Mr(s). YUK

EWWW!!!
"The average office desktop has 400 times more bacteria than the average office toilet seat"

On the way to work this morning, Erin and I heard this report on KTIS. Below is an excerpt the article you can find here.

Your office desk harbors far more bacteria than your workplace restroom, and if you're a woman, chances are your workspace has more germs than your male co-workers', a new research report shows.

Women have three to four times the number of bacteria in, on and around their desks, phones, computers, keyboards, drawers and personal items as men do, the study by University of Arizona professor Charles Gerba showed. The $40,000 study was commissioned by the Clorox Co.

"I thought for sure men would be germier," Gerba said. "But women have more interactions with small children and keep food in their desks. The other problem is makeup."

Don't get Gerba wrong: Women's desks typically looked cleaner. But the knickknacks are more abundant, and cosmetics and hand lotions make prime germ-transfer agents, Gerba said. Makeup cases also make for fine germ homes, along with phones, purses and desk drawers.

Food in desk drawers also harbors lots of microorganisms, and it is more abundant among female office workers. Gerba found 75 percent of women had munchies in their desks.

The average office desktop has 400 times more bacteria than the average office toilet seat, Gerba said.

Disgusting. Although I think my favorite part was that women's spaces were 3 to 4 times more infested with bacteria than guys. Way to go guys! It looks like the girls get the Mr. YUK sticker on this one. ;)

—b


Thursday, February 15th, 2007/1 Kings chapters 1–3

GOD'S MESSAGE FOR ME TODAY
"So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil." —1 Kings 3:9a

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO MY LIFE?
Although Solomon is now king and could probably take whatever earthly possession he wanted, he humbled himself before the Lord in asking for understanding and discernment. Instead of asking for riches or honor, he asked for traits that would benefit his people. Solomon not thinking of himself with his request pleased God, and God ended up giving him riches and honor besides wisdom.

Copyright 2007, City Vision / John A. Mayer
You can purchase a copy of the CityView Report here.

SPIRITUAL TWIN CITIES NOTEABLES
• In 2002, The Brookings Institute names the Twin Cities as one of the top 10 "Gateway Cities" in America for immigrants/refugees

I Choo, Choo, Chooose You!

Valentines 2007

We love, because He first loved us. —1 John 4:19

A more humorous approach thanks to the folks at Veer.com

And how can we have a Valentines Day without Ralph Wiggum.

—b

Wednesday, February 14th, 2007/1 Kings chapters ???

GOD'S MESSAGE FOR ME TODAY
Must buy more coffee!

Copyright 2007, City Vision / John A. Mayer
You can purchase a copy of the CityView Report here.

SPIRITUAL TWIN CITIES NOTEABLES
• 60% of all new churches in the U.S. die within theri first five years.

If They Mated

Artist's Rendition

NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" has a popular segment called "If They Mated". They take two celebrities and put their features together to see if the two movie stars had a kid, what he/she would look like. Well, I'm kinda curious as to what our firstborn might look like. Below are the results. All I can say is "sorry everyone, I really feel bad for the kid."

—b

PS. If you have nightmares, blame J-Bone, it was his idea. ;)



Tuesday, February 13th, 2007/2 Samuel chapters 23 & 24

GOD'S MESSAGE FOR ME TODAY
However, the king said to Araunah, "No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price, for I will not offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God which cost me nothing " So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.—2 Samuel 24:24

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO MY LIFE?
David has the right motive when he offers his burnt offerings to God. It isn't the act of offering that is acceptable to God but the fact that we would vountarily and joyfully want to give what we have back to Him.

Copyright 2007, City Vision / John A. Mayer
You can purchase a copy of the CityView Report here.

SPIRITUAL TWIN CITIES NOTEABLES
• The vast majority of all types of churches are small in size (100 or less).

Future With STEM, Pt. 2.9

STEM Employee's...?

The decision is now in our court.

Late this morning, Roger and John (our COO) called Erin and I into Roger's office. They had a counter proposal.

That was fast. We weren't expecting anything 'til the end of the month.

Excluding details, here is the jist:

• Our proposal was both Erin and I would work on flexible schedules so that we wouldn't have to hire a babysitter, I would get a pay increase, and we wouldn't have to raise support.

• STEM's proposal is Erin wouldn't work at all, I would get a pay increase, and we would have to raise the rest with support.

Make sense?

Obviously Erin and I have to carefully discuss STEM's offer and we told them we would let them know by the end of the month.




Saturday night, our Pastor and his wife and child visited us for supper. As most of you know, Chris and Aletha were in our wedding and Erin and I met at a Bible Study which Chris lead. It was a lot of fun having them and their 6 month old Jane hang out with us. I think Bella thought they had brought Jane for her to play with because she wouldn't leave Jane alone.

It's cool to think of how our lives have changed in such a short time. From being single, to married and now preparing for a child of our own. Time definitely doesn't stop.

—b

Dear Fiends,

Thanks for all your prayers for me. I made it through all the floods in Jakarta and arrived at the airport on time and came back to MN on Friday afternoon. I’m very happy to finally be back from my trip. Please keep praying for the situation in Jarkarta. It is still very bad with many homeless, sick, dead, and food and water shortages. I look forward to seeing you all soon. Thanks be to the Lord for my safety.

Tri Dey Mayer

Monday, February 12th, 2007/2 Samuel chapters 21 & 22

GOD'S MESSAGE FOR ME TODAY
He said, "The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;"—2 Samuel 22:2

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO MY LIFE?
When I read the notes on my Study Bible concerning this passage, it brought the obvious to my attention:

He [David] had often taken refuge among the rocks of the wilderness (1 Samuel 23:25; 24:2), but he realized that true security was found only in the Lord.

I guess I never really thought about what it meant when the authors of the Bible referred to God as their "rock". I shed new light on it for me.

Copyright 2007, City Vision / John A. Mayer
You can purchase a copy of the CityView Report here.

SPIRITUAL TWIN CITIES NOTEABLES
• The 1940s has the largest portion of megachurches, showing that it takes considerable time to grow a church to this size.

Dog Shock Collar

Ever wonder wonder what it would feel like to have a dog shock collar on? No? Neither did I. ;)



Enjoy your weekend!

—b

PS. There are several factors Roger and company have to nail down before giving us a counter proposal. Roger is gone next week on vacation so I guess we'll have to wait...

2nd Trimester

14 Weeks and Counting...

Every week, both Erin and I receive an automated email from BabyCenter.com. It gives us an update on how Isaac/Tegan is progressing. It's fun to see him/her growing. 6 months to the day the baby is due!




Last night the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team took on arch-rivals Mexico. We weren't able to watch since we had Bible study last night but the final score was not dissapointing. 2-0 U.S. Way to go guys! Now, if the United States could just get some good soccer coverage...


—b


STEM JOB UPDATE:
This morning I asked our COO about when Erin and I could expect and answer and he said Roger will be coming in tomorrow and they will be meeting about our future with STEM. So hopefully I'll be able to post a "yay" or "nay" tomorrow.



Thursday, February 8th, 2007/2 Samuel chapters 13-15

GOD'S MESSAGE FOR ME TODAY
"As for me, where could I get rid of my reproach? And as for you, you will be like one of the fools in Israel."—2 Samuel 13:13a

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO MY LIFE?
"Stop and think." My parents told me that so many times and yet did I listen? Of course not. Sin has consequences. Before we act on impulse or start to wander down a path which we know leads to sinning against our heavenly Father, stop and think.

Copyright 2007, City Vision / John A. Mayer
You can purchase a copy of the CityView Report here.

SPIRITUAL TWIN CITIES NOTEABLES
• Many older "white" congregations, started prior to the 1950s, have recently ransitioned to become African American, Asian, Hispanic, or multi-cultural churches as their neighborhood compositions have radically changed.

Future With STEM, Pt. 2.5

STEM Employee's...(waiting)...?

Today was going to be a day of answers.

1. How is the baby doing?
2. Will I be able to complete Mr. Stewart's illustrations?
3. Will Erin and I still have jobs at STEM?

Here are the answers:

1. Yes. We had a baby doctor appointment this morning and every thing is proceeding normally. Thank you Lord!
2. No. As Emily commented on yesterday's post, I just don't have enough time to give John the quality and time he deserves. He was very gracious and we will see what happens when he returns from Africa.
   
3. Maybe. (See response below)
   

Last Friday Erin and I gave STEM a modified work proposal. We were told we would have an answer to our future employment by next Wednesday. Well, it's next Wednesday and STEM still doesn't know.

Hmmm...frustrating.

So, I'm going to keep looking for a new job 'til STEM gives us an answer one way or the other. Roger won't be in the office the rest of this week so the earliest we will have our answer will be Monday. But I'm not counting on it. The comforting thing is God knows the answer even if STEM doesn't.

The saga continues...


—b

Wednesday, February 7th, 2007/2 Samuel chapters 11 & 12

GOD'S MESSAGE FOR ME TODAY
"'Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun.'"—2 Samuel 12:12

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO MY LIFE?
The Lord will expose our sin. The sin we commit in private will come to light. David tried to cover his affair with Bathsheba, but the main "person" he hurt was God. God cannot be fooled. So even if we think we have gotten away with a sin and even continue to get away with it, the only person we are fooling is ourselves.

Copyright 2007, City Vision / John A. Mayer
You can purchase a copy of the CityView Report here.

SPIRITUAL TWIN CITIES NOTEABLES
• There are more than twice as many Muslims than Jews or Buddhists combined.

John Stewart

Can you guess which
John Stewart is my latest freelance client?

Well if you said #2 and #3, you're right!

STEM's editor Dana also does freelance. Except instead of design, she is, yep you guessed it, an editor. (Your so smart!) Anyway one of her clients is John Stewart and he is in need of some illustrations. Dana asked me if I was interested and I told her I would love to take the challenge. Yesterday Dana and I met with John at Caribou Coffee while he explained is ideas.

First let me tell you a little about John's past.
(Or rather copy his bio from his website.)

John Stewart, founder of Lamplighters International, was born and raised in a non-Christian home near Winnipeg, Canada. He gained an early love for ice hockey and was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL). During his eight years of professional hockey he experienced a sense of emptiness that the pursuit of worldly success could not satisfy. In 1977, John was born again and received the free gift of eternal life by placing his faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

Seven years later John felt God's call to the ministry and entered Central Baptist Theological Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota. During his seminary training, God used him to plant a Bible-believing church in Cambridge, Minnesota. He planted a second Bible-believing church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota in 1990. During his time as pastor, John wrote many of the original Lamplighters discipleship studies. He now serves as Executive Director of Lamplighters International where he continues to write discipleship materials and oversee the ministry.

Back to yesterday...

John will be flying to Africa on Friday and he needs about a half a dozen illustrations before then for his presentation. Unfortunately 2 red flags went up.

1. I haven't done any illustrations since Tech school. I'm not nearly as confident/comfortable with a #2 pencil as I was then.
2. Time. I don't have any. Especially with the CityView Report now in full production.

Thankfully John isn't expecting much and is realistic concerning time restraints. I'll send him an example or two and if I'm on the right track, I'll continue. If not, we'll meet up when he returns from Africa. Thank you Lord.

As always, I'll keep you updated whether you like it or not. ;)

Cuteness Factor

Sister-in-law Cyri sent these to Erin this morning. They are pictures of our niece Kayle (pronounced Cale). I just had to post 'em.




—b

Tuesday, February 6th, 2007/2 Samuel chapters 8-10

GOD'S MESSAGE FOR ME TODAY
King David also dedicated these to the LORD, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated from all the nations which he had subdued:—2 Samuel 8:11

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO MY LIFE?
So far, David has been no ordinary king. This is just one more aspect of his reign. Instead of hoarding the silver and gold spoil, he gave it back to God. It's so easy to want. The thing is, we always want more. What better way to combat greed than to give what we have back to the One who gave it to us in the first place.

Copyright 2007, City Vision / John A. Mayer
You can purchase a copy of the CityView Report here.

SPIRITUAL TWIN CITIES NOTEABLES
• Churches in the Twin Cities range in average weekly worship size from 3 to 7,500 people.

Monday Morning Quarterback

Superbowl Weekend

First off, congratulations are due to the Indianapolis Colts on defeating the Chicago Bears. Both Erin and I were routing for them so that made victory even sweeter. The best part of the game happened when Colts coach Tony Dungy gave glory to God. And not just in a flippant way either.

"The Lord doesn't always take you in a straight line," Dungy said. "He doesn't always take a direct path. I think he tests you sometimes to see if you're going to keep the faith and hang in there and I think we did. We did as an organization and it's just such a great feeling to get, to win this game.

"It's not the biggest thing in the world, but … it feels great."

The day before, Erin and Arika headed to a movie while yours truly got to hang out with Arika's daughter Hadassah (pictured). She was fun! I was able to run the whole gammut with her. The eating, sleeping, and pooping. (She could probably see the fear in my eyes when she knew I had to change her diaper because she cooked up a winner for me.) ;)

Bella held true to form concerning her reputation with babies. She was always within a wiener dog's length of Hadassah. She literally never left her side. When Hadassah made a noise, Bella's ears perked up and she had to make sure everything was ok. She even had to sit on my lap when I fed Hadassah. It will be interesting to see what happens when our Isaac/Tegan is born.

Back to Superbowl Sunday...

For those of you who could care less about the big game, many of you probably watched it for the commercials. I believe this year was better than recent year's. Although I still don't think the ads are worth the hype. Anyway, my favorite was Sierra Mist's "beard combover". I laughed out loud at this one.



If you'd like to see more of the Superbowl ads, you can visit several sites but here is YouTube's Superbowl site where you can rank your fav's and post. You can also just view the gallery where all of them are listed



I thought I would bring special attention to the latest link that I added to BEing Designed's sidebar. "Rivers in the Desert" is a blog that has just been started by our pastor's Chris Wachter and Mike Devereaux. They already have a good start on it and in the internet world of filth, it's always nice to see one more weapon for Christ.


A while back I posted a request, then answer to prayer, concerning John Mayer's wife Tri Dey. Well, she has been in Indonesia for almost three weeks for her father's funeral and is due to return to the States. The following is a prayer request from her husband John:

Dear friends,

Please pray and have others pray for Tri Dey in Indonesia. As you know she went there to hold her father’s funeral. They have had rain for several weeks straight in Jakarta and the results is massive flooding of up to 13 ft. high throughout most of the city. 350,000 people are homeless and over 20 have died. They lost power for three days straight. No one has been able to go to work since last Thursday in the city.

Tri Dey is on high ground but isn’t able to leave her house for safety reasons. She needs to get to the airport on Thursday this week to return on Friday. The rain is predicted to last for two more weeks without stop.

This is similar to what happened to New Orleans during Katrina only in a third world country with little resources to combat it. When the flood water reside there will probably be many diseases and food shortages. So please pray for Jakarta and Tri Dey’s situation and safety and that she can somehow make it to the airport this week to leave on time and return to MN. Thanks.

Thanks John, I will add you and Tri Dey to my prayer list.


Monday, February 5th, 2007/2 Samuel chapters 5-7

GOD'S MESSAGE FOR ME TODAY
Then David the king went in and sat before the LORD, and he said, "Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far?"—2 Samuel 7:18

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO MY LIFE?
After all of David's success in battle and now being recognized by Israel as their king, David displays his humility before God. Being prodeful is a very easy sin to succumb to. We have a tendancy to put others' and/or our accomplishments on a pedastal. We need to remember that it was God who allowed them/us to achieve the accomplishment(s).

Copyright 2007, City Vision / John A. Mayer
You can purchase a copy of the CityView Report here.

SPIRITUAL TWIN CITIES NOTEABLES
• The Twin Cities has been called the "Bible belt of the north" because it is known for it's higher than average church attendance compared of other parts of the country.

Future With STEM, Pt. 2

STEM Employee's..?

Wednesday is STEM's D-day (decision day).

Well, Erin and I met with the leadership of STEM and gave our proposal. I think it went really well. We told them that there could be no counter proposal since we gave them our absolute minimum wage. The management has a meeting on Wednesday and then we will know for sure as to both our STEM futures.

Til then...


PS. Also in STEM news, we will not be moving. Bethany's timeline for us to be out of the office is impossible for us to meet. So we will be staying in our current location with a rent increase.

Brett's Back

Congrats to Cheeseheads 'round the world on Brett Favre returning for a 17th season. According to J-Bone, Brett wants former Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss. Hmmm...I can't imagine many Packer fans would be too excited about that.

—b

Friday, February 2nd, 2007/1 Samuel chapters 25-28

GOD'S MESSAGE FOR ME TODAY
"And when the LORD does for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and appoints you ruler over Israel, this will not cause grief or a troubled heart to my lord, both by having shed blood without cause and by my lord having avenged himself."—1 Samuel 25: 30 & 31a

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO MY LIFE?
God knows what injustices have been done to us. He will deal with the person(s) involved. After all, they have ultimately sinned against Him. We should take comfort knowing God will handle it and we don't need to.

Copyright 2007, City Vision / John A. Mayer
You can purchase a copy of the CityView Report here.

SPIRITUAL TWIN CITIES NOTEABLES
• In 2001, just five days following the September 11th tragedy, local Christian leaders organize and hold a citywide Sacred Assembly, gathering over 24,000 people for prayer at the MetroDome.

Future With STEM

STEM Employee's?

Hopefully by noon tomorrow, Erin and I will know whether we will still be working at STEM.

After some long discussions, both Erin and I would like to continue working at STEM...if the Eidsmoe's and STEM can come to an agreement. Erin has put together, what I think, is a very good proposal; both for us and STEM. Compromise on both parties is what it will take to come to terms. So the management has agreed to meet with us at 10:00am tomorrow to discuss our future. We'll see what God has planned.

Stay tuned...



Someone modified this Apple ad and posted it. I have liked these series of ads. Who knows, maybe one day Apple will actually reach 10% of the market share. ;)


—b

Thursday, February 1st, 2007/1 Samuel chapters 21-24

GOD'S MESSAGE FOR ME TODAY
He said to David, "You are more righteous than I; for you have dealt well with me, while I have dealt wickedly with you.—1 Samuel 24:17

HOW DOES THIS APPLY TO MY LIFE?
Saul has been relentless in his pursuit to kill David. And yet, when the Lord gives Saul over to David, not only does David not kill Saul, but he bows before him; a great example of showing God's love. King Saul probably deserved to die but David went above and beyond to set an example for us all to love our enemies (Luke 6:35).

Copyright 2007, City Vision / John A. Mayer
You can purchase a copy of the CityView Report here.

SPIRITUAL TWIN CITIES NOTEABLES
• The Twin Cities is expected to grow by over 1,000,000 people from 2000 to 2030. Land in the Twin Cities will become scarcer or too expensive for new churches to buy and build new buildings.