Tag Archives: blogging
Rock’n and Blog’n
Honored
It was such an honor to take part in the Third Periodic Blogger Convention held in Chattanooga, TN!
Actually, what really happened was that once again I got to meet up with fellow Christian bloggers and spend some time getting to know each other in the non-digital world. It was a total blast to talk face-to-face with these guys!
Wally Fry (Truth in Palmyra) and his family left Arkansas and drove into Chattanooga Saturday night. He and I met for coffee before church on Sunday morning, then later attended church together. To my surprise, James Neff (Men of One Accord) and his wife also showed up for church! James visited a couple of times before, but this was the first time he and Wally had met.
I was also honored that they would sacrifice their time to sit through my preaching. Believe me, it’s always humbling to have people you admire in the audience saying “Amen!”
After Church
When the morning service was over, we did what any typical church-goer might do down here in the South – we went to Cracker Barrel. There we shared plates of biscuits, downed plenty of coffee, and shared more stories than a serial Facebooker.
Wally Fry thought that we should get a picture together before all parted ways. Therefore, like proper husbands, we heeded the suggestion of our wives and sat down in the rocking chairs out front. And you know, even that seemed too fortuitous to be coincidence (but that’s another story).
Real People
What I hope all of you take away from this story is that behind that computer screen, writing those blogs, are real people. Each one is part of a larger community where genuine friendships can develop. And when you actually get to see these people in person, it’s totally awesome!
But here’s a thought that just came to mind. What do you think it will be like, after all those years of reading his letters…after all those years of communicating across vast distances…to see Jesus face-to-face? He’s real too, you know. Even more real than Wally, James, or myself.
You might oughta be making plans to meet Him for dinner.
Filed under blogging, Christian Unity, Church, Relationships and Family
Almost to 100K
Dear friends, subscribers, and followers…
In just a few short days – Lord willing – this blog will reach a memorable milestone. By the time you read this The Recovering Legalist may have already received its 100,000th view!!
It’s only taken 6 years, give or take.
Now, some blogs receive 100K views a year, if not a month or less. I’m just thankful anybody visits here more than once! All of you are a blessing – even the ones who may end up getting blocked 😉
This year my goal it to reach 40,000 views. That’s practically double what I’ve been getting. If you could help by sharing the posts you really like on Facebook or Twitter (or whatever’s popular), that would be great!
One thing is for sure, I don’t take any of this for granted. Behind every screen of a computer, tablet, or smartphone is a human, somewhere. Every click, every view, is one more opportunity to share the good news of the eternity-changing, life-rearranging Grace of God.
I don’t say it enough, but THANK YOU!
Anthony
iPost (Better than a Cigarette)
Smokers have long depended on those short breaks during which they light up and take a few puffs. Employers, if not smokers themselves, allow these little pauses in productivity for the purpose of worker morale, if nothing else.
“Smoke breaks” are the envy of the non-smoking, pink-lunged, over-worked world. Who else gets assigned special sections to indulge in expensive, unhealthy habits? Who else gets to arbitrarily select a time in which everything will come to a halt while one gets to relax and calm one’s nerves?
Well, I need a “writing break.” The only problem is that I’m not at home by my computer; I’m sitting on an empty school bus waiting for my next load of crumb crunchers to be released from their government mandated confinement. What to do?
I will write a post on my iPhone! I will write an iPost!
As a matter of fact, I think I’m going to start something new…I’m going to start posting short, non-graphically-enhanced, simply-fonted “iPosts.” When I can’t sit down to a computer, and when the thought is not so profound that it needs a lot of explanation or bullet points, I will simply “iPost.”
This is the first one.
Because I needed to write.
And too much about politics has been written already.
And it’s better than a cigarette.
Saturday Selah
I want you to stop for a second.
Pause from your routine for just a moment, and think.
Think about what?
Think about the truths of God’s Word as found in 71 different verses within the Psalms, each one ending with the word Selah.
To the best of our understanding, Selah is a musical notation. But when it comes to its specific purpose, scholars are not entirely sure. However, the general consensus is that where Selah was inserted, there the singers were to pause, to rest, or possibly even to reflect on what was just sung (the the book of Psalms is a collection of songs).
Therefore, each Saturday after this I want to encourage you – and myself – with some truths which are worth pondering.
Next week we will look at Psalm 3:2:
“Many there be which say of my soul, ‘There is no help for him in God.’ Selah.”
Will you be able to pause for moment? See you next Saturday!
Filed under Bible Study
6 Ways to Encourage Your Pastor When He’s Preaching
Other Guys
I know I’m not the only blogger in the world. As a matter of fact, there are a lot of great blogs out there, some of which I read on a regular basis – and others I avoid.
Two very popular blogs in Christian circles are those of Thom S. Rainer and Chuck Lawless. Both are famous for lists like “Eight Characteristics of the New Bivocational Pastor” and “Things I’ve Learned about Corporate Worship.”
This Guy
Well, I’m not the “other guys.” My blog is not as professional; I’m not a seminary professor or a contributor to denominational publications; and I don’t do enough research to come up with new lists every day.
However, this guy is in “list” mode, today! Fresh from a weekend of preaching, this pastor/preacher/blogger is going to hit you with a list from which ALL of us can benefit. Are you ready?
6 Ways You Can Encourage Your Pastor When He’s Preaching
- Feedback. Don’t just sit there like a knot on a log when your pastor is preaching; give him some feedback! Say, “Amen!” Wave your hand. Throw a hymnal at the pulpit. DO SOMETHING! How is he supposed to know he’s getting through to you if you just sit there silently with a blank look on your face? At least nod your head in agreement once in a while.
- Sit closer to the front. Look, if you were going to a concert where someone was singing that you wanted to hear, where would you sit – if you could afford it? The front row! What does it convey to the minister when you sit all the way in the back? Especially when you’ve already admitted you’re hard of hearing?
- Actually show up to church! Let me tell you, it really does encourage a pastor to have his congregation actually show up on Sunday morning. Sunday evening is even better!
- Get Your Sleep – At Home. Please, make sure that you go to bed on Saturday night at least by midnight. When a pastor sees you nodding off all he can think is, “I’m boring the snot out of that person,” and that is NOT encouraging.
- Pray. Try not to do it with your eyes closed (see the previous point), but pray for your pastor when he’s preaching. Let him know beforehand and afterward that you lift him up before God while he’s slugging away from the pulpit. Courage builds when one knows someone’s got his back.
- Put a $100 bill in his hand when you shake it. OK, that’s a stretch, I know. But hey, I won’t stop you if you feel the urge 😉
OH! Do you know what would REALLY be encouraging? Leave a comment below! What would you add to this list?
Putting On the Brakes
Pictures In the Dark
I am not supposed to be using a cell phone on a school bus. However, what you see in the picture below is the result of using my cell phone…on the school bus. But note, the brakes were on.
Yes, I used my old iPhone 4S to capture (there’s no click) an image of the instrument panel on my bus. Actually, I took a picture of only one part of my instrument panel: the part that showed my “service brake” was engaged.
As I was waiting for my bus to warm up, I sat there looking at the gauges, making sure everything was in working order. That’s when something crossed my mind that had never occurred to me before – the brake is actually performing a “service.”
The “Service” Brake
There is no “P” for “Park” anywhere on a school bus. In order to put a bus in “park” one need only engage the service brake (by pulling out a knob) and put the transmission in neutral. When the air brake is “set,” the bus isn’t going anywhere…it’s parked. The air in the system actually keeps the brakes disengaged; releasing air pressure causes the brakes to set.
Now, again, what got me to thinking is the word “service.” Sure, there’s a technical meaning to the word, but what I pondered was the service part of “service,” like “how can I be of service to you, Madam?” How could bringing something to a compete halt count as a “service?”
Well, sometimes putting the brakes on something can help people more than they realize.
For Their Own Good
There are multiple stories in the Bible where people were stopped in their tracks or kept from doing something. Here are just a few.
- In Numbers 22 we read of God stopping Balaam, a prophet, with a talking donkey! The Lord had placed an angel in Balaam’s path, preventing him from cursing the children of Israel, but he didn’t see it, and it almost got him killed. God opened the mouth of the little donkey and let it ask, “Why are you beating me?”
- In 1st Samuel there’s the story of a woman named Abigail. Abigail had a husband who got drunk and picked a bad time to offend King David. When David and his men were on their way to wreck havoc on the man and his village, Abigail ran out to stop David with a little kindness and a little food. “Thank God for your good sense!” said David. “Bless you for keeping me from murder and from carrying out vengeance with my own hands.” – 1 Samuel 25:33 NLT
- It was the Holy Spirit Himself who put the brakes on the Apostle Paul’s dream to go to Asia Minor (Acts 16), sending him instead to Macedonia (Europe). One could say this was not only for Paul’s good, but for the good of the world.
How many times have you found yourself traveling down the road toward your dreams when all of a sudden the tires screeched as the brakes locked up solid? How did you react? Were you thankful? Angry? What if God was just trying to keep you from unseen harm? What if God was just wanting to redirect you toward greater things?
The next time God engages the brakes, keep in mind there may be a “service” He’s trying to perform for your good!
Filed under Christian Living, Faith, God, Life Lessons, wisdom
The Recovering Legalist 
Blog Roll or Blog Slice?
I have a question for all of you about blog rolls.
For several years I have had the same list of blogs on my “blog roll.” Yesterday I took them all down – all of them.
Why? Because I wanted to start over with a fresh list, one that more accurately and fairly listed blogs which I either visit or endorse.
However, how do I do that? What is fair? And for that matter, how many to I post a link to?
To be honest, I don’t read as many blogs as I’d like, simply because I don’t have that much time. Every once in a while I will go on a binge and do a lot of clicking, reading, scanning, and “liking.” I may even leave a few profound comments. There’s just so many blogs out there, and I can’t read them all.
So, how should I do this? Should I list every single blog I ever visit more than once? Should I list a long blog roll of 50+ websites, many of which I may rarely visit more than once a month, or less?
Or, should I just give you a “slice” of what’s out there? Like, what if I listed the blogs of people I really like, along with some popular ones everybody else likes?
Or, what if a “slice” of blogs consisted of those whose owners commented here? I could, let’s say, keep a “top 10” slice; the ones who commented the most (“likes” count half) would be at the top of the list, all others further down.
Interesting.
You see, I just don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, you know? I mean, if you own a blog and only post once a year, should I put you in the “roll,” much less the “slice”?
What do you think? Leave a comment, please (It may help your score 😉 ).
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