Catching Up

If you've read my blog with any regularity since I started in 2003 you know that from time to time I go below the radar. When I'm in this stealth mode I am usually up to something. I'm either working on a project I don't care to talk about, I'm in the middle of some spiritual wrestling match or I started to feel the blog as a burden so I refuse to write so that I continue to love doing it. As a Pastor I have plenty of things tugging at me and I enjoy the blog as a hobby so I can't afford to let it become a burden.

This past week I went below the radar for a combination of a few of those reasons. I've been working hard and traveling so I didn't have time to blog and yes late last week I felt a little funk (I bet I'm alone in that one) and I also didn't want to "force" myself to post something.

Now I'm back. I just wanted to give you a heads up because my friend Ben Arment and I spoke today for a while catching up and he said "Tally, I look to your blog to see how you've been doing but you don't post much lately." I said "Thanks Ben... for the kick in the teeth." :)

So... I'm back and pumped... I'll share more of it in the posts to follow. Tally Out.

Get ya some!

A little while back my friend Tadd posted about a tool called "Snap". Effectively it's a little piece of HTML that you drop into your site and it gives a screenshot of any link on your entire site. When the end user (YOU) hoover over a link, "snap" gives you a screenshot of the page you are being directed to. It's just a cool interactive tool that brings your blog to life. I'm not a paid advertiser but I'd say you should go check it out. While you're snooping around go hit up my boy Tadd's blog. He's well on his way to knockin this church plantin' thing out of the park!

Speaking of Conferences...

It looks like I'm going to be making my way down to God's country and rubbing elbows with the Mad Babbler himself, Mr. Gary Lamb. I'm nearly certain that you can find me at the Churchplanters.com Conference on February 26 & 27, 2007 in Cumming Georgia at Mountain Lake Church.

I don't even know if Gary remembers this but I believe we first spoke in May of '05 when I posted on my blog that I was going to Atlanta for a couple of days. Gary just wrote out of the blue and said "Have fun dude. Next time let us know earlier. I'm about 30 minutes from NAMB, I'll show you Hotlanta in all its glory." I remember sitting in the hotel the next morning thinking "People around the country actually read this thing." It was cool.

So Gary... I'm letting you know now... I'm headed to Atlanta again! Are any of you out there in blogdom headed down to the Churchplanters.com Conference?

Ever get a Rash?

(Gross Huh? Calm down, it's not my arm)

Have you ever gotten a rash before? You know... an irritation that just won't go away... seems like it wants to be noticed? It starts off as a faint mark... something that you figure may fade on its own but when left unnoticed grows and get uglier.

I haven't had a rash in a long time... until this week.
My rash comes in the form of an anonymous commenter to my blog. You know the kind... someone who runs their mouth but leaves no email address or any other legit way of getting ahold of them for further conversation. My atopic dermatitis forgot to read my post on Blog Etiquette. In addition to reading my thoughts on blogging maturity, my atopic dermatitis should know that I have a standing rule not to speak with people who hide behind their keyboard and mouse. I'm all for intelligent discussion but I don't believe in holding hands with imaginary friends... I prefer my conversations to be with real live human beings... men even... the type who put their name to their remarks...

Hmmm... now there's a thought.

Ignorant drive-by commenters are like a rash that won't go away. What they desire is for you to let their words be published on your blog so that they can spread the irritation to all who read. These people come to your home expecting to spray paint their message on your front door for all the world to see. If you are 'rude' enough to put a filter on your comments section (AKA: if you have healthy boundaries in your life) then the atopic dermatitis gets irritated and flares up. When your new found irritation doesn't get the pat on the head he wants he pouts and puffs his cheeks like a kid picked last and hit in the head first in dodge ball. So that its clear, I view anonymous and ignorant comments on my blog the same way I would view graffiti on the sides of my home... vandalism.

To my current (and any potential) rash I say:
1. Your comments will not be published on my blog. Ever.
2. Realize that you're acting like a middle school girlfriend... give up, it's over... it's not me, its you.
3. Please take this post as your ointment. With regular reading you will clear up without cracking or flaking.
4. Get a blog, website or girlfriend. Then you can share all of your opinions without bothering me. You're not the first person to disagree with me and you won't be the last. There are 6 billion people alive, I'm mature enough to know that not everyone will agree with me and I don't need to waste my time running around telling them about it.

By the way... I think I got my rash from Gary... my rash is upset with my support of his recent video. I still like the video and I suspect we'll learn of people joining us in Heaven after the Christmas Eve service in Canton.

Facelift

I've done a little winter cleaning. Feel free to check out the facelift. I'll do some minor botox here and there but the major surgery is over. Big ups to Tadd for pointing me to some designers.