Bible vs Mobile phone

Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our mobile phone?
What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?
What if we flipped through it several time a day?
What if we turned back to get it if we forgot it?
What if we used it to receive messages from the text?
What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?
What if we gave it to our kids as a gift?
What if we used it when we travelled?
What if we used it in case of emergency?
This is something to make you go ... hmm ... where is my Bible?
Oh, and one more thing;
Unlike our mobile, we don’t have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus has already paid the account.

Toy Television - Why can't newspapers do better with their on line videos?

Everyone knows that the line between newspapers and television is blurring - especially when it comes to the delivery of news.
The Sydney Morning Herald web site has a video segment on most of their stories. Sometimes its a lift from a TV station's news service, sometimes it's something they've shot themselves. Invariably the stuff they shoot themselves is pretty poorly done. Take this example. In the first still frame, three of their IT guys discuss the pluses and minuses of the iPhone 4.0. Good idea and what they say makes sense. (Click here)
Sadly the way it was shot does not. Intercut with this clean, three shot (which is obviously chroma keyed) are cutaways (singles and two shots) without the chroma key - just the green cyc. You can see this in the second still frame. What were they thinking?
This is amateur television at its worst. Any experienced TV director or producer would have fixed this or not let it out on the 'Net. The problem is of course, they're print journalists and sadly the medium of television is still a mystery to them.

Gloria Jeans Coffees - another bouquet

In a follow up to my story of a few days ago, I went into my local Gloria Jeans Coffees store yesterday to be presented with one of their coffee grounds storage jars by John, the owner. It has a vacuum pump on top to help keep the coffee fresh and as you can see, its a handy size and compliments my expresso machine.
Thanks John - I can see why your store won the best new franchise last year. Great customer service.

Atheist billboard on Billy Graham Parkway ...

This morning I saw a news item in the religious news service I subscribe to, with the headline 'Atheists erect billboard on Billy Graham Parkway'. Billy Graham Parkway is in Charlotte, North Carolina and leads from the airport into town. It's named after US evangelist Billy Graham. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) has its headquarters on the Parkway - in fact it was the association between the BGEA and the city of Charlotte that led to the naming. I've driven along the Parkway and spent some time at the BGEA offices and associated memorial library shooting footage for 'Remembering '59'.
You can see why the news item caught my attention. It took a while to actually find a picture of the offending billboard and when I did see it, I wondered as an Aussie what all the fuss was about (see pic). Apparently the problem with the statement on the billboard is not what it says, but what it doesn't say. The organisation responsible has left off the words 'under God'. The phrase is a paraphrase of the US pledge of allegiance which reads: "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
Leaving 'under God' off is what has caused the billboard to become a news story. From: http://is.gd/d6ZUP
"The billboard features an American flag background and quotes the original phrase from the Pledge of Allegiance, before “under God” was inserted after “one nation,” in 1954. That was at the height of the Cold War and the addition was meant to distinguish the United States from the Soviet Union, which officially embraced atheism.
Set to be up for four weeks, the billboards – costing a total of $15,000 – are a July 4 project of the N.C. Secular Association, a coalition of groups such as Charlotte Atheists & Agnostics, the Ethical Humanist Society of the Triangle and Western North Carolina Atheists.
Their message: non-religious North Carolinians are patriots, too."

As an Australian, I wonder what all the fuss is about - especially given what we've gone through this past week with change of Prime Minister. Certainly I can see why the Billy Graham organisation decided not to comment. Storm in a teacup I reckon.

How one phone call changed a country wide packaging contract …

I'm a fan of Gloria Jeans Coffees. Partly because I got to know the two founders way back in the 90s when they brought the franchise to Australia (and then bought the whole company) but also because their stores give me a great customer experience. Last year the family gave me a home expresso machine and I now fill it with ground beans bought from my local GJC outlet. The coffee is always good and the service likewise. Over the past few months I noticed that as the bag of coffee got towards the end - coffee grounds started to leak out of the bottom of the packet.
This wasn't a major drama - but after the 5th bag did this I figured that GJC head office might like to know and check for a faulty batch.
After dropping an e-mail to my founding friend, GJC responded with a phone call to me that same day and then three follow-up e-mails. In the e-mails I gave some more information (although pretty hard to write in-depth about a bag that holds coffee grounds) and three days after my initial e-mail I received a note saying that GJC had spoken to their supplier and they had agreed to dump the previous style of packaging they supplied and move to a brand new style, Australia wide. Wow - how's that for influence? Not sure if my knowing one of the founders made the difference - but I am seriously impressed with such a quick response on behalf of GJC and their supplier.
Just goes to show the power of the consumer?
Gloria Jeans Coffees have also started sponsoring The Jesus Racing team and Andrew Fisher in the Jesus Ute in the V8 Ute series. Another reason to drink their coffee.
Thanks Peter.
PS. Be nice if GJC marketed a 200gm container with a resealable lid with a GJC logo, into which coffee lovers could decant their ground coffee? I'd buy one.

The circles of new business ...

I'm becoming a fan of Seth Godin. Seth is a blogger, an author and a speaker. Here's what he says about himself on his web site.
'Seth Godin is the author of ten books that have been bestsellers around the world and changed the way people think about marketing, change and work.'
A few weeks ago Seth wrote a blog called 'The circles (no more strangers)'
In it he spoke about how businesses go about getting new business. As someone just 16 months into running my own business I read it with interest. You can read it for yourself, but his core message was that in business, its a lot cheaper and easier to reach your existing customers and sell them another one of your products than it is to reach new customers. People who have already commissioned work from you are more likely to come back for more - especially if you delight them the first time around.
As I read that, something intriguing happened. I got three calls from previous clients asking me to do something new for them. In one case a client referred me on to one of her clients because she knew I could do the job.
The coincidence of Seth's blog and then seeing it work out in practice was exciting and now, some months after I read Seth's original piece, its still happening. Can't complain about that.

Reality - 50 years on

For the past few days I have been in the state's New England area shooting a documentary and promotional DVD for the Will Graham Reality event. Will is the grandson of famous US evangelist Billy Graham and the son of Franklin Graham, CEO of Samaritan's Purse and the US Billy Graham organisation. (Pic: Will with his Colin Buchanan 'graffited' dressing room sign)
Like his grandfather, Will is a preacher and his message is pure Gospel. Local churches in the New England area have spent more than a year preparing for Reality and the numbers attending the events are certainly evidence of the work the churches have done.
Some observations. There continues to be strong memories of the 1959, 1968 and 1974 Australian Crusades by Will's grandfather, Billy. Most of the organisers that I met were either converted at one of the three Crusades or worked on local committees. This blogger is in the former category (1959).
The audiences (is that what they're called) so far have been a mixture of the over 60's - who remember the 1959 Crusade and Gen X and Gen Y who enjoy the contemporary music that Reality has organised. From country and western/children's entertainer Colin Buchanan through to 'Compliments of Gus' there's something for everyone. Tomorrow night's meeting in Tamworth is featuring the Tamworth Choral Society, so that will be harking back to Billy's day.
I've been surprised by the people I've met from my past. A young guy who used to be in the Baptist church in Griffith is now an accountant in Tamworth. He was kind enough to say I hadn't changed - must be 35 years since we last saw each other.
Another attender is Gary, whose father Ron was dramatically converted at the 1959 Crusade and was featured in the Remembering '59 documentary. He is here to see if Will's style will work in Bathurst where is a Baptist minister.
The legacy of the initial 1959 Billy Graham Crusade continues to impact Australia. It's not Billy, but churches are excited to have his grandson come and continue the ministry. Praise to God.