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what’s your favorite talk/message ever? please include a link if you know where you can download it.

(by the way, you can now subscribe to comments, so…have fun with that!)

it was a marathon of musical proportion.

three shows last night in three different venues.

huge mug of chai (second one). i am so sleepy. i didn’t even do my hair this morning.

when’s the last time you acted like you were 20?

I have tweeted over 2500 times.

That is a lot of tweets over the last year. A lot.

And after a year or twittering, or tweeting, or twitting…I thought I’d share a few tips I’ve learned along the way that helps Twitter work a little better for me.

1. Web – I almost always only check Twitter from the web.

2. Relationships – I only follow people I have a relationship with. It doesn’t have to be an in person relationship, but in some way or another, these people have say into my daily life. Some people have called me a “Twitter Diva” (which means that I have a lot of followers, but only follow a few) and to those people I say “…and?” I can’t keep up with everyone all the time. My brain is just not wired like that. Sorry!

3. Phone – Of the small group of people I follow, an even smaller group of people’s updates come directly to my phone (my boss, my coworkers and a couple of good friends). Most of the time, I have it turned off though.

4. Interact – To kill the Twitter Diva, I realize there is still a need to interact with lots of amazing people. I check the reply tab to see who all has replied to something I?ve said and if needed, I reply to them. Even if I’m not following someone, it doesn’t really limit the interaction. It just helps focus it.

5. Track – Tracking is a cool feature (when it works). If you twitter “track Nashville,” anytime someone has “Nashville” in their tweet, it will ping you.

6. Give Love – Giving twitter love is easy, but so many people miss it! If you want to give some twitter love, DON’T phrase your twitter like “@whoever has a great blog post!” Because the only people who will see that are the people who follow you AND whoever, and whoever himself. To show some real twitter love, phrase your tweet like “So, @whoever has a great blog post!” That will allow ALL your followers to see and link over.

I know that sounds really complicated but I know for me, it?s the best way for me to interact and allow Twitter to be completely functional…any Twitter tips you’ve learned along the way?

Another company takes online initiative.

My tweet after picking up some amazing produce at Whole Foods on Sunday:

And their reply:

Stuff like this gets me really excited for some reason! And not just because the gift card. I really love good customer service!

You guys are amazing! We had 118 books donated to the GO Ministries Pastors’ library. WOW! Thank you once again for being the church in practical ways and making a huge difference thousands of miles away!

Our team REALLY appreciates your prayers of support and encouragement along the way.

It was an amazing trip…and this week will be a crazy one of catching up on emails, blogs and comments. But I really can’t thank you enough.

I would be honored to spend some time praying for you this week and weekend…please let me know how in the comments.

How can we consistently show those in developed, consumer-driven countries that places like this exist? That, although, these places need clean water, sanitation, food and medical care, we need their hope, simplicity, community, and generosity?

How can we connect the two? Is there even a way?

Words cannot do today justice, at least of my own experience. I have a picture which will tell a story I will never forget.

Sure, everyone worked their tails off, moving thousands (literally) of buckets of sand, water, and concrete up and down stairs…but my own personal highlight included a Dominican Spa Facial.

I’m waiting for a team member to give me the picture tomorrow….and I will just let that speak for itself.

Tomorrow I am going to “The Hole” which is a dump where people live. The poorest of the poor. I’m sure I’ll have lots of stories to share tomorrow night.

Thanks for your prayers!

We are sleeping in the middle of the city of Santiago, in a cement dormitory with 10 foot high, 3 level bunk beds and open air. Our power is battery generated and toilets do not like toilet paper. No hot water (at all, at the moment), but who needs that anyway?

Outside my slatted window are the constant sounds of Spanish voices, children playing, birds, bikes, and squeaky brakes less than three feet outside where my head is. If I stuck my arm out, I could probably touch one of the children walking by.

They told me to bring ear plugs to help me sleep since it was loud, but I can honestly not think of a sweeter sound to fall asleep to than the life of this city.