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PALMPOWER SITE OF THE MONTH
Web site provides go-anywhere access to God's Word
By Steve Niles
Just as our new president is attempting to blur the line between church and state, the good folks behind February's PalmPower Site of the Month are attempting to bridge the gap between church and technology. The Daily Reflections Web site at http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html is the work of the Collaborative Ministry Office at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. The University is pictured in Figure A.
FIGURE A
 
Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska is the home of Daily Reflections. Roll over picture for a larger image.
Creighton University is one of 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States. The Daily Reflection page of the university's Web site is written by fifty ordinary people from around the campus. The page contains a calendar with a unique reflection for every day of the year. The reflections are read by people all over the world, and according to Andy Alexander, S.J., Vice President for Univeristy Ministry, many readers wrote to ask the Collaborative Ministry Office to make the Daily Reflection site "palmable."
In order to meet that request, they created an AvantGo channel, and now anyone anywhere can receive the Daily Reflections, as well as Scripture readings, right on his or her Palm device. Two week's worth of reflections and readings are available at any one time.
The reflections can be quite fascinating to read, even for non-Jesuits. I was very interested to learn, for example, that February 2 is the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, which is the last feast of the Christmas Season, a fact that will only enhance my usual Groundhog Day celebrations.
An example of a Daily Reflection as it appears on a Palm device is pictured in Figure B.
FIGURE B
Every Daily Reflection starts with links to appropriate Bible passages.
Each entry includes biographical information on the author, links to appropriate Bible passages (which can also be read on your PDA), and the day's reflection. Alexander considers this achievement "a wonderful blend of technology and spirituality." It also serves as a good example, to other organizations, of an exciting new way to reach out to members and prospective members.
Product availability and resources
For more information on Daily Reflections, visit http://www.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/daily.html.
For more information on AvantGo, visit https://avantgo.com.
For more information about Palm computers, visit http://www.palm.com.
Your site can earn this special banner
Do you run a special site, one that provides a great resource for Palm device users? If so, your site may be eligible for consideration as the PalmPower Site of the Month. If chosen, you'll even be entitled to display the snazzy banner shown in Figure C.
FIGURE C
Is your site cool enough to be the PalmPower Site of the Month?
If you'd like your site to be considered for the PalmPower Site of the Month, send email to steve_niles@palmpower.com. Please specify "PALMPOWER COOLSITE" in the subject field of your email, and include a paragraph or two about what makes your site special.
Bulk reprints
Bulk reprints of this article (in quantities of 100 or more) are available for a fee from Reprint Services, a ZATZ business partner. Contact them at reprints@zatz.com or by calling 1-800-217-7874.
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Steve Niles is Senior Editor for ZATZ Publishing. He is also an independent filmmaker and freelance writer. For more information, visit http://www.sn-films.com.
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