Very cool idea. These "events" are one of my favorite things about blog communities. These connections can be just as real (if not more so) as face to face connections.

I'm in...

I am sooooo excited. Last month I won a SIGNED copy of Everybody Wants to go to Heaven, But Nobody Wants to Die from the Collide Magazine Blog! I haven't started it just yet but now I'm kicking it up to the top of my reading list. This is a great post.

Road trip soundtracks are like covered dish dinners? Who knew? Wow!

Thanks guys!

I've been around from the day that Carlos pimped you on his blog. He said go over and check out my friend, Prodigal Jon, and I did. I love that you had lots of posts saved up for your debut. It made so much sense.

I also read "97 Seconds With God" while you had it up and what was the other one you wrote for a little while?

I love SCL. Waiting on the book...

I love what Maurilio said about it being all about the guest. I'm a feeder - I LOVE to feed people. But the challenge is to find out what they absolutely LOVE to eat. My goal is to find out what their favorites are. I would be so embarassed if I slaved over a homemade German Chocolate Cake and my guests hated coconut! Duh! So I investigate favorite foods. Now I can't tell you how many times I get requests for Red Velvet Cake, Chicken Enchiladas, or Chicken Vegetable Soup. I kind of like it when something I make becomes someone's favorite. :-) I am so going to try these tips out on our next Small Group home meeting. Especially Luci's rule - only one conversation at a time. I'm constantly amazed at how rude adults can be when people are trying to carry on a conversation. There, my rant is done. Time to get on with my day. Thanks for a great blog!
My recent post Party in the Valley…

These are great points! I had already considered #s 1, 4, and 5. I'm so glad I now have the others to use as well.

One thing that I find helpful and inspiring is hearing an honest accomplishment story from a "plain ol' person." I get a boost of "If they can do THAT, then certainly I can do THIS."

Thanks for this. I feel better equiped to start that BIG project I've been putting off.
My recent post Fighting With “Why Bother”…

Great point. Same way with people. We have a tendency to under-appreciate them without realizing it until they aren't there. It may be that "selfish, childish, self-deserving" part of our humanity that we will constantly be fighting on this earth.
My recent post Fighting With “Why Bother”…

There's a lot of that going around. I think there must be something HUGE on the horizon... We've got to keep fighting the darkness and the heaviness and the blahs. God's not through with us yet!
My recent post Fighting With “Why Bother”…

I'm not a huge fan of the phrase. The work fake has such a negative tone.

However, there are times when we have to ACT even when we don't FEEL like it. It's the same kind of thing - fake it 'til you make it - except it seems more honest and straight forward to say "I'm doing the right thing even though I don't really want to and hopefully eventually I'll feel like doing the right thing for the right reason."
My recent post Fighting With “Why Bother”…

Maybe I do compare, I don't know. But what I do know is that just recently I've battled a darkness that creeps in at the oddest times. It's never happened before and I'm totally over it! (I wish!)

But a thought that has come to me over and over for the past few weeks (I mean pounding on me) is that the truest thing about me is not what I believe about myself, not what others believe about me, it's not even what may SEEM to be the truest thing - but the truest thing about me is who God says I am, period. It has sent me to the Word to investigate God's promises and to claim over and over that I am worth it to Him and that He loves me beyond reason.

Thanks for a great post.
My recent post The Sweet By and By, Sara Evans with Rachel Hauck

My take-away(s)...

Limitations are sometimes blessings. You don't waste time weeding out your "options" - you just do what you were created to do.

What we believe about ourselves is not the truest thing about us. What God says about us is the only thing that matters.

Powerful flim. I can't wait to share it!
My recent post The Sweet By and By, Sara Evans with Rachel Hauck