The Way Home - a review
I reviewed the movie for Book Sneeze.
A quick look at my little world.
I reviewed the movie for Book Sneeze.
Posted by Jeff Smith at 4:33 PM 0 comments
Labels: Movie Review
Posted by Jeff Smith at 10:02 PM 0 comments
Labels: books
Interesting recruiting notes from ESPN.com - College Basketball
Reggie Bullock, 6-6, 190
Kinston, N.C./Kinston
College: North Carolina
Bullock has great size and can score with regularity from all three areas of the floor. His slashing ability, midrange pull-ups and deep 3-point range are all strengths. He shoots over smaller defenders with ease and will give UNC coach Roy Williams a big-time versatile scorer who should thrive in the Tar Heels' transition game.
Kendall Marshall 6-4, 180
Arlington, Va./Bishop O'Connell
College: North Carolina
Marshall is the best passer in all of high school basketball. In transition, he handles the ball with his head up and eyes taking a picture of the court to see if the advance pass is available. Everything this young man does throughout the course of a game has a purpose. He plays the game like Jason Kidd.
Posted by Jeff Smith at 9:44 AM 0 comments
Labels: UNC
I was shocked, confused, bewildered
As I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
Nor the lights or its decor.
But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp—
The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
The alcoholics and the trash.
There stood the kid from seventh grade
Who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.
Herb, who I always thought
Was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
Looking incredibly well.
I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal?
I would love to hear Your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must've made a mistake.
'And why's everyone so quiet,
So somber - give me a clue.'
'Hush, child,' He said, 'they're all in shock.
At the thought of seeing you.'
Posted by Jeff Smith at 5:08 PM 0 comments
I was accused of being a spam blog. I was told by Blogger that they would investigate me. I guess they did and the notice on my blog homepage is gone... so, I'm taking that to mean I'm not a spam blog. Good to know. Thanks.
Posted by Jeff Smith at 5:07 PM 0 comments
Labels: daily stuff
The last thing that Cassandra Higgins expects out of her Sunday is to be mesmerized at a collectors’ convention by a snowglobe. She’s enjoying some shopping time, with husband Ken at home tending their brood of four young boys, when she’s utterly charmed by the one-of-a kind globe containing figures of three dogs and a little girl with hair the color of her own. She can’t resist taking the unique globe home– even if means wrestling another shopper for it!
The beautiful snowglobe sparks long-dormant memories for Cassie, of her beloved Grandpa Wonky, the stray she rescued as a child, and the painful roots of her combative relationship with her mother, “Bad Betty” Kamrowski. Life in Wanonishaw, Minnesota is never dull, though, and Cassie keeps the recollections at bay, busy balancing her boys, her home daycare operation, and being a good friend to best pal Margret. But after a strange–flurrious, as Cassie deems it–moment happens with the remarkable snowglobe, Cassie and the people she loves are swirled into a tumultuous, yet grace-filled, and life-changing journey.
With the quirky, close-knit Midwestern small-town feel that made Charlene Ann Baumbich’s acclaimed Dearest Dorothy novels so popular, Stray Affections invites you to experience the laughter and the healing of second chances.
Posted by Jeff Smith at 3:57 PM 0 comments
Labels: books
Now you can keep an eye on your teenager's driving habits, even control their maximum speed and radio volume. It is Helicopter Parents to the Extreme.
This is part of the YS Blog. Read it and tell me what you think.
Today’s USA Today reports that Ford Motor Company is unveiling something new, aimed at helping teen drivers practice safe driving.MyKey lets parents configure one key as the teen’s. When the car is started with
MyKey, top speed can be limited to 80 mph, and chimes can be set to sound at 45
mph, 55 mph and 65 mph.
Seat belt use is encouraged in two ways: If the
driver and passenger don’t put on their belts, a chime sounds until they do.
Possibly more important to teens: The audio system won’t turn on until the front
two passengers are buckled up.
It can also max out the audio at half
volume (which is still plenty loud), keep track of the young driver’s mileage
and provide earlier low-fuel warnings than standard.
It all sounds so reasonable, doesn’t it? A device that prevents kids from dangerous behavior is probably a good thing. I’ve had students get in serious car accidents. I’ve witnessed teen drivers be involved and even cause fatal car accidents. And I certainly know the dangers and statistics about teen drivers.
Yet, I can’t help but point out that MyKey treats the symptoms of the problem without solving the problem. (Perhaps this amplifies the problem by electronically preventing poor driving?) The problem isn’t the cars ability to go fast, play loud music, or beep when the seat belt isn’t in use. The problem is that we don’t expect teens to be safe drivers. The problem is that when a child gets a citation for reckless driving that the parents keep giving their child the keys. As with other monitoring devices, this gives parents the ability to monitor their behavior without ever having a conversation with their child. Isn’t this just another tethering device that, in effect, prevents teenagers from growing up, learning from their mistakes, and getting a taste of freedom?Isn’t adolescence all about individuation, experimentation, and learning how to be a unique person away from parents?
Five years ago, youth workers started to notice the helicopter parent phenomenon. Kids had to call mom or dad constantly to inform them of their latest position, what they were doing, who they were with. Additionally, parents were anywhere they were allowed. I remember looking out my youth room window while teaching and seeing 2-3 parents spying in… just to keep an eye on what their kid was doing. Now, thanks to mobile phones GPS, cars GPS, and devices like MyKey, parents can call their child at any second as well as monitor their behavior via satellite. We are moving from helicopter parents to satellite parents. And I’m not sure that’s a good thing for adolescent development.
Thoughts?
September 1st, 2009 - Posted By: Adam McLane in adolescence, news item
Posted by Jeff Smith at 11:20 AM 0 comments
Labels: blogs, Youth Group
I hooked up with iTickets.com a while back. They let you know about concerts in the area - of course sometimes the "area" is REALLY big, but they do let you know what is around. If you sign up (free - get a password and user name), they will send you free music. They tell you one free song (MP3) each week. Usually it is at least two and sometimes 4 or 5. This week I got 4. 2 that I really like already and the other 2 are good. Sometimes it will be a song I'm not interested in keeping, but most of the time I like it. This week I got: (check it out)
"Love Is On The Move"
by the artist Leeland
from the album Love Is On The Move
"You're Not Shaken"
by the artist Phil Stacey
from the album Into the Light
"Tomorrow"
by the artist Our Heart's Hero
from the album Our Heart's Hero
"Waitin' on You"
by the artist Stephanie Smith
from the album Not Afraid
Tell 'em "Jeff sent ya." It won't get you anything, but it might make them wonder, "Is there a 'Jeff sent ya' promotion." That would be kinda funny - of course you will never know what happened on their end... but you can imagine.
Anyway, good and free music. Nice combo.
Posted by Jeff Smith at 11:16 AM 0 comments
Labels: music
Some how someone has been able to hack my blog. I've changed settings. I'm not sure what to do. I even changed my password. Any suggestions? Please?
Posted by Jeff Smith at 9:16 AM 0 comments
I'm not a big lawn mowing fan. Push the mower around a bit and then next week... same thing. SO, since we've been away more than we've been home this summer, I've not mowed my backyard in about 2 months. It's not high, just thick. I did mow it yesterday. Took a long time. I knew it was thick when a group of boy scouts got made because they were on a nature camp out and I'd scared a family if deer.
Anyway, all is mowed... I think I hear it growing again.
Posted by Jeff Smith at 10:41 PM 0 comments
Labels: daily stuff
I pulled this from an email about a church that developed an ap for the iPhone to help there people worship. The how is not as important as the why. The following is a quote from the information. After that is 4 questions... 4 questions I'd like help with. Thanks.
Northland (A Church Distributed) is a central Florida church that is all about helping people worship where they are. Northland's $42 million facilities in Longwood were built with the vision that they would serve as a "distribution point" rather than a "destination."
<> Are we a distribution point or a destination?
<> What does that mean?
<> Do we want to change?
<> How can we change?
Help!
Posted by Jeff Smith at 10:54 PM 0 comments
Posted by Jeff Smith at 11:19 PM 0 comments
Labels: books
Ever been on a cruise? We went on a Disney Cruise, the whole family. It was INCREDIBLE. But, now we're back and we all have cruise withdrawal. I expect it to be a recognized clinical disorder, like postpartum syndrome, post traumatic syndrome or ADD. It will probably be featured on Law and Order or some other crime drama with court cases.
"We find the defendant not guilty your honor. He has 'post traumatic Disney cruise line withdrawal' or PTDCLW."
Gasps are heard all over the courtroom. Children cry. A group of older women and in the back praying.
OK, maybe not. But, man! I wanna go back.
Here's to DCL!
Posted by Jeff Smith at 11:02 PM 0 comments
Labels: vacation
Posted by Jeff Smith at 1:16 AM 0 comments
Labels: books
Posted by Jeff Smith at 12:25 PM 0 comments
Labels: books
This review is from my wife
Pressure Proof Your Marriage
My husband and I teach a Sunday school class for married couples at our church. We have used this particular book as a reference guide in our class. This book is a great reminder that marriage is not a matter of IF pressure will come but WHEN and how you will respond. Thanks for the helpful insights.
Posted by Jeff Smith at 11:55 PM 0 comments
Labels: books
Posted by Jeff Smith at 10:34 PM 0 comments
Labels: books
You've got to check out this video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBPG_OBgTWg
Derren Brown really messes with your mind.
Posted by Jeff Smith at 2:12 PM 0 comments
Labels: fun
I'm having issues with someone posting to my blog. I apologize and I'm looking into it. Has this happened to anyone else? What did you do? Thanks
Posted by Jeff Smith at 10:11 AM 0 comments
Labels: blogs
I read several financial blogs. They all have to do with saving money and spending less. One is "Get Rich Slowly." Today's post is about simply buying stuff. It doesn't say "don't buy" but "questions to think about." Read it here.
A few questions are: When will I use this?, If I buy this, can I pay cash?, Can I wait to buy this?, Do I have another one like this already?
There are 6 other questions, all with comments to follow. Excellent stuff. Good questions to to think about before buying.
Posted by Jeff Smith at 11:48 AM 0 comments
I don't really like to think about death. I'm sure you don't either. But, I came across this article in a blog about being prepared. Actually it was making sure your family is taken care of. Check it out here. It is really something to think about. Good stuff.
Posted by Jeff Smith at 10:43 PM 0 comments
Labels: family
Seems like my blog is on again - off again. Not sure if I want to continue to commit to posting. I've got good intentions, but just not a lot of follow through - so many "things" in my life right now. I read a bunch of blogs and try to keep up with facebook.
Some of the blogs I read...
The Simple Dollar - great stuff about saving money, one of my favorite blogs to read
http://www.morethandodgeball.com/ - Josh Griffin from Simply Youth Ministry/Group/Saddleback Church
http://lifehacker.com/ - Just some real interesting stuff. Lots of general "stuff" - cooking, saving money, stuff about computer/Internet and much more. Really worth having in your downloader. I don't read everything - just look at the headers and read what is interesting.
The Minimalist - a really neat read from a guy who writes on dining for the NY Post. He doesn't post much, but it is interesting. Usually talks about something involving cooking, but in simple terms.
Student's Say the Darndest Things - Youth Pastors write in about what there student have said. Usually very funny. Mostly a one liner so not mush time involved. Check it out for a laugh.
Stuff Christians Like - Poking some serious fun at Christians. Check out some of his posts like "church hopping." Fun stuff - sometimes lengthy, but usually good.
Mark Batterson's Blog - good, interesting stuff
Statsheet - more stats on sports than you could EVER need. Of course I have my set on UNC.
Rick Womack - my room mate from college. He is on staff in the Georgia Conference for the IPHC.
Darien Gabriel - my good buddy. Used to be a youth pastor in Wilson, NC. We used to hang out, have lunch, talk. Then he took a demotion to become a Senior Pastor in Summerville, SC.
No, that's not all. But it is some of my favorites.
Posted by Jeff Smith at 3:20 PM 0 comments
Labels: blogs
Posted by Jeff Smith at 1:24 PM 0 comments
Labels: books
Hello again,
I had sent you an email a few weeks ago, but never received a response. I was checking out your
blog, and really enjoyed some of your thoughts.
I was wondering if you'd be kind enough to check out a neat little Bible Verse script I had created,
that would look great on your blog. It randomly displays a Bible Verse each time the page is loaded,
and has 17 different Bible translations available.
Of course it is 100% free to use, as we are just looking to support fellow Christian sites. You can also
configure the script for the look and feel of your site. Please take the time to check it out:
http://www.sacredmint.com/webmaster/christian-random-bible-verse.htm
I'd be happy to assist you in setting it up, and even create some custom graphics if you need them.
Please let me know your thoughts, I'd love to hear them.
Thanks in advance, and God Bless...
Jason Del Giudice | |
Phone: | (866)923-4656 |
Email: | jdelgiudice@sacredmint.com |
Web: | http://www.sacredmint.com |
Posted by Jeff Smith at 11:00 AM 0 comments
Posted by Jeff Smith at 10:02 PM 0 comments
Labels: books
Copying this from Adam Mclane
Last week just about every youth ministry blog on the planet featured a video of an 80s band singing “Jesus is a friend of mine.” And it is very funny. Over the weekend our friend David Crowder was inspired when they showed the video during the announcements at their church. During the sermon he and his band disappered to an office and worked out this memorable remix. This is why we love Mr. Crowder.
Posted by Jeff Smith at 6:00 PM 0 comments
Labels: fun
Our new worship team? No, but it sure is funny.
Posted by Jeff Smith at 11:51 AM 0 comments
Is it for fun? Are they serious? You be the judge...
Posted by Jeff Smith at 9:21 AM 0 comments
Labels: fun
I missed my 20th High School Class Reunion. I've not kept up with many friends from High School, but I've heard from a few since the reunion. I'm regretting missing the fun. I have heard they are thinking to do it again for the 25th. That would be nice.
Posted by Jeff Smith at 2:09 AM 1 comments
Labels: daily stuff
I bought gas today for $3.44. How is that? Crazy we are getting excited about getting gas that is still over $2. Ahhhh! But still, $3.44.
Posted by Jeff Smith at 1:38 AM 0 comments
Labels: daily stuff
Posted by Jeff Smith at 11:55 PM 0 comments
Labels: books
Just read some interesting stuff about ditching the old bulletin and moving to something simpler, eventually easier, web driven and less taxing on the environment. The reason why and how is explained better here and here. Read the first "here" first. Anyway... good stuff. Not sure if it will work for our older congregation. Not sure how many would got to the web for info and everyone wants their stuff IN the bulletin... every week. It is a change of thinking. I like the fact that it makes us think further in advance, plan better.
What do you think?
Posted by Jeff Smith at 11:21 AM 0 comments
Labels: Church, Time management
I'm home today with Rachel, my youngest. She was running a fever. It is also Sunday. While I'm actually on the "paid" staff, my wife is more "needed" on Sunday mornings. She leads worship. Most of what I do on Sundays is done in advance and then I just ... work on Sunday (help in our Sunday School class - Rhonda leads discussion, help in Kids Zone, hang out with people, etc.). ANYWAY, I told Rachel that I had a surprise for her later and to let me know when she needed a surprise. Well, just about the time I get busy on something, she informs me that she needs her surprise. I told her to wait - which she did. Then I thought, "that was lame." I had told her to tell me when she needed a surprise and then when she did, I made her wait. Lesson learned? NO! I told her she could get on Webkinz when she put away what she was playing with in the living room. She did and again I was in the middle of something and made her wait. Maybe I learned the second time.
Lesson: when you offer something, give it in a timely manner.
She was a good sport. She was very patient.
Can you think of other lessons to be learned?
Posted by Jeff Smith at 12:53 PM 0 comments
Labels: daily stuff, lessons from the kids
Rhonda and I went to see "Fireproof" movie. It was a free screening for pastors and church leaders. "Fireproof" is a great movie. Plan to take your spouse, friends, family. Everyone should see it. There are a couple of things to keep in mind. This movie is not a sly Christian movie. It is very upfront with Christian values and themes. BUT, it is done very well. Excellent movie. Check it out here:
Posted by Jeff Smith at 11:54 AM 0 comments
Labels: Movie Review