I’ve really started reading a few more blogs since starting to blog more frequently myself. That’s been a good thing, but maybe not a healthy thing. I’ve seen quite a few bloggers who are more focused on their message. Sure, they care that people comment so they can seem like they are doing a great job at blogging. It’s tempting to just post on things that you’re really good at. If blogging’s like life, is that really what we should be doing? Not for a second. Maybe you and I should look at blogging like we do with technology. If the technologies are gone tomorrow, how would we function? If our blog or website is gone tomorrow, would we have a friendship that could go on?

Sort of like taking a walk on the beach I guess! What if you and I were taking a nice walk together. Definitely creating a memory to remember, but actually having a discussion and sharing thoughts. I’m guessing that if the walk only consisted of me talking about all of my concerns that you would probably prefer taking the next walk with someone else! It takes two to make a thing go right, isn’t that it? What this makes me realize is that I might need to unsubscribe from a few blogs. Sure, there are a handful that I’ll still read from individuals that never communicate with me. Mostly because I know God wants us each to continue to learn. But He also wants us to draw a line in the sand with how much we are consuming compared to how much we are sharing.

A few of you will probably see me actually return the favor and comment / subscribe to your blogs as a result. I apologize for not doing that in the first place. And a few of you might not hear from me as often. I’m almost certain you won’t even notice, but if so, may that be a challenge for you to stop worrying about being an expert or a social bug. My wife’s a few steps ahead of me on this adventure to build real relationships, and God’s been proven to make that work and also build her up (and humble her) at the same time. I’m going to be brief at the end of each post and share a personal request and a praise. We’ll give that a shot, hopefully letting you hear specifics from me personally without taking too much of your reading time! Definitely let me know if I can pray for you, and feel free to post your blog address in the comments so that I can open my ears and listen to you as we walk on the beach!

PRAYING for a group of friends that are joining me on the largest project I have ever undertaken. Details coming soon! PRAISING God as He continues to provide work as I serve ministries across the world with web and graphic design services.

Starting today I am going to kill two birds with one stone. I am going to spotlight something / someone who is a selebrity (yes, I know it’s miscpelled) to me, and follow a common trend of blocking out a day of the week here on the blog for this something special. The goal? To connect you with someone you might not have heard of before! If you’re anything like me at all, you probably get a bit tired of hearing the names that everyone else is shining their spotlights on. I wish them the best and all, but God doesn’t work just within anyone’s specific circle. I mentioned giving this a shot in the post a few days back, and am thrilled to start spreading the wealth. Seems like a pretty popular trend as well……might even get someone elected someday? Sorry!

My selebrity for this Sunday is Brian Peat. Brian is actually one of the eight guys who attended our first Digital Disciples gathering last Thursday. He is also a talented individual when it comes to technology. He’s partnered with my new blog and owns one of the four ad spots here for his KeynoteUser.com site. If you’re not familiar with Keynote, it is Apple’s alternative to Microsoft’s PowerPoint. If you’re looking for great presentations and own a Mac, there is no better way to go. And there’s no better site to go to for nice themes and info for your Keynote presentations than his. Brian’s done a very nice job with the new website, and I’m looking forward to watching him succeed as a result of his efforts. Follow @brianpeat on Twitter as well!

I’m certain that everyone who reads this doesn’t have an account on Twitter yet. To be short, it’s basically your Facebook status on steroids. You sign up on the site (for free) just like you did for Facebook. You get your own personal page (like mine here), and are then asked “What are you doing?”. You then continue to update your status as often as you like (the Home button at top of page). You’ll also see your Profile button, which takes you to a list of your status archives. This is the page people see when they come and find your site. You can proceed to “follow people”, and they will show up on your Home page.

A few reasons the Twitter community makes life more interesting:

• The opinionated type’s emotions show. Many people = many personalities = many opinions of how to “tweet”.
• There is one reason you SHOULD follow everyone that is not unbearable. So that you can both have the freedom to quickly message each other (easier than email).
• Some people want many to hear from them, but only follow maybe 1/4 of those people. I call this the social ratio. They come on Twitter to be social, but don’t want others to intrude into their special private village. A special post coming soon for those “Captain Me Planet” types.
• It takes discipline to not hang out on Twitter for hours. I am disciplined at times, but not at others.
• You hear about news long before the media even gets to it. Six degrees of separation comes to life quickly.
• If you have a thought you would rather not spend an entire blog on, go tweet the thought and you’re likely to communicate it just as well.
• You’re guaranteed to meet a new friend. It’s impossible not to. How can new friends be a bad thing?

If you’re still curious about Twitter, this video from commoncraft is about as good at explaining it as it gets. Be sure to follow me, I’d love to help you get accustomed to the community. I am more of a social person now than I was before Facebook, and now Twitter. They’ve actually helped shape my “real life” a bit and made me more intentional in what I do. Long live the Twitter bird.

Sometimes it’s good to have your world ʍuop ǝpısdn pǝuɹnʇ. Occasionally (when at the desk) on Thursday nights at 9pm I hang out over at Rhett and Link Live. Two fellas that are internetainers for a living and that God has blessed with a clean and unique sense of humor. Their shows turns the week ʍuop ǝpısdn for me sometimes, taking a few days that might have been a struggle and the light at the end of the tunnel comes more quickly.

I enjoyed interviewing them on the podcast, and then hooked up with a friend that helps make their show possible. Brian Layman is in control of the Skype calls and does some other magic for them, and from what I am learning now, he’s a talented developer. After the show last night we connected via Twitter and Skype. His name on Twitter looked like nothing I had seen before. It was uʍop ǝpısdn! Little did I know that he was putting the finishing touches on a new website called TweetFlipper.com. One thing led to the next, the excitement couldn’t be contained and he let me actually leak it out to the Twitterverse. Sure, some people will be annoyed by it, but maybe they should turn their attitudes uʍop ǝpısdn? Hopefully you’ve appreciated me not posting an entire blog uʍop ǝpısdn?

A few things I am looking forward to being turned uʍop ǝpısdn: the economy and those without a job at the moment, each life that is a part of the new Digital Disciples gatherings, and the ability to bring more joy into my daughter’s lives.

And a few things I am thrilled have already been turned uʍop ǝpısdn: attending a church that I love, having this nice new blog to share my life with you, and God blessing me with a job and enough to get by in life.

How about you? What are some things you might want to see turned uʍop ǝpısdn? Would be thrilled to pray for you today! Have a great weekend!

This map is from a different era. I remember staring at these maps while sitting in the small sunday school classes or during sermons that had everything but my undivided attention. Compared to the methods of transportation we have today, the travel alone in Bible times should cause us to be in awe of their dedication. Disciples and apostles were called to go out, leaving their comfort zones with one mission in mind. Reaching the lost for Christ. They weren’t called to greatness before they left on these journeys. Sometimes the largest impact is made in the smallest of meetings, or through plans that don’t make perfect sense before the first step is taken. What was about to happen through them really had nothing to do with their plan or even preparations. When God was moving there was nothing that got in the way. Not the sea, a prison or the possibility of being stoned to death. And the results…..they were life-changing and even sometimes soul-saving. The following verse applies today, just as much as it applied to those people.

“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.” John 8:31

What is about to take place here in Columbus, Ohio is truly special. Not because of any of the people that are involved, but because it is obvious that God is moving in a new way. I’ve included another (more contemporary) map that requires the type of cost as the one above. The map isn’t really remarkable because of the distance traveled, although it is fascinating. My friend Daryl (aka spirit20 on Twitter), who I’ve never personally met, just booked a flight for our second gathering of Digital Disciples here in Ohio. He shares the same passion many of us do (online and here in Ohio). Daryl knows that God is at work, but he doesn’t stop short of saying “here am I Lord, send me”. What turns my soul sideways is the fact that this isn’t about the numbers attending, exposure, financial profit or fame. With God moving, prayer taking place, and a focus I’ve never seen before – there’s nothing that can stop a journey like this. The mission is to grow closer to our heavenly Father. Sure, we’ll focus some on technology, but the God I serve has been able to move through things that seemed even powerless or impossible. It won’t take specific technologies for Him to speak, although many of those will help. The Spirit has been at work, planning this occasion long before it was even planned.

Daryl is just as excited about this as I am, I can tell. If the Spirit is working in your life, a trip to Columbus is not required. You’re more than welcome to attend one of our monthly gatherings (starting on February 5th), and my doors are open to house you and hopefully make money less a part of the picture. If you would love to make it, but can’t, please do us a favor and join us on Facebook or call me at 614-787-8544. We’re excited to start looking at ways that Digital Disciple gatherings can take place elsewhere, if that is what God wants.