This is the BEST NON-TECHNICAL EXPLANATION of how to stay updated on your favorite web sites. If you have ever wished, “Boy, I wish there were a simple way that my favorite web site would notify me whenever they post new stuff,” then this video is for you!
It explains how to use RSS (Really Simple Syndication) to stay updated. Almost all new web sites are offering free RSS Feeds (or syndications).
Again, the video is super simple. It’s called “RSS in Plain English.” This is not for geeks. Normal people will like it.
If you are thinking, “I just want to stay updated by email, that’s all.” Then there is a different free service you may want to check out offered by a web site called FeedBlitz.comSee our post about it here.
WELCOME TO TEXAS! There’s not a font large enough to capture the spirit of the signage you see entering the Lone Star State. “Don’t Mess with Texas” is one visible tag line you see quite a bit.
Everything in Texas is big. And Texas itself is big. Real big. Even the pancakes we had for breakfast we about big enough to sink a battleship. (See below) Oh yeah, and just so ya know: the flapjacks pictured below were ordered off of the kids menu!! After 90 minutes, we collectively were able to finish about two of them!
We had a great time visiting with some long-time friends in Denton: Ross and Christy Bryant and daughters Rebekah (not pictured) and Reece. Shannon met Christy when they were both students on a Campus Crusade summer project.
After our grinnin’ visit with good ol’ Mark McKinnon in Alabama, we kept on truckin’ west through Mississippi and Louisiana. We don’t have much to report from our drive through those states, but I’d like to dedicate the photo below to my good friend Danny. This one’s on us, Danny!
The kids are doing pretty well, all things considered. We’ve passed the time in the van well and have really gotten into this card game called Mystery. It’s great for adults and kids.
No trip through Alabama would be complete without a stop in CLANTON, ALABAMA. It’s located right on I-65, in between Montgomery and Birmingham.
So, who’s McKinnon and why are we grinnin? Mark McKinnon - best man in our wedding and definitely a great friend. We served together overseas for a year in Slovakia. Mark is one of the funniest men alive. You can’t be around him more than a couple of minutes without a big smile.
Every once in a while you can see Mark in television commercial for his car/truck dealership in Clanton. No joking - if you want a serious good deal, check out McKinnon Toyota. You’ll be grinnin’ when you buy McKinnon!
Our first stop was David’s hometown: the metropolis of Pelham, GA. 4,100 people, 3 traffic lights. The town is not without distinction, however. Once upon a time, Pelham was home to the world’s largest rural department store: The Hand Trading Company. The store was built by David’s great grandfather in 1914. You could buy everything from groceries to tractors to coffins to ice cream sundaes! The store closed in 1982 but the building still remains. Check out more info on Pelham’s web site or this entry on wikipedia.
As the welcome sign below says, Pelham really is a special town. The people really look out for one another. Strangers don’t stay strangers for long. There’s definitely a slower, “I’ve got time for you” feel from the citizens. It is one of those places where the small town atmosphere is authentic and unique.
David’s parents still live there, and had a great time with their grandkids.
Well, we’re off. We left Orlando Monday on the first leg of our journey. Click map to see our planned stops. We should have taken a photo of the loaded minivan. It was a feat.
We really appreciate your prayers for us each step along the way to our training events!
We have some special needs related to our travels to the training events this summer. See the details about these on our previous post. Would you pray that the Lord would provide?
If He directs you to help financially, you can give a gift in a variety of ways. See our donations page.
All of these travel and conference expenses are totally reimbursable IF we have extra donations come in to cover them. These are not regular budgeted expenses so therefore are not included as part of our monthly financial support.
Here’s the scoop on exactly what we need:
About $2,875 for gas, lodging, food, and training event costs. Since this trip will cover about 4,000 miles round trip, that works out to about 72cents per mile. Any gift of any amount would be appreciated. If you want to give very specifically, then . . . $72 will cover about 100 miles. $360 will cover about 500 miles. $720 will cover about 1,000 miles. $1,440 will cover about 2,000 miles. $2,875 covers the whole trip.
Thank you for praying about this. Our first hope is that the Lord would receive all the credit and glory regardless of how He responds. As always, we walk by faith with another great opportunity to trust Him with the details of our life!
Bags packed? Check. Minivan loaded to the gills? Check. Got the map, kids’ music, drinks and snacks? Double check.
Sounds like a road trip for the Hand Clan, huh? That’s what it is. And it will be a fairly long one, too: July 9 - Aug 1 will take us on a 4,000 mile round trip, with our destination being a couple of conferences in Colorado.
After several stops including a couple of visits with friends and family, we’ll arrive at Snow Mountain Ranch - a YMCA retreat center in the Rocky Mountains. This is the site of our first conference - a mini conference for the 35 or so members of the Global Technology Office (our team members here in Orlando). This one will last July 15 - 19.
Next is Ft. Collins, Colorado for the National Staff Training Conference July 19 - 26. Campus Crusade for Christ hosts this conference once every two years. It is always held at Colorado State Universtiy in Ft. Collins. Approximately 5,000 staff based in the United States will attend.
Why are we attending? Because of four important “R’s”::
Recharge - To take some time out of the normal routine to enjoy spiritual refreshment
Renew - Renew our calling and confirm our desire to serve in ministry
Reconnect - Take time to see the big picture of the vision and direction of Campus Crusade for Christ. Also to reconnect relationships with other staff
Required - These are not optional conferences for us. But even if they were, we’d glady choose to attend
We really appreciate your prayers for us each step along the way to our training events!
Our celebrations for the 4th of July were simple but SWEET! The kids had fun creating and eating these chocolate cupcakes. Each one came complete wtih a custom-made American flag planted on top.
It’s well known that alligators inhabit many of the thousands upon thousands of lakes and ponds which speckle central Florida. They typically are not aggressive and keep their distance from humans. . . .Usually.
Usually, that is until you ride your bicycle alongside a conservation area with some tall grass - perfect for hiding alligators. Last Friday exactly this happened to me as I came within about 18inches of a 5 foot alligator!!
Conservation areas are “natural areas” which land developers by law must include in larger developments to help preserve some of the wetlands in central Florida. More often than not, these conservation areas include at least one pond and lots of dense grass/bushes/trees. If I were an alligator, I would like to hang out in one.
Friday morning on my normal bike commute to the office, I was pedaling along my normal route: A wide asphalt sidewalk trail which runs parallel to a rode heading to the office. A conservation area backs up to the sidewalk trail. So, as you ride to the office, the road is on your left and the conservation area is immediately to your right. The grass gets very high during the summer. And, by law, the grass must remain “natural” - meaning that no one can cut or trim it beyond a certain point.
So, now that you have the context, here is what happened:
I was pedaling along the asphalt trail at my normal moderate 8-10mph.
The whole width of the trail was at my disposal, yet for some reason I was hugging the right side.
At least once I thought, “Man, this grass is tall. I guess it’ll just grow out of control till the end of summer.”
As I glanced down, the corner of my eye caught a dark green blur buried within the grass.
“Yikes. That was a gator!” I said something of this sort aloud.
My bike tires were no more than 18 inches away from him.
My first thought was, “Keep pedaling, hard!”
Then, after I had put some distance down the trail, I turned around, crossed the road, and tried to gain an observation point to see the gator.
Quickly I saw what he was interested in: an armadillo (or what was left of him) had become roadkill in the middle of the road beside the trail.
After just a couple of minutes, the gator emerged from the grass and came right up to the curb!
He was aware of me, but had his eye on the roadkill.
After a few minutes of sitting still, he did a 180 and returned to the grass. (I guess he decided the roadkill wasn’t worth it after all).
Later I saw him returning to a pond in the conservation area.
After all this, I KICKED MYSELF for not taking a photo. I even had our digital camera in my backpack, just forgot! It was one of those memories that needed to be captured to share, but will definitely stay etched in my mind for a while.
If you want to see some good photos of gators found in some ponds very close to where we live, my friend Rob has a couple you need to see: Rob’s gator photo #1Rob’s gator photo #2
