What’s the plan?

NOTE: We've switched from Quick-to-Listen to Church Unique by Will Mancini. Quick-to-Listen wasn't quick in the mail so we can switch it up for the kickoff of the Friday Book Club tomorrow. We'll just hit the intro so grab a book and let's get rolling.

Yesterday I mentioned I need something to get me a little more consistent on the blogging. When I started this, I never intended it to be for the sake of readership, but for processing my own ideas. At the top you’ll see I read a lot, but don’t think much. This blog is an attempt to change that. Even if I’m regurgitating the thoughts of others, I at least have to process it once. Hopefully more of what I’ve read sticks after that.

I’ve run into a snag, however. I’m busy and I’ve fallen back into the habit of reading without processing. And, since I still have a pretty limited readership (two people, I think), I don’t have great accountability to write on the blog – despite the fact that I really like it. It just takes more discipline than I have (real time example: I’m on a diet for the staff “Biggest Loser” competition and I’m drinking a Grande Mocha Frappucino at Starbucks).

I’ve found that I need structure to do anything with any consistency. It goes for my prayer life, reading my Bible, even working out. (With the latter, I also need accountability. There’s no way I’d survive P90X if my ego wasn’t invested with the other guys in the room. I’d quit after P3X). So here’s the structure that I hope to build around for the near future. I say “near” because even when I have structure, I need to switch things up from time to time. So here’s the weekly plan … subject to change, of course.

Sunday: I’ll put links to some of my favorite preachers and/or someone I’ve heard recently that sounds intriguing … like on a Catalyst podcast, or something like that. This just came to me. It’d be great to hear what God is teaching both of you readers through the Sunday sermon from your church (if you happen to be attending one).

Monday: Mission(al) Monday will cover books, articles, issues that pertain to being a missional, culturally-engaged church and/or cross-cultural missions, theology of missions, and maybe some apologetics stuff, which is what I’m planning on studying a little more this year (if I get to it).

Tuesday: Who knows?

Wednesday: I’d like to cover some history here. It could be church history or US history (or world, but world history isn’t on my reading list yet. I want to get through US history first). Thinking of calling it Hump Day History, but … kinda cheesy title – not that I’m beyond that.

Thursday: Who knows?

Friday: Book Club Friday. A couple friends and I are looking to connect up and down the West Coast with some of the stuff we’re reading. We thought a blog might be helpful. Our first book is supposed to be Quick-to-Listen Leaders. Unfortunately, the book hasn’t been quick to come in the mail for some of us. We hope to start tomorrow, but we’ll see.
Saturday: Who knows?

I was listening to a podcast today and it talked about helping creative types who like to get a bunch of things started, but never finish what they’re working on or hop around so much that they don’t do anything with excellence. I don’t fancy myself a creative-type, but I can tend to hop around. I’m not an expert in anything. I’m a dabbler. But I like it that way so I’m leaving myself room to dabble. Maybe Sports Saturday or something with links … or just those other books that I read or lessons I’m learning or passages I’m teaching. Who knows?! There’s three days of mystery in there … until I give into the temptation to over-structure to over-compensate for the lack of structure I’m currently struggling with.

OK. Enough rambling. I’ll see if I can get some posts in the queue here.

Back to Blogging

As you can tell by the date, it’s been too long since I’ve last blogged. I’ve been busy, to be sure. But one of the reasons I like to blog is that I like to read. Too much. One year I consumed 50+ books, but couldn’t remember much of what I read. Given the dearth of good material, some may say, it may be better forgotten.

But I’m not the most discerning reader. I often like, or end up liking, much of what I read. And yet, I can read a ton and not get much from it or retain much. Maybe that’s what happens when Tom Clancy novels turn you into a reader. The stories make you move fast and you skip over all those Russian names. Anyway, blogging is my way to slow down and process my reading. Sometimes it keeps me in books too long because I’m so obsessive compulsive that I need to do a thorough blogging of a book.

Well I’ve read a bunch since my last blog, but I haven’t gotten any of it down. Instead of a thorough blogging of the books I’ve done, I’ll just give a brief sketch on what I’ve taken from the book.

I’ll probably try to find a happy medium between the exhaustive blogging I was doing before and not blogging, which I’ve been doing more recently. I hope to return this to a helpful, refreshing outlet for myself instead of a burden and, at the same time, keep my reading from being such an escape that it escapes my head without being processed. We’ll see how it goes.

A post on The Nibelungenlied tomorrow! Points for anyone who knows what that is!

Twitter, Guy Kawasaki, and Horoscopes

I’m on Twitter now. Not sure what to think of it, but there’s one thing I know. Guy Kawasaki is all over the internet finding interesting and odd tidbits. Here’s his link (via Twitter) on why you shouldn’t believe your horoscope (http://www.dumblittleman.com/2009/03/why-you-should-ignore-your-horoscope.html). I’m new to the game, but this guy is a Twitter machine. Non-stop! The verdict’s out on whether or not I’m going to be much of a tweeter, but following Guy Kawasaki makes it worth keeping my account.

The Battle Line is Drawn: I’m Borderline Obese…

…The doctor assured me it isn’t a pejorative term, but a scientific one. That takes a little sting out. A little. I need to get down to 182 to be normal. I’m currently “Overweight.” Ouch. I’ve got some work to do.

I started running last week. I need to keep it up for health’s sake. The part I’m dreading is eating better. But it needs to be done if I want to just stay “Overweight,” let alone get to being “Borderline Overweight” or “Normal.”

[I thought about putting a Homer Simpson picture on here, but I just couldn’t do it.]

PS – I’ll get back to the church & state posts soon. I’m sure everyone’s holding their breath J

Happy Birthday, Dad!

And, aaarrrggghhh, it’s “Talk Like a Pirate Day,” too.

I'm on Facebook...

... but I don't know how anything works. I just clicked on a bunch of people as friends. Then I got frustrated because I couldn't remember my password. Got it now. Not sure what else to do, but I've spend enough time on it today. I'd tell you how to find my page, but I have no idea.

What next?

The college ministry is close to being finished with the sex series - just a couple more weeks. Any ideas on what to cover next? A book? Another topic? We've covered the first few chapters of Revelation and sex this summer ... where do you go from there?!

Most Popular Christian Blogs

I was over at Hugh Hewitt's blog and noticed a link to a list of the Top 100 Christian Blogs. I've heard of a few. Enjoy.

http://www.evangelicaloutpost.com/archives/003806.html

The Challenge of Singleness

We're a few weeks into our relationships series on Sunday mornings - "Traversing the Relationship Jungle." While it is our intention to hit the concerns of singles along the way as the series progresses, I've found a sermon on singleness that sounds helpful. I say "sounds" because I'm just catching snippets as I work today and I'm only partially through it as I give you the link for it. It is at the new church of some of our friends who just moved to North Carolina. This might be helpful for anyone who God has called to singleness and to those who are waiting for who God has for them. It is the May 6th sermon, "Love Affair: Fully Single." Enjoy...

http://www.crosspointe.org/messages/