John Simons

How Google Wave Helps

One of the situations that Google Wave is attempting to address is when a group of people are collaborating to solve a problem. E-mail has limitations in this front. This week, I saw a good example of these limitations.

I am part of a fantasy football league with a group of friends. This past summer we agreed to modify the format of the playoffs at the end of the season. As the playoffs approach, the architect of the new playoff system promised to give details on how it will work. Over a two day period, we had a volley of 36 e-mails involving the rules to the playoffs. In particular, there were several questions about a particular rule here or there. We also had one guy who replied to almost every attempt to answer questions with “I don’t get it.” Each of those answered quoted the entire thread that it replied to. On top of that one member of our league did not have a copy of the proposal that was voted on this summer. For some reason, he did not save a copy.

So here is where Wave works in this situation. Those 36 e-mails were all sent to all 10 members of the league, as well as to my son, who helps me. So that is a total of 396 copies of those e-mails sitting on mail servers, and for those who use a local mail client on their computers. Many of those messages are quite long as they quote the entire series of e-mails that precede them.

In addition, there are several forks in the chain of e-mails. In order to get the full picture and all of the answers to questions, you need to read most of the e-mails, because there is no one e-mail that includes every answer.

Here is where Wave excels. Rather than 396 copies of that e-mail, had we had that conversation in Wave, there would be a single Wave with all the details. Furthermore, because other users can edit the work of their colleagues, and insert text where necessary, it would be a series of commentaries on the various aspects of the rules. The group would be able to ask questions, then the answer could be filled into the appropriate part of the description and the question deleted.

This has the benefit of leaving a single Wave with all the information in a logical order, which is easier to review later. Oh yeah, and the guy who never saves e-mails would be okay, too. Because it is a Wave, it sits on a server and will always be there for him to go find. That, or someone could send him a link.

Tags: Google Wave

Google Wave – E-mail 2.0

I have been invited to use Google Wave. I get to be one of the early adopters to play with this new technology and explore whether it really is an improvement on e-mail.

Gina Trapani and Adam Pash, in the Complete Guide to Google Wave, explain the rationale for reconsidering e-mail:

Relative to the lifespan of most technology, email is ancient. Invented over 40 years ago, email predates the internet as we know it—and in fact was a crucial tool in the creation of the internet. Despite its age, email hasn’t evolved much since the 1960s. Electronic mail is based on the paradigm of postal mail, a system of passing messages back and forth between senders and recipients. Wave makes a bet: that surely there must be a better way to send, receive, preserve, and grow shared communiques than via email.

They go on to describe some of the limitations of e-mail, including redundant copies of messages, forked replies, and the static nature of a message.

Google’s engineers went back to the drawing board and thought about how communication might be done differently in this world of hosted applications and cloud computing. Google Wave is the initial result of that work.

I will try to put up a series of posts with my initial reactions to Google Wave, as well as information on how it might be useful.

Tags: Google Wave

Paraguay 2009 – Prayer Calendar

Despite my best intentions to post about the mission trip, time has been very limited.  For each trip that they sponsor, e3 Partners puts out a prayer calendar.  I have slightly modified the calendar, and am posting it here, both as text, and as a pdf version that you can download and print.

Sun. June 14

Satan begins his attacks long before the trip.
Start praying against him now!
Col. 2:13-15
CLAIM GOD’S VICTORY

Mon. June 15

Pray that the team will prepare themselves spiritually all week
Eph. 6:15-21
FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

Tues. June 16

Pray all week that God will open many doors for the gospel and draw many to Jesus!
Col. 4:3
PRAY FOR LOST

Wed. June 17

Pray for campaign preparation, both for us and the nationals.
Eph. 3:16-19
PREPARE

Thurs. June 18

Pray for last-minute details.
Pray for focus and vision and that God will be glorified.
Eph. 1:15-20
FOCUS AND PASSION

Fri. June 19

Depart for Paraguay
Pray for travel safety and good connections
Acts 4:31
SAFE TRAVEL

Sat. June 20

Arrive in Paraguay.  In-country orientation.
Preparation to work with nationals
Eph. 3:15-21
FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT

Sun. June 21

Worship with local church.
Eph 4:1-6
UNITY WITH CHURCH

Mon. June 22

Morning & afternoon: door-to-door evangelism
Eph. 6-19
BOLDNESS

Tues. June 23

Morning & afternoon: evangelism & discipleship.
Eph. 6:10-20
PERSEVERE IN WARFARE

Wed. June 24

Morning & afternoon: evangelism & discipleship.
Rom. 15:5-6
ENDURANCE AND UNITY

Thurs. June 25

Morning & afternoon: evangelism & discipleship.
Commissioning service for new church.
1 Tim. 2:8
HEART FOR OTHERS

Fri. June 26

Fellowship with new friends and sightseeing.
1 Thes. 5:16
REJOICE

Sat. June 27

Depart Paraguay.
Psalm 91
SAFE TRAVEL

Sun. June 28

Arrive home.
Pray for us to process all that God has done.
Psalm 91
SAFE TRAVEL

Mon. June 29

Pray that God will radically change lives of new Christians as they are integrated into new churches.
Eph. 4:17-32
GROWTH IN CHRIST

Tues. June 30

Continue to pray for new believers, their churches and leaders, and the USA team.
Eph. 5:1-14
GODLINESS

Wed. July 1

Pray for leaders and workers at new churches as they disciple new believers.
Eph. 4:11-16
EFFECTIVE LEADERS

Thurs. July 2

Give thanks for all that God has done both in and through those who shared Christ in Paraguay
Psalm 91
REJOICE

Fri. July 3

Ask God if He would have YOU go on a campaign!
Matt. 9:38
WORKERS FOR THE HARVEST

Thank you for your prayers!

e3 Partners
(214) 440-1101
(800) 542-2646
http://www.e3partners.org/

Tags: Church Planting, mission trip, Missions, Paraguay

Updated Gift List

Twice a year, my wife gets asked what I would like for a present.  To make life easier for her, and for anyone else who may want to buy me something, here is a list of books that I am looking to add to my library.

	Doctrine of the Knowledge of God By John M. Frame / P & R Publishing “We tend to forget how often in Scripture God performs His mighty acts so that men will ‘know’ that He is Lord,” writes John M. Frame in this incisive volume. “We tend to forget how often Scripture emphasizes that although in one sense all people know God, in another sense such knowledge is the exclusive privilege of God’s redeemed people and indeed the ultimate goal of the believer’s life.” Frame explores our relationship with God as a knowing relationship. Reflecting his conviction that theology is the application of Scripture to life in all situations, Frame combines trenchant analysis of theological, apologetic and epistemological issues with refreshingly practical insights for living in the knowledge of God.
	The Reason for God: Belief in God in an Age of Skepticism By Timothy Keller / Dutton Adult How could a loving God send people to hell? Why does he allow suffering? Can one religion be “right” and the others “wrong”? Responding to the questions of open skeptics and ardent believers, Keller draws from literature, philosophy, reason, and real-life conversations to explain how faith in a Christian God is a soundly rational belief.
	Reformed Confessions Harmonized By Joel R. Beeke / Baker Despite the acknowledged importance of confessional statements throughout church history, the most significant of these documents have never before been published in a single volume. Now Drs. Beeke and Ferguson have harmonized seven important Reformed confessions into a convenient parallel arrangement. 288 pages, softcover from Baker.
	Amos, Obadiah, and Jonah, New American Commentary By Billy Smith / B & H Publishing Group This is a volume on three of the minor prophet books of the Old Testament. Billy K. Smith and Frank S. Page seek to bring the message of these prophets alive and applicable to 21st century readers while also studying the context of the message to its first hearers. In congruence with other volumes in The New American Commentary series, this volume brings to light the theological significance of these seemingly insignificant minor prophets.The New American Commentary is for those who have been seeking a commentary that honors the Scriptures, represents the finest in contemporary evangelical scholarship, and lends itself to the practical work of preaching and teaching. This series serves as a minister’s friend and a student’s guide.
	Jannach’s German for Reading Knowledge By Richard Alan Korb / Heinle & Heinle Publishers Learn to apply basic German grammar and vocabulary to reading and translating progressively complex texts with the sixth edition of JANNACH’S GERMAN FOR READING KNOWLEDGE. Recognized as the leading text for teaching reading skills, this text provides the tools you need to read specialized literature in your field. The Book Companion Website contains the readings that appear in each chapter, plus new comprehension questions and activities about the readings that are designed to let you practice specific reading skills.
	No Other God: A Response to Open Theism By John M. Frame / P & R Publishing The theological movement known as open theism is shaking the church today, challenging the Reformed doctrines of God’s sovereignty, foreknowledge, and providence. In this timely work, John M. Frame clearly describes open theism and evaluates it biblically. He addresses questions such as: How do open theists read the Bible? Is love God’s most important attribute? Is God’s will the ultimate explanation of everything? Do we have genuine freedom? Is God ever weak or changeable? Does God know everything in advance? Frame not only answers the objections of open theists but sharpens our understanding of the relationship between God’s eternal plan and the decisions or events of our lives.
	Salvation Belongs to the Lord: Introduction to Systematic Theology By John M. Frame / P & R Publishing Beginning students of theology and church leaders looking for a theological refresher or teaching tool will welcome this remarkably clear introduction to the doctrines of Scripture. In an almost conversational style, Salvation Belongs to the Lord explores all the major biblical truths, explains key terms of systematic theology, and reflects on their implications and connections under the lordship of Christ.”John Frame is not only one of the most productive theologians of our day, he is also one of the most lucid. Deceptively so, for behind every sentence in this extraordinary volume lies deep reflection. It is at once vigorously orthodox and sweetly pastoral. We can be grateful for such a powerful and clear exposition of the whole range of theology.” -William Edgar, professor, Westminster Theological Seminary, author of Truth in All Its Glory
	Designed for Dignity: What God Has Made It Possible for You to Be By Richard Pratt Jr. / P & R Publishing Even as Christians, we can puzzle over our self-image. What has God made us? What have we made of ourselves? And what can we become in Christ? Richard L. Pratt shows from Scripture how God’s amazing design for humanity can be realized in his people. Solid biblical insights, vivid illustrations, and helpful questions for review and discussion make this a valuable resource for group study or individual use.
	The Doctrine of the Christian Life By John M. Frame / P & R Publishing “The Christian life is not only a matter of following rules of morality, but a dynamic experience: living in the fallen world, in fellowship with the living God. So in this book I will discuss not only ethics (the normative perspective), but also the culture in which we live (the situational perspective) and the resources of redemption on which we draw daily (the existential perspective).” -from the author’s preface
	French for Reading By Karl Sandburg / Prentice Hall Programmed text for acquisition of reading skills for beginning courses or rapid review.

Tags: Books, Gifts

Back to Paraguay

EvangeCube

It has been a little over a year since Josh and I went to Paraguay. In a month, I will be going back to Paraguay. This time, I will be traveling with Josh, my daughter Abby, and my pastor.

Abby is particularly excited about going. She has been reviewing the materials in close detail. She has also been practicing with the evangecube, so that she will be able to share her faith. It is very encouraging to see her so excited about the trip.

More details to come.

Tags: Faith, Family, Missions, Paraguay