Encouraging Words from Cary Schmidt » twitter

14 Encouragers to Follow On Twitter

caryschmidt — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 22:32:57 +0000

The following is a list of people that represent some great reasons to use twitter—even if you’d rather not post anything! They are wonderful, genuine servants of God. These are lives worth emulating! If you use twitter, you would benefit and be encouraged by following these leaders:

@PaulChappell – Dr. Paul Chappell, Pastor of Lancaster Baptist Church, a great pastor, great leader, and a genuinely godly man. It’s a blessing to serve the Lord under his leadership.

@wcbcdrr – Dr. Mark Rasmussen, Vice President of West Coast Baptist College, one of the most encouraging, faithful, knowledgeable, and fruitful men I’ve ever known. He’s a great leader and a great educator with a huge heart for people.

@johngoetsch – Dr. John Goetsch, Executive Vice President of West Coast Baptist College. He’s a great preacher, a very authentic Christian, a tireless laborer, and a steadfast life worth emulating.

@timchristoson – Tim Christoson, an Associate Pastor at Lancaster Baptist who leads and administrates adult ministries, Sunday school, and building programs. He’s a great leader with a servant’s heart and a faithful testimony.

@LarryChappell – Larry Chappell, Assistant Pastor, Sr. High Director and leader of the video and multimedia production of Lancaster Baptist Church. He’s a humble, godly, faithful Christian servant with an encouraging spirit and godly influence.

@cnav – Carlos Navarrete, Spanish Pastor of Lancaster Baptist Church. Carlos is wise beyond his years and a great encourager and leader.

@bryansamms – Bryan Samms, West Coast Baptist College teacher, leader and a tremendous preacher of God’s Word.

@JRWhitman – Jeremy Whitman, Assistant Pastor at Lancaster Baptist Church and Pastor Chappell’s assistant. Great man and friend!

@jeremylofgren – Jeremy Lofgren, Director of Graphics and Web ministry for Lancaster Baptist and extremely knowledgeable about media ministry. He’s one of the most faithful men I know and I have great admiration for him.

@TheBaptistEdu – Dr. Manuel Salazar, Administrator of Lancaster Baptist School, an exemplary Christian and a great educator with an amazing heart!

@petermordh – Peter Mordh, Director of Advancement office at West Coast Baptist College and one of the finest young leaders you will ever know.

@danaschmidt – Dana Schmidt, my wife and best friend!

@terriechappell – Terrie Chappell, Pastor Chappell’s wife and the greatest pastor’s wife on this planet.

@LBC_Today – Lancaster Baptist Church updates and announcements.

Do Social Networks Change Behavior?

Cary Schmidt — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:33:26 +0000

USAToday published an interesting article today about the impact of the internet and social networking. Here are a few of the statistics they shared:

How social-networking services affect the everyday behavior of millions of Americans:

An Ohio State University study links Facebook to lower grades. According to a survey of 219 students, published in April, those who said they use Facebook had grade-point averages of 3.0 to 3.5, and studied one to five hours a week.
Non-Facebook users had GPAs of 3.5 to 4.0 and studied 11 hours or more a week.
Nearly 80% of Facebook users said they believe it had no impact on their grades.
Corporate employees may fritter away nearly 1.5% of office productivity by using Facebook at work, according to a Nucleus Research study announced in July.
The University of Melbourne, however, says people who use the Internet for personal reasons at work are 9% more productive than those who don’t.
Fourteen states have passed measures to ban texting while driving.

Read the full article here: Real-time Web keeps social networkers connected – USATODAY.com.

Defeating the Media Monster—Part 1

Cary Schmidt — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:11:21 +0000

Media will eat your family alive, unless you tell it not to!

I have a deep inner aversion to living things that crawl, creep, fly, or slither around and find their way into places they don’t belong. They bother me. They creep me out. I just want them dead as quickly as I can make it happen. It’s not really of fear, but of something that has more to do with dominance and my human right to “not be creeped out”! (After all, it’s in everybody’s basic rights—life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and the freedom to be uncreeped!)

Not long ago, I had a bat in my office. Another time, a bird came flying in—yes, a BIRD—into my third-floor office! Shortly thereafter, a lizard showed up in a secretary’s office. And as you might imagine, these things not only hindered work flow, they significantly raised the threat level on the “creep-ometer.” They were nasty little living things that found their way into areas they didn’t belong. They disturbed and disrupted, and they had to be dealt with. And in each case—they were. (The sentence was “death by broomstick.”)

In much the same way, only on a spiritual level, the media of our society is constantly and forever trying to creep its way into places it doesn’t belong—in our hearts and homes. The tools of that media come in a wide variety—from TVs, to computers, to video game consoles, to cell phones, to iPods, to social websites and dozens of other helpful and potentially enjoyable gadgets and toys. The message of that media depends upon our day to day choices—who we communicate with, what we listen to, what we post, what we watch or play, and who we follow or befriend. The media itself isn’t all bad and the tools of media are not intrinsically wicked—it’s what that media can become and the unrestrained messages it brings with it that poses great risk.

Simply put: media will eat your family alive unless you tell it not to. When unrestrained, media can be like little roving creatures looking for a new place to settle. Uncontained, it will creep and crawl its way into every possible area of your life, family, and relationships—threatening a lot of good stuff along the way. In our society, media is Satan’s primary tool of communication and destruction—in spite of the good that modern technology can bring.

So what do Christian families do with so many varieties of media threats? There are two extremes. The first is to completely ignore the threat, letting each family member have complete media freedom. In this case media becomes a raging monster rampaging through a home with an insatiable appetite for destroying relationships and addicting hearts to sin and vice. The second extreme is unprincipled abstinence—the decision to remove all media from our lives without explanation or biblical training. This approach results in our children eventually facing the media monster alone in their adult lives with no biblical foundation on which to stand. In the first extreme, media becomes dominant in the home and relationships die early. In the second, media waits patiently to ravage an unprepared life later.

In a multimedia age, it’s time that parents and children engage in the day to day process of understanding, discerning, taming, and containing the media beast. Proverbs 22:6 teaches us, “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” The process of “training up” is a time-consuming, fully-engaged, active, and deliberate course of action. Yet, I find that few parents have intentionally determined to “train up” their children in defeating one of the greatest threats to their future spiritual well-being—mass media (including airwaves, music, internet, video games, cell-phones and all that comes with them.)

Some parents desire to “train up” but they feel overwhelmed or are not sure where to begin. Yet, the risk is too great not to jump on this beast and ride it into submission. Honestly, we’re all still learning and media is ever changing, but for the next page, let’s examine the big challenges media brings, and then some practical steps to defeating and taming this monster. There are five huge challenges that media brings into our homes:

First, the challenge of perversion—whether it’s a TV show, an inappropriate website, or a profane facebook posting, the media of our culture has given a loud and long voice to a massive amount of perversion. It’s difficult to even buy a gallon of milk without having to see and hear the filth of our world being broadcast or displayed. Even the conservative news outlets are shameless when it comes to advertising or stories having to do with sexual matters. This challenge threatens our purity, and God commands us to flee youthful lusts (Ephesians 4:29) and to be wise to that which is good and simple concerning evil (Romans 16:19).

Second, is the challenge of deception—the media of our culture is constantly heralding Satan’s lies about love, happiness, and life. Additionally, the internet gives someone a lot of opportunities to “be someone else” or to participate in gossip, slander, and harmful chat. The deception of anonymity has drawn many into second lives, inappropriate relationships, and deceptive communications. But God tells us in James 4:8 to cleanse our hands, purify our hearts from double-mindedness and draw nigh to God once again.

Third, is the challenge of obsession—emails, twitter, blogs, cell phones, video games, internet chat, forums, and a variety of other media tend to become dominant in our lives. Frankly, these mediums impact us in ways we don’t even fully understand yet. Science has only just begun to examine the power that these things can have over us and the developmental results over time. Practically speaking, in counseling, I’ve seen that these things can literally become obsessions—almost holding us hostage and causing us to disengage from real relationships. But in 1 Corinthians 6:12 God instructs us not to be “brought under the power of any”—speaking of things that may not be evil, but also may not be expedient (or helpful).

Fourth is the challenge of disconnection—media is so dominant in some families that it has completely over-run real family connections. A healthy marriage relationship or parent/child relationship requires a close heart connection—the product of time, eye contact, heart-to-heart conversation, frequent affection, and real-time interaction. Abundance of media literally kills time, robs focus, shortens attention span, and makes human relationships seem boring and shallow. But Ephesians 4:32 and 6:1-4 teaches us to develop loving, tenderhearted, nurturing relationships in our homes.

Fifth, is the challenge of emptiness—this is the result of the first four challenges. When media is allowed to “take over,” everyone in the family is familiar with everything in the world except each other, and that leaves the heart very, very empty and hungry. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 1:17 that he gave his heart to know madness and folly and ultimately is was nothing but, “vexation of spirit.”

Stay tuned for part two of this post when we will examine eight practical steps we can take to protect ourselves and those we love!

Note: Please share your thoughts and insight regarding the challenges of media in today’s society, and consider someone else who might benefit from these posts and encourage them in this area!

New Research on Social Networking

Cary Schmidt — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:16:08 +0000

Both TIME magazine and the San Francisco Chronicle recently reported on some dangers surfacing behind the many hours that teens are spending in social networking. Here are a few quotes from the San Francisco Chronicle article that relayed the results of a poll of 1,000 teens and 1,000 parents:

“From behind their bedroom doors, more than 1 out of every 10 teenagers has posted a nude or seminude picture of themselves or others online—a “digital tattoo” that could haunt them for the rest of their lives.

A quarter of the young people polled had posted something they later regretted, made fun of others or created a false identity online.

While teens are spending more and more time on social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace—with 22 percent saying they check their sites more than 10 times a day—they don’t seem to be aware of the long-term personal havoc they could create with a click of a button.

And their parents generally have little idea about what their children are up to, the poll found.

[Social Networking] feels less personal; it’s easier to do mean things… It’s almost simulated behavior. You can be risky and do riskier things in a digital context.

Yet there can be enormous consequences: That alcohol-related post-prom picture? Someday an employer or college admission officer might come across it with a quick click on Google. Hitting delete to get rid of a questionable photo won’t help. The digital imprint never goes away and could be flitting across computer screens around the world.

Whether we like it or not, kids live in the 24/7 digital world… It affects virtually every aspect of their lives.

‘It’s a playground with no parental supervision,’ said Dr. Dimitri A. Christakis, George Adkins Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Washington, who found in a study released earlier this year that 54 percent of teens demonstrate risky behavior online.

[Among parents] there’s definitely a not-my-kid syndrome.

Technology doesn’t create new behaviors, it just may exploit them.”

Teen social networking by the numbers:

51 Percentage of teens who check their sites more than once a day.
22 Percentage who check their sites more than 10 times a day.
39 Percentage who have posted something they later regretted.
37 Percentage who have used the sites to make fun of other students.
25 Percentage who have created a profile with a false identity.
24 Percentage who have hacked into someone else’s social networking account.
13 Percentage who have posted nude or seminude pictures or videos of themselves or others online.

In a TIME magazine article entitled “What Facebook Users Share” recent studies point to lower grades as a common trait among people who use Facebook extensively. It’s not that Facebook would be the cause, but that extended time and use of social networking could impact attention span and other factors that influence grades and relationships.

The quote that most arrested my attention was from UCLA neuroscientist Gary Small:

“He warns of a decreased ability among devotees of social networks and other modern technology to read real-life facial expressions and understand the emotional context of subtle gestures. Young people are particularly at risk for these problems, he writes, because young minds tend to be the most sensitive, as well as the most exposed, to digital technology.”

The article warns of the tendency of teens to obsess over these technologies, giving too much time and influence to them. Amazingly, research continually reveals that parents have little knowledge of what their kids do online.

In the next week or so I will be posting two articles for parents and spiritual leaders related to controlling media—including social networking. May God give us wisdom to train up the next generation to be guarded and discerning in these areas!

The Best and Worst Uses of Twitter

Cary Schmidt — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 19:39:10 +0000

I have written a couple of posts about twitter—why I decided to use it and things I’ve learned from the experience. Overall, twitter has been a positive experience, but not entirely. Here is a short list of the best and worst ways to use twitter:

The Best Uses of Twitter:

Encouraging Connections—Twitter is a great means of encouraging others and staying connected with helpful and strengthening relationships—friends, family, and ministry acquaintances—and what’s going on in the lives of others. I love following Pastor Chappell’s posts—they encourage me in a multitude of ways. Hundreds of times others have strengthened and encouraged my spirit through their posts.

Edifying Words—Twitter is great for sharing quotes, scriptures, and principles that edify. I love following people whose hearts are obviously focused on spiritual matters and challenging subjects. Positive thinkers and spiritually minded people have a joyful heart and challenge me to be a better Christian.

Equipping Resources—Twitter is a great way to share ideas, helpful information (eg: blog posts, stories, useful media). I have often been informed of a good article, a new book, or a resource that proved to be beneficial in some aspect of life.

The Worst Uses of Twitter:

Arguing Foolish Questions—On or off twitter this is just wrong. But it is especially undiscerning to bring an argument into the public arena of 140 character posts. What an impossible and pointless way to carry on, and a fantastic way to ruin your testimony, hurt the name of Christ, and nullify the little influence that twitter might afford. Twitter isn’t the place for airing grievances, issuing reprimands, or broadcasting contention. (Only by pride cometh contention.)

Arrogance or Narcissism—Twitter doesn’t make someone arrogant, but it does reveal it. Pride and narcissism show up easily when you’re only allowed 140 characters. Twitter is a really bad way to tell the world how great you are and how much you love yourself.

Amplifying the Wrong Voices—Twitter is a tool of communication. It publishes, influences, and amplifies—and not every voice should be amplified. Before you quote, link, or otherwise amplify a voice, think it through. Don’t inadvertently give greater exposure to voices or philosophies that are unbiblical.

Aimless and Pointless Posting—For some, twitter is nothing more than a place to post mental rubbish. Strange. In truth, Twitter is an invitation to influence. It is permission to publish. If even one person follows you, they have asked you to share your life, your heart, your thoughts. That influence is a stewardship. Before you post, ask: Does this in any way honor the Lord and encourage others?

The bottom line—twitter is influence by invitation. If you misuse it, your invitation will be revoked. If you use it wisely, others will appreciate and benefit. As Christians, our communication should be biblical, pleasing to Christ, and helpful to others.

To those who have positively influenced me through twitter—I say, “Thank you!” Keep exemplifying these best uses!

One person recently said it this way, “Twitter is simply magnifies what you already are.” May every part of our lives—including twitter—magnify Christ and that which He loves!

How have you seen twitter used positively and negatively? Share your thoughts below…

What Spurgeon Says About Internet Gossip

caryschmidt — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 04:34:48 +0000

The following is an excerpt from C.H. Spurgeon that speaks powerfully to how we as Christians should invest our time, our efforts, and our words. May we live our lives and invest our time into things that glorify Christ and edify people. This quote has a powerful significance in this day of internet gossip and slander through social networking, blogging, twitter, etc. A friend shared it with me and I thought it might be useful to you.

“But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.”

“Our days are few, and are far better spent in doing good, than in disputing over matters which are, at best, of minor importance. The old schoolmen did a world of mischief by their incessant discussion of subjects of no practical importance; and our churches suffer much from petty wars over abstruse points and unimportant questions. After everything has been said that can be said, neither party is any the wiser, and therefore the discussion no more promotes knowledge than love, and it is foolish to sow in so barren a field.

“Questions upon points wherein Scripture is silent; upon mysteries which belong to God alone; upon prophecies of doubtful interpretation; and upon mere modes of observing human ceremonials, are all foolish, and wise men avoid them. Our business is neither to ask nor answer foolish questions, but to avoid them altogether; and if we observe the apostle’s precept (Titus 3:8) to be careful to maintain good works, we shall find ourselves far too much occupied with profitable business to take much interest in unworthy, contentious, and needless strivings.

“There are, however, some questions which are the reverse of foolish, which we must not avoid, but fairly and honestly meet, such as these: Do I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ? Am I renewed in the spirit of my mind? Am I walking not after the flesh, but after the Spirit? Am I growing in grace? Does my conversation adorn the doctrine of God my Savior? Am I looking for the coming of the Lord, and watching as a servant should do who expects his master? What more can I do for Jesus?

“Such enquiries as these urgently demand our attention; and if we have been at all given to caviling, let us now turn our critical abilities to a service so much more profitable. Let us be peace-makers, and endeavor to lead others both by our precept and example, to “avoid foolish questions.” —C.H. Spurgeon

Twitter—90 Days Later

caryschmidt — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 00:12:25 +0000

The Blessings and Benefits of Learning the Art of Microblogging!

A little over 90 days ago, I began using Twitter. Eight months ago I was sure it was the dumbest thing I had ever seen. But after a little examination and consideration, I decided to give it a try with my family and friends. It’s been a very interesting experience so I thought I would share a few thoughts.

At the beginning I posted a blog article about why I was going to give it a try. You can read that here. Below are some reasons that I will continue, at least for now.

Things That Have Made Twitter a Positive Experience

1. Staying Connected to Family and Friends—it’s been great to stay a little more connected with every one I’m related to—even my own kids. I really love reading what they post throughout their day. It’s a great glimpse into their hearts and it usually puts a smile on my face just when I needed one! In addition to this, I’ve enjoyed staying more in touch with young people in our student ministry.

2. Connecting with Like-Minded Men in Ministry—this was the greatest unexpected blessing. I’ve met some new friends in ministry from various places in the country. I’ve prayed for them, shared requests with them, and benefited from their spiritual insights and encouragement. Without twitter we probably would have never met, or at best, our fellowship would have been extremely limited.

3. Sharing Helpful News and Posts—I’ve come across some very helpful resources and articles because of what godly people have shared in their posts.

4. Sharing Christ—I have had one opportunity to share Christ and to encourage and pray with a very nice gentleman that contacted me through twitter. What a delight.

5. Being Aware of Good Things God is Doing—I’ve read of ministry happenings among other independent Baptist Churches around the country. It’s given me a greater spirit of appreciation and a higher awareness of others who are fighting the same battles I am. That’s been an encouragement.

6. Getting a Glimpse Into the Hearts of Good People—I’ve seen a lot of posts that just made me think more deeply, laugh more frequently, and appreciate the insight and wit of those I interact with. It’s been encouraging and edifying.

7. Giving Family and Friends a Glimpse of My Heart—I’m hoping for my family and friends that my posts are as encouraging as theirs are. I’m trying.

8. Finding Encouragement From A Lot of People—It’s just been good to read the posts and thoughts of other people who have good attitudes and godly perspectives on life and ministry.

9. Uplifting a Biblical Technology Example—I’ve had several of our students and college and career friends begin using twitter with me and I believe it’s been helpful to them to see a form of social networking used in a way that honors Christ. I have seen twitter used to encourage, edify, strengthen, support, and uphold Christian friends. That’s been a blessing!

10. Enjoying dissecting my day into 140 character increments—There’s just something fun about coming up with 140 characters quickly to try to encapsulate the wonderful blessings of each and every day.

I’m sure there are a lot of people in the world who waste time and words or who do inappropriate things with Twitter just like every other form of technology. It certainly can be used too much or pointlessly. Like many, I was skeptical of its usefulness, but over all, my experience has been positive and I can see twitter and technologies like it being used very effectively for ministry and for Christ. Without a doubt, the young people we are presently training for ministry will live with these technologies as fixtures in their lives—like we do with phones and computers. We should at least do our best to prepare them.

I’m still not a big “early adopter” of many new things, but I want to do my best to not rule something out just because I don’t “get it” or because it’s new. If you haven’t tried twitter, or like me, you just don’t understand it—it’s very difficult to explain it. You probably just need to try it for a few weeks and then decide. It doesn’t take any time (you can only post 140 characters at a time! How much time could that possibly take?!) It can flow with your normal routines and schedule with minimal to no interruption (My posts usually happen in my “in between moments”—like when I’m walking somewhere, etc.) It’s completely controllable. It’s helpful once you establish some folks that you interact with regularly. It’s a blessing to share and receive biblical encouragement with others. And in many ways, it’s just fun.

If you try it, just remember, it’s public and it falls under the same biblical guidelines as every other form of communication! Moderation and discretion are both very important principles to practice in this venue. Be sure not to post anything you wouldn’t stand and announce to the whole world. It’s probably not a good idea to put a lot of personal information, personal schedule, or personal details—like when you’re getting dressed or showering—pretty much everybody gets showered and dressed some time during the day!

Blogs and Twitters—Is There a Point?

Cary Schmidt — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 01:11:55 +0000

Why I Decided to Start Using Twitter

Why blog? Why Twitter? Is there a good reason for these things? That is the question I’ve been asking myself for the past year or so. I’m not usually an “early adopter” of potentially harmful things. Rather, I like to study, to watch, to pray, and to consider. I like to let the dust settle and evaluate the positive side of a new form of communication or some new use of the internet.

A little over a year ago I started blogging—minimally. And six months ago I was introduced to Twitter—a form of micro-blogging if you will. I must admit, I didn’t get it and I didn’t see a point. So I waited and watched. Is it about ego? Is it about social-networking? Does it really have a point at all? I wanted to see more than just the “dark side” of all of these things. I do believe there is a bright side!

Well, after six months I decided to grab my wife by the hand and jump into Twittering. You might say it is sort of an experiment, but one with a purpose. After a week, I sat down yesterday and wrote out some thoughts about “why I twitter” and I wanted to share them. You might say these reasons apply to everything we do online—whether a blog, a website, or a twitter feed.

All of life is a stewardship—a gift from God, and God’s child should see himself and every level of his life as an offering—a living sacrifice to the Lord. Every word, every moment, every opportunity, and every deed should be lived out with a heart of surrender and submission to the God who gives us breath. With that in mind, here are the reasons I’m giving twittering a try:

Training and Example – This is perhaps one of my biggest reasons. One of my great burdens is for the next generation—especially my own kids. A long time ago I decided to live my life as positively and loudly as possible as a good example to those coming behind me. I want them to see a genuine walk with the Lord, love for family, commitment to ministry, and the deep joy that accompanies all these things.

Well, the internet and the world of social networking is killing our kids! They are becoming addicted to it and using it in all the wrong ways. They are getting sucked into all sorts of wickedness and perversion through things like “myspace.” They are wasting their lives with mindless web time and pointless chatter. While I could bury my head, make rules against it all, and pretend it isn’t happening—it is. And it isn’t going anywhere. We need spiritual leaders who will learn technology and then teach future leaders how to use it and how not to use it. Our young people need to see moderation, appropriateness, and strategic caution when it comes to these things.

I pray that God will use my blog and twitter feed as an example to others—a positive, God-honoring way of promoting truth and encouraging others.

Accountability – I have found after a week, that the few seconds a day that I might write something for twitter causes me to pause and review if I’m investing my life into that which is most valuable. The simple question “do I have anything worth saying publicly about this moment?” causes me to think more deeply and live more purposefully in every moment.

Encouragement – There are two types of people in the world—those who put things into you and those who take away from you—those who energize you and those who deplete you. I have always been passionate in asking the Lord to make me an encourager—an energizer. Sadly, I fail at this more than I care to admit, but I am still passionate about it. I want to encourage others. It is wired into me and into my calling. If posting 140 characters a few times a day could encourage someone, then count me in.

Prayer Support – We are living in a strange day and more than ever, Christians and those in ministry need to support each other in prayer. One thought I have with twittering is that perhaps my family and friends would follow it if only to be able to pray for me when I post about an afternoon of counseling or teaching. We all need the prayers of others as we seek to please the Lord and I would be grateful if my twitter would remind you to pray for me and my family.

Spiritual Edification—Again, if I can edify someone today by taking a few seconds to post a quote, a life lesson, or a simple truth, then I want to take that opportunity. I want my words to build, to teach, to strengthen, and to equip others to live for the Lord and serve Him better. I want all my words to be like “apples of gold… fitly spoken.” Hopefully this little post will be a small part of that ministry.

Savoring the Simple—I have found that posting little positive things on twitter causes me to notice and savor the simple yet profound things in my day that I might otherwise have missed.

Wise Use of Time—Twittering doesn’t take more than a few seconds, so it’s easy to find a dead moment—standing in line at a restaurant, waiting at a pharmacy, sitting at a red light—to post something encouraging to others. To think that I could take a lost minute and reclaim it by posting something that could possibly instantly benefit a group of people from any where on the planet—that’s a very cool thought!

Wise Use of Influence—Everybody has influence, and your influence is a stewardship. For me, a blog or twitter is simply about using whatever influence God gives me for His glory. It’s about wise stewardship and about being a good ambassador for Christ.

Keep in Touch With Friends and Family—I haven’t found Twitter to be the best way or even a great way to keep in touch, but it is “one way.” Maybe “keep track of” would be better phrasing. I can imagine how some might find it useful that way, but for me—a phone call or a personal email is still much better.

Communication Skills—This is a far lesser reason, but I have always taught my church communications class to “say what you want in as few words as possible.” Twitter really causes you to edit your message to the most important 140 characters! I like that challenge—to say something worthwhile in 140 characters or less. It’s been fun to work at it.

Well, let me wrap this up with a few things that twittering and blogging is NOT:

It’s not about Idle Time—I don’t believe we should be sitting around with nothing to do… so, oh well, let’s just twitter! Twitter doesn’t take a lot of time, but it certainly could if you let it.

It’s not about Self-Absorption—at first twitter just seemed stupid or silly to me—but that’s because I was reading the wrong posts. Why do I care that someone is toasting a pop-tart or mixing cool-aid? Well, I don’t think that should be the point of it. For me, it won’t be.

It’s not about Mindless Posting or Rambling—For six months I read some of the dumbest things on twitter. I just didn’t get it. Why take the time to log on and post words that have no point whatsoever? We will all give account to the Lord for every word!

It’s not about Fascination with Technology—I know some people who are like Mogley from the Jungle Book. He was raised by wolves. They were raised by social networking. Their family, the world-view, their whole life and identity is “the internet.” I know many others whose fascination with technology has replaced real-world relationships. Their marriage and kids suffer while they are up late twittering, blogging, networking, and who knows what else! Let’s move past the addiction and use these things to enhance real relationships and to uplift God’s truth.

These technologies should be peripheral to our lives, not central. God still loves people and desires our lives to be invested into real, healthy, and growing relationships. May God enable us to be in balance—to use technology for His glory and the edification of people He loves.

I’m sure there are other reasons one might use twittering or blogging, but for me, this sums it up. I hope it helps you think through your use of technology as well. Thanks for reading! Feel free to share your thoughts.

Matthew 12:36, “But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.”

1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”