Update: Way of the Master Radio

Way of the Master Radio is now Wretched Radio.

Here's the explanation for the change:

Let's start here. We love Way of the Master. We love Ray. We love Kirk. We love EZ and everyone else at Way of the Master (Living Waters). For three years they graciously supported the program. We would not be doing this show had it not been for them. However, they recently decided to discontinue doing the radio show. FamilyNet very graciously stepped in and took it over.

In the future, you will still hear Ray and Kirk. Wretched Radio is pretty much the same as it was when it was Way of the Master Radio. In fact, Todd, Kirk and Ray will still be doing events together. We are all still pals. We are just two different ministries who are still laboring together. We hope that this serves as a model for other ministries and ministers who part company. It doesn't have to be ugly.

Unfortunately it seems that the free Podcast does not have full episodes. I'm very disappointed about that, but I understand that sometimes that it necessary.

Tips and Tricks: Firefox

I love Firefox. One of the reasons I love it so much is because it is designed so that other software developers can create their own "add-ons" to it. Here are some of my favorite add-ons:

Adblock Plus
This add-on blocks most advertisements on the Web. While I disagree with this from a capitalist point of view, it really removes the clutter from your screen.

GBookmarks
Say you use one computer at work, another at home, and a laptop when you travel. You end up with bookmarks on 3 different computers and can never find the ones you need. GBookmarks solves that by allowing you to use Google Bookmarks just like you use your regular bookmarks. Then, no matter what computer you use, you can just sign-in to your Google account and retrieve the same set of bookmarks.

Undo Closed Tabs
Ever spend a lot of time searching for something only to accidentally close your tab and lose your place? With this add-on, if you accidentally close your tab, you just right-click and click "Undo close tab".

There are also some great add-ons for Web developers such a Firebug. There are many other various add-ons from weather reports to e-mail notifications.

Another other feature I love about Firefox is how it keeps track of where you are. For example, in Firefox 3 if you have several tabs open and close the browser, it will ask you if you want to save your place. And if Firefox accidentally crashes (which will happen no matter what browser you are using), when you open it back up it will ask if you want to restore your session and you're back where you left off.

Tips & Tricks: Adding Life to Your Blog Comments

Whenever you post a comment to a blog on blogspot.com, you may have noticed that it says "You can use some HTML tags, such as <b>, <i>, <a>." So what does this mean? It's geek for "bold", "italics", and "link". They are actually called "tags" and you need a beginning tag and an ending tag.

For example, if you wanted to say: "Hey Hucklebuck, that was a great post!". You would type:

Hey Hucklebuck, that was a <b>great</b> post!

Or if you wanted to italicize something, you might type:

Hey Hucklebuck, you are <i>so</i> cool!

The last one is a little different, but still very simple. Say you wanted to post a link to Google with the text "Click here to go to my favorite site". You would do it like this:

<a href="http://www.google.com">Click here to go to my favorite site</a>

That's it for this post. I've got several more ideas, but if you have any computer topics you'd like me to blog about, please send me an e-mail at scl.hucklebuck@gmail.com.

Tips & Tricks: Intro

I have been a professional software developer for the past 10 years. Because I work in the information technology field, I get asked lots of computer-related questions from friends and family. So I've decided to pass along a few tips and tricks that I have learned along the way that I hope will be helpful to you too. I'm working on my first post now. Stay tuned...

Pavlov's Bell

He made some great music didn't he? Think about how many times you've heard his Canon in D at a wedding. Wait, that's Pachelbel. My mistake.

You remember Pavlov, right? The guy that did the experiment on the dogs. He proved that animals and humans can be trained to respond to a certain stimulus. It's funny how some of these things happen without us even realizing it. I just noticed that any time one of my co-workers tells me they are sick, I shrink back, start breathing shallowly, and immediately reach for the hand sanitizer on my desk. I suppose if a co-worker walked in said "dude, that software you wrote is sick!" I would still reach for the hand sanitizer. Of course, I don't have any co-workers that talk like a teenage surfer, so that would be odd to begin with.

I have my own scientific experiment going. My wife always tells me to stop chewing my fingernails. I agree that I should, but it's a habit that I've had since I was a kid. I like to believe, though, that I'm actually building up immunity to germs by ingesting them in minute quantities. I'm a fairly healthy guy, so maybe it's working. Maybe I can get a government grant to study that. After all, they pay for all kinds of weird stuff like studying the flatulence of fleas. Ok, I made that one up, but it's not too far off. I think I'll name my band Flatulence of Fleas. Unfortunately I don't play in a band. Well, if I did, I'd be sure to play Canon in D. I think that would make Pavlov proud.

Ministry Shout Out: Way of the Master Radio

Last summer I took a business trip to Washington D.C. I was very fortunate that my wife, along with her mother and brother, were able to join me. We stayed a few extra days and toured as much of our nation's capital as possible.

When I returned home, my worship leader and good friend Frank sent me links to a couple of MP3s from the Way of the Master Radio podcast where they did a Christian tour of D.C. Honestly, I thought the host was so obnoxiously goofy that I didn't think I could make it through the show. But yet somehow I wanted to hear more. Before I knew it, I was listening to the podcast nearly every day. And the whole time growing in my Christian walk.

One day I was listening to the show and the host started reading this hilarious blog post called Not Knowing How to Hold Hands. I thought it was so funny and wanted to share it with my wife. So after a little Googling, I found it on a blog called Stuff Christians Like. I was instantly hooked on the site and have been following it daily every since.

So back to WOTMR. It is a really interesting talk show. Here's a quick breakdown:

First 5 minutes - Beep Talk (The pre-show show) - This is where the host, Todd "Freakishly Tall" Friel answers questions that callers have left on a special number. He really tackles some tough issues and many questions that we have often wondered about God or the Bible but didn't really know who to ask or how.

After that Todd covers various topics. It can be anything from pop culture to advanced theology. Whatever it is, it's sure to get the wheels turning.

Towards the end of hour one, one of their various partners will go out on the street and find someone that is willing to talk on the air about religion. Then either Todd or co-host Ray Comfort will share their faith over the phone with the person on the street. Every situation is different and there is something to be learned from every encounter. Listening to these conversations really helps you prepare for your own witness encounters.

Hours 2 starts with news (and comment) from Tony. More commentary and stories from Todd follows. Depending on the schedule, sometimes the witness encounter will be here.

I really enjoy this radio program. Some of my favorite episodes are where Todd goes out on the street himself to talk to people. In one set of shows, he went to several Christian colleges to see just how much the students knew about Christianity. I also enjoy hearing him reason with people at the state fair. He gets a lots of criticism, even from other Christians. But I am always amazed at how clearly he presents the gospel.

Here are a few links to check them out:
· Main Site
· Podcast
· "Are You Really a Christian" - A good starting point

Ministry Shout Out - Frank Aragon

I've decided to do a few posts to recognize some of my favorite ministries.

In this post, I want to give a shout out to my friend Frank. Frank is a living example of what it means to live out your Christianity in your day-to-day life. He has truly been gifted by God to do what he does. Whether you need someone for children's ministry, a youth event, someone to fill your pulpit, or a live band, Frank is your guy. He combines his likable personality and razor sharp wit with wisdom, conviction, and spiritual discernment. In the few years I have known Frank he has discipled me simply by the way he lives his life.

Check out Frank's ministry and his new CD at frankaragon.com. And if you're within a 100 miles or so of the Houston area and need music and/or ministry, give Frank a holla.

Short Memory

I have a short memory. It seems to be getting worse these days. Just ask my wife. I have a short memory. It seems...

So lame joke but I have noticed lately that I have trouble remembering things. Unfortunately the thing I forget most often is that God is able. And I have seen God work in the past, but how often I forget about the things he has done.

I was reminded of God's provision today. Last week I attended a budget meeting for our church. We discussed an outstanding debt that had to be paid by the end of the year. Looking at the numbers, there was no way possible it could be done. And with an economy on the rocks and a local economy hit hard by Hurricane Ike, it seemed even more impossible that this debt would not be paid.

This morning I received an email from my pastor. Some "unexpected" and "generous" donations came in this week. With those donations we will be able to pay off our debt before year-end. God is capable of meeting our needs. I know that. But I often forget (or choose not to believe).

Sometimes all I need to jog my memory is a little reminder. Today I got a reminder that God is faithful to provide.

Who Is Hucklebuck?

In case you are wondering who Hucklebuck is, I'm a spin-off of Stuff Christians Like (SCL). Just like Mork and Mindy, Frasier, and CSI: Miami. (I'm still waiting on that CSI: Hucklebucktopia.)

It all started with this post on SCL. I made a comment under the name Hucklebuck and the rest, as they say, is in the past.

Dandelions

As I was searching for the songs in my previous post, I came across this one by the band Five Iron Frenzy. I saw FIF perform in college and it was probably the best concert that I've ever been to. (Thanks J-Mac for bringing in so many great bands!) They were so goofy and full of energy.

I had forgotten about this song. As I played it back, it brought tears to my eyes. How can God see something good in me when I have committed such terrible sin against Him?

Blast from the Past

I don't even know how it started, but recently I started remembering all of the music that I listened to back in my youth. Here is a sampling of some stuff I found on YouTube. It looks corny now, but it sure was cool back in the late 80's/early 90's!

Purse Weasel

Introduction
In yesterday's post on Stuff Christians Like, Prodigal Jon (the author) made a comment about being afraid that someone might be carrying a "purse weasel" (as a form of self defense). In today's post, popular commenter "Stacy from Louisville" made a joke about not finding the purse weasel in a store. So I decided to create a fictitious ad for the "Purse Weasel".

Story
So that leads me to my story. I had that image up on my screen at work. Our administrative assistant (AA) walks in and says "ooh, a Coach purse. Is your wife getting a special Christmas present this year?"

I said "No, it's a purse weasel."

AA gives blank look. Crickets begin chirping in the background.

By then I'm a bit embarrassed and don't know what to say. I manage to get out, "it's a long story."

So here is the "Purse Weasel":

Impatient Cow

Have you heard this one?

Knock knock.
Who's There
Impatient Cow
Impati Moo!

Ok, so maybe it's funnier told in person.

Lately I have been noticing a lot of impatient people. Myself included. But in the wake of Hurricane Ike, it has become even more evident. The first thing I noticed was a person on the news complaining about not having electricity less than 2 days after the storm! There are many traffic lights around town that are either non-functional or missing altogether. Most people have realized by now to treat them like a 4-way stop. However, I don't know how many times I've seen people zip through the intersection as soon as it was clear whether it was their turn or not.

So why have we become so impatient? Even as I write this I worry that writing more than 50 words will cause people to lose interest. Some would blame our growing impatience on technology. I think I agree. Think about how many times the camera angle changes during a TV show. Or how Google has spoiled us into thinking that information should never be more than 2 clicks away.

Sometimes I wish for a simpler life without technology. The ironic thing is that technology is what pays the bills at the Hucklebuck home for I am a software engineer at an institution known for its technological advances.

Am I alone on this? Does anybody else think that the technology that is supposed to make our lives better has just made it more complicated? Well, gotta run. I'll text you the rest of this blog while my GPS guides me to Circuit City.

Priorities

As you may have heard, my wife and I evacuated to my home town for Hurricane Ike. After hearing that our home was ok, we met up with some friends, that we had not seen in a long time, at my favorite pizza joint. One couple was also evacuating from the storm and works for a large oil company. During lunch they received a call from the company. It went something like this: (Names have been changed to protect the innocent.)

This is an urgent message for Bob Bobbly from Weegot Gas. If you are Bob Bobbly, press 1 now.
Boop!
Bob Bobbly,
If you are ok and can report to work, press 1 now.
If you are ok but unable to report to work, press 2 now.
If you are in trouble and need Weegot Gas to rescue you, press 3 now.

Glad they have their priorities straight. I'm just surprised that the first option wasn't "For English, press 1."

Paul Washer Gives It To You Straight

A very interesting sermon on what it means to follow Christ.

Hell's Best Kept Secret

If you are a Christian and you have never heard of Hell's Best Kept Secret, you should check it out. The title can be a little misleading since it is not about Hell. It is actually about modern evangelism and why 80%-90% of those making a decision for Christ fall away from the faith.