Portable Apps Review.

Ok today I was able to use firefox from my work computer without having to install it. It all ran right off of my jump drive. It was actually quicker than the IE installed on my work computer. It was so nice to have my tabbed browsing back. We still only have IE 6 at work and I am not sure when they will let us update to IE 7.

I have not used any of the other apps yet, but may try those out as needed. IF you are looking for a way to take firefox with you wherever you go, this is an ideal solution.

-c-

New Digital Camera

The older digital camera started giving us problems last week draining the batteries within 24 hours while not in operation.
Saturday while we were out, I was looking at a good not too expensive replacement and we purchased an Olympus FE21o.
I went from 2.5 Megapixles to 7.1 and the LCD screen is like 4 times as big. It has a lot more features too. So I am all excited about using the new toy. So far I really like it. It boots up very quickly and I can change scene setups very quickly. This will work perfectly for our family camera.

I have a much more expensive taste for one that is just way out of my price range at the moment. Down the road though, I hope that I can get a sweet digital camera with optional telephoto lense and rapid fire pictures.

What kind of digital camera do you use?

Portable Apps - take your applications with you.

Ever wish you could have your applications from your home computer on your work computer? I sure do, particularly Firefox. I just found an article about PortableApps. With this free download I can put certain applications onto my jump drive and take them with me wherever I go. Sounds pretty cool to me. I am going to try it out this weekend because I am currently at work and don't need to download this on the job.

If you have ever used this and happen to catch my posting here, feel free to comment about what you think. I will post my review of it after I have tested it thoroughly.

-c-

Car Windshield Replaced.

Here is the crack above.

Below is my car sans windshield during replacement.

My car windshield deflected a rock on the highway last Friday and had to have my windshield replaced after the crack grew across the windshield over the weekend. It was really weird seeing my car with no windshield. I learned a lot from the installer about the glue and sealer that it takes to keep your windshield safe. I also scored some free wipes to remove tar and other sticky things from my car. I have a nasty splash of something on the driverside rear and these wipes were taking it right off of the car. Pretty cool stuff although I had to drop my $250 to cover the deductible for the replacement. Thats better than the $500 estimate.

-c

'Invincible' Movie Review

I watched the movie 'Invincible' yesterday starring Mark Wahlberg as Vince Papale in his story about walking onto the Philadelphia Eagles. It was produced by the same people who did 'The Rookie' and 'Miracle'.

I am a sucker for these sports movies especially ones that are based on true stories. Wahlberg did great in the role as Vince Papale. It was cool also to watch the extra features where they had a lot of footage of Vince Papale on the set and working with them to help better portray his story. I was hoping for some more football footage of hits and stuff, but this really is more about the dramatic side of things, so its cool that they didn't bury the story with overdone scenese and affects.

There was one really good hit in the movie where you see Papale (Wahlberg) running down the sideline and he gets blindsided and completely taken out of bounds. He absolutely gets drilled by the other player. In the bonus features they talked about that hit because it wasn't supposed to happen. The guy was supposed to miss Wahlberg, but they misstimed something and he totally crushed him. The hit was so good and obviously very real so they kept it in the film.

All in all, it was a very cool story. I will put it up there with 'Rudy' and 'Miracle'.

Overall rating A-

Celebration of 100 posts.

Yeahhhh!!! I have officially hit the 100 post mark on this blog. There is still not a whole lot of regular readers, but we'll see if we can attract more traffic down the road. Currently my family is pretty much the only people who visit here. Lets see if by 200 posts we can get some visitors that I am not related to.

-c

Kyte TV

I found a new service online to share videos, pictures, slideshows, and music. Check out my kyte tv channel here or you can view the embeded video below. You can switch videos on my channel by using the left and right arrows on the screen below.

The Bad News Bears - 2005

I have been catching up on watching some movies recently using my Netflix. I just haven't had time to go to the theaters that much since the kids were born.

I am a big fan of baseball and I love the original 'Bad News Bears' movies from the late 70's, but this one disappointed me a little bit. I remember watching the original as a kid and there was some trash talk and fighting amongst the kids on the team, but they modernized this one and had to give it a rating of PG-13 for rude behavior, language throughout, some sexuality and thematic elements.

I can't let my kids watch it until they are old enough that they probably will think its a dumb movie anyways. I know that it was a remake for the older generation to enjoy and that is all good, but they really turned a classic movie for kids into something that I would not let them see until they were much older.

I do have to say that casting Billy Bob Thornton as the coach was perfect. He has always been very good at playing complete jerks. I just cannot imagine anyone else taking that role today. It was also very cool how they recreated some scenes from the old version almost identical from the original. The kid in the wheelchair was a funny add as well.

My overall rating is a C mainly because I can't show it to my kids until they are much older.

-c

Who Are These Guys Podcast

I posted earlier commenting on a podcast that I was listening to and I promised to post the link to it later when I got home from work. So check out Tony Steward and Josh Griffin's Podcast called "Who Are These Guys"

I have become an avid blog reader and Josh and Tony are both very passionate about 2 things that I am very passionate. Youth Ministry and Technology. I guess you could call me a Jesus Geek. Anyways, if you are into this stuff then you will like their blogs and this podcast, so check it out if you get time.

-c

Josh's funny story about 'ass'

I am listening to the 'Who Are These Guys' podcast and Josh Griffin had a funny story about 'ass'.

He has a devotional that he reads to his kids about donkeys and it compares donkeys to people and says, "some people can be jackdonkeys." That kills me that this is actuallyin a kids devotional book and then I get to hear a youth pastor talk about jackdonkey on a podcast. I am rolling.

And that is how we are starting off blogging on this Monday.

*************************************

3:47 PM EDIT - Now they are calling it the assisode LOL!!!!

I will post links to this podcast later.

Name Change Again.

My name is Chris Walker and I have a problem. I cannot decide who I want to be when I grow up.

I got to thinking last night that there are a lot of things that I want to do and learn that require a lot of time and practice. I don't have a whole lot of free time to devote to certain hobbies and at this rate, I am never going to learn any of them. One weekend I focus on wood working and the next weekend, I edit video and make DVD's, while my guitar sits in the corner in need of tuning. I also like to keep a nice yard and spend time outside. I am beginning to think that it is very possible that I will never become as accomplished in any of these things as I want to be.

I changed the blog name again because I cannot decide the best way to represent myself in my online persona. In the past I have had simple names, funny names, and serious names. This one is more geek speak. I figure that my online identity is very much a nerd, so I should name it this way. If you don't understand the name, you can ask me and I will explain it. Depending on how nerdy you are, you may think its stupid or not get it at all.

I definitely cannot just devote this blog to one of my hobbies. So you are going to get the whole enchilada at this blog. You might see devotional stuff where I get preachy. You might see me get excited about something that only hacker and computer geeks get excited about. You might see pictures of my family and funny things that my kids do. You might here me vent about some crazy event in my life. I have a very diverse personality, so hopefully you get me and you like it. If not, too bad because that is what you are going to get here.

Oh, I updated my template. Let me know what you think about it. Have a good Friday!

-c

Physical Training

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (New International Version)

24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.
25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

I have been struggling a lot lately with my weight gain and it has become quite the frustration of mine. It gets so much harder as I get older to burn the calories off. I know what it takes to lose the weight and there are no easy answers. I make excuses all of the time about it, but really excuses are getting me no where. I need to overcome my justifications and just make major changes to my lifestyle.

It helps me when I apply the Bible to my physical health and the verses above remind me what I need to do and encourages me to go after it. For too long, I have allowed my body to enslave me using my appetite. I need to 'beat my body and make it my slave' because my health can really slow down the plans that God has for me. The flesh is temporary, but I must take care of this vessel because it is required to exist in this world. As long as I am a slave to the flesh, I will never be as effective as I could possibly be.

Lord, I pray for your strength and guidance. Please help me to implement the discipline needed in my life no matter how painful I may think it is or how uncomfortable I get. I know that these pains and sufferings pale in comparison to what you have suffered for me. By your grace I get time here on earth to do your work and allowing myself to give in to the flesh shortens that time. This is not my home, but a layover on my way to my true home and I sometimes start to believe that this is all that there is, but this is really nothing at all. Help me Lord where I fall short and become weak. By my strength when I fall and carry me when I cannot walk. Without you I am nothing. Help me to break free of the slavery that I am in. You are the potter, I am the clay. Mold me Lord into something Beautiful.

Amen

The World on My Shoulders.

1 Corinthians 10:1-13 (NIV)

Warnings From Israel's History 1For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3They all ate the same spiritual food 4and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.
6Now these things occurred as examples[a] to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. 7Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in pagan revelry."[b] 8We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9We should not test the Lord, as some of them did—and were killed by snakes. 10And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.
11These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come. 12So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! 13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Bear with me because this is my first go at this sort of thing. I have pasted the scripture here so that you can read what I am working from. Feel free to comment about what you like, don't like, or suggestions for change.

I chose this scripture because it relates to how we respond to adversity in our spiritual lives, plus it contains one of my favorite verses that I remember when I need some encouragement.

The first 5 verses gives us a quick review of a period of Israelite History. Remember the people who came out of Egypt with Moses across the divided sea and into the wilderness following the cloud and pillar of fire while God fed them and watched over them. They saw so many cool things that if I saw them today, there would be no doubt in my heart that God existed and is looking out for me. Despite all of their experiences with Moses and God and they saw it with their own eyes, they still allowed their hearts to turn to evil ways. How I wish sometimes that God would make a visual appearance on earth today so that I could see him working directly. It also scares the Be-Jesus out of me to think about it. He does work directly on earth through the Holy Spirit, but it just does not seem as obvious to us anymore.

Verse 6 points out that this scripture history was recorded as a warning to us now. There were major and immediate consequences back in the day. All of the Israelites who came out of Egypt with Moses died in the wilderness as punishment with the exception of Caleb and Joshua who believed that God would deliver them to the promised land. After the Israelites forced Aaron to make the golden calf, Moses made them walk through the camp with a sword at their side killing each other and 3000 people died that day. God wanted to smite them all, but Moses defended them and pleaded with God to spare them. (Exodus 32) These verses specifically warn us about idolatry, sexual immorality, testing God, and even grumbling.

It is so easy to let other things in life take the place of God in our hearts. Ask yourself, where is your passion? What is your top priority in life? What will you drop everything else that you are doing to work on? Maybe it's your job, your family, a television show, socializing with your friends. These things are not necessarily bad things, but if you drop God to do something else, you have your priorities messed up. I am very guilty of this when I try to block out my time in the evening so that I can play on the computer with some little new project I am working on, or I want to watch '24' on Monday nights. I justify it by saying that I deserve my time, but if I am cutting God out so that I can relax, I am off the mark.

The last several verses are my favorite because everything up to this point makes things look bleak for me because I let God slip in my priorities a lot more than I realize. This is where we are warned that if we think we are standing strong, we need to watch our step because the opportunites to fall are everywhere. Verse 13 is the verse that gives us hope.

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.

Whatever adversity you face, there is someone else who is going through the same thing. Not only has others dealt with your situation, but God is right there with you and He know what you can and cannot handle. Its all in how you respond to adversity. If you believe that God's Word is the complete truth as I do, then you must know that no matter what trials you face, God will not let it crush you. The world may be coming down on you, but all you have to do is have faith and stand strong. Superchick has a song called Stand in the Rain. The chorus goes like this:

So stand in the rain
Stand your ground
Stand up when it’s all crashing down
You stand through the pain
You won’t drown
And one day what’s lost can be found
You stand in the rain

This passage inspired me because I know that I have not been doing a very good job of standing firm lately when it comes to my time with God. I focus all of my energy on trying to carry the load of the world when I should be focused on God and just stand. There are sometimes where you just have to let go and let God. Will you weather the storms with me? We can build each other up in our times of great struggle. Sometimes all we need is to see someone else standing beside us for encouragement. You don't have to go it alone.

I hope that this has been a good thing for you. I can guarantee that they all will not necessarily be this long. It may sometimes just be a short snipet on a verse or 2. Please comment your thoughts or reactions.

Keep walking,

chris

Trying Something New.

I know that not many people frequent my blog. It is probably because it is just not very interesting and if you know about it, I probably already talked to you about what I am blogging about. So why would you want to read it again after we have already discussed it? Exactly.

Ok, so I want to try something a little bit different. As a Christian with a very busy life involving family, work, and ministry, I struggle with making time to devote to prayer and bible study as I once used to. Some people get up earlier in the morning to do this. If you know me, my alarm goes off at 5 AM and I get out of bed at about 20 till 6. Getting up earlier is not an option and my brain doesn't really turn on until about 7 AM. That is a lot earlier than it used to turn on though. Early morning just does not work for me when I am going into work. If I try it at night I end up staying up much later than normal and I have a harder time waking up at 5 AM. Many times I just fall asleep praying which to me is not quality time with God and its like I am squeezing Him into my day instead of giving Him priority.

So I typically can find time on my lunch hour at work or when things are really slow I can read and study. It is hard sometimes to do that there without distractions.

On top of my personal time, I feel the need to pour out and share with my family and more specifically my youth leadership team. We all have busy schedules and are unable to have a Bible Study outside of Youth Group. I want to do something deeper than what we do with the teens because we need more to chew on.

So, my new idea is that I will use my blog here to basically post up devotionals that I do and share God's word with whoever chooses to visit here. I don't claim to be any great theologian or master of Biblical Studies, but I do have a desire to share what I take from it and I hope that it encourages and inspires you.

So this will be my pulpit on top of my regular postings. You can take it or leave it. At the very least, it will guide me in my personal studies and give me an outlet to share the things that God is teaching me.

Look for the first posting in the very near future.

-chris

Josh Hamilton

If you haven't heard of Josh Hamilton yet, let me introduce you to him. He is my new favorite Cincinnati Red.

He was the overall number 1 pick in the MLB draft in 1999 out of Highschool by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. He is recovering from a cocaine addiction that took him out of baseball from 2003-2005. The Reds picked him up from the Cubs in December giving him the chance to show that he can still play and stay clean.

Currently the Reds are very set in the Outfield with Griffey, Dunn, and Freel, but coach Jerry Narron has said that he wants to get Hamilton as many at bats as he can. He will be able to fill in and give these guys a night off here and there. Freel also has the tendency to get hurt, so we will probably see a lot of Hamilton this year.

He has hit a homerun in each of his last 2 games against the Diamondbacks. It really is the feel good story of the year in baseball and is fascinating to see him playing after everything that he went through a few years ago.

Ephriam's Dance Video - Never Let Me Go

Ephriam really likes Family Force 5, so he decided to make a music video showing off his dance moves.

-c

Reds vs Cubs Update 4/5

The Cubbies put another run on the board in the 5th, but now the Reds have come back to tie it up at 2 in the 7th. Currently there are 2 outs with runners at 1st and 2nd. Dunner is at the plate. Lets see what happens.........

A wild pitch moved the runners to 2nd and 3rd.
Dunn took passed ball 4 and Conine scored from 3rd. The Reds are leading 3-2.

Reds vs. Cubs Opening Series Recap and In Progress

Opening Day was on Monday. It was a beautiful Spring Day and the Reds had a big day against the Cubbies beating them 5-1 backed by a couple of Adam Dunn Homers.

Tuesday was an off day.

Wednesday night as the flurries came down as the weather can fluctuate in April, the Reds could not generate much offense only scoring 1 run and losing 4-1 behind a good 7 inning performance of Bronson Arroyo.

Currently I am watching the MLB Gamecast update on ESPN.COM. The game is tied after 4 innings. This is the first that I get to see of Kyle Lohse. He gave up the one HR to DeRosa, but other than that he looks solid from what I can tell watching on the Internet.

Surviving

This week will be very different for me and Ephriam. Faith and K.C. are in Florida for the week. We all drove down to TN to see Faith's family and her, K.C., and her mom flew out on Sat. morning. Ephriam and I spent the rest of the weekend with Faith's dad. Ephriam and I then drove back home on Sunday so that I could go back to work.

So this week, Ephriam gets to spend the day with grandpa all day until I pick him up after work. I think that he knows that his mommy is gone, but he doesn't say anything or react to it. He stays pretty well entertained so he doesn't think about it all of the time. He has been a very good boy so far, even on the drive home. We have one more trip by ourselves to pick Faith up and then the car rides will be much better again.

I miss them both a lot, but my one big bonus for the week is that I have more free time after Ephriam goes to bed at 8 PM. I don't have to feed and chase after K.C. so I am getting a lot done around the house. Yesterday, I cut the grass, cleaned up the kitchen, and folded laundry. I still have a lot more to do, but I have 3 more nights to do it all. I am hoping to have the house caught up before we leave on Friday.

So that ends my posting drought. If we stay not busy at work, I will probably post more later.

-c