China has an internet filtering policy in place that has led to the arrest of a few thousand people for hosting or posting malicious content in 2009. While I don’t know the numbers or the effectiveness of their policies, I am incredibly amazed at the recognition of the dangerous influence of porn and other online content by their government leaders. I do wish the U.S. would consider limited our freedom in this respect as well, in order to save millions of people from being exposed to and later addicted to content that their parents are too ignorant or uncaring to shield them from.(Read the AP news article here)

I’m a bit extreme in this area, and I’ll save you from a long speech on the subject, but I do wish we could ban adult entertainment/pornography, gambling, and hard alcohol in the U.S., for the good of our citizens. I do not see any noteworthy contributions that these things make to our society, and I am sometimes physically sick from their effects on relationships, careers, and ministries.

Build a fence on our borders to keep illegal immigrants out? Sure.

How about killing some industries and banning some content in our country for everyone’s good?

After a year of intense reading, going through the pages of Scripture at a breakneck pace, I’ve decided to make sure my personal study of the Bible this coming year becomes much more thoughtful and interesting. Along those lines, I have sought out a Bible that boldly reorganizes the passages of Scripture so that I can read the different books along the lines of history.

After some initial disappointment over the lack of Chronological Bibles available, I stumbled upon a gem by Thomas Nelson. Full color pages, integrated discussions on parallel secular historical events, and beautiful illustrations drew me into the great resource, and I highly recommend that you take a moment to look at it yourself at http://www.chronologicalstudybible.com/

I also need to mention that in my opinion, Chronological Bible Reading Plans are an insufficient solution. There are a lot of them, both electronic and print, but they do not do justice to the experience I am looking for, for the following reasons:

1. They do not help me understand where the events of the Bible fit into the events of the surrounding world and cultures.
2. They don’t provide any commentary on how the passages they put together relate…so sometimes I do not know why I’m reading two passages on the same day.
3. It’s not easy to follow reading plans…not as easy as simply picking up a single book and reading straight through it.
4. A physical Bible allows me to write notes, and go back to a single book for later reference, and surf through the historical organization of the text by flipping through pages.

In the end, if you are a serious Christian looking for a great new experience in reading the Word of God, add this to your library. I plan on having it as a constant companion over the next few years, as a testimony to another read through the entire Bible, and as a reference for my library for future ministry.

Thanks Thomas Nelson Publishers! I know that this Bible project was not cheap, free from criticism, or easy. It’s a HUGE accomplishment and one that deserves a lot more appreciation than it has been given. For my part, I love it!

Buy it cheap at Christian Book.com

I must say that when Windows 7 first appeared on the scene for a trial download, I was one of the first to get it and begin experimenting with it at work. I have been anxious to see if Windows could produce an operating system to rival the Mac Os, which by all accounts is much more media friendly and simple than Window XP, the operating system I had at the time. I was not disappointed. The new Windows has been stable and user-friendly since their beta release last year.

When Windows 7 officially launched in October of this year, I was literally drooling over the idea of getting a copy. My only reservations: would ALL my cherished programs work on it? I use Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Video Editing Suite, Bibleworks, and a few other expensive software packages I did not want to have to repurchase. Again, I was not disappointed.

When my laptop began its early descent into the grave with hardware issues, I was sick to my stomach…but the rewards of having Windows 7 has been a great consolation. Below I’ve listed some of my praise for the OS for you, and if you want the long list of tips and tricks I have collected off the web for the new Windows, download that from me by clicking this link Windows_7_tips.

1. The new interface makes the taskbar look a lot less crowded. I have 3-4 programs open at all times, and have a lot easier time switching between them now. Even better, since most computer screens are now widescreen formatted, I am able to place the taskbar on the side of the screen without any problems, giving me another inch of precious vertical screen space across the bottom. (See the attached tips sheet for how to do this: make your taskbar icons smaller too)
2. Windows makes the screen more efficient. I don’t feel as if I have to maximize every program anymore. I can open email, Itunes, or Microsoft Word and not feel as if I need to have the program filling the screen to get things done. This is particularly helpful in that Windows will place a program on exactly half of the screen if you simply drag the program to the side of the screen and let go.
3. Windows 7 is more secure. Gone are the days when sharing my documents on a home network meant anyone connected to that network could modify them. Now I can password protect anything I share. Whew! That was a big worry in days past.
4. Windows is only $30 for students! That’s right, until January 3rd, Windows 7 Home Premium is only $30 for full time students. I just got my copy, do you have yours? Get it here: http://www.win741.com/
5. Windows makes things simple: From operating the Media player to attaching an external monitor, Windows makes the new daily life of computers very simple. I recommend that you purchase it with your next computer: ditch the Mac! and enjoy.

A few considerations when buying a new computer:

1. 32 bit vs. 64 bit: Windows and Mac are both upgrading their systems for higher performance. 64-bit is the term for the newest operating system standard. I won’t get into all the details, but Macs are pretty much 64 bit now, and any PC you buy should also be 64-bit. In a few years, 32 bit computers will be ancient, so I recommend you stay ahead of the technological curve.
2. Graphics cards and RAM matter. If you are buying a new computer, make sure it has 4gb of ram and a good graphics adapter. Windows 7 is very pretty, with lots of 3-D effects. Those effects come at the cost of using more memory and requiring the computer to use its graphics capabilities.
3. You get what you pay for: For that reason, I highly recommend avoiding purchasing a bargain netbook or refurbished system with Windows 7. Spend the money like you are buying a Macbook…if you pay 700-1000, you are going to get a laptop you are very happy with. If you spend $200 for an HP laptop, you may regret your decision. And don’t buy an HP or Acer. They are the lowest quality laptops on the market currently. Stick with Dell, Lenovo, Sony or Toshiba.

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow, stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so?
It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags.
And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before.
What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?
~ Dr. Seuss

I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.
~ Charles Dickens

I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play
And mild and sweet the words repeat,
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
I thought how as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had roll’d along th’ unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair I bow’d my head:
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong, and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men.”
‘Til ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!
~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Lately I’ve gotten a few astounded remarks regarding my Bible in a Year post. People see it as such a huge accomplishment…and while I agree that it’s hard work, I think that its appropriate to put the work into perspective. It has been a humbling experience for me to realize some of the dynamics of reading below:

Everyone reads a lot more than they think they do:

Regardless of whether it is scrolling stock prices, passing billboards, online news headlines, or interesting novels on the shelves at Barnes and Noble, we live in a society of readers. And most of us digest a lot more text than we think. A year ago a friend of mine posted an astounding analysis of this very phenomenon on his blog, and it seems appropriate to share the results here:

What are we feeding our minds with?

The question is not, ‘Are we reading?’ The question is, ‘Is what we read building us up, or tearing us down?’ If the principle of ‘garbage in, garbage out’ is true, then what is our constant appetite for television shows like “Desperate Housewives” and “24” doing to us? What is it turning us into?

Reading the Bible takes more time than reading a book:

The Bible is a book that involves deep meaning in every page. The act of reading it is an act that allows us to hear the voice of God. It should read at the speed of an academic paper…accompanied by notes, prayers, and appropriate amounts of research.

Thanks to Whitney, Dan and others for their insightful and challenging questions.