Anne Marie Miller

Category: Blogging

  • Welcome Back

    So, it’s April 13.

    The end of Lent, and the conclusion of my social media fast from blogging, Twitter, and Facebook.

    What can I say? It’s honestly been a very refreshing few weeks. My perspective on blogging and online networking continues to shift, and even though I’m “back,” so to speak, I’m not really quite sure what being “back” means.

    Something you will notice is the new blog design (RSS friends, click here to check it out). This is something I’m very excited about. When you visit the home page of FlowerDust.net, you’ll see a feature in the header.? Currently, it’s focused on the trip I’ll be taking to Kolkata (Calcutta), India, in two weeks with Compassion International.? This feature will change at times to help elevate causes or gifts that I think would be valuable to you.

    There’s a little more information included in this new design, which can all be found in the header – information about where I’m speaking, some new services I’m offering, and an always-changing list of recommended resources.

    Some other cosmetic changes are using gravatars – because you guys are so darn attractive – and easier ways to share the conversations by using the Tweet This plugin at the bottom of the post.? You’ll also notice the Comment Luv feature when you leave a comment, because we’d all like to know what’s on your mind.

    Even with all of the changes, you shouldn’t need to resubscribe to my blog. But in case you haven’t yet, or if you want to make sure you’re subscribed, you can simply click here to sign up for an RSS feed or an email subscription.

    I’m excited to see how the relationships on this blog will continue to grow and how we can keep learning from each other.

    It’s clean. It’s simple. And hopefully easy to use. If there’s something that looks weird to you, or a feature you’d like to see added, feel free to let me know.

  • Closing Down FlowerDust.net

    On February 9, I posted about praying through shutting my comments off during Lent. I felt like I was developing an unhealthy ego (or lack thereof) due to some of the response my blog has received. Good or bad. The good would make me get all puffed up, and the bad would make me internalize untruth.

    After speaking with some close friends, and ultimately, what I had sensed in my heart from the beginning, I decided to not blog or Twitter or update my Facebook during the Lenten season.

    This will be my last post until April 13.

    —–

    Many people look at Lent as an old law, one of which we are free. I grew up Baptist, and we never celebrated it. A new friend of mine explained to me that one of the reasons people fasted from food during Lent was because of the time they would spend in preparation for their meals. By sacrificing their food, they were able to devote more time to God and to each other.

    It takes me five minutes to make my famous grilled cheese sandwich, or I can drive and get something from McDonald’s in three minutes round trip. I’ve fasted from food before. It’s a big deal, but not what I needed to fast now.

    So, where do I spend my time? What distracts me from my communion with God?

    The Internets.

    —–

    There are a couple things I want to leave you with:

    WHY I’M DOING THIS

    1) During this technology fast, I am going to be preparing my heart and mind for my upcoming trip to Calcutta, India with Compassion International. We leave at the end of April, and I don’t want any distractions to interfere with how God is going to move within us and how we are going to respond on this trip.

    2) Also during this technology fast, I am going to be praying and focusing on my next writing project – which doesn’t only include writing a book, but truly communicating a message that has been on my heart for a very long time. Writing a book is multi-faceted and I want to be clear and focused and open to what words God is using me to write, and the steps he is having me make.

    3) Not as a part of Lent, but during this season of fasting, I am participating in the Forty Days of Water campaign by Blood:Water Mission. From March 1-April 9, all I will drink is water. I encourage you to explore and pray about it as well. The premise is what you would have spent on other drinks during these forty days, you will spend on providing clean water in Africa.

    WHAT YOU CAN DO

    1) I am going to be downright bold here and make a big ask. There is so much technology noise in the world right now. What if we shut off our part of it, just for this season? I am going to ask you to fast from blogging, Twitter, Facebook — whatever consumes your time the most. Is this something you need to do? There is something stirring within the blog world. Several high traffic blogs are taking breaks or have shut down completely. Let me assure you, we didn’t just sit in a room and plan this out. It’s not a publicity stunt. I don’t think this is the answer for everyone, but I would ask that you seriously consider taking a break to see what God can do offline while we take a break online.

    2) Pray for me. Pray for me as I focus on those things listed above. It is going to be weird being unplugged. As I mentioned in my Out of Ur article today, sometimes when we’re not plugged in online, unfortunately, we miss offline experiences as well. I am not going to feel as connected to those around me and that adjustment, although I believe is completely necessary for me, will be difficult.

    3) Sponsor a Child through Compassion. If you know anything about me, you know this is my heartbeat.

    —–

    MY BOOK

    Obviously my book Mad Church Disease isn’t taking a break. You can see what’s going on with it here, or order a copy.? I’m honestly REALLY nervous because essentially, I am not going to be able to talk about my book online during this time, and that’s where my tribe – you guys – are. I am really having to let go of the “control” I think I have over spreading the message.? God is in control of it. Not me. Not my blog.? So, if you can, do you part to spread the word about it.? If you can, leave a review.? Or order a few more copies.? Download and email a free chapter to all your friends. Grin.? Must…let….go….deep….breath….

    —–

    IF YOU HAPPEN TO STUMBLE ON THIS BLOG DURING THE BREAK

    I’d like to say hi. This blog won’t be active again until after Easter and when it does return, might have a different focus. Who knows? At the same time, there are three years of conversation tucked away. I am going to point you to some of the more thoughtful categories where you’ll find these discussions below:

    Anxiety and Depression
    Sex and Porn Addiction
    Church
    Authenticity
    Leadership
    My trip to Uganda with Compassion International

    —–

    WHERE YOU WILL FIND ME

    I do have some speaking or other events scheduled during this time, so if you live around one of these places, I’d love to say hi. You can click here to see where I’ll be visiting.

    CONTACT

    You can still email me. Sometimes it takes me a while to respond, and especially during this time, I won’t be super plugged in. But that door is always open.

    —–

    See you after Easter.

    And Love God. Love Others.

    —–

  • Can Online Community Really Exist?

    At the National Pastors Convention, I had the chance to sit on a panel and discuss the use of technology and social media within the church. You can actually see our pixel-shaped heads here if you’d like to see what went down (Thanks, DJ).

    Anyway, over the last couple of months, the brain contained in my own pixel-shaped head has been doing a LOT of thinking. A lot. And if you were to have seen the interview I did at the I3 Conference, you’d see that I literally contradict myself within a week’s time.? Cynthia asked if I believed in the phenomenon of Online Community to which I eagerly argued, “yes, yes, a million times yes!”

    At the NPC panel just a few days later, when I met Skye Jethani (remember, whose book Divine Commodity is the most profound thing I’ve read in a long, long time), we continued this “online community” conversation on the panel.

    Out of Ur, which is a Christianity Today blog, posted a video of Shane Hipps (author of Flickering Pixels, another brilliant book) talking about virtual worlds and suggesting physical proximity is a factor in community.? Scot McKnight responded with a slightly differing opinion. Skye asked me to respond as well. And so I did.

    Here is an excerpt…I’d love for you to post your thoughts over on Out of Ur, so I’m closing comments here.

    In some instances, these online conversations have translated into personal communication (by email, chats, or phone) and some have even turned into face-to-face meetings. The platforms of social media certainly give these personal interactions a “jump start” so to speak, because you do, in some regard, know bits and pieces of the other person’s life.

    But this is where it gets muddy for me. Is it community?

    Given my experience living in both worlds, it may be surprising to hear, but I am beginning to lean on the side of no?what happens online is not community. Before you send me an army of frowning emoticons, please hear me out:

    I believe what happens online is connection…not community.

    People can be vulnerable and honest online. And at times these online connections can be more life-giving than many of our offline relationships, but they are not the same.

    You will read an announcement in the full post on Out of Ur that might surprise you.?= Once you’re done over there, come back over here and you’ll get the full scoop.

    See you over there!

    Then back here.

    Phew! I’m getting tired with all this running around.

  • Can Girls be Porn Addicts Too?

    It never ceases to amaze me when people say with shock:

    “A woman could never, EVER be addicted to porn.? Never!”

    For those of you who think that, let me tell you something.

    I was.

    And your theory is wrong.

    Here’s a bit of my story.

  • Turning off Comments?

    So I was recently having a great conversation with a blogger, who is a mother (yet I refuse to call her a mom blogger because, well, she is so much more!).

    She gets a million times more traffic than I do, a million times more comments, and sometimes a million times more drama.

    She talked about a friend of hers who has a really high traffic blog who gave up comments for Lent.

    I’ve never given up squat for Lent.

    But this really struck me as something I might need to do.

    I started blogging because I love writing and I love conversation.? And I get that conversation would be non-exisitent for that time.

    But honestly, comments feed my ego sometimes. More than I’d like.

    Or at their worst, they damage my ego.

    Am I willing to lose risking readers and traffic because the comments are turned off?

    Would it do more harm than good?

    Or do I just need to do it because I have invested too much into the “worth” comments give me?

    Or should my blog just take a break for Lent completely?

    Those are some things in my head that I’m working through.

    And they affect you.? So I’d be curious as to what you think.

  • an autographed tribes & mad church giveaway

    i went and visited zondervan last week…i may or may not have gotten a few extra advance copies of mad church disease.

    MCD Giveaway

    this contest is easy to win. it goes to the highest bidder.

    (welp, ego…it was nice knowing you!) :-)

    whoever donates the most pairs of shoes to the 50000shoes.com website between 6 am CST tuesday and 6 am CST wednesday wins. and i’ll even autograph it with your favorite bible verse, sprinkle holy water on it, engrave your name in gold, give you a bronze dove plaque, and throw in some snacks from my desk.

    S4S Story

    click here to read more stories of where your shoes are going!

    oh, and here’s the icing on the cake. more truthfully, it’s probably the actual cake. be the highest bidder and not only will you get a hyper-anointed copy of MCD, you’ll also get an autographed copy of seth godin’s newest book, tribes. i know that’s nothing like snacks from my desk, but thought it might sweeten the deal. who knows? maybe he’ll throw in some snacks from his desk.

    Tribes Seth Godin

    comment below (and yep, i’ll need proof if you are the highest donor if you do win!)

    ready…go! how many shoes did you donate today?

  • locked in an airplane lavatory

    in february, i was flying from oklahoma city to chicago on an american airlines flight. after having one too many diet cokes, i walked the green mile to the back of the plane to, well, take care of business.

    much to my surprise (and dismay, and fear), i was locked in. the sliding latch that moves the “unoccupied” to “occupied” was stuck. surely there was no oxygen coming in. i was going to die a lonely death in the bathroom on an airplane. fortunately, my certain death did not come, and five minutes later i was back in my seat drinking more diet coke.

    now, in chicago, i’d meet up with fifteen almost-strangers and together we’d travel to uganda for a week on behalf of compassion international.

    we’d laugh together. we’d play with kids together. we’d run from bats together. and ultimately, we’d fight poverty together. you can read about those adventures – the good, bad, and challenging – here.

    yesterday, another group of blogging strangers departed from around the country to meet at an airport in miami before heading down to the dominican republic. from what i can tell, nobody was locked in an airplane lavatory and they arrived safely.

    today was their first day in the dominican. i imagine they’re probably at a project now, meeting a pastor and learning how compassion is releasing children from poverty. they’re learning about what some of the local children want to do when they grow up. and they’re probably starting to ask a lot of questions.

    i encourage you to follow them on their trip this week. you can read more about it here, or subscribe to their group RSS feed here.

    and while you’re thinking about it, do more than just read along. sponsor a child by clicking here.

  • blankets, fireplaces and good books

    my weekend is friday and saturday. and i cherish these days. especially when i am not traveling to speak or having to work on authory kinds of things.

    this weekend is just that: two down days. no real plans (except sharing some meals with friends)…and that is it. it has been a weekend of sleeping in, eating cookies for breakfast, indulging in a law and order marathon, and reading.

    the book of the season is the fine line by my new friend kary oberbrunner.

    now, at this point, i am guessing several of you are familiar with “the blog tour” that surrounds pretty much every new release. some have written saying this is an unfair pimping of new books – using blogs as a cheap and easy marketing tool, thus disengaging the true community aspect these blogs hold.

    in some cases, i couldn’t agree more.

    so i wanted to clear something up with you before i participate in blog tours, because sometimes, i think blog tours are a very fair way of sharing new books that are seriously life changing.

    (raises up right hand in vowlike manner)

    i promise you i am not going to do a “blog tour” just because somebody asks. the blog tours i do are for books and for people who i personally know and personally believe in.

    i met kary at catalyst and got to hang out with him a little bit on wednesday. he’s one of those people i wish lived closer to nashville because i know i would be picking his brain all the time. his book has already captured me.

    so, there you have it. my promise to you. i won’t pimp books i don’t believe in or for people i don’t know. i know there is an element of trust you and i share and i don’t want to violate it.

    i’ll be writing a more thorough post on kary’s book after i finish it…but wanted to turn you on to it (and get this blog tour idea discussed a little).

    you can see the full list of blogs kary will be stopping by here. and you can read more about his book here. and get to know kary here.

    ===

    what do you think about book blog tours? useful information about upcoming books? shameless pimping? turn you on? turn you off? i’d love to hear your feedback.

    ===

  • you just wrote a book. you really did.

    in the “things you can’t say in church” post, i thought it would be fun to figure out how many words were in the comments. verdict?

    22,822

    the deadly viper book is under 20,000 words. mad church disease comes in at about 43,000.

    so seriously?

    you guys just wrote a book.

    on one hand, i feel badly because i know a lot of time and energy went into some of the comments that maybe didn’t have such a good return on investment. on the other hand, i think a lot of good issues and conversation was had. so i’m torn.

    it’s one of those blogging dynamics i just don’t know where i land…does something like that provoke and waste peoples’ time and energy? or is it worth it to have a healthy discussion?