Redheaded Ramblings

Go to any random Facebook profile, and in less than a minute you can draw multiple conclusions about a person. Without even scrolling down, you can get their political views, relationship status and their feelings at that exact moment. If you do choose to look over the entire page, there’s almost no end to the information you will find: their favorite drink, the places they’ve been, their favorite quotes…Really anything they’ve chosen to make public, which, for some, leaves little to the imagination.

With more than 80 million people on the site and thousands of new users every day, the wealth of information being shared about people is staggering. It’s no wonder Facebook has become the second-most-trafficked social media site in the world.

Now think about this: If you profess to be a follower of Christ, does your Facebook profile agree? Huddle Leaders, if your campers friended you and started looking at your photos, would they be encouraged to model Christ, based on what you were doing or how you were dressed? Campers, if you desire to share your newly inspired faith with your teammates, will they discern Christ by looking at your profile? FCA staff and volunteers, ditto. Is the Lord’s reputation protected by what you have posted?

There is so much to think about when living out your faith in an online social network. And without a doubt, God’s desire is for your Facebook page to bring people closer to Him. With that in mind, STV would like to give you some helpful Facebook tips. Let’s take the opportunity to not only utilize but maximize this unparalleled generational movement!

What You See Is What You Get:
Photos
“But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed because these are improper for God’s holy people” (Ephesians 5:3 NIV).

Roughly 14 million new pictures are posted on Facebook every day. Even if you have all of your privacy settings on, the people you have friended can access every photo you post. That may seem like a no-brainer, but think for just one minute about everyone with whom you are friends: camp friends, employers, professors, family, friends—both Christian and not—and maybe random acquaintances you’ve just met. Have you considered that all of them can see what you are posting? Even photos that display what is just innocent fun to you can be easily misinterpreted. Perception is reality for the viewer who thinks your actions are less than wholesome or below God’s standard of holiness.

For example, ladies, you may think that because you are dressed modestly, it is OK to post a photo. But look at the people around you in the photo. What message does their attire send? Guys, you may not be drinking in a photo, but are your drunk friends raising longnecks to the camera? What does that say to those who are following your example? We won’t get into an alcohol debate, but as drunkenness is against God’s law, how do viewers know you’re not?

Bottom line: While you may not be doing anything wrong in the photo, you cannot explain to everyone what is actually going on in every photo. You can’t sit down with all 400 of your Facebook friends and say, “I was the designated driver for the night.” With photos, what you see is what you get.

Applications
“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to You, Lord, my rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14).

With more than 20,000 application options and 140 new ones added daily, 95 percent of all Facebook users have at least one. While applications are fun and can allow for creative individuality that spices up your profile, certain applications require constant observation.

Case in point: If someone posts on a “Super Wall,” they have the capability to share what they have posted with any other friend that has that application without that person’s permission. That means that if one of your friends posts a scandalous image to his or her profile and shares it with every friend who has Super Wall, you will get unwanted content on your profile.

There are ways to block these posts, but you have to know all the ins and outs of the  applications you are adding. Make sure you know who has the capability to pass information to you through applications.

News Feed
“Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God” (1 Corinthians 10:32, NIV).

In the fall of 2006, Facebook initiated the News Feed feature. When this feature debuted, a firestorm erupted on the Internet. Users fumed about their information being shared in such a public way, and, at one point, millions of people united in a variety of anti-News Feed groups.

The News Feed is essentially what separates Facebook from all other social networking sites. Instant information is being updated and shared to millions of people at once. “Annie just  updated her profile picture. Danny just wrote on Zach’s wall. Emily just commented on Tiffany’s photo.”

The News Feed isn’t a bad thing, but it’s good to be mindful of who is reading about your Facebook activity. Yes, you may write an inside joke on a friend’s wall, but who will read what you wrote when it flashes in the News Feed? Don’t let it stop you from having fun, but do be wise and discerning. Wall posts, videos and tagged photos are all displayed to eager eyes.

Facebook® Fruit:

Facebook is fun, and it can be useful in furthering the Kingdom of God. It is simply up to the user whether it is a ministry tool or a self-promoting gossip fest. With all the traffic, there are many ways to reach out to others; and the concept of connecting people is huge when it comes to sharing the love of Jesus Christ.

John 15:8 (NIV) says, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing ourselves to be my disciples.” Jesus calls us to be His disciples, and a predominant sign of that is bearing fruit—fruit that brings glory to Him alone.

How are you personally doing that through Facebook? Go beyond whether or not you are sinning by posting certain comments or photos and ask yourself if your profile reflects godliness and excellence. Is your profile bearing fruit? Are you encouraging and lifting others up by the posts you are putting on their walls? How is God calling you to take this great communication tool and proclaim His name?

We’re not saying that you need 15 daily Bible verse postings or that you need to update your status every day with a new spiritual nugget. We are, however, suggesting that you use this network to encourage and uplift, to love on the people who need it most, to build each other up and help bless the lives of others—bearing fruit that brings God the most glory and gives you the least. Our challenge to you: Use Facebook to make His name known more than your own.

Though the title of this post may have misled you a bit, at least now I have your attention…It’s Fantasy Football time!! Who’s excited?!? As of right now, here’s who’s playin:

• DJ
• Ben Bryan
• Bryan Higgins
• Craig DeBell
• Kenny Cuccia
• Lindsey Flory
• JD Neinast
• Brad Deal
• Hudson (prob)

Anyone else want in? It only costs $10 to play (maybe raising it to $20)! If you’ve never played before, check this out, do your homework, and then come hang out with us out on draft night. Trust me, it’s totally worth it.

does anyone know of any good hymns cds? i dont want any crappy, poppy junk, where they’ve taken a hymn and made it all contemporary and jazzy or something lame like that. and i dont want an artist that takes how great thou art, or the old rugged cross and put a beat to it. if it’s a fast hymn, then keep it fast; if it’s a slow hymn, then keep it slow.

i also like country singers singin gospel stuff, if that helps any…..any ideas?

(not really sure why i’m posting this - the only person who comments on my site is courtney, and she doesn’t really like hymns or country….ah well)

<<<this is the letter we sent out to family, friends, and other supporters of our mission.>>>

Dear friends and family,

Well, DJ and I are home! We made it back safe and sound after two incredible weeks in Zambia! Though we both agree that this trip was one of the most challenging and stretching experiences of our lives, we were able to witness the Lord doing a beautiful work in the hearts of those who live in the remote villages of Zambia. Because each of you has played such a tremendous role in making it possible for us to go, I want to take the opportunity to tell you about our trip while all the details are still fresh in my mind.

DJ and I, along with the rest of our team, spent our time in Zambia ministering to and loving on orphans and families in Magrimundi village and Nazilongo village, just outside the city of Kalomo. It did not take long for us to fall in love with the Zambian people. As soon as one person saw us coming, word would quickly get out that the “Makua’s are here!” (Makua = white people) and the entire village would swarm around our truck and welcome us to their home. We spent the first day of ministry loving on the people of Magrimundi and with the help of a translator, DJ and I had the opportunity to share the gospel with a church full of beautiful children. Afterwards our team put on a church service there in the village that included worship, skits, talking about Jesus, reading scripture, encouraging them, praying over them, and really just loving them as much as we could.

Though Launch Out Ministries recently established an orphanage in Kalomo, the government has not yet issued them a permit so they are not legally allowed to house any orphans at this time. To date, the orphans in Magrimundi village are living with distant relatives or friends until the government allows them to move into the orphanage. Therefore, on our second day of ministry we decided to invite them to the orphanage so we could feed them lunch and give them a chance to see their future home. We were only expecting 30 orphans at the most, so we made just enough food to feed 30 mouths. However, as DJ began counting, he quickly realized that we had way more than 30 people in our presence… 72 to be exact. Our team started to worry about how we would be able to feed so many of them with such a little amount of food. Not surprisingly, the Lord was faithful to provide and miraculously we were able to feed all 72 mouths… Not only did we feed them, but every single child had a full sized portion- and some even got seconds!

After spending a few days in Kalomo, our team headed to Nazilongo Village, where we would finish out the rest of our ministry. We set up camp and had the opportunity to live amongst these people as we ministered to them. DJ and I had the incredible opportunity to do door to door ministry there and we were greatly touched by all whom we encountered. They live in huts made of mud and straw, have no electricity or bathrooms, rarely have the opportunity to bathe (water is scarce so drinking is a priority over bathing), and are without shoes and a fresh change of clothes for each day. Yet the beautiful thing is that they are completely content with life. They don’t miss what they have never known and it was convicting for us to experience people who were so far removed from the materialism that often consumes our nation.

The huts in Nazilongo were widely dispersed with approximately a half a mile in between each home, so much walking was required for us to reach each family. They were all so wonderful and welcoming and the second they saw us coming they would pull out their stools and mats for us to sit on. Not only were they quick to welcome us, but they were so incredibly eager to hear everything we came to tell them! The first woman we encountered had never heard about Jesus, so our team shared the gospel with her and she immediately accepted Christ! After placing her faith and trust in Jesus, she joyously clapped her hands and exclaimed, “I will worship Him night and day!” How encouraging it was to see a faith so simple and pure. Here in the States it seems as though we have to have all of our questions answered before we can believe, but what we experienced in Zambia was the exact opposite. They are so desperate and thirsty for the one true Savior that they fully and readily accept salvation with a childlike faith… unlike in America where faith often has to go through the head before it reaches the heart.

Aside from that one woman, DJ and I were surprised to find that most of the people we encountered were already believers. At first we were discouraged by this because we so desired to take the gospel to the unreached people of this world, but we soon realized how equally important it was for us to minister to them as well. Though they are Christians, they don’t own bibles, and even if they did, the chances of them being able to read are slim. Likewise, they are often too sick or frail to make it to a local church service so they rarely get fed and are therefore unable to mature in their faith. Though we were only there for a few days, we are prayerful that by reading scripture and praying over them and their families that their faith was encouraged and their souls were nourished.

Despite all the wonderful things we experienced while in Zambia, DJ and I encountered much hesitancy and skepticism during our ministry. Rather than experiencing “Culture Shock”, I would venture to say that we encountered somewhat of a “Christianity Shock” instead. Though all believers who put their faith and trust in Jesus are considered to be united as the body of Christ, DJ and I experienced different aspects of Christianity that are not as common here in the States. From our experience it seems as though the Zambian people place much prominence on the miraculous gifts, such as speaking in tongues, healing, and prophecy… things that DJ and I have had very little exposure to. Though we believe that these things are biblical and true, we were careful to be discerning and to make sure these gifts were of the Lord rather than being abused. Despite our tendency to be overly skeptical, we were blessed to have amazing leaders to pour into and encourage us as we struggled to grasp these things. Marenga, Brian, and Patrick (pictured at right) were three of our leaders who were Zambian, and like the people we ministered to, they also grew up in villages similar to those we did ministry in. Therefore, they had amazing feedback and were able to help us process through the things we were seeing. They were incredibly encouraging and never judged us for our hesitancy; rather they would take the time to speak with us one-on-one to explain what we were seeing and encouraged us to take a step back if we ever got uncomfortable. We were truly blessed to have such amazing leaders to help us process these things, yet also had compassion and understanding towards our hesitancy.

Though DJ and I saw many things in Zambia that we are not yet sure how to process, one thing cannot be denied: Jesus is working in a mighty way in the hearts of those in the villages of Magrimundi and Nazilongo. These are a people who are oppressed by a multitude of very dark things… demon possession and sickness to name a few. They live more than 40 kilometers (24 miles) away from the nearest doctor with only a bicycle as a mode of transportation (if that), so the reality is that if they get sick they cannot make it to the medical help that they need. Therefore, their only other option is to turn to the witch doctors in their village for a cure. Though we often struggled with feeling like the gospel had been reduced to the healing power of Jesus Christ (although that is definitely one of His amazing characteristics), we also realized just how much this healing contributed to their belief in Jesus. Because they are so oppressed by the spiritual warfare around them, it seemed almost vital for their faith to be in a church where many signs and wonders take place… they need to know that this Jesus we speak of has the power and authority to cast out the very things that oppress them. If they don’t receive healing from Jesus, they turn right around and seek a cure from the witch doctor, who ultimately just places curses on them and gives them a concoction that will do nothing but deceive.

DJ and I were blessed by our time in Zambia and can’t thank you enough for making it possible for us to go. Please be praying for us as we transition back to the States and begin to process all that took place during our time in Africa. Please also pray for the people of Magrimundi and Nazilongo Villages, that they would get the discipleship and equipping that they need to grow and mature in their faith and that they would begin to see much more of who Jesus is and come to rely on Him in more ways than simply His healing power. Pray for Launch Out Ministries as they continue to reach out to those who are the farthest and that the full and complete gospel would continue to be spread across these villages. Thanks again for your love, encouragement, support, and prayers over our time in Africa!

Love, DJ & Courtney

we are having an 11 hour layover in London on Monday, and we are going to spend the day in town - anyone have any suggestions on what we can do or what we can see?

hi! my name is marmalade hofmann. i am a one year old orange tabby cat and my parents say i have the best personality in the entire cat world. i am writing to you because i find myself in a bit of a predicament. you see, my mommy and daddy are going to Africa for two whole weeks and i have no one to take care of me while they are gone. can i please stay with you?

if you need some convincing, you might want to know that some of my favorite things are:

smiling:

hanging out:

sleeping:

wearing fun hats….like my elephant hat!

and my giraffe hat!

don’t forget about my lion hat!

and i love WATER WATER WATER!!

i can drink water out of squirt guns:

and i love it when you turn on the sink so i can get a refreshing sip of cool water!

i also love playing with your fingers, biting your toes, chasing after you when you walk, playing with rubber bands, running, pouncing, and watching you take a shower. but the best thing about me is that i just love to hang out and will always want to be in the same room as you! im not a lap cat, but i do want to be near you all the time…because i think you are great : )

mom and dad will be out of town from july 1-15. please let me stay with you! i am easy to take care of… all you have to do is give me food and water, clean my litter (sorry!) and love me well, which is easy to do because im so dang adorable. my mom and dad will even pay you!

pretty please? if you dont, i will have to sleep on the streets.

love,

marmalade

ok so next week, courtney and i are going away for kv camp at mount lebanon. two things i need from you:

1. need a cool costume idea that starts with the letter “p” - nothing lame and normal like pirate or panda…..i want original ideas people!
2. need an interesting fact about me - this could also be something weird about me that not many people would know……any ideas?

thanks guys.

this video is kinda long, but DEFINITELY worth it

and here’s a great random ad….

so word on the street is that this whole “internet” thing is here for good, huh? i guess it’s not a fad anymore….

• there’s wi-fi for your laptops.
• there’s wi-fi for your iPhone’s.
• there’s wi-fi for your mp3 players.
• there’s wi-fi for your video game consoles.
• and now, there’s wi-fi for your heart.

if there’s ever such a thing wi-fi stock, let me know, because i’ll sell everything i own to buy it. seriously.

and on a completely unrelated topic……does anybody know this theme song?

to all who whine about the rising gas prices in the US…..