i realize it has been pretty quiet around these parts lately.
(insert tumbleweed blowing across a desert here).
the last few weeks i have been in a season of listening instead of talking. a time of reflection and prayer.
so, i’m still around. and no doubt, i’ll be writing again soon. quite honestly, i haven’t much to say at the moment.
i pray you’ll humor me and stick around. this week, i’m having some friends write some guest blogs for me…and trust me, you won’t want to miss them!
I had a great time in nashville, getting to hang out with so many truly amazing people, some were old friends, and some were new.
i met brock face to face at the compassion dinner last night and because he remembers stuff much better than me, i am stealing this from him. the guest speaker at the dinner was tony neeves, (VP of international development for compassion)…a lovely british gentleman with humble and challenging thoughts.
one that stood out to me was “children in poverty aren’t the problem. children in poverty are the solution.” he went on to say that these children are “bundles of potential” — and if they receive positive support, they have the potential to be world-changers in the best way possible. yet if they aren’t loved, aren’t cared for, they have the potential to be world-changers in the worst possible way.
wow.
other things (from brock):
third world people press their faces against the windows of our lives because of technology, internet, tv etc. and they feel as if they have no hope. it is because they are seeing soap operas and game shows on tv and see how we live. they cant afford a bowl of rice. they realize they have nothing and have no hope.
also, churches in western world are far more introverted than third world churches. this must change.
and, third world churches are growing fast in some areas not because of a great pastor or sermons but they are loving people and meeting needs. then the community sees the love and want what they have.”
a few other highlights from the trip:
i honestly don’t listen to much christian music. but i did when i was 13. a little bit of me thought it was cool when toby mac walked into starbucks. then i realized how truly cool i was when jenni went to hug him. (julie, i thought you’d get a kick out of that!) :)
I got to hang out some with mark and stephanie lee. mark plays the guitar in amazing ways for a band called third day. again, it’s probably been a good decade since i really listened to third day, but as I saw them play at a showcase, some of their new material really really touched me in ways only god could know.
it was just truly amazing to reconnect with some of the uganda bloggers. twice.
i really wish i could link to everyone I met and hung out with but i am about to have to drive. so to all of you, thank you for making us feel so welcome!!
disclaimer: my mac’s mic sucks. sorry. you’re gonna have to turn it up, baby!
here you go!
**also**
several of you mentioned wanting me to come out and speak to your church/students/college/staff/dog sometime. please email me here and let me know what’s on your mind!
we are SOMEWHERE close to hitting our 10,000th comment on flowerdust.net.
who will be the 10,000th commenter? i dunno…but…
*WHOEVER LEAVES THE 10,000TH COMMENT…I WOULD BE HONORED TO FLY OUT TO WHEREVER YOU LIVE, ON MY OWN DIME, AND SPEND A LITTLE TIME WITH YOU!! GET LUNCH, COFFEE…WHATEVER!*
now, after typing that, i realize how completely presumptuous that sounds…as if you would actually want a visit from me…
but, assuming you would like to hang out (as there are SO many of you i would love to meet!)…please comment…and we will get this ball rolling!
this blog is about YOU. it is YOUR community. and i cannot thank my lucky stars to have interacted with you all on some level. it would be SUCH a treat to get to meet more of you face to face. so…i can’t wait!!
so…to the 10,000th commenter…i will fly out to your hometown on my own dime at a time that’s mutually convenient and we’ll part-tay.
*a few rules:
-48 states…if someone outside the 48 states is the 10,000th comment, the next eligible person will be chosen.
-the guy rule…i don’t meet with guys alone, so, if a guy wins, someone else must be there!
-if you comment multiple times, you must wait at least 10 comments before posting again
-if you live in hawaii, alaska, or overseas…and you would really really really like to win…and you do…i’m willing to come…it’s just the cost of travel keeping me from you. if you can float the difference, heck, i’m there! :)
-just for a reference…we are somewhere between 0 and 200 comments from hitting 10,000…so, it’s anyone’s game!
-final approval will be made at my hub’s and my discretion (ie, if your blog is about killing small woodland creatures, or your obsession with chemical warfare agents, we’ll probably pick the next guy…creepy).
-i’ll announce the winner as soon as we figure out who it is!
have fun!!!
it’s been two years and i have been sans blogroll. it’s time to change…
if you link to me, let me know, and i’ll link you back…
also…if you don’t link to me, now is a darn good time to start.
ha ha…no really. you should start…
let me know you’re a link lover in the comments and make sure to leave your blog address so i can return the favor!
A few months ago, Carlos asked on his blog,
What could be done if bloggers put the influence of their blogs together to create change in a single moment?
Well…On February 10…
From all over the country we will fly to Chicago and meet.
From Chicago, we’ll head to Brussels, Belgium.
From Brussels to Nairobi, Kenya.
From Nairobi, to Kampala, Uganda.
We’ll spend several days in Uganda with Compassion International, visiting villages, meeting children and sharing this experience with you through video, photos, and our words. We will bring these children to you.
They need you…
Here is a list of everyone who’ll be going. Visit their sites. Pray for us. We return on February 18. Over 20,000 miles round trip. I can’t wait.
Joe Carter http://www.evangelicaloutpost.com and http://www.frcblog.com/
David Kuo http://blog.beliefnet.com/jwalking/
Randy Elrod http://randyelrod.typepad.com/
Chris Elrod http://www.seekersolutions.typepad.com
Carlos Whittaker http://www.ragamuffinsoul.com/
Heather Whittaker http://whittakerwoman.typepad.com/
Shannon http://rocksinmydryer.typepad.com/shannon/
Sophie “Boomama” http://www.boomama.net/
Anne Jackson https://annemariemiller.com,
Phil Ware http://blogs.heartlight.org/phil/
Doug Van Pelt http://www.hmmagazine.com/blogs/doug
Shaun Groves http://www.shaungroves.com/shlog/
Compassion Staff
Spence Smith http://spencesmith.typepad.com/spence
Brian Seay http://brianseay.wordpress.com/
Photographer
Keely Scott – http://keelymariescott.blogspot.com/
i love you guys.
thanks for reading.
i really think you rock.
these people were searching for something…and somehow ended up here. thank you awstats for providing me with search keywords. i just can’t believe the stuff people want to look up:
do not disturb on forehead drawing
pictures of evil leprechauns
dallas diabetic cat sitters
david crowder does drugs
how much poop in my intestine
nose snot porn
catbutt
why do i still have fat in my middle
shaving armpits
ball passing hidden gorilla
does a body smell after an autopsy
redneck cold cures
infrequent booty calls
wow, if you have a way of doing this for your blog – i suggest you take a look.
please humor me a moment and vote. are you a boy? are you a girl? i’m writing a series for next week, and want to know my readers a little better. i know 1300 of you visit this site a day…so if you’re a lurker, please do me a favor and vote!
if you are a rss reader, just click the link and the poll will show up. and if you want to go the extra mile, answer me this – what sex do you think dominates flowerdust.net readership?
