vtowntim

Our 20 Somethings Bible Study last night started heading into the direction of talking about this. How fair is it for God to demand that we have faith in Jesus to be saved? Awesome read if you have a minute.

☄ Has God Done Enough For This World? at Ligonier Ministries Blog

The iPad represents a new paradigm in personal computing:

“For the very first time in computing, the user has been put in control of how best to utilize the display portal they have been given — not the manufacturer.”

Successful businesses can afford to be charitable.

☄ TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog

I haven’t finished reading it yet, but so far Rachel Evan’s interview with Justin Taylor is gold.

In the 20 Somethings bible study tonight we began a series on Romans- one of my favorite books of the Bible. I love how personal and real Paul gets about his own walk as a believer, and I look forward to the conversations that can spark from the scripture. A big discussion began tonight as we approached Romans 1:20-

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. (Romans 1:20 ESV)

Global Warming continues to be debated in the news and on blogs. Frankly, I’m a little disgusted about how elitists are treating desenters on the issue.

The truth is we don’t have all the information yet, certainly not enough to require us to make drastic changes that could adversly affect our struggling economy or national independence.

The question to debate isn’t, “is global warming happening?” Of course it’s happening, data proves that. A better question is: “Is man causing Global Warming, or is this part of a weather pattern that nature has been cycling through for centuries?”

And scientists are quick to point out how creatures adapt in this world, so who’s to say they won’t adapt to a warmer planet? After all, if we didn’t have Global Warming in the past, we’d still be living in an Ice Age…

Technology is a part of life that makes me excited about where we are and where we are going. To think that a hundred years ago, cars were barely beginning to replace horses is mind-boggling. My optimism and utter facination with technology peaked when I bought my first iPod. The turn-of-the-century gadgets were cold and utilitarion, but when I uploaded my first album to the iPod, the age of truly personal computers exploded into my view. I now work as an Applications Analyst at Kaweah Delta Healthcare District where we are constantly developing new groundbreaking ways to use innovative technology. Here are the top technology blogs I read daily to get the scoop on what’s coming next. Sorry for the Apple bias, but there is one. For obvious reasons.

• Daring Fireball - John Gruber is one of kind. His concise analysis on technology and culture inspires me to more perceptive about it all.
• SplatF - This is a recent discovery for me, but Dan Frommer just ‘gets it’.
• Marco.org - I love hearing what Marco Arment has to say.
• The Unofficial Apple Weblog - My first stop for Apple scoop - especially whenever there’s Stevenote brewing. Specifically, I like it when editor, Erica Sadun has something to say.
• Gizmodo - Yeah, they do some sketchy things every now and then, but you can’t beat the large selection of technology coverage they produce!
• Other worthy mentions: The Loop, Ars Technica, The Brooks Review, MinimalMac

Facebook released an update to their iPhone App today. New Features:

• Added the ability to tag friends and places in posts
• Added the ability to share external links from a web view
• Added new design for Profile and Group Walls
• Improved the sharing tool to add privacy controls on posts and match your settings on the web site

My friend, Shannon Pickle just posted a new blog entry called “Real Hell”. It’s refreshing to see young Christians not taking the easy, progressive, dangerous route on the subject. Also refreshing, Shannon doesn’t take the other extreme on a soapbox and scream “Repent Or BURN!!!” Instead, she shows that our God loves us despite our imperfections and makes us worthy of His love:

So often people don’t want to live a Christian life because they think you have to be perfect and fit so many standards. No way. You just have to live for the one who is PERFECT… Pastors and prisoners go to the same heaven as long as they confess Jesus is Lord. But the reward…aaahhhh the reward will be so worth it when you set your life apart. No need to strive for perfection, just excellence. He loves YOU regardless.

There are only two kinds of people in the end: those who say to God, ‘Thy will be done,’ and those to whom God says, in the end, ‘Thy will be done.’

Ben Arment’s non-profit is producing a gritty film based on the story of David & Goliath. The intriguing, innovative part? They’re skipping a theatrical release and premiering in churches and homes across the world. That’s thinking outside the box, and that’s something I’m definitely interested in being a part of. From Ben’s blog:

It will be a global premiere. The Church coming together for a one-time movie premiere. We’ve been talking to leaders all over the world, from Australia and Peru to China and Scotland. We’re offering licenses to show the film at any audience size - from living room to auditorium to the side of a building in your neighorhood. And by hosting a premiere, you are helping to fund, promote and distribute the film ALL AT ONCE.

Brett & Kate McKay discuss Bookending your day to live a better life on The Art of Manliness Blog:

Imagine a string with a series of beads on it. The beads represent your goals, relationships, and priorities. Tip the string this way or that way, and the beads easily slide off and onto the floor. But tie a knot on each end of the string, and the beads stay put. Those knots are your morning and evening routines. They keep the priorities of your life from falling apart and thus help you progress and become a better man.

Design is a passion in my life. I’ve spent countless hours on various projects fine-tuning minute details which could lend to certain psychotic breakdowns. In regards to design, I’ll be blogging mostly about graphics, web design, and user experience. Here are the design blogs/websites I check regularly that greatly influence the path I’m headed down:

• A List Apart - This site constantly puts out great information on usability design and web standards. Absolutely a fav.
• Dribbble - A graphic designer goldmine. Great place to get inspired by others working on web apps and projects.
• Little Big Details - This site highlights the small details that make user interfaces spectacular.
• UsabilityPost - Usability!
• Church Marketing Lab - A fantastic place to see how other churches are using graphic materials to further their reach.

Welcome to my new project: vTownTim. I hope for this blog to be a window to my thoughts. My thoughts are precious to me; I have many of them and I vocalize very few. My tweets on Twitter have somewhat served this function in my life over the past few years, but I often find myself needing more room than what the 140 character limit allows. So here goes.

The plan:

• Share my thoughts on design, faith, life, and technology.
• Link generously to blogs/sites that inspire me.
• Keep posts short and concise.
• Post a weekly essay which would allow me to elaborate on a single subject.