GRRSSing….
For any of you who may be subscribed to the RSS feed of my blog, especially via the RSSFWD service (see the button on the left), or who are being notified when this page changes by the ChangeDetection service (see the tiny little form on the left) please accept my apologies for the perhaps repetitive emails you’ve gotten in the past few days. I’ve been fine-tuning my RSS feed for this blog because of some hiccups I encountered.
I thought this might be a good opportunity to do a little technology blog on the techniques I’m using for an RSS feed for this blog. Here goes…
I wanted blog for my site but I didn’t want a whole server-based system. I settled on “Blog” by Fahim Farook (other than rolling your own, I don’t know what else exists specifically for blogging that’s client based freeware like Blog). I’ve done a fair amount of tweaking to get it to where it is now and I’m pretty happy with it.
But, if you have a blog, you have to have an RSS feed. After all, darling, they’re all the rage! Of course I wanted an RSS feed before I really knew what it was. It definitely is a “bandwagon” kind of thing. Personally, I want my information to come to me in email form, I don’t want to have to launch yet another app to find stuff. Then again, I’m not trying to keep up with some specific subject matter category either.
Anyway, in searching for a way to come up with an RSS feed, I found a few other things that were interesting:
Ok, so now I need an RSS feed. What do I do? Well, Blog works with templates so some people have successfully created RSS templates for Blog. I believe that the process is that they publish their blog and then publish their feed simply by switching the ftp site and/or template and re-publishing. You can check out the details on the Blog forum and search for RSS. Lots of stuff there.
That, however, seemed to not be quite as seamless as I was hoping for. I really was looking for a “set it and forget it” service/setup. While I didn’t want a major PHP blogging system, I didn’t mind a script here or there. I found 3 different RSS-feed-creating PHP scripts out there. There certainly may be more and there are several good RSS tools portals out there. You’ll find them fine with Google. Each of the 3 I found work on the principle of some markup of the page that needs to be converted into a feed and all three are designed with blogs in mind. You place these markup tags (either SPAN class=”specialtagnamehere” tags) or in the case of the one I chose, specially formatted comment tags. All three let you use the script on their site or install it on your own server to play nice with their bandwidth.
They are:
instantRSS written by Ben Wilson is, IMHO, the most flexible of the 3. I was using blogger rss and when I did some formatting on an entry where Blog put in a SPAN tag to do the formatting for the text, blogger rss broke. It couldn’t handle embedded SPANs in the blog text because of the way it used SPAN tags to demark the blog text for the RSS description field. Knowing that this might be a problem in the future, I started looking for another solution. rssgenr8 doesn’t give much flexibility in its tag set so your feed contains what it wants it to contain. So that wouldn’t work.
I stumbled on to instantRSS and it actually comes with COMMENTED CODE! Imagine that. Not being a PHP guy, that was nice. Also the tag set is very complete and you can send stuff to instantRSS via commented content so that you are not limited to simply tagging that which is visible on your HTML page…i.e. you can make it do what you want it to do. A real plus when you’re as an*l retentive as I am! ;c)
I even was having a glitch on running it on my server, and since Ben actually volunteers his help on the web I sent him an email. It was answered promptly and I’m running smoothly now. So, I can certainly recommend instantRSS.
So, I tagged up my Blog template and it all appears to be working!
When I finish up an idea I have for enhancing my comments system, I’ll write about that. Until next time!
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Equinox – Arise, let us go from here
Equinox – either of the two times each year (as about March 21 and September 23) when the sun crosses the equator and day and night are everywhere of equal length.
I checked the calendar this morning to see if we needed to stop on the way to school and pick up Ruben (we did), a fun, energetic pre-school boy in a family from our church that also attends Collège-Daniel in the “maternelle” class. It was there on the calendar that I noticed that it was the Autumnal Equinox today…the first day of Autumn. I knew that solstice had to do with the longest and shortest days of the year so I suppose that I could have guessed the meaning of equinox…especially given its fairly obvious etymology ;c)!
I’m glad, however, that I looked it up because this phrase “day and night are everywhere of equal length” really spoke to me (along with the other stirrings in my heart, of course…God is like that, ain’t He!?).
Recently (I speak of the last 9 months or so), there have been a number of prophetic words concerning the season(s) we’re in and where we’re going. Of particular note is the idea that much must and will change before the end of 2005. As I write, Katrina’s effects are still felt in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast and Rita is bearing down on Houston…all this with the Asian Tsunami still fresh in our minds and hearts and “wars and rumors of wars” echoing in the daily news. Sandwiched between all this is the less publicized but equally felt summer of weird weather that Europe has gone through.
Signs? Well, to me they line up fairly well…along with many other “smaller” events, words, etc. Their interpretation can, in my opinion, go in many valid directions at the same time, as can our responses. I think that God is big enough for that.
Back to Equinox…
In June, the light is increasing and the darkness decreasing. In September, however, our equinox is the milepost of equilibrium between light and darkness…but heading in the opposite direction. Jesus says, “We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.” I think that night or darkness is coming. I think we’re perhaps going from a time where, on the surface at least, it will appear quite dark. I don’t say this from a “doomsday” perspective, because the Bible makes it clear that in the last days, both the dark and the light will become more pure or distinct. There will be a shaper contrast. The dark will be truly dark and the light will become more and more pure…but…from some vantage points (indeed many, I believe), there will seem to be only increasing darkness.
It will be this darkness or pressure or difficult circumstances or however many ways it manifests, that will provoke heart-level reactions from people. Some will seek God with an ardor they never knew existed in them (Lord, let that be me!) and others will curse Him. Indifference will begin to disappear. The lounge-chairs perched so precariously on the fence-tops will begin to teeter.
Personally, I’m asking God to help me with the heavy-lifting before one of my own upholstered monstrosities crashes on my own head! ;c))
Jesus begins the 14th chapter of John with: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.” He then continues a discourse with His disciples that serves as a resume of their time together on earth and how that is about to change and what the new relationship will look like. Frankly, it doesn’t look too positive from the disciples perspective. Heck, we don’t like change! Little do the disciples know that it will look a whole lot worse very soon than they could even imagine! Jesus says some poignant words (duh!) toward the end of the chapter that we would all do well to really understand: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.”
The world gives us peace with material security and approval from others. Hmmm…Jesus must mean that I can have a peace even without those things. I’m definitely learning what that means and am happy to say that I see progress and a bit dismayed to say that I’m still in “Jesus Peace 101” in a life-long continuing education degree plan!
Jesus ends John 14 with these words: “But that the world may know that I love the Father, and as the Father gave Me commandment, so I do. Arise, let us go from here.”
Ok, it’s the midway point between light and darkness and night is falling. Jesus took His disciples with Him from the intimate fellowship around the table at the Passover Feast in the upper room into the night…into His Passion. He set an example for us. Therefore, “that the world may know…Arise, let us go from here.”
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Was that really You God?
I just found out last night that I would not be leading a worship workshop at Collège-Daniel this trimester. Why? Well, according to the director, only 1 student signed up. I had not planned on worship “1-on-1’s” but a “workshop” where by the students (and I) would explore what it means, both theologically and practically, to “worship God”.
Now, this was a challenge for me…that’s for sure. I know that God has put some “teacher” “motivational gifts” into me. (brief motivational gift overview) Just having that as a motivational gift doesn’t mean however, that I’m experienced or feel qualified to teach…more that I value good teaching and see it as a foundation for God to use to build His Kingdom. Of course, there were the challenges of preparation, sequence of material/subjects (that which I’d picked up about worship over many years – now regurgitating it in an orderly, cogent sequence to junior high kids), doing it all in French, and connecting/not being afraid of a group of junior high kids!
So, that challenge has been removed from standing immediately in front of me…whew! That’s a relief!
But…why was I in the position to do this workshop in the first place? Well, I volunteered to do it! In fact, I felt that God wanted me to do it. Aye, there’s the rub!
Now I have some mixed emotions and confused thoughts. I still believe that there was some sort of impulse from God to do this, and I still believe that God wants me to be involved in the work of raising up worship and worshipers in Alsace and to specifically sow into the next generation. (I also saw this as a way to begin to “give out” more or “do” more, etc. It’s always a pressure we feel and it certainly affects me.) Did I simply miss God completely, or in some other aspect; e.g. timing, etc.?
There are other ways to accomplish those Kingdom purposes and certainly many ways for me to put my hand to the plow here and now. Of course, these require me to hear God more clearly…which could also be one of those key lessons for me to learn at the moment! ;c)
Well…off to listen for His still small voice!
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What I did on my summer vacation…David, age 44
Ok, I’ve not blogged in a while. Since the 21st, I’ve been busy either with other things or fine-tuning the non-blogging parts of the blog! (digests, comments, rss feeds, etc.)
Also, the idea of actually producing something erudite and cutting (vs. nothing at all) for my blog content has held me back a bit. So, to break out of silence, I’ll just write what’s been happening. Hey…that’s what I’m supposed to do with this anyway aren’t I!?
On the 25th, I headed off to the YWAM base near Paris to attend the annual YWAM France staff conference. I had not been looking forward to this for a number of reasons but it certainly ended up being a blessing. Transportation there and back was one of the challenges and I ended up just taking our car and praying that its way-too-loud-and-sometimes-losing-lots-of-oil engine would hold out for the trip (5 hours each way). It did fine, but the challenge certainly brought me into communion with God on the way there and back! ;c)
It was good contact time with the folks I already knew in YWAM France and a chance to begin to get to know others as well. If you know me, “connections” are something that I value highly! Also, if you know Angela, you’ll know that she is not quite as geared in the same way. So, it worked out well that she stayed home and held down the fort (not to mention a flea market stand as well) and prepare for “back-to-school” on Mon. the 29th.
I was able to return in time for Rachel’s violin recital after a 1-week violin camp. Drove right up to the location, walked in, and she was playing. Excellent timing and it sounded beautiful…and I was in no small way relieved that I’d made it in one piece and on time. It was a nice bow to tie up the gift of that weekend for me.
Since coming back, we’ve been trying to get back into the school swing of things. This is not just our kids but also Angela and me. Collège-Daniel is the Christian school where the kids go and it’s also where Angela and I putting most of our ministry efforts currently. Angela will be teaching both English and Music to the very young crowd there. This is a huge responsibility for her and a real opportunity to connect with these kids. I have volunteered to teach a 2-hour Worship Workshop every two weeks. I’ve yet to find out if anyone has signed up, but if so that begins on Friday! This is a big challenge for me but I feel it’s what God is asking me to do right now. I’ll also be watching the elementary kids every two weeks for 2 hours during their lunch and recreation. This has proved to be a very valuable time for connecting with those children and they have really won my heart (for the most part!;c)) I’m still helping out with various computer tasks at the school and Angela and I are still leading worship every Monday morning for the junior-high-aged kids there. For us, it’s pretty challenging, but we’re growing more and more as we do it.
We’ve also been struck deeply by Hurricane Katrina’s impact. We’ve been following the events as they’ve unfolded and are amazed by the enormity of what has happened. A friend of mine sent me a link yesterday to a site which had an extremely interesting article about the impact of a severely damaged New Orleans on the economy of the United States. Extremely thought-provoking reading: http://www.stratfor.com/news/archive/050903-geopolitics_katrina.php
While I can’t give a completely reasoned treatise on the subject, I’m struck mostly by the prophetic implications of Katrina and the Kingdom of God opportunities that it presents. While all too capable of entering into the fray of the “blame game” (see this excellent piece at the BBC web site about that subject) about the suffering that has happened in the aftermath, I’m choosing not to “go there” as my opinion (and I have lots of them) is that it’s a serious time-waster (and I have lots of them too!) when God has significantly more profound and important ways for us in the Body of Christ to be engaged in this circumstance.
Big enough entry for now. I promise to write more soon!
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