Fun With Linux

Recently my friend Fran and I have gotten into Linux. Besides the fact that has probably elevated my geek status even further, I have to say that it really shouldn't. Why? Because I feel that Linux is ready for the desktop. There's a certain feeling you get when you use an operating system. Its a feeling of comfort. Usually you don't get that feeling right away because you don't know what certain things are going to do. I installed Suse Novell Linux with Gnome on a Virtual PC and let me tell you, I feel as if I could use it to work with everyday.

First of all, the installation was a piece of cake, detecting everything perfectly, resizing Windows partitions to make room, providing access to data on the Windows drive, etc. Gnome also has an incredible look and feel, as well as a very intuitive interface. The software has really come of age since I last tried Linux (around Redhat 8.0). There is OpenOffice, Firefox, Evolution as well as some other amazing software.

Probably the one piece of software that has surprised me the most is Mono. I have really been doing a lot of .NET develop recently and this project really amazes me. I was able to install this and run it to create a simple Hello World application in no time. Another little amazing feature I just found was the ability to use the Gnome Terminal Server Client to log in and administer a Windows Server! Amazing.

So, call me a geek, but I would have almost no trouble using this on a daily basis. It would take some time to get everything situated and find replacements for my core apps, but otherwise. Awesome work.

Friends That Have Been

Occasionally on the road of life, you get a chance to stop and realize just how far you have travelled and how much of an impact you have made. Recently I have seen one of my high school sweethearts walking into a Walmart, this time as a weary mother of three. I have had the opportunity of seeing a camper I helped accept Christ become a my old church's youth director and worship leader. All these memories have been flooding back to me at once, proving that only the fond memories truly last.

Tonight I was searching for some printed design work I had made while at Wood Heat (for a proposal) and instead found mounds of papers from my past. I found hundreds of cards, celebrating my life events in physical form. A "computer generated" birthday card from elementary school, high school graduation, my 21st birthday and various Valentines card from sweethearts past (and present).

I have also found hundreds of letters and read some of them. From Angi, Amber, Amy, Amanda, Becca, Megan, Jill, Brinton, Kris, Dan, Tessa, Lindsay, Jenn, Jaime among others. Reading them now I have some hindsight... did she like me? I never saw it back then... Is that what he meant, interesting. I read letters from girls (mostly) that have a sincere heart for God. I have found addresses and phone numbers on scrap pieces of paper ripped from envelopes. Names read that bring glowing faces to mind and warm feelings of youth -- and occasionally references to fond could-have-beens that never grew into life relationships.

My ten year high school reunion is coming up in November and I honestly can't wait. I hope to see some of these people again, especially Paul McCambridge and Jenn Voros. But most of the people I want to see worked at Camp Men-O-Lan and I'm afraid I may need to wait until Heaven to see them again. It makes me want to try to find them and contact them and see how they are. What would I say? To some, encouragement; to others not much except memories; to a few, I'm sorry for what I did. Maybe one day I'll read these letters and type what I would like to say if I ever meet these folks again. Maybe Google will index their name and they will one day see my blog and know what I meant to say long ago.

In closing, all this reflection has brought me to a new appreciation for current friendships and for family. It makes me understand the fragility of "keeping in touch" and how easy it is to forget. It makes me want to reach out more and move beyond myself. I want to strive to regain that which time has stolen. And above all it makes me want to work harder on my current relationships to leave no good word unspoken. Here's to you old friends....

The Music Room is Finished!

Jaime and I have embarked on a small renovation project as practice before we work on our downstairs. We decided to paint the room orange and have removed the large, non-functional furniture like the desk for a more appropriate form of IKEA storage. We still need to get some items at IKEA to finish (like the front of the file drawer) and also need to reinforce the wall cabinets with some angle aluminum (I didn't hit any studs :( for the support). But otherwise, what do you think? We are thinking a bean bag and lava lamp would really finish the room off (and a flat panel TV but...)

Along the wall 

The full room with lights on 

No more big desk! 

Orange light on orange walls 

The drum station with ambient lighting (overexposed) 

Before Community

This is just a quick preface to the next section to underscore one thing... that it was written out of deep concern and love for friends. So I hope that it is communicated in the spirit of love, knowing that I was called to write it down...

Created for Community

Recently I have witnessed some happenings with some close friends and have been called to pray for the situation. I have seen friends fall apart before and often times fear the same happening in my relationships. So as I prayed I asked God to turn the words of my lips from foolishness to wisdom with hope that I can bring some direction to the lives of my friends whether it be through my words, or my actions, or maybe just through the ridiculous distractions that permeate my life.

Shortly after this prayer God began to assemble in my mind a picture of what he desires of us.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and love one another as yourself"

That's the greatest command. So what does this mean? I think if you were to follow the Bible's story from beginning to end, you'd find that the general theme throughout is God intervening with his people. And while we tend to focus on the concept of "God intervening", we neglect the importance of "God's people". Just as we focus our attention to "Love the Lord", we shy away from "Love one another".

The Lord brought to remembrance His Word that I had listened to twice during my commuting days (I had the whole bible in dramatized form in CD and tape format). He then began to assemble in my mind His will in my life. But the odd thing is that His plan has nothing to do with "My Life", but rather "Our Lives", that being the body of Christ, the church. In other words, we need to focus our attention away from "What can I do for God" to "What can we do for God".

To that end I have noticed the presence of many "I" and "me" in conversations with my friends and naturally myself. I think we as a society have become so accustom to looking out for ourselves, we have no idea how to live in community; the reason why we have been created.

So why is this applicable? Why am I writing this post? To answer these questions, lets look at another verse...

"But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless." - Titus 3:9

I have seen those (in the past and the present) so adminant about the "law" that they completely destroy community... tearing apart churches, youth groups, friendships and families. I have been friends with people that became so legalistic and obsessed with keeping the law, that they have driven others away, all the while maintaining they were doing what is right in the eyes of the Lord. I have seen these same people then be judged as harshly than those that they have judged. The sad thing is that most times all this dissession is rooted in a desire to help, but we must be constantly mindful of how our words and actions effect the community. In the end it causes a small crack to form, a fissure, a rift, a chasm that seperates us from who we were created to be in Christ.

Now I ask, how can such division among the hiers of God please God? How can this be love? What do we do to fix this issue? First I think we need to identify the source of the problem... to do that we can look again at Titus...

"Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him. You may be sure that such a man is warped and sinful; he is selfcondemned." - Titus 3:10-11

The key to this verse is the word "divisive", because you need to know what side of this relational equation is divisive (if you are to inform that person or group of the issue).

"Creating dissension or discord; dissenting (especially dissenting with the majority opinion)" - Dictionary.com

So I now ask you, independent of what is right and wrong... to look at your heart and determine if it creating disaccord in the people of God. I believe that getting along is much more important than being right. If you read the beginning of Titus 3, you'll find a theme that's also repeated throughout the Bible... the fact that it's not our works that make us hiers of God, but the abundant grace that flows from the seat of glory. Sure we can get all perfectionistic and try to be holy all by ourselves but we will ultimately fail. We instead need to think how we can foster community in order to actualize into the sons and daughters of God. Anything that is not helping us to love God or each other is worthless and should be tossed.

So in closing, if you are divisive and you know who you are, you have been warned. I do not want to come out and point finger because it is not my place to judge (unless God nudges me to do so). I pray that you will make your case and trust in the bonds and relationships that have been formed with dilegence; that you will be assured that it has not fallen upon deaf ears. Be careful to craft this advice so it is to the benefit of the other, to save him/her from hardship.

And to you that are on the receiving end of this divisiveness, I pray you listen and do all that is possible to grow the body of Christ and not destroy that which God has brought together. Be wise and listen to the experience of others, discerning what is good in order to become a pure man of God.

And to those that are observing all of this, I pray you will be fervent with your prayers for those in conflict that they may ascend above the human desires and tendencies of the flesh to become hiers with God and to make decisions with wisdom and love. And to all, love one another as yourself and in doing so continue to love God with all your ability.

Living in a GAP

Well, last night I had one of those dreams. You know, that dream where you drive hours to an IKEA and buy like $1200 worth of... IKEA... The kind of dream where the actual Swedish employees come out to your car and congratulate you on how much IKEA you can pack into your car. (and say this in Swedish like "Hej Da!" Then that otherwise pleasant dream turns scary as you attempt to assemble most of it as soon as you get home at 10:00 PM. Of course wonderful things happen that make you glad its just a dream like nailing the entire backing of the TV unit on and then realizing you should have put the wood grain on the inside, but didn't because the dang instructions have no words, just goofy Swedish illustrations. Of course, this portion of the dream is not complete until you turn into a particle board drilling, widget screwing, cardboard box yielding zombie... going to bed around 2:00 AM.

And then you wake up and are happy that this really didn't happen. I mean who would spend $1200 at IKEA? Right? So you walk downstairs and begin to smell the faint waftings of cardboard packing and plastic stain. Then you open up a kitch cabinet door and (shriek) you find that handy-dandy little plastic gadget that will make your life infinitely easier. You know the thing made out of one piece of plastic that you can use to hold plastic grocery bags, or as a toilet paper dispenser... all this and more for a mere $2 at .... (nooooooooo) IKEA!

Yes, so my arm is still bruised from pinching. But I must say that for the price we got a ton of organizational materials like baskets, storgage with doors and living room furniture.

But the reason for this post... we got this cube like shelf to hold our clothes in the bedroom. We assembled it and but the designated lights on it and realized... that it looks like we are living inside of a GAP store. You know the ones with the jeans and the bent-on-the-70s-coming-back fashions.

Well, I say go with it... I'm thinking about making everything in our room match this unit and paint the walls and hang up some huge posters of good looking people in denim. I'm not sure what Jaime would think about this.

Well, I have so much I should write, but alas, I have an 8:00 AM meeting today (its almost 1 AM).