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Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep

Facebook Is Down

Rachel frantically yelled, “Dad, something is wrong with Facebook.”

I attempted to log on and sure enough Facebook appeared to be down. So, I thought, “I’ll check Twitter.”

One of the top trending hashtags on Twitter was #FacebookDown.

Rachel called out from the other room, “What am I supposed to do without Facebook?”

I thought to myself, “That’s an excellent question. Without Facebook it might just be that life as we know it will devolve into a meaningless attempt to carry on without posting our thoughts or pictures. It will be a sad and joyless existence something like the pitiful lives of people in ancient times like the 80s and 90s.

A tear rolled down my cheek. Who could have ever guessed it would come to this?

Then I heard a shout, basically a shout for joy, come from the other room.

“Is Facebook back up?” I asked.

“Yes,” came Rachel’s reply.

A terrible crisis has been averted. We carry on with a whole new appreciation for life.

Five Simple Things I've Learned About Social Media

1)  Online relationships are not a suitable replacement for in person relationships. I know this is somewhat obvious but it seems that it may not be totally obvious to everyone.

2) Social media is neutral.

I have a friend who believes that social media is inherently bad. I disagree with his assessment. In my opinion social media is, basically, neutral. It is a communication tool. In that sense it is like a telephone, or a letter sent through the mail, or even a radio broadcast.

Is it possible for social media to be used in bad ways? Yes, of course it is.

But it is possible for social media to be used in good ways, too.

Is it possible for people to waste time on social media? Yes, of course it is. But people have been extraordinarily accomplished at wasting time loooooong before social media ever came along. Social media is not responsible for the fine art of time wasting.

(In high school, way before social media existed, I was an expert at wasting time.)

And it is possible for people to use social media in ways that optimize the use of their time, particularly when it comes to communicating a message.

3) If you are really angry and feel compelled to post something to express your angry feelings it would be wise to wait a few minutes. In some cases, it might even be wise to wait a day or two. Remember anything that is posted online can be retrieved again, even if it is deleted. Think about it like this: Don’t post anything you wouldn’t want every person you know (including those who are not online) to see, including your mother, your boss, your grandmother, your pastor/priest/clergy, your children, your grandchildren, the Nobel Prize Selection Committee… you get the point.

4) For some reason, many people seem to be willing to be more caustic, abrasive and mean-spirited online than they would typically be in a firsthand, personal encounter. It is best not to sink to this level.

5) It is easy to get fooled by content which is posted online. We have probably all seen examples of people re-posting—with righteous indignation—an article which verifies a point of view they espouse. They post with an attitude like this, “See? I told you people this was happening. This article substantiates what I’ve been saying all along!”

And then someone in the comments section points out that the piece is fictional. It is satire from a site like The Onion. Earlier today I heard a very smart man (a philosopher with two PhDs) talk about being fooled by content he had read online. Be cautious when it comes to online content. Whenever possible, check the source.

You’ve probably seen this line, it is a good reminder: “Everything you read on social media isn’t true.” – Abraham Lincoln

Dan Marler

The White House

Washington, DC

(Remember, it’s helpful to be cautious and verify what you’re reading.)

Apparently I'm Starting To Resemble A 100 Year Old Woman

A few minutes ago, as I was scrolling down my Facebook timeline, my daughter Rachel saw a picture that one of my friends posted of a lovely elderly woman who is celebrating her 100^th birthday. 

As the picture appeared on the screen Rachel said, “Is that you, dad?”

She was sitting several feet away from me and looking over my shoulder at the computer screen but still…  Really!?!  It was a one hundred year old woman!!!

“Is that YOU, dad?”

Lately I’ve been wondering if there’s a possibility I should get some “work” done.  I think we now have a definitive answer to that question.

Why I Share God Stuff

Several years ago, a good friend suggested that I get on Facebook.  I was a bit reluctant but I figured, “Oh well, let’s give it a try and see what happens.”

I hoped to share a few fun stories and, hopefully, spread a little humor. 

(By the way, it hasn’t escaped my attention that my humorous stories that get the best response are the ones that reveal my weaknesses, mistakes and foolishness.  Hmm…)

But I also wanted to write some things that would be thoughtful, sincere and helpful.

So, you may notice that I frequently write on Facebook and other social media forums about God and my faith in Christ.  Please understand, I don’t do this because I believe myself to be holier than others or as an attempt “force my religion” on people. 

Some of my friends have no interest in this “God stuff.”  I am aware of that reality.

But I hope you will understand that the reality of God and my love for Him is the essential truth of my life.  It would be dishonest for me to attempt to write things that are important and true and not mention God.

It is my desire to express truth in my writing.  I am thankful for your patience and respect with my understanding of these matters.  I will always attempt to extend that same respect to you.

Love and blessings,

Dan

Carly Jones Fan Page On Facebook

The link below connects to my niece, Carly’s, new facebook page.  Carly is a lovely and talented singer… and she’s pretty good at particle physics, too.  (In her spare time.)  I really think you will like her music and hope you will take a moment to check it out.  But it’s more than the music, it’s also about the beautiful person she is and the One she proclaims.  I’m planning to give *$50 to everyone who “likes” her new facebook page.

                        Click here!

*NOTE:  A good portion of what is written, above, is true… particularly the part about her excellent singing voice.  The part about the $50?  Well... okay, that might be slightly fictional.
.

Video: The Internet Is Getting Rid of Some of My Favorite Places

                    Click here for video!

The Social Network Movie

In the last scene of The Social Network, an attractive attorney who is working on Mark Zuckerberg’s case, has to turn down an offer to go grab something to eat with him and he is left sitting alone in an office conference room.  He’s the lonely young billionaire.

I find Mark Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook, and the main character in The Social Network, to be a fascinating fellow—at least as he’s played in the movie.  He doesn’t always come across as likeable in the movie, but he is always interesting.  Zuckerberg is one of those people who is absolutely brilliant and yet he is socially awkward.  It might even be fair to describe him as, socially, somewhat unaware.

Most of us have known someone who was frighteningly smart in terms of basic intelligence and yet the person didn’t know how to get along very well with other people.  Right?  It’s the person with the genius IQ who has trouble having an ordinary conversation involving small talk.  That’s Zuckerberg.

This is established in the very first scene of the movie.  In this scene, Zuckerberg and his girlfriend, Erica, are sitting in a bar on the campus of Harvard University and after he bothers, annoys, and, even, insults her, she tells us him that she is going to her dorm to study and that she is no longer his girlfriend.

That’s not a great way to end the evening.

The scene unfolds with some snappy dialogue that involves Erica telling Mark that dating him is “exhausting” because, she says, “going out with you is like dating a Stairmaster.”

Their exchange ends with Erica delivering this zinger: “Listen, you’re going to be successful and rich.  But you’re going to go through life thinking that girls don’t like you because you’re a tech geek.  And I want you to know, from the bottom of my heart, that that won’t be true.  It’ll be because you’re an… #x@*&!” 

This movie was interesting to me because of the Mark Zuckerberg character, in addition to that, the creation of Facebook is an interesting story.  In fact, the whole phenomenon of Facebook is fascinating to me.  Why do certain things catch on?  Facebook started at Harvard University and initially was opened selectively to various other universities.  At every university where it was made available thousands of students signed up within days.  Why is that the case?

Social networks already existed prior to Facebook, it was not a new concept.  Even the exclusivity of Facebook, which is highlighted in the movie as an important ingredient to its success, wasn’t a new concept.  So, why did it catch on so effectively and ultimately bypass other social networks, like MySpace, which had a great head start?

[If you know the answers to those questions, by the way, you might be “billionaire” material.]

I found the story of Facebook to be told in a compelling way in The Social Network.  And, believe me, it’s amazing that I’ve used the word “compelling” about a movie that does not contain a single explosion.  In fact, at no time during the movie was the word “kung fu” ever mentioned, and I still liked it.  Maybe I’m growing up, huh?  [Oh wait…what was I thinking?  That can’t be it.]

Ultimately, though, there was a sort of sad irony to the movie.  Mark creates the world’s most successful online social networking site allowing millions of people to be connected and, yet, he winds up being sued by the friends that he makes along the way, including his best friend.

At the end of the movie some follow-up type of information about several characters was provided in text on the screen.  The last bit of this follow-up information stated that Mark Zuckerberg is the world’s youngest billionaire.  And we’re reminded that a person can be very rich and still be lonely, in which case we have to wonder: Are you really rich?

Dan Marler

Oak Lawn, IL

Have You Been To A Crusade Lately?

It’s been a while since I’ve been to what could be called a large “evangelistic meeting”.  This is understandable since there is often considerable debate just centered around the wisdom of me leaving the house, even for a few moments.

Tonight I attended the “Harvest Crusade” in Chicago and I was able to see how an evangelistic event is done in the year 2010.  It’s pretty impressive.

Of course, the technology is noticeably updated.  Camera operators are strategically set up to capture the event on video for those watching remotely and on large screens for those present at the venue.  Many of the conference materials make references to Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, and other online technological connections that they would like the crusade attendees to make.

At one point, early in the program, we, the participants were actually encouraged to take out our phones and text family or friends and invite them to watch the program live online.  Really. 

“Get your phone out and text someone who isn’t here and tell them to watch online,” we were told by the computer generated holographic image standing on the platform.

They didn’t mention anything about “texting” or watching “online” when I went to the Billy Graham Crusade in 1974, that’s for sure!  In fact, Billy didn’t make a single reference to cell phones.  Although, he mentioned his CB “handle” a couple of times; he told us his favorite new game was “Pong”; and then he stomped around the stage for a while in his platform shoes.  (He had outstanding sideburns in those days.)

The Harvest Crusade was very good.  The music was excellent.  The musical artists included The Katrinas; Steven Curtis Chapman; and Jeremy Camp.  The speaker was Greg Laurie.  And the ushers were Floyd, Bill and Eddie.  (That’s right, it’s time the ushers get the mentions they deserve!)

The theme for the evening had to do with finding hope in the midst of hurting and pain.  That’s always a relevant subject!

There were a number of terrific moments in the course of the evening, but two moments, in particular, stand out for me.  The first one occurred when we were being led in a song by Jeremy Camp.  I can’t remember the name of it, but it was one of those moving songs that touches the heart deeply.  And as we sang together, we were encouraged to join our hands and raise them into the air.

All around this large arena, some 30,000 people were joined together, hands lifted high, singing a song of praise to Jesus.  It was a spiritually powerful moment.

As we sang, many in the crowd spontaneously began to sway back and forth, with the rhythm of the song.  But that’s where a slight problem developed.  The people I was with couldn’t sway properly.  So, as the song continued and the gentle swaying of the crowd occurred, we were knocking back and forth and awkwardly moving around with no sense of coordinated movement.

Oh, don’t get me wrong, it was still a nice moment but our swaying, sadly, never quite came together.  It was embarrassing because I noticed as thousands of people throughout the arena began pointing at us, shaking their heads with disdain, and mouthing the words “those-people-can’t-sway.”

The second stand out moment occurred at the end of the evening when an invitation was made for people to come forward to the large open space on the main floor of the arena, in order to make public their profession of accepting faith in Christ.  Thousands of people went forward—literally—and they completely filled all the available space.  It was inspiring to see this kind of response.

As this occurred, I looked at the people in our group.  There were about 18 of us.  I knew that it was good for us to see this work of God in the lives of thousands of people even in our big-city, secularized Chicago culture.  I was especially glad that some of our youth were able to see this massive, humble, public response to God.

I honestly believe that genuine decisions for Christ impact a person’s eternal destiny.  You do, too, don’t you?  So, this was a time of hope, encouragement and true joy!  It really was a great moment and a wonderful evening.

The Harvest Crusade was a blessing.

  

P.S.  On the drive home, Paul let me play with his fancy phone that has Internet access.  It was pretty cool but I think I may have inadvertently messed up some aspect of my Facebook account.  Now, I keep getting a message that says: “Ha! Your pathetic instructions mean nothing to us, you weak, analogue, life form!” 

That’s not a typical error message, is it?

Oh well, that’s the price one pays for exploring new technological frontiers.

This is some of our group standing on line outside the

 arena waiting for the doors to open.

A Good Old-Fashioned Technological Campfire

Last night, we had such wonderful brisk weather that I decided to start up a nice campfire in our fire pit.  After a roaring fire was underway, I sat back, communing with nature and enjoying the peace, quiet and tranquility for a full 8 and a half minutes.  Then I went inside and got my laptop computer and brought it out by the fire.

Since our house has Wi-Fi and I was close by the house in our back yard, I went on-line.  I tried to “Skype” Taylor but he didn’t appear to be on line.  So, I checked out Facebook and made a few comments.  Then I browsed a couple of web sites and looked up a book that I heard about on Amazon.  And, suddenly, it hit me.

“What am I doing?” I thought.  “I’m outside, relaxing, enjoying nature.  I’m engaging in something as primal and visceral and natural as humanity itself—sitting in front of a  fire—and I’m on the Internet at the same time?!?  This is nuts!”

I realized that this was one of those pivotal moments.  This was one of those moments where we would see what kind of person I am.  Am I going to be one of those people who is hopelessly tethered to the matrix-like artificial life of the web?  Even while I’m in the very presence of the natural wonder and beauty of all the strip malls of Oak Lawn?

“No!” I said, out loud.  And I stomped my foot for emphasis.  I refuse to live with the sad desperation of someone who needs the constant stimulation of a computer connection to feel alive and fulfilled.  “I do not need this computer!” I shouted as I stood up and cast the vile machine into the fire.

Well…okay…that last part just happened in my mind.  I didn’t actually throw the computer in the fire.  That would be a very expensive way of making a point.  But I did turn it off.

“There!” I said with satisfaction.  And then I sat down, took a few deep breaths and turned my attention back to the soothing rhythms of the flaming fire.  “Yes,” I thought, “this is better.  So much better.  This is the natural pace at which we were meant to live.”

And I spent the next hour simply relaxing, watching the dancing flames, and texting back and forth with several friends.

“Yep, this is how the pioneers used to do it,” I thought, as my phone softly beeped, signaling the arrival of a fresh text message.

E-Flash From Dan, The Kit Kat Guy

Dear E-Flash Friends;

I get into routines. Always have. It’s just, apparently, part of my nature. I get into routines when it comes to eating certain things. Some of you know about my predilections toward Taco Bell, and Mountain Dew, and Panera Bread iced tea. These are the objects of some of the routines that I get into. (By the way, I am imaging, even as I type, the comments—at my expense—that some of you are thinking, right now, and I don’t appreciate it.)

I’ve intentionally made some of these less-than-flattering routines known because I believe that if I mention these matters and tease myself first, that will diffuse all the teasing that others would be likely to give me. That theory still hasn’t worked too well. But I’m giving it more time.

Sometimes I am confronted with my routines in ways that are slightly uncomfortable or even, perhaps, downright embarrassing. For instance, a while ago, I walked into a local gas station where I fill up my car. As I approached the counter, the attendant said, “Hey, it’s the Kit Kat guy! How you doing Kit Kat guy?”

I wanted to protest and point out to the attendant that, “I do not get Kit Kats every time I come into this gas station!” But, admittedly, my protest would have been somewhat weakened by the fact that I was holding two handfuls of Kit Kats as I was walking to the counter.

(Drats! Why are the wise guys in my life always getting the last laugh?)

By the way, I WAS NOT really holding two HANDFULS of Kit Kats, that was a joke. I was only holding one Kit Kat . . . . alright, maybe two. Three at the most.

In some ways, our upcoming SHIFT weekend will be dealing with the concept of Shifting from negative routines to positive routines. Positive routines in our thinking, in our behaviors, and even in our understanding of our past. Positive routines in our relationship with God.

Just want to remind you that SHIFT is coming up beginning this Friday evening at 7p.m., continuing Saturday afternoon from 1-5p.m., and carrying on into Sunday’s services. Hope you’re planning to be a part of SHIFT.

Many blessings,

Dan Marler


P.S. Here’s the daily “Facebook” thought I provided today . . .
Here are 3 simple words we don’t hear often enough from leaders in religion, business, politics, academia, etc.: “I DON’T KNOW.” When a leader is asked a question in a public setting it can be very hard to say: “I don’t know”, even if the truth is that you “don’t know”. I’ve been there. There’s a strong urge to want to appear to “know”. That’s why humble, honest, people—people of integrity—are so refreshing.


P.P.S. If you have a Facebook account and want to be “Facebook Friends” I’d love to “connect”.

I Was Afraid This Might Happen

Uh oh, I was afraid this might happen.

Before I signed on to Facebook I was reluctant to do so because I did not want to “waste” a lot of time on-line. I had even read that there were people who were, in a certain sense, addicted to being on-line and would check their e-mail or other on-line social sites multiple times every hour. I read that there were people who had lost all contact with the “real” world and had been sucked into the digital vortex, living all of life through the electronic portal represented by the glowing screen to which their eyes were glued. It’s sad, isn’t it?

(Actually, I completely made up that sentence about the “digital vortex” and the “electronic portal” but I thought it sounded sort of cool and ominous.)

I finally relented, however, and signed up for Facebook.

That’s what brings me to this post. I was out of town from Sunday afternoon through early evening today (Tuesday). I was able to go to a local Starbucks, in the morning, in the town I was staying, to make my daily Facebook post. But I was in and out quickly just doing what needed to be done and not spending much time on-line looking at e-mail or even looking at the other posts that had been left by my Facebook friends.

Well, sure enough, it happened. I felt strange being “disconnected”. I felt like I was not in touch with people. I felt like I needed to “check in” but was unable to do so. Somewhere, somehow, over the past few weeks I’ve become . . . a . . . Facebook . . . junkie.

There, I said it. The shame and the guilt are somewhat diminished by having come clean and made the confession. I feel a little better. On the other hand, that may just be the allergy medication I took a few moments ago.

Is there any hope for me? Well, I know God can forgive me. But the road to healing and wholeness is a long one. Maybe, just maybe, I can be one of the survivors.

In the meantime, don’t tell anyone, but I’m sleeping with my laptop computer under my pillow tonight. Hey, don’t laugh. “Let him who is without digital connectivity cast the first stone.” [That’s a loose paraphrase of a powerful quote.] [Alright, I know, it’s a “very loose” paraphrase.]