myself a “social media guru” or even a Twitter “power user”, but I do enjoy tweeting on a daily basis.

Let’s be honest, Twitter’s home site is not exactly conducive for heavy use, and they know that.  There weren’t many options at the beginning, but now there are several applications to choose from. Twitter is a great way to keep you, your ministry, or church connected to those interested. First question to ask yourself though is, “Do I want an online or desktop Twitter app?”

Online Twitter Apps

There are several reasons to use online over desktop. If you use multiple computers, it’s nice to be synced up. If you find yourself constantly in an internet browser, or don’t mind keeping tabs or windows open online Twitter apps have some great choices.

Brizzly – Great UI, awesome Facebook integration, multiple account ability, cute logo. HootSuite – Great for power users, ability to schedule tweets, multiple accounts, ability to track tweet statistics, iPhone app. CoTweet – Geared towards businesses, allows multiple users to communicate through corporate accounts, set assignments, click tracking, message archiving. ChromedBird – (Chrome Internet Browser Only) Sits right next to your URL bar, gives you notifications of @replies or DMs, ability to quickly tweet without opening a new window, Auto-shortens URLs, great for quick Twitter checks.

Online Twitter App Concern: Unless you’re using ChromedBird, you won’t get notified of @replies, saved searches, DMs, etc.

Desktop Twitter Apps

On the flip side, there’s desktop apps. Most of which have the ability to alert you of, well…anything you want them to. @replies, DMs, saved searches, etc. Great for if you’re in front of a computer a lot and don’t mind programs doing their thing in the background.

TweetDeck – Multiple accounts, utilizes Twitter lists, customizable, Facebook, Myspace, & LinkedIn support, syncs with iPhone app. Seesmic Desktop – Unlimited accounts, great Facebook integration, unlimited saved searches, different and good UI. Digsby - The IM, email, and social network hub. Lets you do the basics of Twitter while IMing and emailing all from one spot.

Desktop Desktop App Concern: If you’re running a not so great spec-ed computer, these apps can turn your ram into mush.

Today, I just wanted to showcase some great Twitter apps and ask the question: What Twitter app do you use and why? If you’re mostly tweeting on the go, do you use an app or Twitter’s mobile site?

Matthew 6:9-13

Our Father
This speaks of the brotherhood that exists among Christians. It reinforces the need for communal worship. There are no Lone Ranger Christians. (Or at least there aren’t supposed to be)

Which art in heaven
We express Faith when we pray. We know He is there and that He hears us.

Hallowed be Thy name
His name is to be held in reverence. This is Worship.

Thy kingdom come
We have an Expectation, we know that there is more than just this life (does our lifestyle agree?).

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven
We need to Submit to His will in all things.

Now, finally we get to the portion of prayer that we all understand so well: Petition

Give us this day our daily bread
It is good to note that prayer and eating go hand in hand. We ought to pray as regularly as we feed ourselves.

Forgive us our debts
We have need of Confession.

As we forgive our debtors
This speaks of Compassion. Forgiveness is such a basic thing in the Christian walk that we should all be experts. Sadly, we aren’t. This model prayer clearly teaches that if we refuse to forgive others we cannot expect God’s forgiveness. Ouch.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil
Nowhere in the Bible does God promise us that He will deliver us “from” temptation; but He will deliver us “in” and “through” it.

For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory forever, Amen.
Acknowledgement for who He is and what He has promised.

Jesus wasn’t giving us a prayer to memorize but rather teaching us that our prayers should include these certain elements. How do you incorporate these thoughts into your prayer life?

photo by jessamyn

There are a few drinks that the Christian community collectively smiles upon: Coffee and Orange Drink.

I like to eat SpaghettiO’s cold. I don’t know why, but I just prefer them cold. I take heat for this whenever anyone sees me eating them. Some say “eewww grosss!” like they were a third grader watching someone eat a worm, but I’m sure you have that one food that you enjoy that most others would not.

So it is with Orange Drink: The generic, orange flavored drink that is served in Sunday School classes, VBS snacks, and church socials around the country.

Many would say that Orange Drink is gross, but in my own opinion, it’s pretty awesome. However, it’s kind of like manna, it is only good for one day, and shouldn’t be taken home.

Here’s Five Reasons Why Churches Continually Buy Orange Drink

1. The Flavor – It’s not orange juice, it’s not orange Kool-Aid or Tang. It’s Orange Drink. Upon tasting Orange Drink, one would think that the two ingredients are orange flavor and water. Or maybe they just melted a bunch of orange Fla*Vor*Ice bars down. I’m not sure. Orange Drink is like hot dogs; I don’t want to see how it’s made.

2. The Price – I’ve always been amazed how they take water, add stuff do it, and then sell it cheaper than water. What does a gallon of orange drink go for now a days? A nickel? Fits pretty great into any church budget!

3. Best Served – The conditions of a church gives how Orange Drink is best served: at room temperature in wax coated Dixie cups. Maybe add an iceberg of a chunk of ice in there, and you’ve got a thirst quencher, my friends.

4. Its buddies, Red and Purple – Yep Orange Drink has friends and their names are Red Drink and Purple Drink. Red typically has the words “Fruit Punch” labeled with it. Most often that “punch” is directed right at your stomach after you’ve downed about five store branded Oreos and two plastic bowls of homemade ChexMix. Purple is always “Grape” flavored, but its flavor makes me think that this must be what the feet of the California Raisins taste like.

5. Goes great with cookies…right? Forget milk, Orange drink is cookies’ new BFF. What goes great with GoldFish? Orange Drink! How about sheets of discounted pizza? Orange Drink! Baked Potato Night? hmm let me think..yep, Orange Drink. There’s virtually no food combination that Orange Drink can’t handle.

What about you? Got an odd food you like to eat? What else is great about Orange Drink?

Get the Word Out:

• 4 weeks before: Post it in your bulletin, online and in the local news paper.
• 3 weeks before: Send out mailers to houses near your church.
• 2 weeks before: Send home flyers with your Sunday School kids.
• 1 week before: Follow up on RSVPs.
• Sunday before: Post it around the church, information area, bulletin board, on your overhead projector before the service begins.
• Day of: Advertise on your church sign.

Get Help!
Many hands make light work and depending on the turn out you will have, you may need a lot of help!

photo by xrrr

Be Organized
Establish a chain of command. Assign every volunteer a specific tasks and someone they report to.

Accept Donations
Have your congregation donate plastic eggs, candy, small paper bags for the hunt.

Get Everyone Involved
Have an ‘egg stuffing’ activity church wide so everyone can be a part of the process if they want to be.

Reach the Community
Make sure every goodie bag has a appropriate literature about the gospel and more information about the church.

Have a Check-in station
Every child participating must check in. Require parents information, address, phone number.
Perhaps have the parents fill out a questionaire that can be used in follow up visit.

Set a Rain Date
Be sure to include this information on ALL literature your distribute.

Have Fun!
Remember no event will be perfect, but it CAN always be fun! Learn from your mistakes and make next years better!

What if when Peter went to meet Christ on the water, and when he jumped out of the boat, it didn’t work. *Splash*

When I was in jr. high, I remember making the proclamation that I had never been rejected by a girl. This was said in a bragging type manner, but if inquired beyond the initial statement, you would find the opposite side of the story: I never asked a girl out either.

photo by Mountainbread

I never struck out, because I never went up to bat. The fear of rejection kept me in the dugout, or better yet; in the stands as a spectator.

I think of how often I do this with God. I never ask because I don’t want to be told “no”. I don’t want to feel the faith breaking embarrassment of going out on a limb and being rejected by God. I live my life in the comfort of familiarity. No need to get out of the boat. No need to put on my cleats. I’m fine right here.

We’ve all been rejected at one time or another by God. We ask that our family be safe. We ask for health, jobs, nothing extravagant. Have you ever been rejected by God in these requests? You’re suddenly laid off. Your child is incurably sick. Rejected.

We say that “God is good all the time”. If we’re honest with ourselves, we know that in this “good”, there are times where it’s not good for us at the moment. Don’t believe me? Ask David how he felt being chased around the wilderness when he was supposed to be king of Israel. Ask Paul while he was in prison awaiting death.

Peter didn’t just sink like a rock when he jumped out of the boat. He asked Christ if he could come out to meet him, and Christ accepted. Peter went out on a limb, and had great experience. An experience the other disciples who didn’t step up to bat would never live out.

The worst thing with asking a girl out is that you’re putting yourself out there. You are no longer in control of the situation. The same with God. It takes faith knowing that there may be a “no” headed our way. However the best thing thing about asking a girl out is when they say “yes”. A “yes” to a date, a proposal, an “I do”: they are some of the greatest moments in my life. However I’d never would have experienced them if I hadn’t faced the possibility of rejection head on.

UPDATE: To read more about rejection, head on over to The Faith Barista for a double shot of faith.

I had a neat example in my own life just the other day.

I was in line at the store when I noticed that the little old lady in front of me was counting out change to pay her bill. The cashier was helping her and looked up smiling weakly and shaking her head “no”.  She was short. The lady apologized and started gathering up her money to leave empty handed.

I quickly stepped up and offered to pay one dollar towards her bill so that she could have her stuff.

The reaction was unreal. The lady was smiling at me like I had just given her $100. She thanked me at least three times, called me nice and sweet and tried to give me all of the change in her purse.

I kinda hate to admit that my real motivation in giving her the money was knowing that it would make the transaction go faster.

After she left the cashier told me what a great guy I was too. None of my hats even fit any more.

For one dollar I got the admiration of two strangers. That’s a better deal than the dollar menu if you ask me!

I did want to be a random blessing as well. In the end, I was blessed far more. Who says a dollar can’t get you anything these days?

Branding is an interesting thing when it comes to churches. Some churches try to avoid branding at all costs, but whether churches want to or not, they are branding themselves. It’s about reputation, and every church has one in their community. What’s your church’s brand? Is it “Friendly”? “Upscale”? “Folksy”? “Hipster”? “Hypocrites”? Do you know what people in your community say about your church? If it’s not good things, it might be reason to look at why.

Some churches are concerned about branding. They are involved with strategic church logos, websites, and outreaches with branding in mind. Just a reminder that branding or reputation is not about what you try to say, it’s what people say about you. People are the ones that define what your brand or reputation truly is.

I first heard about Cody’s adoration for Justin Bieber on the radio. As I struggled to endure the last few minutes on my elliptical, I listened as Cody struggled to contain her emotions for Justin. This 3-year-old’s crush put my past teenage crushes to shame. Never had I cried so openly or blatantly over a boy that made my heart skip a beat faster. Cody’s emotional response to her crush truly pulled on my heart strings. This little girl, who I’m sure watches Dora, wears ponytails, plays hopscotch, and eats peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, put my 28-year-old passions to shame.

Cody’s desire for Justin should be minimal compared to my desire for Christ. Yet, do I shed tears over missing time alone with God? Does it bother me when I miss my opportunity to tell others how wonderful my God is and what amazing things He’s done in my life? Do I hurt over time wasted in trivial matters rather than pursing my one true love? Do I desire to know more about my Savior than my spouse?

In the book of Psalms, David, known for being the man after God’s own heart, uses the examples of panting and thirsting after God. Psalm 42:1,2 states: “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, o God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?” Both action words simulate a real passion for wanting and needing God.

Fall in love all over again with the One who has given you everything. The One who holds your life in His hands. The One who holds your heart so dear. His everlasting love for us is worth crying happy tears over. Cody’s story ends happily ever after, and so can ours.

This second video is Cody’s happily ever after.

Do you desire God like Cody desires Justin Bieber?