Our Hangout

Will post tomorrow!

What a lame post, I know, but I got caught up on another blog and now it's late.

see ya!

It lives!

At first glance, the upgrade for my web host has seemed to have gone flawlessly.

I turned on the computer this morning to find everything in the right place. And, as you can tell by this post, without negative impact on my websites or blogging software.

This is a welcomed first!

New Look - Long Overdue

No, you really are at the right place!

Almost, just about, three years ago I began blogging. My site, with the exception of some tweaking here and there has always looked the same. In the beginning I tried to do too much with it, but just wasn't able to keep it up. So I simplified, but the look remained the same.

As someone who likes change, I was pretty tired of the old look. Okay, I did like my old home made logo. Might still appear in some format.

I kept from changing the site because of all the work that usually entails. However, having done a lot of work on the Port of Grace site over the last few months. Making the changes to this site became easier, all of a sudden, and took no more than a few hours.

So there you are, for now, this is the new look.

It also goes with a change in direction. The site really exists more as a door into the life of our family. In the beginning it was more of a forum for me to share my thoughts, largely on Christian issues of one kind or another. Although from time to time I'll still share my two cents on whatever issue, for the most part the site will be an avenue for our friends, old and new, to keep up with the lives of the DeFreitas', not just Ed's life. Most of my other sharing will, more than likely, happen at the new Port of Grace site.

UPDATE: Vania thinks I should have a mild colour in the background (like a cream or something) I haven't decided yet.

please be patient

With the change in the blog address, many of you will get a message that says that I haven't defined a certain template. Your message has come through and I have to accept it from this end, if you leave your information on the form when you comment...I'll just set you up as a trusted commenter and you shouldn't get that screen anymore.

Movabletype 3.2

Just uploaded the latest version of movabletype. Pretty straightforward...not like the many weeks it took for the originnal version I first loaded.

Had to laugh...

I came across this and had to try it...what I know really is true :)

Last week I spoke on humility...should have found this before!

Sermon Section Gone

So, when you delete something from your site....does it still exist out there in webland or does it just vanish? If a tree falls in the forest...oh, never mind.

In an ongoing change to the website that in my mind is beginning to look like it will be much more extensive than originally thought...also much longer because of time available to do it...the sermon section is gone.

I've decided to start from scratch. My sermons will be posted on a "POG" church website that will have it's launch in the not too distant future. I was hoping to have it launched several weeks ago, but there are quite a few components to it and time has not allowed me to get to it all. I'm thinking of launching it incomplete (a major web developing no, no) And completing it as we go along and time allows. The reason for that being that there are several components that would be helpful to "POG" right now, as well as, the fact that we're undergoing change.

At least that's what I'm thinking, anyway.

And unlike Scott says, I don't use work time to work on it or my own personal site. More on his post later.

Anyway...it's change time around here.

To blog, or not to blog?

In one month I will celebrate my two year anniversary blogging. My friend, Sandy, said he'd give me a month. I can't even believe it's been this long. Recently, however, due to some of the changes in my life and the sporadic nature of my posting, I have really wondered about whether I should keep blogging or not.

I was about 50/50 on the matter when I received a comment on a recent post. And it's pretty much changed my mind about whether to blog or not. The comment was so honest, so heartfelt that it blew me away.

Interesting thing is, it wasn't a comment on the post, and it really didn't come as a result of blogging, however, the blog provided the forum for someone to express something that I probably would have otherwise never heard.

So, for now, maybe the next two weeks or so (just kidding)...I'll stick to it! Although I am reconsidering the nature of my blogging, can't tell you what that means, cause I haven't figured it out myself. I've never been good at diaries and journals...so blogging was a big, okay, a huge leap. I just need to figure out what purpose this has in my life right now...

Where did Scott Go???

Anybody know if Scott as in "williams" changed sites or whether he's just taking a break? I came back from holidays and noticed my link to his blog doesn't work anymore.

New Look

My son got his first hair cut ever. And my site got a little bit of an overhaul. Truth is I only fiddled around with colors and changed some of the things I had. I was thinking of doing a complete overhaul, but Vun likes my logo...so I think it's going to stay. I kind of like things as they are right now. That means that it'll stay for a while. I'm addicted to change but I've come to learn that there are others that suffer from the disease worst than I do, such as Chris at Our Greenroom and Onionboy, which I have to say is the best name ever. So, for now, we're going to look like this, maybe a few minor tweaks...we'll see.

my first post

Spent a good portion of my day upgrading to MT 3.16 along with MT Blacklist. Everything seems to be working fine. For an hour or so I got a few things mixed up messing everything up and showing my last post as something back in Nov. Anyway...that's all fixed and we're back on track, and this is my first post on the new Movable Type.

Ouch, Pain

Just bit my tongue, while eating pizza. Ouch, that really hurts!

Live life deeply friends, experience every moment deeply.

You only get one chance at it.

Oh the woes...

Well, you might have noticed, you might have not, some of you did because you thought I might have dropped off the face of the earth...

Anyway...for the past four days, my site has been down...actually, it has been locked by my host. After no communication from them and lots of attempts on my part I finally got an e-mail today and as you see, I'm back up.

What was the problem? My feedback form was being used by spammers because the script I was using on it was not secure. Well, I've decided to take Darryl's example and use a much more simple format to have people feedback...no more forms, just e-mail or snail mail me.

As Darryl has said...for a few days I was a spammer...at least in the mind of my host...not fun for me that's for sure. When they finally unlocked my system...to rub salt on the wound...I'd also been spammed.

Sometimes, you just have to let it go.

Once again...I've learned the lesson, when you get something for free, in this case, the hosting of this site, you pay for the support you're going to get. Which in this case was absolutely zero.

I understand they're trying to make sure they keep the spammers away...but couldn't they have told me?

Oh well, it's still free hosting.

eh, where did February go?

Wow, just like that it's March. So many ideas, so much going on, so little time...

Humm...

They're missing...all my posts that would come up when you looked at the page...just disappeared into thin air...gone...kapuff...and I don't feel like looking into right now...You can still reading by clicking on the posts under "on my mind lately"...

Slow at blogging

I confess, I've been slow at blogging over the last few weeks...really haven't been in the mood...really am not in the mood right now either...more to come in the next few days, maybe...

To post or not to post

Wow, a whole holiday season without a post...almost every day I checked the site, but I just didn't feel like posting.

Our family had a good time. Both sides of the family over for Christmas at our place. Both parents stuck around for a few days, which meant games of president into the wee hours of the morning. That was fun!

When it was all said and done, Vun's parents took Senzenina with them and a few days later my parents took Lucas and Alexandra...leaving Vun and I to spend New Year's all by our selves. Exactly what we needed! Dinner out, a fire place. We've done this twice so far in our marriage...spend New Year's alone that is...I highly recommend it.

And now we're back into the swing of things.

I'm feeling pretty tired...but it was all worth it.

Presents??? Some really nice sweaters...once again I got a box filled with all types of cookies from mom-in-law...some money...cuba was an early Christmas present...that's pretty much it...santa was good!

I blew all my birthday money on a Nintendo Gamecube. Now you might not think so, but it was really an unselfish thing :) ...not being able to think of anything I wanted...I bought the thing that Lucas most wanted and wasn't supposed to have until he was thirteen. He had lots of time to work it in during the holidays. Actually we've been playing a lot together...he's better than I am.

May 2005 be a year in which we all draw nearer to God.

Spammers getting smarter

For a relatively long time I've enjoyed pretty spam free blogging thanks to advice from this site. But lately I've noticed I'm being spammed three or four times a day...

As a result of that...you'll have to preview your post before you're able to post. I don't like doing that (although it's only an extra 2 seconds), however, I like spam even less...

the reality of virtual reality

Welcome to virtual reality!

Here you can be anyone you want to be. You can portray yourself as whatever you want others to believe you are. You can care deeply, share authentically, say and be all the right things.

I think sometimes the world of virtual reality, this world of blogging allows us to live in the pretend world my children so love to play in. The world of make believe.

It's not so different from that world that exists in the offices where co-workers who don't really know each other begin to connect and develop relationships...before long, thoughts like..."wow, they are so friendly" or "they really listen" or "they really understand me" are stirred and people play a game, a game of make believe.

These are the perfect environments. Environments for inauthenticity. Environments to play make believe. Environments where appearances thrive.

I've been accused of being many negative things in my short blogging carreer. I've been seen as being righteous and good as well. The truth is, from my words, there's really no way for anyone to know. They're just words and opinions and ideas...those who agree like me, those who don't...we'll they don't.

So, why am I saying any of this anyway? No reasons except to say...in a world where it's easy to play make believe...to live lives behind masks and pretenses...when you create a medium that makes it easy to further live in that world of make believe....It's easy to fall into the trap!

Be yourself! Be the you God created you to be! Share the things deep in your heart, but don't follow the temptation to be someone you're not. Or as Paul says, to think more highly of yourself than you ought.

Be real on this journey!

So much stuff...

There's been so much stuff on my mind. Working hard to make sure the Fall gets up and goes. That worship goes, that small groups go, that youth goes...

There's so much I want to write on - and then it's 1a.m. and I drift off to sleep.

Blogging has become an outlet for me, but there's so much stuff I never get to outlet.

On the same day I'm as excited as I've ever been about ministry - and the next moment I'm contemplating leaving. I see the potential in one second and the next second I can't see the forest for the trees.

I long for so much and then I see me and wonder how could anything ever happen. I am so unreliable! I am so uncertain! I am so far away from the mountain top!

But I'm discovering here in the valley (thank you Scott and others) that I'm completely and unconditionally loved. At the same time I'm realizing that hasn't hit me as it was intended to. God loves Me! As I am! That's never going to change! Even right here in the valley.

Scott - I want to say with you, I just don't care - bring it on God - and yet I find myself caring. Caring about the garbage like my appearances and what others think.

I'm getting in on the journey - in not "there yet". But I'm in!

There's actually something very practical that Vun and I are doing about it - that I can't share as of yet - the time will come. But it's about the "dance" - it's about freedom - it's about discovering and experiencing the "true -one of a kind - uncomparable - unconditional love of God."

I'm so glad for those of you who are close to me - who know me - who love me - who pray for me - who keep me in line - who tell me when I suck, not to hurt me but to make me a better follower.

There's much I need to write about - I think I will pace myself...and try to let it all out slowly...

Blah's

I continue to not really want to say too much on my blog these days. It's not that I don't have much to say - I'm certainly active enough and thinking enough. But maybe that's why - too much time focused on other things. Even so, I'm experiencing some February blahs in August. I'm a summer guy, so the fact that we really haven't had anything that resembles a summer around TO. gets to my system. Having said that, all's well in the DeFreitas world. Eventually, it'll kick in - right now I'm just going to go with the blahs.

We do have a family reunion in upper state New York this weekend. Lots and lots of people. I'm not sure if I'm looking forward to this. How's that for honesty. I'm longing more for something quiet and something really warm. No, not warm, something hot - I want to feel the sun on my skin, I want to be coherced by the heat into having to jump into lake cold water that refreshes the whole body and it feels...ahhhhhhhh, not brrrrrrrr.

I'll tell you about it when I get back. Maybe.

when technology gets the best of you

I'm way to tied into this e-mail thing!

As of sometime yesterday afternoon my e-mail server went down and with it, so did I.

Much of the work I've been doing has relied on my being able to communicate with other via e-mail, with my server down I was stranded. Along with that the darker sides of my patience or lack there of began to show.

Anyway, the server's up, we have a meeting that looks will take place after all tonight and the damage really hasn't been that much.

Maybe I could survive after all if all this techno stuff I'm so attached to stopped working.

It's funny to think that at one point in my life I lived in home with no running water, that my bathtub was a plastic basin, tv was black and white and people like us didn't have one.

Wow, that wasn't that long ago. For those of you my age you're thinking where did you grow up in, well, a little village in Portugal, and until I was twelve, that was my life.

Site Update

Over the rest of the week I will try to do a general site update as some information is now out of date and I've got pictures from our holidays etc. I'll let you know when it's done.

Spam help for you!

Every now and again you've heard me complain about how spammers we're making my life a living nightmare. You'd arrived here only to find some not so comments in the dialogue section etc. Well, I've now gone a week without any spam attacks, not even one spammer.

So, I thought I'd pass on what was a help to me. If you go HERE! you'll get all the help you need to get rid of spammers, at least until they get smarter and learn to figure out this stuff, until then enjoy no spam.

You don't have to take all the steps mentioned, but I highly suggest taking steps 1, 2, 3, and 11.

Thanks Darryl for passing this on.

Error

Thanks to those of you who've e-mailed me and told me there's a problem with my comments section, I'm working on it....

Udpate: It's working!

Thanks again

Update on restriction

Because of spamming I'd put on a restriction where you had to preview your comments before posting them, I found this extra step something I wouldn't enjoy doing, so I have taken other measures and so far so good.

I've been spam free for two days - that's a lot around here.

Once again you can just post your comments. We'll see how long it lasts...

Let me know

When commenting I've placed a restriction so that the person commenting must preview their comment before posting. I did this to dissuade those nasty, nasty spammers...if this really bugs you when you comment, let me know - that's not the objective...

unsightly blogging

Sorry for the recent unsightly posts on the documents section. I'm hoping to have that taken care of by tomorrow morning - if it works for me, I'll pass out the details...

not blogging much...

Somebody up here at the conference mentioned to me that I hadn't been blogging much lately, and I realized they were right, I really haven't. But life's been busy and the time that I have had left over, hasn't been time I wanted to spend in front of a computer. Anyway, I'll get back into it, I'm just tired these days, I think this conference is just what the doctor ordered. Spending more time than usual in my room just relaxing.

My soul needs rest, so, for a while, don't worry if you just see or notice sporadic posts.

Having said that, I'd started one the other day that I want to finish up...

Blogging even cooler

I've just found that Blogging has become cooler than ever. No it's not a killer app. It's not a new Plugin for MT. It's the relationships that develop and what they lead to as a result...

When I first started blogging back in November of '03, I ran into "O".

O's a great writer, pastor, artist and so much more.

Anyway, recently, our team at Richview decided to do a new series for the summer -Lies we've believed, stuff like; a decision makes me a Christian, my faith is a private matter, We do church the right way and others.

Then we had this crazy idea - why not contact "O" and ask him to do a sketch that would represent each topic. These are going to serve as bulletin covers as well as projected images to stirr people's minds.

When I asked O about it - here's one of the things he mentioned...

"I also need to write you sometime shortly and show you just exactly how this request is an answer to prayer filled thoughts in my journal entries from yesterday and the day before. Knocks me out man."

How cool is God? I'm so excited - We'll have links to the sermons and the sketches as it goes on.

Got to love blogging...

I first posted this list (spiritual disciplines) which I borrowed from Vince at Westwinds (who borrowed it from a conference speaker long ago) a few days ago, and within a matter of days, it's all over the place, interestingly enough, not everyone's discussing it in the same manner....

As Bene Diction says, "you've got to love blogging"

Haven't blogged much lately...

Between the rushing around brought about by the Easter season, and the cold that took me through six, almost seven boxes of kleenex (that's a record for me - I'd never gone through even one box, previously), I haven't blogged much over the last week. There's a bunch of thoughts going through my head, everything from why I don't think the emerging church is the answer or the solution for the Church's impact on our world, to what does it take to foster a Kingdom movement within Young People. And between those two thoughts there's much dancing around in this head of mine. But for now, I'll let the dance continue without commenting just yet.

It's been fun to just read some other blogs while I'm hanging around.

Comments Screen

It's been brought to my attention that one person gets to the comments screen and can't post, can you let me know whether that's happened to you, alhtough I don't want to do much more code, I'll try to fix that. Let me know please.

AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

okay, earlier this evening I tried to make a change on a stylesheet I've been working on, only to find I made a change on my blog's stylesheet and erased the original, can you say freak out. All of a sudden it was all gone, everything you're looking at right now - a blank slate. It took me months to do this, originally.

But I guess I've learned some stuff, because in a few hours I had a whole new stylesheet done up. Not bad eh? But anyway, it's time to go to bed. If you drop by and notice anything wrong, let me know....

later...

Spam...

I've been spammed over the last few days, producing some not so "nice" names on my "dialogue" section. I'm trying to get this fixed, but they seemed to be coming from several places. I'm sorry for that, I'll try to keep on top of it.

Blog idol Fun

Worth checking out on the theme of "Play"

Mykel - Ten Spiritual practices that involve play
Ryan - Great advice on play time for bloggers and the type
Bridgier - All of life is a play
Seasons of Violet - Pappy learns to play (if you love dogs!!!!)
Tim - applying the theme
Cliff between the lines - sound track of his life - worth a read as always
Ian Rutgers - playing, then and now

Grabbed my attention - Blogger Idol

These posts grabbed my attention this week! Some were fun, some were thoughtful, others were challenging, and one was creative!

Seasons of Violet - Very Personal thoughts on the Passion of the Christ
Greenman - The Decline of Storytelling Challenge
KristyK - Open Range, interrupted (for moms & dads)
Cliff between the lines - Running the film backwards Challenges of life
Stacy - 80's Movie Quiz Fun
Tim - Movies, Me & Laziness Creative

Drop by and have a read, all worthwhile!

Web Community...

It's been a while since I've had some extended time to write, the kids are all asleep, thus my back to back entries. Shhhh, it's very quiet, let's not upset the balance.

Four (oops, five) months ago I ventured, somewhat uncertain, into the world of blogging. My first post was all about not understanding why anyone would do this on a regular basis. Well, much has changed in five months. Not only do I blog, almost, on a daily basis. But I've also designed and built my own website and blog since then.

So, what have I discovered since I first started blogging? Well, it's something I've wanted to write about for a while. There's a whole community thing that comes with blogging. If you're like I was before I ventured into this world, you're probably thinking, why seek out a virtual community when we hardly have time for the people in our lives? Well, it's a different sort of community. But it's a real community. As you begin blogging, you begin to find that although a lot of people drop by now and then, after some time, you find that maybe 5, maybe 10, maybe more people become pretty consistent visitors. And somewhere along the line, it goes beyond commenting on your entries to conversing through e-mail. It takes less time than going out for coffee with someone, but it amounts to community. Getting to know one another and sharing life.

Over the last five months I've begun to build a friendship with several people all over the world. The kind of people that, if I was to drop into their part of the world, I'd want to have a coffee with them.

Well, I've only been at this for five months, and I've not only made some friends, I've been challenged, I've been stretched, and I've been taught.

I guess this is not for everyone. I watched this world from afar, before I stepped into it, for over a year. But I find it interesting that people, like me, who start watching from a distance, slowly find themselves drawn in...

Vun used to think I was nuts for doing this, she said the only reason I was doing this was because I got rid of cable. Now, she reads my blog daily, and almost daily, she sits by me as we travel around the virtual world reading some of the stuff friends are writing.

As for me, that's pretty cool!

To Jonhy D. -my ping pong mentor

So you want to know what a Blog is? A blog is a "Web Log", or a log on the web. Basically it's a place where one puts down thoughts, ideas, musings, stories, anything the writer feels like sharing. Then other bloggers, people who write blogs, come along, and say, yeah, I've been thinking about that too, let me comment on it.

More than that, it's a lot of fun, and you get to know lots of new people. Well, that's it in a nutshell.

this here is my space on the net, what I call "our hangout", it's a little more than a blog because it has my sermons, and family, friends and vacation pictures as well as information about our family. It's also still in development because I'd like to add a few more features.

Well come on back every now and then to see what's up at our hangout

Meet you at the table on Tuesday - I will win, I will!!! Okay, I'll probably lose, but I'll try to win. I will!!!

my choices for week 5 blogidol

Entries I enjoyed for "Picture This"

Amanda - So many people's story
Frac - Great Story Telling
Tanya - dreaming of the perfect getaway
Debi - caught by time's surprise
rian and the almost drinking nun
Ian - eh that happened to me too

My favourite oops stories...

Here they are. Why, did I like these? I don't know, that's probably a pretty subjective thing. Some you'll laugh at, some will challenge you, and some might not do anything for you, oh well, that's life...

Shoot some oops by Onionboy
Huge living orgasm by Hamo (don't be scared, not what you think)
Oops, where did that tribe go? by Greenman
What's wrong with this picture? Grandpa posing with baby by Kristal

I could spend the rest of the week writing oops moments. Maybe I will, one a day, I think

Imported files...

I just imported my files from My Typepad "Journeying" blog. So, if you happen to be looking for something or scrolling, I don't know why you would, you might come across some conflicting posts, from the time I was building this site, I'm not picky enough to go in and delete all those, so I'll just leave it as is.

Welcome

Well, if you're here for the first time, from my site on typepad, welcome!

Lot's of blogging to come. Take a look around and get to know us, here at our hangout.

I'd offer you coffee, but the virtual world does have it's limitations. But if you use your imagination, you can have your favourite flavour. Even tea, if that's your thing....

Enjoy

The Day!

Well, I'm filled with anticipation. I've finally arrived at a place where I feel I can open up the site. I believe I will send out the word tomorrow. And then it'll be a brand new day for Ed's blogging. Ok, not really, it'll just be fun to see what people say about the site, etc.

Looking forward to it.