Well, I have been a bit disappointed today. I thought that I would be able to have deep thoughts. That I would ponder great mysteries and have enlightened ideas. I thought today I would sense an intellect within me that would rise above it's usual pitiful output. But alas, it hasn't happened.

I turn 40 tomorrow. According to my kids my brain cells will now start to die as I descend the far side of the "hill". Today I am at the peak of my mental abilities (several other abilities left several years ago) and it just isn't that impressive.

Oh well, according to my elders I now get to enjoy a diminished capacity to remember things. I believe that will be a blessing. To be wronged, cheated and abused by others and not be able to remember it is a beautiful thing.

How important is innovation in the business world? David Pollard gives the data of what businesses said.

20% said innovation is the top priority
69% said is was part of their top three list
90% put innovation in the top five

I wonder what would happen if the same survey was done in churches.

It is not difficult in such a world to get a person interested in the gospel; it is terrifically difficult to sustain the interest. Millions of people in our culture make decisions for Christ, but there is a dreadful attrition rate. Many claim to have been born again, but the evidence for mature Christian discipleship is slim. In our kind of culture anything, even news about God, can be sold if it is packaged freshly; but when it loses its novelty, it goes on the garbage heap. There is a great market for religous experience in our world; there is little enthusiasm for the patient acquisition of virtue, little inclination to sign up for a long apprenticeship in what earlier generations of Christinas called holiness. -Peterson "A Long Obedience in the Same Direction"

This is why I think it is helpful if pastors stay at one church for a long, long time.

I finally got my digital camera and I am thoroughly enjoying it. If I can only keep Kim's hands off of it! It is a 3 megapixel camera and I am pleased with the resulting photos but I came across an article that kind of ticked me off.

I have been under the impression that the more pixels the better. I couldn't afford a 4 or 5 megapixel camera so I settled for this one. Then I read this article that talked about the great pictures the mars explorer is sending back. Guess what! The rover camera only has 1 megapixels.

Apparently the key is in how good the lens is and how good the sensors are. NASA can afford lenses that I couldn't even think about being able to afford. Oh well, I'm happy that Canon makes fairly decent lenses.

It got me to thinking though. How many times do we not take into account all the factors that bring about a desired outcome. Some folks think happiness is all about the amount of money they have. They are frustrated when people with less money seem to have a better happiness. Apparently there are other factors involved!!!

It would be a great tragedy if I were in the bathroom when the UPS man came seeking my signature for delivery of my new digital camera. Oh the stress it causes.

I am hollow man. I am shallow man.

I just got off the phone with one of the biggest whiners I have ever heard. He seemed so needy and he seemed really upset that I didn't want to continue a relationship with him. It seemed he was willing to do anything to get me to stay. But I saw through it all and was resolute. How come he never acted that way before I threatened to end our relationship?

Oh well, that's what happens when you cancel your wireless service I guess.