Posts
Ok, ok, I know ... it was the cheesiest title that I could think of, but I've always been drawn to alliteration. *shrug*
A friend of mine shared this video on Facebook this week. It made me laugh so I thought I would share it with you. Those of you who remember Metallica's popular song "Enter Sandman" will enjoy the flashback.
P.S. Is anyone else wondering when spell check is going to start recognizing words like "Facebook," "Friending," "Tweeps," and "Twubs?" How long did it take to include blog and blogger?
(HT to DeNifty for the link)
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Sunday, November 1, 2009
On Blogging and Social Media ...
I'm a shy person, an introvert. I typically prefer to listen to points of view, think about them for a looong time, hold them up to a Biblical worldview, and then respond.
Blogging helps me in that it forces me to take the time to process the flood of communication that comes at me like a freight train everyday. (Never mind that I haven't been writing very much, (ahem) I have been very busy:)
In case your curious, here are a handful of blogs that I follow with Google Reader:
Challies.com - in his words it's a "compendium of articles, information and book reviews. If the blog has a primary focus, it would likely be commentary on the contemporary church and its interaction with the culture around us." (I never would have come up with "compendium.")
Kevin DeYoung - Senior Pastor at University Reformed Church in East Lansing, Michigan, Kevin interacts with theology and culture as well. He is the coauthor of Why We're Not Emergent By Two Guys Who Should Be.
On a less serious note:
Stuff Christians Like by Jon Acuff - a satire blog that seeks to answer the question, "Does the stuff we like ever get in the way of the God we love?"
FlowerDust.net by author and speaker, Anne Jackson - a lot of good "food for thought."
Bryan Allain - he does alot of creative and funny stuff ... I haven't been following him long, so enter at your own risk :).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have been at my job with the SIM communications team for one year as of November 5, and although I am more used to the enormous amount of content (a couple hundred missionary newsletters each month, SIM project updates, a couple hundred blogs, and emails about a myriad of other things, to name a few ...) that comes my way, it is still a struggle to #1 keep up, #2 to filter it, and then #3 prioritize it all and publish what needs to be published.
Having said that, it is an exciting place to be also. It is a constant reminder to me of how big God is, and that he is constantly at work throughout the world ... that even amidst all of the pain and suffering, there is hope!
Compared to Facebook and Twitter, and some blogs—not mine, a website is relatively static content. Facebooking and tweeting—two new verbs created by our social media generation (tweeting not so much created, but definitely redefined)—allow people to put out a constant stream of information. Some of it is useful and some not so much, but these interfaces can connect you with people that you don't even know who have the same interests or mission as you do.
For those of you who might be confused about Twitter, it is really more of a platform to network, connect with people that you don't know, unlike Facebook, which is set up to connect more with people that you do know. Twitter is like Facebook on steroids. As long as your account is setup as "public," anyone can "follow" your "tweets," 140 character statements that you place on your profile, and you can follow theirs.
But like I said, I am shy, so there is part of me that resists "putting my life out there" for all to see. What I am realizing though is that I do have a message that's worth putting out there—it is a message of hope. It's not about me at all. It's fundamentally about telling folks that God does love them, and secondarily it's telling them how they can get involved in bringing that hope to others. In a world where much of the news is bad news, there is GOOD news to share! If you're a Christ-follower, I especially encourage you to share it!
I have seen this happen on Facebook in particular. Someone will write an encouraging Biblical post one day, you know, a praise the Lord kind of thing, and a ridiculously sexual or sarcastic post or video the next day. I don't get that.
Be consistent in your message, whatever it is. Otherwise, it's kind of like blowing by someone on the road and maybe even giving them the finger ... the last thing they see is the "I love Jesus" bumper sticker on your car as you cruise by ... I'm just sayin'.
Seriously, our words are powerful and when you use social media, you aren't just talking to a friend or two, your talking to hundreds, if not thousands of people. It is Sunday, I have the right to a one point sermon don't I?
Blogging helps me in that it forces me to take the time to process the flood of communication that comes at me like a freight train everyday. (Never mind that I haven't been writing very much, (ahem) I have been very busy:)
In case your curious, here are a handful of blogs that I follow with Google Reader:
Challies.com - in his words it's a "compendium of articles, information and book reviews. If the blog has a primary focus, it would likely be commentary on the contemporary church and its interaction with the culture around us." (I never would have come up with "compendium.")
Kevin DeYoung - Senior Pastor at University Reformed Church in East Lansing, Michigan, Kevin interacts with theology and culture as well. He is the coauthor of Why We're Not Emergent By Two Guys Who Should Be.
On a less serious note:
Stuff Christians Like by Jon Acuff - a satire blog that seeks to answer the question, "Does the stuff we like ever get in the way of the God we love?"
FlowerDust.net by author and speaker, Anne Jackson - a lot of good "food for thought."
Bryan Allain - he does alot of creative and funny stuff ... I haven't been following him long, so enter at your own risk :).
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have been at my job with the SIM communications team for one year as of November 5, and although I am more used to the enormous amount of content (a couple hundred missionary newsletters each month, SIM project updates, a couple hundred blogs, and emails about a myriad of other things, to name a few ...) that comes my way, it is still a struggle to #1 keep up, #2 to filter it, and then #3 prioritize it all and publish what needs to be published.
Having said that, it is an exciting place to be also. It is a constant reminder to me of how big God is, and that he is constantly at work throughout the world ... that even amidst all of the pain and suffering, there is hope!
Facebooking and tweeting ...
Compared to Facebook and Twitter, and some blogs—not mine, a website is relatively static content. Facebooking and tweeting—two new verbs created by our social media generation (tweeting not so much created, but definitely redefined)—allow people to put out a constant stream of information. Some of it is useful and some not so much, but these interfaces can connect you with people that you don't even know who have the same interests or mission as you do.
For those of you who might be confused about Twitter, it is really more of a platform to network, connect with people that you don't know, unlike Facebook, which is set up to connect more with people that you do know. Twitter is like Facebook on steroids. As long as your account is setup as "public," anyone can "follow" your "tweets," 140 character statements that you place on your profile, and you can follow theirs.
But like I said, I am shy, so there is part of me that resists "putting my life out there" for all to see. What I am realizing though is that I do have a message that's worth putting out there—it is a message of hope. It's not about me at all. It's fundamentally about telling folks that God does love them, and secondarily it's telling them how they can get involved in bringing that hope to others. In a world where much of the news is bad news, there is GOOD news to share! If you're a Christ-follower, I especially encourage you to share it!
A word of caution ... be consistent
I have seen this happen on Facebook in particular. Someone will write an encouraging Biblical post one day, you know, a praise the Lord kind of thing, and a ridiculously sexual or sarcastic post or video the next day. I don't get that.
Be consistent in your message, whatever it is. Otherwise, it's kind of like blowing by someone on the road and maybe even giving them the finger ... the last thing they see is the "I love Jesus" bumper sticker on your car as you cruise by ... I'm just sayin'.
Seriously, our words are powerful and when you use social media, you aren't just talking to a friend or two, your talking to hundreds, if not thousands of people. It is Sunday, I have the right to a one point sermon don't I?
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Kenyan Man Meets His Compassion Sponsor at Catalyst 2009
This video was captured at the Catalyst 2009 Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, last week. Jimmy Wambua, now an MBI student, shares his story and meets the man who sponsored him through Compassion International when he was a small child living in a Kenyan slum. Very powerful. HT to Bryan Allain, who was there, and posted this on his blog.
It is a bit long, but Jimmy shares at 3:45 so if you don't watch it all, please watch from there. You won't be sorry!
It is a bit long, but Jimmy shares at 3:45 so if you don't watch it all, please watch from there. You won't be sorry!
Friday, September 25, 2009
Exercising by Osmosis
Today was "Casual Friday" at the workplace, which means that we not only get to wear jeans and tennis shoes, but those who want to can chip in on a community lunch, and we all gather together on the big porch out back to eat and enjoy spending some time together.
After a nice meal of sub sandwiches and chips, and just before the brownie Sunday dessert was placed on the serving table, the ladies at my table began to talk—as invariably a group of women will do—about weight-loss and working out. So I shared my story.
So there's this thing that I do ... not every weekend, but it happens more than I would care to admit. I get up on Saturday mornings and putz around the house, checking my email and Facebook accounts to see what I have missed, and then often I will go in and turn on the TV and flip through the channels as I wake up for the day. That doesn't sound so bad, but the interesting part is ... I always seem to land on one of those infomercials for the latest workout program, which I will sit in my recliner and watch for a good 30 minutes—with no thought about how useless it is! I mean truly, it is like I think that if I sit and watch someone else work out, I can be proud that I started my day with "a workout" ... sure, not mine maybe, but it's a workout! Right?!
After the laughter died down, one of my coworkers confessed that she has done the same thing! She said when she lived in Ethiopia a few years ago, she would actually go and put in a video of Jane Fonda, and then proceed to do other things around the house. Why would she do that you ask? "Because," she said, "I liked to hear Jane tell me 'well done' at the end of the video!" Hilarious!
I don't know which confession is more pathetic, but I have to admit that it made me feel good that I am not the only one who does such things. What about you? Do you ever exercise by osmosis?
Hmmm ... tomorrow is Saturday again, what will I do? ;D
After a nice meal of sub sandwiches and chips, and just before the brownie Sunday dessert was placed on the serving table, the ladies at my table began to talk—as invariably a group of women will do—about weight-loss and working out. So I shared my story.
So there's this thing that I do ... not every weekend, but it happens more than I would care to admit. I get up on Saturday mornings and putz around the house, checking my email and Facebook accounts to see what I have missed, and then often I will go in and turn on the TV and flip through the channels as I wake up for the day. That doesn't sound so bad, but the interesting part is ... I always seem to land on one of those infomercials for the latest workout program, which I will sit in my recliner and watch for a good 30 minutes—with no thought about how useless it is! I mean truly, it is like I think that if I sit and watch someone else work out, I can be proud that I started my day with "a workout" ... sure, not mine maybe, but it's a workout! Right?!
After the laughter died down, one of my coworkers confessed that she has done the same thing! She said when she lived in Ethiopia a few years ago, she would actually go and put in a video of Jane Fonda, and then proceed to do other things around the house. Why would she do that you ask? "Because," she said, "I liked to hear Jane tell me 'well done' at the end of the video!" Hilarious!
I don't know which confession is more pathetic, but I have to admit that it made me feel good that I am not the only one who does such things. What about you? Do you ever exercise by osmosis?
Hmmm ... tomorrow is Saturday again, what will I do? ;D
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)