my.tribe.is.growing (0)

December 17, 2009
By herbhalstead
my.tribe.is.growing

via ncnnews.com First thing’s first: I hate numbers – at least for numbers’ sake. I do appreciate that numbers are one of a myriad of indicators that we can use as tools to evaluate how things are going, but I also contend that they are often mistakenly used as THE litmus test for success. And, for the record, I think the logo on the graph is stupid. Use a cross, or the words “God’s Kingdom”, or something. Blech. OK, soapbox dismounted. In the past, I’ve admitted to having been, at times, embarrassed/ashamed of my tribe. Some of the positions we’ve taken have been just ridiculous. But, there is one thing that I firmly believe is true about this tribe: we want to be on the move, where God is moving. This has not always been the case. My tribe has episodes of unflattering history where we placed idols before...
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more.taco.theology (2)

December 17, 2009
By herbhalstead
herbs_special

This is the “Herb’s Special” from my favorite restaurant. It has one taco, one tamale, and rice (or beans – your choice), and yes, it is named after me. The story is that I have been going there nearly everyday since they opened. Quite often I would order a taco, a tamale, and a side of rice. Eventually I suggested that they just add it to the menu and call it “Herb’s Special”. Well it made it as a periodic feature to the daily special’s board, and now it is on the new menus that are being printed (I saw an advanced copy). You have to seriously invest in your favorite eatery to get close to this sort of “immortalization”. The other day, I started craving the “Herb’s Special” at about 10am. Not good. By the time I made the walk to the restaurant and sat down, I was...
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website.bible.verse.goodness (0)

December 9, 2009
By herbhalstead
website.bible.verse.goodness

We have always considered our website to be an important instrument in our mission. We put a lot of thought into how it is organized and what information is available to visitors. We also spend a lot of time tweaking it and adding subtle features. I have become increasingly more fond of the NET Bible and have begun to use it more and more in my studies and in my preaching. I keep up with their RSS feed. Something caught my eye today, and I totally forgot what it was because when I got to their site something caught my interest that I am really psyched about. Most bible sites give you a way of delivering scripture dynamically. Think "verse of the day". But, the folks at the NET Bible have added a really cool feature for your website, and made it so easy. Just by inserting a tiny...
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catch.22 (2)

November 15, 2009
By herbhalstead

This is long, but it has been long-brewing in my heart. When we started Thrive, there were literally just a handful of us. Even if you included the ministry team, there were less than 10 people. Now, the 100 barrier, I believe, is in our sights, and I am pleased that we will have gotten to that place while maintaining strict loyalty to the vision God gave us for Thrive. But it will be a longer and harder road than some are ready for. Nearly every week for the past year, we have had new visitors at Thrive. Yet, our growth is steadily slow. I know that at least half of the visitors who do not return give great positive feedback about what we are trying to accomplish at Thrive, but choose another place over our size, of all things. At times, this does challenge my spirit. It is...
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Apple unveils browser-based iTunes Preview (via AppleInsider) (0)

November 13, 2009
By herbhalstead

Friday, November 13, 2009 Apple unveils browser-based iTunes Preview By AppleInsider Staff Published: 08:20 AM EST Apple has updated links generated via iTunes to direct to a Web site called iTunes Preview, which gives customers the option to view content without launching the application. via appleinsider.com It’s about time! Anyone who know me knows that I hate iTunes. I love the iPhone, but iTunes is the creation of Satan’s minions. I just had a long “tech” call last night with someone who lost all their music from a piece of software that is supposed to “just work”. BLECH! One of the most annoying things about iTunes was that it was required to be installed just to view a PREVIEW of music/software when you click a link about a product sold through the iTunes store. Well, I use many computers in various physical locations, and I cannot install iTunes on...
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