Our Daily Bread
I love the little game of peek-a-boo we play with small children. You both put your hands over your eyes and pretend that no one can see you because you can't see anyone else! Peek-a-boo!
Christians sometimes try to play that game with others and with God. We "cover our eyes" in one way or another in hopes that other folks and God can't see the things we did. Wow. I know I do it. Having a roommate for a little while helped bring this fact to light again recently. We keep our bedroom doors shut for privacy. God can still see what we do when the other one is not around! ha!
I tell friends this passage (paraphrase): what is done in the darkness will be brought into the light.
We also have the promise of God that if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins!
Lord, thank you for your promises. Please help us confess our sins to you...and sin no more.
Wellness Wednesday
Fear of Success
A friend recently reached his weight loss goal of 80 pounds. I am so proud of him! He has worked so hard and been so disciplined over the past year to accomplish this amazing goal! I want to write briefly about the fear of success.
Sometimes we work so hard to accomplish a goal that we get scared when we come close to accomplishing it! That is just human nature. We have a tendency to start worrying about "what's next" and "how do I maintain this" and on and on. We lose focus and one of two things happens: we never accomplish our goal or it takes us much longer that we originally planned.
I want to encourage you (and me) today to not be afraid of success. Grasp it humbly and with a true sense of accomplishment no matter what the challenge. Pick a goal. Don't be afraid. Accomplish it!
Secret Number 21 of 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People
Don't be overprotective.
Worrying about people too much can be counter-productive to your happiness. Trying to prevent them from doing things that might harm them is a real risk in itself -- to you. Teaching the ones you love well, praying for them, and encouraging them is better than worrying!
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May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit - Romans 15:13
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Get a grip
Our Daily Bread
My best friend and I like kitchen gadgets. You never know what we will try next. One of the things that I especially like are things that help me open jars. I ain't gettin' any younger! The devices help me get a better grip and get more leverage on the pesky jar tops!
The Bible is our ultimate "life gadget" in my opinion! It helps us get a better grip on life and get more leverage on those pesky life issues! ha! The devotional talks about how Solomon moved away from his God because he was distracted by his foreign wives who wanted to worship the gods of their homelands. Instead of getting a better grip, Solomon caved in and built holy places for these other gods. The one true Almighty God took offense to that and acted on Solomon's disobedience. Yes, our disobedience does have consequences!
Are you staying focused on serving the one true God? Or are things and people drawing you away?
Lord, please help us stay focused on serving only you!
Teaching Tuesday
The lesson was about Abraham, Lot and Sodom and Gomorrah. The story of Abraham is central to the Old Testament as he is considered the original patriarch of Israel. This is my favorite story in the Bible. Until this Bible study, I never realized how God revealed himself to us in the early Old Testament chapters. I always thought Abraham was the first real interaction with mankind (outside of Adam and Eve, of course).
I like the story for a few reasons. First, it shows that God recognizes the folks that are faithful to him. Second, God honors his promises. Third, God cares about us more than anything else on this planet. Lastly, God can use the most imperfect people to accomplish his will. Amazing stuff!
************************************
Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
My best friend and I like kitchen gadgets. You never know what we will try next. One of the things that I especially like are things that help me open jars. I ain't gettin' any younger! The devices help me get a better grip and get more leverage on the pesky jar tops!
The Bible is our ultimate "life gadget" in my opinion! It helps us get a better grip on life and get more leverage on those pesky life issues! ha! The devotional talks about how Solomon moved away from his God because he was distracted by his foreign wives who wanted to worship the gods of their homelands. Instead of getting a better grip, Solomon caved in and built holy places for these other gods. The one true Almighty God took offense to that and acted on Solomon's disobedience. Yes, our disobedience does have consequences!
Are you staying focused on serving the one true God? Or are things and people drawing you away?
Lord, please help us stay focused on serving only you!
Teaching Tuesday
The lesson was about Abraham, Lot and Sodom and Gomorrah. The story of Abraham is central to the Old Testament as he is considered the original patriarch of Israel. This is my favorite story in the Bible. Until this Bible study, I never realized how God revealed himself to us in the early Old Testament chapters. I always thought Abraham was the first real interaction with mankind (outside of Adam and Eve, of course).
I like the story for a few reasons. First, it shows that God recognizes the folks that are faithful to him. Second, God honors his promises. Third, God cares about us more than anything else on this planet. Lastly, God can use the most imperfect people to accomplish his will. Amazing stuff!
************************************
Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Monday, October 29, 2012
Reach out
Our Daily Bread
I remember singing an old choral piece called "Reach out and touch" The song eventually became a hymn in the Baptist Hymnal. The lyrics go perfectly with the devotional today.
The devotional tells of the gift of a Bible given by a stranger to a crying young lady on a bus. Through that simple gift, the girl read the Bible and found Christ. Amazing? Yes! That is the way our God works when we listen to his leading. It is not always easy. It is not always comfortable. If we do not have the gift of doing such things, then Christ commands us to pray for the weak and those in despair that God will send help. We should all do whatever we can to help whether it is prayers, money, our time, or just giving a Bible to a stranger.
Lord, please help us be sensitive to your leading when ministering to others!
Movie Monday
I had a little extra time last week, so I made the most of it at the movies! I saw three this week since I am catching up on some ones that have been out for a few weeks.
Here comes the Boom
I am embarrassed to say I liked this movie more than I thought I would. I am not a UFC fan at all. I was partnered to a teacher that was very passionate about the kids so I understood where the teaching thing was coming from. In short, a teacher decided to take on the UFC to earn money to save the music program at his school. It was mostly comical, but there were some moving sections that took me by surprise. I am not sure I like Kevin James or not. All his parts seem like they are the same character.
I give this movie two bear paws (for the cool teacher moments). You can rent this one.
Alex Cross
Odd and somewhat disappointing is what I tell people about this movie. I didn't realize until afterwards that this was a continuation of the some other movies like "Kiss the Girl". The Alex Cross character was played by Morgan Freeman in those movies. I thought Tyler Perry did OK in this role though not great AND I thought he looked better with his shirt off than Morgan Freeman! I am just sayin... Oh, and the Matthew Fox character was bizarre. Very bizarre.
I give this one bear paw. Rent it only if you are very bored or just want to see the next movie in the series.
Cloud Atlas
This movie was a big surprise. I wasn't sure I wanted to sit through a 2:40 hour movie that I didn't know that much about. If you have trouble following stories that aren't linear, then don't see this movie. It jumps around A LOT. It is very cool how it all fits together though. Very cool. There are several amazing actors though no amazing performances. Settle in your theater seat with a large drink and lots of snacks.
I give this movie three bear paws. See it at the theater, preferably on Imax. It is amazing.
******************************
u r a bcog u r fawm Now believe it!
I remember singing an old choral piece called "Reach out and touch" The song eventually became a hymn in the Baptist Hymnal. The lyrics go perfectly with the devotional today.
The devotional tells of the gift of a Bible given by a stranger to a crying young lady on a bus. Through that simple gift, the girl read the Bible and found Christ. Amazing? Yes! That is the way our God works when we listen to his leading. It is not always easy. It is not always comfortable. If we do not have the gift of doing such things, then Christ commands us to pray for the weak and those in despair that God will send help. We should all do whatever we can to help whether it is prayers, money, our time, or just giving a Bible to a stranger.
Lord, please help us be sensitive to your leading when ministering to others!
Movie Monday
I had a little extra time last week, so I made the most of it at the movies! I saw three this week since I am catching up on some ones that have been out for a few weeks.
Here comes the Boom
I am embarrassed to say I liked this movie more than I thought I would. I am not a UFC fan at all. I was partnered to a teacher that was very passionate about the kids so I understood where the teaching thing was coming from. In short, a teacher decided to take on the UFC to earn money to save the music program at his school. It was mostly comical, but there were some moving sections that took me by surprise. I am not sure I like Kevin James or not. All his parts seem like they are the same character.
I give this movie two bear paws (for the cool teacher moments). You can rent this one.
Alex Cross
Odd and somewhat disappointing is what I tell people about this movie. I didn't realize until afterwards that this was a continuation of the some other movies like "Kiss the Girl". The Alex Cross character was played by Morgan Freeman in those movies. I thought Tyler Perry did OK in this role though not great AND I thought he looked better with his shirt off than Morgan Freeman! I am just sayin... Oh, and the Matthew Fox character was bizarre. Very bizarre.
I give this one bear paw. Rent it only if you are very bored or just want to see the next movie in the series.
Cloud Atlas
This movie was a big surprise. I wasn't sure I wanted to sit through a 2:40 hour movie that I didn't know that much about. If you have trouble following stories that aren't linear, then don't see this movie. It jumps around A LOT. It is very cool how it all fits together though. Very cool. There are several amazing actors though no amazing performances. Settle in your theater seat with a large drink and lots of snacks.
I give this movie three bear paws. See it at the theater, preferably on Imax. It is amazing.
******************************
u r a bcog u r fawm Now believe it!
Sunday, October 28, 2012
God hasn't moved...
Our Daily Bread
There is a cute story about an older couple riding in the car. The gentleman is driving, as usual. His wife of over fifty years looks over and says "Remember when we used to sit very close together in the car and always have to be touching?" The gentleman looked over and said lovingly "I haven't moved..." Ha!
Isn't that the way we are with God so many times? We complain that God feels so far from us. He doesn't watch our lives "from a distance" like the song mentioned in the devotional. He is with us each and every second of each and every day. Friends tease me sometimes because I talk about my conversations with God like he is a real person. I am like "Uh, he is a real person. Where have you been?" ha!
Talking...and more importantly... and listening to God like he is a "real person" is an important part of getting to know God better! Try it today. It may feel odd at first. Trust God. He is with you.
Lord, thank you for always being near. Please help us always remember that!
Psalm Sunday
Psalm 67 is short and very full of praise! May we all praise God!
I created something special to me this week. I call it a psalm mashup. It is a combination of psalm verses that speak specifically to my needs or feelings for the day. I love the psalms, but I sometimes find the archaic language disturbing instead of inspiring (breaking of enemies' teeth?). Find some of your favorite psalm verses and try your own.
My First Psalm Mashup:
I pray the weight of my sins doth not crush me back to dust from where I came. I pray that God create in me a new, clean heart and place a right spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of my salvation. Praise the Almighty God from whom all blessings flow.
Psalm 67
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine on us—
2 so that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.
3 May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples with equity
and guide the nations of the earth.
5 May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
6 The land yields its harvest;
God, our God, blesses us.
7 May God bless us still,
so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.
************************************
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit - Romans 15:13
There is a cute story about an older couple riding in the car. The gentleman is driving, as usual. His wife of over fifty years looks over and says "Remember when we used to sit very close together in the car and always have to be touching?" The gentleman looked over and said lovingly "I haven't moved..." Ha!
Isn't that the way we are with God so many times? We complain that God feels so far from us. He doesn't watch our lives "from a distance" like the song mentioned in the devotional. He is with us each and every second of each and every day. Friends tease me sometimes because I talk about my conversations with God like he is a real person. I am like "Uh, he is a real person. Where have you been?" ha!
Talking...and more importantly... and listening to God like he is a "real person" is an important part of getting to know God better! Try it today. It may feel odd at first. Trust God. He is with you.
Lord, thank you for always being near. Please help us always remember that!
Psalm Sunday
Psalm 67 is short and very full of praise! May we all praise God!
I created something special to me this week. I call it a psalm mashup. It is a combination of psalm verses that speak specifically to my needs or feelings for the day. I love the psalms, but I sometimes find the archaic language disturbing instead of inspiring (breaking of enemies' teeth?). Find some of your favorite psalm verses and try your own.
My First Psalm Mashup:
I pray the weight of my sins doth not crush me back to dust from where I came. I pray that God create in me a new, clean heart and place a right spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of my salvation. Praise the Almighty God from whom all blessings flow.
Psalm 67
For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face shine on us—
2 so that your ways may be known on earth,
your salvation among all nations.
3 May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
4 May the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you rule the peoples with equity
and guide the nations of the earth.
5 May the peoples praise you, God;
may all the peoples praise you.
6 The land yields its harvest;
God, our God, blesses us.
7 May God bless us still,
so that all the ends of the earth will fear him.
************************************
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit - Romans 15:13
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Misplaced confidence
Our Daily Bread
I love watching sports (and playing some as well). One of the things I don't like is "trash talking". Men (usually) are so confident in themselves that they have to talk down to the other team or competitor before a game. That confidence can be misplaced sometimes!
Misplaced confidence is the topic of the devotional today. Many of us put too much confidence in things other than God. Things that aren't as reliable like money or fame or good looks. I don't have any of those things, but I am sort of smart. I know I put too much confidence in knowing stuff when in fact I don't know squat about the things that are really important!
Once again, this one hit me like a ton of Biblical bricks! My week of self-reflection and painful realizations continues with the reading this morning as God is performing another round of surgery on this old bear. I praise God and thank God, the master surgeon as he is making me the man he wants me to be. I am sorry that I am not more workable clay.
So where are you? In what or whom do you place your confidence? Trust God today.
Lord, thank you for being the ultimate in reliability! Help us always put our trust and confidence in you alone!
Simply Saturday
Self-justification
I have read a lot about Lance Armstrong the past few years. If you have been living under a rock (which some people accuse me of at times), Lance Armstrong is the famous cyclist who won a record seven Tour de France races in a row. He also had cancer and survived. He started a wonderfully inspiring foundation for cancer support and healthy living called Livestrong. Lance fervently maintained his innocence for many years after each accuser fell to the wayside with a lack of proof.
Recently, the drug testing and enforcement agency for cycling finally gathered all the evidence to take Lance down. Many, many pages of many, many documents detailed how he was the master mind behind an elaborate doping program that helped him and his teammates win race after race.
I don't blame Lance for being human, for desperately clinging to innocence and self-justification. Maintaining all the things that you are used to and retaining all the things you accomplished is a strong human need or tendency. Mankind has done all kinds of outlandish things over thousands of years in the name of innocence and self-justification. We perform rituals, whether religious or secular. We start wars. We flap our mouths with meaningless words of false piety. We do whatever we can to justify our actions and even our existence.
So it is no surprise that I finally had my self-justification epiphany last Sunday. It has been a very painful week for me as I have been dealing with the implications. My actions have not had the financial or professional implications that Lance had from his actions, but the implications were very personal and painful. I sent emails to those close to me that I hurt from my actions. At this point, I don't even know if they read my emails. Healing can happen because we all serve the great healer. Time and prayer will tell.
Realizing that some of the implications may be life changing or irreparable has been the most difficult thing to deal with. I created what I call my first "psalm mashup" on Monday:
I pray the weight of my sins doth not crush me back to dust from where I came. I pray that God create in me a new, clean heart and place a right spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of my salvation. Praise the Almighty God from whom all blessings flow.
Bottom line: it is better to get these painful things out in the open and let the healing begin. Sticking your head in the sand (or somewhere else) only makes things worse and you may not even know it. Be brave. Trust God. The Great Healer is on call.
Just a reminder to myself this week: I am a beloved child of God. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Now believe it, Duane If you never understood my text message: u r a bcog U r fawm. I just gave you the translation!
***********************************
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit - Romans 15:13
I love watching sports (and playing some as well). One of the things I don't like is "trash talking". Men (usually) are so confident in themselves that they have to talk down to the other team or competitor before a game. That confidence can be misplaced sometimes!
Misplaced confidence is the topic of the devotional today. Many of us put too much confidence in things other than God. Things that aren't as reliable like money or fame or good looks. I don't have any of those things, but I am sort of smart. I know I put too much confidence in knowing stuff when in fact I don't know squat about the things that are really important!
Once again, this one hit me like a ton of Biblical bricks! My week of self-reflection and painful realizations continues with the reading this morning as God is performing another round of surgery on this old bear. I praise God and thank God, the master surgeon as he is making me the man he wants me to be. I am sorry that I am not more workable clay.
So where are you? In what or whom do you place your confidence? Trust God today.
Lord, thank you for being the ultimate in reliability! Help us always put our trust and confidence in you alone!
Simply Saturday
Self-justification
I have read a lot about Lance Armstrong the past few years. If you have been living under a rock (which some people accuse me of at times), Lance Armstrong is the famous cyclist who won a record seven Tour de France races in a row. He also had cancer and survived. He started a wonderfully inspiring foundation for cancer support and healthy living called Livestrong. Lance fervently maintained his innocence for many years after each accuser fell to the wayside with a lack of proof.
Recently, the drug testing and enforcement agency for cycling finally gathered all the evidence to take Lance down. Many, many pages of many, many documents detailed how he was the master mind behind an elaborate doping program that helped him and his teammates win race after race.
I don't blame Lance for being human, for desperately clinging to innocence and self-justification. Maintaining all the things that you are used to and retaining all the things you accomplished is a strong human need or tendency. Mankind has done all kinds of outlandish things over thousands of years in the name of innocence and self-justification. We perform rituals, whether religious or secular. We start wars. We flap our mouths with meaningless words of false piety. We do whatever we can to justify our actions and even our existence.
So it is no surprise that I finally had my self-justification epiphany last Sunday. It has been a very painful week for me as I have been dealing with the implications. My actions have not had the financial or professional implications that Lance had from his actions, but the implications were very personal and painful. I sent emails to those close to me that I hurt from my actions. At this point, I don't even know if they read my emails. Healing can happen because we all serve the great healer. Time and prayer will tell.
Realizing that some of the implications may be life changing or irreparable has been the most difficult thing to deal with. I created what I call my first "psalm mashup" on Monday:
I pray the weight of my sins doth not crush me back to dust from where I came. I pray that God create in me a new, clean heart and place a right spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of my salvation. Praise the Almighty God from whom all blessings flow.
Bottom line: it is better to get these painful things out in the open and let the healing begin. Sticking your head in the sand (or somewhere else) only makes things worse and you may not even know it. Be brave. Trust God. The Great Healer is on call.
Just a reminder to myself this week: I am a beloved child of God. I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Now believe it, Duane If you never understood my text message: u r a bcog U r fawm. I just gave you the translation!
***********************************
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit - Romans 15:13
Friday, October 26, 2012
Much debt
Our Daily Bread
I am ashamed to say that I am not always proud of my family who came from humble beginnings. Instead of focusing on the positive things like being caring, giving people with the best of intentions, I have a tendency to be too critical. The devotional talks about that today.
The story of Rahab was very interesting to me when I read it again last year. I love reading the Old Testament because God uses all kinds of folks to achieve his purposes. Rahab was a prostitute that hid the spies of Israel from her people because she knew they were from God. She lied about it. She was also the great-great grandmother of King David!
The bottom line of this story and of so many others in the Bible -- "He can take people with a bad reputation, transform their lives, and turn them into examples of His love and forgiveness." Wow! Maybe there is hope for me! Once again, the devotional spoke to me personally this morning as God is reassuring me of his love and grace after my epiphany on Sunday. I have been feeling the weight of my sin like a 747 airplane weighing down my heart. I pray that God will forgive, help me forgive myself and help others forgive me.
Lord, you can use each of us if we will just let you!
Foodie Friday
I have another pot luck at church on Sunday. I haven't thought too much about what I want to make. I thought about the apple pumpkin streusel pie that I made for my last dinner group. I also have a couple packages of snow peas in my freezer. I thought about snow peas and mushrooms. I will figure that out tonight, I guess. I have a very busy day planned for Saturday. Whew...
I made a cheese dip for my Bible study class on Tuesday. I usually fry about a 1/2 pound of chorizo sausage, drain and pat dry, then mix it in a large jar of Frito Lay medium cheese dip. This make a nice tasting dip you can serve with Scoops. This week, I used spicy chicken sausage instead of chorizo. It gave it a different, though pleasing, taste. My joke is "I like my cheese dip like my men -- chunky and spicy!" ha!
Give either one a try this weekend. Be sure to drain and pat dry the sausage after frying. The extra grease is sort of gross if you don't!
******************************
Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
I am ashamed to say that I am not always proud of my family who came from humble beginnings. Instead of focusing on the positive things like being caring, giving people with the best of intentions, I have a tendency to be too critical. The devotional talks about that today.
The story of Rahab was very interesting to me when I read it again last year. I love reading the Old Testament because God uses all kinds of folks to achieve his purposes. Rahab was a prostitute that hid the spies of Israel from her people because she knew they were from God. She lied about it. She was also the great-great grandmother of King David!
The bottom line of this story and of so many others in the Bible -- "He can take people with a bad reputation, transform their lives, and turn them into examples of His love and forgiveness." Wow! Maybe there is hope for me! Once again, the devotional spoke to me personally this morning as God is reassuring me of his love and grace after my epiphany on Sunday. I have been feeling the weight of my sin like a 747 airplane weighing down my heart. I pray that God will forgive, help me forgive myself and help others forgive me.
Lord, you can use each of us if we will just let you!
Foodie Friday
I have another pot luck at church on Sunday. I haven't thought too much about what I want to make. I thought about the apple pumpkin streusel pie that I made for my last dinner group. I also have a couple packages of snow peas in my freezer. I thought about snow peas and mushrooms. I will figure that out tonight, I guess. I have a very busy day planned for Saturday. Whew...
I made a cheese dip for my Bible study class on Tuesday. I usually fry about a 1/2 pound of chorizo sausage, drain and pat dry, then mix it in a large jar of Frito Lay medium cheese dip. This make a nice tasting dip you can serve with Scoops. This week, I used spicy chicken sausage instead of chorizo. It gave it a different, though pleasing, taste. My joke is "I like my cheese dip like my men -- chunky and spicy!" ha!
Give either one a try this weekend. Be sure to drain and pat dry the sausage after frying. The extra grease is sort of gross if you don't!
******************************
Let go, my friends! God will be there to catch you and hold you in his loving arms!
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Busyness
Our Daily Bread
I like the term "busyness". I started using it a few years ago. It is not to be confused with the word "business". Busyness describes the human tendency to do too much and not focus on things that are really important! At least that is my definition!
The devotional talks about how we often let our busyness distract us from enjoying the things that God has for us. We don't take time to marvel at the wonders of our God and King. We don't take time to admire his creation. We don't take time to be thankful for the gifts of God. We don't take time to appreciate what we have.
I find that during my times of busyness, I have to schedule the appreciate time like I would any other appointment or meeting. It works! Try that today in your busy life!
Lord, thank you for the many blessings and wonders in our lives. Please help us be truly thankful and meditate on your greatness!
Technology Thursday
Another Apple Announcement
Apple had another product announcement event on Tuesday. Here is a summary of what they are releasing:
iPad Mini
This is the big news. There have been rumors swirling about an iPad Mini for over a year. Apple's main competition, what little there is for the iPad, has been from smaller tablets like the Kindle Fire and the Google Nexus tablet. These tablets are smaller and much cheaper than the iPad. The iPad Mini is 7.9" in size compared to 7" for the competitors. Apple also pushed the envelope with their pricing. The iPad Mini starts at $349 (compared to $170 for the competitors). We will see how consumers react. There are some features available on the iPad Mini that are not available on other tablets. There are some features not available on the iPad Mini that others have.
iMac
All I have to say is WOW! The new iMac looks like a work of art. It has had a smart, modern look for many years, but they out did themselves this time. It is so thin! And so powerful! The latest Intel processors and very powerful graphics processors. Very, very impressive.
Mac Mini
Apple teased a little bit with the Mac Mini before they announced the iPad Mini. Nice. They added some more processor power to this little workhorse for the same price.
iPad with Retina Display
To my chagrin, Apple came out with ANOTHER iPad! They added a retina display and a processor that is twice as fast as the iPad they released in March. AAAaaaarrrggghhhhhh! I can accept updates once a year and being out of date for a year or two, but being out of date only six or seven months after buying a new Apple device. I understand that Apple needed this to compete with the latest Samsung Galaxy devices. Oh well.
MacBook Pro 13 with retina display
As expected, Apple announced a 13" version of the MacBook Pro with retina display. Very cool. This laptop is almost as thin as the latest MacBook Air laptops! Very impressive look, feel and performance.
Check out the Apple site for the availability of their new products.
******************************
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit - Romans 15:13
I like the term "busyness". I started using it a few years ago. It is not to be confused with the word "business". Busyness describes the human tendency to do too much and not focus on things that are really important! At least that is my definition!
The devotional talks about how we often let our busyness distract us from enjoying the things that God has for us. We don't take time to marvel at the wonders of our God and King. We don't take time to admire his creation. We don't take time to be thankful for the gifts of God. We don't take time to appreciate what we have.
I find that during my times of busyness, I have to schedule the appreciate time like I would any other appointment or meeting. It works! Try that today in your busy life!
Lord, thank you for the many blessings and wonders in our lives. Please help us be truly thankful and meditate on your greatness!
Technology Thursday
Another Apple Announcement
Apple had another product announcement event on Tuesday. Here is a summary of what they are releasing:
iPad Mini
This is the big news. There have been rumors swirling about an iPad Mini for over a year. Apple's main competition, what little there is for the iPad, has been from smaller tablets like the Kindle Fire and the Google Nexus tablet. These tablets are smaller and much cheaper than the iPad. The iPad Mini is 7.9" in size compared to 7" for the competitors. Apple also pushed the envelope with their pricing. The iPad Mini starts at $349 (compared to $170 for the competitors). We will see how consumers react. There are some features available on the iPad Mini that are not available on other tablets. There are some features not available on the iPad Mini that others have.
iMac
All I have to say is WOW! The new iMac looks like a work of art. It has had a smart, modern look for many years, but they out did themselves this time. It is so thin! And so powerful! The latest Intel processors and very powerful graphics processors. Very, very impressive.
Mac Mini
Apple teased a little bit with the Mac Mini before they announced the iPad Mini. Nice. They added some more processor power to this little workhorse for the same price.
iPad with Retina Display
To my chagrin, Apple came out with ANOTHER iPad! They added a retina display and a processor that is twice as fast as the iPad they released in March. AAAaaaarrrggghhhhhh! I can accept updates once a year and being out of date for a year or two, but being out of date only six or seven months after buying a new Apple device. I understand that Apple needed this to compete with the latest Samsung Galaxy devices. Oh well.
MacBook Pro 13 with retina display
As expected, Apple announced a 13" version of the MacBook Pro with retina display. Very cool. This laptop is almost as thin as the latest MacBook Air laptops! Very impressive look, feel and performance.
Check out the Apple site for the availability of their new products.
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May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit - Romans 15:13
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