FlowerDust.net

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE FLOWERDUST.NET READER POLL

During this blogging down time, I will probably sporadically update but it won’t be consistent. Brad is in the process of redesigning the look and functionality, and in order to make this the best experience for you, I would LOVE for you to take a quick Reader Survey.

I shamelessly stole this idea (and most of the questions) from my friend Mike Hyatt. It’s around 20 questions and most are multiple choice. It should take you just a minute to complete and will provide me with valuable information to make FlowerDust.net even more applicable and encouraging to you.

If you take the survey, leave a comment and be entered in a contest to win an autographed copy of Mad Church Disease (which, by the way, if you have ordered or won any in the last two weeks, I am doing my best to find them. They are still packed from our move and as soon as I unpack them, will ship them out to you!)

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO TAKE THE FLOWERDUST.NET READER POLL

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SKirkham1967A at 2009-07-03T11:59:26Z: QUICK READER POLL - Help Shape This Blog! http://www.flowerdust.net/?p=2841
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TeriRN at 2009-07-02T22:45:38Z: QUICK READER POLL - Help Shape This Blog! http://www.flowerdust.net/?p=2841

At least for a little while. Be back soon.

Somewhere we know that without silence words lose their meaning, that without listening speaking no longer heals, that without distance closeness cannot cure. - Henri Nouwen

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My best friend got married last Friday.

Her husband Shawn has a Harley.

About ten years ago, I saw a guy get hit by an 18-wheeler on a motorcycle on I635 in Dallas (a HUGE highway). Then, my friend Denise fell off of one and had a compound fracture and now has six pins in her arm. I’ve promised I would never EVER ever ride a bike.

At her rehearsal dinner cookout, peer pressure got the best of me and I got on the bike with Shawn and he actually took me out on a highway. For like, fifteen minutes. In flip flops.

So with that story…caption please (for the picture below - not above!)

One of the “second opinions” in Mad Church Disease was written by my friends Shawn Wood. I met Shawn at a conference three years ago. Shawn did a talk called “Brand Schizophrenia” which he ended with what he called “the artist’s mandate.” The mandate was pretty simple and as an artist right up my alley.

Here is how Shawn puts it: We are all artists (Moms, web developers, baseball players, single dads, CEOs, Authors, Pastors etc.) and we have a mandate from God to be Great at the art we produce. The mandate is simply living a life of influence and meaning in a way that will affect others and leave a legacy that all shines back to the master artist that saved us all - Jesus.

There was a publisher at that conference and that simple mandate turned into a book that encourages everyone to be artists called 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One.

Shawn is a story teller. It’s a great story. I like great stories. So, I wanted to give away ten copies of a great story.

As with all book giveaways I would love to give you all one, but alas I only have a limited number…so here is how you can win.

Leave a comment to this post with your favorite book that we should all be reading this summer and a few of you will get the chance to have a autographed copy of 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One sent your way soon!

Use Tweet This below to double your chances!

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**MORE FREE BOOKS**
Shawn’s second book Wasabi Gospel comes out in August and I heard a rumor that he is setting up a book bomb and blog tour for July 8, 2009 - contact him at shawn@shawnwoodwrites.com if you want score a free copy of Wasabi Gospel (and an advance digital copy to boot) by being a part of the tour! Only 100 free books available so act fast!

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Tweets about this post:
nenya71 at 2009-07-02T22:15:53Z: BOOK GIVEAWAY - 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One http://www.flowerdust.net/?p=2817
glass4805 at 2009-06-29T12:30:50Z: BOOK GIVEAWAY - 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One http://www.flowerdust.net/?p=2817
CassieCufr at 2009-06-28T14:34:38Z: BOOK GIVEAWAY - 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One http://www.flowerdust.net/?p=2817
coveredindust at 2009-06-28T03:05:13Z: BOOK GIVEAWAY - 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One http://www.flowerdust.net/?p=2817
coveredindust at 2009-06-28T02:58:24Z: BOOK GIVEAWAY from @FlowerDust- 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One http://www.flowerdust.net/?p=2817
lisa_illuminate at 2009-06-28T02:50:13Z: BOOK GIVEAWAY - 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One http://www.flowerdust.net/?p=2817
j_rein at 2009-06-27T15:39:14Z: BOOK GIVEAWAY - 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One http://www.flowerdust.net/?p=2817
johnalex5 at 2009-06-26T15:54:18Z: BOOK GIVEAWAY - 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One http://www.flowerdust.net/?p=2817
avtoolman at 2009-06-26T15:19:20Z: BOOK GIVEAWAY - 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One http://www.flowerdust.net/?p=2817 Does your church have Mad Church Disease?
StandintheGapUS at 2009-06-26T14:28:25Z: BOOK GIVEAWAY - 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One http://www.flowerdust.net/?p=2817
shanekba at 2009-06-26T14:22:11Z: BOOK GIVEAWAY - 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One http://www.flowerdust.net/?p=2817
Kandychimento at 2009-06-26T13:06:44Z: BOOK GIVEAWAY - 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One http://www.flowerdust.net/?p=2817
SKirkham1967A at 2009-06-26T13:04:32Z: BOOK GIVEAWAY - 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One http://www.flowerdust.net/?p=2817
niki716 at 2009-06-26T12:50:50Z: BOOK GIVEAWAY - 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One http://www.flowerdust.net/?p=2817
jimlugar at 2009-06-26T12:44:35Z: BOOK GIVEAWAY - 200 Pomegranates and an Audience of One http://www.flowerdust.net/?p=2817

Last year, I had the amazing opportunity to host Catalyst Backstage - a behind the scenes look at Catalyst with interviews with speakers, pastors, and conference attenders. You can see some of those interviews here.

This year, I will be hosting Backstage again, and also will be speaking at Catalyst Labs with Los and Jon. As much as I love the Catalyst experience as a whole, the Lab day is secretly my favorite part of the event. Smaller environments, people sitting on the floor, up the walls, wherever there is space hearing exclusive and intimate conversation and thought by the Lab speakers. So…I must highly recommend you not only register for Catalyst, but please register for the Lab day. You will NOT regret it!!!

Anyway, today (Thursday) is the last day you can register at the cheapest rate. And rumor has it if you use the word “TONY” when you register you save even more money.

I personally wonder what other four letter words will get you a discount.

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The Hubs says I look drunk in this video. I’m not. I promise.

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Anyway, so there you have it. A little surgery for this little heart problem. August 14.

I’d appreciate the prayers, and any other reposting of this video to get your readers praying too.

Much love.

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The last few days, I’ve been in the Kansas City area for my best friend’s wedding. The Hubs and I fell in love, got engaged, and were married here. A few months after our wedding in 2003, I started working full time at a church here.

I don’t mention it in Mad Church Disease, but Kansas City was the launching pad for the book. The church I reference when I ran 120 mph, didn’t rest, and ended up in the hospital…all here. The question on the back of the book, “Is working in this church interfering with your communion with Christ?” was asked to me here. I was told my dreams were “too big” here. I got in trouble for unwisely expressing my idealistic ideas here.

But the lesson most learned was how to heal after being hurt.

That’s where Chapter 11- the final chapter of Mad Church Disease - comes into play.

If you haven’t read it, you can download it here if you’d like. It’s title is Processing through Pain.

Driving by my old church, my old Starbucks, my old house…all these things brought back so many memories. Every time I’d go somewhere public, my heart would race a little bit. I was afraid of running into the person who hurt me four years ago.

Four years..it seems like a lifetime ago. But the hurt still hasn’t gone away. And it’s still impacts me, my ministry, and my ability to take risks. I don’t assert myself like I normally did. I stay really quiet and don’t speak my mind as much as I should. I choose my battles too carefully.

In the chapter, I quote something Penelope Trunk said to me at SXSW08 when I met her after a session. (I also had spinach in my teeth and she told me about it. Nice, Anne Jackson. Nice.)

“People are afraid to be amazing.”

I wish I had it figured out by now. I’ve forgiven, the bitterness usually stays at bay, but that fear of getting crushed again keeps a part of me silenced. I’m afraid to be amazing - to live to my full potential - because last time I was there, my dreams were shot through the heart.

What about you? I know with as many people read this blog, there have got to be some walking wounded. We are each responsible for our own healing…I’m not as consistent as I’d like to be, but I try taking risks or speaking my mind even when it’s scary. What are some steps that you’re taking to live again and to trust again?

This is part of a group blogging project for Mad Church Disease. You can read a different perspective on each chapter at the links below. Thanks guys for doing this!

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stevegrossman at 2009-06-23T21:08:26Z: @flowerdust Anne does it again: "People Are Afraid to Be Amazing" - http://www.flowerdust.net/?p=2806

Six months ago, I had the opportunity to chat a little with Gary Haugen, the founder of International Justice Mission. My friend Bethany, who also works at IJM, set up the call and I blogged about it here.

As I was flipping through the channels a few weeks ago, I stopped on a Dateline episode with the title “Children for Sale.” As soon as I hit the channel, I saw Gary being interviewed by Chris Hansen. The show was about Dateline going undercover with IJM in Cambodia. It was a couple of years old but the content is timeless. I was instantly taken back to the way I felt after reading Gary’s book Just Courage, and processing the conversation I had with him in December.

Even though I returned from India a little over a month ago, I find it so easy to let my heart slip back into the mode of oblivion. In the back of my mind I know there are life and death issues and injustice occurring all over the world but I retreat into my to do lists and my calendar and my email and making plans for myself.

I shove out of my heart the very things that make up the heart of God.

So, I talked to Bethany and asked if I could give away ten of Gary’s book on my blog today. It is such an important book. I think it’s one I need to read a little every day to simply be reminded that we are called to fight.

Ever feel like this?

“There must be more to the Christian life than this–more than church each Sunday and waving to my neighbors and giving some clothes to Goodwill when I go through my closet each spring.”

These aren’t bad things, of course. But they’re safe and comfortable and easy. And there’s a reason they’re not satisfying your desire for something more significant and meaningful–we’re created by God for adventure.

International Justice Mission president Gary Haugen has found that engaging in the fight for justice is the most deeply satisfying way of life. This book shows how we too can be a part of God’s great expedition.

I wish I could give a copy of this book to all of you. It is one of the most profound books I’ve read. But hey, you can win it. To be entered, leave a comment related to anything having to do with injustice. Your questions, your thoughts, your actions, your desires, whatever.  I’ll pick winners next Thursday and the winner shall be notified via electronic post. (That’s email). Use the TWEET THIS button below to earn double credit.

Tweets about this post:
uwsreader at 2009-07-02T03:35:23Z: BOOK GIVEAWAY - Just Courage by IJM Founder Gary Haugen http://www.flowerdust.net/?p=2801

Recently, there have been some very serious questions asked about Mad Church Disease, and instead of writing an impersonal post, I thought I’d address you guys a little more formally, via video.

Please see below:

(This is what happens when you have some free time and a video camera late at night after the NBA Finals are over. And, just to clarify, no pastors were insulted in the making of this video. Andy Stanley also looks good, and Ed Young knows how to lead. Thankyouverymuch.)

It was the best of phones, it was the worst of phones.

Let me begin by saying I am not a technically apt person. I understand how to use a smart phone. I understand how to even set up a smart phone. Heck, on this journey, I learned (after a painstaking four hours) how to jailbreak a smart phone. But if you’re looking for an in depth review of a very technical side of a Palm Pre, an iPhone, or a Blackberry, you’ll probably be disappointed.

However, if you’d just like an ordinary girl’s opinion on three popular smart phones, you’ve come to the right place.

BEGINNINGS AND HISTORY….

You should know: I don’t like a lot of frills - Email, text, an actual phone, GPS of some kind, a little internet here and there, and of course…the illustrious Twitter - that’s all I really need. I’m not a “must have the latest gadget” kind of girl either.

I’ve been a Blackberry Pearl user on AT&T from the beginning. For several years. Once I finally learned how to type on the darn thing, it was actually a very easy phone to use. It was constructed terribly; I went through THREE replacements in one year, usually as a result of the trackball falling out, sticking, or the A/S key not working but that’s what insurance is for, right?

I found AT&T quick and helpful in replacing it. The battery life on it was spectacular. I could use it heavily for a couple of days without needing a recharge.

IPHONE TEMPTATIONS…

Then one day last summer, my friend upgraded to the iPhone 3G. He asked if I wanted to have his old iPhone (1G). I said sure. And so the iPhone and I became friends. Aside from it’s width and me dropping it all the time (it was hard for me to grasp and I have pretty long fingers!), it wasn’t too much larger than my Pearl. Typing on it was fairly easy after a few days (although the auto-correct feature got me in trouble on more than one occasion…). And it was fun. The email fetching and resulting hangups/reboots were a little annoying, especially when email is such a large part of my life but overall, it wasn’t too bad.

As I began to travel, I noticed my battery life would be drained extremely fast with moderate usage and honestly, the AT&T signal isn’t the best in the parts of Nashville I frequent the most. It’s not good in SoCal. Or Texas. Traveling with my iPhone became frustrating.

Then it broke.

Out of nowhere, the phone stopped receiving a signal altogether, although it took me a day to realize it. I just assumed AT&T didn’t reach Wichita Falls, where I was when it stopped working.

I went to the Apple Store, and they replaced it (even though it was out of warranty) for no charge. I thought maybe I’d get a better reception with the new phone, but was let down.

FRUSTRATED AND SPRINTING…

So, several months into traveling regularly, I talked to my husband, who just happens to manage a Sprint store (and managers don’t make commission.) I learned that Sprint not only uses Sprint towers, but they also ping off of Verizon towers when roaming. Double the signal? Hmmm. His phone sure had a signal wherever we went. So, I decided to sell the iPhone to get out of my AT&T contract and move on over and return to my first love, the Blackberry. A Curve this time. The data plan was $20 a month cheaper, too. I jailbroke my iPhone for a friend in South Africa and sent it on her merry way.

A week before I made the jump, the Palm Pre confirmed it’s release. The Hubs, fully knowing my deep rooted affection for all things Blackberry, told me to hold off. He went through some training with the Pre and kind of compared it to a iPhone/Blackberry Hybrid. It looked cool, it had a keyboard, and it was on Sprint. I was a new customer and could get a good rebate on it. So I decided to wait.

PRE EXCITEMENT. POST DISAPPOINTMENT…

I got the Pre and for the first couple of days, I LOVED it. Sure, it had a few nuances that annoyed me - no auto correct spelling at ALL on the phone, no way to change the notification for a text message or an email, and some counter-intuitive user interface bugs, but I’m sure enough people would complain about these basic features that they would be fixed in the first update. However, even though the Google Syncing features were incredible…even though the screen quality was incredible…even though the font smoothing was incredible…with moderate use, my battery would be gone in under 8 hours.

Unacceptable.

The battery thing ruined it for me. Sure, there are some other random bugs which i know will get worked out (email syncing was unpredictable, and switching between applications was slower than I’d hoped for) but the combination of these inconsistencies plus no battery life took me right back to the Sprint store today, only a few days later.

BRINGING BLACKBERRY BACK…

Thank you, Sprint, for having a 30-day money back guarantee.

I traded in my Pre today for a (much cheaper) Blackberry Curve.

It’s the smart phone equivalent to being with a soulmate. There’s a spark of newness, yet there’s familiarity. Sure, it’s not the best looking guy in the place, and not even the most fun, but it’s stable. It’s loyal. It’s consistent. It’s reliable.

OVERALL…

If you get good AT&T reception and like to have fun, get an iPhone. If you could care less about the fun stuff on your phone and simply want it to be functional, the Blackberry is for you. And if you find yourself in the middle and don’t mind waiting until the Pre gets its bugs worked out (especially the battery life), The Pre might be worth the wait.

Might.

A little over a year ago, I posted a question:

What’s one thing you feel like you can’t say in church?

337 responses later, it was clear that there are a lot of things many of us keep tucked inside for some reason or another. The question and overwhelming response was picked up by an Australian radio station, and even floated around in some atheist circles.

Since it has been a year since we’ve talked about this, and many of you are new here, I’d like to welcome your thoughts on things you can’t say in church. I am closing comments on this post as to keep them all in the original post below.

What’s one thing you feel like you can’t say in church? (And if you care to add — why do you feel that way?)

CLICK HERE TO RESPOND or just scroll down to the post below this one called “Keeping Your Mouth Shut”

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what is something you feel you can’t say in church, or around other christians?

for example…mine would be, “sometimes i feel like i can’t share how i really feel inside.”

funny, serious, whatever…what’s yours?

Every once in a while, you’ll stumble on an author who makes you say, “That’s exactly what I’ve been feeling!” Someone, somewhere found the ability and artistry to take an emotion and name it. But not only do they label it, they expound on it. Where did this emotion come from? What does it mean? Where is it taking me? What should I do with it?

But perhaps more profound is the experience of community. You realize you’re not alone in feeling or thinking a particular way.

You’re not going crazy.

And if you are, at least someone’s going there with you.

Such is the case with my friend Frank Viola. Eons ago (in social media world, that translates into about six months), Frank sent me a message on Facebook, humbly introducing himself. As if I didn’t already know who he was and didn’t already devour every word he and George Barna wrote in the book Pagan Christianity. Still, I tried to play it cool.

He had a new book releasing called From Eternity to Here and wanted to know if I’d take a look. I told him I needed to think about it. I was scared. Pagan Christianity messed me up enough and because I was in a busy season of life, I couldn’t afford to lose my sanity. He sent it anyway, and I waited until just recently to read it.

Frank writes with a style you almost wouldn’t expect. Very very smart people with lots of letters after their name review and discuss his work and use lots of Greek words I kind of remember from the one Bible class I took ten years ago. I was intimated. I didn’t need to be.

Poetically, thought-provokingly, and, as the academics would say, very very smartly Frank unfolds the story of God’s heartbeat. His mission. His love.

One of my favorite takeaways from From Eternity to Here says this about Mary of Magdala.

“Indeed, Mary of Magdala is a study in undying love. I ask you: What provoked such unending devotion? It was simply this: Mary believed the Lord’s opinion of her. She took His opinion of herself rather than her own. In doing so, love was awakened within her own heart for Christ…

Therefore, the next time you feel condemnation over your past, please remember this one thing: The first person to lay eyes upon the resurrected Lord was a former prostitute.

God chose Mary Magdalene from the foundation of the world, knowing the kind of life she would live. And He chose you and me from the foundation of the world, knowing full well all the mistakes we would make this side of the veil.

You have a Lord who wishes to cherish you. Neither your fallen nature nor your sins are an obstacle for Him. He has dealt with them thoroughly, completely, and willingly by His death and resurrection.

Never forget: This God of yours allowed a prostitute to love Him extravagantly in the house of a Pharisee. Such is the wonder of the sacred romance into which every believer has been swept up. So go in peace, and love your Lord like Mary did.”

Dang, y’all.

I asked Frank if I could give ten copies of From Eternity to Here away for our Thursday book giveaway, to which he kindly complied. Assuming you didn’t already click on the link and buy it yourself, here’s how you can win.

To be entered, leave a comment with something you’ve always wondered (For example, mine would be “Am I the only one who wonders why blog posts on missions or social justice don’t get half the traffic of a book giveaway post?”) - and be entered. I’ll pick winners next Thursday and they shall be notified via electronic post. (That’s email). Use the TWEET THIS button below to earn double credit.

So…what do you wonder?

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When I saw this, I believed it.

I just showed Pete. He doesn’t.

What do you think? Possible?

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A few weeks ago, I told you about a partnership that I’m very honored to be in with a new web video teaching community called Innovative Ministry Leader.

Today, they launch! And they’re using a session of Mad Church Disease to kick it off! In this 20-ish minute video, I talk about my own journey through burnout, some principles for recovery, and what Scripture says about sacrifice and rest in ministry.

You can sign up today and use the promo code FLOWERDUST to get a 10% discount on your membership (any level - one month, six month, or one year) and your subscription is all inclusive meaning you can use it whenever, as many times as you like, wherever. Your whole staff or ministry team can watch the videos all for the price of one subscription.

Upcoming speakers are Jeff Deyo, Troy Gramling, Sheri Gould, Greg Stielstra, Jonathan Lee, Dino Rizzo, Paul Jackson, Tommy Kyllonen, Aaron Linne, Mark Batterson, Ross Parsley, Glenn Packiam, Skye Jethani, Carl Cartree and Jud Wilhite…they are adding more all the time, too!

I took a 40 second clip out of my video so you can kind of get a feel for it.

And, if you sign up now, you get eight of the Leadership Network Innovation Series books through Zondervan. You can see what those books are here.

Also, here’s a little screen grab of one of my videos (there are two more videos coming - one about pornography addiction and another about depression). I could have totally chose a more flattering photo, but there’s nothing like a little self deprecation.

The best caption for this photo wins a copy of Mad Church Disease!

Have I ever told you that I wish I could just give everything away? I really do.

The wonderful people at Zondervan have now made another chapter of Mad Church Disease available FREE online (in case you haven’t downloaded the first free chapter, Chapter 11, you can do that by clicking here).

At the end of this post is Chapter 3 in its fully designed stage (they did an AWESOME job designing this book!)

My favorite paragraph from this chapter says this, because it’s something I’m still learning!

“We should look at our past as a gift and not a burden. And as such, we should steward it like any other gift we’ve been given. We need to be grateful for our unique circumstances, not resentful. Once we accept our God-given past, we can find out what about it makes us extraordinary.”

You can pick up a copy of Mad Church Disease from Amazon, for your Kindle, or any other fine book retailer (in the US, Canada, UK, or AUS). The audio book will be released in a few months and I hope to give as many of those away as possible, too.

I don’t ever want to cross the line into pimping MCD, but I am SO PASSIONATE about the message of health in the church. So many leaders are hurting, burnout out, letting their defenses down and IT HAS TO STOP!!! So forgive me if I have ever crossed that line, but I can’t emphasize how important the message of this book is.

David Kinnaman, author of unChristian and President of The Barna Group reviewed Mad Church Disease on Barna’s website today. Below is an excerpt. If you want to read the full review, click here.

The book is deep, but not stuffy. It is funny, but not cynical. It is easy to read, without being simplistic. Anne’s writing is poignant and personal, without being tacky. It takes a long, hard look at the difficulties of church work, while asking readers to face their problems.

Ultimately, Mad Church Disease is not just about solutions, it is a solution. It is a tool that can be used by a church staff or by individuals. It contains helpful interviews with church leaders who have lived through Mad Church Disease. And it offers worksheets to start private or group discussions about the issues of personal and spiritual health. Use this great new tool to find and restore healthy margins in your life.

Anyway, enjoy!

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Literally.

I had the opportunity to write a more in depth article on my three year Facebook journey — the good, the bad, the ugly, for PurposeDriven.com. And see, Rick and I are on the same page.

At least the same webpage. I really have no idea how he feels about Facebook.

So, if you want the full story behind my Facebook suicide, click here to read it over at PurposeDriven.com.

And I leave you with this very important question…

If Rick Warren and Joel Osteen got into a poke war on Facebook, who would win?

When I was seven, I “won” a trip to Schlitterbahn because I memorized all the books in the Bible and could recite them to our small, West Texas congregation. There is nothing quite like trying to say “Habakkuk” while standing on a milk crate (and three hymnals) in order to see over my dad’s oak pulpit. It was quite the balancing act.

Next up were Bible Drills. It was time to put that knowledge to use.

Ready?

Draw swords!

Proverbs 3:4 - Go!

Our classroom of fifth and sixth graders would flip urgently through the pages of our Bibles, scouring to find the called out scripture. There was nothing holy about it. Elbows were thrown, feet were mashed, voices were raised, tampers were thrown…but, by golly, did I ever know my Bible.

Fueled by competition, I went home to study, over and over again, where the books were located in my Bible. Trying to remember themes and stories and memorize the frequented verses so even if I didn’t actually find them in the Bible, I could ramble them off like I had.

Again.

Nothing.

Holy.

About it.

Over the last few months, I’ve had the opportunity to do several interviews for radio stations or by phone and I’ll think of a verse in the Bible I want to reference. I typically fumble around,

“Well, um, I think Paul said….”

(If it’s something in the New Testament, you’re pretty safe going with either Jesus or Paul).

“In the Old Testament, it says….”

(By narrowing it down to the Old or New Testaments, you have a 50/50 shot of getting it right).

I know these verses. I know a LOT of verses. I just have no clue where they are anymore.

I’ve realized the Bible I use most often for research is online. It’s so easy to search for a keyword or topic and be flooded with a variety of results. Which, when you’re researching something, is really quite efficient.

Gone are the days I am digging through cross references and skimming down chapters and chapters looking for a specific verse. And you know what? I kind of miss it.

There was something very life-giving that comes from sitting down with Scripture in its paper form. There’s something about scanning and reading through Scripture intentionally, yet never knowing what other treasure you may find along the way. Granted, it takes more time, effort, and patience, but I have to say in the end, it’s more than worth it - at least it seems to be for me.

What are your thoughts? Have you seen how your personal scripture reading habits or knowledge has changed with the use of technology? I know for many people it enhances the experience. I guess I’m just wondering if I’m crazy for wanting to go back in time.

Ok, so, we’ve debunked the myth that building a platform is the most important thing for an emerging artist and instead discussed how building character and relationships first will eventually lead to a more solid way to spread a message.

Here is the third and final part of this lil’ series:

Effort #3

Don’t build your platform, build your message.

It sounds a little over-simplistic, I realize, but hear me out. If you’re anything like me, once something has implanted itself so deeply in your heart, you want to shout it from the rooftops.  I remember being 24 years old and intensely passionate about originality in the church. This was about the same time when a lot of contemporary churches were making sermon series parodies of popular TV shows and movies - incluidng my own church. Coming from a creative corporate background, and being a rule-follower, the copyright implications alone were enough to make me uncomfortable. But I also believed (and still believe) that there is a huge difference between inspiration and emulation, and so many churches were falling into the emulation category.

Sorry. Soapbox over.

Anyway, I had voiced my opinions (passionately) having the platform of Director of Communications/Media and had been repeatedly shot down. A few months into my position, I attended a small conference where Rob Bell spoke and later had some down time where he invited anyone to come and hang out. Just two or three of us took him up on it. I asked him a question about originality in the church, shared my thoughts, and he simply said, “Don’t let your passion become annoying.”

Ouch!

I’ve learned a lot in the last five years and have realized the importance of building a message through more than just passionately vocalizing it. To build your message, you have to continuously ask yourself, “Why do I believe this?,” “What are the implications of the message?,” “What’s required of me to dedicate this season to this message?,” “Is there a need for this message?,” “How can I learn more about this and sharpen my own knowledge and passion?”

Building a message takes time. It takes repetition of simple communication. It takes being able to handle criticism and even change the course if it’s not the right one. It takes flexibility. It takes commitment.

Your message should be timeless, and not trendy. Sure, trendy is catchy. Trendy is noticeable. But trendy is not remarkable.

Having a message spread wide and having your message resonate deeply are two very different things. They are not mutually exclusive, but more often than not, we settle for a season of brief popularity.

If your message is as important as you think it is, take the time and expend the energy to make it stick…to allow it the time to embed in the hearts of others. When others are influenced as much as you have been, it will continue to spread both deep and wide in a meaningful way.

It’s been a trip to read a few of the emails I’ve received since shutting down my Facebook. If you don’t spell out everything, people make assumptions. Here are a couple of my favorite “Is this really why you shut down Facebook?” questions:

• Were you being tempted to get involved with another man?
• Were you addicted to the games?
• Did you and your husband fight about the amount of time you spent on Facebook?

Allow me just a moment to clear the air — NO! None of those. I spent a few minutes one day a week on Facebook. I didn’t play a single game, ever. And um, no…, I’m happy to say I didn’t have any issues with boundaries. :)

If I could sum it up in one sentence, I closed my Facebook account because it was all about platform and not about relationships. I had a disclaimer on it saying, “Hey, I’m never on here, so don’t message me!” and turned it into an autofeed of blog posts and Twitter. I had all the notifications turned off so I never got anything in my email. All talk, no listen. No relationships.

Yesterday, we talked about building character…today…

Effort #2

Instead of focusing on building your platform, build relationships.

Online, that’s why I’ve decided to keep blogging and using Twitter. I feel like I can actually have conversations with people and interact pretty easily.  Which is also why I don’t follow a gazillion people on Twitter.

I’d rather connect and converse intimately with 100 people who share the same passion, encouragement, and values than with 2500 people who I would just be barking to. Sure something may stick now and again, but it’s not as meaningful as it could be.

Offline is just as intentional. There are a handful of people that have been placed in my life to learn from, to grow with, and to also encourage and I want to be open to having these relationships flourish.

Whether online or offline, relationships that give people permission to talk and listen (and know they are being heard) are what help a message solidify and spread.

Your thoughts?

If I had a dollar for every time somebody asked, “How can I build an online platform?” I’d probably have more money than Oprah. Okay. Maybe not that much money, but I’d definitely be a little better off.

With social media being the giant that it is today, every artist is attempting to discover how they can build a larger online audience. Many people think that’s the missing ingredient from their big break, and so they pour a ton of energy into creating a platform.

To begin, I think the idea of building a platform is bogus. Instead, I think there are three other ways we can intentionally spend our efforts into creating movement behind a message. And that’s what we’re going to discuss a little this week.

Effort #1

Instead of focusing on building your platform, build your character.

A platform is what other people see and hear you speak from. It’s what you’ve decided to allow to be public. It’s the mouth of your message.

But what’s behind that mouth? If you’ve spent all your time and energy dressing up the platform, but you haven’t spent any time building your character and integrity, your message won’t have two legs to stand on. It may look pretty from the outside. It may even look perfect from the outside, but when push comes to shove, your platform is built on sand and will easily crash down when the first wave hits. It won’t matter how flawless your  platform appeared to be. Your message will be lost.

Spending time building the inside before you spend time building the outside is time well spent.

Have you seen an example of a perfect platform collapsing? What kind of impact did that have on the message?

Unfortunately (and if you follow my Twitter account you already know this), I got pretty sick Thursday night. As in wake-up-at-2:30AM-Emergency Room-CT Scan-sick. After it came back all clear for appendicitis and other scary things, I thought I’d just fight through whatever it is and press on to Atlanta.

I picked up my rental car, literally had everything packed up and was heading back into the house to lock up when I was overwhelmed by the contents of my stomach. My temperature is all funky and I can barely move without throwing up. And it has been a long, long time since I’ve thrown up. Like eight years.

Part of me knows this is a spiritual battle and that part of me is second guessing my decision to stay home. What if I was supposed to move along in spite of being sick and I made the wrong choice? Another part of me thinks, “Hey, people get sick. You got sick. It’s out of your control.”

So I’m torn.

No doubt God is in control of all of the circumstances at hand and everyone who has worked so hard to make this weekend happen is being more than gracious and patient and loving.

I’m just having a hard time understanding…knowing I am probably overthinking everything…but I’m struggling, you guys.

Thanks for your prayers and love and encouragement. I know a lot of you have been in situations like this before and I could honestly use your wisdom right now.

This weekend, I have the privilege of speaking at Oak Leaf Church in Cartersville, GA. I have admired Michael and what the people at OLC are doing in their community for the last couple years. I’ll be speaking about God’s plan for poverty and the people of Oak Leaf will have a chance to sponsor children through Compassion after each service. (Service times are Saturday at 6 pm, Sunday at 9 and 11 am).

A few prayer requests:

• Please pray for me…I have spoken multiple times on multiple days before, but not like this. I’m excited, but think it has got to feel really weird to say the same thing three times! I just want to show up and let God do His best through me.
• Please pray for the people at OLC…that they will see and understand God’s heart for the poor, their role in his plan for poverty, and that they will take whatever the next step is on their faith journey…whether it is believing for the first time, or deciding to take a big leap of faith and do something crazy!!

Your turn. How can we pray for you this weekend?

Well, this is ironic.

I had the good intent of getting this post up about five hours ago, but you know what? I had a mess of random things come up in my schedule and I’ve literally spent most of my day away from my computer.

If, by some chance, I would have actually LISTENED to my friend Tony’s wisdom in his book Killing Cockroaches, I might have been able to plan, delegate, say no, redirect, and focus a little better.

Lesson learned.

Again.

So, before we get to the book giveaway stuff, you have to know Tony’s going on tour. I don’t know if he’ll be giving out hugs, if he’ll have pyrotechnics, or even a 300 pound body guard with zero body fat escorting him to and from his Prevost, but regardless, if he’s in your area, you have to have to be a part of the tour. And it’s cheaper than taking your team out to lunch. If you took them to the Melting Pot and not McDonalds, I mean.  Details are here.

Tony has been generous enough to donate ten copies of Killing Cockroaches to the Anne Jackson Book Giveaway fund. To be entered, leave a comment having to do with anything roach related - literal or metaphorical - and be entered. I’ll pick winners from both this giveaway and the Mad Church Disease giveaway next Thursday and the winner shall be notified via electronic post. (That’s email). Use the TWEET THIS button below to earn double credit.

Ready? Go.

You must decide for yourself to whom and when you give access to your interior life. For years, you have permitted others to walk in and out of your life according to their needs and desires. Thus you were no longer master in your own house, and you felt increasingly used. So, too, you quickly became tired, irritated, angry and resentful.

Think of a medieval castle surrounded by a moat. The drawbridge is the only access to the interior of the castle. The lord of the castle must have the power to decide when to draw the bridge and when to let it down. Without such power, he can become the victim of enemies, strangers, and wanderers. He will never feel at peace in his own castle.

It is important for you to control your own drawbridge. There must be times when you keep your bridge drawn and have the opportunity to be alone, or with those to whom you feel close. Never allow yourself to become public property where anyone can walk in and out at will. You might think you are being generous to anyone who wants to enter or leave, but you will soon find yourself losing your soul.

When you claim for yourself the power over your drawbridge, you will discover new joy and peace in your heart and find yourself able to share that joy and peace with others.

-Henri Nouwen, The Inner Voice of Love

At first when I read this, I couldn’t decide if I was convicted or turned off.

“But I want my life to be open to everyone.”

Alas, as I thought about it more, I realize he didn’t say “never lower the drawbridge and stay safely inside your castle.” Instead, Nouwen enforces the importance of emotional boundaries. Boundaries which need to be in tact to make you strong so you can accomplish your unique, global purpose. Jesus did it in Luke 4.

I think if we look at his context, maybe we can feel a bit more free to occasionally retreat and replenish.

How do you do at controlling the drawbridge? Do you agree or disagree with what Nouwen is saying?

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