kylegilbert

We’re planning to relaunch our Internet Campus this weekend.  We worked with a fantastic design company to improve our interface and arrange things so that people will have an easier time finding their way around the features.  Like normal, my good friend, Brad Roberts built out the site, and we’ve both been amazed to see the project come together.

Some of the new features include:

• Greater emphasis on the chat room, built from scratch so that it will include all the features we’ve wanted for a while.  Most importantly, it no longer requires the Java plugin to work.
• A map that shows all the connections.
• Easier access to the sharing/invite buttons.
• And some really cool transitions – opening and closing the chat window as well as “turning down the lights”.

Our biggest hope is that these changes will help more people discover the truth of Jesus and connect to the growing community of Faith Promise Church.

I’m currently near the end of a week-long vacation with my wife and kids at Fripp Island, off the coast of South Carolina.  We visited here last Christmas, and from that visit we hoped to come back and try out the beach in the summertime.  It’s been a fantastic vacation – the island is a nature preserve, and we’ve frequently seen deer, racoons, and even alligators (one was over 6 feet long) in close proximity to the house where we’re staying.

Yesterday we decided to rent a 17′ Carolina Skiff to navigate the marshes and make our way out to an uninhabited island to look for shells.  This was pretty adventurous for us, since I’ve never driven a motorized boat by myself, our destination was an hour away from the marina at full throttle, and Keri and my shared lack of navigational sense.  There was a sense of anticipation and excitement – even from the kids.

Without a doubt, the boat ride was a highlight of the trip, especially since we came across several groups of dolphins swimming near our boat.  It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.

Then, in the middle of our beautiful and adventurous day, I did a very silly thing.  I put my iPhone into my swimsuit pocket to have it ready for taking photos.  I knew when I did it that it was a bad idea, but I did it anyway.

Just for the record, you should never put a cell phone in your swimsuit pocket.  The odds are against you.

When we found the island beach we were looking for, I jumped out of the boat to carry the kids to shore and keep the boat pushed out far enough that it didn’t get stuck with the falling tide.  It wasn’t till about 20 minutes later, when we were all back in the boat, that I reached for my iPhone and realized that I had created a very expensive paperweight and an even more expensive boat ride.

Concluding Thoughts:

1. Even with the submersion and death of my iPhone, it was still worth the great memory my family created on the ocean yesterday.  There was much more to the story, including Keri having to drive the boat at a moment’s notice two different times and my 4-year-old daughter simultaneously screaming at her that she couldn’t do it.
2. Just before the boat ride, I emailed a few photos to my email account so that I’d have them for a blog post.  Otherwise, I would have lost most of our photos from the trip.
3. I miss my iPhone tremendously.  It’s been less than 24 hours, but any time I think about needing a map, checking email, or taking a photo, my heart is stabbed with grief.
4. Rumor has it that the new iPhone will be announced in just a few days.  Perfect timing!

If you haven’t used Google Chrome, Google’s internet browser, you really need to check it out.  It’s very simple and fast, and it’s the primary browser I use at home and the secondary browser I use at work.

The behind the scenes video below is pretty interesting.  It shows the team making some videos to demonstrate the speed of the browser, and it includes a potato gun.  Very nice!

Updated: Here’s the finished video:

Early tomorrow morning (Wednesday), my mom will take the next step in her colon cancer treatment and will have the first of two surgeries.  I’m heading to Houston tomorrow morning to spend a few days with her, Dad, my brother Phil, and his wife Emily.

We would all appreciate your prayers for her – that the surgery will go well and that God will give her a quick recovery afterwards.

About two weeks ago, during our staff retreat at the Cove in Asheville, God impacted my heart in a huge way. I can’t exactly put my finger on what is happeneing in my soul, but I feel a new work of God happening in my heart.

I feel a new sense of urgency in prayer and an increased passion for the ministry He has called me to.  At the same time, I have a clearer understanding of my my brutally selfish nature.  In opposition to it, I’m asking God to expand my capacity for service without recognition.

Some of what I’ve seen in my heart bothers me, but other parts give me great hope in the future. As I battle against my flesh, I’m praying that God will use this time to draw me even nearer to Himself.  I’m praying that He will work through me in a way that earns glory only for Himself.

Earlier this week, my youngest brother Phillip accepted a position administrating the finances of Experience Life Church in Lubbock, TX.  I’m very excited for him.  Not only is it exciting to see him enter the ministry on a vocational level, but I’m also fired up about his church.  They’ve had phenomenal growth (Outreach Magazine’s fastest growing church of 2009) and they’re seeing a lot of lives changed.

I’m super proud of my brother, and I’m praying God will use him in a big way to enhance the ministry at Experience Life Church.  This is a new position for both my brother and the church, so I’m sure he’d appreciate you prayers as well.

Whether you’ve met my brother or not, you’ve got to check out this video of him from a few years back. (I’m sure he’ll appreciate that I’ve posted this online.)