Anne Marie Miller

Blog

  • A Tale of Three Smart Phones

    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….

    blackberry-pearlYou 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.

    iphone-1gAs 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 learned that Sprint not only uses Sprint towers, but they also ping off of Verizon towers when roaming. Double the signal? Hmmm. 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. My friend, 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…
    plam-pre-l

    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.

  • What Do You Feel You Can’t Say in Church?

    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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  • keeping your mouth shut!

    Censored in Church?

    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?

  • BOOK GIVEAWAY: From Eternity to Here

    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.

    eternity_9kb1He 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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  • Skeptical?

    When I saw this, I believed it.

    I just showed Pete. He doesn’t.

    What do you think? Possible?

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  • Innovative Ministry Leader Launch & Caption Contest!

    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.

    iml

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

  • More Free Mad Church Disease Resources

    free-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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  • Rick Warren and I are on the Same Page About Facebook

    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.

    rick-warren-facebook

    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?

  • The Computer Ate My Bible

    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.