Video: Every Day is Father's Day

The one man, one woman marriage case by the US Supreme Court will be announced tomorrow. On the eve of this announcement, I am reminded of how grateful I am for both a man, and a woman as my parents. There is nothing that can replace the role of married parents aka a mom ... and a dad.

To those who have not had that union represented in your own home: dads can also be in the face of a mentor, an amazing uncle or grandfather or even a fatherly figure in your community.

There is no one who can compare with the Father we all share - He's pretty crazy about you and He never fails. Here's to being leaders in our generation that applaud dads and make it popular again to be a culture that loves our earthly fathers and gives allegiance to our Heavenly One.

Every day is a day made by Pappa God... let me know what you think:



I've posted this and other favorite videos here, on a special tab of my blog.

New Favorite Resource: Technology Tools from HubSpot

Wow, it pays to be on the HubSpot email list. They send out emails notifying you that they have this material available and then they allow you to download it (without a financial cost).

If you want to know where to go to develop your efforts, for greater influence using technology tools, here is a great place to start!

My download version

Go to their website and sign up! Let me know what you think!

Thanks HubSpot!! I LOVE technology!!

Meaning of Michigan's Names?

Thanks to Mlive's Fritz Klug for this piece.

http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2013/06/whats_in_a_name_map_shows_true.html#incart_river_default

What's in a name? Map shows 'true names' of Michigan cities




A section of the "Atlas of True Names" by cartographers Stephan Hormes and Silke Peust.

By Fritz Klug | fklug@mlive.com 

on June 20, 2013 at 11:00 AM, updated June 20, 2013 at 11:39 AM

We call it Michigan, but how about Land of the Big Lake?

The Atlas of True Names is a fun look at the meanings behind the names of Michigan and U.S. cities. Released this year, cartographers Stephan Hormes and Silke Peust took the meaning of place names, translated into modern English, and placed them on a map.

Michigan places on the map include Lansing, “The One from the Land,” Kalamazoo, “Boiling Water” and Detroit, “Strait.” There are also the real names of the Great Lakes: Lake Huron as the "Boar’s Head Lake" and Lake Erie as "Wildcat Lake."

Names of Michigan locations come from French and American Indian languages, including Algonquian.

“Many geographical names are clearly rooted in Man’s observation of his natural environment,” Hormes writes on his website.

The aim of the map is not to be fully scientific in the definitions, but to give a general sense of the meaning of the names and place them on a map, according to an interview with the BBC.

Some of the names have multiple meanings, which are included on map’s index, as well as the place name's entomology.

In a 2008 interview with the New York Times, Hormes said the map is "like some kind of re-enchantment of the world. The world is connected via the internet. Everything is technical. There are big financial problems. Everybody seems exhausted. This gives back some of the childhood feeling.”

As a cartographer, Hormes has also created Atlases of True names for Canada, the British Isles, Europe and the world. The maps includes labels for states, cities, and other landmarks.

You can purchase the map to hang on your wall on Hormes’ website or view a full, zoomable copy on Slate.

Fritz Klug is a news buzz reporter for MLive. Contact him at fklug@mlive.com or 269-370-0584. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or App.net.

Op Ed: Millennials and Privacy

If you’re looking to mobilize the current and next generation into fighting big government because of the recent discovery of intrusion on our privacy – you might want to rethink your strategy. Quite frankly, I’m not sure it really matters to us that much.

Think about it in general the average American young adult uses Facebook, Twitter, online banking, online shopping, online food orders, and online payment of bills. We use the internet to multi-task. We job search, submit resumes and track applications. We sometimes read blogs, participate in online chat, use the cloud to save documents and yes, Google is so familiar to us that you might as well add it to the list of American staples.

The younger generation appreciates convenience and ease: so why wouldn’t you sync all of your accounts, put your calendar online, allow different websites to cross-access your information on another website universe and allow for automatic bill payment by companies? We read books via our ereader, utilize text messaging as an extension of ourselves, and benefit from Skype when we need to see a face but can’t be there in person. We access this information on our phones, via our ipads, and laptops, even through TVs. Not only do we see the benefit of technology, it has become like the air we breathe. We have experienced its power, we see the potential and we’re captivated by every cutting edge development. If we could come back in the second life, we’d love to have the brilliance of the Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, or Mark Zuckerberg. They are our entrepreneurial cultural icons.  

Freedom to us is synonymous with the internet, a world wide web, and a cultural world to be discovered. It can never be limited! We are always finding new websites, tools, trends and resources. We meet new friends, keep up with old ones and track the world’s news.  We see the latest movie trailers, follow the latest fashions, play our computer games, utilize our creativity and even win a few dollars via online gaming.

Not only are these technology tools a part of our life, but we understand how they work and the benefit of their powerful influence. You, on the other hand, see the grave danger of a lack of privacy, you have stake in private information and you understand freedom. We, however, do not, at least in the way you want us to know it.

Before you go to your children with a voter registration form, an invite to the next Republican benefit dinner, or a form to donate to the latest tea party effort – be aware. The revelation of the Big Brother’s massive intrusion of freedom you are experiencing seems like the next step to crossing over the threshold into complete government take over. But to us, it’s no biggy. It’s just a part of our everyday existence.  

Don’t you dare give up on the fight to defend and preserve individual rights and freedoms and your work to convince us of what we face as a nation. The beauty of America is this: you have freedom to educate yourself, we have a God who will give us understanding, we still have freedom to apply the wisdom and you have a younger generation that needs your freedom and relationship. All is not lost. You just may have a lot more educating and planning to do than you realize.

Written by Amy Hawkins 6/12/13

Op Ed: Compete to Lose or Conquer to Lead

I want to follow the person who is not just keeping up with the mediocrity of the competition but who moves beyond that level of competition to conquer.

There is a sentiment out there that the GOP needs to improve so to compete with the Democrat Party. But that position in itself puts the Democrats in the position of strength, and the GOP in the familiar position of weakness.

If you have the opportunity to work for a company that is competitive in its field but a sheep among a flock, would you choose them over working for a cutting edge enterprise that is leading, chiseling a path that others must follow?

I’m a Millennial and I say if the Republican Party leaders would live outside the Democrat mold, my generation would be extra interested in following them.

Republican Party, forget trying to be competitive with the Democrat Party. Go back to your founding principles, state, believe and live the truths simply, in humility and with integrity. Then use your God given faculties to come up with new ways to make our ideas win. Embracing these items with sincerity and tenacious courage will be sufficient to start conquering and dominating the playing field.

Democrats utilized twitter and facebook [etc] in 2008 and were even farther technology advanced in 2012. Sadly, it has felt like Republicans have been trying to play catch up. Instead, consider: What questions are not being asked? What un-used technology tools exist that can accomplish a goal, but have yet to be polished for the political and government conversation? Or, better yet, what problems exist that we in our God given, brilliant, entrepreneur, freedom loving, purpose driven, independent spirit and ability can come up with a solution to on behalf of life and liberty?

Republicans and conservatives, don’t just “get up to speed” with President Obama, the progressive liberals and the Democrat party! Break out of the mold and come up with something new. It’s time to change the tactics with new approaches, solutions and honed skills so that the opposition says of us “Wait, we need to catch up to them!”

It’s time for freedom and truth to win. 

Eric Metaxas: Christians in Politics

If someone asked me (I highly doubt anyone would ask me this) "What are words in the Christian culture that would be considered swear words?" I would have to answer "Christians and politics in the same sentence."

And now the audience laughs and I look on in seriousness. No, I'm not joking.

Eric Metaxas says it well in this piece. Christians are meant to get involved in politics but by doing it God's way. 

Come on Christians: to tell yourself it's dirty and unnecessary for your involvement is like saying, "The laundry is dirty but I refuse to wash it." The process needs you to help improve it.

Yes, Eric Metaxas definitely speaks truth and is well worth the short listen.