As a young boy I would play games in the back yard with my brother and childhood friends.  One of our favorite games to play was war.  My mother was never to thrilled with us playing this game, but we did it anyway.  With scenes right from a John Wayne movie in our head we would storm the beach, with assorted objects serving as our cover.

Later on in my life I became an avid gamer, as most of you know by now *smile*.  I have to admit my favorite genera of games where war based games.  I spent many years in clan’s that played Day of Defeat, Battle Field 1942 and other mod’s of these games that allowed us to experience what others went through without putting ourselves in harms way.

Some would make the mistake of thinking people who like to play or simulate war campaigns as twisted or sick.  Lovers of war.  But on the contrary.  I am a huge history buff, firmly believing in the old adage that if we do not learn from history we will relive it over and over and over. 

After my grandfather passed away in 2002 I discovered a lot about his part in World War II.  As I was preparing his service I spent time going through his belongings, looking for more clues to use when speaking about him.  My grandmother gave me a box that contained some documents and papers from his service.  Patches, nick knacks, all completely trivial or useless to someone else, but to me . . . it was gold.  It gave me a chance to appreciate my grandfather that much more.  Why?

Because my grandfather was one of the millions of men and women over the past two centuries who put themselves in harms way to secure the rights that we all take for granted. 

I want to take this time today to thank my grandfather, George Delano Hall and all the other men and women past and present who stand to protect us and our way of life, a salute.

Thank you . . .

Related

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Well, after several months of trying to get bearing after resigning at First Baptist I have begun to take to heart the comments my friends have been telling me for years.  I have been developing web sites for guilds, churches, personal use for a long time.  Every time I finish a job someone would comment how they liked it, or how cool something was on it.  Soon the conversation would turn to “You should do this for a living.”

Well, it is now time to see if they are right.  My deepest desire is to help others use the internet to reach out to the masses.  Weather it is a church or ministry, a local company, or someones private blog, they deserve to have a great web presence.

All I ask of my readers and friends is you pray for us as we try to get the company off the ground.  If you know of someone or you are in need of a custom site, give me a call.  *smile*

http://paravelcomm.com

If you would have asked me a year ago about all the hub bub over social networking I would have more than likely told you it was hype, or a fad, or just a flash in the pan.  I absolutely HATE Myspace, and this facebook thing was new and cumbersome.  Not to mention all the “what am I doing now” apps and services.

But then. . .I tried a couple.  First twitter, then Jaiku, then Pownce then. . . well you get the picture.  I started to use them for a short time but then as with most things I think are fads. . they sort of left the back of my mind. . Sort of like that Franklin Daily Planner I used to think was cool. . .for a week.

BUT. . .here I sit out of work. No longer pastor at FBLO.  I know I have gifts and talents.  I know I can do some cool things.  After all, I would not try if it where not cool. . But I have never found a way to get someone, at the right time, who was willing to pay me to do these cool things.  Podcasts, web sites, custom graphics, network design and installations, you name it. . .  But then something strange happen, after a very long and hard, and ill be the first to admit it, a rather depress filled two weeks.  My buddy Scott Bridwell sends me a Gtalk message at midnight the other night saying.

“Hey Mike, guess what?

What?

I lost my job yesterday.”

Heart sank to my stomach for Scott and Becky.  I know the hard road he has had to walk.  We started talking about a lot of things.  Not to put you to sleep Ill get to the point. .He asked me if I was LinkedIN. I’m like, am I what?  I had heard in passing about the site but payed no attention to it.  We talked over an hour about social networks.  So that night after he logged I went to LinkedIN and set up a profile.  Sent invites to all the people in my Google address book and crawled into bed at 2 AM depressed and not sure what the morning would offer.

Today however, after filling in the information, after brushing off my twitter and posting to it the sample mundane parts of my day, and after getting “plugged” back into the tech world I am already seeing results.  Friends I made a year ago and friends from high school have contacted me.  It has really shocked me in a way, but a good way.

So tonight, as I go to bed, as I think about tomorrow, I can say that I’m feeling pretty good.  I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I’m sure its not a train. *smile*