Friday, December 3, 2010

Where I hang out...





These days find me blogging at alexmurashko.com, Facebooking at Outreach New Media, and tweeting at @AlexMurashko.

Oh, by the way, The Scrooge Report is up and running this holiday season!


Sunday, February 21, 2010

Life between tweets and re-tweets




This morning I spent a half-hour looking for a friend’s Facebook post about the concept of time and how we spend it ... sent to me two weeks ago. While wanting to use some of the ideas in my friend’s post for this story, nearly 90 minutes went by between the time I set out to write my post and when I actually began.

So, to get to this point right here, right now, besides finding my friend’s post I did a few other things. I perused, posted, and messaged on Facebook. In between Facebooking I perused, posted, and messaged on Twitter ... that would include tweets, re-tweets (RT) ... and some of my Facebook posts that automatically appear on Twitter.

Keep in mind that social media, which still has to be explained to many people by saying, “You know, doing things like Twitter and Facebook” to which they reply, “Oh, yeah,” but still don’t get it, is a big part of my work and volunteer life. However, it’s Sunday and I did not plan to spend the entire morning chopping and hammering on my laptop.

Driving by a church announcement sign this morning proved to be less time-consuming in the pursuit of ideas for this topic. The sign read: “The Life Between Prayers and Answers.”

Sounds like a good sermon, doesn’t it? Well, here’s my question: What is life between tweets and re-tweets?

This last week I’ve been facilitating and moderating a Facebook Fan Page for an Orange County, Calif. group that is helping to rebuild an orphanage in Haiti. It has occurred to me that “staying connected” has never been easier.

However, this connectivity poses another question. “Do we always need to be connected?”

I’ve noticed that during the administration of the MISSION HAITI page that if my idea of too much time takes place between updates from someone from the team at the orphanage, then I begin to do a little jonesing (drug culture term for craving, withdrawal). And that’s when it hit me … we don’t always need to be connected to each other.

Sure, it’s nice to know that we can Twitter and Facebook each other from the ends of the Earth. However, I believe there are times when we don’t need an update from someone. Could it be a time for something else?

Jon Varner writes in his post, Unplug, “In our modern world we do not unplug very often, we are constantly connected to the entire world. Constantly being connected has an impact on our souls. It does not allow time for reflection or for God to speak.”

The team from Haiti was giving fairly regular updates during its one-week mission still taking place. Now, with the trip just a few days from over, it seems they have broken from the regularity. By not sending a message, is the group sending a different kind of message to its “fans?” Or is God sending a message? I noticed that one of the team member’s wives recently updated her status on her Facebook profile and it simply states: “... is thankful God knows.”

Yes, indeed! God knows!

And this I know ... this particular message may have come as the result of not checking or receiving updates from friends and loved ones, and delivered by simply connecting with Him!

“Do not fret—it only causes harm.” Psalm 37:8

__________

Image found at Jon Varner's blog post, Unplug.

Alex Murashko is the founder of Outreach New Media.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/AlexMurashko

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/amurashko

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Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Radicalis Day One


Radical(Latin-radicalis) means “of the root.” To last in life and ministry you must be rooted in Christ, in his Word and in Love. — Rick Warren

Getting back to the basics of Christianity may be the message Pastor Rick Warren and other conference speakers are sending to the hundreds of church leaders attending Radicalis at Saddleback Church, but the delivery method is purely high tech.

ESPN-style anchors kick off each day of the 4-day event with morning reports and updates to Web-savvy church leaders following a livestream of video, chat, and tweets. Social media pros man their Twitter and Facebook accounts and echo out posts that include photos, video and audio sound bytes.

Despite the apparent information overload, the message is clear: grow RADICALIS ... develop spiritual roots by getting into the word of God.

Judging by the enthusiasm of those in attendance, the message is being delivered loud and clear!

 

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Monday, February 8, 2010

Being God's man is worth the risk...


Being God's man is worth the risk

"For though a righteous
man falls seven times, he rises again." - Proverbs 24:16

There is something about the sport of football that helps define things like struggle, determination, loss, and victory in a nutshell seemingly more often than anything else ... at least for me.

Photo: Drew Brees and his son Baylen Brees celebrated the Saints' Super Bowl victory together on the field Sunday night. The Super Bowl MVP's son was lifted high into the air during certain moments, giving him a prime view of the festivities. (HuffPost/Getty) More photos of Brees and his son on the field.

Thank you Kenny Luck of Saddleback Church for helping me grow stronger in knowing that "being God's man is worth the risk!"

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Saturday, February 6, 2010

RADICALIS: ARE YOU READY?


Absolute Surrender, Sacrificial Lifestyle, Authentic Christianity...

A Radical Experience

Radical(Latin-radicalis) means "of the root." To last in life and ministry you must be rooted in Christ, in his Word and in Love. -- Rick Warren

Reporting from behind the Orange Curtain - @AlexMurashko on Twitter

COMING FEB. 8-12!

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Thursday, December 24, 2009

'Best Church Choir in America' on Christmas Eve


Atlanta West Pentecostal Church Choir performs "Hallelujah Choir"

Merry Christmas ... enjoy!