Blake Thompson daht NetI'm just saying….

So I’m preaching this weekend. I think it’s going to be on faith in the midst of routine.

Funny, because my life is not that routine right now. Living 35 minutes away from work in borrowed space is sorta non-routine. And then you add a new baby to the mix. And things get even less than routine.

The Wife is a lady who likes routine. Who likes consistency. Who likes a schedule and plan. And our current life doesn’t really have a ton of that.

But I’m learning that God is bigger than any routine we are in. And that’s probably a good thing. I want to rely on Him instead of a routine.

Now I’m going to go pray and write some words down on some paper. Finish my brainstorming. Then start typing.

Faith in the midst of routine… If you have some words of wisdom…holler.

I really think this is the best show on television. Probably in the history of television. I think Friday Night Lights is right up there very close to it. Sure, The Office probably is the best comedy. But it’s one you watch and wait til next week to see again. LOST is one you watch and think about trying to figure out what all the mysteries are.

I found a video that pretty much sums up what LOST is about. It nails it. And if you’re completely current with the television show or just starting out, it won’t ruin it. But you have to watch it.

Now you understand, right?

I used to do this little things now and then. Came across this one and thought it was cool enough

· Number of days old I am right now: 12480
· The age I was when I first walked: I don’t remember
· The age I was in my earliest memory: I remember sleeping in my crib as a one year old. I really do. Doubt me if you must.
· The age I was when I was first kissed: I’m sure my mom kissed as soon as she could. But if you mean the “kiss-kiss” kind… Well, it was much later than most would probably guess.
· The age I was when I moved out of my parents’ house: 18 to go to college. 23 to go to life.
· The age I was when I finally felt like an adult: depends on what day you ask me.
· The age I dreamed of getting married at: 25
· The age I actually got married at: 25
· The age I’d go back to if I could: The Medieval Age?
· The price of my first car: I bought it for a dollar from a family member.
· The price of my first home: around 68K
· Number of vehicles I’ve owned in my lifetime: 3
· How much I made hourly at my first job: minimum wage
· Number of stitches I’ve had in my life: zero!
· Number of bones I’ve broken: 1—a hairline fracture in my ankle
· Number of countries I’ve visited: 2
· Number of places I’ve lived: If actually living life, then 3. But to include college 6, and to include summer jobs away from home, 7.
· Number of pets I’ve owned: Pets that were my own (and not my parents) 2.
· Number of ex-girlfriends in my past: Only two.
· Number of people I’ve called my “best friend”: I never really threw that word around. So only one: The Wife

Sometime last year I came across the blog Prodigal Jon. I can’t remember where I first linked to him. But the guy is a really good writer. That’s good because that’s his profession. But he was thought provoking (and still is). He even mentioned a comment a made in a post here.

He recently started a project called “Stuff Christians Like“. It’s an obvious off-shoot (ripoff?) of “Stuff White People Like“, but he affirms this by saying that that is one of the things that Christians like to do. They like to take things from culture and try to spin them for some other purposes. But his is strictly humor. And they’re quite good.

Here are a few highlights:

• Dropping Phrases Like “Wake Up” During a sermon
• Kid that makes out with girls from other youth groups
• Rob Bell
• The Side Hug

I kept flipping around on the tv last night to see what all was on. Idol Gives Back was on with lots of artists and celebrities raising money and support for different causes. There was lots of good done I believe. But the last song of the night surprised me. It had the eight remaining contestants singing “Shout To The Lord”. I mean, go Hillsong! It was an ensemble piece. Obviously Christian song (or am I just thinking it’s obvious since I knew the song from way back?)

It was a curious choice. I liked it though. But they did take “my Jesus” out of the first line and changed it to “my shepherd”. Thoughts?

I’ve never professed to be a great runner. Though I do enjoy it sometimes. But I’m not at that point in my life right now. It usually takes a few weeks of consistent running to get the endorphins rolling…. This morning they were not rolling at all. I’m still considering the Double Decker run in about two and a half weeks. We’ll see.

But to compare morning and night running is like comparing, well, night and day. A morning run is WORK. A night run is enjoyable. I never really ran much in high school. Never had a reason. While working at Camp Lake Stephens one summer I ran a little now and then to try to impress a girl. [It must have worked; she married me] The next semester at school she calls to inform me that she signed me up for the Crescent City Classic. I had no idea what that was. But turns out it is the massive 10K race in New Orleans. So I figured i should train for it.

I did. And to this day, my first ever 10K race has been my best time ever. And I guarantee that there’s no threat of breaking it anytime soon. But a night run is the best. Or a run in the rain on a summer afternoon. Sometimes it’s quite nice to go running with a friend. But other times the solitude of a solo run is needed. It’s fun to run in Costa Rica too! [Emily does it in Columbia.]

I don’t know that I’ve ever regretted a run either. But there are plenty of times I’ve thought of running, didn’t, then regretted it later. Sorta like spending time with Jesus. Sometimes I know I should. And I know how beneficial it would be. But I keep saying I’ll get to it soon.

Anywho…running. Do you do it? Do you like it? When is the best time for you to run? And what have your best runs been? Please..do tell!

My son. My baby boy.

All day long he sleeps and eats and sleeps and eats.  We try to get him to interact and look at us, smile, be awake. But he just goes right to sleep after eating.

But at night likes to be awake more. So I’m up blogging with one hand, watching a movie, and trying to get him to sleep.

Go me!

As most of you know, years ago I began a message board focusing on sports in North Mississippi. I soon chose to expand it to include the entire state of Mississippi. And that’s where Mississippi Sports Talk came from.

But as I grew in my knowledge and experience of how to set up and manage an online community, I looked to help from other community administrators online. There was one guy who seemed to be quite knowledgeable and wise because of the multiple communities he ran. I was surprised to find out that he was just a teenager at the time.

But Patrick O’Keefe continued to learn and build sites and grow communities. He then began forums specifically for community admins and has even now recently written a book. I just received his book, Managing Online Forums, and read almost the whole thing in the first night. In a word, it’s great.

If I had read this book early on in my forum experiences I would have bypassed a lot of mistakes and stumbles. Patrick covers many topics from how to set up your forums, how to select your staff, how to handle security and moderation issues, and how to promote and even monetize your site. He provides sample templates for many needed documents and insight on how to interact with your users or even competitors sites.

Patrick knows his stuff. It’s quite plain to see. I have benefited from knowing him online and bouncing ideas off of him. And now I’ve benefited from reading his book. So for anyone who runs an online forum or has an interest in it, I highly recommend Managing Online Forums.

If you run an online forum, leave me a comment and share your site & what it’s about!

I hit the road this morning. I’ve been thinking of running the Double Decker 10K later this month. So I’ve ran a few times on the treadmill. But this morning I took it to the streets.

And how quickly did I remember how different treadmills are from pavement! Especially with hills. Plus I ran about double the distance that I have on the tmill. I always want to quit early (way early) on a treadmill. It seems quite boring. But if you’re out on the road, I just run until I get back usually.

But now I have a few weeks to get ready for the run.