New Computer

My son-in-law Mike built me a new computer yesterday. It is working great. I can now go on Skype and talk with people. If you are interested in a skype conversation let me know your address.

I am hoping to begin video conferencing via skype, maybe even a conference on Spiritual Journaling or Thomas Merton. Any takers? Skype me and we will talk about it. Send me an email and I will send skype address.

It really sounds like a good idea. I am excited about it. Wouldn't it be wonderful to try something like that. Maybe we could put the conference on You Tube. Just what exciting ideas are already around. Put this in your prayer journal. Thanks.

"Christian Voices"

Dear Friends who read my blog, I want to share with you an email I
received tonight from my friend Bob Karger. Bob is the editor of
Christian Voices, an inspirational email piece he sends out a couple of
times a week. This magazine is free via email and includes humour and
inspirational messages. Bob wants more readers and below is his email
address to subscribe. Be sure you tell him you read about it in Dan
Phillips blog.

Really, I owe more to Bob than I can ever repay. For the past 7 years as
a chaplain at a hospital I often send inspirational stories and humour.
To be truthful most of the humour I have sent out came from Bob. The
humour has been a tremendous inspiration to over 1000 hospital workers
who get my notes. I can't tell you how many times Bob's humour has
helped our hospital workers who have had a really tough job. So thanks
Bob I can never repay for you have done. Keep up the good work and
friends write to cvworldwide@wmconnect.com
for a free subscription.
--------------------READ BELOW
On Fri, 27 Jun 2008 9:10 pm, CVWorldwide@wmconnect.com wrote:
> Good evening,
>
> I hope that you enjoy receiving and reading "Christian Voices"- and
> hopefully sharing each one with others.
>
> We constantly strive to reach out to everyone that we can to bring them
> "Christian Voices". It isn't easy.
>
> We have sent out tens of thousands of "Invitations" to subscribe to
> "Christian Voices". It's like having a small retail store. The store
> may have hundreds of people browsing through the shelves, but there are
> usually relatively "customers". The return for sending out invitations
> for "Christian Voices" in terms of number of new subscribers is only 1
> - 2%. Sending out 10,000 invitations may, on a good day, bring only 100
> - 200 new subscriptions. Frankly, that's a poor return considering the
> tremendous amount of time and effort it takes to send out those
> invitations. But, still, we do it because it still means bringing His
> "SONshine" to at least some new subscribers.
>
> The best advertising for anything is "word-of'-mouth". If you enjoy
> "Christian Voices", perhaps the members of your church will also enjoy
> receiving and reading "Christian Voices".
>
> We would like to send you a supply of color flyers that invite people
> to try "Christian Voices". Thousands of the flyers have already been
> sent to many locatons throughout the world to be placed in church
> bulletins and newsletters and church vestibles. The flyers are the
> perfect size for that - only 5 1/2 x 8. Would you help distribute the
> flyers by placing them in your church bulletins, church and/or
> association newsletters, and/or in your church vestible? If you like,
> we would be glad to also send you a small clear plastic stand that can
> be placed on a desk, table, or counter to display the flyers, for
> example in the foyer or vestible of your church. Or, we would be glad
> to send you a sufficient number of copies of the flyer for
> distributiion to all your church members as well as an additional
> number of copies and a plastic stand to be placed in the front
> entranceway of your church. We can send you hundreds, thousands - or as
> many copies of the flyer that you could distribute to all your church
> members. There is no cost to you - we pay for the paper and printing,
> the plastic stands, and the shipping to anywhere in the world!
>
> If you would help by distributing the flyers in some fashion, please
> let us know how many copies of the flyers to send to you and the postal
> address where to send them. (Also let me know if you need a
> holder/stand for the flyers.)
>
> Thanks very much!
>
> Blessings!
>
> Bob

http://danphillips.blogspot.com

Henry Miller Library

Bad news. One of my favorite places was threatened today in the Big Sur fire. We went there 2 years ago. Hope it doesn't burn.

http://www.kerouac.com/ourblog/july1704/HMML-1.jpg

The Abbey of Gethsemani

The Abbey of Gethsemani has redone their website. It is great. Check it
out.

http://monks.org/

Sign of the Times

I am going to bed early. A difficult day. A close friend's wife died, a
former neighbor and co-worker. But also very disturbing to me are things
I see happening because of economic problems. I find myself dealing
with more homeless people or people with loved ones in the hospital with
no food to eat. Plus patients are much sicker ! Speculation is that the
reason is people can't afford to go to doctor so they are really sick
when they show up at the ER and need admitted. Our facility is full.
People just plain tired from working hard in an emotionally charged
atmosphere.

Nationwide more and more people are finding self in such a state. maybe
God is trying to say something. "If my people.................."

It is late. I am tired. Just got a call someone is dying. My prayer is
he will last long enough for me to get some sleep before I go.

Buena Vista Social Club

I have just finished watching the Buena Vista Social Club. What a
wonderful movie. The likes of Ry Cooter and Wim Wenders made this a real
treat and to think I had never heard of either of these men until, by a
fortunate mistake by Barnes and Noble, I accidentally received a book of
photographs by Wim Wenders sent from London. Isn't that how God works.
Amazing.

Found this sermon by Stuart Taylor that mentions the Buena Vista Social
Club.

The God Who Makes Laughter For Us

http://www.stmarkspresbyterian.org/stmarks/sermons/7jul02.htm

Up and Downs

Last evening I spent time with a noted movie actor's wife. He had just
died. She said, "actors never die, they just fade away." There may not
be an obituary for him although he has a 3 page list of movies and tv
programs he has been on.
"He was a character actor who played priests and policeman," she said.
The truth may be known, we all just fade away.

A nice note from David E. Feldman. You might check out his website. He
has published 3 books and has produced some good films.

From: Vessel Films <info@vesselfilms.us>
To: brodan@tmail.com
Subject: Your blog
Date: Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:58:48 -0400

Hi Brother Dan

I just want to let you know I am a fan of your blog.

My spiritual journey led to finding the commonalities among belief
systems -- there are many roads to the top of the mountain.

I recently made a documentary film ('What Does It All Mean? A Spiritual
Documentary') about how much all our journeys have in common.

Keep up the good work!

best,

Dave

David E. Feldman

Vessel Films, LLC

68 Barnes St.

Long Beach, NY 11561

p: 516 432 5586

f: 516 897 0114

http://www.VesselFilms.us

info@VesselFilms.us

Radical Acceptance

This is Regina's blog, a summary of the week and God's work in her
life.

http://reginakingdomsigns.blogspot.com/

THIS WEEK

The best part was my 80 year old Aunt coming to Tennessee feom Louisana
to visit me. We had lots of fun, sinned by eating at Monell's and the
Loveless cafe.

Sorta sad, my friend Robin's last day at work was Friday. I will miss
her.

"Lord God, for this week I thank you for friends and relatives you have
put in my life. What a blessing. Thanks. And yes it is summer time, not
winter."

Silence in the Wind

I am taking the day off from work and spending time in a nearby park
praying. "I am rejoicing......for your grief led to repentence," says
the apostle Paul. Yes, we are weighed down by sin and the world, but
above me a small bird sings his song, a reminder that God is always
there. Like the wind he is there but you can't see him. Praise His Holy
Name for the quiet, the silence.

Compline

It has been a busy day. I am preparing for my Aunt Jenny's visit
tomorrow night. She is my only living member of my mother's family. She
is 80 and this is her first visit in many years. I am excited about her
visit.

Just completed mowing and am sitting on my back patio. It is compline
time. The evening time is quiet. I am always reminded of the Abbey of
Gethsemani and Father Matthew Kelty's evening talks after compline.
Memory is what God shares with me tonight. Good memories. A sharing of
God's word through others. A night of stillness and silence is what
compline reminds me of.

Discerning Kingdom signs as the practice of a community

Steve Taylor writes about an online journal used as a discernment
opportunity by church members. It is a neat idea. Read his post and join
in.

http://www.emergentkiwi.org.nz/archives/discerning_kingdom_signs_as_the_practice_of_a_community.php

MY FIRST ENTRY

Today, after our noon chapel 3 of us spent time sharing about God's work
in our lives. One young man shared how he was teaching by example to his
young son how to live. His son went to a barbershop and the barber was
playing an illegal tape. His son realized about it and asked his dad.
His dad said, "You can't steal and be in God's will."

Later that night a preacher was sharing a sermon with my friend and made
the statement, "if someone in your family dies and your name is not in
the will how much money do you get?" a good question !!

What about God's will for you?

Battle of Franklin

Living in Franklin, Tennessee, for over 25 years one does not easily
forget the Battle of Franklin on November 30, 1864. The Carnton house
which had 5 dead confederate generals dead on the front porch and the
Carter House now a museum with bullet holes easily seen in passing.
Recently they tore down the Pizza Hut and made it into a small park, a
reminder that the Cotton Gin there was a strategic fighting line on that
drastic day.

Across from the small park I the new County library where I checked out
the Simon Winchester books. Just to think books checked out from a place
once a battlefield where men were killed. A pause for thought.

Simon Winchester

I am reading 3 of his books at once, the prime one being The professor
and the Madman, an intellectual discovery related to the editorship of
the Oxford English Dictionary. It has renewed my enthusiasm for The New
English Bible, one of my primary sources for study in seminary. I bought
my first NEB in 1970 for five dollars, a gift from a man whose father
had committed suicide and for whom I preached my first funeral.

Whizz-Kidz-pilgrim, Gareth Thomas

Gareth Thomas is walking from London to Compostello. He hopes to walk
until August1, 2008. Check out his blog as he travel the ancient route
of "The Way of Saint James."

http://whizz-kidz-pilgrim.blogspot.com/

Babysitting

Keeping Baby Jack this evening. He is growing fast, now 9 months old. He is a good boy, trying to find his way around crawling. Blogging has slowed down. I am doing research on the Santiago de Compostelo, the pilgrimage road in Spain where the Apostle James is buried. Wondering what spiritual lessons I can learn.

I get little done these days. Besides work the yard keeps us buzzing. 4-5 hours on Saturday included Hedge cutting etc. Saw Indiana Jones on Saturday. Nice to go to a movie for a while.

Looking forward to a new round of computers. My T-Mobile account runs out in July so I can buy another PDA. The sidekick has about completed its usefulness. Looking at Xperia X1 or HTC Touch Diamond. Who knows. I hope to get live streaming and the possibility of mobile to You Tube for video work, maybe even interviews of interesting people. Keep in touch.

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THIS SUMMER?