Thought Quotient

Google’s index currently consists of over 8,058,044,651 web pages .
You can search for pretty much anything and get results in seconds.

There are over 6.4 billion people on planet Earth (as of this posting)

Why do we try to keep things from God? If computers can search through 8.1 million web pages, do you not think the Creator of the Universe always knows what is going on?

There is no where we can go that He isn’t already there.

Where can I go from Thy Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Thy presence?
Psalm 139:7 NASB

GOD is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him. 2 Chronicles 16:9 - The Message

Okay… I wanted to post this Friday, but things just didn’t work out.

Wax - FREE Video Editing/Compositing Software

In case you hadn’t noticed… “Video Killed the Radio Star”. Well, if it didn’t kill them, it definitely wounded them. The market on digital camcorders and home video production software is crazy. But it’s definitely not an inexpensive hobby. I recently bought a nice new digital camcorder under the guise of using it for our soon-to-be new baby and it cost me just under $450 dollars with shipping and handling. (Canon’s new Elura 65 is a sweet deal for amateur video makers by the way. Microphone in, 1.2 mb ccd for crystal clear video.)

Now… that’s all well and good, but then you have to factor in the cost of all the other stuff you need to really do video editing: video tapes (mini dv 8 pack is just under $30 at Sam’s Club), head cleaner, backup battery, DVD+R drive for burning videos to disc, tripod, video capture hardware, etc. And of course, Video Editing Software.

Fortunately… Debug Mode has been nice enough to provide Wax video editing software for FREE! And it’s actually pretty good at what it does. It even offers compositing for special effects - a nice addition for a free product - including 3D effect compositing.

Pros: free video editing with compositing! (that’s pretty amazing in itself) and you can even use it as a plug-in to other NLE video editing software like Vegas, Adobe, etc.

Cons: I couldn’t find any capture utility, AVI encoding is not as clear as - say Pinnacle Studio’s AVI encoder, user interface is not the most intuitive.

Still… it’s FREE! And it actually does a pretty good job. Of course, there’s no customer support. But then, I use Pinnacle Studio Plus and their support is pretty much non-existent too. So, you’re not losing much.

Today marks the 32nd anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision. Instead of talking about politics, I’ll just post the lyrics of a song that Kathy Troccoli did several years ago on an album entitled “Love and Mercy“…

I can hear her talking with a friend
I think it’s all about me
Oh how she can’t have a baby now
My mommy doesn’t see
That I feel her breathe, I know her voice
Her blood, it flows through my heart
God you know my greatest wish is that
We’d never be apart

But if I should die before I wake
I pray her soul you’ll keep
Forgive her Lord, She doesn’t know
That You gave life to me
(more…)

There seems to be a lot of negative news coming out of Iraq these days. So, I thought we’d share some good news.

Campus Crusade for Christ International has handed out more than 52,000 ‘Boxes of Blessings’ to needy Iraqi families. These packages contain (among other things) enough food to feed a family of seven for a week. As a recent update from Campus Crusade has stated:

Families across Iraq experience the love Christ as their needs for everyday items are met…

School children receive much needed supplies that let them know they have not been forgotten amidst all the turmoil.

A grateful government official in Iraq sent this note to Campus Crusade originally written in Arabic:

“We wish to express our great appreciation to [you] for offering food and supplies during this critical time.”

It seems God’s favorite word is come.

“Come, let us talk about these things. Though your sins are like scarlet, they can be as white as snow.”

“All you who are thirsty, come and drink.”

“Come to me all, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest.”

“Come to the wedding feast.”

“Come follow me, and I will make you fish for people.”

“Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.”

God is a God who invites. God is a God who calls. God is a God who opens the door and waves his hand pointing pilgrims to a full table. His invitation is not just for a meal, however, it is for life. An invitation to come into his kingdom and take up residence in a tearless, graveless, painless world. Who can come? Whoever wishes. The invitation is at once universal and personal. - Max Lucado from And the Angels Were Silent

Nobody goes down the road to the Cross. Oh, we’ll sit on the hillside, and watch Jesus take a couple of loaves and a few fish and miraculously turn them into a lunch for thousands. And we will hug our knees and sit on a beach and listen to Him preach to the crowds. And we will go to a wedding where He turns water into wine. And we will delight in hearing what He has to say to the children and watch Him bless the little ones - “Oh, yes Lord Jesus, we will follow You anywhere!” But we won’t … we won’t follow him to the Cross. Nobody is drawn to the Cross. The Cross is where it happens - where we die to sin and become like Him in His life. It is there at the Cross that He confides to those who fear Him. It is there that the secret things that belong to the Lord are then whispered in our ear. It is there according to 2 Corinthians 6:10 that we are indeed sorrowful, yet always rejoicing. We have nothing, and yet we possess everything! It is there according to 1 Corinthians 3:23 that all things are yours because you are of Christ, and Christ is of God. - Joni Eareckson Tada