A Family Made of Friends @ Exemplify Online

I cannot believe I forgot to post the link to my last article at Exemplify Online!

Here it is... A Family Made of Friends

Enjoy!
Alison

A Treasure Trove

Since I wont be doing any Black Friday shopping, I have been scouring Etsy for some great gift ideas {for you AND for me!}.  One of the best tools on that site is the Treasury, and I loved it so much that I made two treasuries of my very own:

A Gift Guide for the Sweet Girl

 Lock{et} Me Up

Make sure to come back here and let me know which item is your favorite!

-Alison

{Real Life Is Better Than Fiction}

Contrary to popular belief, I currently have very little interest in reading books with a romantic storyline.

Major Announcement!

A major announcement was made over on www.exemplifyonline.com today!

Major changes, but GOOD changes.  I will miss writing my monthly column, but what's coming in 2011 is so much more my heart for online ministry!

Make sure to visit Exemplify Online on facebook and leave some love for all of the writers and our editor, Kristen, as we say goodbye to the magazine portion of the website. This will also be where you can stay up to date on the developments of www.exemplifyonline.com.

Thank you for reading my columns each month over at Exemplify Online! It was an honor and a pleasure.

-Alison

The Art of Discretion

The Art of Discretion
Lately I've been learning the art if discretion, and trying to find the balance between my personal and public/online life.  It is one of the main reasons my blogging has been inconsistent, at best, over the years. 

Discretion is the combination of discernment and wisdom...
The book of Proverbs in the Bible has so much to say about wisdom and discernment.  Over and over it says to not let the words of wisdom depart from your sight, tie them around your neck, wear them as an adornment, and to keep them in the midst of your heart. {See Proverbs 3-5}

Discernment and wisdom are two of things I pray for the most. They are also the two things I am continually tested on...makes sense though, right? How will I know how much I've learned unless I've been tested?

How Much Is Too Much?
I love to use social media like twitter and facebook, but how much is too much information to put out there for all the world to access?  At what point do life's details become cheapened when they are put in a status update for hundreds of people to see at the same time?  What does it say to my friends about how I value them when they have to find out major life's details online and not from a personal contact?

These questions are not just limited to social media.  They can be applied "real life" (aka, not my online life). For example, does everyone at church or work really need to know where I was last weekend or the details of my relationship? Probably not. Do my family and close friends get more details of my life? Most definitely! Accountability is a good part of life. It helps keep me from crossing over into the darkness of life.

It's Not Just About Me {re: selfishness is never a good look}
I tend to tell just about anything to anyone who asks because I get so excited about what is going on and what God is doing. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's not just about me anymore. It never really has been, but even more so now that I have a boyfriend, I need to learn how to share without over-sharing.  He has been the major catalyst for growing in discretion. There's something to be said for allowing myself to treasure the details and learning the right way to express my life.  Journal = details; blog = broad strokes; facebook/twitter = random updates & a means for communication with friends.

More Questions Than Answers
The goal I am trying to accomplish is to honor all of my relationships by considering how they would feel about being a part of my online story sharing.  Have you ever stopped to think about that before now? I sure haven't.

How do you remain honest with your life on your blog without over-sharing?  Do you set boundaries about what is OK to write about? Do you talk with the people in your life about their privacy standards?

I do know that there are people on all sides of this issue and that I have very few answers to my questions. So, while I'm trying to figure this out for myself, feel free to comment with advice, wisdom and answers!

In the Meantime @ Exemplify Magazine

The October issue of www.exemplifyonline.com has just gone live today, and I could not be more excited for you to head on over to read it!  This month's theme is Harvest, and each writer hits it at a different angle.  There is always a harvest to look forward to. Whether it's about to ripen or is years yet to come...we can hold on to the hope that Jesus is our ultimate reward. 

One thing I have loved so much about writing for Exemplify Magazine is that I write my column 2 months in advance of it's release.  So when it goes live, I like to look back to see where I was when I wrote it, and where I am now as I read it again. So fun!

Thank you for clicking over to www.exemplifyonline.com to read the October issue! Look for my article "In the Meantime" among the pages of this month's magazine! {scroll down the homepage for the magazine}

Love-love,
Alison

Writing Music

No...I'm not writing music, but I wrote something and found the music download jackpot.

First things first, the writing.  The September issue of Exemplify Magazine is live!  The whole issue is beautiful, as usual, and you can find me beginning on page 42. This month I write about being an introvert and making friends.

Now the music!  I've always been a fan of the Relevant magazine podcast, but for no good reason at all I haven't downloaded it in a super long time.  What I love the most is the artist interviews and the live sets they did in the Relevant studio.  Last night I found that all of those live recordings are available for FREE download on http://www.relevantmagazine.com/media/relevant-podcast/music-download. It is full of music artists you know and love, and a lot more you have never heard but NEED in your life. Trust me and you're welcome.

#4 Refreshed

Being spiritually refreshed, and engaged in my relationship with God, has vastly improved my other relationships.  Seriously.

a) Puts me in an awesome mood

b) It gives me a good perspective on what/who is important

c) I understand that my security does not come from what people think about me, but from what I know God thinks about me. (takes the pressure off the people in my life)

#3 Can I get your number, Bon Qui Qui?

If Mad TV was still on air, they would have hit a comedy goldmine by introducing Darell of "Can I get your number?" to Bon Qui Qui.

I'm just sayin'.

Caffeinated Randomness: Complete the Sentence

One of my favorite bloggers and magazine mates, Andrea @ Under Grace and Over Coffee, has a fun link-up every Friday.  Caffeinated Randomness {CR} explains my life right about now....I'm almost always caffeinated and always always random.

This week I'm reaching back to one of Andrea's CR posts that I absolutely love:  Complete the Sentence

Maybe I should organize my home desk....my piles are taking over the work space.

I love my nephew and niece! {and blueberry pie yogurt}

People would say that I'm quiet, but funny. It's us quiet ones you have to watch out for.

I don't understand football. I need lessons. I'm serious.

When I wake up in the morning I hit the snooze at least once before I actually get out of bed and then turn on the news so I don't fall back asleep.

I lost the state spelling bee in 1st grade. I didn't go very many rounds, but it was very cool to be there.

Life is full of unexpected surprises {the good kind that change your course}

My past is full of teachable moments.

I get annoyed when people go slower than the speed limit. I'm a woman on the go, people! ;)

Parties are usually fun....especially when I know a lot of people there.

I wish I had more courage.

Tomorrow I am lounging by the pool. Weather permitting. 

I have low tolerance for passive aggressive people.

I'm totally terrified of losing this good thing.

I wonder why I prefer salty over sweet.

Never in my life have I ever punched someone in the face.  Slap? Now that's a different story.

High School was not so great.

When I'm nervous I get sweaty palms.

One time at a family gathering I accidentally picked up a bottle of ketchup instead my bottle of rootbeer...yeah, made it all the way to my mouth before I realized what happened. We were at a restaurant. {Imagine how nasty.} I was in elementary school and immediately burst into tears out of embarrassment.  What can I say? I was a sensitive little one!

Take my advice: When you love Jesus it requires you to make choices contrary to your nature, but the end result is worth the momentary discomfort. 

Making my bed only happens when guests are coming over or I'm about to leave on a trip.

I almost always have a running inner commentary of what I wish was appropriate to say, but know never should be said. Stephanie can attest to that...