The Top 200 Church Blogs

Interested in who some of the most popular and influential voices are within the Christian blogosphere? Kent Shaffer (twitter) over at Church Relevance has posted the top 200 Christian bloggers as of April 9, 2012. Using site stats from Alexa, Google Page Rank, Google Reader Stats, and more, the list has a diverse collection of bloggers, from Al Mohler to Don Miller to Brian McLaren.

You can see if your favorite blogger is on the list here. Are there voices that you think should be on the list that are not?

The New iPad 3: My First Impression

I stopped by the local Best Buy last Friday and picked up the latest edition of Apple's iPad. I think it is officially called the "new" iPad, but in my mind it is the iPad 3.I purchased the low-end iPad - the 16GB, Wi-Fi. My original was the 32GB, Wi-Fi. Prior to making the purchase, I checked my original iPad to see how much memory I had used. I had used only 8GB. I don't store videos or photographs iPad, so most of my usage comes from apps and resources for Logos Bible Software.Here are my initial impressions:* The retina display is nice, but unless you have an original iPad sitting next to the new iPad, I'm not sure you could see the difference. Part of this has to do with the fact that several of the apps I use have not upgraded yet to support the higher resolution of the new iPad.* The new iPad is clearly faster than my original iPad. I notice this when writing an email and attempting to add an email address into the "to:" field. On my original iPad, I could touch the field and type in the first letter or two of my contact, and it would take five seconds or more to autocomplete the address. With the new iPad, the autocomplete is almost instantaneous.* It could be my imagination, but it seems that the battery life is draining faster than it did with my original iPad. Clearly, my usage habits haven't changed in the last couple of days, but it seems the battery is draining faster. I started the day with a full charge this morning, and by mid-afternoon I am down to 75 percent. I would estimate I've used the iPad for a total of two hours so far today for mostly email, web browsing, and writing. I am using my bluetooth keyboard right now, but I've only had the bluetooth turned on for the past hour.* Again, it could be my imagination, but it seems like the new iPad is generating more heat than the orignial. I do have a different case with the new iPad, but I can't see how the case would make that much difference, especially when I have the iPad propt up for writing. If I touch the back of the device, it is clearly generating quite a bit of heat. Is this normal?So, my initial impression of the "new" iPad is mixed. Clearly, I appreciate the improved speed and retina display, but, if it is indeed true that the battery has less stamina and the device is generating a lot of heat, those will be major drawbacks for me.Is anyone else experiencing similar symptoms with the new iPad?

The "New" iPad: My Initial Impressions

I stopped by the local Best Buy last Friday and picked up the latest edition of Apple's iPad. I think it is officially called the "new" iPad, but in my mind it is the iPad 3.

I purchased the low-end iPad - the 16GB, Wi-Fi. My original was the 32GB, Wi-Fi. Prior to making the purchase, I checked my original iPad to see how much memory I had used. I had used only 8GB. I don't store videos or photographs iPad, so most of my usage comes from apps and resources for Logos Bible Software.

Here are my initial impressions:

• The retina display is nice, but unless you have an original iPad sitting next to the new iPad, I'm not sure you could see the difference. Part of this has to do with the fact that several of the apps I use have not upgraded yet to support the higher resolution of the new iPad.
• The new iPad is clearly faster than my original iPad. I notice this when writing an email and attempting to add an email address into the "to:" field. On my original iPad, I could touch the field and type in the first letter or two of my contact, and it would take five seconds or more to autocomplete the address. With the new iPad, the autocomplete is almost instantaneous.
• It could be my imagination, but it seems that the battery life is draining faster than it did with my original iPad. Clearly, my usage habits haven't changed in the last couple of days, but it seems the battery is draining faster. I started the day with a full charge this morning, and by mid-afternoon I am down to 75 percent. I would estimate I've used the iPad for a total of two hours so far today for mostly email, web browsing, and writing. I am using my bluetooth keyboard right now, but I've only had the bluetooth turned on for the past hour.
• Again, it could be my imagination, but it seems like the new iPad is generating more heat than the orignial. I do have a different case with the new iPad, but I can't see how the case would make that much difference, especially when I have the iPad propt up for writing. If I touch the back of the device, it is clearly generating quite a bit of heat. Is this normal?

So, my initial impression of the "new" iPad is mixed. Clearly, I appreciate the improved speed and retina display, but, if it is indeed true that the battery has less stamina than the original and the device is generating a lot of heat, those will be major drawbacks for me.

Is anyone else experiencing similar symptoms with the new iPad?

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
      In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
      In Flanders fields.

John McCrae

Poem: The Dawn Patrol

Sometimes I fly at dawn above the sea,
Where, underneath, the restless waters flow --
Silver, and cold, and slow,
Dim in the east there burns a new-born sun,
Whose rosy gleams along the ripples run,
Save where the mist droops low,
Hiding the level loneliness from me.

And now appears beneath the milk-white haze
A little fleet of anchored ships, which lie
In clustered company,
And seem as they are yet fast bound by sleep,
Although the day has long begun to peep,
With red-inflamèd eye,
Along the still, deserted ocean ways.

The fresh, cold wind of dawn blows on my face
As in the sun's raw heart I swiftly fly,
And watch the seas glide by.
Scarce human seem I, moving through the skies
And far removed from warlike enterprise --
Like some great gull on high
Whose white and gleaming wings beat on through space.

Then do I feel with God quite, quite alone,
High in the virgin morn, so white and still,
And free from human ill:
My prayers transcend my feeble earth-bound plaints --
As though I sang among the happy Saints
With many a holy thrill --
As though the glowing sun were God's bright Throne.

My flight is done. I cross the line of foam
That break around a town of grey and red,
Whose streets and squares lie dead
Beneath the silent dawn -- then am I proud
That England's peace to guard I am allowed;
Then bow my humble head,
In thanks to Him Who brings me safely home.

Paul Bewsher