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Nov 18, 2006

Weekend Devotion & Reflections

"Fools have no interest in understanding;
they only want to air their own opinions".
proverbs 18:2

Cleaning Out The Files>>>more
devotion from rbc ministries
messages: A must "listen to":
Dr. Charles Stanley's
How To Handle The Burdens We Bear - Part 1
How To Handle The Burdens We Bear - Part 2

This is one of the reasons why I am so glad I am a Christian, knowing God has forgiven me of my sins...past, present, future. Two of my favorite movies are Ray and Walk the Line. One thing that stands out to me about these movies are regrets, guilt. Ray Charles and Johnny Cash had past demons that kept haunting them, the tragedies that happened in their lives. Even though it was not there fault they could shake the fact they thought it was their burden what happened to their brothers. That is why so many people are on a road of self destruction. No matter how many times you tell how nice they look, how much of you enjoy their company, what joy they bring into your lives, those compliments fall to the wayside because of past memories, past regrets, past guilt. Many Christians do the same thing, my brothers and sisters in Christ say with their mouths that God has forgiven that but they still carry that "yoke" around their necks by themselves.

Once you truly give your life over to Christ Jesus, he is our advocate, he is our attorney, God does not and will bring up our sins no more and that is an awesome feelings. Knowing that Jesus comes along side of us, gives us new life to carry on each and every day gives me a pep in my step and smile to my face. They are things that's happened in my life I wish that never happened to me...some things I brought on myself, somethings I have no control over; things that were once a huge burden around my neck. This is where my moods swings would come into play. One day I would be happy, joyful, fun to be around...other days I would want to be all alone, mad at the world, all because I would dwell on how I was teased in school because of my stuttering, how I was dateless in high school, the names I was called growing up. That was my crutch, my safety place. I was a very unpredictable, miserable person to be around.

Then in year 2000 took a turn for the better. When I found out how much God loved me, what His gave up for me on calvary, the fact that how Christ wronged no one and went to the Cross to have His Father look away from Him for a moment because Christ Jesus took my sins, MY SINS...past, present and future to live a for Him and to have guilt free life? How can I not be a happy person. This does not mean that I'm Ned Flanders (even though he is my favorite character) everyday. Past regrets come to me but they do not stay. I heard pastor Greg Laurie make this statement last night while I was at work, "all Christians should wear a sign around their neck saying, 'Christians..Under Construction...work in progress'". I thought that hit the nail on the head. That is what I am everyday. I'm not perfect, I'm going to make mistakes, I'm going to say the wrong things every now and then but I do not have to hold on to those mistakes I will make in the future because I once I truly repent of my sins, God remembers them no more.

To people who are not saved, give it over to Christ, lay your burdens on Him and He will give you strength you can not believe. To be able to live your life knowing you are covered by the blood of Jesus is the best feeling in the world. Situations will come believe me but the load of past regrets, mistakes you make will not be a hindrance to your life, you repent with all your heart and truly believe that Christ died for your sins, the memories of past regrets will be there but not the weight of your mistakes. And to my brothers and sisters in Christ...for you and I to feel we are not forgiven is an insult to our Father. He would not have sent His son, His ONLY son to suffer the beaten, the humiliation, the suffering on the cross for you and if our sins could not be forgiving. We have made mistakes, we will make many more in our lives because we are a work in progress and it is a process we will go through until we see Him again. Jesus died for you and I to have a wonderful life here on earth, to be a example to others...yes we are flawed, we are sinners, we make mistakes...but those things are badges of honor because we let the world know, without Him...we are nothing; with Him, we are conquerors.

Be Blessed, Be Safe, and Have a Wonder weekend~

Praying For Our Children
from Christian Embassy Church

Perseverance

"Lord, teach my children to persevere in all they do, and help them run with perseverance the race set before them".

Hebrews 12:1

Humility

"God, Please cultivate in my children the ability to show true humility toward all."

Titus 3:2

other devotions for the weekend:

audio messages from OnePlace.com

tech news for Saturday:

tech netcast for Saturday:

local/national/world news:

"People ruin their lives by their own foolishness
and then are angry at the Lord".

proverbs 19:3

Nov 16, 2006

Devotions & Reflection for Friday

this piece, was supposed to post yesterday but I revised, revised and revised again because of the subject matter. I apologize for the delay.
The Dead Sea Squirrels>>>more
devotions from rbc ministries
great audio sermons to help you and I as parents:
Pastor Paul Shepard's
Raising Kids Right - Part 1a
Raising Kids Right - Part 1b

The devotion from today was kind of cute but will hit home to many parents. Children are a gift from God and they are amazing and it's very true, at a very young age children are like a sponge and soak up in their developing brain just about everything they hear or see. What you pass on to your children can be a blessing to you or a curse. In this day and age parents really do not believe that but it's true. We tell our children don't use profanity but if they hear you and I swearing all the time, don't be surprise if it's past down to them. As well as smoking, drinking, telling lies...that passes right down to them. Children are very smart, very intelligent, they do what we do many times, not what we say.

I knew at a early age I didn't want children because I knew in my early 20's what it would take to raise children and I could not give them; quality time, quantity time, health insurance, love, love and more love. My prayers are with parents today, especially single parents because you have a much greater challenge today. I am a 1970's child(born in 1965...to many in Vox that makes me as old as Duncan McCloud of the Clan McCloud) to me the last era of most parents really being involved with their children's lives. That was the last era that when a teacher sent a note home with you it wasn't going to very pretty once your parents saw it; it was the last decade when most teachers and parents worked as a team.

When I hear now how some parents jump all over the teachers first then ask questions later it makes me cringe. Some parents have the right to do so because not all teachers are perfect and lets be honest, some teachers should not be in our school system at all but most teachers are dedicated educators and are working on a limited budget as it is and to compound that with some parents who are not teaching their children manners and having respect for authority only makes the matter worse.

My wife and I have been married for over 6 years now and it's been challenging everyday because of the struggle between me and the step children. She was married for 16 years previously and her ex husband and I are like night and day. Where he ran the streets, I'm a home body for the most part. Where I try everyday to put God first...her second...me third, the ex husband always put his needs before her or the children. Their children are grown and out of the house but guess who they gravitate too? Maybe later in life they will realize their father did more harm than good but for now it's a everyday struggle between us because when deep down inside when you have on man figure who tried to be their "buddy" and another that's trying to set Godly principles and values in their lives of course they're going to gravitate to the former, it's human nature. Later in life they will realize I was trying to prepare them for life and not trying to be a dictator...time will tell.

Parents today have a very challenging road ahead, your choices in finances, friends, how you treat and communicate with your spouse is being watch very closely by your children. And with all this from the world teaching children it's okay to live together without marriage, it's okay to sleep around, it's okay to live by your rules and your rules alone, not having respect for authority. We can not shelter our children, have them live in a plastic bubble but when applying the Word of God, letting your children see that you and I are not perfect and seeing you and I apologize when we're wrong, treating people the way we wish to be treated will go a very long way in their lives. Will our children make some mistakes in their lives, yes...will they push against the principles we are trying to teach them...yes; but will they respect and love you and I down the road...YES!! It's better to teach, discipline, correct your children when they are young than try to raise them once their grown and you and I as parents will not have to live with many regrets if they do choice to go down the "wrong" road of life.

The book of proverbs gives a very good blueprint on how we should raise our children. If we go by those principles and our children still choose a path of chaos and destruction for their lives, you will feel less regrets because you have placed within them Godly principles and we must remember God has given all of us free will to choose our path in life. Parents that haven't taught these principles, does this make you terrible parents, of course not. My mother was a God fearing woman but I did not know anything about the book of Proverbs until I became an adult. We as parents do the best with what we know and what tools we have at the time, this is just another tool I am passing on to you because nothing is more hurtful than to have past regrets hanging over our heads and weighing heavy on our hearts.

Like I have written before, I do this out of love and I'm not trying to be popular, I'm trying to live God's way. I grew up on both sides of the fence and let me tell you, I will have to live with some of the choices I have made for the rest of my life and I can not take them back. I'm not perfect, we as parents are not perfect but doing things God's way will bring more joy than pain when raising children and less guilt in our lives.

Be Blessed, Be Safe, &
Have a Great Day

DarrenKeith~

Praying For Our Children
from Christian Embassy Church

Joy

"Heavenly Father, grant that my children would be filled with the joy given by the Holy Spirit".

1 Thessalonians 1:6

Nov 15, 2006

Wednesday Evening Tech News

Tech News:

Nintendo Wii: Funny name, fun system
story from CNNMoney.com

f nothing else, you have to give Nintendo points for courage. When competitors decided to zig as the next generation of video game systems came along, Nintendo zagged -- and that gutsy decision may well give it an enormous market share boost in the coming years.

The Wii, which goes on sale Sunday, Nov. 19 for $250, is not a graphical tour de force. It doesn't support high-definition graphics. And forget about HD-DVD or Blu-Ray; this thing doesn't even play current generation DVDs (for now at least - a second version will be released next year). But it does make the gaming industry more accessible to those it unintentionally excluded before. Briefly put: The Wii is one of those rare video game machines that's worth trying to pick up during its first holiday season.

That, of course, will be easier said than done. Hardcore gamers will be fighting hard to get one early. But if you do manage to find one, grab it. The price is considerably lower than what Sony (Charts) and Microsoft (Charts) are charging for their new offerings -- and the system is one the entire family will enjoy.>>>more

Two of six airlines say there's no ink on iPod deal
story from appleinsider.com

he Cupertino, Calif.-based iPod maker, whose announcement coincided precisely with rival Microsoft Corp.'s official launch of Zune, said the in-flight iPod connectivity would be available to passengers beginning in mid 2007.

"It's way too early to confirm any such details," an Air France spokeswoman, referring to the iPod seat connectivity and a mid-2007 availability date, told Reuters.

Similarly, a spokesman for KLM told the media outlet there had only been "informal contacts" between Apple and the airline leading up to the announcement.

"It's very premature what Apple are saying," he said. "We have no idea if this is technically feasible, if it's financially viable, or it customers want it.">>>more

Mozilla Claims Firefox Better At Finding Phishers
story from techweb.com

A study sponsored by Mozilla has claimed that the company's Firefox browser is 18% to 23% better at spotting fraudulent phishing sites than Microsoft's Internet Explorer 7.

The survey, which was done for Mozilla by testing company SmartWare, answers a Microsoft-backed study released in September that put IE 7 at the top of the anti-phishing list.

According to Mozilla's figures, Firefox 2.0 correctly pegged between 78.85% and 81.54% of the 1,040 phony sites culled from a PhishTank list of phishing URLs. IE 7, meanwhile, identified 66.35% of the same sites.

Firefox and IE tackle phishing differently. Mozilla's browser offers two detection options: One is based on a locally-stored blacklist that's updated from Mozilla's servers about every half hour; the other queries Mozilla's partner Google each time a URL is requested to see if the address is in the search engine's phish database. IE, on the other hand, only offers a real-time lookup to match the destination URL with Microsoft's fraud list.>>>more

Hands on with the Mac Pro: Getting started
article from macworld.com

hen I joined Macworld a little more than a year ago, the company offered to buy me a Power Mac G5 for handling my Mac OS X Hints duties. But since I already owned a fairly fast Power Mac—a dual 2GHz G5, actually—it didn’t make much sense to go through the hassle and expense of an upgrade for a slightly faster processor. I decided to wait.

This summer, my wait paid off. Apple replaced the G5 line with the Xeon-powered Mac Pro, a machine with two dual-core processors for a grand total of four individual processing units. The Power Mac G5 has gone back to being my personal machine—the Mac Pro now does my heavy-lifting.

Back when I picked up a Mac mini earlier this year, I wrote an extensive three-part report on my experience of switching over to one of the early Intel-powered Macs. Given that the mini I have is on the low-end of Apple’s desktop offerings while my new Mac Pro is at the other end of the spectrum, I thought it would be interesting to give the Mac Pro the same treatment I>>>more

Former HP chairman pleads not guilty to felonies
story from cnet.com

Patricia Dunn, the former chairman of Hewlett-Packard, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to felony charges that stemmed from her role in overseeing a probe into boardroom leaks.

At a brief arraignment hearing here in Santa Clara County Superior Court, Dunn's lawyers entered her plea and she was released on her own recognizance.

Dunn, 53, is at the center of a corporate spying scandal at HP, which the company has acknowledged involved obtaining private phone records belonging to HP board members, employees and at least nine journalists. Among the journalists were three CNET News.com reporters.

California's attorney general has charged Dunn and four other people linked to the spying with four felonies, including identity theft and conspiracy. The charges could bring a prison sentence of up to 12 years.

The criminal case also threatens to drag HP's name back into the headlines for months. Ralph Sivilla, a state deputy attorney>>>more

As Zune Goes on Sale, Microsoft Says iPod Can Be Tamed
story from washingtonpost.com

Microsoft Corp. can break the dominance of Apple Computer Inc.'s iPod in the digital music market with the Zune player that went on sale yesterday, chief executive Steven A. Ballmer said.

"We can beat them, but it's not going to be easy," Ballmer said in an interview.

Zune is Microsoft's first product in the $4 billion U.S. digital music market dominated by the iPod. Microsoft marked the release with free concerts by rapper T.I. and the rock group Red Hot Chili Peppers.

"The market will have two big players for a long time, us and Apple," Ballmer said. "Obviously we're the David in this one; Apple's the Goliath."

Zune sells for $249.99 in the United States, the same price as an iPod with comparable storage space, and will compete>>>more

other news:

Get Out Now? Not So Fast, Experts Say
article from nytimes.com

One of the most resonant arguments in the debate over Iraq holds that the United States can move forward by pulling its troops back, as part of a phased withdrawal. If American troops begin to leave and the remaining forces assume a more limited role, the argument holds, it will galvanize the Iraqi government to assume more responsibility for securing and rebuilding Iraq.

This is the case now being argued by many Democrats, most notably Senator Carl Levin of Michigan, the incoming chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who asserts that the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq should begin within four to six months.

But this argument is being challenged by a number of military officers, experts and former generals, including some who have been among the most vehement critics of the Bush administration’s Iraq policies.>>>more

Reid Pledges To Press Bush On Iraq Policy
story from washingtonpost.com

Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.), who was elected Senate majority leader yesterday, said last night that President Bush still has not grasped the urgent need to change course in Iraq. Reid vowed to press quickly for phased troop withdrawals, a more international approach to Iraq's problems and a rebuilding of the depleted U.S. military.

In his first extensive interview since the Senate Democrats' leadership election, Reid also said members of his party will have to think big on the nation's domestic issues. That includes tackling the budget deficit with strict new rules on spending, exploring an eventual expansion of Medicare to address the uninsured, and examining an increase in tax rates on upper-income Americans.>>>more

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