Andrea pointed out to me today that the emails that go out from the site each day (whenever something new is posted) had been broken (for who knows how long). The links would point back to a non-existent page on the site.

I've gone back through & readjusted the links. Everything should be working again. Sorry for the inconvenience :-)

...a travel coffee mug that:

• Doesn't leak coffee from the openings in the top
• Doesn't have a handle that breaks easily
• Doesn't lose the seal on the inside after a short time
• Doesn't burn your hand when you pick it up
• Actually fits in my car's cup holder instead of me having to keep a hand on it to keep it from spilling while I drive
• Keeps my coffee warm for longer than 15 minutes

I'm on my fourth travel mug in a matter of three weeks :-(

Here’s your chance to pick up Robbie Seay’s new album, Give Yourself Away for free! It just released yesterday. I’ve had a pre-release for about a month & it is really good - a step up from Better Days.

What’s the rub? Relevant Magazine was giving away the CD as part of a promotion. That promotion has now ended, but they have yet to pull the album off, which means that if you hurry you can still get it!

No telling how quickly they will be pulling down the audio, so grab it while you can. If you miss it, you can grab a copy for $7.99 from iTunes.

Thanks to my friend Zach Delph for the heads up!

In 1969, the US Senate had a hearing on funding the proposed Corporation for Public Broadcasting, but President Nixon wanted it cut in half for the Vietnam War. Sometimes nice guys do win some.

Visit the website to see the video...

Okay, I'm ready. Reeeeaaaalllly read to go on vacation. T-minus 7 days until we leave on our much-anticipated time off.
And if the vacation/time-off wasn't enough of a pull... the beach is calling my name!
We have traditionally taken late vacations - many times as late as September & October. When you're involved in student ministry this is almost a must because summer's are your busiest time. I remember one summer that I was gone for three full weeks (not including all the night & weekend happenings) on church-related trips like camps & mission trips. That kind of schedule takes toll on you quickly. Fall time away was always a good chance for us to take a break & recuperate from the busy summer.

We're basically repeating much of last year's vacation to Myrtle Beach, SC. The timing works out great, in that we will get to the beach & basically have to share it for Labor Day. The rest of the week the beaches are pretty empty as families go home to get back into their regular work/school routines. The one over-arching thing that came out of our time at Myrtle Beach last year is that we, in Andrea's words, "fell in love with the beach/ocean."

So, we're headed back. The kids are pumped. Andrea & I are pumped. And I am now officially in that strange stupor between the elation of being gone in a little over a week and the stress of the work that it is taking to prepare to be gone for a week. I have double the work to do to get ready to go, and will have double the work to do when I get back to try and catch up. But it will be worth it. It will soooooo be worth it.

So, let's, hypothetically, say that I have this friend. For the ease of communication, lets call him "Alec" (any connection to real life individuals is purely coincidental). So, I get this cryptic email from "Alec" that simply says, "No big news... just..." I open it up, and it reads "Just wanted to send you this... to make you smile" with the image to the right attached.

Now, I say this is a purely hypothetical situation, because if "Alec" were really my good friend, surely he would have let me on to the little 'secret' that he was planning on joining the iPhone Cult (since I am sure that I would have played a big part in the aforementioned conversion process). But, no, this must be merely a figment of my imagination. :-)

It rained last night… for about 3 minutes. Andrea called me upstairs to come out to the deck to watch the downpour. We enjoyed it for a few because it feels like it’s been over a month since we’ve seen rain. We came back inside, went back out a few minutes later and it was done. 
So sad.

We started our community groups back up last night. It felt great to have people in our home sharing a meal & good conversation once again. We're co-leading a group with a friend, which will help share some of the demand having/leading a community group can be - both in preparing to lead the conversation surrounding the book we're doing ("Making Room for Life - Trading Chaotic Lifestyles for Connected Relationships" by Randy Frazee) and in getting the house ready for guests each week.

Honestly, if I could I would probably resign myself & the family to coming to a weekly worship service on an alternate night (Thursday, Saturday, etc.) and then plug in through a community group. I know not everyone else is comfortable with that kind of schedule, but for me it would work well. The value of connecting with a smaller group of other Christians, sharing meals & lives with one another, diving into God's Word at a deeper level, and strengthening relationships outweighs the difficulties, challenges, and uncomfortableness at times that come alongside those benefits.

Community isn't easy.

Connecting with other God-followers at the level that Christ calls us to connect is something that has to be worked at/out. It's the same struggle (albeit at a lighter level) that you face in marriage. The blessed relationship Andrea & I share doesn't come easy all the time. It is something that has grown through shared hardships as much as through shared joys (if not more).

If you are not connecting beyond a surface level with other people who are on the same spiritual journey as you - take a risk, step out & plug in. Allow God to work in you through others in a way that, I believe, will never happen flying solo.

• "Poor in India Hit Hard by Floods" (International Herald Tribune)

Just finished reading this story on the plight of India's poor dealing with monsoons and flooding in the country. It was hard to read through without thinking about the recent flooding in my hometown in southeast Kansas and throughout the midwest. The difference? Because of the country we live in, there is aid available - both charitable & governmental. For the poor in Indian, there is neither.

Coffeyville flood victims are, like this article, many of the poorest in the town. Those who could least afford to have their homes and possessions taken from them where the very people hit the hardest. And yet there was an immediate outpouring of charity and grace from the local community, from churches and Christians around the country, and from both local, state & federal government. India's poor faced with the same tragedy are left to wonder how they will even survive in the aftermath when crops are lost and work is hard to find. The government newspapers won't even report the plight of the poor, catering stories to those least affected and affectively ignoring the tragedy on their doorstep.

Please pray for the poor in these Indian towns who have lost home, family & life in the midst of terrible flooding. Continue to pray for the poor in Coffeyville and southeast Kansas struggling to carry on with their lives and the massive rebuilding process that the town now faces.

We’re in the middle of a massive drought. It’s amazing to me to hear about other parts of the country who have had to struggle through incredible rainfall this summer - all the while sitting through around-100 degree, dry weather here in Nashville.

I notice it in the brown grass (something I got used to growing up in the midwest summers). I notice it in the fact that my back yard looks like it’s fall already - with dead leaves scattered around begging to be raked up or mown under. I can’t even remember the last time it rained, honestly.

The Tennessean this morning staked the Nashville area (and probably half of the state) in “Extreme” drought conditions - “Major crop/pasture losses; widespread water shortages or restrictions.” The forecast for the next five days? The same as the last 5… hot & dry.

• The Tennessean Drought ‘07 Coverage

EDIT: Just watched the lunchtime forecast. Apparently the temperature was 106 degrees yesterday - one degree below Nashville's all-time highest temp. A carnival worker in Lebanon, setting up rides for the county fair died earlier this week after collapsing in the heat. Someone in Memphis died last week in their home - they had no air conditioning and were attempting to stay cool with only a ceiling fan. No sign of relief anytime soon, unfortunately.

First off, I just have to say that I still miss student ministry at times. I miss the relationships most. Some people would call me crazy, but I still enjoy sneaking into the middle school program on Wednesday nights at Gladeville just to be around students for awhile.

That being said, there are so many things that I enjoy about Young Adult ministry even more. One is that you get to have relationships with people at an amazing point in their lives. They are going to college for the first time. They are meeting that guy/girl of their dreams, getting engaged (congrats Robert & Ashley!), getting married. They are graduating & beginning their careers. They are having their first babies. So many exciting & wonderful life moments that I am blessed to get to share.

Our baby girl is growing up! Today was officially Emerie’s first day of school. She began a Mother’s Day Out program at a church about 5 minutes from us. No worries on her part - she was just fine leaving behind mom & dad in the hallway & had a great time.

I’ve posted just a few pictures of her before her first day of school on our Flickr site.

I also put up some photos from Alec’s visit here last weekend. Enjoy…

• Emerie’s First Day of Preschool
• Alec’s Visit - August 2007

CLICK IMAGE FOR A LARGER VERSION

Just finished uploading 88 new photos in two new photosets on our Flickr Account...

• Trip to Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom
• LifeWay - VBS 2008 Kickoff

It's been a little over a month and the hackers have been at it since day one trying to crack Apple's iPhone. Some of the attempts are purely for entertainment or customization purposes (changing icons, ringtones, etc.). Some are more nefarious (activating the phone without signing a 2yr agreement, making the phone usable with other carriers, etc.).

It's amazing to me how fast these guys work! I think it had been a little over a week when they had already produced a way to install custom ringtones on the phone. Of course, since the phone is software-based Apple was able to reset everyone's phones with their latest update. The hacks still work, though. Some have even produced software to make the process as user-friendly as possible.

I was playing around yesterday and customized a few things on mine. I've now got a TiVo logo up in the top left of the screen where the AT&T;logo used to be, and succeeded in installing several new ringtones. When Andrea calls, for example, it plays "I Only Have Eyes for You" by the Flamingos.

I think we're going to see Apple begin to open up the phone more for these kinds of features that I think most owners want, in addition to third party developers being able to develop for the phone instead of being locked to web-based applications like they are now.

I was happy to hear that my favorite Bible software company, Laridian, is fast at work developing a web-based version of the software that will initially be designed for use on the iPhone. Once it is complete iPocketBible.com will give me access to all the Bible versions I've already purchased from them (for use on my Palm/Treo devices that I used to own). Now to just get Michael talked into turning WiFi access back on in the sanctuary :-)

Well, I finally convinced myself to sit down for a couple of minutes and post something. I’ve been wanting to all week. It’s not like our life has stopped - the contrary is actually true. It has been extremely busy since about a week ago. I just figure that there really is no right time to do this, so…

Here’s quick snapshot of the past week in the lives of the Ediger family (after the break)…

Continue reading "There is No Right Time" »