As we prepare for our beach camp trip, one of the most common questions parents ask is how they can keep up with what’s going on at camp. I’ve been a Twitter-user for a couple years now, and I’ve decided that Twitter is the best way to share quick bits of info to the world. It just so happens that most of our parents aren’t on Twitter, so I’ve connected my Twitter account to Facebook (which happens to be much more popular).

But you’re reading a blog right now. You’re crazy enough to think that technology can keep you in the know more than just checking facebook updates. Are you ready to get into Twitter? Here’s how.

Once you sign up for a free account, you need to follow Mark for Beach Camp Updates.  Log onto http://twitter.com/markhcox and send the updates straight to your phone. Now you’re in the know!

Don’t forget! Tonight we’re playing Capture the Flag at Mills Park from 6-7:30!

You should be dropped off and picked up at Mills Park.

See ya there!

A lot of you know that if you typed that address in in the past and it got you here.  Let me help you understand.  I used that domain to forward to http://marktheyouthguy.wordpress.com.

Why do I tell you this? Because this is most likely the blog that’s showing up in your reader or RSS feed.  I’m hosting my own blog at http://thinknextnow.com now, so keep typing that in, but don’t expect to see the same ole bland site.

Word to the wise. This site will be taken down after a while.  Check the new one out.

The ole blog is getting an overhaul.

In fact, I’m trashing this one and going over to self-hosted land.

I’m embarking on uncharted waters (for me).

I don’t have a specific launch date, but I can say this: I should be launching within the next 7 days!

Keep your ear open for updates on the launch.

I can’t wait to actually sit still and have the time to post and not mess with design, functionality, and all that mess.

I miss writing.

Until then…

So it’s time.

I’m migrating.  Today actually.

Not sure when I’m going to launch the new site, but I’ve been taking a break for a little while because I’m putting all my effort into the new blog, with a new design, and many more capabilities.

So bear with me.  I’ll be back soon.

And better than ever!

Check your local listings at your local theaters, and be sure to check out the official website for the movie here.

But before we get to the video goodness, I want to point out the reason for this video.  A colleague of mine once asked, “Aren’t the announcements supposed to be boring?”  My answer was no.  The example was the video you’re about to see.  My point is this – not everyone can share information with their people in this way (this is kind of a youth ministry thing), but announcements can be fun!  It’s all about creativity.  And with that, I give you Paintball Announcements.

Again, I want you to know I ripped this off Josh Griffin.  Here’s his video:

So, after 10 years of following Jesus, I finally created an intentional devotion plan for the year.  Wow.  That’s sad, but it’s OK.  I’m starting now.

The schedule is posted below, but let me explain how I went about creating it.

1. Be real. If you don’t have time to read 10 chapters a day, don’t create a plan where those are the expectations.  The idea isn’t to get through the Bible. It’s to get the Bible through you.  So start small and get after it.  I chose a system in which I read two chapters a day in an Old Testament book and one chapter from Proverbs each day.  It wasn’t my plan to read through the entire Old Testament in a year, but that’s what it came out to look like.

2. You’re going to miss a day. So, when you do, recognize that if that keeps up, this whole plan will be a waste of time.  You have two options.  Catch up or just ignore what you missed.  I’m not going to tell you what to do, but it’s my personal goal to keep up with it.  For me, if I miss some, I’m going to work overtime to cover lost time.

3. Remind yourself. There’s lots of ways to remind yourself of your daily reading.  I like to post the list on the wall in a frequently trafficked area in my home.  My wife doesn’t like that, though, so I’ve got other ideas.  You can make use of an RSS reader, that will send you you’re daily reading in your email.  I believe you can get help from YouVersion or Bible Gateway on this.  You can take the time to put your daily reading assignment in your Outlook/Entourage/iCal, or whatever suits you.  I set timers and alarms for everything I need to remember.  Why would I not use them for this?

Whatever you do, remember the purpose for this.  My purpose is to take bite-size chunks of the Bible each day, with the desired goal that I would understand God’s Word better, and create a more intimate daily relationship with my Heavenly Father.

January – 31 Days

Genesis 1-50

Exodus 1-12

Proverbs

February – 28 Days

Exodus 13-40

Leviticus 1-27

Numbers 1-4

Proverbs

March – 31 Days

Numbers 5-36

Deuteronomy 1-34

Proverbs

April – 30 Days

Joshua 1-24

Judges 1-21

Ruth 1-4

1 Samuel 1-12

Proverbs

May – 31 Days

1 Samuel 13-31

2 Samuel 1-24

1 Kings 1-20

Proverbs

June – 30 Days

1 Kings 21-22

2 Kings 1-25

1 Chronicles 1-29

2 Chronicles 1-6

Proverbs

July – 31 Days

2 Chronicles 7-36

Ezra 1-10

Nehemiah 1-13

Proverbs

August – 31 Days

Esther 1-10

Job 1-42

Ecclesiastes 1-12

Proverbs

September – 30 Days

Isaiah 1-62

Proverbs

October – 31 Days

Jeremiah 1-52

Lamentations 1-5

Ezekiel 1-6

Proverbs

November – 30 Days

Ezekiel 7-48

Daniel 1-12

Hosea 1-14

Proverbs

December – 31 Days

Joel 1-3

Amos 1-9

Obadiah 1

Jonah 1-4

Micah 1-7

Nahum 1-3

Habakkuk 1-3

Zephaniah 1-3

Haggai 1-2

Zechariah 1-14

Malachi 1-4

Proverbs

I’d love to hear your ideas or feedback!  Lay it on me!