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hello friends….I am in the process of building a website for Sanctuary (the church I am a part of) and I am in need of some additional inspiration. I have some good ideas in terms of design and the “look” of it, but I am a person that draws inspiration from things around me so I have been searching the web for sites that I can draw inspiration from. The general feel is very simple/minimalist, yet strong in design and function. I don’t want it to look or feel busy. So if you know of any good websites that have a good look or feel to them regardless of content…let me know so I can check them out to see what else is out there.
Also…since this is a church website, if you know of any other good church websites out there, hook me up with some links. I have found very few church websites that are not horribly ugly or extremely cumbersome in their functionality. It would also be nice to see what kind of content other church’s are putting on their websites. So far I am having fun with the design process.
Mac users:
Screenshot- press down command(apple)/Shift/4 – your cursor will turn into a little crosshair. You can drag it to make a box as big or small as you want and when you let go it takes a “picture” of whatever is in the box and puts it on the desktop in png format. If you don’t want it on your desktop, but would rather save it to you clipboard to paste wherever you want, hold down control/command/shift/4. I think it is pretty nifty! Also you can take a picture of your entire screen by holding command/shift/3. but that’s not as fun. So, give it a shot. I will right now…
see….a picture of me writing this post.
A friend of mine (eric mattson) showed me this little trick when we were working on the programs for Jenna and I’s wedding. So I thought I’d share it with other Mac users and see what other tricks you guys/girls know of out there.
With so much talk about homosexuality within the church and the ways in which we deal with it, I thought I would talk about it a bit as well. Some denominations/church communities are all for accepting it, others are harshly against it. Some join the Gay rights celebrations, and others picket against it. So what I am asking is: “Can a Christian be a homosexual?” or “Can a homosexual be a Christian?” I say YES!
I for one don’t want to get into a discussion about if it is wrong or a sin. I think the bible is pretty clear that homosexuality is a sin. And if we can agree on this, that I see no reason why we can’t agree that one who is a homosexual can be a Christian. Why? Well, for the same reason that someone who lies, steals, lusts, hates, murders, can be a Christian. We all sin, and yet we don’t question our salvation. (or do we?) So why have so many people put up such a large fence around Christianity regarding homosexuality? I have heard many say that, it is a lifestyle sin and a choice every day, and therefore it is much worse than other sins….I don’t buy it. I think that in many ways it is daily choice that they make and it is certainly a lifestyle rather than a 1 time event, however I would like to suggest that perhaps it isn’t as simple as a choice.
Maybe you can be born a homosexual, or at least a strong predisposition to being one just like you can be born with predispositions to other sins such as alcoholism, abuse, lying…whatever. It seems that we all have tendencies towards certain sins over others for some reason. Perhaps some have a strong tendency towards homosexuality. I am not saying that this justifies the sin, but rather simply suggesting that perhaps it is more than just a choice; perhaps it is within them on some level. If this is the case, then wouldn’t we treat homosexuals different? We have ‘help classes’ at many churches for those dealing with divorce, and alcohol abuse, and many other sin related issues, yet most church’s will not even accept a homosexual in the doors, and if they do, they certainly won’t show them true acceptance until they change their ways. I do think that if you are a Christian and struggling with homosexuality, that you should be seeking aid in changing that lifestyle and should recognize your actions as sinful, but I think the burden is more on Christians showing love and being willing to help.
My main point in this was to suggest that perhaps “the church” should be stepping up to the plate and showing Christ’s love rather that condemnation. It seems like we have learned to accept some level of sin within the church, (meaning that we still recognize it as sin, but are willing to help rather than push people away) but there is a long list of things that if you do them, you might as well not show up on Sunday to worship, and I think homosexuality is at the top. Perhaps we should learn to act more like Jesus and offer a helping hand even if it is uncomfortable.
Jenna and I are back from our honeymoon and adjusting back to reality. Our wedding was everything that we dreamed of! It was seriously amazing! Our Honeymoon in Mexico was also great. Here are a couple of pics of where we stayed.
one more day of the single life, and then I get to spend the rest of my life with my best friend, Jenna! I am super excited….pray that the weather is nice and that I don’t forget anything!
wilco
cold war kids
andrew bird
