The Journeyman Project: Blog » Articles & Related Thoughts

The Final Stretch…Capstone Courses, etc.

admin — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:15:12 +0000

This semester is one of capstone projects:

Writing a research paper that requires an advanced level of research and scholarship
Teaching a class for 10 weeks on the topic of Small Group Leadership
Taking a class that discusses the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament, translating both Hebrew and Greek
Preaching topically: working through the analysis multiple passages to speak to key topics, and then crafting and delivering a compelling message.

It's been a long couple of months so far, and a few more are yet to come...but I am glad to be able to put the small pieces of my training together to make a coherent set of skills that will help me as a minister.

These days, it seems that the greatest challenge is simply dealing with the stress: wanting to do anything but more schoolwork, and yet being unwilling to balance my time between important non-school things, because the demands of the semester are so heavy upon me.

Oh how I hope that next summer really feels like freedom. People often think of me as a great student, but the truth is, I would much rather have a 40-hour a week job than be here. I am only here because God called me to DTS, and because He has put a passion on my heart to invest in and assist Him in the work of changing lives, 40+ hours a week. Ph.D? Not on your life, and only if God demands it of me!

Anyway, I needed to vent a bit, so there it is.

Pray for me. It's not easy being a seminary student.

Windows Phone Mango is Here! (Officially)

admin — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 19:57:24 +0000

A few months back, I upgraded my existing Windows Phone to the Beta release of the new, enhanced operating system. Last week, AT&T and Microsoft passed along the official version to me, as one of its customers. And I must say, I continue to love the features: custom ringtones, multitasking, better GPS, voice-to-text on everything, and specialized Favorite people lists. If you are up for an upgrade, or considering a switch, I've never looked back after leaving the iPhone behind, and I encourage you to do the same. Check out this video to see it for yourself.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Talking to my Windows Mango Phone

admin — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 20:52:47 +0000

Getting tired of all those, "Don't txt and drive" advertisements? Well, now you can do it safely. Just listen to this conversation I had recently with my phone, via my bluetooth headset. I can now text and drive without ever looking at my phone:

WP: [music pauses]You have a text message from Stacy Fowler. You can say read it or ignore.
Me: Read it.
WP: “When will you be home?” You can say reply, call or I’m done.
Me: Reply.
WP: Say your message.
Me: “In about 20 minutes.”
WP: [The phone transcribes and repeats the message] You can say send, try again, or I’m done.
Me: Send. [music resumes]

My advice: try it for yourself!

Watch a video demonstration here:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Google, Email and Privacy

admin — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 02:37:17 +0000

Here's a prime example of the ways Google fails to protect your privacy: they used the content of your emails to serve advertisements...check out this video ad by Microsoft to portray it in a more contemporary way. One more reason I am VERY hesitant to jump onto their bandwagon.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Other reasons:

They no longer discount for "religious" non-profits, just all the others...

Their platforms, like the Android, are notorious for unsafe applications...

They are always in some lawsuit over violation of personal privacy...

Computer Viruses Can Change the Wars…They Already Have.

admin — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 23:17:08 +0000

What your about to see is a short video about how a single virus changed the face of nuclear energy in one of the more dangerous countries in the world, and potentially stopped the development of nuclear weapons in an area that would have allowed terrorists to gain access to them.

Do geeks have a role to play in warfare? Yes, they do.

Do viruses go beyond the annoying ones that mess up your personal computer? Yes, they do.

Do viruses go undetected and active on computers without your knowing? Yes, they do.

Do Mac's get viruses too? Yes, they do...and they are more easily corrupted than PC's. They are just not as big a target for virus creations (market share is not comparable to Microsoft).

Click here to view the embedded video.