Cya Facebook.

As follows:

You guys and gals should really have an option that is listed as “all of the above.”  I was a late comer to Facebook and now I see no use of it other than a harboring of gossip, pointless status updates (yes, more pointless than Twitter updates) and pictures of what people are eating.

I suppose this is what you wanted to build though huh?  A social networking site about how people interact with people at a distance while having no face-to-face, voice-to-voice communication.  Technology will never remove that nor will it ever replace that.

Whilst I believe you will hold my data on your servers for generations to come and data mine the crap out of it, I would find it humorous if Mark Zuckerberg himself sent me a DVD copy of all my data with his signature and a note stating:
“Hey Aaron, sorry to see you go, privacy is important and we have deleted all your data and this is the only copy.  Good luck on your endevors.  Mark.”

Not only would that be a compelling news story on any front, but it would also have me and other fellow Facebookers sleep somewhat easier at night knowing that you can actually do a hard deletion of our data.  After all, it is a Brave New World we live in.

Respectfully,
-Aaron H.

Will that happen?  Doubt it.  If by some chance you still want to get a hold of me, I will be keeping my blog open + my G+ and Twitter account.  It’s funny but it feels really good to be done with Facebook finally.  I hope to still be in contact with all my friends and family members via email and phone.

-A

Musing from a new father

Often it feels like in life that people will try and prepare you for something that is coming up.  We get education to further enhance and benefit our intelligence on things we were formerly ignorant of.  This opens up new worlds and new understandings of how the world works and how we interact with that world around us.  Over the years, I have had good personal friends tell me the tale of being a dad.  While everything they said have been true, it seems that the real effect of being a dad doesn’t really hit home until a few weeks past your child being born.

Your agenda means nothing.

This was my first lesson in on being a dad.  Nothing you plan or plan to do can be done.  Seriously.  Just forget it.  I’ve read books and had people tell me this but until I actually experienced it, I didn’t really believe it or maybe I didn’t want to believe it.  When the baby is born, you get this overwhelming sense of joy and awe but those are quickly replaced by needing to nurse, changing the diapers and holding them while they try and fall asleep.  This results in lack of sleep, bags under your eyes, questioning what day it is and general sanity being lost.  It leads you to ask… what is it that baby wants?  I was shocked that my kid couldn’t actually talk and tell me exactly what he needed.  Again, if you think you know what baby needs, chances are you don’t.

Get used to military time.

Now, I’ve gotten used to military time for various other reasons but as I alluded to earlier, time warps and becomes darn irrelevant to what baby wants.  If its 0200, baby wants to eat.  If its 0252 baby needs a diaper change.  If its 1753, baby might be sleepy which is an ominous sign which could lead to your sleepless night.  Day or not, light or dark, get used to not caring as baby doesn’t care!

What exactly did we sign up for?

All joking aside, I hope you realize that while this blog has some insights, it is another “I told you so…” from another dad to all you soon to be dad’s out there.  What is most important is that you have patience to learn something new.  Remember the school analogy I used earlier— A baby is like taking sociology, science, math, physics, language and philosophy all in one.  Only in time can we come to understand and master what we understand but it takes the art of practice to make that perfect.

 

-A

So after much deliberation, I’m closing out my Facebook and Twitter accounts.

The first question you might be asking is “Why?”.  Well it comes down to several reasons and a few of those I talk about in this blog post.  First and foremost, my move to do so is to consolidate services and to have a focal point of interaction with people.  One of the things that I’m finding is that with Facebook (in particular) is that there is a lot of noise and with that, there is a lot status updates that really… lets be honest, no one wants to read.  I am guilty of that and I believe there is time and place for status updates and sharing but honestly, I find myself loosing interest in “catching” up with people over status updates.  Has Facebook become the new Myspace?  Who knows as I think that is subjective per perspective but anyways.  Twitter I have been involved with for over 3+ years and I find it fun and more targeted than Facebook but I believe people just don’t “get it”.

So what is left?  Well, I am moving onto using just this blog, email and now Google+.  As with all things some may be wondering why Google+.  The nice thing about Google+ is that it integrates so well with so much of Google already offers.  As I’m getting older, I’m finding that I just don’t want to have to update multiple social networks specifically ones that don’t offer the features that are worth while nor that have the content ownership like Google offers.  Having specifically read what the end users own vs. what Google owns, I finally feel somewhat comfortable with my pictures and content on Google’s servers.  Facebook and even Twitter can’t make the claims that Google has and that is something to think about.

I will be wrapping up my FB and Twitter accounts as of December 31st, 2011 and move exclusively to Google+ and this blog.  I will be gathering a list of email addresses, contact information and everything else that is needed to stay in touch.  This I believe is going to be a really good thing and I believe a lot of people (including you reading this) may move to Google+ in the coming weeks or months ahead while Google continues to bolster their social service.  I was late to join Facebook and maybe I’m early to leave… or maybe I’m just becoming an old guy.

 

-A

Privacy and the social media complex

Facebook, Google+, Twitter… heck even WordPress to some extent, what do they all do and what do they all mean?  A while back I spoke about how I gave up saying happy birthday on Facebook.  That post I think was one of those watershed moments where it wasn’t so much about not saying happy birthday as it was talking about how social media has conditioned us or changed us.  A lot of the comments that I got from people were on how Facebook was used primarily as a way to stay in touch with people that they didn’t live in close proximity to.  That’s a way yes and it seems to be the most popular amongst people who use it and that isn’t looking to change anytime soon.

So where am I going with this?  All of this comes down to privacy within the use of social media.  Recently, articles have popped up stating Facebook is tracking users EVEN  after they have logged out.  In a recent CNET article found here: (http://news.cnet.com/8301-27080_3-20114163-245/facebook-sued-over-tracking-users-after-logout/) we see that a lawsuit if being brought against Facebook for these actions.  One particularly fun quote from the story is:

“We believe this complaint is without merit and we will fight it vigorously,” Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes told CNET in an e-mailed statement.

As the story goes, this was apparently done “unintentionally” on the part of Facebook.  This brings up a very important point that I believe people need to understand.  Facebook and its user base (which at the moment include myself) are apparently beta testing how much privacy we’re willing to give up before we start caring.  If this is simply a clumsy misstep by Facebook or a calculated move, one thing is for certain, are we paying attention to what is happening?

Location based tracking and location-based GPS tracking is not anything new.  Last month we had a suit brought against Microsoft (read here: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Lawsuit-Microsoft-tracking-cell-phone-users-2150949.php) on it tracking its Windows Phone users without letting them know about that. The good news is that Microsoft has fixed this in their newer version of their Windows Phone software codename “Mango” which has been released around the world.  Who can forget as well the media hype over Apple who apparently was tracking users as well: (read here: http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/04/26/6538310-lawsuit-filed-over-apple-tracking).  So what do these lawsuits mean?  It means that by default, privacy has been infringed upon and sadly it seems that it takes a lawsuit to make sure that these companies are kept in check.  However, what is the end game of these social media companies and smart phone companies in which we access our social media?

It all comes down to our choice.  Our choice of opting-in.  Out choice of putting ourselves out there, our choice of sharing what information we want out on the internet.  If anything, I’d say companies hate that we have choice.  You imagine if you signed up for a new social network in which you had a quota of updates per day?  Right now you have people who update so many times a day it makes you wonder if they are actually doing anything in between all the tweets, updates and pictures they push out.  For me, I have teased and toyed with the idea of getting rid of my Facebook account and simply get in touch with people via my blogs and Twitter.  Well, I think that time is rapidly approaching.  Leaving the social media site and having other forms of communication I think are going to be enough for me.  When that will happen,  possibly by years end but we’ll see.  I’m sure Catherine will satisfy most people with baby Jonah pictures (coming soon) but for me, I just am getting tired of having to manage my privacy on a site that apparently could care less about it.

Where do you stand?  I’d love to hear from post-Facebook people on this since I will be there in the near months ahead.  As with all warnings, beware of the social media complex and their ill will towards your privacy.

-A

Another reason why people probably find it hard to be….

I love blogs posts like this because I think they are reality.  Reality of the fact that people (like myself) are at times two-faced, biased and downright ugly towards each other.  If that sentence didn’t grab your attention, I don’t know what would.

Today was a day of mixed blessing and emotions.  Cath and I started the day going to “Big church” @ Village where Matt M. (spell check doesn’t work and I’m a bad speller), author of ‘Imaginary Jesus’ spoke from Mathew 14 about how Jesus fed the 5,000+ with bread and fish.  Matt talked plainly of we humans being at times, ugly and terrible people.  While amongst his talking of Matthew 14 (because I doubt Matt would say he gave a “sermon” on Matthew 14) he spoke about how we as Christians, do not find it easy (especially the western minded) to believe that the God of the universe can do miracles.  Made you stop and think about when we do the “Dear Jesus….” prayer and ask for a blessing on food or for healing, are we expecting anything?

Anyways— where am I going with this?  So fast forward to this afternoon and we are sitting in a Panera, me sipping my iced mocha, Cath working on her latest Fantasy Football analysis for her upcoming drafts… and a large group of women talking about God.  Great!! It’s sunday, so why wouldn’t this group of women be talking about God?  Turns out they go to a local church here in Beaverton and it was like any “woman’s group” of where they go around, talk about a book, talk their desire to have a deeper relationship with God…. Mind you… all perfectly valid things.  However (caveat time);  This is the type of Christianity that isn’t me.  I feel like I’m having a Carl Mederis moment of where I point out people doing perfectly wonderful things but find myself saying… “Really?”.  So what leads me to have this un-profound opinion on these group of women?  I go back to talking about reality.  So about 30 minutes after the group disbanded and some people left, we overhear (read that as eavesdropped) that people were concerned about drama within the group (as some of the members were new) and didn’t know how everyone would fit in with some of the “older girls” who have been in the group for a while.  So again, really?  I entitled this blog “Another reason why people probably find it hard to be…  Christian is because its crap like this that is the reality of being a Christian in an established church, a pecking order in place and friendships in the balance.  Did Christ live like this?  Did he care who did what to who or who worked where?  These are the things that lead to Cath and I talking about Christianity and the “cheese” of it all.  Groups that meet and talk like that… totally and perfectly fine for people where they are and for what they are doing;  However I do feel like we as the “church” (if we’re being honest) end up looking like an episode of Jersey Shore.

Good grief… anyways, I had to blog this and share this with the people that read my blog because if you know anything about me, I hope that isn’t me.  I hope I look like a person that is approachable, loving and caring for any and all people and not just because its Sunday or because I’m told I need to.  I’ve meet a lot of great people through this blog and I’m sure I will meet a ton more through this post.  Being a Christian or a follower of Jesus in this day and age is a double-edged sword in some circles that it seemingly turns out that most people have been cut by that blade.  Hopefully with me, I pray that is not the case.

 

-A

Being honest about the US political system

   I felt like I have needed to post this for a while.  This is more or less an observation to the general internet population as it is any reflection of my own.  What is wrong with our Government system?  Ironically, having just gone through a history of religion course for my bachelors program, I learned a great deal about separation of church and state, religious freedoms and the pursuit of liberties.  I post the Josh Brolin picture from the movie “W” because I feel like for the 30 years or so of my growing up (which is Regan to Obama), I can’t remember a time in which this country is so fouled up and bitter that nothing can be done?

Is this a class warfare issue?  Do the people in power who we elect actually care about us?  Do they simply want to maintain their power as long as they can?  I find myself to be a more centrist independent with some liberal leanings and conservative leanings;  Where does that leave me with anyone in Congress or the House that is representing me?  With compromise seemingly being a swear word in Washington, I can’t help but wonder just where the hell our country is going with the people who care nothing (seemingly) about the American people and their troubles.

So if it’s Rick Perry (Bush #3), Bachmann, Obama or even Joe Biden (Ha!), it seems like we’re screwed.  What do you guys/gals think?

My lunchtime date with Rob Bell

Call it divine inspiration, call it being pinched by the spirit, call it a moment of reflection.  My lunchtime this afternoon was anything but ordinary.  I’m starting to read Rob Bell’s new book ‘Love Wins’ which I’m sure to some people is heresy in the purest form.  Me?  I don’t think its heretical, but again, just my opinion.  So as I start in, I read the preface (who does that anymore?) and I thought to myself… sounds interesting so I started in.  I tweeted about 7 pages in that there were about 50+ questions being asked by Rob and they were good questions, but really? 50+ in 7 pages?  So I tweeted, rolled my eyes and kept going.  Much to my surprise, I liked what I was reading.  To keep this brief… Rob Bell was asking a lot of questions that have been asked over the ages… how do we know Jesus, how do we know he is truly God and how do we really know that we are saved and how are we getting to Heaven?  Now I’m sure some of my more theological friends will have absolute concrete answers to those questions of which I suppose I could somewhat agree to, but where is the faith that God is sovereign?  The answer is we don’t know and that is where our faith is tested.  Anyways I’m mumbling— The point got me thinking about how broken we are as people and a point Rob makes is that we crave justice… true justice.  I thought to myself in light of the Osama Bin Laden stuff, high gas prices, taxes, governments being toppled etc, people want justice.  The reason I bring this up is because the conversations around me were based on that.  The owner of the shop ‘NoHo’s’ just off 26th’s was talking about higher prices and having to charge more and how is that fair for him as a business owner to make money?  The corruption in the government and the people taking money that doesn’t belong to them, where is the justice?

So while I was reading I was overhearing that, a guy walked in.  About 6 ft tall, medium build, red hoodie.  The gal working there said “Just 1?” referring to him being alone and he responded…. “Yeahhhhh just one….” with a big sigh.  He sat down and begin messing around on his iPhone to keep himself busy and look like he is being productive, because let’s be honest, we all do that.  So I’m finishing up my meal, I was still reading ‘Love Wins’ and I skim ahead to see how long the chapter is and realized that I needed to get back to work.  So here’s where the story gets interesting.  Rob Bell spoke about how we ultimately have a part in the creation and beauty of this world as well as the utter destruction and perversion of this world.  Making a difference, justice and helping people is what “Christians” are about right?  True I suppose but even more, as a follower of Jesus, I felt the urge to pay for the guys lunch.  Don’t ask me why, but as I observed him more he just seemed defeated.  Someone without hope and was just having a crappy day despite it being 60+ degrees and sunny in Portland which is a rare thing.  So I gathered my belongings and went to the counter with my receipt and asked the woman behind the counter– “Excuse me…” I said.. then I dropped to a lower tone “I’d like to pay for that guys lunch, can you just run my card?”  A puzzled look on her face greeted my words, but she took my card and “ok, sure”.  So she went back to the register and rang up the card.  She comes back with the receipt and asks me.. “Do you know the guy?”  I looked back at her and said “Nope”.  Then she went on to say “…just doing a good deed?”  I nodded my head and signed for his lunch.  A smile came over her face.  I thanked her again for the great lunch and said have a good day.  As I left, the guy was still looking busy on his phone and didn’t make a scene about what I had done.  Got in the car and drove back to my office.

So what just happened?  Well, as I’ve discovered over the past couple of years, I just experienced a moment in which God used me.  I say that with faith and conviction because as  I caretaker of this planet, the people in it as image bearers of God, my choices affect play into the bigger picture of God’s plan for us all.  So while I sat down with Rob Bell’s book to gain a bigger insight into heaven and hell and how God loves us, I found myself being pinched by the spirit to spring into action and make a difference.  Who knows what that even will trigger.  Maybe me buying his lunch will mean he will go on to do the same thing for someone else, maybe he won’t abuse his girlfriend/wife, won’t rob a bank, won’t get in a car wreck, help someone in need, love others a little more… I have no idea and those are just ones off the top of my head.  What I do know is that if I did not buy him lunch, it would be another missed opportunity for me to be used by God.  Do we look for those?  Do we step into those?  Man, I LOVE IT when those come because your heart races, your reflexes are on edge, you wonder what people will say, what people will do, you brush off the notion as something that you can just disregard… but don’t do that!!  As I learned this past November, when we wake up, we are stepping into what the day already has started long before we got our head up off our pillow.  What we do as people does make a difference— do people experience that from me?  Do they experience that from you?

Intel’s Multi-Billion dollar flops

Is anyone running the ship?  Does the captain know where he’s going?  Is there a lack of confidence among the Intel workers?  I’m sure these are the types of questions that if you are an Intel employee, you have asked these questions and as a former contractor at Intel and overall technology guru, I am asking the same questions.  To bring everyone up to speed, Intel in recent years past set out to control and own the mobile PC market which consisted of laptop and netbook PC’s.  The interesting thing about this was while they were taking good market share, they got lazy with their chip revisions, power requirements and speed; now they have lost the netbook/small notebook market to AMD’s FUSION series processor which is vastly more power efficient as well as does an overall better job of rendering HD content.  Meanwhile on the backburner of Intel’s plate, we’ve got the imitative of them entering the tablet and phone market.  Now, if memory serves me correctly, they actually were poised to go after this market in early 2010 and have something developed and in the hands of consumers by early 2011.  So what happened?  It’s now almost June, end of Q2 of 2011 and Intel has nothing but excuses as to what happened.

Recently in an interview with Reuter’s news agency, Paul Otellini (pictured above) spoke on this initiative and where it is at regards to the competition.  To qualify his statement, the market segment right now is comprised of a couple of key players: ARM (Advanced RISC Machine), Qualcomm, Apple and Nvidia.  It was suggested that Intel adopt ARM’s technology to help aid them with their venture into the mobile computing market.  Here’s what Paul Otenllini said about that…

“There’s no advantage going in there, we’d be beholden to someone else, beholden to ARM. We’d pay royalties to them so it would lower the overall profits,” Otellini said. “I think we can do a better.”

There’s a couple of things going on here of which we need to take a step back and look at some of Intel’s ventures of the past to pinpoint what is happening with Paul’s statement.

First and foremost, Intel started back in mid-2005, pursuing health care equipment.  I remember this quite vividly as Intel was spinning up campuses around the Hilllsboro area at a frantic pace and filling positions like crazy to go after this next arena of computing space.  Well, fast forward to 2006 and the project had stalled.  They were not making any head way into gaining corporate acceptance as a “valid” player in the healthcare market space and begin looking at niche areas of healthcare in which they could possibly salvage the millions if not billions they lost on that venture.  Fast forward to 2011, I haven’t heard anything about Intel’s “healthcare” division in terms of if it still exists or if it is still something they are pursuing.  So what is the take away from that?  Intel I think saw that as the next big thing that Government would throw money at (and they have) and they wanted a piece of the pie.  To me, it seems like they just wanted to pad their revenues or maybe it was a legitimate imitative.
Moving on and onto a completely different market… The gaming market.  Intel had whispers of a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) that would rival if not beat Nvidia or AMD’s ATI offerings.  These rumors started gaining momentum and in late 2008 early 2009, the cat was out of the bag and “Project Larrabee” was under the microscope of the gaming world.  Boasting to be able to trounce the current graphics cards, everyone waited with bated breath to see if Intel’s promise could be true.  Fast forward to end of 2009 with Paul Otenllini stated that “Larrabee” would be fleshed out even more in 2010 and maybe ship in that same year as well.  Guess what?  2010 has come and gone.  Where is Larrabee you ask?  Intel decided to scrap the project as they were not seeing the “yields” that they wanted from the product.  The gaming community went on to continue to buy Nvidia and AMD graphics cards most likely at the distaste of Intel, but the project just didn’t pan out for them.  2 for 2 I see.

Now that we’ve seen the last couple of tries on Intel to break into new markets, we get back to the original thread of the mobile computing tablet and smart phone market.  If you remember the statement Paul made up above to Reuter’s, he basically said that he thinks they can make a better product.  Hmm.  Looking back at the previous two examples I gave of healthcare equipment (powered by Intel) and Gaming on an Intel graphics card, would it be fair to say that he thought they could make a better product?  I’d say the correlation is there.  However, what is driving this?  Is it money? Is it power?  Is it market control or is it pure arrogance on the part of the CEO?  My analysis of Intel is that they make a killer server, desktop and laptop chip for computing devices that a lot of us here in the States use on a day-to-day basis.  Right now as I type, I’m running a Dell Core i5 mobile of which screams in terms of performance (but then again, maybe that’s because I’m running Linux on it…) and Intel wants that and I applaud them for it.  What I don’t like in a computing company nor from a CEO that is so hell-bent on capturing market share

Motorola Xoom featuring Nvidia Tegra 2 CPU

that he isn’t willing to eat crow on the fact that maybe Intel can’t make a superior product to ARM or Qualcomm?  I find it funny that they are so (embarrassingly so) far behind in the mobile smart phone and tablet market that they think they have a prayer of a chance come next year.  Right now other companies are bringing to market what Intel only wishes they could.  Android tablets running Nvidia chipsets (of which I’m sure ticks Intel off as they are fiercely competitive towards each other), Apple running its own custom-built ARM chipset on its iPad products and Intel is left out in the cold with absolutely nothing to share other than the fact that they are still a year or more away from getting their product into the hands of the consumer.

So why did I write this blog?  Few reasons.  One, I really have been a strong supporter of Intel since the very days as I knew that they built a superior product to AMD.  While I believe that still holds true in the computer segment, I’m starting to have my doubts on if they have soul and will power to try to take on the mobile tablet and smart phone space in a reasonable way.  If I were a stock holder, I would be very worried about how much money Intel is dumping into this project based on the roadmap of previous failures.  Secondly, Intel like everyone else is human.  They are bound to make mistakes and some are larger than others.  I would say that this one is fairly large one and Otenllini needs to dig down deep and figure out if this is one he is willing to stake his CEO’ship for the sake of the company.  From an outsiders perspective, he doesn’t have a choice.  The tablet and smart phone market eventually (maybe in my lifetime) will replace conventional desktop and laptop PC’s so Intel cannot afford to flop on this.  Lastly, Intel needs to learn from the past to embrace the future.  One of the things I’m learning in school right now about finances and companies is risk.  If Intel didn’t venture into healthcare, maybe their processors now wouldn’t be as low powered as they are?  If Intel didn’t try to make a dedicated graphics card with “Larrabee”, their mobile graphics platform wouldn’t be as robust as it is now.  If Intel didn’t start going after the tablet and smart phone market last year, they wouldn’t be where they are now… at a crossroads.

Intel has a long way to go to become a competitor in the mobile segment.  I also think they need to give credit to their competitors as they have the luxury of micro-focusing on simply that segment of the consumer and maybe from that they can learn what it takes to win over consumers.  At the end of the day, consumers don’t want to be told you have a good product, they want to experience the goodness of that product themselves.  If Intel can refocus and regroup, I would say they are going to be a formidable company in the tablet and smart phone space.  If they do not, will it end up being another multi-billion flop?

When things go right…

As I was siting here in my empty class before tonight’s lesson, I started thinking to myself… why is it me that things have seemingly been being knocked into place?

The words to type obviously aren’t coming to me at the moment, but I think as I ponder out loud that despite myself, God’s plan is starting to feel and look more real with each passing day.  I wonder if I deny that it’s happening or if you’re one of the ones that doesn’t believe in God, but say believe in fate.  We as people are destined to do amazing things, extraordinary things with our lives.  Fate, chance, God, us… everything in a blender, everything incredibly messy.  The idea of being in control is something that we as humans pride ourselves on.  Choosing our jobs… choosing our clothes, choosing our interests, choosing what vacations we take… etc, etc, and yet as I start looking at the choices I’ve made, either good or bad… the biggest thing that comes into play is how those choices affect the people around me.  Now while I’m not advocating Hillary Clinton’s point of “It takes a village…” I do think we as Americans have the luxury of self and we are so busy trying to see what is the next thing we need, that we don’t see what is unfolding right before our eyes.

This blog more or less is a moment to pause and reflect for myself as it is for you.  Things happen for a reason.  Those reasons may be beyond our comprehension or our grasp.  I do think that pondering the bigger picture of life is a worthwhile endeavor and one I hope I have moments of peace where I can find myself again among the noise of life.

How one man’s death is another man’s treasure.

27 ”But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. 29 To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. 30 Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. 31 And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. ~ Luke 6 ESV

If I am a follower of Jesus, I am to love others.

If I am a follower of Jesus, I am to bless others.

If I am a follower of Jesus, I am to return no evil.

If I am a follower of Jesus, I am to give to those in need.

If I am a follower of Jesus, I am to treat others as I wish to be treated.

If Jesus died for me, He died for Osama Bin Laden as well.

If Jesus is real, then love will defeat hate.

As followers of Jesus, times like these test us to the very core.  To

respond in anger or hatred ignores the very one gift

Jesus came to restore.  Relationship with God not in pieces or part

but my loving father, how holy thou art.

I write this as a challenge to myself to remember that I am a sinner and need God just as much as the next person.  Our duty as followers of Jesus is to express love to all people at all times and that mandate shakes us to the core.  If you are reading this post from abroad, I ask you to join me in prayer and in peace over the events of this past week.  That we as people try to live by these values and know that not every American is celebrating this mans death.  Love each other greatly, hold your dear ones close.  Remind yourself that all of this starts with you and that the difference can be made.  For those seeking Jesus, the task and duty is not easy nor is it fun, but when you see the rewards in your life, there is nothing more satisfying.