We often forget our humanity, our limits, and our inability to change others. Considering that David was one of the more powerful people in his day, it is striking how he reminds himself in this psalm not to think more highly of himself than he ought.

The following words from an anonymous rabbi have served me well over the years to keep me focused on Christ changing me:

When I was young, I set out to change the world. When I grew a little older, I perceived this was too ambitious, so I set out to change my state. This too I realized was too ambitious, so I set out to change my town. When I realized I could not even do this, I tried to change my family. Now as an old man I know that I should have started by changing myself. If I had started with myself, maybe then I would have succeeded in changing my family, the town, or even the state – and who knows maybe even the world.

-Hasidic Rabbi on his Deathbed

StMarkDC Daily Journal

Glory be to the Holy Trinity. Amen.

Asking $1,250.

Original Order from July 15, 2009:

Order Details
Product Name		Product Number	Unit Price	Qty	Subtotal
MBP 15.4/ CTO		Z0GG	$1,923.00	1	$1,923.00
With the following configuration: Processor 065-8453 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo Memory 065-8457 4GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRM-2x2GB Hard Drive 065-8462 320GB Serial ATA Drive@7200rpm Optical Drive 065-8466 SuperDrive 8X DL Display 065-8668 MBP 15" Glossy WS Display DVI Adapter 065-8467 No DVI Adapter VGA Adapter 065-8472 Mini DisplayPort – VGA Adapter Remote 065-8475 None Apple Keyboard & User's Guide 065-8481 Keyboard/Users Guide Country Kit/AEX 065-8484 Country Kit

The interview is in Arabic, my friend Sam provided me with a loose translation:

Interviewer, I:
Pope, P:

P: to the Alexandria families, your pains are my pains. these innocents came out of church to meet their lord in paradise. i send condolences to all Copts in diaspora. i rec'd Muslim clerics who send their condolences to you too. also from Palestinian and Lebanese ….
i: is this attack against only Copts or all Egyptians?
p: pretty much agreed that it is against all Egypt
i: what do you think of the protesters
p: not a Christian value and believe that "other" outsiders may have been implanted in the crowd to "egg on" the crowd and in turn get the crowd control police to respond with violence (not sure if he is saying that Muslims were implanted in the crowd or foreigners, the interviewer asked him to elaborate but it was still not clear)
i: what do you  think about those who use violent protests and their state of mind (since they're acting on their emotions)
p: emotions can make you do things not well-thought of
i: what can u say to them
p: calculate the response you will get. also lets not lose our high moral ground because of these actions (i.e. violent protests)
i: I think there is a Christian belief that you find joy in all things
p: God is everywhere, and He is in control,
i: how do we ensure we don't let this sectarian divide worsen
p: there is no problem with religion and the presence of more than one in the country, its the response we have from those who abuse it (and he alluded to the governments response – but v subtle)
i: so are you saying the rioters should stay well-behaved and not go out of their rights…so we don't get a clash
p: I don't see that we are getting or are having any clashes..on the contrary, we have Muslims and Copts protesting, so its actually acting as a unifier.
i: how do we as a unified country stop this common enemy that threatens our unity and restore calm?
p: the state has a duty to address the concerns of the Copts. when there is history of unresolved concerns/issues and a problem like this happens it makes things worse and they can get out of hand, but if the concerns are being addressed, then its more tolerable. basically, the government needs to get the "Coptic folder" dealt with – interjected by the interviewer –
i: I like to call is the "Egyptian folder"
p: call it what you like but it deals with the concerns of not all Egyptians, just the Copts (smiles in a smirk-like uncomfortable manner)
i: but it affects all Egyptians
p: ok and smiles again in disagreement
i: do u think we need to get to a point where the laws don't differentiate between Christian or Muslim or race etc.?
p: we all believe in the importance of law and order. but what is more important is the just laws. a condition for just laws is justice across all people regardless of their belief. other countries have laws that can change with time to reflect these freedoms that are more just – even change/amend their constitution.
i: so this change in the laws are to be approached thru combined meetings with people within the country (alluding to no outside forces/influences) is that how you think we can achieve these amendments?

p: we should join forces, but there are things that go beyond the citizens and into the ruling powers of the state. the government officials are to be careful when they do these amendments to be fair and just for all citizens.
i: the first (something) article in the constitution states that the basis of the country is citizenship
p: I think the term citizenship is a beautiful word, but what does it mean?
i: you tell us what does it mean to you?
p: the meaning of citizenship is when all citizens in Egypt enjoy all the benefits of being a citizen – not just some. however, some cannot comprehend citizenship and don't realize that equal citizenship is essential. I am speaking to you frankly
i: I am speaking to you frankly as well. I am here today to speak openly about your concerns and it concerns all Egyptians not just some.
so Egypt has chosen citizenship as a canonical principle in its constitution…don't you think that the sons of this country need to sit together in peace and discuss this even if they are running high in emotions? will this equality bring peace to the country

p: people living in this country are citizens, people in congress are citizens, people in the state are also citizens…so would a meeting of the people living in this country solve anything? we really need the decision makers to take action. we need to have our concerns addressed and also the concerns that go beyond the Coptic concerns like unemployment and inflation. these people have a duty to do so.
i: do you think that the lack of attention to the Coptic concerns is more general lack of addressing all the problems of the country or specifically just the Coptic…
p: whether its general or specific, it still is a problem that needs to be solved. the lack of attention to problems do not mean that they are not there.
i: regarding the state of national unity, in light of these last incidents will make it diverge or will it bring us all together
p: national unity is between Muslims and Copts, but also there needs to be unity in the political parties as well…we cant do it on the grassroots level only. we need to address it also on various levels of our society not just a declaration that you all must unite…we need true unity
i: Don't you think this incident has proven that there is a strong basic unity between Muslims and Copts of connection of emotions..etc. shouldn't we build on this principle?
p: yes we would love to…we don't want this to be a temporary unity
i: so how do we do that?
p: it needs the help of the media in this matter. we see oftentimes very divergent news in two newspapers in the same day…
i: how do you think media in this country has addressed sectarian issues
p: I see several media outlets rush to publish but are not accurate in their coverage…case in point i see a lot of news about me personally that have never happened…media ought to convey information and also culture…the informative aspect needs to be more accurate in their coverage…
i: when you met the great imam, what happened in that meeting…do you see this as a way to get more unified
p: they sent their condolences, and suggested more meetings between the religious heads and publicize it more
i: how will you celebrate Christmas this year
p: we will celebrate Christmas this year, because this event is extremely important to us Christians. if we didn't celebrate would mean we are not religious, and can escalate problems to a more dangerous level…also not celebrating causes friction with the state..it would send a message that we are driven by emotions and not coherent thinking…this will take time to solve the concerns of Copts, and it will take time
i: what will you tell the Copts in the US when you go for treatment
p: I am going there for medical treatment..not to speak much
i: he asks again the same question
p: I would tel them to have a unified political stance with the mother church
i: what would you say to your flock in Alexandria
p: I say that problems get solved in calm and not in anger…and caution against being used as an excuse for further clash with state security and then have fingers pointed back at them…the state (not just the church) also has a duty to bring calm on the streets..
i: say a word to all Egyptians to conclude
p: this is a country for us all, and when it succeeds it will benefit us all, but when there are ills it hurts us all. lets live in peace and love and not create a reason for foreign intervention.

Overall, the interviewer is trying to get the Pope to talk about (a) the protests/riots and condemn them, and (b) make sure that the diaspora Copts do not make a big fuss at their respective governments; and the Pope is basically, using this opportunity of a long interview to voice the concerns of the Copts and challenge this interviewer by not giving in to his stream of thinking. The Pope is actually saying that the Coptic concerns need to be addressed and stop telling us what we can or cant say.

Feel free to comment with corrections and/or feedback.

Additional reading:

• The Egyptian Situation
• Bombing, Denial, Threats

via Bishop Suriel

• Setup a WordPress.org web site, check out TentBlogger’s list of recommended hosting platforms and follow the WordPress Install Guide, also see Mr. Nifty’s post on installing WordPress.  If you would rather start out with a local install on your own machine, see Setting Up a Local Development Environment, Part 1 on ChurchCrunch.
• Pick a theme, tons of good free ones out there and lots of awesome premium themes.  A good place to start: Smashing Magazine – 100 Free High Quality WordPress Themes: 2010 Edition
• Learn how to tweak your site – Think Vitamin: HTML & CSS
• Additional reading: Digital Pure – Web Design Done Right and WordPress Web Site Design Quick And Easy

What else would you recommend to someone starting off in the world of web work?

1 Corinthians 13

The Greatest Gift

1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whetherthere is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.

13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

The Lord says to the church that if only two or three gather together and pray in agreement according to His commands, they will receive what they ask from God’s sovereign power.  “Wheresoever two or three are gathered in My name, I am with them,” He says. That is, He is with the simple and peaceable, with those who fear God and keep His commandments. Although only two or three, God will treat them in the same way that He treated the three youths in the fiery furnace. Because they lived for God unconditionally and in unity, He gave them life with breath of dew in the midst of the surrounding flames. In the same way, He was present with the two apostles shut up in prison, because they were devoted and of one mind.  Having loosened the bolts of the dungeon, He placed them in the marketplace to declare the Word they had faithfully preached.  Therefore, when he sys in His commandments, “Where two or three are gathered together in my name, I am with them.”  He rebukes the faithless for their disagreements and entrusts peace to the faithful by His word.  He shows that He is with two or three who pray with one mind, rather that with a large number who differ.  More can be obtained by the unified prayer of a few than by the disunited supplication of many.

- Cyprian

Taken from Day by Day with the Early Church Fathers, page 155.

David Mikhail, one of Fairfax County Public Schools’ top Windows engineers had put together a master list of software to blacklist via GPO.  This gives us the flexibility to allow users local admin right with some comfort that known bad software can’t be installed.

David has graciously provided an export (backup) of the GPO so that you can use it as well.  You should be able to restore the following into Group Policy:

Blacklisted Software – GPO Backup (zip)

HTML file for those of you who want a quick peek

We had an awesome roundtable on Monday at McLean Bible Church, thanks to Marvin and crew for hosting us.  I was too engrossed in the conversation to take notes, but here are some of the highlights from the day.  If anyone who attended would like to add their notes or other details, just let me know.

High Level Topics:

• Keynote by David Drinnon
• ChMS – Mainly discussed Fellowship One, touched on the Table Project, SoChurch, bvcms and Arena.
• Backups – Symantec Backup Exec with VMware Plugin, Veeam, File level
• Personal laptops on internal network, 802.1x
• PCI Compliance
• Google Apps
• Group Policy – Locking down executable, installer tweaks for Java, Flash and Adobe Reader.
• Users as local admins
• Mac OS X Server Virtualization, AD Authentication

Attendees: (If I missed someone or you want to update info let me know)

• Patricia Balzer – The Falls Church
• Tim Barley – Lancaster County Bible Church
• Jerry Baskin – ACTS Group
• Larry Bull – McLean Bible Church
• Copeland Eccleston – McLean Bible Church
• Nancy Graham – Christian Fellowship Church
• Marvin Haines – McLean Bible Church
• Sue Harris – Christian Fellowship Church
• Scott Heading - Restoration Church
• Sydney Kirby – McLean Bible Church
• Andrew Mitry – St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church & InnoCloud
• Brian Norberg – McLean Bible Church
• Matt Pugh - McLean Bible Church
• Steve Simkins – Restoration Church
• Sheldon Strause – Lancaster County Bible Church
• Bill Sheeler – Glad Tidings Assembly of God Church
• Glenn Smith – Christian Fellowship Church
• Rami Tadros – InnoCloud
• Rob Thrush – SiteOrganic
• John Voorhis – Tenth Presbyterian Church

If you haven’t already, please join the CITRT group on LinkedIN, follow #CITRT on twitter and check out the new CITRT site!

Also, check out Derek’s post on Five things I took from the 2010 (Florida) CITRT.

* Major props to Bill Sheeler for the group photo.