• Reaction Porn

    Reaction Porn

    There’s a trend out there. And it’s getting worse. And you might be addicted to it without even knowing.

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  • Meet Me at Open Boston

    invent-like-zander-2014

    Open Boston is just a month from today!

    If you aren’t familiar with what Open is all about, check out the manifesto or talks from previous ones.

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  • Your Smartphone, Your Kids, and Their Safety

    Dear Universe,

    We’re out on a date for the night and our kids are home alone. Here’s our address and a map to our house.

    Sincerely,

    Mom and Dad

    That’s ridiculous. No parent would ever say that.

    I would never say that.

    Except we do it all the time. Sure, we don’t do it intentionally, but the fingerprints we leave on social media do indeed tell the world where we are, what we are doing, how long we’ll be doing it, and how to find the people we care about.

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  • Theology as Art

    Theology as Art

    I took Systematic Theology I twice at Moody Bible Institute.

    That’s right. I failed a class in college. It wasn’t for lack of effort. I came into my undergrad not knowing how to study. So while I had everything memorized I struggled to think critically about the content and lacked the ability to put it all together for the tests.

    The fact that I skipped class for 2 weeks at the end of the semester to go to every game of a Cubs 10-game home stand wasn’t related to my getting the first F in my life. OK, maybe a little.

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  • PSA on Comments

    Just a quick little announcement regarding comments on the Snapchat piece. In the past 8-9 days I’ve received and responded to hundreds of comments.

    Simple fact is I need a break. I have other things going on in my life that are more important.

    • I’m a dad. My kids are more important than my blog.
    • I’m a small business owner, I have work to do.
    • I’m just one person. I legit need a break.

    So you are free to leave a comment. Just know that for the next 48-72 hours things will be held for moderation.

    I value all comments that are on topic. I don’t permit anonymous comments. And I’m happy to engage with people on topic.

    Thank you.

  • When Teenagers Are Good News in My Neighborhood, Literally

    When Teenagers Are Good News in My Neighborhood, Literally

    Leaders take people where they would otherwise not go on their own.

    I’m thankful for these young leaders, agentes de cambio, who are bringing to attention a problem in my neighborhood.

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  • I need my kids in worship with me

    I need my kids in worship with me

    First he glared at me. Then he puffed, “I hate church. I don’t want to go.”

    When we told Paul, my 10 year old, that the regular parts of kids ministry were taking the day off and church would have family worship on Sunday, Paul protested.

    Stupid. Boring. I hate this, I hate you, I hate church, I hate…

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  • A Deep Breath and a New Year

    A Deep Breath and a New Year

    It started on Saturday.

    Kristen and I were driving back from a couple days in Joshua Tree. We stopped to get a date shake and I checked my email. Comments from a post I wrote in August? That’s weird.

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  • Reminder: Blogging 101 Webinar is Tomorrow!

    If 2014 is going to be the year that you get into blogging you’ll want to make sure to jump in on this free webinar tomorrow, Blogging 101.

    Or if 2014 is the year you are staring a blog… again… this webinar will hopefully help you develop a real plan of action for making it a reality.

    RSVP here

  • 3 Blessings of the Complainer

    3 Blessings of the Complainer

    A few years back I read a blog post by a famous megachurch pastor who wrote a post pontificating some brilliant insight he offered his staff. (Yes, I mean that sarcastically.)

    It went something like this: “I told my staff that if they ever doubted, even for a minute, that they were supposed to be on staff at this church that they should tell me and we’d treat them right… I’d pay them a good severance… but they should leave immediately.”

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