Anne Marie Miller

Author: Anne Marie Miller

  • If You Feel Like You Need to Slow Down…

    I stayed out too late last night with dear friends.

    Not a hurried feeling in the world; honest conversation and dreaming over appetizers and dessert. They live in California. I live in Nashville. I cherish every moment I can spend with them.

    This morning, however, was a different scenario. California traffic lived up to its inconvenient name. Google Maps said my drive to the airport, with traffic, would be 35 minutes. So as anyone who has ever driven in California would do, I allotted an hour.

    I was still about ten miles out (and crawling along the 55) when my safe “hour before departure” time passed. I looked in front of me. Nothing but brake lights. I looked to my left. The HOV lane was empty. The fine if I got caught? $340. The cost of me not being home on time? Hmmm. I’ll say more than that.

    Swerving (illegally) over to the HOV lane, I sped along (illegally) praying the police were tied up somewhere else. I made it to my exit with five minutes until the final “30 minutes” window to check my bag was closed.

    I didn’t refill the gas in my rental car and told the guys checking me in to just bill me what I was due as I dashed off. Running up the stairs to the terminal, I was sweaty when I arrived at the ticketing counter at exactly 8:21, 29 minutes before my plane was to depart.

    The agent took mercy on me, and somehow finagled a plan that got me and my bag back to Nashville when I was expected to arrive.

    Phew.

    So here I sit on the plane, still sweaty, thankful I had my heart surgery because it probably would have exploded in my morning of rush.

    And now, the pilot just came on the intercom and told us due to weather in Dallas, our take off has been delayed 90 minutes.

    All that rush and now I’m stuck.

    My mind instantly goes to how I’ll be bored for the next 90 minutes. How I wish I wouldn’t have hopped in the HOV lane. How I wish I would have filled up my rental car at $5 less a gallon than what I’ll be charged. How I wish I wouldn’t have skipped breakfast.

    Why can’t life be more like last night? Slow. Peaceful. Fulfilling.

    Legal…

    Can it be?

    All these thoughts hit me this morning in light of a book I’ve been reading this week called “In Praise of Slowness” by Carl Honore. (His name actually ends with an “e” with the little accent mark over it, but I have no idea how to make that on my iPhone…sorry, Carl, if you read this.)

    Honore takes an objective look at how our culture has fallen into a “cult of speed” and while not advocating an overly-idealistic lifestyle of slowness or sloth, he does offer a way for readers to contextualize a more peaceful, slow, and healthy lifestyle any of us can make with some intentional changes.

    I’ve never done a book study on my blog before, but I really believe this book has a message that can teach us all something.

    Since blogging on my phone in an airplane is not the easiest thing in the world to accomplish, rather than beginning today, I thought we could start the study on Tuesday.

    You don’t need the book to follow along, but I can’t recommend it enough. And Amazon has it for only $6 right now.

    Pick up a copy if you can, and I really look forward to exploring some of Honore’s message with you.

    Do you feel the need to slow down?

  • Travel Tip: Mission & Volunteer Travel Made Cheaper

    I met my friend Ryan Skoog on a trip to Minneapolis a few months ago.

    One of the many things Ryan does is dream up and execute really cool ideas.

    One of these ideas is The Volunteer Card. Below is a little video describing it, but let’s just say it’s what every single person traveling to volunteer needs, and it is ridiculously inexpensive starting at $25!

    • discounted flights
    • cars
    • food
    • supplies
    • insurance for everything for every trip for a year
    • and my favorite – access to call a real, live doctor and someone who can translate medical-speak in whatever language you need it to be translated in.

    That would have come in darn-handy when I came down with mono in Russia.

    So watch this little video (it has an Aussie accent on it), and if you’re one who travels, or manages teams of volunteers for any kind of trip – domestic or overseas – definitely look into The Volunteer Card.

    (Thanks Ryan, for being such a smart guy!)

  • Odds & Ends & Links & Stuff

    I can’t believe in less than a month, the Ride:Well South Cycling team will be leaving San Diego en route to Myrtle Beach. 3000 miles in two months, all in the name of raising funds and awareness for the awesomeness of Blood:Water Mission.

    Several people who have been good friends of mine for years have had books or albums release in the last couple of weeks. Carlos Whittaker’s album Ragamuffin Soul, Jon Acuff’s book Stuff Christians Like, Pete Wilson’s book Plan B, and Angie Smith’s book I Will Carry You. Check them out and see if they float your boat. If nothing else, know they put the blood, sweat, and tears behind these projects and that you can do the same for whatever it is your heart beats for.

    Updated my speaking schedule page. I’ll be in SoCal speaking again tomorrow, May 12. We’ve added some fall dates as well. Stay tuned, as there are even more fall book tour plans in the works. Hope to meet you if you’re around! If you’re interested in having me speak at your church, conference, college, or mom’s birthday, click here.

    Lately, I’ve been reflecting on the courage some of my close friends have shown lately. Remember that when you face down your fears and do what you need to do, not only are you helping yourself, you’re inspiring others.

    Seth Godin is taking his show on the road. I hope he makes it to Nashville! He is also speaking at Catalyst Atlanta this year. If you want to register (don’t forget to sign up for the Labs – so fun, and I’m speaking – not that the two are related) head over to CatalystConference.com. I think you can win an iPad over there too.

    And finally, I am so glad warm weather is here. Bring on the sun!

    What are some things you’re excited about?

  • Merton Mondays #1: Mistakes

    An author-slash-theologian who has had a significant influence in my life over the last year or so has been Thomas Merton.

    I typically spend my weekends mostly offline, leaving my computer under the couch (which also serves as my office most weekdays). On Sunday nights I feel pressured to write something powerful and thought-provoking to begin the new week, and to be honest with you, I’d rather spend that time still in reflection and offline.

    Today begins the first of “Merton Mondays,” where I’ll share an insight from Thomas Merton. I think it’s a good way to begin the week, for me, because it allows me to still respect the down time of the weekend – and for you, because I know your RSS reader of choice is full of information people just have to share.

    So, enjoy. Soak it in. And may your week begin well.

    —

    “We must expect to be making mistakes all the time. We must be content to fail repeatedly and to begin again to try to deny ourselves for the love of God…

    We want to shake off the hateful thing that has humbled us. In our rush to escape the humiliation of our mistakes, we run headfirst into the opposite error, seeking comfort and compensation.

    And so we spend our lives running back and forth from one attachment to another.

    If that is all our self-denial amounts to,

    …our mistakes will never help us.

    The thing you do, when you have made a mistake, is not to give up doing what you were doing and start something altogether new, but to start over again with the thing you began badly and try, for the love of God, to do it well.

    (Merton, Journals, Oct 7, 1949, II.372)

  • Why Christians Shouldn’t Boycott Craigslist

    There has been a lot of press lately surrounding the illegal activities on Craiglist. This morning, the Today Show even had a feature clearly showing the prostitution that is readily available in their “adult” section.

    (*Note: It’s PG-13 with some mildly graphic imagery)

    Many people in the faith community have responded by suggesting we boycott Craigstlist.

    Is that the right response? I don’t think so.

    I don’t think anyone needs to boycott Craigslist. (And this is coming from me, a girl who was just in Moldova a month ago and saw girls get bought and sold right in front of her at a cafe.)

    Here’s why.

    • If we boycott Craigslist, we’re just making noise. Noise doesn’t do much. Noise is passive. Unless you are actually using their adult service section, they aren’t making any money on you. I go on Craigslist to sell my car or buy an ottoman. It’s a third-party trading site for most of us.
    • It’s the Christian Status Quo to boycott. “They don’t say Christmas at Target! Let’s show them who’s boss!” We throw our faith around like a proud badge and try to prove our points. I’ve never seen this as a humble, loving response.
    • People who don’t subscribe to the Christian faith see this as us attempting to push our beliefs on people. Should we share our beliefs with people? Sure. Share them. Nothing wrong with that. How do we do that? Read John 13:35.
    • Unless something is done to help solve the problem (illegal activity), the people who are breaking the law will find another place to do it. Shutting down the adult service section of Craigslist will just make people use other sites.

    Going off the basis of “how will people know we’re Christians” (as referenced in our own Bibles) it’s by love. I don’t think the action of boycotting shows love.

    So what should we do?

    • We should first thank Craigslist for donating some of their money to anti-trafficking organizations. Thank you.
    • We should get involved in our local government and make sure they know the issues of illegal activity occurs on Craigslist. Then we should ask them to take appropriate government action (which, by the way, Craigslist is protected from liability – however, the law doesn’t cover the people breaking it).
    • Find a way to support the women who feel like they need to prostitute themselves. How can we care for them?
    • Ask “Is there a way faith-based organizations can partner with Craigslist to help solve this problem?” If someone came up with a brilliant solution, I bet Craigslist would be more than willing to listen.

    Over and over again, I find that Christians (myself included) can be reactive and not proactive. Maybe this is an opportunity for us to actually come alongside of Craigslist and see how we can help them instead of just yelling at them.

    Idealistic? Naive? Maybe.

    But I have to believe it’s better than the status quo.

  • How To Respond to Emergencies (Without Getting in the Way!)

    As most of you know, Nashville and the surrounding areas were hit over the weekend with anywhere from eight to sixteen inches of rain. We had around fifteen inches in our backyard. Two of the main rivers that surround Nashville, the Cumberland and the Harpeth, went well beyond flood stages. Highways are closed, hundreds of roads and houses remain feet under water, and thousands of people have been impacted by this unexpected weather event.

    Flooding in Franklin TN

    There are many ways one can respond to crisis, and depending on the circumstance, sometimes what works best in one situation doesn’t work the best in another. I’ll share a bit from what I’ve learned from Red Cross disaster and aid training, and I’d love for you to share anything you’ve learned about helping out in the comment section.

    LOCAL DISASTERS:
    If a local disaster occurs (weather, fire, etc.) typically the first day is the day when city officials and emergency management organizations are assessing the issues. LET THEM. Trained professionals like the National Guard, local police, fire, and EMS and military are performing any rescues that need to happen.

    When this emergency response is happening effectively (proper communication is happening between officials and the media and public), it’s best to do whatever the officials tell you to do. You may want to jump in your car and dig through the rubble of a neighborhood that was hit by a tornado, but without the trained emergency responders there giving direction, you may cause more harm than good. Do you know if the gas lines have been turned off or if the buildings are stable enough to enter?

    Of course there will always be moments when we need to run into a situation even if a procedure hasn’t been set up, but these should be the exceptions. Bottom line? When good emergency management and communication is occurring, it’s best to follow their instructions.

    In the case of a local emergency, how can you help?

    (*Before attempting anything, always look at the situation and assess if it’s safe for you to enter!)

    Neighborhood:

    • Visit neighbors, especially elderly or sick, to see if they are safe or need anything.
    • Offer your home for the displaced in your community
    • Host a gathering with food for people nearby where it’s not a danger for people to venture out
    • Bring water or snacks to emergency responders and thank them
    • Watch for official statements, and communicate them to neighbors who may not have access to TV or the internet

    Community:

    • Follow instructions from emergency management on travel safety and how to volunteer. In the case of the Nashville flooding, if people volunteer outside of the official “Hands on Nashville” initiative, it will actually hurt Nashville, as assistance from FEMA is given through Hands on Nashville.
    • As long as emergency operations are running smoothly, don’t go rogue. Again, so many times in press conferences I kept hearing about how legitimate water rescuers had to rescue Good Samaritans who don’t know how to do water rescues, and the people who really needed help had to wait longer.
    • Follow official instructions. (Did I say that already?) There are reasons for this.
    • Call the local Red Cross or whatever organization is set up as the official responder. They will be able to guide you to volunteer in the most effective way because they are the ones who know not only the needs, but the priorities of the needs.
    • Find out what supplies you personally can donate in the long run to help (clothes, food, etc.).
    • Organize events in your community or church to collect supplies or donations.

    I highly encourage anyone who feels the pull to help when emergencies arise to sign up at your local Red Cross for disaster relief training, as well as first aid and CPR. These classes take time and cost a little money, but they will have you ready to assist when disaster strikes. Find a group of people at your office or your church to take classes with you. I promise you the skills you will learn will be invaluable.

  • What’s One Thing Christians Do That Upsets You?

    This post is to help a friend of mine with a project he is doing.

    Sometimes, there are people who are Christians that live like Jesus.

    They radiate. Grace drips off every word they speak.

    Are they perfect?

    No.

    But as I’ve found these rare treasures of people, I hold on tight…because rare they are.

    They truly love unconditionally, forgive without hesitation, and aim for peace and faith.

    —

    There are also people who aren’t Christians that live like Jesus.

    They’re generous. Kind. Encouraging. Patient. Loving. Joyful. Nonjudgmental. Good.

    I like these people a lot because interestingly enough, they inspire me to follow the character of Christ.

    —

    And then, we have people who claim to be Christians, however, their actions consistently (keyword: consistently – I realize nobody is perfect!) prove otherwise.

    They’re mean. Entitled. Hateful. Greedy. Hypocritical. Two-faced. Self-righteous.

    These people sometimes make me cringe.

    I cringe when I realize I exhibit those characteristics, because again, nobody bats a thousand. When people act the opposite of the way Jesus did, or opposite of the way he outlined in the Bible for us to live, it simply breaks my heart.

    When people see those traits (and those traits tend to yell a little louder), that’s how they perceive Christians, or Christianity.

    I’m going to ask you a question, and, I want you to be cautious in your answer.

    **This is not a place to riff or to hate or to complain. Comments that are arrogant or jerk-faced in anyway will be deleted, and you know how infrequently I do that.

    What’s one thing Christians do or say, that upsets you?

    That hurts you?

    That doesn’t show an accurate picture of faith and hope and love to the world?

    (And maybe, instead of pointing fingers, feel free to use yourself as an example, as we all can certainly do that.)

  • Do You Remember Those Days?

    It’s Tuesday night. 7:15 pm, San Diego time.

    I haven’t opened my computer since Friday.

    To be fair, I haven’t been completely unplugged. I’ve been Tweeting, texting, and responding to a few urgent emails from my phone.

    But my computer has remained totally off.

    Dead.

    In my bag.

    It’s not like it’s broken. Or even that I’m missing my power cord.

    I just have left it off.

    It’s been busy. After Catalyst West, I spent the weekend hanging out with some very good friends I don’t see nearly as much as I would like to.

    And yesterday and today, I’ve been recording the audio book for Permission to Speak Freely.

    (Which was a blast, by the way!)

    I saw a Panera on my way out of San Diego and decided I might as well break the fast.

    And so I’ve been here – for three hours – catching up on the “work” side of my job.

    Last night, I went to the Sleeping at Last show in Hollywood. Sleeping at Last has been one of my favorite bands for the last few years, and I’ve had the chance to see them live a couple of times.

    Each time has been a profound experience.

    Each time has been uninterrupted.

    But this time…

    I let the phone vibrating in my pocket interrupt a few times.

    And I couldn’t help but think about a million other things…in addition to the poetry and music happening in front of me.

    It made me remember the days when computers weighed 25 pounds and had to sit on desks at home.

    When mobile phones only made phone calls.

    And for a moment, I missed the past.

    I missed the lack of distraction.

    Do you remember those days?

  • Blogging Advice

    Most of my session at Catalyst is about blogging and using social media. I’m putting this post up as a reference for people in the session, but also for anyone else who wants to know what I think about the ABCs of blogging. Below, you’ll find some blog posts I’ve written through the years offering my thoughts on building platforms and social media in general.

    1. How to be the BEST Blogger Ever

    2. A Quick Bit of Twitter Advice

    3. Does a Blog Need A Lot of Comments to be Successful?

    4. Can Online Community Really Exist?

    5. Building Your Platform — Part 1

    6. Building Your Platform — Part 2

    7. Building Your Platform — Part 3

    8. How to Lead a Tribe – Part 1

    9. How to Lead a Tribe – Part 2