Vonage

Last week I ordered Vonage for my office/home phone. I got to say, the experience has not been pleasant. In one week I've had to call them 6 times...Today, I spent two hours on the phone with them...Anyhow, tonight I came home to actually try and hook up the hardware so I could start using the service. I spent 1 hour on the phone with some tech guy (from another country, I think)...He was clueless, he tried to blame my ISP and told me to call them because he could not get the service to work. I could hardly understand him, which really made the whole process so frustrating. Anyhow, I finally got mad and gave up. I decided to try to "figure" it out on my own. Within 5 minutes, I was able to get the phone working; I was so happy, yet so mad. Anyhow, I think this experience has a great lesson. Communication is important; no matter what the circumstances, if their is a lack of communication, then you can bet that a culture of frustration will be created. Anyhow, I really hope this whole ordeal will be worth it...I will update you in a few weeks.

I need a hotspot account

Ok, I need a hotspot account...But, I'm way to cheap to pay $30 per month. I'm also mad that Barnes & Noble is no longer a hotspot provider, how lame is that? Anyhoo...I was wondering if a few folks would like to "go in" and buy a hotspot account...? It would cost like $10 per month if 3 folks wanted access. We could even make some cash buy allowing friends access our account on a per hour basis :) But that is another story! Or, if you have an account already, I would be willing to pay for some accress. Anyone interested let me know! :) :) :)

.. THE COBALT SEASON ..is coming to Raleigh

Ryan & Holly Sharp are coming to hang in Raleigh for a few days...Which, I think is real cool. We are planning on doing house show Friday Dec 9th. Location TBD...So, pick up your handy PDA or whatever you use to keep track of your life's chaos and book that night. Yes, before you ask, let me just say this...BYOB!!! Anyhow, if you want to check out Ryan music click here. Shalom.

Fire Fart - Google Video

Check out this Fire Fart via google video's...So funny!

Thanksgiving blog post

This morning I'm enjoying some quiet time, which is rare in the Marlow household...But, my girls are at their grandparents house...As I reflect on what I'm thankful for, the list can be long...But, I thought I would try and post my top 10 in no particular order.

10. Dreams...I have lots of them, and most of my dreams will help make the world a better place, so I hold on to them. They give me life & hope.
9. Health....I never take health for granted...I've seen to many tragedies...So, I'm thankful that my family is healthy.
8. Moving...I glad that soon we will be moving to our new home.
7. Grace...Everyday, I get this amazing opportunity to walk with God. Grace is special, I want to soak in God's grace every single day of my life.
6. Friends...Life without friends is no life at all. So, to all my friends, all across the world...I hope you are doing well.
5. Life...It's fun, hard, challenging...But I love life...I want to live it to the full.
4. Favor...I want God's favor. I don't deserve it (see # 7) But, I want favor from God, I know I have it to a certain extent, but I want it more.
3. Kids...I don't have room to start discussing my little (or big) girls...They mean the world to me.
2. My wife...If you know Necole, then you know why I say this.
1. God, yes....It's really simple...I love God, I wonder what my life would look like had I not become a follower of Christ. Maybe in heaven, God will give us a glimpse of how our lives would be different if we had not decided to follow God. Kinda like a DVD extra, another ending to the movie, how cool would that be?

So to all my family & friends...I hope you have a terrific day.

Tikkun Olam

Is your city safe?

It's always funny to see how each city ranks in regards to safety.Cary, NC which is a suburb of Raleigh is always amongst the safest...Then, there is Stockton, CA. Which is always amongst the worst. Now, growing up in the 209 (Stockton) I can concur, it dangerous, violent and I'm glad I no longer live there. Anyhow, you can check out the info if you like, click here.

You could be wrong...No WAY!!!

Via Mike.

wahba :: progressive :: emergent :: worship

My buddy wahba is releasing his sophomore project called The Beautiful Effect. You can download some ringtones, listen to MP3's and of course you could buy his cd (soon) on his website.

WOW, this day has been rough

This morning I was driving Bailey to school, as always I had to play Nathan Asher in the Ipod...It's so cool, she knows all the words to one of his songs...Anyhow, I dropped her off at school and I headed to the office, so I was programming my iPod and I was considering what to play...Hmm, Greenday, Amos Lee, Death Cab, Coldplay...Then I saw David Crowder, his old stuff...I decided to listen the DCB, and spend time with God. Which I'm glad I did, because today was a rough one (it's only 3:40PM), I had my first real estate closing...I almost lost the deal at the table...This transaction was suppose to happen over 2 weeks ago...So is was very stressful, from a financial perspective, I really needed this deal...I had no back up plan, we were flat broke...I did not even know if I had enough gas to make it home...So the stress was high...That being said, I did get the deal done...So that is good...I'm trying to relax for a minute..Until I meet my next client this evening...Bill Hybels has a book called "too busy not to pray," and he is so true, we can't allow the busyness of life to steal our shalom, our time with God...I'm not sure I would have made it today without the words of DCB and the presence of God..Sometimes we see prayer as this long drawn out time in which we do our "duty," and it makes us feel better...This morning I learned the importance of prayer, or conversation between me and God while I'm driving 75 MPH on the freeway...Prayer is needed, it's important, it's life giving, it's vital to soul, vital to our emotional state...It's not some rule, or rigid act. It's a real two conversation between me and God, i think I need to have more of those conversations!!!

Crazy Day Ahead

Well, this is going to be one crazy day...We have our first real estate closing today at 12PM (hopefully it does not get delayed), which is good...Because I had to literally dig for change in order to put gas in the car...That is never a fun experience. So, hopefully everything goes right, and we will get a paycheck today...Then I have some Sacred stuff to take care of; and some more clients to service...I'm hoping to be home before 10PM tonight; we shall see. At least I'm not Ken, who has to go to Charlotte on back-to-back days...That is soooooo lame; but I have a feeling it's worth it. Hope everyone has a great day!

Searching for rhythm

This morning I made plans to finish up some loose ends with Sacred, do some reading and thinking and try to recharge my batteries...Well, that is not going to happen, I got two phone calls from out-of-state investors...Now, this is a good thing for sure; but I know I need some time to connect with God...So, I'm currently thinking through rhythm, what does it look like, is their a right or wrong way to go about life, or better yet is their a better way? I have so many things I need to do, and so many things I want to do, but no time to do them all. This is why I think sleep is way overrated, it's a time waster for sure, but hey...God designed us to sleep for a reason right? So, even though I'm anti sleep, I know it's good for me...But, I wish I had more time, more time to work, more time to play, more time to pray and more time for productive rest. So, this gets me back to the question of rhythm and pace...Is their a productive way to cram more into life? My weakness is focus, these past few years I have had so much going on in my mind, I feel like I have not found a productive and healthy pace or balance. I think one of the biggest issues I faced as a pastor was unrest, always worried about how to pay the bills, where to live, how to grow a church, what school to put the kids into...It was never ending questions and few answers seemed to develop; and I had few people to discuss these issues with. I really was never at peace, risk is good, I love risk, life without risk is boring...But, when you take a risk, it seems that at some point the risk has to payoff, or else you have to move forward because the risk is too large and the upside too small. So, this goes back to pace, rhythm & peace. It's needed, you can find peace in the midst of chaos if need be, but you have to grab it...Jesus taught us so well the importance of peace, he would leave the wounded, inflicted, those desperate to touch Him, see him and be around him...But, as always, Jesus was teaching us the importance of rhythm and pace, as he would leave the chaos of life and retreat with close friends, or spend time praying. so, let me finish this post with this question; is your pace in life in-line with the teachings of Jesus? If not, maybe it's time to rethink how and why we do what we do. So, for the next hour, I'm going to stop blogging, turn off my cell phone, close the iBook and read a good book. What are you going to do?

Spirit Fuel

I've added and "evotional" banner under my links...If your looking for some midweek fuel, then check these guys out...really good stuff.

Other news...I have much on my mind...Too much, so many questions and so few answers...I'm really glad that we are moving soon, space is vital, I can feel my lack of spiritual focus, currently we are living in a small 2 bedroom apartment; which has been tough, but not all that bad, soon we shall move to our new 3 story townhome, which is a blessing to say the least, I'm looking forward to having some space to think, pray and seek the heart of God.

Xbox.com

XBOX 360 is coming really soon...Do I get this? I wonder, is it worth it? It looks so cool. Anyone else getting this luxury game console?

Rentals - MSN Real Estate

I love the city of Raleigh, it's an up & coming area...Here is a cool article that highlights some of the benefits of living in the Triangle...7 cool cities with cheap rents

Raleigh

Part of the Research Triangle (including Durham and Chapel Hill), Raleigh is as hot as it gets, thanks to a healthy job market, a billion-dollar downtown rehab, top universities and plentiful, inexpensive housing. About two years ago, Tom Augur, a 27-year-old certified public accountant, left Boston for Raleigh's small-city atmosphere. His three-bedroom townhouse cost $150,000. "I would have gotten 50% less in Boston and paid more than twice as much," he says. Young locals eat sushi and listen to blues in Glenwood South, or hit dance parties in the Warehouse District.

Where to rent: Duraleigh Road, Cameron Village, downtown

What you'll pay: $650 a month for a one-bedroom, $750 for a two-bedroom, $750-$950 for a two-bedroom house

What you just missed: a two-bedroom apartment in a Tudor-style house near Cameron Village, $650

Where to be at 11 p.m.: Lincoln Theatre, Martin Street Music Hall

Not-in-NYC bonus: $9,218

Ministry

A very thoughtful blog post on the pain of ministry. It's a little long, but very thoughtful...Lately, I have been so frustrated with the aspect of pastor as CEO, sometime WE pastors are so driven by success (which we will never admit that) that we sometimes forget the reason we got into ministry...Anyhow, I could post a lot more, but I have a meeting with some local folks who may want to start a church here in Raleigh, they want to know what I think about church planting, and is it worth planting a church, being that Sacred did not succeed (that is also a loaded word), my answer to them was YES, plant a church, God knows we need more churches that can raise up leaders and advance the kingdom of God...One key issue, the church plant cannot become and idol...Maybe more on this later? Click below to read the post.

internetmonk.com � With Regrets, All My Love

Speed

If you are a speed freak...you have to check out this video clip.

French filmmaker Claude Lelouch mounted a gyro-stabilized camera to the bumper of a Ferrari 275 GTB and had a friend, a professional Formula 1 racer, drive him at breakneck speed through the heart of Paris.

Via achievable ends

hungry {community}

I hung out with the hungry {community} Sunday night...They have it going on for sure, lot's of energy, the room set up was great, lot's of couches along with chairs and candles, so cool. Jeff is teaching from the book of Genesis, he did a great job and Gore had a full band, which was kickin...I included the graphics for the genesis series for your viewing pleasure...Enjoy!

Writely

I'm posting from a program called called Writely, which in a new Web 2.0 application...It acts like an online Microsoft Word program, the cool thing is multiple folks can collaborate and it's web based, so you can get to your docs via any computer...You can also upload the doc into your blog...Which is way cool, since my spelling is about as good as my 5 year old...Anyhow, enjoy...Off to work.

two and two makes five: Safe and Sound (?) in South Africa

My buddy Steven and His wife Amy has recently left the states to become a missionaries in South Africa...He has poignant thoughts in regards to the daily opposition that he and his wife face...It takes a lot of courage to endure some of the issues that that they are dealing with...It also takes a lot of love and passion for the Kingdom of God and South Africa. Please keep these brave souls in your thought and prayers. Safe and Sound (?) in South Africa

You made it

Well, it looks like you found me, thanks for stopping in and checking out my new blog. This blog represents a transition for me...Which is exciting. I'm looking forward to sharing life with my friends (known & unknown) around the world. Be back soon.