Mobile Ministry Magazine

Hello all;
Hopefully, many of you are feeling a little better after the longer weekend. Now that we all are back in the swing of things, we can chat some.

First off, apologies with the RSS. I think that doing posts via Mo:Blog don't register with BLogger's RSS feed. And so that is why any of you who have been looking for RSS haven't seen anything. Hopefully, this post will correct that.

In terms of Issue 4. Its coming. I wish in some respects that I could move faster, but trying to do something new (at least something I never seen), will be kinda neat when it is done. If there is something that you want to see in Issue 4, just let us know and we will do what we can.

There was supposed to be a contest for our 1 year online anniversary. That will come soon after Issue 4.

Lastly, keep your eye out for the different services offered in mobile form. Things like Windows Live, eBible, and others, have the ability to really change the way we interact with things online, and with each other. Bless the Lord with whatever you are using, and remember these are tools and nothing more. YOU have to walk in Christ so that He can shine before you (Col. 3).

Peace and blessings to all. More news to come soon.

PocketBible Review at Geekzone
Care of the good folks at PocketPC Thoughts comes the report of another review of Laridian's PocketBible 3. This time the review is at Geekzone. Check it out if you are looking for new Bible software for your Windows Mobile PDA or smartphone.


- sent from Treo

eBible Could Change Things
Hope that many of you are having a good weekend thus far. For myself, I am settling into the weekend and hoping to get a good deal of rest and refreshment throughout.

About a week ago, we did a post on eBible. Well, today I was finally able to cash in on the invite to the beta of eBible (sent from Bob @ MobileRead) and found some really neat things that could really work for a great deal of people with just a few changes.

For starters, I am accessing eBible over my Treo's Blazer browser. I have to say that I was very impressed that I was able to get the site and it showed quite simply. The interface is quite simple, almost Google-like, but very purposeful. The main feature of it is that you would be able to look up verses and topics at the same time. I found the service very easy to use and kind of like a BibleGateway version 2. For myself, I could see using eBible in place of BibleGateway as it seeems a little more geared to a person who wants more than just a collection of verses.

To those things that I would change. I would most definitely like to see them make an even lighter version of the site and then market it to those with mobile phones. The interface is already quite simple, and this would most definitely make eBible a verry effective tool while speaking on the go about items in the Word. The other thing that I would probably change is the number of hits that it shows per page. I think that it should be user configurable (it might be, but I have not found it). For me on my Treo, I do much better with a long page of stuff, rather than smaller pages where I have to keep hitting next all the time.

All in all it really is a different way of using Bible searches than what I am used to. I will most definietly add the link here once it gets out of the beta mode and goes public. Until then, keep your eye out for eBible as I think that it will change a bit how you look at the Bible and the Internet.
- sent from Treo

The Mobile Gadgeteer
In my slow moments today I went to a website that I have not visited in a while, Palmsolo. As some of you might know, Palmsolo (Matt Miller), is also a writer for the popular website Geek.com.

As a person who has admired his writing, and most definitely his faith, stumbling across a post at his website where he talked about a new writing blog that he is doing really made me smile. That blog is called The Mobile Gadgeteer and is a more mainstream tech oriented blog of the ZDNet group.

It will be interesting to see where The Mobile Gadgeteer grows to. In some ways it is a bit of what Matt already does with Palmsolo and Geek, but the audience is a lot bigger (I am guessing). But as the Word encourages us to do, we should rejoice with Matt as he is given another area in which he can share is passion for tech and how he uses it to minister, work, and be with family.

Congrats Matt, and we shall be keeping an eye on The Mobile Gadgeteer.
- sent from Treo

Still Taking Donations
Just to remind in light of the recent posting that MMM is still accepting donations of old PDAs and accessories. These items will be checked to make sure that they are in working order, and then shipped to ministries and missionaries whom are in need of a PDA in order to better faciliate their day-to-day tasks.

As a note, MMM wants to move in the future to going to those places in which we are donating the PDAs to give formal training to those who will be using and supporting them. If you are involved with a church that does a great deal of missions work and believe that PDAs would be a viable solution in terms of communication and organization while out in the field, send us an email about what it is that you are looking for or if you are desiring training for what you already have.

This technology allows us to be mobile, let's therefore really touch the ends of the earth with it.
- sent from Treo

Using Older PDAs
If there is one thing that I like about PDAs, it is the fact that as long as there is a use and they work, they are really usable. I took some time many weeks back to go and use my old iPaq 1935 and wrote about some of what I found at a recent article at Brighthand.

Check it out and if you have a PDA or two that are dusty and in a drawer, pull it out and get refamiliar. You might find that its still good enough to give to someone in need of a PDA.
- sent from Treo

A Nice Clear Case on a Recommendation
One of the issues that I tend ot have with my Treo is that it always seems to drop. And for that reason I have been using a ToughSkin case for it. The only real issue for that case though has been that it is huge, and makes an already large Treo much bigger.

I was visiting Treonauts some weeks ago and they had a review of a neat clear case, that also had a means for me to carry my extra SD card on the case. For me, I was not really in the market for a new case, but I did want to try it out.

I have been using it for the past week and have to say that I am very satisfied with it. This morning the Treo took a fall (due to a loose screw holding it to the belt clip) and all the damage was that the case popped apart. My Treo was kinda fine for landing on nice concrete steps. For me, this was a really good thing and basically made the case for me that I would keep this case.

[now, if I get near a full computer, I will link to a pic, but for now, check out the review at Treonauts for a good picture]

The ClearCase can be purchased at many online Treo stores. Treonauts, Everything Treo, and TreoCentral all have it for sale for about $25USD.

And even if you cannot afford a case like this, if you have a PDA or smartphone, then it really is a good idea to have a good case with which to keep it protected.
- sent from Treo

Desiring that Sincere Milk
It has been another great week. One where MMM got its first donation, one where many have decided to repurpose their use of the Internet and mobile technology towards a manner that would better please and bring glory to our Lord. And even there have been some that put down technology completly for the same reasons. This is a good thing. When there is Word and us, things change. And usually they change in a way and manner that makes us act and look more like Him.

This week, I have had to live with a bit less net than usual. Most of that is because of some things at work and then because I am using Quick News and RSS feeds to read more of the sites that I usually visit. And while I do admit that it is sometimes fustrating to be living online thru this kind of filter, I have been able to spend more time in prayer towards those things that really need continual prayer.

That goes into a big reason why MMM has been crafted/birthed. Yes, there is technology that the Body can use better to share and defend the Gospel, but its that part about it that leads us to a close relationship with Him (better balance with everything), that makes MMM a viable alternative to many siites that share info on only material gain and that which doesn't really fill you up.

So I know, this weekend being Memorial Day and the first day of summer for many people we will take an opportunity to get in some bbq and other eats that come with warmer weather. But it is my hope that you also have a desire this weekend (and every day) to take your daily living water, bread, honey, and milk [of the Word]. While it might not be as fragrant to the senses, it will put you in a position where you will be filled with being content in where Dad has you, and where you are going next.
- sent from Treo

A Great Find!
I have found many things relating to this topic of mobile communications technology.
This is great for those of you who are using a flip phone but still need access to documents on the go. If you are a Pastor, your secretary can now send you Word documents for approval to your phone while you are out on visitation or whatever...
No more having to return to your church office to review documents.

Today's find is where I started my search three years ago.
It is: http://m.gmail.com go to this URL with your mobile phone's web browser
Google's mobile email allows you to view attachments in their native format.
If you have not tried to do this previously, believe me, it is a HUGE find!
This along with Opera's mini browser will buy me several more months until I HAVE to get a replacement "SmartPhone".
Check it out for yourself and let me know what you think.
It should work if you are on a major carrier; I am with Sprint. Send me an email if you would like personal assistance with this. coosbaytv@yahoo.com
Jay

Splash Wallet You Say
Ok, so maybe you were one of those who couldn't wait to hear last week's announcement about the 700p from Palm, or maybe you are just in a situation where you are jsut tired of carrying a wallet full of cards, ids, recipts, a checkbook, and even need some help with budgeting. In that case I have some good news for you. Splash Data announced today that their popular suite of applications, collectively called Splash Wallet, have been updated to support the new Palm 700p.

And like I said before, you don't have to have the 700p to use Splash Wallet. If you have any generation of PalmOS device, most (if not all) of Splash Data's software will work for you. I personally have been using Splash Money, Splash Blog, and Splash ID, and really like all of them and how they work with my Treo to make not everything a moment of work while on the Treo.
- sent from Treo

A Portrait of Jesus
This weekend there has been a whole lot that has been said about the DaVinci code and how much it really casts a light onto Christianity that makes us out to be political and emotional fanatics. Well, I can agree in being a fanatic, but not because what was preached to me, what I preach and teach, is not real and I have to convince someone. But, I can say with all kinds of conviction that without a doubt, the artwork of my life has been framed by God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. And I do and will dispute anyone that would question that faith.

And that is why I write this post. Google my friends, Yahoo my friends. Simple tools but these things allow us to dig deeper than what media wants to show and what people want to not believe. I found it great today to be in church listening to a lesson debunking the claims of the DaVinci code and being able to check the truths formyself by jumping to Google and getting truths as when the Bible really was established, documents and historians who validate the Bible and all its claims, and even those that refute those claims that I might know the false claims and have an answer for them.

Its this kind of reasoning that I like to say that the Internet was made. No, not a place where we preach to others, but we literally can give room to the Spirit of God to lead people to finding the blatant truth of who Jesus is, the life He lives, and how vital it is to love and trust Him.

So yea, there are many portraits of faith out there. And many who would say that this portrait was only made to swindle and hold down. But I submit to you the same thing that was in John's Gospel: how many portraits were with God in the beginning, were God all the time, and came to earth to testify of the commune God has always wanted since the fall of man? There ain't no portrait but Jesus for that folks, and the net really does speak loudly about it.
- sent from Treo

EBibile Review at Leslie Frank
In some nice mobile surfing today, I ran across a post at Palm Addicttalking about a program called EBible. Apparently it is an invitation only beta now, but seems like this would be a great resource for those who want to study the entireity of the Word using a huge online reference. Unfortunately, my Treo does not have tha ability to view EBible at this point, but maybe they will one day get to PDAs and mobile phones.
- sent from Treo

Hello again all;
Before I leave posting alone for the day I wanted to ask a question to all who visit:

Can MMM partner with your church in attaining PDAs or doing workshops in which we help users better use mobile technology to carry out the work of your respective ministries?

If this is something that sounds like your church or organization would like MMM to come in and be involved in, shoot us and email and let's work together to till this ground.

I want to thank all of you for your patience towards MMM. Its been a bit rougher with just the Treo and some things have changed that I cannot get in front of a computer so often to collect news (let alone write and link to it), but I still keep MMM on my plate of things to do (after work). One of the things that I am realizing though that in some respects, having a laptop or desktop was not all that needed. Yes, I am a website developer and can use as big a screen as possible. I also enjoy the occasional game of NBA Live to rest my mind some. But in terms of productivity and connectivity, having a smartphone as my main computer has been really good for me. Sure, with the PalmOS there are some disadvantages in the process of doing some things, and in other aspects, there are not the programs out there that work for what I'd like to do. But that is the thing, there is not much fluff in my computing life. In my hand usually sits all that I need to do, and from there I work and do. Its different, and I admit I am still adjusting (hence writing this on another computer that is teathered to my 650 for internet access). But its the life that I have been given. Tis a different blessing, but really a neat one to be in.

Our friends at MobileRead have been very active with articles and thoughts lately. Here are some links to articles that may be of interest to many of you:

- Making Mobile Devices Easier to Use
- LifeFeeds Mobile RSS browsing for Phones and PPC
- Overview of .PDF reading options for PDAs

Of course, there many more articles and discssions going on at MobileRead, but as a guy finally gets some time to sit and collect his thoughts, these are a few that rreally stood out.

Using This Stuff Differently
Check out these verses from the 17th chapter of John:
(17:14) I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. (17:15) My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.

It is not that we just use this technology as a means to get life done, we use this technology as one of those items that serve to witness the power of God thru Christ Jesus. If you will, try not to look at technology thru the lense of consumerism, business, or "my site"-isms. Look at it thru the lense that Jesus Himself prayed that you might be able to live in this world, but represent Him despuite it. Part of that is how you use this technology (to His glory).

One of the other lessons that I am learning over the course of the two days it has taken to write this is that God is in control of everything. Even the way that things have panned out and will pan out in respect to technology. God knows and is in control of all that is happening here. And for all that we notice that is going on (kids on unapproprate websites, sexual and financial temptations at nearly every page, and more), God knows and has set His children as his elect ambassadors of a different kind of surfing and way of life.

During a few minutes after reading this, I urge you to take a few minutes to just sit still and listen from God how He wants you to glorify Him with this medium. And if that means putting it down to spend time with your family, then do it. If it means a career change, then do it as He leads. Let Him direct your paths and be salt to the world.
- sent from Treo

I really have to post this one fast so Ima have to come back and talk about it.

Found this website Golden Swamp, and while it talks a lot about those things tchie, one of the things that really got my eye was the fact that they talk a lot about the use of compluting in education to change education away from the paper and chalk methods to a method that more resembles real work environments. While this is not a level playing field in the sense that every child beign educated can do this, to those that have this ability because of the software, hardware, or culture, its a good thought to have to promote a better sense of the world community and how decisions for a community can change the world on a global level. Here is is one article that talked on this and another that speaks a bit more towards the adult audience.

One of many articles that I have been sitting on all day, I can finally come and post about.

A few new PDAs to chat about. The first being contained in this review by Mobile Tech Review. The HP iPaq hw6915 is one of a few new smartphones that HP is releasing in the US this year. Looks like a BlackBerry to many people, but there is a lot more in store than just getting email with this little guy. The Windows Mobile 5 OS gives the 6915 the ability to do email, surf the web, office documents, and this model even has a built in GPS reciever for those times when one gets lost. Check out the rest of the review, and if up your alley, let MMM know how it fares for you in the ministry field.

The other item was big news yesterday, but still holds as big today if you are a US Treo weilder. Palm announced the Treo 700p yesterday. And while the price of entry will not be cheap when it finally becomes available for Sprint and Verizon, it will have plenty of ability to help you stay connected and organized. There are no reviews yet, but some prelimenary reports say that it is faster than the Treo 700w (that one runs Windows Mobile 5).

A post at Palm Addict really hit on something that I think that many times we can lost sight of in our "want driven society." This thing hit on is teh value of a object and getting the most out of what we have purchased.

While it is very true that many of us live in a culture where we are basically told that as soon as something new comes out, whatever we have now, no matter how short a time it was ago that we bought it is still good, that item needs to be replaced. In terms of how we should respectfully be a witness of Christ in our use of technology, there are some simple things that we can do to not fall into this trap of covetousness.

#1 Do your homework
No matter what any sales person will tell you. The only thing that works for you is to find out everything there is to know about that device/software and to the ebst of your abilities, compare it to like-minded software. For example, there are 4 really good Bible readers for PalmOS devices. While any person can tell you why they prefer one or the other, you should make the effort to go to the websites that do reviews and check those, go to the manufacturer's websties, and do not be afraid to ask questions.

#2 Check prices today, check them again tomorrow, and then again the next day
With technology, prices can change really quickly. Pay attention to the fan sites and technology news sites to see if anything new is coming that might better meet your needs, or push the model that you want down to a more manageable price.

#3 Remember, its only a tool
These devices will not live forever, nor should you expect them to. It is best to know that if you are buying something that is hi-tech now, it might not be later. Have a plan of upgrading and remember that even if you do upgrade and your device is still good, you can donate it to a friend or family member who might be in need of it (MMM also takes donations).

#4 Before purchasing, do your homework one more time
While buying a PDA or computer software is in no means as important as purchasing a house or car, the fact that you make a well informed and wise decsion is what pays off in the end. Take your time and think about it, don't just move because it is the latest thing or "looks like" it would fit.

#5 MOST IMPORTANT: Pray
Every decision that you include God in will always turn out to give you insight that you never thought of before, or that you thought of but did not give enough time to. Make sure to take all purchase decsions to God and allow Him to speak to you about the purchase. In some cases, you might find that the Lord says no to one thing, and points you to another so that he can better use your character with that tool to bring Him glory. In other times, you might just be told to hold back a bit and wait. In either case, hearing from the Lord is the best thing that you can do.

Making an informed and prayerful decision concerning purchase will not only help us to get better value miles out of what we purchase, but also lend to having that purchase become secondary to the mission that we have to carry the Word to the ends of the earth. Everything has some kind of value, but knowing its place in the grand scheme of things only makes us better users and lights with it.

A Sermon Anywhere?
Something to consider, in the mist of reading a book about taking a Sabbath, it hit me that sometimes, I want to hear a particular serom again, or read a particular study agqin. And while having these om CDs seems to be a nice wat to do this, leveraging the power of podcasting ans RSS can make a moment's break, turn into some good time of reflection.

For example, many sermons are already recorded for thoese who wish to have them on tape or CD. We can take what we do there and extend it to the church's website and leverage that web area into a portal to download a podcast or order on tape or CD that past sermon or study.

Some of you whom are pastors might even have typed notes every sermon. Instead of keeping them in a binder to recycle for some time later, one can make the league of thwm available as RSS downloads that can be downloaded and studied for further discussion. The medium also allows for people to comment on a sermon in another means that gives you, the pastor, another means of hearing how your community receives the Word.

Now, this all sounds ok for some communities. But, if you have a church located near or that ministers to college students, military personnell, or even seasonal travelers, this means of opening your content can widen your community and lead to greater acts of on-time, heart to heart ministry.
- sent from Treo

Though not mobile tech related, it is a reason to announce nonetheless. A new website and initiative has launched in the Christian music scene called Christ-in-a-Hip Hopper. Rather than give my summary, here is a piece of what is found on their About page:

The vision of ChristIaN Hip-hopper.com is to see the Christian in Hip-hop culture become an inescapable demonstration of what it would look like to see Christ in a Hip-hopper.

Check out Christ-in-a-Hip Hopper and see where one group is pushing to see Christ in more than just the four walls.

Word or World (Part 2)
In connuing the conversation from last week, we want to look at how the Word would have us to use technology versus the seular mindset. Now, one might be reading this and thinking, "since when is computer technology addressed in Scriptre? And even more, how can Scripture really even make a line between what is profitable versus what is not? Isn't personal technology personal?" Let's take a look at those three questions.

Since when is computer technology addressed in Scripture?
To be blunt, it is not. Nor is martial arts, how to write on a website, or even how to write a business plan. So how can Scripture address this computing genertation? The same way every generation is addressed, through the eyes of needs and pride. Leviticus 26 is speaking to the emerging Isrealite culture and warns them to not form any idols before them, and to put away the idols of other nations else the Lord will withold from the land the means for them to prosper. In a similar way we can look at technology. If we invest our time and money in administring, tinkering, "playing" with this technology, we compromise the means that God has given us to suitably use the resources of the land to bring Him glory.

How can Scripture make a line between what is profitable with technology and what is not?
One of the hardest things that I had to do when I lost a PDA to water damage was to sit back and assess if I really needed a PDA to do all that I did. Was it more convienent? Yes. But was it needed? Probably not. While I did suffer some mentally, I was able to adapt to limited computing and then use - agast!!! - paper and pen to get things done. Yes, it was less convient, but the time that I was not spending on PDA websites looking for the latest software and the money that I saved not buying accessories or software was able to go to friends and family who had needs much more reaching than that of a PDA. It reminds me some of when Jesus told the disciples to go out and not take anything with them. Believe that the Lord has given you what you need and count anything that you get on the journey as a blessing from that journey. For me this was a vital lesson, and one that really turned my mind in terms of what PDA really should mean outside of my personal gain.

And that brings us to the last question: isn't technology personal? How can God meter something that is personal?
Psalm 24:1
Psalm 50:10-12
Those are just a few oft quoted verses but they do make the point. Regardless of how it came into your hands, the ability to create and to make that piece of technology in your hands, in front of your eyes, or that you drive came from the Lord. There is a Scripture I hear quoted a lot that says there is no private intrepretation of the Word because it came only to man in old times as it was spoken to them from God. I like to think that in the same way we are gifted with mobile technology not out of our own doing but because it was scripted from before the beginnings of time that this is how God would use a part of His people to show is glory to the world. And the last time I looked, I didn't see the world wanting to give God praise for anything that wasn't aimed at building up self.

The next time we look at this subject of the two views of technology, we will look at how we can respond to the differences in view in light of examples in Scripture and history. See ya then :-)
- sent from Treo

Mobile Tech and My Sabbath
Since thinking more about my schedule and what I have been doing with my time has been near the top of my things to think lately, today, I managed to get in a good Sabbath, while at the same time realizing that even in this rest time, moible tech could go a ways towards helping me to rest some more.

How so, for starters, my Treo is already a mobile internet device. This means that items such as email and news would be at my fingertips. I also have the ability to sit and write using my external keyboard, and to just sit and read the Word using Bible+. Sounds like a lot, but in my continuing reading of Overcoming Overload, I was reminded today to even not to rest in the technology, but to only use it when it was useful.

My uses of my mobile tech today;
- send an email in to my team lead and manager that I would not be in
- catch up on news via Quick News and RSS (I am no Lakers fan but cannot believe they lost)
- listen to a few songs to keep me in the mindset of resting in Dad and not in business
- and finally Mo:Blog to post this post

It is true that for many of us, technology is a way to stay connected and to be more productive from day to day. But I think that one way that we can grow into not letting tech rule our lives is to put it in a place where it is governed by how we [attempt] to rest in God.
- sent from Treo

I am sitting here on a Friday night just taking some time to ease into the night and using my Treo to connect to my work TabletPC to clean the email server and I had the rememberance that it has been a while since MMM has posted towards the responsiblities of the Christian with mobile technology. Yes, we all have our Bibles and can pull from several resources this or that, but whom really are we modeling our use of technology after: the world, or the Word?

Taken facevalue this is a weirld question. But look again and you see a piece of a people who are walking into the technological wilderness with little to no direction. As a Christian, we cannot say that, there is a manual for our lives that we go to directly and speaks to dang near everything that we'd go through. So why question if we are walking with the world or the Word? Simple, Moses did that to the Isrealites, and when they asked God what His standards were, they were so different, they were easily recognizable for whom they stood under (as long as they didnt mix gods) while living in the same wilderness.

So is there a "10 Commandments" for online use that we should be following? No. Is there a standard nonetheless? Yes. In the next installment of this, we will cover exactly what things we can do to be in this tech wilderness, but still have the fragrance and feel of our Heavely Father.

Well, I have spent the last week checking out Treo Alarm after getting a hearty recommendation from Still Rockin over at Everything Treo. Here are my thoughts on this software, what I am compairing it to, and what could be better done.

My Thoughts
My first opinion was that Treo Alarm is just a piece of redundant software for me. I already have a weather program in Weather Manager, and I was also using a time program called KeyGuardTime+, and so a alarm program that gets the weather was kinda redundant. After the first day with it, I ditched KeyGuardTime+. Not because I didnt like it, but because it was not as well a time application as Treo Alarm is. Score one for Treo Alarm.

I set it to be my daily alarm clock, taking my daily appointment within KeySuite out of the loop as the alarm app. And while I did enjoy the frequency of the alarms, its hard to enjoy the weather feature when you only hit the snooze button without looking at the clock. However, whenever I was asked what the weather was for that moment when I am awake, it was kinda neat.

Good But Can Be Better
Like the subtitle says, Treo Alarm is some good software. However, for me it needs a few things to be better. First, I'd need some kind of plugin to Facer. For me, I need to just sometimes see ahead what the weather will be days in advance rather than having to tap a few times to get there. Other than that, its on my Treo and quite a nice app. Seeing the time and weather together when I need it is a good solution. I have to figure a way to have it come up all the time, but maybe that will be an update later.

Quick Conclusion
On a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being best), I'd give Treo Alarm a solid 4 with room to improve toward completness.

If you are interested in trying out Treo Alarm, check out their website for more information and the download link.

I have a bit of time and so here is some news that I have missed throughout the week that might be beneficial to some:

Smartbox Design has released another gem. This time the game is called Word Monaco and is basically a alphabetical version of Solitare. I have yet to download it, but will be checking this one out this weekend to add to my collection of excellent PalmOS games. Learn more and download from here.

Palm Addict posted about a book that caught my eye called Disapointment with God. Not that I ever feel that way (ok, sometimes I do, but friends and prayer always get me back on track), but it would be interesting to hear another's thoughts on how they made it though that issue. I would encourage any of you that are in a place where you are disappointed with God to not only check out this book, but drop us a line here at MMM. We are always in the business of encouraging one another here (thanks Rodney).

To those of you who visit MMM from your mobile phone (or would like to), Opera Mini 2.0 has been released (excellent presentation too). I have always been a fan of Opera and their mini version of their web browser has been really good to a lot of folks. Do note, if you want this for your Treo, you must have the Java Runtime Environment from Palm installed on your Treo. While the Opera browser is pretty small, the Java piece isnt. Download directly to your phone from here or just visit Opera's website from your desktop browser here and download to install later.

There has been a ton of other news too, but there isn't time to list them all. If you have something of note, let us know about it and we can get a-postin' :)

Hello folks, still here. Work has kinda kept me busy and tired at the same time. I have been using a good deal of my away time to refresh and take a more earnest Sabbath. I tell you, in this day and time where we really are connected in every which way, it really boils down to discipline in terms of taking the rest that we need for rejuevenation and renewal (add to that I am reading a book called Overcoming Overload - not via my Treo - so its speaking a lot to me).

Please do still send in news and other notes. We will be working to get those items posted as well as continue to move forward.

Back to some rest while at work (prayer of course, it is the National Day of Prayer here in the US) and back later with news and views as usual.