Happy happy joy joy - it's FRIDAY!!!

- Eek. It's Friday.

- Above are three cute pictures of my puppy Jasmine, for no apparent reason.

- Tonight's plans involve doing laundry (my lack of clean socks is forcing my hand), watching "Black Snake Moan" (got it on Netflix a few nights ago), and taking a nap... probably in reverse order.

- The greatest sports team known to man, the Oakland Raiders, are 1-0 in the preseason thus far. They beat the 49ers! The Black and Silver play the Titans tonight.

- The soil testing for the Manna site FINALLY came back. Things are incredibly slowly moving forward, but at least they're moving. I keep comparing it to how a glacier moves. The best things in life are worth waiting for, though, so we'll just have to keep our fingers crossed.

- Currently rocking out to the live album "Alive!" by Snot. Despite the interesting name, Snot was one of the most technically advanced metal bands of its time. After only releasing two albums - the afore-mentioned live album and their only studio recorded release, simply called "Get Some" - Lynn Strait, Snot's vocalist, was killed in a car crash. The band broke up shortly thereafter. Great stuff. I really wish the band would find a new vocalist and re-form.

- Working on a HUGE mailing (over 900 people) that will be going out to folks around the Manna area. We also have a "Hy-Vee ad" coming out next week that will be seen by around 46,000 peoples. Lots of advertising coming out. Sweet.

- Quick plug for my favorite band of all time: The Dillinger Escape Plan. I'll let their video for "Milk Lizard" do the talking. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMEYLlDThZU

- Devotion thought for today: (WARNING: DEEP THINKING AHEAD) ...What are we really doing here? With all the bureaucracy and politics of the modern church, sometimes it feels like we're really missing the point. The word "Christian" literally means "Christ-like". Christ was simple. Sometimes it feels like we pile too much on our plates and fail to see the big picture. Christ's command to us - the Great Commission - is so simple. Just go spread the Word. Are we (as the Church) really doing that, or are we lost in our own routines? Are we so caught up in the "business" of the church that we're losing sight of the reason we're here? I found a great video on GodTube this morning that was a parody of the "Mac vs. PC" ads. This was "Christian vs. Christ Follower". The "Christian" started out, talking about how well he was dressed - he had his shirt and tie on, his hair combed, his shoes polished, and his offering envelope tucked into his breast pocket. He then looks at the "Christ Follower" - who is simply dressed in a t-shirt, hoodie, and blue jeans - and scoffs at him. The "Christian" says (something to the effect of) "Is that how you want to be dressed when you meet Jesus? Shouldn't you be in your Sunday best?" The "Christ Follower" looks at him and simply replies, "But it's Saturday." Christ doesn't care about how pressed your shirt is or how polished your shoes are. He cares about what's in your heart. Just some things to ponder and pray over...

That's it for today. My wife is taking me out to lunch in a few (Yipee!), so I should wrap this up.

Grace and peace,

Sean