Anne Marie Miller

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  • brain barf, edition 2

    these brain barf posts are the ones i do when i have a lot to say, but everything is disorganized and spewed…

    are you a designer? my publisher, zondervan, relevant magazine, and neue have a little design contest going on for mad church disease.? the winner gets a bunch of stuff like a subscription to neue, $100 AMEX card, and your ad printed in the march edition of neue with lots of love.? i realize, as a designer, there are people who are passionately against spec work.? i’ve been a designer professionally for 10 years. i get it. however my own philosophy is quite the opposite – a communal one of sharing where money isn’t the focus.? zondervan could very well use their great design team to make this ad, but we don’t want to.? why? this online community has contributed so much to this book from stories to voting on the cover art to instant feedback. it only seems natural.? go here for details.

    yesterday i had a great meeting with nashville author chris coppernoll. keep in mind i have only read three fiction books in the last ten years (all of them in the last two months) and they were the shack, and then chris’ two books, providence and a beautiful fall.? holy freaking smokes. they are good. no…they are amazing.? they went in my bag everywhere i went and if i had a spare moment, i would dive back into them.? chris didn’t ask me to review or recommend them…i honestly just purchased them because i believe in supporting local authors.? i didn’t expect to be swept away by them. and now, after spending some time with chris, he is such a life-giving person it’s no wonder his books are so dadgum good.? if you like a great novel with incredible character development and storyline, you MUST GET THESE BOOKS.? providence was his first one, then a beautiful fall. they are stellar.? read more about chris and the way he is changing the world (besides writing amazing books).

    we are still 720 pairs of shoes short from receiving our match from underology.? i’m not sure if people are just tapped out, or tuned out, or what.? but only 280 pairs have been given this week instead of thousands that have been given every other week.? i’m thankful for those 280 pairs.? it’s the dramatic drop doesn’t make sense.? tony morgan left a comment about this online generation being excited about putting a widget up or talking about causes, but that they actually do very little in comparison as far as acting.? the stats prove true…over 3500 people have blogged or promoted the cause, but only 1500 or so have donated.? i’m a bit dumbfounded. but that’s okay.? there’s still 8780 people whose feet that will be protected.? sorry if you’re missing out on this.? http://www.50000shoes.com.

    oh yeah, the highest bids right now for the autographed amy grant guitar are $100.? bid more than that, and it could be yours.

    i am officially working on book two. venturing into totally unknown territory. scary. exciting. fun.

    tomorrow, i have the opportunity to talk to someone i deeply respect who is leading a great organization that is making a real difference in the world (yes, as opposed to a fake difference. sorry. my humor’s a bit dry today). looking forward to sharing his thoughts with you next week.

    finally picked up some meds for the depression. they have been sitting on my kitchen counter for the last week. i can’t make myself take them yet.

    remember tomorrow is not guaranteed. trust your heart. what is it that you’re not doing that you must?

    happy thursday.

  • if you could ask any question…

    about poverty, injustice, and how the church should respond…what would you ask?

    i’ll tell you why next week.

  • this is this sickest video you will see today

    it started out like any other tuesday morning.? a weekly coffee meeting, then off to cross point‘s programming meeting.? our creative director, matt, was out (congrats on the new baby!) so i sat in his chair.

    all throughout the meeting, i kept smelling a rotten, vinegar-esque smell.? i asked dave, our programming director, who was sitting nearby, if he smelled it too.? which he didn’t.

    i thought i was just going crazy.

    after the meeting, i turned around and on matt’s desk, discovered a disgusting ounce or two of what looked to be old, fermented, curdeld up orange juice.? we think it was probably fresh about a week ago.? at least it smelled that way.

    we passed it around to smell it (because that’s what creatives do with gross things) when i was struck with an idea.

    jarrod, one of our worship leaders, and his wife laura are adopting.? what a great way to donate some cash to a worthy cause AND be entertained…so, i dared jarrod to drink it and in return, i’d give him $50.

    here is what followed.

    Video thumbnail. Click to play
    Click To Play

  • pretty church – messy church

    is it just me, or does anyone else struggle with the tension between pretty church and messy church?

    by pretty church, i mean the lights, camera, and action.

    by messy church, i mean the dirty, dangerous, tangible.

    (let’s not argue over vernacular. i trust you know what i mean.)

    being the church can look different in different ways and in different environments.

    sometimes it’s the excellence demonstrated in a sunday service.

    other times it’s the sweat as a team builds a church brick by brick in the dominican.

    sometimes it’s children’s program and presenting god in a way a kid’s never seen.

    other times it’s feeding the kid their only meal of the week.

    when my messy church sleeves are rolled up and my arms are dirty, i admit it’s easy for me to ask a lot of questions about pretty church.

    but in all fairness, the gospel can be acted out in many avenues.

    living in the tension is difficult for me.

    anyone else?

  • yes, that’s me outside a shady motel.

    it was unseasonably cold in baton rouge, louisiana, last thursday night.? when i arrived wednesday, it was 75 and muggy.? by the same time thursday, it was 32 degrees and windy – a cold, damp, biting wind that messed up all of our hair and left us shivering in the shuttle which drove us around the most dangerous areas of town.

    after making the rounds at several adult establishments to hand out roses to the ladies who worked at them, we visisted the almost condemned alamo motel, home to pimps, drug lords and prostitutes.

    the cold air kept the prostitutes indoors, but we managed to stop by one motel room where we knew we’d find a lady the team i was with had gotten to know over the last few months.

    she answered the door in a house robe and hair net.

    we’ll call her miss ella.

    miss ella lives in a motel room no larger than 300 sqaure feet.? some of the surrounding rooms still have boarded up windows and are missing pieces of the roof, but miss ella’s room managed to weather the rounds of hurricanes that hit baton rouge over the summer.

    the thing that surprised me about miss ella wasn’t the fact that she’s a grandma.? but that she is a grandma with six (usually seven) kids (and a dog) living with her in her small, god-only-knows-what’s-happened-here motel room.? as i peered in a crooked door frame, mattresses covered the floor and baskets of clothes were scattered around.

    this was miss ella’s home.

    we gave miss ella a rose and some candy to her grandchildren. a lady i was with asked why one of miss ella’s granddaughters stayed covered up under some blankets, and why she wasn’t coming to the door for her candy.

    “is she sick?”

    “she doesn’t have no clothes,” miss ella said.

    as we talked more with miss ella, what appeared to be her eldest grandson came to the door wearing a light purple windbreaker (circa 1984) and matching running pants.? evidently he had recently returned to miss ella’s care after getting into some kind of trouble.? we asked him if he’d go back to school soon.? he said no, hiding behind his grandmother.

    “he don’t have no clothes to wear to school,” miss ella replied, matter of factly, her arm pulling him close.

    alliece, the brilliant and beautiful woman who heads up the baton rouge dream center, as well as this midnight outreach we were on, told miss ella to come by the center for some clothes on sunday.? they would take care of him, and make sure miss ella had anything else she needed.

    after we prayed with her, i climbed back in the shuttle, headed back to my own hotel room, which was probably the same size as miss ella’s, if not a tad bigger.? but i had my room all to myself.? perched high up on the 18th floor, i was far removed from any pimps or prostitutes or drug deals or rats or roaches or mold.? i didn’t consider latching the door behind me because subconsciously i knew i was completely safe.

    it was a contrast i’m far from forgetting.

    a quick bit of shut eye and five hours later, i was sitting on an airplane reflecting on miss ella and her grandbabies.? i was left with a feeling very similar to the way i felt when i first visted annette, a mother with five children who lived in one room in an african slum in uganda.

    how? how does this happen?

    it’s easy to try and rationalize a slum in uganda. it’s not easy to forget, or easy to accept, but it’s easy to put it in a third-world point of view.? it hasn’t been easy for me to process miss ella and her motel room.? her six (or seven) kids (and a dog).? her lack of basic needs.? the danger that surrounds her day in and day out.

    from a completely american context, it just doesn’t make sense.

    i know there are motels like the alamo in every town.? i know there are mothers and fathers and grandmothers and aunts who are going without food or heat or clothing today.? and it’s moments like thursday night and people like miss ella which are divine in nature, giving me far more in perspective and hope and faith than i could possibly ever offer in return.

  • a few good reasons why…

    here are a few good reasons why you should donate some shoes at 50000shoes.com this week. lots of free stuff coming your way!

    • if you donate december 7-13, and have the highest donation amount, you’ll win an autographed amy grant guitar. it’s kind of like a really silent auction with a surprise ending.? unfortunately, we can’t list the highest bid online during the week, but if you want to know what it is so you can beat it, just email me.
    • even if you don’t make the highest donation, you’ll still be entered in for a chance to hand deliver your shoes in person on a soles4souls trip to mexico.
    • another sponsor match!! we have another corporate sponsor, underology.? underology will make a 1-for-2 match meaning if we donate 1000 shoes by 11:59 pm on december 13, underology will donate an additional 500 shoes!? we will need to be at 9500 shoes by then, and after underology’s donation, that will put us over 10,000 shoes!
    • bonus! if you donate $25 (10 pairs of shoes!) or more you will receive a free jar of “save my sole” foot cream compliments also of our generous sponsor, underology! this stuff is delicious!
    • and duh, you should donate because it’s the right thing to do!

    please visit 50000shoes.com today and donate!? oh yeah, spread the word around too!

    ==

    about this week’s generous sponsor:

    Underology: What makes us different? Our ingredients list is short… we use high levels of active ingredients that are not diluted with fillers and preservatives. Outcome… vibrant skin, fast. “UNDEROLOGY SMART Skincare” is a SMART alternative to cosmetic surgery or the PERFECT compliment!

    Connie’s mission with the new UNDEROLOGY SMART Skincare line is to provide products with the highest quality ingredients which women deserve, for a price equivalent to what women spend for department store brands.

    Result-oriented active ingredients are used from the latest technology and research available. We list for you ALL of our ingredients, not just “key ingredients,” therefore you can be well informed about what you are using on your skin. Our key ingredient is quality. You will find our quality ingredients are not diluted with lots of fillers… just active ingredients, providing a vibrant and noticeable difference in your skin.

    Check out the Underology Skincare line here!

  • i can’t stand my perry noble post!

    remember this post?

    yeah. i pretended that the fighting and drama going on there didn’t matter.

    freedom of speech.? woohoo.

    let the people who can’t act responsibly, regardless of their viewpoint, look stupid.? that’s their own problem.? if they want to fight, that’s their prerogative.

    however, i realized it is larger than their problem.? it is all of our problem, and as the rightful owner of this blog, it was my responsibility to shut that post down.

    i emailed several friends – both real-life friends and online ones (as well as some twitter strangers) – who aren’t believers.? we have explorers, semi-buddhists, atheists, and those who have left the faith, and i asked them to simply skim the comments and let me know if they represented:

    love

    joy

    peace

    patience

    kindness

    goodness

    faithfulness

    gentleness

    self control.

    ==

    everyone of them came back with a resounding “no.” and they weren’t at all surprised. evidently some of us are known not for our love for each other but for our hypocrisy.? our stubborn disagreements.? our closemindedness – regardless of where our theology is.

    if we are so concerned about “evangelism” — about reaching people with the gospel, the truth, the hope, the life, the love of christ — it is the holy spirit working that touches people, right?? that same holy spirit that dwells in us, right?

    just in case you haven’t studied that list of words above – the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control – those would be the fruits of the spirit.

    evidence of our obedience and allowing him to guide us.

    guess what?

    the people who are supposed to see that in us?

    they didn’t.

    massive failure.

    ==

    instead, they saw the opposite.

    hate

    anger

    anxiety

    impatience

    rudeness

    bitterness

    disloyalty

    roughness

    impulsivity

    ==

    most of you read the comments (they’re all gone now, sorry, even the encouraging ones).

    would you disagree with my friends’ analysis?

    ==

    yesterday i spent some time with the staff at healing place church.? pastor dino rizzo was talking about the future of the church during our lunch meeting.

    he said something to the effect of “we have no right to be cynical about the church.? the church is doing great things.? we only have reasons to celebrate.? this is the best time to be church.”

    like a stilletto to my stomach, i thought back on that post and most of the subsequent comments.? when i finally got a chance to get on my computer this morning (i’m at the memphis airport on a layover), i was nauseous that the “discussion” was still going.

    so i killed it.

    it’s dead.

    and if there is ever another mean-spirited comment on my blog from now on, IT WILL BE DELETED.

    i don’t care if you disagree with me.? or if you disagree with others.? disagreement happens. that’s cool.

    but if there is an ounce of devisiveness in your tone, your comment will be deleted.

    if that new rule, the only rule that has ever been or ever will be enforced on this blog pisses you off, don’t read my blog anymore.

    go fight somewhere else.

    this blog will ONLY be about love.

    cynicism is no longer allowed.

  • friday lyrics

    i never know whether or not to blog on friday. it’s one of my days off, so in a way, i don’t really want to. :)

    so, i decided to start a weekly tradition.

    friday lyrics…

    i’ll post lyrics to a song i’ve been addicted to in the week.? you respond by posting lyrics to a song you’ve been addicted to in the week.

    pretty easy, huh? let’s try…

    invincible – muse

    Follow through
    Make your dreams come true
    Don’t give up the fight
    You will be alright
    Cause there’s no one like you in the universe

    Don’t be afraid
    What your mind consumes
    You should make a stand
    Stand up for what you believe
    And tonight
    We can truly say
    Together we’re invincible

    During the struggle
    They will pull us down
    But please, please
    Lets use this chance
    To turn things around
    And tonight
    We can truly say
    Together we’re invincible

    Do it on your own
    It makes no difference to me
    What you leave behind
    What you choose to be
    And whatever they say
    Your soul’s unbreakable

    During the struggle
    They will pull us down
    But please, please
    Let use this chance
    To turn things around
    And tonight
    We can truly say
    Together we’re invincible

    Together we’re invincible

    During the struggle
    They will pull us down
    Please, please
    Let use this chance
    To turn things around
    And tonight
    We can truly say
    Together we’re invincible

    Together we’re invincible

    your turn…you can find lyrics here.

    go!

  • is failing an option?

    there have been very few challenges in my life i haven’t met or exceeded.

    mostly driven by (ahem: unhealthy) levels of competition, i find a goal that’s just a little bit out of my range, but not completely unimaginable.

    let’s try to some articles published. check.

    let’s try to get a book published.? yup.

    let’s design some cool print pieces that win awards. check.

    get out of credit card debt. sionara.

    raise 50 malaria nets? why not? let’s make it over 100.

    this 50,000 shoes in 50 days challenge is scaring the bejeebers out of me. it’s half over and still over 40,000 shoes to go.? i rarely get jealous or frustrated, but many times i have been wishing i was a really, really, really high traffic blog.? maybe that would help…

    some of my thoughts have included:

    • why can’t i have the traffic of pioneer woman? seth godin? michael hyatt? dooce?
    • if only all the mom bloggers and the influential marketplace masterminds would catch on and blog about this cause (amongst the other 90 amazing causes a day they probably get pinged with) my job would be easy!
    • why have over 3000 people supported the cause through blogs and facebook, but only 1200 unique donors have given?? why haven’t the other 1800 given?
    • how come a blog that has people fighting about a pastor can get FIFTY TIMES MORE TRAFFIC in ONE DAY than any of the 50,000 shoes posts?

    but after some reflection, i noticed the goal i am obsessing about is raising 50,000 shoes. i was caring all about the numbers.

    i haven’t been taking my own advice.

    lesson learned? i am needing to back off, pray and search my heart, and realize the grander scheme in this.

    yes, i’m honestly scared we may not reach this huge goal we have set. i’m scared of the consequences. of losing my reputation as the girl who can always rally people together to deliver mind-blowing results.

    but i can’t think about that too much.

    it’s all about the heart. and i need to refocus, and dwell on the heart.

    whose heart?

    mine.? yours.? and 50,000 people in need whose will be changed when they get their first pair of shoes.

    deep breath, anne jackson. deep breath.