• Christmas is almost here! I love getting presents *hint, hint*. What’s the best present you’ve ever received?
• I had the chance to sit down with DJ Chuang to do an interview for an upcoming article I’m writing. Really impressed with DJ and his ability to think forward on behalf of the Church.
• We’re going to be launching our online campus for Lutheran Church of Hope soon, and very soon. Excited to show you what we’ve been working on behind the scenes!
• Skitch Pro is totally worth it. I’ve never had this much fun taking screen caps before.
• Have you ever read the E-Myth? It should be required reading for all small business owners andchurch planters. The two roles share more in common than you might think!
• Hootsuite is slowly winning me over. I was, shall we say, less than pleasedwhen they forced people to choose between “pro” and “standard” (i.e. severely neutered) accounts. Turns out, they have the best comprehensive solution for social media management around. They deserved the right to charge for it. Hooray capitalism!
• Holidays are always such an odd time for church workers. Such a strange dynamic. Everyone else has holidays off (for the most part), but church workers don’t. I guess that’s part of the sacrifice, no?
• One of the ideas DJ dropped on me was the notion of “multi-churching.” You’d have a “home base” church, but be involved with activities with other churches throughout the week. Very interesting. Maybe the college kids got it right!
• LiveTheme by the 8Bit guys is rock solid. I’ve had so much fun utilizing this theme and taking it for a spin. Dead-simple solution for a church that’s wanting to take their services online.
• I’m contemplating taking a podcast idea I’ve had for Deviant off the shelf. We’d talk talk social media and ministry. Kind of like my online office hours. Would you guys listen?
• What’s the latest and greatest in your world, deviants?

• I’m struggling as of late in determining what to do with BeDeviant.com. Over the course of the past year, I’ve switched from a regular weekly preacher to a social web and tech guy. I still work in a church, but that’s about the only thing that has remained the same. The content on this site over the last year has showed that transition. Struggling to find a consistent voice for this blog.
• Call me crazy, but I love this time of the year. In my mind, the colder the better. It could be because I have been known to sweat at the drop of a hat. But nothing beats coming home to a nice, cozy house where I can put my feet up.
• The Behance crew is a legit. On a whim, I picked up the phone and called their offices to see if we could work together on a future project. I got a hold of Alison who gave me her full, undivided attention and listened to what I had to say. Then she followed up with me. That’s service. That’s why I like these guys so much.
• Starting to wade in the waters of the LiveTheme by the @8Bit guys. This thing’s for real. If your church has ever thought about going online with services, you owe it yourself to check this theme out.
• Some people love it. Some hate it. Egg nog is in the running for my favorite beverage of all time.
• Just discovered Meetzi last week. Set agendas, action steps, take notes and define purposes for the meetings you run. It still has a few bugs, but it’s definitely worth checking out. Let me know if you use and what your thoughts are.
• So proud of Des Moines’ Ben Milne. Ben runs a company called Dwolla and he just secured a million dollar investment for the company. Ben and his team are legit. They’re good people and they produce a great service. Great job guys!
• Absolutely floored by @messycanvas‘s post “I’m Tired of Being a Christian“. This should be required reading, ya’ll. I must write a follow-up to this post.
• We just got a short URL for Deviant Media Group: DVNT.be. Kind of fun.
• What’s the latest and greatest in your world, deviants?

It’s a Friday night.

Here I am, listening to Christmas jazz in my living room. I just had a glass of egg nog. First carton of the season.

My wife is in the kitchen, putting groceries away. She’s wearing a hoodie and sweatpants.

Our one-year-old son is quietly sleeping upstairs. He sleeps for twelve hours during the night. Sometimes my wife and I sneak in to watch him sleep before we go to bed.

10 years ago I would have died of embarrassment if you told me this is the life I was going to live.

“What about going out? What about the parties? The booze? The girls?”

That was my life back then.

Now? I’m a homebody. I like coming home, putting on my slippers, and enjoying the company of my family. It’s simple. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

This will knock your socks off.

This is a group of artists from all over the world, over the course of nearly a decade, playing “together” in unison through the magic of digital music production.

The group that produced the video is Playing for Change. This is what they’re all about:

(more…)

Pettiness is so unbecoming.

The trap you lay for others will most assuredly be the snare that snaps your leg.

Throughout history, there’s only been a handful of people intelligent enough to orchestrate mass deception. You’re probably not one of them.

Be honest, forthright and clear today. The world needs it more than you think.

Thank God for the people who disobey the well-intentioned but ultimately meaningless rules.

Without these people, we’d still be writing books by hand; still be using the C://DOS prompt; still slicing our own bread.

Rules are helpful to the extent that they are a means to an end. Rules are unhelpful, destructive even, when they become the destination. “Some rules are meant to be bent, others to be broken.”

Break the rules today.

• I announced on Twitter last night that there are some big (to me) changes coming to this site. I’m really excited about the direction we’re headed. We’ll unveil the new direction after the new year. After being in business since 2004 in some form, it’s time to shake some things up!
• I’m investing more and more in cloud computing. I think Google is onto something when they say that the browser is the platform of the future. I now weave nearly seamlessly between my laptop, home computer and iPad. This may be geeky, but I find this incredibly fun.
• Similarly, the rise of cloud computing will be fueled by the increase of mobile workers. “The office”, as we know it, is transitioning out. Gone are the days of sitting behind a desk for 8-9 hours per day.
• Dropbox, Evernote and Google Chrome make my mobile, cloud computing life that much easier. If you have money, invest in these companies. If you work from multiple different venues, use these apps and services. Your life will be better.
• “Words with Friends” should be called “Words with Friends … Until You Get Five Vowels, an ‘R’ and an ‘N’.” At that point it should be called, “Words with–I Want to Rip Your Face Off.”
• Winter is my second favorite season. Shh… Don’t tell anyone. The more snow, the better.
• A few weeks ago I put out a call to anyone who wanted to come alongside me and learn. I’m still processing and thinking through the best way to organize the group that responded. Don’t worry, I didn’t forget about you lovely people!
• I went on a domain buying binge over the weekend. Here’s to hoping these projects pan out!
• What’s the latest and greatest in your world, deviants?

Don’t undervalue yourself.

You know more than you think.

You’re worth more than you believe.

It’s true.

• I have been delaying the inevitable. Finally went to the doctor yesterday and my worst suspicions were confirmed: Bronchitis. Blech.
• Could not be more pleased to send my wife to The Rockettes this week with one of her girlfriends. Merry Christmas, baby!
• Have you ever sang karaoke at a wedding? I did this past weekend. You don’t say “no” to the bride. My song choice? An oldie, but a goodie.
• Summit alum Sam Mahlstadt paired up with his brother Nick to launch The Move Project over the weekend. Could not be prouder of what the Mahlstadt boys are up to. They had their launch party at the West End Architectural Salvage here in Des Moines. A hidden gem as far as I’m concerned.
• If you’re not using Google Webmaster Tools, you should be. At the very least, build yourself a sitemap on WordPress with this handy plugin.
• I find that most of the stereotypes of Christians are true. Let’s work to change that, yeah?
• You don’t have to like the President’s politics, but I think you should probably respect the office. Don’t you?
• Continually amazed by the 8BIT guys. They just released the wicked-cool Live Theme, a WordPress theme for streaming video and live events. This looks like a game changer.
• If you treat people like you’re expendable, don’t be surprised when they act expendable.
• When you squeeze an orange, you get orange juice. Similarly, when people are put under pressure, you see what they’re made of. What comes out when you’re squeezed?
• My wife and I just set up Netflix on our iPads. I watched “G.I. Joe” and “Zombieland” over the weekend. Don’t judge me, I was ill.
• What’s the latest and greatest in your world, deviants?

Before I got married and had a child, I was a little, how should we say naïve. I assumed that once I entered into family life, I would be able to come and go as I pleased, delegate all the housework to my doting wife, and shine through as the hero of the family at all times, in all situations.

Yeah. I can hear the guffaws and gasps through the computer screen. I’m right along with you!

(more…)