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This weekend, I have the privilege of speaking at Oak Leaf Church in Cartersville, GA. I have admired Michael and what the people at OLC are doing in their community for the last couple years. I’ll be speaking about God’s plan for poverty and the people of Oak Leaf will have a chance to sponsor children through Compassion after each service. (Service times are Saturday at 6 pm, Sunday at 9 and 11 am).

A few prayer requests:

• Please pray for me…I have spoken multiple times on multiple days before, but not like this. I’m excited, but think it has got to feel really weird to say the same thing three times! I just want to show up and let God do His best through me.
• Please pray for the people at OLC…that they will see and understand God’s heart for the poor, their role in his plan for poverty, and that they will take whatever the next step is on their faith journey…whether it is believing for the first time, or deciding to take a big leap of faith and do something crazy!!

Your turn. How can we pray for you this weekend?

This summer I have the opportunity to meet some amazing people in some amazing places. If you’re near any of these churches, come out and say hi! I’d love to connect. And leave me a comment to let me know you’ll be there!

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May 30-31, 2009

Oak Leaf Church Weekend Services
Cartersville, GA
Saturday at 6 pm
Sunday at 9:30 & 11:15 am

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June 4, 2009

Radio Interview with Chris Fabry
Moody Radio
2:00 pm CST – Listen LIVE HERE

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July 5, 2009

Turning Point Community Church Weekend Services
Lubbock, TX
9 am & 10:30 am

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July 12

The Oaks Church Weekend Services
Red Oak (Dallas), TX
9 am & 11 am
Panel on Social Justice with Len Sweet & Pastor Scott Wilson

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By the way, I’m not speaking, but my friend Tony Morgan’s Killing Cockroaches tour will be stopping by my digs, Cross Point Church in Nashville, on July 17. I’ll be there soaking in his brillance and hope you’ll be there too!

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You know the whole picture of having an angel on one shoudler and a devil on the other?

Is it just me, or does that really seem to happen a lot?

Most of the time, the devil stays pretty quiet and the angel and I have some good conversations.

But every once in a while, the devil scoots his blazing little behind closer and closer to my head, and then he latches on with some really wicked claws to my ear.

He’ll start screaming stuff like,

“You’re not good enough for this!”

“If they only knew the real you, nobody would listen!”

“You might as well just give up now because your time is up – you’re useless!”

“You’re dreaming to do what?? YEAH. RIGHT.”

Lately he has been yelling those things constantly. And no matter how loudly I turn up my iPod, my car stereo or my TV, he just keeps getting louder.

Aside from checking myself into an institution, I’m not quite sure what to do but to keep walking in spite of the negative voices.

Does it still affect me? Sure.

But I refuse to let him get an inch.

How do you shut him up?

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It still happens.

Every once in a while I’ll meet someone who says, “I would have DM’ed you on Twitter but you don’t follow me.” or someone will post on Twitter how they’re deleting me because I don’t follow them back.

I’ve written about why I only follow a handful of people before (mainly because I don’t want to manage another inbox of Direct Messages – I have an email address, email me for the love!), but since have changed my strategy to become even more involved with conversations on Twitter. However, I still only follow a small group of people.

Let’s say all the people who follow me on Twitter and myself were in a big room at the same time.? My friend Joe is somewhere in this room talking about his wife who just had a baby. I’m across the room by the food table eating a cookies. And cupcakes.

And in between us are 3300 other people talking.

Now let me ask you a few questions:

Am I going to hear my friend Joe over all the other conversations?

Am I even going to be able to make sense of all the noise 3300 people talking at once?

No way.

Last night when I twittered someone, “I don’t follow people on Twitter…I follow conversations,” he replied, “How can you engage in conversations if you don’t know they exist?”

Fair enough. I used to be a web-only Twittergirl. I have since moved on to TweetDeck, which allows me to better manage my small group of friends, but it also allows me the option to create and save groups based on searches.

Searches on TweetDeck are amazing. For instance you can search for simple themes you may be interested in like “church” or “baptism” or for me, “church burnout.” I also have searches set up for “Mad Church Disease” so I can see who’s talking about it and engage with them. Other fun searches that can help you engage in conversations with people you don’t follow are “Just finished reading” to see what someone just finished reading and what they thought or “Great post by” to see great blog posts you may have never found on your own. Clicking on others’ RTs (Retweets) and Retweeting things yourself is another way to introduce your followers to a new conversation.

Overall, unless you have a real strategy behind Twittering, by following a ton of people, you’re not networking. You’re only following a lot of noise. Sure, you may occasionally find a nugget to chew on, but a lot of other well-deserving Tweets will fall through the cracks and be buried in the chaos of the masses.

For example, a friend I work with follows me on Twitter. It was three weeks into my online media fast before he knew what I was doing, and it was because I told him face to face. He hadn’t seen the flood of Twitters about me quitting for Lent. Even as a close friend, I got buried in the noise.

If you truly want Twitter to be an effective social networking tool, strategize *somehow* (it doesn’t have to look like mine) or clean house.? If you want it to be a flood of noise, keep hitting the Follow button and let the Tweets roll on by.

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I am sorry that I don’t follow you on Twitter.

It was funny at first. I even jokingly called myself a Twitter Diva because I don’t follow many people.

Recently, some people have actually sent messages that their feelings are hurt because I don’t Twitter.? Someone actually found my blog by typing “Anne Jackson Twitter Diva!”

I’ve been accused of only using it to market my brand, or my book, or my whatever.? So, I thought I’d go public on two big reasons why I don’t follow many people.

Direct Messaging to me = another inbox I can’t keep up with. I already have two email accounts – work & personal.? You can always email me. I prefer it that way anyway.

I’m a very private person. I keep my cell phone number held very close to my vest.? And since I’ve started traveling more, I use my phone for Twitter more than I use my computer.? Even if I used TweetDeck or another third party app, it wouldn’t work for my schedule.? Since there’s no way for me to group or sort things the way my funky little brain needs it on my phone, I have to keep it super simple.? If I follow everyone, that would pretty much mean everyone could send me a DM, which would mean everyone is texting my phone.

And I’m sorry, but I love my down time too much to have DMs going off all the time.

Don’t get me wrong – I LOVE Twitter. I LOVE the interaction. I LOVE you!

Let me prove my love.? I have searches set up through my RSS feed with keywords I like to follow so I’m able to have conversations with people I don’t follow.? Don’t believe it?? Click here and you’ll see I’ve been pretty consistent with @-responding to people across the board.

Do I wish I really could follow people and not have my brain explode.? Sure. Hats off to the people who do it and do it well.? There are many. I am not one of them.? And aside from the fact this whole post reminds me of high school drama, if I’ve ever offended you by not following you on Twitter.? I’m really sorry.

Know that I’m still reading…I’m still here…even if I don’t follow you on Twitter.

when ted haggard’s story first came out, i wrote this post. tuesday, i saw him on CNN.? yesterday, i saw him, his wife, and two of his kids on oprah.

the way he addressed his issues was more raw and honest than i expected.? the love his wife showed him, and the way his kids talked about him, was nothing short of phenomenal grace.

something he said made me mad though. really mad.? although, it didn’t really surprise me.

he had confessed his same-sex attraction to his wife early in their marriage.? he was abused by an adult male when he was really young, and that jacked him up.? that was the trauma.

a few years before he began acting out on his attraction, he went to some leaders and pastors he knew. he said he was wrestling with these thoughts even more and needed their advice.? some withdrew. others told him to keep his mind off of it by working harder for god.

after that, he confessed he didn’t know what to do with the struggle anymore.? he desperately wanted them to be gone, and he felt like he needed to hold up the “ideal” of a perfect husband, perfect father, perfect pastor.? he made the decisions to not talk, and to act out – but it goes back to show that so many times we feel like we can’t discuss our brokenness with other believers…

that.

breaks.

my.

heart.

we all can choose to talk about our problems, absolutely. and nobody can be responsible for making that decision but us.? the environments that the “church” has created, however, tells us something different. it creates an environment where we feel like we need to have everything figured out, or else we’ll face judgment, ridicule, and isolation.

that just ain’t right.

we’ve got to create environments of honesty.

and we have to lead the way.

So today I am speaking at the Leadership Network Innovation3 conference in Dallas (my hometown – how I miss you!).

Since we have been in what I shall call Seriousville for the last few days, I thought it would be fun to do something completely silly…like put up how I make grilled cheese sandwiches.

I’ve been twittering about my grilled cheese sandwich making skills for a while now, and the people have demanded the secret.? Keep in mind this process has been one perfected over time, and has yet to be replicated…but here are the instructions.

It’s all about the timing!

For best results, use a buttermilk 1/2″ thick bread with a mild organic cheddar cheese.

Place a large skillet on your burner, and set the heat at a 5.5-6.
Spray butter flavored Pam (or other cooking spray) until it covers the pan.
Walk to the refrigerator and pull out Salt and Cream style butter and cheese.
Walk back to the counter by the stove.
Spread butter on ONE piece of bread.
Place bread butter-side down on skillet.
Open cheese packet and place cheese on bread.
Spread butter on the other piece of bread and place bread on cheese, butter side up.
Wait 35-45 seconds.
Flip sandwich.
Seal the cheese bag and close the butter tub.
Walk to fridge and place in fridge.
Wait 35-45 seconds and flip.
Continue flipping every 30 seconds until the bread has achieved a golden-brown look.
When you’ve reached the desired brown-level, place sandwich immediately on a ceramic plate.
Cut the sandwich USING THE SPATULA/FLIPPER into triangles (either 2 or 4).
Turn off stove.
ENJOY!

My dear friend and fellow Nashvillian, purveyor of artist conferences and retreat centers, maker of a fine French Martini, excellent and entertaining traveling companion to Uganda, husband to a beautiful real estate mogul, downtown Franklin, TN legend THE RANDY ELROD will be hosting a “book tasting” tomorrow to celebrate HIS book release “Beauty is Calling.”

Beauty is Calling is a collection of Randy’s original watercolors and insightful quotes.? He is so incredibly gifted, it’s ridiculous!

Join Randy and pretty much all of the Nashville area this Friday evening, Jan.23 from 5-7pm at Landmark Booksellers in historic downtown Franklin, TN

Complimentary wine & cheese and a free wine glass and signed print if you buy a book(s).

Check out the video below to see how beautiful Beauty is Calling truly is!