NOAA - Coolest Winter Since 2001?

Most of you (or should I say, both of you - my two faithful readers) have probably been thinking that I've abandoned posts on other topics beyond my Winning on Wednesday posts. That's been more of a forced situation than I would like to admit. I've just been so busy that posting anything has been a miracle.

Global Warming as a general topic is still one of my hottest issues. I regularly read news stories about the current research. Another one of my favorite reads is Accuweather's Global Warming blog. If you get a chance, you ought to check it out.

NOAA just recently announced that this winter (climatological winter that is) has been the coolest winter since 2001.


But I thought that average temperatures were supposed to only increase over time? Before anyone rants about weather vs climate....yes, I realize this is just one winter. But, here's my point.

Why can AGW proponents point to the Hurricane Season of Katrina and Rita (and many other storms) and say that ONE overly active hurricane season PROVES that Global Warming is accelerating and getting worse? If any skeptics point to this release and say this shows Global Warming may not be true, the AGW proponents will say..."but wait, you can't point to one season and say anything....it's just weather."

What's good for the goose is good for the gander. I'll explain that to any of you that have difficulty with the analogy.

Now Playing: "Like Someone You Know" by Further Seems Forever

Technorati: Global+Warming

Winning on Wednesday - Message Over Method

As Christians and as churches, does our Method of conveying the Gospel ever supplant or overshadow the Message? Let me explain. I have volunteered in church audio and video production for nearly 20 years. Over that time, I have been involved with small churches through large churches. Some of these churches had small AV systems, while others had elaborate systems with TV ministries. In each case, we tried to make the most of our equipment and maximize what we could do to convey the message.

I have been in lead positions within these volunteer ministries. During this time I developed what you might call a "Ministry Philosophy".

"If at any point, we do anything to make the method more attention getting or noticeable than the message, then we've lost our focus. Our ministry should be one that goes unnoticed. We are here to support the delivery of the Message, not supplant it."

Each time we have a new volunteer, I want them to understand the basis for this philosophy. The Message being conveyed is the most important part of the service. Everything else is merely support material.

Whether a church is small and using a portable projector; or large with full HD projection, theatrical lighting, and TV production - we must all remember that we have one purpose, to share the Gospel clearly. I believe we must be careful in our ministries, be they media ministries or others, to make sure our Method doesn't outshine the Message. In my case, I want to be careful that my use of video, graphics, drama, sermon notes, and other tools doesn't distract attendees from the Message being delivered.

To be clear, I am NOT criticizing churches for having all of these tools at their disposal. My challenge is to ensure that the use of these tools isn't the focus. They should simply be used as tools to support the Message.

Lastly, I believe this same philosophy can be applied to our lives. When we share what God has done in our lives, we should be sure that the focus is what God did...not necessarily how He did it. Regardless of how God has changed our lives, I believe sharing the importance that He changed our lives and can do the same for others is what people need to hear.

There's my challenge - Focus on the Message Over the Method.


Now Playing: "The Flame in All Of Us" by Thousand Foot Krutch

Technorati: Winning on Wednesday, God, church

Fireproof is Even Closer to Reality!

Sorry about the posting drought...I've been traveling for work a LOT and our entire family was down with the flu or some other infection over the past few weeks. Hopefully, all will be back to normal now.

If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know that I've been a big fan of the films released by Sherwood Pictures which is affiliated with Sherwood Baptist Church. I really liked Facing the Giants, which proved to be quite successful with its release by Provident Films. What is utterly amazing with their films is that, with very few exceptions, they are volunteer produced and cast - mainly be members of their church.

Now, for the excitement. Fireproof, their next movie is even closer to reality! I've been reading the blog about the film and it appears that Sherwood has continued to improve on their production quality. You can follow the above link for the film's website. I've included the first trailer below for you to enjoy:



I'm sure I'll post more about the film as we get closer to the release date.


Now Playing: "This Is" by Plankeye

Technorati: Fireproof, Sherwood Pictures, Provident Films