We’re standing at a true turning point in history – cash, the physical medium of exchange, is becoming obsolete. In its place are credits and it’s not hard to envision a future where your account data is implanted right into the palm of your hand. Our entire current concept of money will be gone, replaced with 1s and 0s that are with us at all times.

It would be nice, as you’d no longer run to the grocery just to find you left your wallet at home. Imagine paying your bill while waving goodbye – nothing to sign, no hassles for a cheque approval. Then imagine no more trips to the bank, no more miserable issues of a lost or stolen card, no more ATMs. Take it a step farther and you can see a drop in muggings and robberies as credit cards and cash would no longer be able to be stoeln from the person.
But don’t worry parents about not being able to give Junior a few bucks for the movies – a couple clicks at a terminal and you can put the credits right into his account using an ultra-secure transfer.

As I type I invision all of the potential pitfalls but the possibilities are also exciting. I dont think will see a cashless world in the next five or ten years but its impending reality is no longer even questioned.

The new fronts on terrorism or theft will be played out on line. Stakes will be high as your entire life is rapped up by a couple bits of data. Demands for electricity and connections on the internet will be as important as eating.

More and more people will be forced above board if all payment transactions have to go through a type of median. The only times I use cash now is when people pay me under the table, playing poker with friends or tithing to my church.

I think I’ll have to buy a beer in the honour of the end of an era of history on the day my cash is no longer “Legal tender.”

These are some pretty powerful pictures.
I wonder how much time will pass before we forget.

I listen to a pod cast from Stupid church people all the time and I came across this interesting blog.

The other night my little guy brought me the story of Noah to read to him before bedtime. The book starts with this description of Noah on Page 1:

A long time time ago there lived a man called Noah.
Noah was a good man, who trusted in God.

Alright… fair enough. Turn to Page 2. This is where we learn about the type of God that Noah trusted.

The following conversation is purely fictional and has occurred only in my mind… well, except for the conclusion.

G: Daddy, what does wicked mean?

D: Well, it means they had done some things wrong that God didn’t like. They had broken God’s rules.

G: So, God’s going to punish them? Like, give them a time-out.

D: Not exactly. He’s going to cause a flood and drown all of the wicked people.

G: But Daddy, I thought God loved people.

D: So did I son, so did I.

These are some great videos called “the church you know.” They’re parody commercials like the ones you saw back in the day called “the world you know” where they would get famous people to tell you interesting facts.
Enjoy.

WWJD

PASTORS

TITHING

With the good work assistance of Nathan I am now able to play youtube videos on my website. Enjoy!

As we enter the holiday season, our minds inevitably turn to giving.  And knowing that we all give so much year round, we should be patting ourselves on the back….. but on second thought have you ever wondered how your generosity (or lack there of) compares with that of other Canadians?

On average, Canadians give 0.65 per cent of their income to charitable organizations, according to the Fraser Institute's 2004 Generosity Index.

Interestingly, high-income earners aren't necessarily the most generous givers (go figure). In fact, it seems like the opposite is true. In the year 2000 a survey found that households earning more than $100,000 give 0.4 per cent while households earning less than $20,000 give 1.1 per cent of their income to charity. Even though the richer families look as thought their giving more, they’re not (I feel a bible story coming on).  

Out of all the provinces Manitoba is Canada's most generous province. Manitoba has the highest percentage of families contributing to charity (28 per cent) and they contribute the highest portion of their income to charities (0.88 per cent).

Alberta and Ontario, meanwhile, top the list of highest average donations. Albertans make average annual donations of $1,330 and Ontarians make donations of $1,302.

Other fun holiday facts to make you feel bad!!!!

44 per cent of all charitable donations ($2.2 billion) are made through places of worship (and 40 per cent of that goes back into the church! No, I cant back the “40 per cent” stat up; I made it up….. But I am sure I am close).

The average annual donation to religious organizations is $310.

The average annual donation to non-religious organizations is $140.

So keep up the good work Canada… you greedy money grabbing……….

Merry Christmas!

As I grow older I have more and more conversations with peers about how they were raised or what they think would be an ideal way to parent. 

As I look in more detail with certain parenting skills I cant help but notice how so many people seem…… crazy.

I bumped into a couple the other night, this couple wants to be with each other quite obviously yet there is objection coming from both sets of parents. 

The boys family has parents that forbid dating because his two elder brothers both went through bad break-ups, therefore, the rule is: no dating as long as you live in the house (he’s 18). 

The girls’ parents shun dating because she doesn’t know what she wants out of life yet (in regards to school) and therefore doesn’t believe dating should be an option.  Also, if the girl doesn’t figure out quickly what she wants to do in life and apply for school, they won’t support her next year. (she’s 17).

My thought to the boys parents:  If you knew someone that drove a car and got in an accident does this mean that you should stop driving cars or go as far to tell everyone you know to stop driving?  Just because you’re two other sons got hurt doesn’t mean that your other kids will follow in their foot steps.  Even if they did, who cares!!!!!  That’s life.  How can you ever expect your kids to grow into adults if you make them live in a bubble and never experience anything?

My thoughts to the girls parents.  Great way to show your kids the art of manipulation.  “If you don’t do what we want then we won’t help you with anything.”  Did you learn that in parenting 101? 

I’m sorry but it must be said, Dave W, you will agree, I think a lot of parents today are mental.  We live in a world where everyone’s parents think there kids need to go to University, get a degree, get an awesome job and then start life.  Kids are treated as these mantle pieces so parents can parade them off and say “Look how awesome my kids are.” 

Or the other insane thought is “they need a good education to get ahead in life.”  Get ahead of what?  It’s sick.  Most parents today are concerned about getting their kids through school, getting them into a 9-5 job and then a mortgage and for some reason they constitute that as “getting ahead.”        

What happened to the good old days?  The “you can be and do anything you want; all you have to do is dream and step out.”  No body wants to take risks anymore.  Everyone wants the calculated answers and paths.  Thoughts like “the baby boomers are retiring soon and will need nursing so everyone go and be a nurse, its safe and its good pay, go go go go!!!!”

Why do kids have to have it figured out at 18?  What if you don’t are you screwed forever?

I think we live in a backwards society.  People want to look back and say “look what I accumulated in life, look how well I did” instead of looking back and saying “I dreamt, I risked, I failed, I succeeded and I have no regrets.”

Magic Johnson (left) stands with Former President Bill Clinton at a new Tech design school. 

Today marks the 15th anniversary for the retirement of Magic Johnson from the NBA.  Unfortunately his career was cut short by HIV.

A year previous to his announcement Magic was the second vote getter for MVP behind Michael Jordan.  His announcement was heard around the world.  Magic was/is a universal name.  After the announcement, HIV started receiving the attention it desperately needed.  AIDS, from that day on was no longer a disease for gays.

Since then, Magic Johnson has raised more money than any other pro athlete ever for any cause and he considers himself the spokesperson for HIV/AIDS.     

Magic is in his mid 40s now and claims to be doing fantastic.  When he was first diagnosed, everyone considered it his funeral.  Since then with fund raising and research Magic and others like him are doing well. 

In America alone, more than a million people are infected with HIV/AIDS and 40,000 are joining to that number yearly.   

Sunday, the verdict was passed down that Saddam Hussein will hang.  This comes as no surprise, it was just a matter of timing and how it would be carried out. 

Saddam also knowing his fate contended the entire trial that he should be shot as all generals who receive a death penalty do and not hung.  I coved the case closely (well as close as you can from online newspapers) and to be honest I thought the whole thing was a joke.  I find it humorous that Saddam is convicted weeks before Bush is getting ready for congressional elections. 

Saddam was convicted of killing like 180 people but accused of causing the deaths of about 180,000 people in the 80s.  The question I ask is “who it to blame for all the deaths taking place in Iraq today?”    

Some analysts speculate that over 600,000 Iraqi lives have been taken since this war on "terror" has started!!!! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?

It’s a shame that we sit in North America and couldn’t give a crap.  People I talk to have this misty thought on the war with remarks like “some one needs to control them,” “were there to clean things up.”

Not according to a lady who lives in downtown Bagdad.  Her blog that you can read here has been nominated for an award and will be made into a book by a firm in England of all places. 

Take some time to read her agonizing real life stories of her life as a woman in the new Bagdad. 

May God have mercy on us all. 

It occurred to me that I drink a whack load of coffee.  I subtly down about 4-7 cups a day.  A quick timmies in the morning, 10:30 break, lunch (maybe 2), 2:15ish and always once or twice in the evening.

So today I quit, cold turkey.  (If you will recall, I wrote an article about this last year claiming to do the same).  

I have a head-ache.