When Ninjas Convene

Before sharing with you about a pretty incredible meeting I had with a group affectionately referred to as the “West Coast Ninja’s,” let me just say that while I would love for this post to be the 24/7 Life phoenix rising from the ashes, it’s not. Perhaps this will lead to a couple more posts in the weeks to come, but I have a few more months of school to finish before diving fully back into the blogosphere. So I apologize to the 4 of you who wait with baited breathe for a new post. ;-)

Nevertheless, because my meeting over the weekend involves several incredible bloggers I felt it only appropriate to jump back to 24/7 Life for a quick post about these wonderful people. So without further ado, my Saturday meet-up with the West Coast Ninja’s…

Several months ago when blogging was still high on my list of many priorities, I had the privilege of getting to know some great bloggers, many of whom I live near in the Pacific Northwest. Throughout the week we would read each other’s blogs, comment on a post that would hit close to home and tweet blog links to our respective blog followings.

A few months ago the term “west coast ninja” was used to differentiate those bloggers in the group who were located on the west coast from those on the east. This distinction lead to some good natured teasing, but also the organization of a blogger meet up.

Now you can imagine how difficult it would be to organize a meeting of busy people who live in various cities and states. Nevertheless that is EXACTLY what happened. Although not all of the “Ninjas” were able to make it, a group of six bloggers from Washington and Oregon convened at the home of Cindy Holman, one of the bloggers (by the end of the meeting on Saturday  we had dubbed Cindy’s home “The Pink Palace” due to Cindy’s love for pink and it’s incorporation into her decor).

I have to say this was an incredible meeting. There was great food, wonderful conversation and more laughs than you can imagine. What stood out to me about this event was that prior to this meet up there were only a few personal connections. However we all had come together via social media and the blogosphere.

I find that it is not uncommon for people to bad mouth social media because “it could never create the same type of relationships that face to face interaction can.” However, from my several years of both personal and professional social media experience, the community and relationships formed through these various mediums have the potential to be legitimate. While I had only met a couple of the bloggers in person before, I felt as though I had been friends with the others for years, because I had gotten to know their personality, situation in life, and beliefs via their blogs, Twitter, etc.

There is no doubt in my mind that face to face interactions are vital, but social media has the power to help develop and sustain relationships that would never have been formed if in person handshakes and greetings were required.

I encourage you to check out the blogs of this awesome group of people. They are caring, genuine people who have a lot of great things to say.

Simply click on the name of each blogger to transported to their West Coast Ninja site.

Chris Goforth

Cindy Holman

Deanna Morauski

KC Proctor

Keri Welch

Posted on November 7th, 2011 by | 4 Comments »

Sometimes You Just Need A Break: why i took a week off from blogging

I don’t normally blog much on the weekends. In fact, I try and be intentional about not blogging on the weekend unless there is a good reason or something that I really feel like I want to share. So when I didn’t post much two weekends ago, that was normal.

However, on Monday or at least Tuesday I would have jumped back into the game.

I like to post at least 3-5 times a week.

But Monday I was sick and spent all Memorial Day in bed watching reruns of Kitchen Nightmare and The Voice on Hulu. Truthfully, the last thing I wanted to do was try and compose a coherent thought…and so I didn’t. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted on June 6th, 2011 by | 18 Comments »

Blogging About My Girl for “Girls Of Purpose” Week

“DAD, YOU BLOGGED ABOUT ME?!”

Yes, in fact I did blog about my raising my beautiful little girl as a part of Chris Goforth’s (@pacnwdadof6) great week long series called, “Girls of Purpose.” This has been a phenomenal series looking at what it takes to raise Godly young women. It is a collection of stories and insights that I have found to be both incredibly interesting and also insightful. If you have not had a chance to read through the posts, I would encourage you to jump over to “Goforth’s Journal” and check them out.

Posted on May 28th, 2011 by | 8 Comments »

A Follow Up To “Are Christian Social Networking Sites Actually ‘Unsocial’”

I have been blogging for about 3 1/2 years and every so often there will be a post that sparks a good amount of conversation. Sometimes it’s because it’s a popular topic, and others because there are simply strong opinions on subject.

A couple weeks ago I posted asking the question, “Are Christian social networks actually unsocial?” the initial response was from people who had similar views as I do, that while there is a great deal of value in likeminded people being able to come together to discuss issues of faith etc., there is a lot of isolationism that takes place. Moreover the question was raised, “is there really a need for ‘Christian’ social networks when there are plenty of already established sites in place or does that simply perpetuate isolationism?”

Well as I said, that was a couple weeks ago I thought the conversation on the topic had come and gone. Little did I know that when I got up this morning I would have my inbox flooded with more comments on the subject. In fact as it stands right now I have 9 pending comments about the topic.

All day I have wrestled with whether or not to post them, not because they are in opposition to my opinion (which they seem to be), in fact it’s my hope that people with varying opinions and insights will post comments (see my post on Rob Bell’s interview with Martin Bashir if you question wether or not I’m willing to have those conversations).

No, I have debated about whether or not to post them because quite frankly they have been antagonistic in nature and I have serious doubts that the conversation would remain civil. The other reason that I have ultimately decided not to post them is because in general they do not address the actual question posed, but rather focus on advocating for the one particular social networking site that I used as an example; the site that actually actually caused me to think about this question.

It is important to understand that the site I used as an example was just that, an example. There are many other sites that I could have chosen instead, however it was this site that prompted the original post.

With all of that being said, at the heart of the comments are some  good thoughts and questions that I would like to clarify my opinions on. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted on May 5th, 2011 by | 1 Comment »

To Follow, Or Not To Follow…

I have been on Twitter for about three years and up to this point I have been quite selective in terms of who I follow. I follow people that I want to learn from, or be entertained by. People who I have a close connection with or would like to get to know better. I haven’t been a fan of following someone just because they follow me. However, I have become more open to the idea as of late and I’m not sure what to do with that.

As someone who manages not only my own social profile, but online communities for other organizations, I have experienced the networking benefits of creating a broad and inclusive web of connections. Nevertheless, I have been hesitant to manage my own in such a way. I haven’t wanted it to become about the number of followers I have, or my personal social reach. However I am becoming more and more interested in establishing connections in different social and professional circles and that might require a less “selective” approach to following.

So my question to you is, how do you use Twitter? Do you using it to connect with a broad base of people or do you focus on a select group? Do you, follow virtually everyone who follows you or are you more selective? And perhaps an even more important question than how do you use Twitter, is why do you use it the way you do?

I’d love your insights.

Posted on April 9th, 2011 by | 20 Comments »

Reflections On Why I Enjoy Blogging

There are days, like today, when I really enjoy blogging.

I enjoy sharing about my life…the things that bring me joy, the people I love.

I find it exciting to connect with fellow bloggers and their readers through comments and shared links.

The exploration of what people are interested in reading is thought provoking.

And documenting many of my thoughts and experiences causes me to spend time reflecting on life.

If by chance you have stumbled upon my humble little blog and you yourself have yet to engage in the blogosphere I would encourage you to consider it.

Is it time consuming and tedious at times, sure. But the enjoyment that comes from blogging is so much greater.

 

Posted on April 6th, 2011 by | 4 Comments »

“A Day Made Of Glass”

Do you ever find yourself wondering what sort of technology will be available in the future? Will we be living in a Jetson world with flying cars and robotic maids? As someone who enjoys technology, thoughts about technological advancements regularly cross my mind as I make calls on my iphone or Skype with my friend Ryan who is studying over in England.

Today I was reading Michael Hyatt’s blog and he had posted a video by Corning Incorporated that caught my eye. What do you think? Is this the future? Would you be excited about a world made of smart glass?

Posted on April 3rd, 2011 by | 4 Comments »

That’s Not What I Expected: intense conversation surrounding Rob Bell’s interview

Last night I posted Rob Bell’s interview with Martin Bashir (see previous post) and while I thought a few comments might arise, I didn’t expect anything like the conversation that took place. It was continuous, passionate deep and very engaging.

Although I don’t agree with all of the perspectives presented in the conversation, I really appreciate the dialogue that took place and the respectful nature of it. All too often this sort of discourse turns nasty and goes from being insightful and helpful to useless bickering.

Whether you agree with my perspective or the perspectives of others who posted, thanks for keeping it on the up and up. In many ways that’s what this site is all about. While I definitely don’t claim to have all the answers, It’s fun to dialogue with you about important topics like this.

Thanks for taking the time participate in such a civil discourse.

Posted on March 16th, 2011 by | 1 Comment »

Cracking The Whip

Earlier today I was on Twitter and got a message from my buddy K.C. that said…

K.C. and I talk regularly about our blogs and have formed a sort of blogging accountability group. I have to say that if it weren’t for him, I might have totally abandoned things here at 24/7 Life over the last couple months. As he notes in his tweet life is busy getting ready for a new baby, but it’s not a good excuse to completely abandon the blog. So here I am, posting once again.

Thanks for the encouragement K.C., I needed it.

If you want to check out some of K.C.’s blogging action you can at…Some Wise Guy or Off The Cuff .

Posted on February 10th, 2011 by | 3 Comments »

What’s The Impact On Community?

I have been working on my Masters degree for a little over a year and it has been an incredible experience.

Incredibly exciting…incredibly tiring…incredibly thought provoking…incredibly frustrating…it’s been incredible.

This week I am wrapping up a class that has been preparing me for my capstone thesis. Although the details of the study have not yet been fleshed out, in general terms I am planning on examining the impact of Facebook on the development of connection and community within church congregations.

I expect this to be a very interesting topic to study and pertinent to both my job as Director of Outreach/Connection for a church and also social media manager for a church web design company.

In your experience, how have Facebook, Twitter and the various other social media tools impacted your sense of connection and community in life in general?

Posted on November 30th, 2010 by | 4 Comments »
« Older Entries