tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21018456484602124952024-02-19T04:58:01.645-06:00Mere PilgrimsThoughts. Links. Miscellanies. Pursuing Ad Fontes.P.D. Mayfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333762006767287noreply@blogger.comBlogger126125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101845648460212495.post-1463647403863179572010-12-07T08:00:00.004-06:002010-12-07T08:00:05.824-06:00I Moved This BlogThank you for stopping by; however, I moved the blog to a new location. You are welcome to stick around and read old blog entries at this site, or you can read them at the new site. Please follow<a href="http://deepermagic.posterous.com/"> this link to the new site</a>; or the <a href="http://merepilgrims.posterous.com/">direct link here</a>.P.D. Mayfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333762006767287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101845648460212495.post-17044511344323502222010-11-30T19:25:00.000-06:002010-11-30T19:25:04.858-06:00Christmas Season!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Ej6QZecUJfvS6xvCduOCnX96ylZePCyeZW1eU4wPowkRW49LITeUkd8vffNyrXmQU6JkNGn8mNTd_vPGMdkw5UhtHfZMR_4mzvhZf4KNwRtL6BT-R0o2vcXbG7HYV6np96TqgHFJhWE/s1600/christmas+tree.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8Ej6QZecUJfvS6xvCduOCnX96ylZePCyeZW1eU4wPowkRW49LITeUkd8vffNyrXmQU6JkNGn8mNTd_vPGMdkw5UhtHfZMR_4mzvhZf4KNwRtL6BT-R0o2vcXbG7HYV6np96TqgHFJhWE/s200/christmas+tree.svg.png" width="176" /></a></div>Spending the evening with my wife:<br />
<ol><li>Purchased our Christmas tree.</li>
<li>Of course decorating it.</li>
<li>Drinking hot chocolate.</li>
<li>Watching the lighting of the Rockefeller Center Tree on televsion.</li>
<li>Listening to Christmas tunes. </li>
</ol>It's the most wonderful time of the year! <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>I know it's cheesy to say that, but my wife thought it would be a great way to end. </i></span><br />
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P.S. All in the proper order......Christmas celebrations follow Thanksgiving..not before.P.D. Mayfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333762006767287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101845648460212495.post-46515492118217294102010-11-27T14:14:00.000-06:002010-11-27T14:14:06.063-06:00Remember 3.5 Floppies?I came across a link that is selling posters <a href="http://www.behance.net/gallery/3_5-inch-poster-set/164212">commemorating 3.5 floppy disks</a>. Each poster shows how many floppies it would take to hold current computer apps.<br />
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<div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">Result (Approximate)</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">46 disk for iTunes 8.02</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">358 disk for Adobe Photoshop CS4</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">1760 disk for the Sims 3</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">12 disk for Firefox 3, 36 disk for Firefox Add-ons</div><div style="color: #666666; font-family: Arial; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br />
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</div>P.D. Mayfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333762006767287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101845648460212495.post-254129962894213362010-11-03T09:46:00.000-05:002010-11-03T09:46:29.699-05:00Clever Marketing for a Time-tested Technological Device<object height="385" width="640"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/YhcPX1wVp38?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/YhcPX1wVp38?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="540" height="285"></embed></object>P.D. Mayfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333762006767287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101845648460212495.post-67473417857915670972010-11-03T09:41:00.000-05:002010-11-03T09:41:19.183-05:00Digital Irony<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgjIlaxhuq9tNpUjgraw_X41wVPFGnK0OKMhgx75O1Ug0pA9oZtcn7H17sYGUqi16VlIUPvkxQh13yXt5AjBXOisk1adaQH_tZIBvOjijlupRbo5-I85KiQmigQR4cmqZ2S9udv3oJHU/s1600/51MOmvXg99L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdgjIlaxhuq9tNpUjgraw_X41wVPFGnK0OKMhgx75O1Ug0pA9oZtcn7H17sYGUqi16VlIUPvkxQh13yXt5AjBXOisk1adaQH_tZIBvOjijlupRbo5-I85KiQmigQR4cmqZ2S9udv3oJHU/s320/51MOmvXg99L.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>So I bought a Kindle with my birthday money and received it in the mail yesterday. Check out this assortment of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/customer-media/product-gallery/B002Y27P3M/ref=cm_ciu_pdp_images_all">customer uploaded pictures</a> here.<br />
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I debated back and forth on whether or not I should get one because I have concerns with so much digital culture. Of course there is a lot that can be affirmed about the technology, too. <br />
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At the end of day one, I predict that I will enjoy the device very much. In celebration of purchasing the Kindle I want to pass along two bits of digital irony:<br />
<ol><li>The very first book I plan to read on my Kindle is entitled <a href="http://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Not-Gadget-ebook/dp/B002ZFXUBO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=digital-text&qid=1288794071&sr=1-1"><i>You are Not a Gadget</i></a> by Jaron Lanier. I know nothing about the book except the title and it caught my attention one day parousing Barnes and Noble. I have some thoughts stewing in my mind that I hope this book might shed light on. And then maybe one day I will share them on my blog. </li>
<li>I find it incredibly humorous that there is a Kindle version of a book entitled <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Bookbinding-Care-Books-Bookbinders-ebook/dp/B001O5CCCY/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2"><i>Bookbinding and the Care of Books: A Handbook for Amateurs, Bookbinders & Librarians</i></a></li>
</ol>Periodically, I plan on blogging about my personal observations and insights into my digital reading.<br />
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Related posts:<br />
<a href="http://merepilgrims.blogspot.com/2010/03/recent-thoughts-about-kindle.html">Recent thoughts about the Kindle</a> (posted March 19, 2010)<br />
<a href="http://merepilgrims.blogspot.com/2010/05/stuff-that-caught-my-eye-over-weekend.html">Stuff that Caught My Eye</a> (posted May 16, 2010). Really the first two links are related to today's post.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>[Picture taken from a customer who uploaded it to Amazon]</i></span>P.D. Mayfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333762006767287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101845648460212495.post-82658898033549031302010-10-29T16:27:00.002-05:002010-10-29T16:35:59.419-05:00Needs & RemindersI have experienced the biggest case of procrastination and writer's block this past week. I am writing a paper on Paul's letter to the Philippian Church (<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=40.9962,24.2446&z=7&q=Philippi">modern day map</a>), specifically on <a href="http://www.esvonline.org/search/phil.+3%3A12-16/">chapter 3, verses 12-16</a>. It is actually a very difficult passage grammatically, and I am having a hard time getting all of my jumbled thoughts into any resemblance of written coherence.<br /><br />Paul ties his main purpose, which is a call towards unity in the church, with themes of suffering, resurrection, and imitation, bound together in union with Christ. You see, the Philippian church in general, and a couple of the individual members in particular were experiencing some sort of discord and/or rivalry. And what Paul does in his letter, among other things, is call them back to their identity in Christ Jesus. Corporate and relational unity is rooted in the example we have in Christ's life, death, and resurrection (certainly Christ's life and work is much more than an example as He is our propitiation, but He also serves as an example to be imitated). We share those things with him; therefore, let us walk according to our identity...let us walk in unity having the same mind as Christ.<br /><br />Now jumping back to my writer's block. My head is full of input but not much output, which is why my paper is actually late. It was due this afternoon. I am okay with it being lat. My prof is okay with it being late (and I'm okay with a potential mark down due to its lateness). However, I have not been okay the past several days with my anxious block. I am running to everything else to placate my anxiety: 1) my google reader because there is always some blog or article to read; 2) youtube videos because there are millions of videos to watch (because who doesn't need to spend time watching <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5X_7Xt2ga-s&feature=player_embedded">planes landing in horrific crosswinds?</a>); 3) and compounding my anxiety, I think about everything else I need to get done before Thanksgiving.<br /><br />Now I say all of this for my benefit and for transitioning to the video below. As I drove to campus this afternoon, this song was played on the radio. I have heard <span style="font-style: italic;">Need To Breathe</span> before. I have even seen them live at the Handle Bar in Greenville, but I have never heard this song. It is called <span style="font-style: italic;">Lay 'Em Down</span>.<br /><br />It was refreshing to hear this reminder...that the Lord calls to every person...that He meets our every need. This is just what I needed today...to be reminded. So, let's bring all our troubles and lay 'em down. Christ Jesus calls through His Word and by His Spirit; do we have ears to hear?<br /><br /><object width="480" height="295"><br /><br /><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3PN-BMHi5L8?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3PN-BMHi5L8?fs=1&hl=en_US" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="295"></embed></object>P.D. Mayfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333762006767287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101845648460212495.post-55948487918085877732010-10-29T09:37:00.000-05:002010-10-29T09:37:13.157-05:00Today is like...I took my wife to work this morning. We were running a bit behind schedule so we decided to buy two biscuits from McDonald's. Although they don't have the best breakfast stuff, it is okay. <br />
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This morning I ordered a combo meal: black coffee, potato cake and a bacon/egg/cheese biscuit. It is my usual. Well, I didn't get my usual. I randomly received an egg/sausage McGriddle (basically the biscuit replaced with two pancakes that have warm pockets of syrup inside). I've never had one before because I've never wanted one before. Sure the concept sounds appealing but throwing down 400+ calories and 1000+ mg of sodium in one sitting is not my idea of a balanced breakfast. <br />
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However. This morning I didn't even care that they got my order wrong. I opened the wrapper, and without thinking, sunk my teeth into it. Of course it was good; nevertheless, I still stand by my assessment that the concept is appealing......but it is always a bad idea.<br />
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So, if you ask me how my day is going, I would have to say that today is like that.P.D. Mayfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333762006767287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101845648460212495.post-51413688260450615232010-10-22T22:39:00.001-05:002010-10-22T22:45:48.460-05:00Lucky....or Fired? Or both?<object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/bLTEYRGbtd8?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/bLTEYRGbtd8?fs=1&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>P.D. Mayfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333762006767287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101845648460212495.post-35131382645138659902010-10-12T08:00:00.010-05:002010-10-12T08:00:09.015-05:00Zing....Pow....Zwap....Pop.....Kapow!<a href="http://www.comicbookmovie.com/images/news/batman/batman_dark_tomorrow_pow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://www.comicbookmovie.com/images/news/batman/batman_dark_tomorrow_pow.jpg" width="180" /></a>Malcolm Gladwell's most recent essay <i><a href="http://draft.blogger.com/goog_1782298252">"</a></i><a href="http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/10/04/101004fa_fact_gladwell?currentPage=all">Small Change: Why the Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted"</a><i> </i>is a social critique of social media. He pulls no punches...well, he doesn't so much sucker punch social media with his bare-knuckles as he sharply wins the argument like a skilled fencer.<br />
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When you read his essay.....and you should read his essay.....then humor yourself (and me) by inserting the words found in the title as you read it (think 1960's <i>Batman</i>, the television show).<br />
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I find his running illustration of the Civil Rights movement (contrasted with the recent events in Iran) as a wonderful example of what he calls "strong ties" (versus "weak ties," which social media generally fosters). He also has interesting observations regarding structures (hierarchy vs. networks) as they relate to activism.<br />
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I wonder if his essay is a timely piece to showcase the mystery of inertia, movements, fads, trends? I wonder if there are books available to teach a person "how to" foster social media for their business or online persona (or people like me who are blogging about it), then is it likely the bus has moved on? I wonder if there comes a point when the bus keeps moving and never slowing down or when there are too many bus stops and way too many people needing rides that it becomes an ineffective form of transportation?<br />
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Personally, I want to connect/build/cultivate/nurture relationships that are strong-ties––relationships that will <b>inspire me</b> to fight injustice and <b>stand beside me</b> when others want to spit in my face because I am sitting at their counter and are <b>equally scared as me</b>, but their presence is enough encouragement to stay the course. I want "strong-ties" to encourage me and stand beside me saying, <a href="http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Hugh_Latimer">"Play the man!"</a> Likewise, I want to be like one who does that for those standing beside me.<br />
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<b>On a related note:</b><br />
Gladwell's essay reminds me of something else he has written: "The Power of Context: The Magic Number of 150" found in his book <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Tipping-Point-Little-Things-Difference/dp/0316346624/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1286861125&sr=8-1">The Tipping Point</a>.</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>P.D. Mayfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333762006767287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101845648460212495.post-77717834819806182222010-10-07T11:27:00.000-05:002010-10-07T11:27:41.969-05:00Incomplete Thoughts.....or Thoughts BegunI want to write more. I really do. However, I find myself thinking too much and scribbling notes (either in my Moleskine notebook or in Evernote). I even have a category in my Evernote application called "incomplete thoughts" and my pocket notebook is full of them.<br />
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I wonder if my desire to write essays instead of blogs, articles instead of comments drives the gap between my will to write and what I accomplish to write. What do I mean by that? Writing an essay requires a well-defined, purposed and unpacked, completed thought. I rarely have any of those. Thus, my desire to write only grows....longings to contribute in the discourse of humanity; however, rarely do I pen anything. For contribution to be weighed, something must be put on the scale.<br />
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Perhaps it is my perspective....an incomplete thought vs. a thought only begun. For now I am content with blogs and scribbles.P.D. Mayfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333762006767287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101845648460212495.post-75953704866680986622010-09-29T15:43:00.000-05:002010-09-29T15:43:38.350-05:00Ad 'em to the list...Staplers are like q-tips and band-aids...<br />
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you never want to purchase them for yourself; however, when you need them you always hope someone has them. Add them to the list of stuff you need but don't want to buy.P.D. Mayfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333762006767287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101845648460212495.post-13106554611798627182010-09-18T00:27:00.000-05:002010-09-18T00:27:11.951-05:00Weddings, Vows, and WitnessesTwo weekends ago I participated in a close friend's wedding. Tomorrow I am participating in another friend's wedding. Both these men mean a great deal to me, and I feel honored to be present at their weddings, and more importantly I feel honored to be their friend. <br />
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Related Posts: <a href="http://draft.blogger.com/%20http://merepilgrims.blogspot.com/2009/08/participate-actively.html">Participate Actively</a><br />
<a href="http://merepilgrims.blogspot.com/2010/05/renewal.html">Renewal</a>P.D. Mayfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333762006767287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101845648460212495.post-55439182057971688042010-08-31T19:14:00.001-05:002010-08-31T19:19:32.970-05:00Thank You Blogger!Well upon my return to blogger, from a long hiatus, I learned of some of the new features in Blogger. Perhaps they are not so new, since the long gap between posts.<br />
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At one point this summer I dabbled a little bit with WordPress to develop a more robust blog; a pseudo website, if you will. Also, I noticed the 'stats' feature. Once upon a time I tracked statistics through Google Analytics, but it got to be more than I wanted or needed. It will be nice to occasionally check some of those same stats in house.<br />
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Now that Blogger has 'pages' and 'stats,' I think I will stay for awhile longer. Now I just have to get back to writing.P.D. Mayfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333762006767287noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101845648460212495.post-71238434902935279472010-08-31T00:08:00.000-05:002010-08-31T00:08:12.702-05:00Back From Blogger VacationI have nothing to write for my first post back from blogger vacation, so I will just say hello. Hello. More to come later.<br />
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Until then, take a look back at <a href="http://merepilgrims.blogspot.com/2009/07/very-first-post.html">my very first post</a>, a little more than one year ago.P.D. Mayfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333762006767287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101845648460212495.post-73829955930499564042010-06-04T16:27:00.000-05:002010-06-04T16:27:39.678-05:00I'm Still Here......but on vacation. Well, I went to Seattle, which was fun but have been back home in St. Louis. I've been on vacation between class sessions. <br />
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I've been thinking but haven't wanted to write. Maybe soon.P.D. Mayfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333762006767287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101845648460212495.post-17241110336078249712010-05-16T19:51:00.002-05:002010-05-16T20:36:26.214-05:00Stuff that Caught My Eye (over the weekend)I am in the middle of exams....which means I am oscillating between two extremes: never reading articles/news/blogs in my reader to wasting too much time reading other things. Here is what caught my eye over the past few days.<br /><br />Some stuff from Tim Challies:<br /><blockquote><a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/%7Er/challies/XhEt/%7E3/yMdbXiuTOKM/kindle-vs-ipad-a-review-and-evaluation">Video review</a> of the Kindle vs. iPad.<br />Survey about<a href="http://www.challies.com/articles/where-and-why-we-buy-our-books?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+challies%2FXhEt+%28Challies+Dot+Com%29&utm_content=Google+Reader"> reading habits</a><br /></blockquote>Some stuff from Kevin DeYoung:<br /><blockquote><a href="http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2010/05/13/catholicity-and-apostolicty/">Catholicity and Apostolicty</a><br />Christians and <a href="http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevindeyoung/2010/05/11/are-christians-meant-to-feel-guilty-all-the-time/">feeling guilty</a><br /></blockquote>Some random stuff:<br /><a href="http://www.newscientist.com/articlevideo/dn18886/84681114001-impossible-motion-trick-wins-illusion-contest.html"></a><blockquote><a href="http://www.newscientist.com/articlevideo/dn18886/84681114001-impossible-motion-trick-wins-illusion-contest.html">Gotta love an optical illusion</a><br />Sometime in your life you should <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTYA01glGqo">watch this movie</a>. I know, I know...it's random, but the climactic unveiling of the murderer is great. You can't beat a good Agatha Christi mystery.<br /></blockquote>Happy browsing...I have to go write a paper now.P.D. Mayfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333762006767287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101845648460212495.post-50223814187953349052010-05-10T10:30:00.000-05:002010-05-10T10:30:28.476-05:00RenewalI still have the index card that my wife wrote my wedding vow on. She wrote it so I could practice before our wedding day. <br />
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<b>Two years ago today, on May 10, 2010, I made this vow:</b><br />
<blockquote>I, PD, take thee Kelli, to be my wedded wife,<br />
and I do promise and covenant,<br />
before God and these witnesses,<br />
to be thy loving and faithful husband;<br />
in plenty and in want,<br />
in joy and in sorrow,<br />
in sickness and in health,<br />
as long as we both shall live. </blockquote> With God's help, I renew this vow day after day, month after month, and year after year. I love living life together with you!P.D. Mayfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333762006767287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101845648460212495.post-54250074196886244732010-04-30T08:00:00.001-05:002010-04-30T08:00:10.103-05:00Stuff that Caught My EyeIt's been awhile since I posted some links. Enjoy a small taste of what has caught my eye:<br />
<br />
<b>From the Lausanne Movement</b>. There is tons of stuff at the Lausanne website. I really encourage anyone to jump into the stream of conversations regarding this summer's Laussanne Congress in Cape Town, South Africa.<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.lausanne.org/issue-counseling-as-mission/overview.html">Counseling and Mission</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.lausanne.org/all-documents/lop-24.html">Church and Para-Church Relationships</a> </li>
</ul><b>Need to communicate a statistic or other number?</b> <br />
<ul><li><a href="http://numberquotes.com/?page_id=1">Illustrate numbers with context. </a></li>
</ul><b>Books mentioned to me lately (I plan to check out):</b><br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Jewish-Christian-Perceptions-Crucifixion/dp/0801039053/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272559979&sr=8-1"><i>Ancient Jewish and Christian Perceptions of Crucifixion</i></a><b> </b> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Shepherd-Leader-Achieving-Effective-Shepherding/dp/1596381310/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1272560046&sr=1-1"><i>The Shepherd Leader</i></a></li>
</ul><b>Christian and Bored with Jesus? Or non-Christian and tired of the hype about Jesus?</b><br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.esvstudybible.org/search?q=colossians+1-4">A letter</a> addressed to Christian's who are bored and want "Christ plus" something else.<b> </b> </li>
</ul>P.D. Mayfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333762006767287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101845648460212495.post-89135086557865813572010-04-29T11:26:00.000-05:002010-04-29T11:26:13.871-05:00What's the value of a diploma?If you never read Seth Godin's blog or if you have never heard of Seth Godin, then you should read his most recent post. <br />
<br />
He is a person. He writes books. He knows marketing. He influences people. From his vantage point, he has some interesting things to say about <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/">the future of traditional higher education</a> (despite the potentially incorrect/highly unlikely statement about Galileo at Harvard).<br />
<br />
I think he makes interesting observations; I think it should make us pause and think about it. What do you think? <br />
<br />
<br />
Related Posts:<br />
<a href="http://merepilgrims.blogspot.com/2009/07/accordance-v-competition.html">Accordance v. the Competition</a> <br />
<a href="http://merepilgrims.blogspot.com/2009/07/who-influences-you.html">Who influences you?</a>P.D. Mayfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333762006767287noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101845648460212495.post-21105404815088353002010-04-26T21:55:00.000-05:002010-04-26T21:55:43.387-05:00Refreshing Reminder of God's ProcessToday I was introduced to a new blogger. With me, that statement is a dime a dozen; however, this new blogger is unique. Amanda, as her blog title explains, is a new Christian.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_URvYx5k6zYXLRRQWF41VPZWP4T0FCZE3ElhhaSSD1GCaPdsH3GqreK9X6keYjPWghZL_6EEX8isPeqc-QnVlaePLb8LzJ1VfP7oA-QSyc_OXQPRv17coS3epr9bml0vCpeq0pX0ciQ/s1600/amanda's+blog+title.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_URvYx5k6zYXLRRQWF41VPZWP4T0FCZE3ElhhaSSD1GCaPdsH3GqreK9X6keYjPWghZL_6EEX8isPeqc-QnVlaePLb8LzJ1VfP7oA-QSyc_OXQPRv17coS3epr9bml0vCpeq0pX0ciQ/s320/amanda's+blog+title.png" width="320" /></a>She has two blogs. One in which she wrote <a href="http://amandagoestochurch.blogspot.com/">while an atheist</a>–– and the new one in which she writes as <a href="http://amandastaysatchurch.blogspot.com/">a former atheist</a>. Check out her blogs! She includes quotes, Scripture passages, etc. As I mentioned above, I think her blog is wonderfully unique. What's so unique about another blog? I'll tell you, but I hope you go see for yourself. The blog's unique characteristic is not that she writes cool quotes or important Bible verses (although she does do that, too), but it appears that she designs her own cartoons to illustrate the quotes or verses she mentions. Her blog is a cartooned commentary.<br />
<br />
I've enjoyed seeing her interpretations. They are a refreshing reminder of God's process––bringing us from alienation (distance, hostility, separation from Him) to reconciliation (nearness, peace, relationship with Him). <br />
<br />
Lord, thank you for the new life in Amanda! Amanda, thank you for creatively posting your journey!P.D. Mayfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333762006767287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101845648460212495.post-15637238037369872752010-04-19T09:08:00.000-05:002010-04-19T09:08:38.031-05:00Today is.....Monday. Monday follows Sunday. Sunday is for gathering in worship of the Risen Lord, and Sunday is the day Chick-Fil-A is closed. Therefore, Monday is the day that Chick-fil-A is open!<br />
<br />
Below is a video by comedian Tim Hawkins. He is funny by himself, but I think his comedic songs are funnier. Here is one about Chick-Fil-A. <br />
<br />
<object height="320" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NsJHqstPuNo&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NsJHqstPuNo&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="320"></embed></object>P.D. Mayfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333762006767287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101845648460212495.post-3462497903701489942010-04-15T12:10:00.002-05:002010-04-15T12:14:00.444-05:00Recent MeditationsI encourage you to read prayers from <i>Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers & Devotions.</i> They make great gifts (how I got mine; thanks Marty!) but it would make a great gift for yourself. <br />
<br />
There are numerous prayers, which makes it slippery. You can't read this book like other books: from cover to cover, one after another. Well, I suppose one could but I think you would be missing out on huge opportunities for meditating and making these prayers your own prayers.<br />
<br />
Here is one I have been meditating on the lately, especially the bold sections (<i>Living by Prayer, p. 266-267)</i>:<br />
<br />
<blockquote>O God of the open ear,<br />
<b>Teach</b> me to live by prayer as well as by providence,<br />
for myself, soul, body, children, family, church;<br />
<b>Give</b> me a heart frameable to thy will;<br />
so might I live in prayer,<br />
and honour thee,<br />
being kept from evil, known and unknown.<br />
<b>Help</b> me to see the sin that accompanies all I do,<br />
and the good I can distil from everything.<br />
<b>Let</b> me know that <b>the work of prayer is to bring my will to thine</b>,<br />
and that without this it is folly to pray;<br />
When I try to bring<b> thy will to mine it is to command Christ</b>,<br />
to be above him, and wiser than he:<br />
this is my sin and pride.<br />
I can only succeed when I pray<br />
according to thy precept and promise,<br />
and to be done with as it pleases thee,<br />
according to thy sovereign will.<br />
When thou commandest me to pray<br />
for pardon, peace, brokenness,<br />
it is because thou wilt give me the thing promised,<br />
for thy glory,<br />
as well as for my good.<br />
<b>Help</b> me not only to desire small things<br />
but with <b>holy boldness to desire great things</b><br />
for thy people, for myself,<br />
that they and I might live to show thy glory.<br />
<b>Teach</b> me<br />
that it is wisdom for me to pray for all I have,<br />
out of love, willingly, not of necessity;<br />
that I may come to thee at any time,<br />
to lay open my needs acceptably to thee;<br />
that my great sin lies in my not keeping<br />
the savour of the ways;<br />
that the remembrance of this truth is one way<br />
to the sense of thy presence;<br />
<b>that there is no wrath like the wrath of being </b><br />
<b> governed by my own lusts for my own ends.</b></blockquote>P.D. Mayfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333762006767287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101845648460212495.post-54510830466952223802010-04-14T08:00:00.007-05:002010-04-20T00:31:16.095-05:00Living Letters: David Fisk<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFqd3sTxynHUUerfPqEipfk8kmc_bSX549TRmGDc7UueqswFrdGUrl1_0u08HusCUirGd6EyMSzoKKyLq9H6FFdfN8nwPqE1Sz1bSHKMUXEoEFdSOeMCUiccbQbt0na5oSQj-I8mrHLfA/s1600/living%20letters.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFqd3sTxynHUUerfPqEipfk8kmc_bSX549TRmGDc7UueqswFrdGUrl1_0u08HusCUirGd6EyMSzoKKyLq9H6FFdfN8nwPqE1Sz1bSHKMUXEoEFdSOeMCUiccbQbt0na5oSQj-I8mrHLfA/s320/living%20letters.png" width="320" border="0" height="203" /></a></div><br /><br /><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Please welcome David Fisk to the blog. My wife and I have grown to be good friends with David and his wife over the past year. We are sad that they will soon be leaving upon graduation, especially since we are growing in our friendship; however, we are thankful and excited about what the Lord is doing in their lives. ~PD<br />––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">My name is David Fisk and I’m a 4<sup>th</sup> year Covenant student about to graduate in May. After graduation, my wife and I are moving back to SC to start a new <a href="http://www.ruf.org/">RUF</a> work at Wofford College in Spartanburg, SC. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">It’s a very bittersweet feeling having to say goodbye to Covenant. My time here has been the best and the worst time of my life. It has been horrible and incredible at the same time. If I had to sum up my seminary career, it would be this – maturity through brokenness. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">In four years, I’ve had two hospitalizations lasting 10 days total, four ER trips, 10 MRI’s, a spinal tap, two epidurals, countless doctor’s visits, even more medications, physical therapy, laparoscopic surgery, and an eight month bout of Depression. Only one semester out of eight did not have some sort of medical crisis. There were times when I cried, times when I was angry at the Lord, and times when I wanted to drop out and go home. However, the Lord used these things as a cauldron of character formation. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">In the times of despair, there was one question that continued to come to my mind – God, don’t you care that I’m hurting this much? I mean – God, why is this happening? God, are you even there? Why aren’t you doing anything? Here’s what I did learn. I learned that you don’t always get to know why suffering happens, but the answer to my questions cannot be that God doesn’t care or that He isn’t doing anything about suffering. It took me a long time to begin understanding that the evidence of God’s care for suffering is Jesus. By looking at the life and death of Jesus in order to save us from our sin, we see God’s willingness to take on Himself the pain and suffering of this sinful world. It shows us just how much He <i>does</i> care. God entered time and space and suffering to redeem the brokenness and to restore the relationship He intended to have with His people from the beginning. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Christian maturity looks at how Christ took on the suffering of the world for one reason – to redeem the world and gain us. Tim Keller taught me that understanding this beautiful truth “brings deep consolation and strength to face the brutal realities of life on earth. We can know that God is truly Immanuel – God <i>with</i> us – even in our worst sufferings" (Tim Keller. <i>The Reason for God, </i>p. 31).<a class="sdfootnoteanc" href="http://draft.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2101845648460212495#sdfootnote1sym" name="sdfootnote1anc"></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I don’t know if I would choose to go down the same path again because of the difficult trials I have been through. But I know that if I did not endure what I endured, I would not cherish Jesus nor have the maturity and perspective to trust in the Lord like I do now. Even after all the pain, I can still know God does care and the proof of Jesus shows me just how much.</div>P.D. Mayfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333762006767287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101845648460212495.post-78734111998070957202010-04-13T08:00:00.006-05:002010-04-13T08:00:10.960-05:00Tomorrow's PostIt has been awhile, but tomorrow will welcome another guest blogger for my segment called <i>Living Letters</i>. David Fisk, a fellow classmate and soon-to-be graduate, is going to share how the Lord has used his time at Covenant as a way to grow him.<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;"><b>Related Posts:</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;"><a href="http://merepilgrims.blogspot.com/2010/03/living-letters-john-pennylegion.html"><b>Living Letters: John Pennylegion</b></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; page-break-before: always;"><a href="http://merepilgrims.blogspot.com/2010/03/upcoming-guest-bloggers.html"><b>Upcoming Guest Bloggers </b></a> </div>P.D. Mayfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333762006767287noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101845648460212495.post-80211612885344861552010-04-06T12:34:00.001-05:002010-04-06T12:34:38.305-05:00Lost Momentum (Better yet, Happy Easter!)Today was my first day back to class from a four day Easter break. My wife and I went to Georgia to see our families and to celebrate Easter. It was so wonderful to spend time with our families, and living in St. Louis, we take every opportunity that we can get.<br /><br />At the same time, the gap between writing posts is overwhelming. The blogosphere grows and morphs––the conversation carries off in another direction; someone, who might be interested in reading what you have to say loses interest because of the lack of posts. Information is submitted to the vacuum and forever lost. The pressure to keep up with it all makes me feel like I have completely lost momentum. What traction I had is now slipping away. Might as well start over, right? Jump start a new brand? I do feel the weight, but then I remember reality. No one reads this blog. No one is longing for my next word. Who am I kidding! So there is absolutely no reason try to cover lost ground.<br /><br />Instead...I say, "Happy Easter!" I hope your time with family was as good as mine. I hope you were mesmerized by the love of God, and shocked at the cost of sending of His Son, and bursting with joy that the tomb is empty! THE FREAKIN' TOMB IS EMPTY!!! THAT IS A HUGE DEAL––NOT JUST ON SUNDAY MORNING, BUT TODAY AT 12:25 PM AS I TYPE THIS AND ABOUT TO GO GRAB SOME LUNCH AND THEN SPEND ALL AFTERNOON READING FOR CLASS REGARDING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS. THE FREAKING' TOMB IS EMPTY....WHAT DO YOU SAY ABOUT THAT ANXIETY DISORDERS? DEPRESSION? SCHIZOFRENIA? WHAT CAN YOU DO BUT I HOPE AND LONG FOR THE RESURRECTION!P.D. Mayfieldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09363333762006767287noreply@blogger.com0