foolishnotions.net

ok, after i started my reply to bryan’s comment about this post i noticed i had a new blog post going. so here we go…

1) How long do I have to unsubscribe for?

as long as it takes. for me, i’m really stuck. i just needed some new inspiration. and my rss reader was so full of similar content that i had no more room for other points of view. i needed to make it drastic. maybe for some it’s just replacing one or two links with something else or simply adding a couple. blogging is such an amazing tool. there is so much information out there, so many connections to be made. for me, i want to be sure i don’t make the blogsphere small by relegating myself to the same blogs forever and always. and let’s all be realistic (because i know most of you are as addicted as i am to this whole blog community)… there is only so much you can take in and still do what God has set your hands to. we have a responsibility to make it count.

it has only been two days but i already have seen tremendous results. i have new inspiration. things that pertain to my community and reaching the people that may actually walk through the doors of the rock. i’m excited. and i have already found myself peeking in on a few blogs i unsubscribed to… some of which i haven’t actually been to in months because of the convenience of rss. and i actually read instead of skimming to get through my list. i enjoyed it much more. i have all of those sites bookmarked… i didn’t kick them out of the yard - just made my boundaries a little more defined.

2) So, I guess I should take that plugin off my blog that automatically re-posts all of Los’ blogs on mine? I thought that would help draw traffic. Oh, well…

yes, we all read los’ blog… no need to repeat. and posting a link to him only draws traffic to his site. go join the discussion and say something really worth while… that brings the readers.

3) Great post. I would post a link to it, but that might defeat the purpose of your blog.

i’m not los, perry, ed or any of the other first name only necessary leaders… post away. (especially, since i just told all my subscribers to go away … hmmmm, maybe i should have thought this through a bit more.)

i’m not suggesting we shouldn’t post links about one another. i’m not trying to break up the community. i’m just saying… if you find yourself in a rut like me with nothing new to contribute to the community - do something about it. i was having trouble coming up with my own content because my brain was full of a whole lot of overlapping information - so this is what i came up with.

4) I think it’s funny that the CommentLuv link for my comment is about a sermon from Ed Young… wait, were you talking about me?

i have read blogs where the only thing i hear out of them is stuff i keep hearing and seeing from the “big dogs” in the blogsphere. that is to be expected to a certain extent. we all have a common goal, we all want to encourage one another… and we should talk about what is happening in one anothers’ lives. i guess i’m hungry to hear more about what makes people really tick. we all have unique gifts, talents and callings. god has something unique he wants to speak through each of us. think about the blog content of these leaders that we all follow and admire. why are we so drawn to them? for me it’s because i hear their heart. i feel like they are using the voice God gave them… they rarely repeat one another. by their content they lead. i think more of us have that in us.

for the record… i’m scared to look at my feedburner stats (lol)
ya’ll are great - really. i love our community.
anyone have anything to chime in on here?

whew!

typing that title felt so good.

i have found myself recently engulfed in the stagnant stench of blog funk. i’m bored with reading. i’m uninspired and have nothing creative to write. lots going on to write about… yet - - i produce nothing. i have a vacation coming up that will help greatly, but i can’t wait until then to try to get myself unstuck.

so, today marks a new method to my blogging madness. and tonight marks step one (of who knows how many) of my proposed solution, which is… start over.

it all started on a whim as i created quite a bloody mess within the halls of my google reader. i chopped, i cut - - i dismembered. i culled my reader down from 132 subscriptions to 65. most of those who remain are church family, blood relatives, a few new distant blog friends and a small handful of bloggers who have developed such a strong community on their site that i simply can’t make myself not look.

did it hurt? um, yeah. but as i began pairing down my list i became more and more excited…. inspired even. you see, i realized that i still know exactly where to find all of these people. i’ll get curious and check in on all of them from time to time. they won’t disappear just because i unsubscribed. i may even re-subscribe for a season. but as i looked at my new list - short and sweet - i suddenly realized how sadly i was under-utilizing this amazing tool we call blogging.

so, this is my new plan… [until it changes ]

• about every 3-4 months i plan to unsubscribe - from as many blogs as i possibly can stand to live without;
• i will be more diligent to ask God what information i should seek out to become more effective in the purpose He has for me;
• i will be more diligent to ask God what information i can put out there to help others become more effective int he purpose He has for them;
• i will use my google reader as a tool to glean a diversified spectrum of useful inspiration rather than just the words that tickle my fancy.

ok, my fellow LEADERS. this my challenge to you…

• if you have followed foolishnotions for a long time… unsubscribe from my blog and as many others as you can stand. no, this is not some clever scheme to make you stay. i love my blog stats as much as anyone. but i will be seriously disappointed if my readers don’t at least drop by one or two. [ ]
• fast blogging if you have to. pray for God to lead you to the information that will help you be more successful in the plans and purposes He has for you.
• i say this next thing with all the love and respect i can muster for my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. commit yourself to blog about the things God is pouring into you… stop regurgitating what God is pouring into other leaders. don’t misunderstand that, please. God certainly anoints great leaders to impart wisdom and encouragement into our lives. but if you find yourself ONLY repeating what God is telling someone else, perhaps it’s time to refocus.

ok? ok.

where am i going to start? i think, for this round, i may spend more time researching what my community is up to and less on what other churches far away are up to. after all, my job is not to reach the church. it is not not to mimic leaders. my job is to reach my community. my job is to be a leader.

so, my far away friends… i love you much
but if you have been around here for a long time - - unsubscribe.
then, come back someday to tell me what new things God
has poured into you through this amazing tool called… blogging.

remember, we’ll always have twitter.

• it has been so long since i have opened my google reader that i had to log in.
• i have so many unread posts it won’t tell me how many - it just says 1000+.  (i’m certain this is it’s way of making it a little easier on me.)
• i have so much stuff running around in my head i think it might explode if i don’t blog soon.
• i’ve had new commenters that i haven’t had a chance to say hey to.  if you are one of them -HEY!  thank you so much for stopping by.
• tonight i will, with great remorse, “mark all as read”.  then, with great joy and a clear head, spend the evening with my man.
• tomorrow i have off and i look forward to finding out what you’ve all been up to and telling you what i’ve been up to.

i guess what i’m trying to say is…
i’ve really missed you guys!
you rock.

i was pondering the concept of hearing God’s voice today. how exactly do you explain the experience of “hearing” God’s voice to someone who doesn’t know God? after all, it’s not really audible (at least for me). how can we claim to “hear” something that doesn’t actually make a sound?

i cringe every time i feel myself about tell someone, “God told me… xyz”. in fact, rarely do i say it. i just fumble clumsily for a short introductory sentence to explain by what authority can i account for the eminent information. it’s not that i don’t think i actually heard from God. it’s just that i’m keenly aware that saying, “God said…” sounds like total whacko, fruit-loop, voices in your head wierdness… not to mention a little pretentious… “oooo… carolyn, thinks she hears God.” it evokes a reaction of, i really don’t want to hear this.

so, i began to think through my experiences of hearing God’s voice. how do i know when it’s God? how can i explain this to someone who is really trying to understand without freaking them out or sounding like i really don’t know what the fool i’m talking about. this is what i’ve got so far…

there are times when in an instant, i have an answer that i understand as thoroughly as if someone stood right in front of me and spelled it out. i didn’t hear any voices, but none the less, i inexplicably have the information… and i get it. sometimes it happens when i’m searching for it. sometimes it comes completely out of left field. it can come as a result of something i see, read, dream, hear…. or, it can come as a result of seemingly nothing at all.

i think sometimes these moments are just epiphanies. other times i think it is God’s “voice”. and i’m certain many times they are epiphanies imparted by God just to help me get along.

for me, the difference in the two is this…

• an epiphany i understand clearly in my head. it’s good practical information i can use to get things done. some of these i think are from God. some i think are just ideas i cooked up all by my creative self… because God made humans creative that way.
• God’s “voice” resonates as truth in my soul. it’s a deep and comprehensive understanding dropped in an instant into my heart. i draw from it confidence, wisdom and the tools i need to walk out my destiny. and because it’s truth to me and not mere information, it becomes a part of who i am. typically, these truths keep “coming up”… like in one week i’ll read something in my bible, see something on tv, hear a story, or witness some other practical application of a truth that started stirring in my heart during prayer one day.

so, there you go. that’s my current explanation on the subject of hearing God. seems easy enough.  it’s still too long to replace, “God told me…” i guess i’ll work on the short version now.  i think there are a lot more explanations i need to rework in my career christian mind before i can more effectively communicate them to someone else.  when i don’t, it just comes out… weird.

am i alone?
does anyone else have to hash this stuff out in their brains?

this was so good i am posting it in it’s entirety here so you will read it. cause i know noone really follows links to ‘great blog you should really really read’. i didn’t write this. that would be robert bruce, guest blogger over at problogger.net. i didn’t ask. i’m using it image and all. robert, if you object, give the word and i’ll replace it with a boring link. great post!

if you are an artist… and addicted to blogging - - read on. you need to hear this as much as i did.  then go tell robert thank you.

Guest Post: Robert Bruce is one of the most widely read, linked and reviled poets working on the web today. Grab yourself a free poem every Monday morning, subscribe to Knife Gun Pen.

1. There’s never been a better time to be a working artist. Ever.

2. There’s never been a worse time to be a working artist (if you’re not truly dedicated to your craft).

3. Social Media will not help you if you’re sending folks to sniff out a pile of crap.

4. If you’re thinking about SEO while writing your digital novel, you’re already screwed. Quit now.

5. The tech tools do not make the artist.

6. If you’re spending more time on Twitter than on your novel/painting/film/poem /play/sculpture, you’re dead.

7. The creation of great art has nothing to do with Community.

8. You will never have as many readers/listeners/viewers as TechCrunch. Get over it.

9. If you’re the real thing, you’ll be around in 30 years, still working. Most of these services and sites you now admire will not.

10. Your Technorati rank is not as important as you think it is.

11. Do not try to please an “audience”. They will ultimately hate you for it.

12. Income isn’t proof of anything. Ask Van Gogh.

13. Aim for Greatness, not the front page of Digg.

14. If you have a fall back plan, you will, inevitably, fall back onto it.

15. Though tempting, you’ll never crush your own mediocrity working only four hours a week.

16. If success finds you, please resist the urge to open a restaurant or start a line of clothing.

17. You do not need the middleman anymore. Quit begging.

18. If you wouldn’t do it without an audience, don’t do it all.

19. Ultimately, nobody really cares about your work. It may seem “negative” but trust me, this knowledge will serve you well.

20. Artists don’t outsource. Unless you’re Andy Warhol.

21. Make the technology work for you. Not the other way around.

22. Remember that the mainstream culture has yet to catch on to the power of the individual artist online. Keep working.

23. Consider getting a second job instead of slapping another Adsense unit next to the .jpg of your latest painting. Contrary to popular belief, work won’t kill you.

24. You no longer need to live in New York or Los Angeles. See: Hugh.

25. Do not work for the good opinion of anyone. Work for joy, wonder and the Lord God Almighty.

26. You do not need a signed letter from The American Academy of Arts and Letters to begin.

27. Blogging is easy. Art is not.

everybody, i would like you to meet my tweet cloud. tweet cloud, this is everybody.

so, this was fun.

do you twitter?

do you like stats?

find out what really makes you tweet over at tweetstats.com.

out of the abundance of the heart the geek tweets.

what does your tweet cloud look like?
post it up and leave us a link
in the comments so we can see.

if you don’t know what in the world i’m talking about,
where on earth have you been? go find out now!

“meet my friend, carolyn from the rock in north carolina.” this is how carlos would introduce me to his staff. it made me smile. it made me thankful for the body of christ.

i have always had a little bit of a hang up about the whole process of developing your inner leader. going to conferences and meeting people and churches that you can learn from who have been through more or are responsible for more than you is a huge part of stretching and learning. but, without fail this process evokes memories of the old amway crowd rallying hard and then flocking around the ruby and emerald leaders… trying to get near the diamonds with hope that “it” will just rub off on them. (yes, in our younger days we were recruited heavily for amway…. ernie and i were real magnets for the, “i have my own business that i should tell you about it sometime,” guys.) anyway, the process for me is a little uncomfortable. but i do it. because i have something in me that has been placed there by god. and that requires me to allow myself to become uncomfortable.

knowing about someone from what you read in their blog is very different from knowing someone personally. and traveling 7 hours to meet someone you have only read about can’t help but be just a little awkward. but one of the things i love about the christian leaders’ blogosphere (sorry, i thought really hard but could not think of a better way to describe it), is that in spite of differences in our methods, our churches, our communities… there is a very solid commonality. jesus christ. and, generally speaking there is a common need to learn from one another and an unspoken acknowledgment that the things god places in us are open source. i think that is awesome.

carlos, brad and their teams were so great. they understood why i was there. they were kind, friendly, knowledgeable and they patiently answered all my questions and filled my eyes and ears with what god has entrusted them with. and while the atmosphere was relaxed and inviting, they graciously allowed me to forgo the, “getting to know you.” stage to remain focused on my goal of observation. i worked very hard not to be intrusive and they made sure that i was included. we had a few get to know you type conversations but for the most part it was all about the learning process. because of this, i learned so much. really. i didn’t know fully on the front end of this trip what i would glean from it. i just knew that there were things that carlos and his team were responsible for that had not seen. but i can honestly say god poured plenty into my spirit that applies to my life and my church.

meet my friend, carlos from buckhead church in atlanta. i wanted a picture with him not so i could have a picture of me with “ragamuffin the blog rock star”. i took the picture to remember my friend from a distance who is also my brother in god’s family. he has a heart like mine… to make a difference. carlos, your team is amazing. thank you for allowing me to hang out and learn from them.

i have a whole lot more to blog about from my trip.
it’s coming. i have much to process.
until then, what are you doing to
stretch out of your comfort zone?

i have so much information rattling around in my head it’s not even funny. solitude has a way of taking over your imagination. add to that eyes and ears full of new information and you have a cocktail for a really cool brain buzz.

yesterday i got to hang out with carlos and his staff for the afternoon and attend their weekly pre-production meeting. they greeted me, fed me and treated me like i was their own. what a great bunch of people. i have tons to process and blog, but right now i am headed over to north point to hang out with brad and his team.

a little tweety bird told me anne jackson was coming to town today. sounds like she’s breezing through. she’s on my list of people i really want to meet. actually, she’s one of the last ones on my list of people i really want to meet. it seems i’ve met all of them in the past 30 days. that’s crazy. time to make a new list. anyway maybe i can find someone around here who could hook a girl up… we’ll see. maybe the planets will align once again.

gotta run. i’ll post again tonight and try to download some of this info in my head. have to make room for more.

i woke up to some fun blog numbers today. i don’t know of an official source for biblical numerology, so i just googled 40. the general concensus seems to be…

40: time of testing; probation time
7: completion

so, my blog testing probation time is complete? hmmm…

i don’t know.

whatever.

THANK YOU! for coming by to read these foolish notions of mine. you guys are the best.

so, since the trial period is officially up… please! tell me who you are. lurk no more. your days of testing the waters are officially complete (don’t look at me - the numbers speak for themselves). if i’m done testing - so are you. so tell me…

1. where are you from?
2. what do you do?
3. what is your favorite hobby?

do tell, do tell… c’mon you can do it! i really want to know. even if you work with me or talk to me every week and you know i know you read (ok, that was way too many knows). even if you’ve commented before. everyone. a blog is not complete without it’s community. and as you can plainly see it is time for something to be complete around here (again… refer to the numbers).

are you stopping by frequently?

then don’t forget to subscribe… it will save you a few clicks! you can subscribe via a feed reader or fill out the form below to have it sent directly to your email…

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i have been over my blog layout for a while now. but i’ve convinced myself not to touch it until i finish the design for the new rock web site. web design, though on my proverbial plate at the rock, is usually last morsel to be consumed on my priority list.

so, at the very least i have to keep foolishnotions up to date…. right? i updated to the latest version of wordpress. now everything is screwed up. i have funky characters everywhere. anywhere i have posted a video has become a disaster area with posts and videos scattered about the page.

so, if you dig deep enough into my site you will discover the ugly truth of this. but, i’m not touching it. so, in case you are wondering if i have fallen from geekdom…. i have to allow myself not to care. cause i really have to do this other thing.

so, ya’ll just read between the lines for a while…. k? thanks.