Debt-free but not Inbox-zero

I am happy to report that as of paying off my vehicle I am 100% debt-free. This is a goal that I try and stick to as much as possible. Being satisfied with what you have is a God-enabled gift. Living within your means is a good indicator that you are achieving this. Unfortunately, debt-free will all go out the window in a few months when I finance a new home. Now I need to focus more on "Inbox-zero". "What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil—this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him." Ecc.3:9-14

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Nomatic*IM Version 0.0.1 Released

After a lot of work we are finally ready to release an early early version of Nomatic*IM. Yeah!

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Outpouring of Support for Aunt Nancy and What to Do About It

Over 1000 people were at my Aunt Nancy's viewing this weekend. At the end of the day, that says something basic about her. She knew lots of people and they cared for her and our family. It was extremely touching. If 1000 people come to my funeral I think I would be shocked. Not because I don't think I have friends, but just because my social network is more geographically diverse and by necessity not as deep. Getting the most number of people to your funeral as possible is a dumb life goal. But thinking about who would go to your funeral is an interesting way to evaluate friendships and decide who to invest in. There are some people who you know are just using you to get something they want. They take time away from people who actually care about you and about whom you care. Goal for today: Invest in the people who will be at my funeral if I'm not at theirs first.

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Severe Mercy

The wife of a friend of mine in Seattle recently used the term "Severe Mercy" in an exchange that our family was having with theirs. It is a term that relates to the extremes that Jesus will go to in order to pursue a relationship with his people.

In the scope of my family which has seen a sequence of brushes, and now collisions, with death, the idea is even more real to me. If God should cause my uncle to get cancer that sounds like an evil god. Unless it is truly a severe mercy. If such an episode with cancer should be the only thing that would cause my uncle to stop running from a relationship with Christ, and if such a relationship saves you from eternal separation from God, then even if the cancer should kill you, it is a severe mercy. Despite what a purely human perspective might suggest, cancer might be the best thing that ever could have happened to you.

If the impact and subsequent change should furthermore ripple through a family, an extended family, a social network, and a culture, then suddenly it seems different. In the midst of all of this pain, we see an incredible awakening to the person and work of Jesus in our extended family that 10 years ago was open hostility. The fact that God would have to drag us through this in order to open our eyes to him is a severe mercy. Although it sucks to get cancer it would suck far more to die apart from Christ. It all feels painfully real though. It makes me hate sin and wish it could all be accomplished a different way. I'm, of course, not the first one to express such a sentiment.

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Goodbye Aunt Nancy

In a few hours they are going to remove life support from my Aunt Nancy.

So long Aunt Nancy. I wish you were around longer. We always called you "Fun Aunt Nancy" because you were. You were into so many cool things and always made us laugh. Thanks for the trips to the fair and the flea market. Thanks for all the Christmas gifts even if the gift exchange drove you crazy. Thanks for the recipes and the whale watching trips. Thanks for making Falmouth fun and for working at Paul's. Thanks for depression glass and wall sconces, for the button making business and Cape Cod Bagels. Thanks for the Star Wars DVD and taking us to the Halloween parade. It is going to be a different place with you gone.

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At 83 years old Jimmy Carter is taking on the warlords

Photo courtesy of sunrise100(deuce)

I hope when i'm 83 years old I have 1% of the intestinal fortitude and impact that Jimmy Carter has. What an awesome role model. Carter in Darfur shouting match - CNN.com The former U.S. president instead flew to a World Food Program compound in Kabkabiya, where he was supposed to meet with local community members including some ethnic African refugees, many of whom were chased from their homes by pro-government janjaweed and Sudanese government forces. But as the meeting was set to get under way, none of the nongovernment refugee representatives arrived, and Carter decided to walk out into the town to try to talk with them.

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