I got an email from Redbox today with a promo code for a free movie rental, good from now until October 31, 2007. If you’re not familiar with Redbox, it’s an automated movie rental vending machine found in most McDonald’s restaurants. Movie rentals only cost $1! Check out www.redbox.com to find the closest location near you.

Use this promo code at Redbox to get one free movie rental between 10/23/07 and 10/31/07: TREAT

[tags]Redbox, movies, rental[/tags]

UPDATE: My free Xbox 360 Elite, game of my choice and a 12 month subscription to Xbox Live is here! Check it out!

I’ve been wanting an Xbox 360 for a long time, but no matter how hard I try I know it will never fit into our budget. Of course, it doesn’t help that I watch Halo 3 trailers and read release notes that make my mouth water. It’s really just plain torture. So, I decided to give MacroBucks a try. Basically, you sign up for a service, fulfill a requirement and get a couple other people to do the same thing and they thank you with a free Xbox 360 Elite (the Elite is the latest upgraded version of the typical Xbox 360 Premium).

Normally I’m very skeptical of these kinds of giveaways because there always seems to be a catch hidden in the Terms of Service that makes the whole thing either illegitimate or totally not worth my time, but I’ve seen BonusXbox360.com mentioned on other sites that I trust, I’ve read some positive reviews on blogs, seen lots of forum posts and even read the entire Terms of Service agreement. This is the real deal. All I need are a couple other people who want an Xbox 360 Elite for free, too!

HOW IT WORKS
It’s pretty easy to do. It probably takes about 10 minutes to setup. Click on the link below, register, pick an account type (referral is the easiest) and complete just 1 or 2 offers. This is not like other sites where you need to complete one offer on 2 or 3 different pages. And a lot of these offers are free trials with nothing else to buy and no commitments!

There are plenty of cool offers to choose from, such as Blockbuster online, Stamp.com, Netflix and Gamefly, services you might regularly sign up for anyway. I’m doing the Stamps.com 30 day free trial since I’m selling a lot of stuff on ebay and will be mailing it all within the next couple of days anyway. There’s no commitment or obligation, so I’ll cancel the order when I’m done with it. Another good offer is renting DVDs through Blockbuster online (it’ll cost ya $9.95 to try it).

After signing up and completing your one offer, simply refer 8-13 people (depending on the free prize you choose) to do the same under your link. Then they will ship your 360 Elite or your selected item for free.

Step 1: Click on this link: http://www.bonusxbox360.com/?referral=10265

Step 2: Sign up and create an account.

Step 3: Complete 1 or 2 trial offers (like Blockbuster or Netflix) to reach 1.0 credit and refer at least 6 people to do the same.

Step 4: Receive your Xbox 360 Elite for FREE!

Here’s a news report and also another one on YouTube that explain how all this works and proves that it is indeed legit.

Anyone wanna help me and work towards their own free Xbox 360 Elite?

DISCLAIMER: I realize this is totally outside the usual scope of my blog and most readers aren’t interested in this kinda stuff, but I still felt like sharing this away.

Bad Story
I’ve had all sorts of troubles with our new DirecTV service. I can never, in good conscience, recommend their service to anyone for many reasons. For example, I didn’t get the free DVR when we first signed up, so I called back two weeks later to ask that it be added to my package, as the installation guy recommended. Turns out I can’t get it for free anymore because I haven’t been a customer long enough to establish credit. But they’ll give it away for free to new customers?!

And then I specifically did not sign for the monthly equipment protection plan. I even have the carbon copy to prove it, but yet there it is on the bill. This irks me that they would charge me for it anyway, so I call customer service to have it removed. After being transfered eight times, it turns out I can cancel the service, but it’ll cost me $10 to do so. At first I thought they were kidding. Who charges a customer to cancel a service they never signed up for?! Since this was my fifth hassle with the company, I asked to just cancel my account altogether. That got their attention! Two minutes later I was talking with a manger who refunded the service charges with no questions asked. Why couldn’t they have done that in the first place?

Good Story
My wife’s Saturn Vue was having some problems, but we couldn’t find a mechanic in the area that would honor our extended warranty service agreement. So, I called the Saturn dealership in Texas that sold us the car and the warranty plan and they jumped into action like it was a code-red emergency. In less than 24 hours, the general manager of all the Saturn dealerships in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area called me asking for the phone number of the mechanic we wanted to service our car. He called the mechanic personally, instructed them how to submit the claim and then called me right back saying the mechanic had agreed to work on our car and honor the warranty. Now that’s service!

Man, it’s the second week of April and it’s snowing again! What’s the deal with this crazy state? Minnesota is definitely not the same as Texas. More sledding coming up!

TOP 10 GUIDE TO “STRESS LESS” HOLIDAYS

1. SIMPLICITY’S STRENGTH
Keep it simple. Real simple. Activities, menus, shopping, traditions, decorating. Expensive or elaborate is not better.

2. START FOCUSING
Take time in the next day or so to sit down with pen, paper, and calendar. Keeping in mind your time, energy, and finances, realistically plan your tasks and activities, so that they don’t control you. Regular time with the Lord is of utmost importance, yet is often the first thing to go. Make it a priority for you and your family. Allot time for yourself, too, and for those people that bring you joy!

3. STAY HEALTHY
Sugar-laden, fat-filled foods beckon! Allow yourself a very small helping, and then get back to eating sensibly, drinking lots of water, exercising regularly. Get outside! Walk in the snow. Go ice skating or cross-country skiing.

4. SIMPLY DELEGATE
You don’t have to do it all. Be surprised at what your spouse, children, or nieces and nephews can do! Let them help wrap gifts, decorate the tree, or bake the cookies. They can address and stamp Christmas cards or lend a hand with household chores. This is not a time for perfection - it’s a time for joy!

5. SAY “NO!”
You don’t have to attend every event. Your children don’t have to be out every night of the week. Give yourself permission to stay home!

6. SHOP SMART
Make a complete list before you venture out. Go by yourself, so you’re not distracted. Shop early, wearing good walking shoes and loose clothing. Be sure and stop for a healthy lunch along the way. Gift cards save lots of time when shopping for picky teens. Gift certificates for restaurants are a treat for recipients on a tight budget. Utilize the internet and catalogs. If you’re home during the day, home-baked goodies or hand-crafted items are a real treat for those who work outside the home. Is there someone on your list who has everything? Check out Samaritan’s Purse. They offer a beautiful gift catalog that allows you to provide urgently needed necessities to those who have little, in honor of the recipient.

7. SILENCE SELFISHNESS
To ward off the propensity for greed, encourage your children to make a list of what they want to give to others instead of what they want for themselves. Assist them with their gifts - a plate of cookies that they bake and decorate, a framed hand-crafted drawing, coupons to shovel snow, babysit, walk the dog, or clean the house. Participate with them in toy, food, or clothing drives that emphasize giving to others.

8. SELECTIVELY DECORATE
No, you don’t need to put out every Christmas decoration you have. This year, only choose to display and use the things you really take pleasure in. A simple candle in each window and a beautiful wreath on the door goes a long way.

9. SHOW HOSPITALITY
You are most likely surrounded by people who find the holidays difficult - the elderly, the handicapped, those who are grieving, people away from their families. An invitation for a simple home-cooked meal is a tremendous blessing to both the giver and receiver. Or show Christ’s graciousness at a local soup kitchen, homeless shelter, or home for abused women.

10. SPIRITUAL TRADITIONS
Christmas caroling in the neighborhood. A birthday cake for Jesus on Christmas Eve. Attending holiday services as a family. Reading of the Christmas story in Luke before opening gifts. Three gifts under the tree for each person, honoring the three wise men, instead of piles of unappreciated, expensive presents. Taking turns sharing what you’re most thankful for during Christmas dinner. Using the Christmas cards you’ve received, praying for one family each day.

Copyright, 2002. All rights reserved.
Linda R. Stoll, M.S., C.L.C.
(Used with permission. Thanks, Linda!)

Linda is a personal friend of mine with a deep heart for developing people both spiritually and emotionally. Her e-zine provides a unique intermingling of the worlds of life coaching, pastoral counseling, and spiritual direction. It is an ideal toolbox for coaches, ministry leaders, people helpers - and people at “a crossroads” in life. Sign up for her Crossroads Journal by sending an e-mail to:
coachingatthecrossroads@yahoo.com

[tags]holidays, Christmas, stress[/tags]

Wow, God just did a huge thing for my me and my wife!

We’re both big fans of [tag]Youth Specialties[/tag]‘ [tag]National Youth Workers Convention[/tag] and have attended several of them over the years. This year I was especially glad to see the [tag]NYWC[/tag] coming to [tag]Austin[/tag] since it’s relatively close to us here in Dallas and would save us a lot of transportation costs (driving 10 hours to Nashville last year was pretty rough). However, a quick estimate of the registration costs, food, lodging and gas easily went way over this year’s youth budget. My wife and I evaluated whether or not we could cover the expenses out of our own pocket, but there’s just no way. So, knowing we wouldn’t get there on our own, we decided to trust God with the details.

To make a long story short, Marko, president of Youth Specialties, heard about my request to find an affordable way to attend the convention this weekend and e-mailed me yesterday saying he’ll cover the registration costs for me and Dana if we can still make the trip! I read the e-mail and my heart stopped. I re-read it and then read it again just to make sure it was real. Dana worked it out with her job to take Friday and Monday off work, our interim pastor gave me the go-ahead, God lead us to a quality hotel at a dirt-cheap price and now we’re set to go! Woo hoo! Thanks [tag]Marko[/tag]!

I’ll do my best to blog throughout the convention about what the Lord’s teaching me, new youth ministry ideas, cool resources, pictures, etc, so check back often.

Thanks God! I can’t wait for Friday!

Tonight Dana and I ran to the grocery store tonight to pick up a couple items and I see they’re already selling Christmas stuff! What’s up with that? It’s September 25! We’re still about two months away from Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations are for sale. I took a picture of it with my phone just to prove it to you… This is ridiculous.

This is a big question rolling around in my mind. I’ve had many experiences with homeless people that have shaped my perspective on them.

While growing up there were several occasions of homeless people knocking on our door asking for lunch money. Rather than giving what they, sought my mom would often make a sandwich instead (especially since we didn’t grow up with a huge cash flow either), but 9 times out of 10 we would return to the back door with their lunch only to find no one there. Apparently they didn’t really want a meal. If they were hungry enough they would’ve stuck around for it.

My parents were always generous in helping people in need. Over the course of my life they had many people live with us in our little house, including two teenage girls and a guy transitioning from prison back into real life. We also found housing for a homeless guy who appeared to be serious about finding a job and turning his life around, but unfortunately he sucked up the hospitality for all he could get from it and then went back to the street.

Last year I still followed my parent’s example and took in a guy for almost a week. I blogged about it HERE. Even two months ago Dana and I were at the mall in Texarkana when a guy asked me for gas money so he could continue his trip to something important in Dallas. I told him I don’t just hand out cash, but that I’d be willing to go up the the gas station with him. He agreed to meet me in a couple minutes when Dana and I finished what we were doing, but he never showed up.

Along with taking my youth group to feed the homeless in Dallas and regularly visiting a soup kitchen in Philly growing up, these experiences have caused me to be a little skeptical about the honesty of this demographic.

A couple years ago a friend of mine in seminary was talking about the panhandling issue in the Dallas area and said something that altered my perspective. He said,

“These homeless people may take my money and go spend it on drugs and alcohol, but that’s not an excuse I can use to justify whether or not I should be generous. God commands us to give and help those in need. What they decide to do with my generosity is between them and God, not me. I’m responsible to God, not to what I think they’ll do with the money.”

This was pretty much my outlook until a recent post by The Homeless Guy, a blog I only recently started reading. Read this homeless man’s entire entry. Here’s clips of it:

1) Not all panhandlers are homeless.
2) Most homeless people do not panhandle.
3) Nearly all money given to panhandlers is used to buy drugs and alcohol.

Feeding addictions is the sole goal of nearly all panhandlers. Sure, they may use some of the money to buy food; even drugs addicts get hungry, but if a person were to give food instead of money to a panhandler, that panhandler will be able to save more of his money for drugs….

My recommendation has always been, and still is, to not give money to panhandlers….

In being good stewards, it would only be right to get to know the people you intend to assist with money and other things, before actually giving them.

So now, instead of helping these people without assuming responsibility for any addictions, here’s an actual homeless man telling me to do otherwise. The Homeless Guy goes on to say that he does encourage giving food to homeless people since it’s harder to obtain meals now, so should that be the extent of my on-the-spot giving? Getting to know a homeless person I intend to assist isn’t really that practical most of the time, so what do I do? Do I continue to give of my resources regardless of how they decide to use it? Or, do I keep God’s blessings to myself in the name of “helping them overcome problems?”

Dear Pastor Rol,

Dana and I will always remember you and the influence you’ve had on our lives, both individually and together as a couple. Thank you for not giving up on us when we had given up on each other, for your continued wisdom and insight and gentle but firm correction. If it wasn’t for you, Dana and I might have separated forever and definitely would not be happily married right now. It’s obvious the Lord brought us together for many reasons, reasons that will have an eternal impact on many people’s lives. The fingerprint you left on us will be passed on to our children and others we reach in ministry.

Personally, I’m indebted to you for everything you’ve taught me about ministry, working with people, values, communication and leadership. The person I was back when I first came to Redeemer and the person I am now are two very different people. I’ve grown and matured a lot from our partnership. The good times we’ve gone through as well as the tough times have all taught me to respect you, trust you, and admire the dependence on God displayed through your leadership, something I hope to model for others as I have learned from you. Thank you for empowering me to be successful at Redeemer, for always sticking by my side and for your continued guidance through all situations.

Both you and Joyce mean a lot to me and Dana. We will always love you, cherish you, and support you as you’ve taught me and Dana to do for each other. We’re very grateful to the Lord for the time He put you on loan to us and, although it’s hard to see you go, we’re excited that the Lord will continue to use you to impact many others in Minnesota.

May the Lord bless you as richly as He’s blessed us through you. We love you, Pastor Rol!

With all our love and prayers,
Tim and Dana Schmoyer

Today I read Marko’s post about feeling kinda weird after being recognized in Starbucks by a random youth pastor. It brought to memory a time several years ago when I was at the YS National Youth Worker’s Convention in Atlanta. A random lady, in a VERY crowded elevator, asked me about my Nashville tee-shirt. I told her I worked for a youth ministry there, she asked which one, I said, “ZJam Youth Ministries,” and she exclaimed, “You mean the one with Bill Scott?!!” I said yes and she started telling me how much she loves the radio show. Then she asked me what I did for ZJam and after I told her I authored the online NeXT STeP Bible Studies, she just freaked out. I was seriously ready for that elevator to reach a destination because I was feeling pretty uncomfortable along with everyone else in there, I’m sure. She asked, “Are you Tim Schmoyer?!!” and when I told her I was, she got even more excited and told me how much she loved the Bible studies I wrote and how her youth group uses them as their weekly curriculum. Thankfully the elevator stopped and I just pretended that it was my floor and got off. It was seriously weird. I took the stairs the rest of the way.