twitter takeover

i must blog about this, because it's become a significant part of my life in the past 72 hours. it's called twitter. and although i've known about it for a while now, i didn't see the need to be on yet another social network. i think my total is up to 5 now... at the very least. i love networking, but twitter just seemed like a poorly-named facebook wannabe but never couldbe. quite the opposite, really....

just a few reasons why i enjoy it thus far:
1. when there are too many people using it, a big cartoon whale with birds holding him up comes up on the screen... "the fail whale". so, the makers of twitter are obviously thorough & clever.
2. you can "follow" celebrities... without having to be their friend. for example, i "follow" john mayer, so i get his status updates (which are quite frequent- 10+ times a day), and they're usually pretty interesting and amusing. others you might be interested in following include obama, oprah, ashton kutcher, ryan seacrest, and many more...
3. i also "follow" NPR and CNN to get the latest news updates-- also fascinating and keeps me current.
4. it uses a lot of '@' signs.

... and there's much more for me to learn...

front-door ministry

tonight, i heard from missionaries in Mumbai, India... their stories were not only inspiring and encouraging, but also had me thinking about how what they're doing over there can also be done in the States. the Tombings, this Indian missionary couple, have planted churches, started a school, generates a lot of their income, built an orphanage, have a seminary, and reach out to surrounding poorer countries. and that's just the beginning, really....

as much as i'd love to be a foreign missionary, fearing the rebels at any moment and helping bring justice to the children of prostitutes & drug addicts... i realize that i actually have that at my front door.

recently, i saw an art exhibit & video from the artist, who is all about racial reconciliation, political & social justice, and urban "development"-- well, that's my interpretation. i was so intrigued by his art a couple weeks ago that i began to seriously think about what this means for me. right here on allen street. right now.