Mobile Ministry Magazine

In this late night where I am wrapping up a few ends for the next work day, I am reminded to think once again about mobility and its implications on our society. One aspect of mobility being the phones, PDAs, and other mobile computing hardware and software that we use. But the other part of that being less seen, and more frequently speaking, less talked about until it becomes a problem. The issue that I speak of is manners and maturity when using mobile technology.

It sounds a bit deep, but walk with me for a little bit and maybe I can help open a few things, and help you consider another or two.

As a product reviewer, I always find that there are two main sides to every product. There is the side that the techies/first adopeters have. These are your more technical people. They keep up with the latest trends and the difference in performance of a tenth of a second is quite major. These are also those folks that infulence others to purchase or not purchase technology due to their own adoption and excitement about it.

The other side of that reviewing plane comes in those people who are more or less interested in the technology as a means to solve a problem. They could care less about the specs, unless those specs directly related to solving an issue that they need some tool to solve. These people are sometimes more conservative, but are by and large the largest group of those that consider and use technology. However, for these people, the inclination is usually to just use things, and not bother to take in instructions or advice from the techie group that may have identified potential issues with the product.

Within MMM; I find that relating technology has to come on those two main fronts. There has to be a level of conversation that meets the techies where they are at. These people are willing to press the buttons and push technology to places it may have never been before (something like what Kevin talked about in last week's article). But there is also just as large a consideration that has to be paid to those who may be interested in the technology, but do not want all the bells in whistles and lessons in order to get things up and running. For them, they want the benefit of a review or opinion that says simply, "hey, it works, go buy it."

I imagine that it was that much harder for Jesus going between those who knew the law and those who were only taught the law and wanted just what worked. While, he did not battle with whether to tell Nicodemus whether it was good to have Amazing Grace on his iPod or Zen Micro; there was this level of interaction that Jesus had that required of him and those he related to, some level of maturity and oneness of mind. As we can tell by our Lord's fame, he was quite successful.

I believe that if technology is really going to make an impact on all areas of society in a way that shows towards the heart of our Lord, then we really have to become mature in speaking and using our technological devices. Whether that is simply knowing the ins and outs of MS Word, or going between Treo and Qool smartphones. There has to be some level of informational maturity and relational maturity in this field so that it can too be redeemed towards reflecting the light and love of Jesus Christ.

Now, I know I speak nearly crazy. And if you check out the time this was posted, one might think that I am. But, I am here to consider that if MMM is a product of my faith towards what I believe God will do with technology and His Word, then I have a responsiblity to eat my fill of all the skills and understanding that He would give me, so that in preaching the Good News, a barrier would more likely be my eating habits, and not the lack of paper and pen.

Hello All;
I apologize for the lack of updates this week. Though there has been a bevy of news, I have not had the time to attend to any of it to post here. Work projects have also taken up large chunks of time. So apologies if you have been waiting for something new here, I'll be back one things slow down (hopefulyl by the end of the week).

Now, being that MMM is a community in the making, please do not feel that you cannot submit news or articles here to be posted. I will post those items as you send them (unless some editing is needed or doesnt fit our model for content). Send your contributions to mobileministry at antoinerjwright.com. Then I will get it to post it.

Thanks again all for your support, and dont forget to check out the other sites on the right side. Plenty of information to go around :)

Peace and blessings

This weekend, I managed to go to Philadelphia to see family, but to also check out the TechKnowOverload Tour that has been going on in the Norteast of the US this fall. Basically, the TKO Tour is a chance for college students and parents to meet face to face with consumer electionics companies. While some are there to get an internship or two, others are there just to look at the technology. The TKO Tour conensides with the Capus Outbreak that happens every year in Philly at the Ben Franklin parkway.

I thought it good to make a post here about it because besides having oneself online as a resource, to equip others to carry the Gospel means that learning from those that are already skilled in talking about what it is they do, or know best.

Here are some pictures from that time. I took them with my Treo, in keeping with the techie focus of the weekend's events.
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Just a few words about this article by Kevin: excellent, thought provoking, God teach me how to manage tech THIS well

Why is that important? I have an alternative view to the great question posed by Shaun. As a missionary, I oversaw a ministry of over 1,200 people spread out from the metropolis of Metro Manila to the southern, rebel-infested jungles of Mindanao to the actively volcanic, Mount Mayon, the PDA was an essential tool to ministering to as many people as possible throughout that wonderful archipelago. With my Palm in hand, I had the luxury of carrying the full roster of my membership; kept abreast of weekly-updated financial reports; kept track of my appointments and email; carried over 20 Bibles and commentaries from different eras, countries and languages; downloaded my newspapers; wrote my lessons; and stored my most current lesson in the event that my printer broke down or my lesson fell into the stank, dark sewage water left behind by the not-so-efficient drainage system of our fond city as I made a last minute dash to place and podium (side note: yes this has happened…and when it takes an hour or two to travel through the world’s second-worst traffic to travel 7 miles, I need all the back up I can get).

Click here to read the whole article.

A brother that I am getting to know, Trailblaza from Correct Dialect, has just IMed me that he's relaunched Jesus 4 Life Ministries. I am interested in seeing this site grow as there is a lot of good meat here for Christians in all parts of their walk to chew on.

Besides my normal reasons for not posting (work, multiple projects, etc), the other reason is that I have had a bit of a self check when it comes to posting about recent news, whether technology or not so tech. Its a hard balance making sure that the items spoken towards are not only informative and leading towards making wise decisions with technology, but also posting those items that do not run towards excess or a misperception of computing tools. I have found personally that not everything that is out there is for me. And even knowing about most of it is not very profitable either. There has had to be some measure of restraint on my part.

This isnt a knock against other websites, or even against anyone's character when they do follow after these items. It is just an admission that on MMM, there will be a lesser attention given to news when all it does it promote the tool, when the tool is just an enabler. The point is to use the tool to be a light. If MMM cannot do that in some measure with the postings and magazine, then MMM is not at all successful in walking out on its mission to teach enablment of technology and Scripture.

An excellent article by TreoCentral, Connectivity in the face of an emergency, gives some sound words of where to place your tech in emergency situations. Particualrly, the reliablity of wired phones versus cordless ones.

This is some good information in the wake of the US's hurricane season. If you have any other suggestions on how to preapre for emergencies with your technology, leave a comment below.

Thanks to PalmAddict for the link

From Daniel R @ Palms for Pastors:
Palms for Pastors announces the release of Hospital Calls 1.01, which helps pastors organize the time they spend making hospital calls by providing a list of names to visit and to check off when completed, to keep a running history of the hospital calls they have made, and to easily recall the information gathered from individual hospital visits.

A trial version is free to download at Palms for Pastors, http://www.palmsforpastors.com/applicationslist.html

Hello all;
I am only getting to MMM for the first time today so late because it is the end of the day. I can honestly say that this has been one of the busiest days that I have had in a long time. I am actually quite tired, and didnt even get everything done that I wanted to do, but this part I had to do seeing that its my heart that at least one person is encouraged anew on this day.

Here are some of the news items that came across my desk throughout the day:
Dell released the Axim x51/x51V models. This is an update to the popular x50/x50V models that had been out previously. The new model is exactly the same as the outgoing, except for the additon of 256MB of internal memory and the Windows Mobile 5 operating system. Dell is also offering an update to x50/x50V owners to Windows Mobile 5 via CD (but not the RAM). See more information here about the x51v, and about Windows Mobile 5.

Sprint announced a few days ago the offering of the HTC designed 6700. This is a Windows Mobile smartphone that has Bluetooth and Wifi wireless built in. There have not been any reviews of note that I can find, but did find a user who does have one and posted plenty of pics and reflections on the 6700. If you are in the market for a Sprint PDA phone, this should be very close to the top of your list.

Notebook Review has been chock full of news lately. I really recommend checking them out if you are interested in the latest developements with notebooks. They covered an Averatec model refresh, Dell and Verizon, and some great deals.

Treonauts has gone to cover DEMOMobile and chronicled the experiences (now in Day 2) here.

PalmInfocenter reports that Palm is being sued and that new models are coming.

And finally, a great article for those looking to reasons why going digital can be more effective than staying paper, an article at 1src talking about digital redundancy and how to reduce it.

Something that really gets at me with Christians, is the misorganization that people have concerning where they minister. There are, if you will, some instances where we are ministering to otehr believers. There is a vernacular, base-level of knowledge, and maybe even allertiations to familiar concepts that are used. Then, there is the outreaching to those outside of the faith. There is a seperate vernacular, seperate assumption towards a base-level of knowledge, as well as simplified concepts and terms because of the lack of association.

When I read this article at Philly.com, I was struck not so much by the fact that Christian media is looked at as being unsuccessful to the masses, but that its just as unsuccessful to Christians. If (in this example) Christian TV/Radio stations are there as outreaches, then complaints about concepts and terms used that are quite valid and point to something quite important; are these outlets meeting their purpose.

One quote in the article linked says,
"The vast majority of listeners to Christian radio are born-again Christians, according to the Barna Group, a Christian research organization. Christian television draws its strength from people in their 60s and older, females, residents of the South, African Americans, people with limited education and income, and born-again Christians."

If that is the case, then why design content and all it an outreach, if all it is doing is inreaching. Or, if the purpose is outreaching, where is the directed content towards those whom are not familiar with traditional concepts and terms.

I am quite aware of the scripture that states that the natual man cannot understand the things of the Spirit. This is why Jesus used parables. It WAS too hard for people to understand love not being duty; understand service being love and not law. You NEEDED parables for these points. If we aren't going to follow along the same mindset/format as Jesus and others in this fashion, we might as well retrain ourselves to only expect to receive from the choir, for the masses will not hear us at all.

Hello all;
I hope that all have had a great weekend. My weekend was well, a bit of work, a lot of worship. I have to say, for the past week, God has been just calling me to worship all the time and its been great. I hope and pray that all of you too have been having a great time in growing in your relationship with the Lord (hey, what's with talking about ministry all the time if we dont get into relationship?).

Ran into a link over at Palm Addicts called Palms for Pastors. Here is a snippet of what Palms for Pastors is about:
The mission for Palms for Pastors is to assist pastors to make the transistion from being consumers of computer technology products to becoming users of technology tools to develop solutions for teh unique needs of pastorial ministry.

I like it. Its a great site and a great purpose. There are seminars and applications availiable that relate directly to pastors and what tools they would need. I recommend checking this site out if you are a pastor, or have a pastor with a PDA and they dont do much more than add a date and address here and there.

Palms for Pastors and Mobile Ministry Magazine, tilling the Internet ground for the cause of Christ being preached on and offline :)

As reported on earlier here, there has been a new domain for mobile devices (.mobi) that has been ratified for use. One of the caveats of using that .mobi domain is that websites would have to pass a sort of certification to be suitable for mobile devices.

Now personally, I am quite against the creating of specific .mobi websites as it takes away the "go anywhere-ness" that the web is supposed to have. And even as a website designer, I am guilty of making sites that do not work on mobile devices (I have since repented and depending on the site, I do make a great effort to make sites with mobile devices in mind). But I just see this as a bad thing. We will get to the point sooner than later where mobile devices will have the same resolution as desktops (except for phones) and so why have to create another website and maintain another domain for that. As someone who knows the technical aspects, it might not be much, but that is unnecessary.

Regardless of my feelings, the domain has been ratified and here is a paper/site outlining the scope of the .mobi domain. It is a short reading, and quite well put together. I recommed reading this if you are thinking of redesigning your website, or have purchased a mobile device and wonder why some websites dont work as well as others.

And to you website developers and designers out there visiting MMM, what do you think about the .mobi domain and what it means for your profession?

Nokia, maker of many cellphones, has created a new device called an internet tablet. The 770 is reviewed here by Howard Chui. Here is a snippet of that review:

At a glance, most people see the Nokia logo on the 770 and assume that it's a funny looking PDA phone. However, 770 is actually neither a PDA or a phone. It lacks basic PIM functionality like a phonebook, calendar and to-do list and there's no IMEI or ESN number on the back!

Click here to read more.
Thanks to MobileRead for the heads up on this review.

There is an excellent discussion going on at Holy Culture Radio talking about commerce or ministry being the aims within Christian music. Really speaking to if whether people are really stating what their intentions are. Here is a snippet of the beginning of that disucssion:

...Folks, if you are in the music industry promoting, marketing, packaging and selling CD's, tours, merchandise etc., then you have no right to expect to escape critical judgement. This is part and parcel of the industry. Without this element, the rest of it falls down.

My central argument is this...

We must understand that there's a difference between commercial ventures and apostolic ministry (I'm talking about the apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor-teachers mentioned in Ephesians 4:11)...

Click here to read the rest of that discussion

Those are some really powerful words there. And I think it also is something in the tech field that we can also relate to. I want to hear from you. In the area of technology and ministry, is there a line when its no longer ministry, but commerce? And if so, where do we draw the line in saying that what we do is ministry or a business?

There are a few websites that I visit that are musically inclined that I visit. Now, granted, they have an inclination towards rap and the holy hip hop culture, but they are meaty sites nonetheless. Correct Dialect and Holy Culture Radio basically provide me most of my music fix. Check them out for some well written reviews, streaming music and net radio, and very good community forums.

Now, if anyone has any links to other Christian genred music sites, please pass those along too for sharing (and adding to the Links on the right side).

Proably more than most other mediums, music has had the ability to move, shake, motivate, and change cultures. Its even as far as music can infulence language just as much as language infulences music. That being the case, as a Christian, one has to realize that what they carry on their ears, has the potential to not only be edifying to self, but encourage one to edify the Body.

There are a few routes one can go in carrying Christian music. One route is quite familiar, the CD player. CDs are availiable just about everywhere, and for those not wanting the analog quality of casettes, its a great option. Just don't bump them, that skipping issue is what keeps CDs from being the best medium of choice for mobile folks.

Another route one can go is the digital audio player. Including music formats such as AAC (Apple Audio Codeic), MP3, WMA (Windows Media Audio), and OGG (Vorbis Audio Codec) can be played on these device. Although somewhat new to the consumer electronic scene, digital audio players have been very high sellers. The main advantages to a digital format such as these are better battery life, improved sound quality (in the higher bit rates), various device styles, and no skipping. There are two main types: hard drive based (like the iPod and Creative Zen Micro) and Flash memory-based (such as the new iPod nano and Creative Zen Nano). Flash based players have longer battery life but are usually more expensive.

Another option with the digital audio player is to play those items via one's PDA. Most PDAs offer some media player capable of playing back music and videos. One usually needs a memory card for this functionality, but all in all, it is the same as carrying a digital music player (you just have a lot more you can do besides music).

NOTE: digital audio files should either be created using CDs that you own, or by purchasing the audio file from some media store like Napster, iTunes Store, etc. To get those digital files by file sharing, swapping music players, or illegal ripping the music from someone else's CD is illegal in nearly every country in the world. Please play by the rules when dealing with digital audio content.

A final option for carrying Christian music with you is very new, and based on the use of wireless data networks and wireless devices such as smartphones, PDAs, and laptops. This option is called streaming. Now, if you used MusicMatch Jukbox's radio or Real Rapsody on your desktop then you already know the idea (take the net and stream music over the net to your computer). Combining this with a wireless device allows one to take those same Internet music stations, and stream them anywhere one has a wireless signal (whether cellular or wifi). This is something that we will see more of with personal satellite radio devices, podcasting, and music going more digital. If you have a wireless device and want to stream music to your device, a good place to start is a place like Windows MSN Music, Shoutcast, or (if you have a PalmOS device) PocketTunes.

All of these options have one great thing in common with our heart's hum: carrying teh King's music wherever we go. And who knows, maybe you might be playing something that will bless someone that you sit or walk next too.

As a person that writes a lot, sometimes I can be so caught up in what I am about to write, that I forget what it is that I did write. In talking to a friend on MSN Mesenger today, I began looking at some of the reasons why I stay attentive to MMM and how it has helped me not make computers an idol.

This was the article that most touched me. And in some respects, I feel that I needed to read it for myself, more than I did to show someone else. I see my heart there for mobile computer ministry, but more than that I see that God is truely wanting to use this arena for His purposes and I am only a part of His greater goal. Not so much a techie topic I know, but a 'wow moment' that I wanted to share with you all.

Mobility isnt just PDAs and smartphones, probably the best known mobile computer is the notebook. And because of that, many people are looking for a notebook to replace a desktop to make themselves more mobile than previous usages.

Now, there are two classes of notebooks, and subclasses in those. You have traditional notebooks and tabletPCs. Traditional notebooks are exactly what we think of when we think of notebook. TabletPCs are a pen/stylus-driven notebooks that combine traditional notebook features, in a package that is also reminicent to carrying a smaller notebook or paper binder. Subclasses of traditional notebooks include wide-screened models, mini-notebooks, and desktop replacements. TabletPCs are classified in two forms, convertible and slate. Convertible models have a keyboard that is permainiently attached that can be hidden for slate functionality. Slate models are just a screen bevel with buttons. They may come with a dock so that you can add a keyboard and other items at a base station.

Two websites that I recommed for keeping up with notebooks and tabletPCs are NotebookReview.com and TabletPCReviewSpot.com. Both sites are maintained by the same people that manage BargainPDA and have plenty of information for purchasing and getting the most out of your computing devices. I recommend taking a look at these sites if you are in the market, and even if you arent, check out what is out there, you might be a source of information for someone else down the road.

I was walking around the net and found this article giving some balanced points about investigating and deploying mobile devices in the workplace. Although a workplace oriented article, churches and mission groups looking to mobile devices (PDAs, notebooks, etc.) should take heed as the subjects referred to here will also fit to your groups as well.

Here is a snippet of the article at Processor.com:
Naturally, your mobile users are eager to try these new toys. In many cases, power users anxious for increased mobility are the first ones to acquire these tools, with or without the blessing of corporate IT. The problem is especially daunting for CIOs and network administrators in small and medium-sized enterprises who already contend with limited staffing and resources.
Read more

Gregg, the developer for New Yanoff
a PalmOS newsreader, wrote into mention that PalmYanoff has been updated to version 3.1. Here is some more information on PalmYanoff:

From Gregg:
Please note that the PalmYanoff webhost is having upgrade problems so my site is down but I thought you might like to know that version 3.1 of New Yanoff is out. Not only did I *not* remove the default signature (but did add more error checking around it) but I also added a "real" deault News server (NewsIsFree) so I had to also demonstrate this by auto-subscribing new users to a newsgroup.

If you are one who is into reading newsgroups on your PalmOS PDA, this might be a good program for you.

Download and read more info about PalmYanoff here: http://www.palmyanoff.com/

BobR @ MobileRead has done a nice review-followup of the Palm Treo 650. Unlike other reviews, this isnt a 'read the specs sheet and give an opinion' but one that comes after he has lived with the 650 for a few months. His usage is via his contract with Verizon, but other than that, everything else would hold for any other Treo 650 users. Its a great read, and some nice discussion going on after it as well.

If there is one thing that gets me about mobility, is the issue of email and making sure to manage all of the areas of contact that I have. For me personally, I have 11 or 12 email addresses (all of which I use and check daily). But in getting a Treo 600, I have realized that I need to streamline my use of email to only those accounts and issues that matter most, and then leave the other addys for my nightly checking.

In that vein, PocketPC Thoughts has an very good discussion and article going on now about managing email on Windows Mobile devices. Though it speaks towards Windows Mobile, it could work for nearly any operating system and mobile device. The key, of course, is making sure that in terms of matters of importance, that the email that goes to you connected device is that which needs to go. Having your spam account on your smartphone or connected PDA will just lead to extra time spent deleting what you will delete later anyways.

Here is the link to the PocketPC Thoughts article in full.

Hello all; hope that your day has been going well. Here are some news tidbits to keep you for a while. I have a subject of convo that I am working on that should make for some good discussion, as well as an upcoming invite for Issue 3. Until then, onto some news:

Pocket PCs in the classroom from MobileRead
Wireless to Save Lives from MobileRead
Editorial: Learning curves hamper mobile adoption from MobileRead
Garmin’s nüvi, $970 hand-held multi-function GPS from Engadget
Motorola Q, RAZRWIRE and Nokia 770 Internet Tablet on Display from BargainPDA
Rumor: Upcoming Palm Tungsten T X and Zire 22 Details from PalmInfocenter
Rumoured iPAQ rx1950 Receives FCC Approval

And dont forget to check out sites such as Palm Addict, Daily Gadget, PalmSolo's Site, Kevin's Splash Page, True Believers, and others referenced on our Links list to the right. There is a ton of news ad discussion. More than enough for a good day of reading.

Kinda late to the view, but here is a good article detailing how technology is being used to help teh victims of Katrina.

The post begins starkly: "MINNIE B. THOMPSON - FAMILY DESPERATELY SEEKING INFORMATION. 80 yr. old white female - remained in home in New Orleans East - 3 houses from I-10 Bullard exit. ANY INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT ROBERT THOMPSON." The missive was posted at 10:19 a.m. CDT on Thursday, September 1, 2005, in the Lost and Found section of Craigslist's New Orleans page. According to Jim Buckmaster, CEO of Craigslist, their Lost and Found section typically has one or two posts a day. Now it's seeing hundreds of them. Read more.

Something that I've been wanting to see some more of here at MMM, has been the conversations that we can have on some of the issues that have been posted. To that end, I have made a section on the right side of the page devoted to some of the more popular discussion topics that have been had over the past month. Granted, some of these are more popular because of the email responses more so than the topics, but my hope is that in visiting here, that you would take the time to contribute your opinions and facts to some of the conversations. Thereby making this more than just a website, but a community.

Occasionally, there are emails that come in and people leave links for me to check out websites. No Greater Joy Magazine is one of those links that had come via an email (for something unreleated to MMM as a matter of fact), and after parousing the site. I thought that the information was good enough to share.

I would encourage you, if you have links of interest, or may have worked with ministries in the past that have some worthwhile information on their websites, that you send us an email, and after checking it out, we'll add you too to the links listing on the right.

[side note: what do you think about the "New" graphic beside the new listing - . I like the font and may use it for other items in the near future if well received.]

Here is a very long listing of news from GMPSoft (the makers of BibleWithYou):

GMPSoft Newsletter for PDA - Scofield Reference Notes and KJV Scofield Bible
GMPSoft has released the Scofield Reference Notes (1917) and a new PDA bundle, KJV Scofield Bible. The new Scofield commentary is available as a free update for users that have ordered a license for Bible Commentaries Collection bundle. Click here to read more.

Scofield Reference Notes (1917) released for Palm PDA
GMPSoft has released Bible Commentaries With You (SCO) - a commentary book and plug-in for Bible With You Palm PDA software, containing the Scofield Reference Notes (1917). Enjoy reading the Scofield comments on the Bible text while reading and studying it on your Palm PDA device. Click here to read more.

KJV Scofield Bible for Pocket PC PDA released
GMPSoft has released a Pocket PC PDA Bundle of Bible study software including the KJV Bible translation and the Scofield Reference Notes (1917) - KJV Scofield Bible. Click here to read more.

Pocket PC Bible Commentaries Collection has grown with another Commentary Book
GMPSoft has released Scofield Reference Notes commentary from 1917 and it has been added to the Bible Commentaries Collection bundle. Customers who have ordered the bundle may install and use the SCO commentary for free - only install an updated version of Bible With You application and the new PADUnlock file. Click here to read more.

Palm Bible Commentaries Collection has grown with another Commentary Book
GMPSoft has released Scofield Reference Notes commentary from 1917 and it has been added to the Bible Commentaries Collection bundle. Customers who have ordered the bundle may install and use the SCO commentary for free - only install an updated bible.prc and PADUnlock files. Click here to read more.

Scofield Reference Notes (1917) released for Pocket PC PDA
GMPSoft has released Bible Commentaries With You (SCO) - a commentary book and plug-in for Bible With You Pocket PC PDA software, containing the Scofield Reference Notes (1917). Enjoy reading the Scofield comments on the Bible text while reading and studying it on your Pocket PC PDA device. Click here to read more.

KJV Scofield Bible for Palm PDA released
GMPSoft has released a Palm PDA Bundle of Bible study software including the KJV Bible translation and the Scofield Reference Notes (1917) - KJV Scofield Bible. Click here to read more.

In catching up with news, found this one at Laridian's website:

September 7, 2005 - Laridian® announced today the release of the New Bible Commentary, New Bible Dictionary, New Dictionary of Theology and New Dictionary of Biblical Theology— four leading Bible reference titles for use with MyBible® 4, its software for Palm OS®. These four titles add to the growing list of Bible study resources available for MyBible 4.

Click here to read more and to purchase for your PalmOS device.

Ok, if you cannot tell, I am excited to be back to live posting. Here is another article from PalmSolo.

And in reading this article brings up a relevant question: where do you see notetaking with digital devices going in the future? Will we move to PDAs and tablets, or will paper still reign for the majority of users?

Here is a snippet from a recent article at PalmSolo's website:

Fellow Mobius members have been working to gather some great mobile device gear so an auction for those impacted by Katrina could be held. Phone Scoop is heading up the effort with their Katrina auction site. Read more and contribute

Hello all;
Hopefully your week has been going well. I have been doing some really good patience-like waiting for the hosting issues to be solved, and it seems that things are finally back up and running. Many blessings to Damond and DaButlerDidIt.com for getting those hosting issues ironed out. Now, posting can resume as normal, and folks can not be soon unhappy at MMM content.

Now, make sure that you catch up. While you were not seeing things, I posted anyways. There is some good info down there as well as some neat reflections. Check it out and be blessed.

Finally speaking, I finished a book this weekend called "In the Beginning" which was a nice historical breakdown of the King James Bible and how its translation infulence English speaking cultures. It wasnt an electronic book, and therefore I just did one of those marathon readings (200+ pages in 2 days, 300+ pages total). What I found to be the most interesting is how change happened over time, and with persistence. In terms of the effect of the net on Christians and taking Christ into a net connected culture, I can see the same thing. A bit of persistence, and maybe some help from the kings of this day (gov't and industry), then maybe, just maybe, the net can be a model for the connection with God that we are suppose to have offline.

On Treos and Possiblities
Something nice about having a Treo is that I don't have to pull out a keyboard to type when I have an idea to post about.

So here is my thought, what if Paul had a Treo? We already talked about if he had a blog. But what if he and the other apostles and new leaders had a Treo? How would the face od Christianity been made different?

I plan to come back to this one later. But what are your thoughts...

Good day to all;
Still not getting things handled with the server issues; but hopefully sooner rather than later.

Here is some news to get you by the day:
PalmSource bought by Japanese company Access (BargainPDA)
Cingular is getting the Nokia 9300 Communicator (PhoneScoop)
Apple release the iPod nano Music Player (Engadget)
Motorola and Apple announce the ROKR iTunes Phone (Engadget)

Just a few newsbit to get you into this Friday.

With the new switch to the new host, and not being up the past days, its been kind of hard motivating myself to come here and post. And its really because I am posting without people being able to read what I am saying. Its almost like preaching into the air. And to that end, its a bit discouraging.

The release in that feeling is that at some point, someone might see a post that was made during the time things were down, and not knowing that things we down, be encouraged by what was posted. If you will, despite the comments about things not working out, and this being harder than easier, I am encouraged because if no one else sees this, the Lord will. And its for Him that I continue here.

I wonder many times if when Peter, Paul, and others preached at synagoues and in teh streets if it was like this. Maybe it rained outside, or maybe they were put in a jail cell with one person. Did the lack of visiblitiy help or hinder them any? Or was it a note of their own character development? I am sure that for someone like Paul, who was used to having a spotlight of some sort, it might have been a bit harder. I read the back end of Romans 8 and read that he has some inner resolve to keep things going despite the condition of his heart, and probably the condition of things around him.

For myself, I see needing that same resolve. Maybe even more so because this is an online venture. There is no pat on the back in the literal sense, only text messages here and there encouraging and blessing. To my knowledge, no one even read something here and was healed or delievered from an oppressive spirit. The only thing that I know for certain that MMM does is encourage the Body to keep walking regardless. And today, this is something that I have to get even more down into my spirit.

Thanks goes out to PalmSolo who posted a blurb a few days ago about MMM at Geek.com. Unfortunately with the hosting change, has come some hiccups that I hopet o have resolved soon. Many blessings to those that have been checking in to see how things have been going.

Hello all;
There is a bit of a reason for not a lot of posting today, one of those reasons is that I am not at work, and therefore not as connected. But the other being that this is Labor Day in the US. Basically, it is a national day of rest. In some ways, I respect it and think that it is a great idea that there is one day of the year that is devoted to celebrating the working class by giving them a day off. But it also reminds me that there is so much about our working schedules that needs work.

In the US, it is basically customary to work 5 or 6 days a week, and then spend that 7th day in church or with family doing whatever. But as I look harder in the Sctriptures concerning Sabbath, its really a time of rest, not a time of running to more fellowship. I do wonder what happened to the times when everything was closed on Sundays, and bascailly gov't ran with the idea that all workers need to have some time off. In this culture, having things when you want them seems to take precident over the actaul ability that was given man to work.

Even in the same way, I look at things like email and net accessiblity. Yes, its great to have them all the time. But one really should take a break from them once a week and stretch other muscles. I work on a computer all the time, therefore I look forward to the weekend when the only computer time that I have the the once or twice checking of email. I look forward to driving somewhere and spending my energies on more than just forum chat. And I think that it does my eyes better in the long run as well.

Here's to celebrating the rest that we all should have all the time, and remembering that God set the ensample to us all about the value of work, and its place in the life of man.

This weekend, I spent on another retreat. This time with a young adult group from Lancaster, PA. I was asked to come up and speak, and to them I talked a great deal about taking Christ to the net.

If you will, I spoke about the reasons that I believe God has given me MMM as an outlet. The Net, for all intents and puporses, has become a way of life for much of the 1st and 2nd world countries. It is an equalizer on many ends as well. But like eveyrhitng else that has been created by man, it was created without the mindset that this should be dedicated to God.

Genesis 1:26-28

Man was created in the image and likeness of God. And to that end, we were created with this mentality and character trait of wanting to create things ourselves. The problem is that once Adam and Eve fell to sin, anything that would be created would be the prodcut of a broken relationship with the Creator. An example I used when talking to the group at the camp was that personality trait of men who are angry; they will remove themelves from that thing that made them angry, and even go so far to make an intention to create a reality that does not include that thing that hurt them.

I believe that the Net is an extension of that hurt man (not woman) felt when Adam was kicked out of the garden. Man was so hurt that anything he created, could not have God in it, else it would remind him at his core, of that relationship that he lost due to sin.

The issue at hand then with the Net connected culture that we live in, is reintroducing man (and woman) to the fact that God is ever present in every facet of creation, and to create without His heart, HIs mind, His Spirit, means that we only create death traps. I'd hate to see something so neat and useful as the net become a death trap. One can argue that television and radio have already become death traps for so many people. I would hope that the net isnt already like that.

And therefore I teach that understanding the fall of man, understanding the need for a Savior, and then how that all relates to the current technological landscape is very important to this season in which we live. Yes, we can live without the net. And some might even say that one should not spend so much time on it. I believe in preventative mediciine, not reactive. Get Christ into the Net connected culture now, and reap the fruit of a repaired relationship later.

At least that is my vision and hope that I shared with the young adults this weekend. I hope that you too can see my heart, and see where MMM has its place as a ligament to support the workings of the Body that is already online. Welcome to the new week yall. Its going to one of those blessed ones again.

Its been a few days since getting my new Treo, and I have to say that I am quite impressed. One of the really kool things about it was going to bible study and having a few empty hands from not carrying a phone or PDA in the hand (wallet and one of the former in each pocket). It then hit me that this is the kind of convergance that can lead to a social revolution in terms of information accessiblity and social advancement. Interesting thought right?

Then today, as I started to really ponder how having a Treo will effect the ability to use MMM to a more mobile capacity, I saw God in action. John displays to us that God is three in one (Father, Word/Son, and Holy Spirit). Effectively converging this Godhead into my life makes life a lot easier to carry. Oh yea, there are times when I need just to be held (like a father) or instructed (like what the Spirit does), but when i sat to look at this Treo a few minutes ago, it was like, "Antoine, get to know God in his completness and you will not stress over dealing with life." And in a very much smaller way (yes, I know bad English), the Treo is designed to help super busy people do just that. Deal with life in a scale that is not overwhelming.

I never thought that I would have the idea that tecnology was being designed to get us to better look at who God is. But then again, in an interview with Mike Mace (formerly of Palm Source?), I did find out that the bible was quite a popular PDA item. Coincience?

Many sites have a posting up about how to help. I took this part from PocketPCThoughts as it basically compiles the best list of where to go.

The Red Cross (1-800-435-7669)
What they provide: shelter, food, and counseling.

AmeriCares
What they provide: relief shipments of cleaning supplies, personal hygiene products, and other basics.

America's Second Harvest (1-800-344-8070)
What they provide: hunger relief. They also need: donations of food, transportation, and products (bottled water, utensils, bleach, disinfecting household cleaning items, and diapers).

Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
What they provide: food and shelter for pets that have been separated from their owners.

NEW DOMAIN NAME: MOBILEMINISTRYMAGAZINE.COM

Ok, so using caps is not always the best way to say things online. But I was looking to make it loud enough that people would hear it. Please update all your bookmarks. You will also need to update your RSS feeds. The links to the magazines have changed as well. About the only thing that hasnt changed yet is the number of people working on MMM and the fact that we are still lifting God's name for the sake of submitting technology to the will of our Father.