Here is my post from way back in 2007 when I went the first time.  It gives a bit of history of the monks and links to more info.  We are praying for them as they are in a bit of a “holding pattern” right now at that particular abbey.  Many of the monks living there are getting up in years and there have not been many new candidates come on board.  It is a really amazing place and these men are truly dedicated to the Lord in their particular “station” in life.

On the way home yesterday, went to Rockbridge for lunch.  It is an old mill that is now a trout park.  Then we headed into Ava for an ice cream cone for only 10 cents at the Ava Drug Store and soda fountain.  Here are some pics of the Abbey as well as my traveling companions.

The Culps from Granger Community on Vimeo.

Check out this video from Granger Community Church.  Really funny stuff!  Guess we should read our Bible more, huh?

The Super Bowl is not only the biggest stage for American football, but almost as importantly, it is the biggest stage in the advertising and marketing industry.  Groups spend millions and millions of dollars to get people’s attention.  Check out this creative ad, “Casket,” for the Super Bowl made by Mosaic Church in LA.  Erwin McManus is the pastor of this very innovative church that has a ton of members that are a part of the TV and film industry in LA.

“Casket” was inspired by one of our team member’s funeral experience where his deceased grandfather requested to be buried with a beer and cigarettes. “Casket” is a commercial where a guy stages his own funeral just to munch Doritos and watch football undisturbed – in a casket. But of course, things don’t go as planned. (from vote for casket.com)

There is a good AP article explaining the reasoning behind their lighthearted spoof.

“We’re not trying to use Doritos to propagate a message, but I think we want people to know that we have a sense of humor, that it’s OK to laugh,” McManus said. “So much of what comes out of the faith community seems so dour and somber and we want to say, ‘Hey, we’re real people. You can be a person of faith and really enjoy life and laugh.”

Phil Cooke, a Christian producer, filmmaker and author says this about the commercial.

“Nobody’s going to fall on their knees and accept Jesus as a result of this spot. But advertisers on Madison Avenue spend millions on a Super Bowl spot because they know it influences people,” said Cooke, the producer. “It might not get someone converted, but I think it will get someone to say, ‘Maybe there is something I ought to investigate.’”

What do you think?  How do you like the “soft” sell approach to faith?

LA megachurch hopes to win Super Bowl ad contest – Yahoo! News.

Check out another review of the highly touted iPad from Apple.

iPad: The iPhone on steroids? | GDS Publishing.

Wow, the iPad is coming soon and it does a TON of amazing things that your iPhone, Macbook, and my Kindle does…all in a way that only Apple can produce.  Going to have to save up my pennies for one of these!

So is it good for Amazon or not? Here is a good article by David Camoy that might shed some light on this new war that Jobs is waging against Amazon’s eBook empire.

Apple – iPad – The best way to experience the web, email, & photos.

Monday is for Missions…

• Keep praying for Haiti.  FP has had over 60 people interested in going on relief trips to Haiti.  We have raised well over $1000 to go to Haiti.
• FP has a group in Kenya this week.  Pray for them as they minister in His name at the Mattaw Children’s Village
• We just had a group get back from Fort Worth, TX yesterday that were working in the inner city with a church downtown.

Too good of a post to pass up on this Monday afternoon…Enjoy!  This is from Matt Wilkie’s blog this week.  Powerful!!

A few months ago, I got my own Haitian mudpie. It sits on my desk. This gift from our Haiti director,Kevin Rose, has reminded me to pray for the poorest people in the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

On Tuesday, like every other “normal” day in Haiti, people in the poorest areas of the country were eating these for lunch. Some ate them for breakfast that morning and dinner the night before as well. They’re made of dried yellow dirt, vegetable oil and salt.

I’m going to type that again…they’re made of dried yellow dirt, vegetable oil and salt. They’re real mudpies. People eat them.

Then an earthquake hit.

I’m still processing things…but I for now, I wanted to mention the mudpies.

around the world with Jesus » Blog Archive » Mudpies for lunch Tuesday, and then….

We have been getting a lot of calls and questions about what our response will be.  Brock Cummins, our Missions Pastor has been in contact with several agencies and is exploring the possibility of FP putting together a relief trip to Haiti.  You will have an opportunity on Sunday to sign up to receive more information about the trip(s).

My cousin’s wife, Nettie was commenting on Facebook about the benefit of being a part of a Southern Baptist Church in Indiana.  I wholeheartedly agree with her.  There is a lot of power behind pooling money and resources for a united effort.  Our Cooperative Program is an amazing thing for sure.  There is a fund set up to provide relief to the devastated country. What is good about the SBC fund is that each gift is 100% toward relief–there are no administrative costs taken out of your gift.

In addition to giving to the SBC relief fund, we are also pooling our money locally to help fund a relief team.  You can give directly at church to go towards our own FP relief effort.  Please simply write “Haiti” in the memo of your check and bring it on Sunday.

If you have noticed my tweets and other posts since the earthquake, there are also a ton of other organizations that you can give to as well.  I think one of the most effective things we can be doing at this time is to pray fervently for those who are already on the field and those who are headed that way.

I absolutely love these two asterisks at the end of the post…

* I understand that many of you will want to comment on the theological truths you’ve found that support Robertson’s comments, and also on the good that Robertson has done. Regarding the latter, this was not a blanket dismissal on Robertson’s life or ministry, it was a response to a comment, regarding the former, it’s a debate I ask you to take somewhere else. Also, this isn’t meant to harshly judge Robertson, it’s meant to calm those who might want to throw a tomato at him, while also trying to understand why somebody could make such an insensitive comment at such a painful time. Lets put our tomatoes down.

* For those thinking this blog was too harsh, please understand that in one passing comment, Pat Robertson painted an entire nation as Godless, and deserving of destruction. Reports from Haiti have stated that many fled into the streets, crying out to Jesus for help. Robertson, by referencing an obscure book of unknown origin chose to prejudice an otherwise ignorant Christian audience of gullible and trusting viewers. I propose, then, this post needed to be written. I only wish more Christian leaders would speak during at moments like this.

There is also a well-crafted update/response to a statement from CBN that basically defends Robertson’s comments as truth.

One of my favorite comments on the blog post is from JB, “Now what am I supposed to do with all these rotten tomatoes?”

Better put my tomatoes down as well. . .

In Case you missed it, here is the clip of Robertson’s comments

A Response to Pat Robertson’s Comments about Haiti.

The email says this:

In November 2008, a Student Life team went to Haiti to spend time with the people and produce a film on the work of Compassion International in Haiti.

We hope this video will be useful in your time with students as you pray for the people in Haiti.

Compassion has close to 50,000 Haitian children in their projects in what is the poorest country in our hemisphere with over 50% of the 9 million people living on less than $1 a day.  Compassion International works in Haiti to relaese children from spiritual, economic, social, and physical poverty.

But now more than ever, they need your prayers and support after this devastating earthquake.  We encourage you to have your students praying for this country this week and giving to Compassions’s Disaster Relief Fund.  This fund allows their staff to provide food, clean water, temporary shelter, basic sanitation and medical attention to children and families in need.

Haiti – Compassion International from Student Life on Vimeo.