Back from sabbatical

Well, kind of.  I think a sabbatical is where you are supposed to get away from it all and maybe concentrate on learning something new or writing a book.  I haven’t gotten away from anything except blogging.  Work has been busier and family time is all the more precious.  I have, however, been continuing my quest to seek the things above where Christ is seated and I’m starting to fill up again on thoughts about my journey that I need to get out.  Blogging is a great release when things are piling up in your head.

There have been some key influencers on my life the last few months that I hope to brain dump over the next few weeks.

• Getting so close yet still so far from being able to bring our new son home from Ethiopia (see Hipp is My Middle Name for more on this process).
• Two simultaneous discussion groups on the book Don't Waste Your Life (one with my accountability men’s group and one in Sunday morning bible study).
• Getting back to listening to sermons on my IPod rather than talk radio – in particular – Paul Washer, Mark Driscoll, John Piper, and Francis Chan.
• Attending the Christian Alliance for Orphans conference in Dallas.
• The mediocre success of our church goal in sponsoring 57 orphans in Liberia through BrightPoint for Children.
• Watching the video of Rachel Barkey talk about the glory of Jesus as she faces death from cancer in the next six to eighteen months.
• Reading Same Kind Of Different As Me by John HallDenver Moore and Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God by Francis Chan (still in progress).
• Completing 12-weeks of Body for Life (still maintaining the healthy lifestyle one month later).
• Loss of 401k, loss of jobs, loss of perspective…

Please visit again or better yet subscribe for updates.  Maybe something that leaks from my head will challenge or encourage you.  Maybe what I write will seem idiotic.  In either case, comment and let me know.  If what I write bores you to tears, don’t worry, I’m not quitting my day job.

Grace and peace.

tc

Moving to Wordpress...

I am in the process of moving Seeking Above to Wordpress.  So, if you try to find me and you get a "blogger not found" message or something similar, it will mean that the transfer is in progress so I might be down for a day or two.

If you do find this site down, you should still be able to get to it at www.seekingabove.blogspot.com until I get the move completed.

I'll post more on why I'm making the move later - probably on Life in Obama Land.

Auto Bailout – Good Idea?

Tis’ the season.  If you’re a bank, insurance firm, and now car manufacturer, it appears that Uncle Sam has a present for you.  The best part - it doesn’t matter if your naughty or nice – or competent.

Living in Obama Land

I’ve kind of run into a rut with my posting here at Seeking Above.  So, I’ve started a new blog, Living in Obama Land.  I’m not abandoning Seeking Above, just trying something a little different.

Living in Obama Land is my attempt at “contextualized” blogging evangelism.  What that means is that I’ll be posting from a Christian world view but hopefully on topics that interest those that may have a secular world view.

Check out my first post, Auto Bailout - Good Idea or Bad Idea as well as my What's this blog about page.


P.S. I'm trying Wordpress on Obama Land.

Wordpress Envy

The grass is always greener, isn't it? When I first signed up for blog space I went with Blogger.  I didn't do a lot of research.  My wife was reading blogs from some of her friends in College Station and they were all using Blogger.  Best of all, it was free.

So, I signed up with Blogger and started blogging away.

For whatever reason, I cannot stay satisfied with my blog layout.  I quickly tired of the standard Blogger templates and started trying out various custom templates.  What I have noticed, is that the best customized blogger templates are actually modified Wordpress templates.

After tinkering with various customized, modified for Blogger, Wordpress themes, I thought I should just get a Wordpress account and try it out.  After all, Blogger is ok but Wordpress is for the serious blogger.

What I found out with my new Wordpress account is that just like real life,  the grass is not really greener.  It's those green envy glasses that make everything else look so green.

Wordpress (the free Wordpress.com version) did have some nice clean and professional looking templates but the variety was not as plentiful as I expected.  However, what really got me is that you can't just open up your template and modify it however you want.  I've spent a lot of time at Blogger Buster and now I'm spoiled.  I have to be able to tweak my template to make it unique.  My current template at Seeking Above is an extremely modified Cool Blue 2.0 template from Blogger Buster.

So, my Wordpress account just sits unused.  I might do something with it someday just to learn it better.  However, I really don't have time for experimenting right now.

All this said, there is one feature in Wordpress that I truly wish we had available in Blogger.  I really wish we had the static Page feature.  It took me awhile to figure out how to fake this in Blogger by using a back dated post pages.  However, it's really not the same.

I'd love to have this feature to add additional web pages to my site.  I could set these pages up to be in the same theme as my current blog but look and behave more like a static web page.  Off the top of my head I would replace my "Who Am I" and "Testimony" pages with these static pages.  However, I would also like to build some additional resource pages with widgets and links that I don't necessarily want on my homepage sidebar.  Maybe I'd start my own customized template download page.

I'm sure there are at least of dozen or more creative uses for these "pages" if only Blogger had them.  I don't even see it listed as a possible future option on the Blogger Wishlist.  Sometimes the grass still looks greener.

Seeking Above Gets an Award?

Now this is a testimony of faith and perseverance. When you blog just to share your faith, it can be discouraging, wondering if anyone is bothering to read what you have to share. Karen from Karen & Gerard Zemek has been an ongoing source of support and encouragement. I thank her, not only for this award, but for her gracious comments and support in general.

The Arte y Pico award was created and to be given to bloggers who inspire others with their creativity and their talents, also for contributing to the blogging world in whatever medium. When you receive this award it is considered a "special honor". Once you have received this award, you are to pass it on to 5 others.

"What a great way to show some love and appreciation to your fellow bloggers!!!

The rules for passing this honor on:

1) Pick 5 blogs that you would like to award this honor to.
2) Each award has to have the name of the author and also a link to his or her blog to be visited by everyone.
3) Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award itself.
4) Award-winner and the one who has given the prize have to show the link of "Arte y Pico" blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award. http://arteypico.blogspot.com.

Here is my list of recipients:

Hipp is my middle name: OK, this is my wife and I know she really does not want me to give this to her - but I really like her blog. Check it out; you'll see what I mean.

Truth in Context: Theology 101. Lots of good information if you're looking for insights on how to get deeper in your scripture study. Alan is preparing to start seminary. It will interesting to see his posts as he takes on the challenges that lie ahead of him.

The Bobo Files: Great conservative political commentary. Definitely a minority perspective in blogland from what I can tell. However, it is a much needed perspective for balance if nothing else.

Investigations and Ruminations: This is not a theology blog. It is just a great blog about daily, real life spiritual issues. I enjoy reading the authors "ruminations" on her daily journey.

Lofty Matters: A blog about important events happening around us, that for the most part go unnoticed in the mainstream. You'll find interesting posts here about new inventions and world events that you probably won't find on the nightly news.

Identity Theft - Are you protected?

I work in the computer services industry. As part of that industry I am well aware of the regulations imposed on businesses to protect their customers' data. I'm not a big government fan. However, I do believe one of the responsibilities of the government is to protect its citizens. To that extent, I believe most of these regulations are at least justified in spirit, even if they have holes in practicality.

These government regulations are better than not having any regulations at all. However, most of these regulations simply require companies to self-monitor themselves. They require companies to put together an identity theft program, but the requirements of that program are fairly vague. Even more vague is any means that the government has to make sure any such program is being followed. Take a look at what is required by the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act) and see how safe it makes you feel.

Personally, I think the government has done what it should do. It has set minimum guidelines and expects companies to be responsible and put these programs into place. The companies need to be responsible and do what is needed to protect their customers' information. If a company does not do what is needed, they'll eventually get burned and then have law suits and a damaged reputation that may destroy their business.

It is all well and good that the government and the business community are taking some measures to address the identity theft risks. However, the real responsibility for protecting your personal information and your identity falls on you. You're the one with the most to lose if someone steals your personal information and proceeds to wreck havoc with your life.

The FTC released a report last year that showed 8.3 million people were the victims of identity theft in 2005. In discussing the report, Lydia B. Parnes, the Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, had this to say:

"Whether you're from Malibu or Manhattan, Tacoma or Tallahassee, no one is immune to identity theft. The important thing is that people learn how to deter identity thieves, detect suspicious activity on their financial records, and defend against the crime, should it happen."

Notice that she did not say that the FTC is going to increase its efforts to protect you or that businesses are improving their consumer information protection processes. I'm sure that the government and responsible companies are going to do what they can. However, even a government agency is sending a clear message that the ultimate responsibility for the protection of your personal information falls on you.

If you do a Google search you can find many sites providing advice on how you can protect your identity. I found a nice summary on the Sallie Mae web site.

• Guard your Social Security number - don't carry your SSN card or print your number on your bank checks


• Pick passwords carefully - avoid using personal names, birthdays, consecutive numbers and use a mix of letters and numbers


• Pay attention to your mail and trash - tear or shred charge receipts, copies of credit card offers, insurance forms, and bank statements


• Check your credit reports for unauthorized activity - the three national bureaus must provide you a free credit report every 12 months if you as them each year for it


• Common sense




• be careful with online shopping. Only use secure sites


• Don't sign-up of unfamiliar contests


• Be wary of telephone solicitors

So what happens if you do all of these precautions and still become a victim of identity theft? You need to notify all of your credit card companies, banks, the credit agencies, etc... You'll need to work it out with any businesses where the thief used your identity to purchase goods with your credit. You'll need to work with the banks and credit agencies to try to repair your credit history if damaged.

I've decided get professional help to assist me in protecting myself and my family from identity theft as well as assisting me in dealing with the problem should it ever occur. I think of it as a $1,000,000 identity theft insurance policy. I have decided to subscribe with LifeLock for identity theft protection for my entire family. Yes, even your children are at risk. It can be even worse for your kids because identity theft could go unnoticed for a long period of time.

Whatever you decide to do, you need to do something. Your identity protection is ultimately your own responsibility. Educate yourself on the risks and then protect yourself and your family.

Why high gas prices?

While many environmental enthusiast may be quite happy with the current gas crises, because it forces Americans to think more about gas and oil usage, I don't think our economy can survive letting oil prices get out of control. What we are accomplishing, is increasing our dependency on other countries that want to see our downfall. I'm not a political expert, but common sense tells me this is a bad idea.

What's my Christian perspective on this issue? My concern is that our environmental policies are aimed at glorifying the environment over God. Does God want us to take care of our environment? Absolutely. Does he want us to do it at the expense of ignoring real human suffering and real human needs? Out of control oil prices mean people will lose their jobs. This winter people probably will die because they will not be able to afford heating for their homes.

We can't solve this oil crisis by burning food instead of oil. We can't solve this oil crises by ignoring the need for oil. Yes, we should be looking for alternative energy resources, and yes we should all be doing our individual part to conserve energy and protect the environment. However, let's not sacrifice our country and our people today for the sake of an unproven hope in the future. By unproven hope, I mean that nobody has laid out a realistic plan to protect our environment without devastating our economy. When the economy collapses, it won't be the rich that suffer alone, if the rich suffer at all.

My faith is my secure hope in Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)
¹ Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

If our political policies are void of this same hope then we have no hope as a country. To the far right you have big Oil and big Money that want to make as much money as they can. Maybe that has gotten us to where we are in some measure. However, on the far left, you have big government and social activism where the cause is the god and real people are forgotten.

Romans 1:25 (ESV)
²⁵ because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

As this article below points out, the social left has just as much responsibility to bear on our current crisis as the the oil companies themselves.

The information below was passed to me by a friend. I mention this because this may be posted elsewhere and I don't want to pass it off as my own original post. However, I agree with the premise below that we have over-legislated environmental concerns to the point of crippling our country. Feel free to comment and dispute anything mentioned in this post, however please provide links to articles that support any counter points.

.... Email Text Below ....

Please take a close look at this map. Then print it out and place it on your fridge where you will see it every day. This November on election day, take a long hard look at it before you go vote!

Gas at $4.00 a gallon. Who's to blame?

Thanks to the environmentalist lobby and its influence on Democratic legislators in Congress, the U.S. has, for decades, been prohibited from drilling for oil in places that we know contain billions of barrels of proven reserves.

Check out this map:

All of the 'NO' zones are places where the U.S. , thanks to the Democratic Party, is prohibited from drilling for oil.

But wait . it gets better.

***

China, Cuba, Canada and others continue to drill off our shores where US companies are not allowed to drill because of Democratic policies!

Yes, that's right . China and Cuba are actively exploring oil fields 50 miles from Key West, Florida while U.S. companies are barred from working in this area because of U.S. policy . So, instead of allowing the most environmentally responsible companies to operate there and increase our domestic supply, China, who has a dismal environmental record, is preparing to suck our close, lucrative oil reserves dry.

Unbelievable.

Investor's Business Daily recently explained how irresponsible the Democrats have been on the energy crisis. They lay into what they consider to be the worst Congress ever for ...

• Failing to allow drilling in ANWR. We have, as President Bush noted, estimated capacity of a million barrels of oil a day from this source alone -- enough for 27 million gallons of gas and diesel. But Congress won't touch it, fearful of the clout of the environmental lobby. As a result, you pay through the nose at the pump so your representative can raise campaign cash.

• Refusing to build new refineries. The U.S. hasn't built one since 1976, yet the EPA requires at least 15 unique 'boutique' fuel blends that can be sold in different areas around the nation. This means that U.S. refinery capacity is stretched so tight that even the slightest problem at a refinery causes enormous supply problems and price spikes. Congress has done nothing about this.

• Turning its back on nuclear power. It's safe and, with advances in nuclear reprocessing technology, waste problems have been minimized. Still, we have just 104 nuclear plants -- the same as a decade ago -- producing just 19% of our total energy. (Many European nations produce 40% or more of their power with nuclear.) Granted, nuclear power plants are expensive -- about $3 billion each. But they produce energy at $1.72/kilowatt-hour vs. $2.37 for coal and $6.35 for natural gas.

• Raising taxes on energy producers. This is where a basic understanding of economics would help: Higher taxes and needless regulation lead to less production of a commodity. So by proposing 'windfall' and other taxes on energy companies plus tough new rules, Congress only makes our energy situation worse.

These are just a few of Congress' sins of omission -- all while India , China , Eastern Europe and the Middle East are adding more than a million barrels of new demand each and every year. New Energy Department forecasts see world oil demand growing 40% by 2030, including a 28% increase in the U.S.

Americans who are worried about the direction of their country, including runaway energy and food prices, should keep in mind the upcoming election isn't just about choosing a new president. We'll also pick a new Congress.

If you agree with the need to let the American people know who's REALLY responsible for the sky-high gasoline prices we're seeing today, please forward this e-mail to everyone you know.

If we elect a liberal Democrat as president in the Fall and keep the same Democrat-controlled Congress, nothing will change; except gasoline prices, which will keep going up.

Why do you blog?

Why do I blog?

That's a good question. Sometimes I'm not too sure. I have quite a few friends that know I blog but they don't bother reading it. I guess that's ok. So does that mean I'm mostly blogging for strangers? Do I really have anything to say that would interest a complete stranger?

I actually started to blog a few months ago with the intent of sharing my faith-based opinions with strangers and perhaps making new friends along the way. For the first couple of months I received very light traffic to my site. I probably had less than a half dozen visitors a day and probably most of those were family and friends. I was fortunate to meet a few fellow bloggers by posting on their sites. However, usually if I left a comment for someone, my comment would be the last one on that post. I guess once I shared my viewpoint there was nothing left to say.

Recently I started joining a few social networking communities in hopes of increasing the traffic to my site and increasing my network of online friends. Now I have between 75-100 visitors a day. Are they interested in what I have to say, or is everyone just stopping by to drop their card for points and add me to their friend's list for more link exposure?

I don't mind the random drops or being added to a friends list as part of another blogger's campaign to increase their exposure. After all, that's part of the game, right? Drive enough people to your site and you'll have some small percentage that click on an ad or leave a comment. Some bloggers make a good income on click ads.

I'm just as guilty about not stopping long on all the sites I drop on. If I drop 50-60 cards each night, I certainly can't read through 50-60 posts. I do skim the headlines however, and I do make an effort to leave a comment if I think I have anything useful to add. I also try, if time permits, to make it back to anyone's blog that has left me a comment and return the favor.

I think over time that is the way to build a blog community. Just like in the world outside of the blogosphere, you can't get to know everyone. However, if you treat everyone as a potential friend, your circle of friends will grow.

I still blog to share my faith-based opinions with strangers and and perhaps make a few friends from around the world, even friends that don't share my faith but enjoy discussing different opinions. It's not my job to win any arguments. It's just my job to share what I know.

Psalms 40:9 (ESV)
⁹ I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O Lord.

So, why do you blog?

Global warming - hype or truth and does it matter?

The reports that that in a recent poll only 51% of Christians and only 33% of evangelical Christians consider global warming a major issue. On the other hand, 62% of non-Christian religious people and 69% of atheist see global warming as a serious threat.

In 2006, some well known evangelicals signed a document called the Evangelical Climate Initiative. A couple of the more well known Christian leaders that signed the document were Rick Warren and Bill Hybels. However, World Magazine is now reporting another group of evangelicals have initiated a new campaign called, "We Get It." This new campaign is more in line with the majority evangelical viewpoint that there are more important world issues than global warming.

Does this mean that Christians and particularly evangelical Christians are not as concerned about our world that God created as those that those that think the whole world is a lucky accident in the first place?

I think what these numbers reveal is that evangelicals are more skeptical about global-warming hype because they are skeptical of the source of the information. If evolution is forced upon us without any scientific proof, is there really solid scientific proof for global warming?

The answer to this question depends on who you believe. Proponents for the global warming threat point to computer models that show the earth's temperatures are increasing at an alarming rate. However, there are problems with these computer models such as the unpredictability of weather patterns and that when applied to past years these models have a wide variance (wide enough to completely neutralize the results).

It is important that we care for our earth that God created for us. We should not be wasteful, we should recycle and we should think green in our daily lives. However, we should not spend millions of dollars on theoretical solutions for theoretical problems when there are real problems that need to be addressed today. People are starving and people are dying of AIDS. This is not a theoretical catastrophe that might happen in two or three decades. It is a catastrophe happening now.

You can find all the global warming hype you want just by doing a Google search. You can also find plenty of counter-arguments. If you want to read a good balance to the prevailing hype, try articles on these two scientific (not Christian) sites:

Skeptic Magazine - A Climate of Belief

Junk Science - The Real Inconvenient Truth'

I think I have to side with the majority evangelical view. The proponents of the global warming catastrophe theory are too political and the scientific counter-points are sound.

Let's take care of the world God gave us but let's set aside political agendas and focus on the world's real problems today.

What do you think?

Called to post but will they come?

People blog for different reasons. Some blog as experts. Some blog to make money. Some blog just because they have to get it off their chest. I fall into the latter category. As I take my Christian journey I feel called to share what I learn as I seek. I hope that maybe if someone reads what I see and experience in my walk it will inspire, encourage, and even convict them in their own walk or search.

How do I get people to come to my blog if I'm not selling anything or an expert on any anything? I've found a service called Entrecard that is working great for me.

Entrecard has now improved their service so you can add new blogs to your account and link them together. Find out more about Entrecard from their new e-book.