The John Palm Show

Pioneer Human Services (Seattle, WA) is a business with a purpose. They are Entrepreneurs Who Are Changing the World according to FAST Company.

What do they do? Read it here.

It is an incredible company!

     

After hearing him live (acoustic) with Dana Weaver (one of the many guitarists for SonicFlood), I am convinced that Geoff Moore is the world’s most under rated Christian singer/songwriter.

Geoff Moore seems like the real deal…

If he’s NOT the real deal… then I don’t want to know. I like this guy.

I’ve been back stage with a few big name (long bearded) praise and worship artists who did NOT seem like the real deal. They were aloof, distant, snooty, rude, noses buried in the laptop computers and basically mean guys… and that was right before the worship session that they lead! If you’re that stressed and/or overworked then get off the road and take a break.

Veteran rocker Geoff Moore seems to enjoy every second of what he does. What a refreshment! Go buy Speak To Me and enjoy.

Geoff Moore MySpace Music

Unplug And Read To Your Kids

Classic 20th-century children’s books from WORLD Magazine’s 2000 lists

Brown, Margaret Wise

The Runaway Bunny
The persistent bunny mother acts as does God in Psalm 139. Kids will like comparing the illustrations to those in Goodnight Moon.
 

Butterworth, Nick and Inkpen, Mick

Lost Sheep
One of a series of four books based on parables from the Bible. A joyous combination of text and illustration.
 

Crews, Donald

Freight Train Board Book (Caldecott Collection)
A wonderful read-aloud story about a train. The writing displays great train rhythms that kids love.
 

de Paola, Tomie

The Knight and the Dragon
An inexperienced knight and dragon make preparations for their first battle.
 

Freeman, Don

Bearymore (Picture Puffin Books)
A circus bear has to learn a new trick or be out of a job.
 

Goscinny and Uderzo

Asterix the Gaul (Asterix)
First in the series about a Gaulish village’s comedic fight against Roman tyranny.
 

Hall, Donald

Ox-Cart Man
In the fall a farmer takes his crop to market. He sells everything, even the ox that pulled his cart, and walks home with seeds, tools, and presents to begin the process all over again.
 

Hunt, Angela Elwell

The Tale of Three Trees: A Traditional Folktale
Three young trees’ dreams of future greatness are fulfilled in surprising ways.
 

Johnson, Crockett

Harold and the Purple Crayon 50th Anniversary Edition (Purple Crayon Books)
A boy creates his world with his trusty purple crayon, saving himself with a stroke of his imagination from many catastrophes.
 

Kraus, Robert

Come Out and Play, Little Mouse
Robert Kraus is better known for Leo the Late Bloomer, but we enjoy this little mouse’s attitude. He likes cheese. Is that a crime?
 

Krauss, Ruth

The Carrot Seed Board Book
Charming drawings by Crockett Johnson illustrate this simple story of a seed that grows into an enormous carrot.
 

Leaf, Munro

The Story of Ferdinand
Ferdinand would rather smell the flowers than fight in a ring, but on the day the bullfighters come to find the toughest bull, placid Ferdinand has just been stung by a bee.
 

Nash, Ogden

The Tale of Custard the Dragon
While Belinda, Ink, and Blink brag about their bravery in this story-poem, it falls to Custard, a “realio trulio cowardly dragon,” to defeat the pirate.
 

Peet, Bill

Cowardly Clyde
A cowardly war horse overcomes his fear to save himself and Sir Galavant from the ogre.
 

Plath, Sylvia

The Bed Book
For kids tired of their “nice little, tucked in tight little, turn-out the light little beds,” here’s a whirlwind poem about more exciting places to lay their heads.
 

Polacco, Patricia

Just Plain Fancy (Dell Picture Yearling)
The Amish dress plain to please God. But what happens when two little Amish children find they have hatched a colorful peacock alongside their chicken?
 

Rayner, Mary

MR. AND MRS. PIG’S EVENING OUT (Mr & Mrs Pigs Evening Out)
Garth Pig and his siblings outwit a wolf disguised as a babysitter.
 

Rylant, Cynthia

The Relatives Came
A story of family love beautifully illustrated by Stephen Gammell, with lots of great detail, like the Granny sucking her thumb while she sleeps.
 

Scarry, Richard

Cars and Trucks and Things That Go (Giant Little Golden Book)
This book is full of cool vehicles. Children like looking for Goldbug, who is hiding on every page.
 

Sendak, Maurice

Chicken Soup with Rice: A Book of Months
Everyone knows Where the Wild Things Are, but our favorite Sendak book is a little volume with a poem for each month: “In January it’s so nice, while slipping on the sliding ice, to sip hot chicken soup with rice. Sipping once, sipping twice, sipping chicken soup with rice.”
 

Seuss, Dr.

Horton Hatches the Egg (Classic Seuss)
Maizie the lazy bird would rather play than waste her time sitting on an egg, so it falls to elephant Horton to do her job.
 

Shulevitz, Uri

Oh What a Noise!
Another fun read-aloud full of city noises that build to a crescendo.
 

Stieg, William  

Yellow & Pink
Two marionettes ponder how they came to be. A clever argument for creation.
 

Tripp, Wallace

Granfa’ Grig Had a Pig and Other Rhymes Without Reason
A collection of Mother Goose rhymes brought to life with sly humor by Wallace Tripp.
 

Atwater, Richard

Mr. Popper’s Penguins
Mr. Popper is a housepainter who dreams of high adventure in the Arctic. Some of those dreams come true with the arrival of a strange package containing the first of many penguins.
 

Bond, Michael

Paddington Bear
A small bear from Peru finds a home and causes lots of mischief in London.
 

Dahl, Roald

The BFG
An orphan girl kidnapped by a giant finds he is the friendly exception among large and truly filthsome creatures.
 

DeVries, Anne

Journey Through the Night
A four-volume series about the Dutch resistance from a Christian perspective. For older kids. Out of print and hard to find.
 

Dygard, Thomas J.

Halfback Tough
A young thug has his life turned around by football.
 

Hergé

Tintin in America (The Adventures of Tintin)
Funny cartoon-style adventures starring the Belgian boy journalist Tintin and his dog Snowy.
 

Herriot, James

All Creatures Great and Small
Humorous and warm-hearted tales of a country veterinarian in Yorkshire.
 

Jacques, Brian

Redwall (Redwall, Book 1)
An abbey full of mice fights against a vicious rat and his vermin horde. First of a series.
 

Kjelgaard, Jim

Wild Trek
Kjelgaard wrote a series of dog books that are favorites among children who like animal stories. Here, a trapper and his dog set out to rescue a scientist and bush pilot trapped in a virgin wilderness.
 

Lewis, C.S.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (The Chronicles of Narnia)
The classic Christian allegory about four children who find themselves in a parallel kingdom ruled over by the lion Aslan. First in the must-read Narnia series.
 

Lindgren, Astrid

The Adventures of Pippi Longstocking
Wacky stories of irrepressible Pippi who lives by herself while her sea-captain father is out at sea.
 

MacDonald, Betty

Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle
An old woman knows just the right sort of “medicine” to cure the bad habits of little boys and girls.
 

Montgomery, Lucy Maud

The Complete Anne of Green Gables Boxed Set (Anne of Green Gables, Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, Anne of Windy Poplars, Anne’s House of Dreams, … Rainbow Valley, Rilla of Ingleside)
The first in a delightful series about the orphan who comes to live with an elderly couple on Prince Edward Island.
 

North, Sterling

Rascal
The gentle story of a boy and his raccoon.
 

O’Dell, Scott

Island of the Blue Dolphins
Scott O’Dell’s keen eye for detail and historical accuracy made him one of the best writers of historical adventures for young people. In this volume a young Indian girl is stranded on an island.
 

Paterson, Katherine

The Great Gilly Hopkins
This is a fine novel about a tough little girl in foster care and the kind, Christian foster mom who gets through to her. Caution: Gilly’s language is profane in spots.
 

Pinkwater, Daniel

Fat Men From Space
The spacemen in this book look amazingly like Pinkwater: overweight, wearing plaid sports coats and horn-rimmed glasses, and scarfing down burgers.
 

Prins, Piet

Wambu: The Chieftain’s Son
A young aborigine escapes from headhunters and finds his way to civilization. Along the way he meets up with Dutch missionaries.
 

Rawls, Wilson

Where the Red Fern Grows
A story of a boy and his dogs, and their summer together in the Arkansas Ozarks.
 

Taylor, Mildred

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
The story of a black family in Depression-era Mississippi, with an emphasis on the role played by the church in the family’s life.
 

Taylor, Sydney

All-of-a-kind Family
Delightful tales of an observant Jewish family in New York City in the early 1900s.
 

Tolkien, J.R.R.

The Hobbit
Another must-read: Bilbo Baggins, set in his ways, surprises even himself by going on an adventure with dwarves to combat a dragon. Older children move on from here to the superb Lord of the Rings trilogy, but (with occasional skipping where the action slows down) the three books also make excellent bedtime reading extended over many weeks.
 

Voigt, Cynthia

Homecoming (The Tillerman Series #1)
First in a fine series about the Tillermans and their friends in a small town on the Chesapeake Bay.
 

White, E.B.

Charlotte’s Web (Trophy Newbery)
The famous story of Wilbur the pig and how his life is saved by Charlotte, a spider who is both a good friend and a good writer.
 

Wilder, Laura Ingalls

Little House on the Prairie Boxed Set ((9 Books) Little House On the Prairie; Farmer Boy; On the Banks of Plum Creek; the Long Winter; These Happy Golden Years; the First Four Years; By the Shores of Silver Lake; Little House In the Big Woods; Little Town On the Prairie)
Both boys and girls like these stories of pioneer living.
 

Yates, Elizabeth

Amos Fortune, Free Man (Newbery Library, Puffin)
Amos, an African prince, was captured and sold into slavery in the United States. He works to buy his freedom powered by his Christian faith.

Visit World Magazine  – Weekly News | Christian Views

This list is from World Magazine - July 1, 2000 Issue. This in NOT my list. This is their list. I did not create this list. They did. All rights belong to them. Amen.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Romans 12:2

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8

Enough said. Here is the list:

1. Sons of Korah (Buy) - Great band that sings the Psalms word for word. The Psalms where meant for music. It not only sounds great but it is directly feeding your brain with the Word. Buy all their CD’s. They are well worth it.
2. Listener’s Audio Bible by Max McLean (Buy) - 4 MP3 CD’s contain the entire Bible read to you by Max McLean. He has the “gift” of a reading voice. Buy it. Rip it to iTunes. Sync your iPod. Buy it now here> The Listener’s NIV MP3 Audio Bible by Max McLean
3. Our Daily Bread Podcast (Subscribe Free) - One of the most popular devotional booklets ever by RBC Ministries. Follow the step by step instructions on this page.
4. Desiring God (Subscribe Free) - John Piper’s site is brimming with resources. Don’t get overwhelmed. Us my link to get to the Podcasts. Stick to the short ones unless you’ve got a lot of time to listen. 4 Audio Podcasts. 3 Video Podcasts.
5. Christian Audio (Subscribe Free) - Scroll down on the Podcasts page. Subscribe to “Devotional Classics” Podcast.
6. Psalms In Bluegrass and Folk Style (Buy) - Charles Pettee and FolkPsalms is a bluegrass / folk band that has done 2 albums of just Psalms. Sample here.
7. Calling All The Nations (Buy)- Singer/songwriter Thomas Dickerson’s CD. The lyrics are pure and based on God’s word and his personal testimony. Take a listen for free here.
8. Mixx Mixshow Podcast (Subscribe Free) - A mix of hip hop praise and worship music. Mixed by a DJ. Might be to “out there” for you conservatives.
9. Choir At Geneva College (Buy) - Sing the Psalms in traditional chorus style. Very worshipful and traditional feel. Excellent quality. Sample here.
10. What would you add? Please share your ideas for iPod content that Focuses Your Mind on God…

Dead Authors: Multiple Authors

Topic: Mind Renewal

Buy It: The Listener’s Bible - ESV (4 MP3 CDs)

Short Take: The opposite of garbage in — garbage out.

Long Take: I may have the most reprobate mind in the world. Hearing the Bible allows it to soak it into my mind on another level. After sampleing different voices I chose the ESV Bible as read by Max McLean. This guy has a special gift. The gift of a reading voice. The gift of timing (slow reader). The gift of a cool accent. But you can decide that for yourself.

Idea: Tuning out Real World and other miscellaneous garbage and replacing it with some wholesome stuff.

See Also: iPod Content For A God Focused Mind

Before we talk about what Jesus did, here is a good question. How many people can one man disciple, shepherd, pastor, and/or train?I was reading last night in Donald Miller’s book Searching for God Knows What that Jesus’ ministry was completely relational. Think about it. He spent a whole lot of time with a fairly small number of people.

Yes, Jesus spoke to the masses from time to time (seems to be infrequent). But He truly discipled a handful. Let’s not forget that Jesus is part of the Godhead. Fully God and fully man. So we could say that He had it all going for Him. If anyone had the talent, skill, calling, and spiritual strength it was certainly Jesus. And yet he did not leave this earth being able to say that He was the “pastor to a 10,000 member mega-chruch”.

Instead He left being able to say that He discipled a handful of fishermen and other miscelaneous misfits.

What does this say about what you and I are doing? Or what we want to do?

Back to the queston I first asked: How may people can one man disciple, etc?

I don’t know about you, but I kind of like the idea of building something big. Leaving a legacy. Being a big wig. Not too big of a big wig. But big enough to feel good about what I’ve accomplished for God.

It’s just hard for me to get around the way Jesus did it. If you can think of a way, let me know.

Buy it: Searching for God Knows What

The practice of singing the Psalms in worship (or Psalmody) stems from the Bible itself in Paul’s admonition to edify one another through the use of “psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5:19; Colossians 3:16).

Most of the Psalms to music that I have found involve miniture trumpets, “old lady” vocals, and garage-quality sound.

That is until I stumbled upon the Sons of Korah. Sons is made up of talented musicians from “down under”. They are a band, not the Christian version of the Partridge Family.

The music is word for word from the Psalms.

Bottom Line: Buy every album and put them on your iPod. This is true mind renewal matterial (God’s word set to good music).

Sons of Korah Album List:

• Introduction - Exclusive Family Christian Store Edition - Sons of Korah
• Light of Life - Sons of Korah
• Redemption Songs - Sons of Korah
• Resurrection - Sons of Korah
• Shelter - Sons of Korah

More Info: Sons of Korah Offical Site

Living Author: Phil Downer

Topic: Parenting, Discipleship

Buy It: A Father’s Reward

Short Take: Personal and vulnerable parenting success story

Long Take: Coming Soon.

Idea: I will NOT “sub-contract” my children to church, school or peers. Hope your kids are young when you read this. You will be WAY ahead of the game.

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Other Resources from this Author

Table of Contents and Book Excerpt

Dead Author: Reinhold Niebuhr

Topic: Philosophy, Theology

Buy It: Leaves from the Notebook of a Tamed Cynic

Short Take: Especially for you cynics out there.

Long Take: Great “dead guy” reading.

Idea: Sarcasm and cynism are negative. Satire attemps to make things better by bringing them to light with humor and wit. Before speaking ask myself if its sarcasm or satire?

See All: Books to Action by Month