Anne Marie Miller

Author: Anne Marie Miller

  • What is this Generation Thinking About?

    In November, I have the amazing honor of speaking alongside Don Miller & Francis Chan (yeah, how the heck did THAT happen?!) at the incredible Right Now Conference.? If you live near Dallas, please come to this conference. I have gone as a volunteer before, and it was amazing.? If you don’t live near Dallas, you can simulcast the event at your church.

    Marc, who heads up the gig, emailed me today and is trying to help shape this event.

    You see, we are on this weird generational edge of transition of thought and action.? And we want to process this together.

    So here is a list of random questions for you…feel free to answer as many or as few as you’d like.? We just want to get in your head a little bit.? Because I have a feeling we’re feeling alone in some of these things, when really, we’re not.

    1. What do I wish to be remembered for?
    2. Is this really as good as it gets?
    3. How was it that I could be so successful, so fortunate, and yet so frustratingly unfulfilled?
    4. If your life was absolutely perfect, how would it look to you?
    5. What is my passion?
    6. How am I wired?
    7. Where do I belong?
    8. What will I do about what I believe?
    9. Who am I?
    10. What do I value?
    11. What gifts has God given me? How can I use them?
    12. What would I be willing to die for?
    13. What injustices do I see in the world, that I simply cannot stomach anymore?
    14. What is it about my job that makes me feel trapped?
    15. When you are in bed at night staring at the ceiling, what questions are you asking yourself?

    Which ones from the list below stand out?? How would you word them differently?? What questions would you add?

  • Fun Giveaway & Thoughts on Popular Christian Bookstores

    I have a Genius Marketing Guy at Zondervan. Not only is he a genius. He stops me from saying stupid things publicly when certain retailers (as there are more than one) don’t carry my book in stock (and it has to be special ordered).

    It’s a little frustrating being an author and getting continually asked “I went to Popular Christian Bookstore and they don’t have your book in stock.” or “I went to Popular Christian Bookstore’s website and can’t find your book.”

    Evidently picking fights with Popular Christian Bookstores isn’t a good idea when you are attempting to be an author they carry.

    I see it as just helping them out.? The customer is there.? And you’re missing them.? So they go to Amazon or B&N or Borders or Booksamillion or Davis Kidd (in Nashville) or ChristianBook.com or Parable.com…any other bookstores which have it in stock.

    Just trying to help.

    ANYWAY.

    Genius Marketing Guy came up with a fun giveaway.

    And super easy.

    Go to Twitter and tell us your favorite quote from Mad Church Disease, or why you think people should read it, and include the hashtag “#mcd” and the link “http://tr.im/gH3N” and you’ll be entered to win a free book.? If you don’t have it yet, you can download the sample chapter and tell us what you enjoy there.

    Example: “Satan is ONLY out to destroy us! #mcd http://tr.im/gH3N”

    Genius Marketing Guy is giving away 25 copies and there is no limit on how many times you can enter.? The more you enter, the better your chances, and people will be chosen at random TOMORROW at noon EST.

    So you have 24 hours.

    Roll!

    ==

    PS – Mad Church Disease should be available on the Kindle beginning Friday! :)

    ==

  • To Make things Simpler

    If you’d like to buy a book yourself and a book for a stranger (see the post below) you can use this nifty PayPal button. You don’t even need to have PayPal – you can use any major credit or debit card.

    We have had several come in already. Thanks for your generosity and for blessing a stranger.



    Name for Autograph



  • Special Mad Church Disease Offer!

    So, a month or so ago, I got the addresses for people who donated books to Dominican Pastors. As of this Friday (February 27) your books will be shipped. Sorry for the delay on that. Long story.

    Since I will be spending a few hours at my Sylvan Park post office this coming Friday, I thought I’d throw this out there for you guys…

    I have a case of books to sell.

    At the same time, I know there are some instances where I need to give a book away to someone who can’t afford it.

    So here’s the deal.

    I’d like to sell you a copy of Mad Church Disease. It would be personalized & autographed. The catch is, instead of the $15 you’d pay on Amazon (after shipping), I’m going to charge you $25. What a huge bargain, right?! Ha. I know. It seems like a rip off.

    Here’s the catch.

    You paying $25 (which includes shipping) will afford me the opportunity to keep some free books on hand and give them away to legitimate people who need them. Basically your $25 buys two books. One for you. One for a stranger.

    If you’re interested, you can send me $25 via PayPal (flowerdust at gmail dot com) and in the notes, put who you’d like the book’s autograph to be made out to. I will ship all these books out by Friday, February 27, so it’s a limited time offer.

    Also, if you have any questions, or need to pay using cash or a check, leave me a comment.

    Thanks for being such great evangelists for this message of health!

  • Her name is Anne…Anne with an E.

    Yesterday was my 29th birthday. I don’t feel any older. I don’t look any older. I did my taxes and caught up on email last night.

    Very, very sentimental.

    Every Friday, I peruse the Compassion website to pray for the kids they have listed. Today, I picked the three year olds. The first girl that showed up was a girl named Anne.

    Anne.

    With an “E.”

    Just like me.

    It’s very sassy you know.

    Anne with an E lives in Haiti. Once, I wrote about Haiti. This video explains more than the words I could write.

    If you don’t watch the video, let me sum it up. People eat dirt there. Literally. They make cookies out of butter, water, salt, and dirt. About 25 a day will keep them from starving, but will eventually kill them.

     

     

    Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

     

     

    This is where Anne with an E lives.

    compassion-international-anne-haitiAnne with an E helps her parents around the house by doing laundry and running errands.

    Don’t forget. She’s three. Years. Old.

    By sponsoring Anne with an E, you’ll be positively influencing her whole family with food, medical care, and quite literally, the love of Christ.

    You can click here to be taken to Anne’s sponsorship page.

    Or if Anne has already been sponsored by the time you read this and you’d like to search for another child, you can click here.

  • Face to Face Interaction

    Shortly, I’ll have some commentary on face to face interaction, but until then, I thought I’d invite you to a couple of events that are coming up where I would LOVE to meet you. Recently, I have met so many of you on the west coast and in Vegas and those moments of connectivity have been transcendent.

    So…

    ATLANTA – FEBRUARY 26
    Off the Blogs event with
    Carlos Whittaker, Jon Acuff and me (hosted by Pete Wilson, worship with Aaron Keyes)
    Christian Church Buckhead
    Register here (Catalyst One Day attenders get in free)

    This event will be like nothing you have ever experienced before. It is NOT saturated with leadership talks. It is NOT giving you methods or steps. It is NOT about the things we have figured out. What is it? A chance for the light to shine, for the body to gather together and love, worship, sing, confess, and pray together. Blog personalities are off. No facades. Just flesh and blood.

    NASHVILLE – MARCH 19
    Stories: A Night with Margaret Becker, Anne Jackson, & Chris Coppernoll
    Expressing Faith Through Writing. A Discussion for Readers and Writers Alike
    Davis Kidd Bookstore – Green Hills
    Free!

    Margaret, Chris and I will discuss our own journey of writing, and weaving truth into the tapestries of story. From non-fiction, to fiction, to song-writing…this will be a discussion for any artist. Books will be available and signings will follow.

    I’ll also be at Unleash at NewSpring Church on March 12, so if you’re going – say hi! They are also kind enough to have Mad Church Disease in their Resource Center, so if you’re itching to get a copy, drop by!

    Hope to see you guys around.

  • My Heart Lately

    Lots of time on an airplane, or driving over the mountains between California and Las Vegas leaves much room for introspection.? Add in a plethora of amazing conversations, a life changing book, and being reminded that just one year ago, I was leaving Uganda.

    Most of this time, I was unplugged.? During my week on the road, I opened my computer maybe three times, mostly to get directions to Dunkin Donuts.? I really didn’t check Twitter that much.? Or Facebook.? Or even my blog.? Or even your blog.

    Next week I am going to share with you a commitment I am making.? A commitment that has been prayed over and thought over for hours and hours.? After Monday night, the book reading and gathering with my friend Shaun Groves and me, it only confirms more and more the direction my heart is going.

    If you’d like to take a look at bits and pieces of the evening, you can watch the clip below.? Thanks to Steve Eller for putting it together.? It was an honor meeting so many of you face to face.

    I’ll share a bit more tomorrow about a few events coming up I’d love to see you at. But for now, I would really appreciate your prayers as I take some more time to focus and pray about the upcoming months.

  • We’re Not In Vegas – We’re in New York!

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    It’s after midnight.

    Sorry.

    Cheese factor goes WAY up.

    So, Crystal and I have been all over California, and now Vegas.

    (Our friend Benji showed us around).

    Tomorrow it’s back to California.

    Then back home later this week.

    This is the first time I have opened my computer since Friday.

    And my brain is fried…in a great way.

    So.

    Here’s a photo.

    And I’ll see you soon.

    Be kind.

  • A Year Ago Today…

    a year ago today, i was in uganda with 15 other bloggers. it was the first time poverty and i ever had a go at each other. i don’t think it liked me very much…coming in with my western attitude and designer jeans.

    and honestly, i loathed it right back. i loathed it so much, i’ve woken up every morning since this trip determined to crush it.

    a year ago today, i wrote this:

    ==

    today is one of those days i don?t want to end.

    we started early, and headed to compassion’s ugandan central office. the professionalism, humility, and passion the staff shared literally glowed the moment we walked in. i was surprised to hear how many of them are reading our blogs?so to the compassion staff, thank you. thank you for teaching us so many things.

    we spent most of the day at a project about an hour outside of the city?and let me tell you, i will never, EVER complain about oklahoman roads again. i have to admit, it was actually a pretty fun bus ride with everyone bouncing all over the place. things i didn’t even know i had jiggled!

    at the project, we had the chance to see how compassion’s child survival program works, putting a special focus on meeting the needs of pregnant women, and their children from birth to three years old. we visited homes where we saw the program in place. workers from the project visit and help set goals for the family and the child, as well as provide for some basic needs.

    after a delicious lunch, we broke off into groups to help observe and serve within the project. carlos and i taught a group of kids the motions and words for YMCA and Jesus Loves Me?we served the smallest children a special milk mixture that helps both nourish them and give them energy?

    and then we played. out in the back of the project is a huge, grassy hill (complete with cattle at the bottom) and overlooking the amazing ugandan landscape. sophie and i played a game of ball (and let me tell you, some of these girls could out throw ANYONE)?we blew bubbles, picked up kids, loved on them, and made a very slow journey back to the bus?with children latching on to any available spot on our bodies, screaming

    BYE, MUZUNGU!!! BYE, MUZUNGU!!! (which means “bye, white person!!!”)

    i was tired. a little sunburnt. sweaty. smelly. really needing to use the bathroom. and really not wanting to leave.

    about 20 feet from the bus, a nine or ten year old boy in a school uniform ran through the crowd, jumped in front of me, faced me, and gave me the biggest, tightest hug i think i?ve ever received. he simply muttered the words, “thank you, muzungu. thank you.” and then walked away.

    to those of you who have recently sponsored, or have been sponsoring a while?allow me to say, thank you, muzungu. thank you.