Colorado burning...

Those are scary headlines and the pictures are real.

What does it mean? 

Unprecedented fires are bringing suffering, loss and anxiety.  

“Unsettled” would describe the general attitude across Colorado.

Just yesterday Richard Clinton, Pastor of the Colorado Springs Vineyard was standing with a group of people who had just watched their homes burn to the ground.  They were in shock as Richard listened, and prayed with several of them.  

C Springs churches are rallying together, and churches across the state are mobilizing to go and help with cleanup and relief efforts.  They are estimating several months for that work, and the fires are only 5% contained…

I’m sure God is grieving over the losses, the damage to His people and to His creation.

What can we do?

We can pray…

For rain
For the firefighters
For those who have lost their homes
For those being threatened
For local church communities as they reach out to comfort and serve

We can look for ways to respond…

Right now we are organizing cleanup and relief efforts with the C Springs Vineyard -- Info on when teams are going will be provided in the next few days
Email reliefefforts@shvchurch.org if you want more info or to be part of a team
We are already partnering with Convoy of Hope with financial support in their efforts with Ft Collins churches to provide relief in Northern Colorado
Give Online as we’ll be turning designated donations into relief efforts with families in C Springs 

Here is more info from the Denver Post 

http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_20935254/how-assist-colorado-wil

FYI, our food bank will continue serving those who show up

It is always good in unsettling times to seek God, to humble ourselves and pray.

I’ll continue our teaching series on “experiencing Trust” this Sunday and give an update on relief efforts.

Check out these Scriptures of hope

The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again.  James 5:17-18 MSG Version

The thief comes with the sole intention of stealing and killing and destroying, but I came to bring them life, and far more life than before.  John 10:10 JBP

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT

Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep.  Romans 12:15 NLT

Do not be anxious

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  Philippians 4:6

This is the most-bookmarked verse on the YouVersion Bible App.  It was written almost 2k years ago, and yet it still addresses one of the most common problems we deal with-- anxiety...

What do you get anxious about?  

I find myself feeling anxious around screaming kids. One of our boys used to yell when he was being harassed (by his brother).  His scream had a direct line to the part of my brain that causes headaches.  

Just a couple days ago my wife and I were on a walk and came up behind a young family.  The little boy was about 2 years old, screaming his head off for several minutes (maybe an hour) wanting to be picked up by his mom. 

His dad was pushing a stroller with baby sister inside.  The mom was walking next to "the screamer" telling him to stop it cause she wasn't going to carry him.  For some reason that wasn't working.  I almost offered to carry him myself.  Every 30 seconds the dad would turn around and look helplessly at the boy and his wife.  

Then something strange happened.  The dad offered to carry the boy if the mom would push the stroller.  Everyone was happy and breathed a collective sigh of relief.  I was ready to break out into song.  It is amazing how one little adjustment can totally change a situation.

Much of life is just like that.  We (or others) have someone telling us "don't be anxious" or "everything is gonna be okay."  In Philippians 4:6 it is God telling us.  However, turning the situation around is more than just hearing "Stop it!"  

In the case of this family it was thinking outside the box.  For followers of Jesus it is praying, letting God know what is going on, in the moment, with an attitude of thanksgiving.  That sounds pretty simple but it isn't always easy.

I confess it usually takes me a long time to do this.  But I find God's peace always comes when I do.

Build your own app p. 2

Guest blogger Chandos

Blog: Entry Two.

So who did their homework?

Got a Mac yet? Downloaded Xcode? Start designing?

Let’s talk about interfaces for a moment.  This is easily the most important aspect of the design.  If you take a look at some of the most popular apps on the App Store, you’ll find a few things in common.

1. They are all super-easy to use.
2. They all have a similar look and feel.
3. They all stick to basic design concepts.

Ease of use is incredibly important to your app.  If I can’t use it, why would I ever use it? And why would I recommend it to a friend?

Looks are necessary.  If your app doesn’t look pretty, why would I ever use it? And why would I recommend it to a friend?

Basic design concepts means everyone will know what to look for when using the app.  If I don’t know why I downloaded it, why would I ever use it?  And why would I recommend it to a friend?

Notice a trend here?  The two most important criteria would be:

Will they use it?

Will they share it?

If you can’t say yes to both, you probably shouldn’t make the app, or at least start over.  When you’re designing your app, you don’t have to create the flashiest, shiniest, prettiest, most incredible app I’ve ever seen.  You just have to make it not ugly, and usable.  Which can sometimes be hard.  A good rule of thumb is to see what everyone else is doing, and at leaststart there. You don’t have to have a degree in graphic design.  Look at current trends, check out upcoming trends, watch video tutorials, read up on design, or flat out buy a template. Remember: “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” -Charles Colton

If you need some design inspiration, check out some design blogs. A couple I’ve looked at before are:

http://psd.tutsplus.com/

http://churchm.ag/creative/design/

http://smashingmagazine.com/

As said before, I cannot monitor the content on these sites.  I haven’t seen anything objectionable before on these sites, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen. Please use the web responsibly!

The idea with graphic design is simple.  Make it look good.  Good is definitely subjective, but it means turning something like this...

into something like this...

Now you may say, that’s hard! I could never do that! Tutorials on the previous websites give you exact instruction in creating buttons and other elements just like that.  If you’re looking at it and think, “Hey, that first button looks great!” Don’t. Not that your opinion is wrong, per se, but the vast majority of people who use iPhone apps would prefer the second. Sure, the first button works and gets the point across, but if you can make it look a little nicer and like you spent more than 5 minutes making it, the time spent will translate into a thought-out design.

For planning your design, draw it out.  I can’t draw people or objects worth a lick.  But, with a ruler, I am master of the rectangle.  If rulers aren’t your thing, get some graph paper.  Plan out your design on paper first, then try to make it digitally.  If you can’t get a good plan on paper, a digital version definitely won’t come together.

One last thing and I’ll go.  Here are Chandos’ Three Rules of Design:

1. NEVER USE A FONT THAT COMES PREINSTALLED ON YOUR COMPUTER!!!!!! Seriously.  Every font that comes installed is too readily identifiable. Comic Sans, Herculanum, Papyrus...those are all big no-nos. There are thousandsof fonts available at sites like www.dafont.com just waiting to be used. Granted, you need to make sure that it’s legal for you to use it in an app, but there’s one out there waiting for you.
2. Avoid using white if you can.  White is plain and boring.  Spice it up with a little color! While it can be used artistically, white typically makes things look empty. Like this blog.  It’s just text on a white background.  Not very exciting, right? (The inverse is true too though.  Don’t use too much color.  And try to stick within color schemes.  If you need help with color theory, check out http://kuler.adobe.com/.)
3. Don’t go crazy.  Remember, we’re talking about an iPhone here. If you get too complicated of a design, it’ll be really hard to see on that little 3.5 inch screen!

That’s all! I could go on and on and on and on about design and things like that, but if you check out some blogs, do a little Googling, you should have a pretty killer idea or even a design come out of it.

Adios.

*Chandos

Build your own app

I asked our SHV Media Director and life-of-the-party Chandos, to be our guest blogger and do something intensely practical that could save people hundreds of dollars.  So here you go!




BTW, before working at SHV Chandos used to wear a shirt with something like this on it.  And he is humble and unpretentious, and is mostly kind to people who use PC's.

iOS Apps

Blog: Entry One.

Challenge 1: Build an app for iPhones.

Challenge 2: Blog about it.

I don’t know which will be tougher. Building an app will be tough in that I know next to nothing about app making.  But blogging means coming up with clever internal dialog to share with others about my discoveries. Hmmmmm.....where to begin? No idea, but onward we go!

A little backstory for those that don't know me.  I'm Chandos, the guy with the weird name.  It's pronounced "Chan-duh-s."


I used to work for Apple for several years, where I trained people to better use their Macs. Until God led me to Smoky Hill Vineyard.  I got hired as the Media Director last January and love it.  My degree is in video post-production, so while I'm passionate about art, design, and video, and know a ton about Macs, I don't know much of anything about programming.


If you’re like me, you have a smartphone, you use it regularly, you sorta kinda understand why it does what it does, but you don’t really have a clue of how.  You know everyone else is getting an app, so if you’re gonna fit in, you better get one too.  Ok...what else?

Maybe I could pay someone to do it!?

Whoa! Google has a ton of results! Oh look, they all have web-based interfaces to make the app. This will be easy! Oh.....wait....$50 a month? $400 setup fees? I think I’ll just make my own.

It can’t be that hard to make an app, right? Right?!

Wrong. It’s really hard.

That’s where we start.  If you’re looking at building an app, there’s a ton of weight on your shoulders! You want your app to look nice, appealing, and unique. You also want your app to do something, otherwise, you wouldn’t make an app. And most of all, you want it to work! So how do we bridge that gap of figuring out what we want and the finished product?

With a little technique I call “Scavengoogle.”  Not really...I totally just made that up. I don’t really call it that, but the idea is in there somewhere. Google is our best friend.  We’re going to scavenge all of the info we can about apps, but also, only what we need. I really, really, really don’t want to learn coding. Writing in English is hard enough, let alone some computer language that makes no sense.  But, if I can find someone who knows it, and will tell me what to put, and where to put it, I’m all about it!

Shall we begin?

Good. Here we go.

Step 1: Have a Mac. If you don’t have a Mac, you’d better get one. iPhone/iPod/iPad (from here on out referred to as iOS) app development requires it.  So, if you don’t have access to a Mac and still really want to make iOS apps, buy a Mac.

Step 2: Download the latest version of Xcode. Xcode is Apple’s software specifically designed for app making.  If you have your Mac, and you’re running 10.7, a.k.a. Lion, go to the Mac App Store and download Xcode for free.  If you have 10.6.8+, I believe it’s $4.99 or so.  Waaaaay cheaper than a $400 setup fee, right?!

Step 3: Plan your app.  For the app I’m working on, I got some of the giant pads of paper that hang on an easel to draw out every part of what I want the app to do.

Step 4: Design your app. This is probably the most important step.  More important than making it.  This is key because if your app doesn’t look good, who’s going to buy it?

Next time, I’ll blog about interface ideas, app design, and figuring out how to storyboard your app. For some homework, see if you can’t get through the first three steps listed above.  If you’d like to go even further, check out this guy’s video series on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc-3_nVP7C8&list=PL7F0BF65DB4D3828E&index=0&feature=plcp

I have watched several of this guy’s tutorials and gleaned some important info out of it.  He’s also kind enough to usually provide the code to copy and paste into Xcode.

A little disclaimer: I haven’t watched every video on YouTube ever. And YouTube has no real content control.  So if you see something inappropriate or distasteful, know that it was not my intention and completely out of my control. 

Hopefully you’re as excited as I am. I love creating things, even if the first few don’t turn out so good.  Usually, there’s a few gems to be found, lurking in the shadows of this big ol’ noggin.  ‘Till next time.

*Chandos