“If you don’t have anything BAD to say, don’t say anything at all…”

Saying something “good” doesn’t cut it anymore. If you want people to respond to something you’ve said, you better be picking a bone with something, or someone.

Now I could be wrong – please correct me if I am – but it doesn’t seem like talking about something  “bad” is always a problem.

You have organizations like Invisible Children who are doing a great thing, but we only know about them because they told us about something bad – something really awful happening to school age children in Uganda – and after they showed us this, they showed us how to turn it around and do something good.

As much as each of us would like to say that we have zero tolerance for drama, we love drama. If we didn’t, WordPress tags like “Politics” and “News” wouldn’t be much busier than tags like “Community,” “Lifestyle,” and “Food.”
We value drama. We like to see it, read about it, be in the “know.” Why?

Because it means the world is moving. Something is happening – even if isn’t good, it’s a sign of life.

so here’s the blogging tip for the day:

• Think of something really bad to talk about (Example: If you blog about food – blog about how slimy a fast food cheeseburger is).
• Write about a post about how bad it is (Example: Go into as much detail as you can about just how gross you think it is – remember this is your blog – share your opinions!).
• Flip it around and talk about what we can do to fix it (Example: Talk about healthy alternatives).

-Morgan

The Future – Not So Far Away Afterall

I originally saw this video posted on Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishing’s blog (great blog, by the way – I encourage you to the read it) which was brought to his attention by Mary Graham who is the Executive VP and Chief Live Events Officer  of Thomas Nelson (i.e., Women of Faith and Revolve Tour – the tour my little sister Jamie-Grace is on).

It’s produced by Corning Incorporated, a company that specializes in all kinds of glass and ceramics that is often used for technology (such as smartphones).

I am only posting this video to get context to a point that I made in a comment I posted on the blog. Anyhow, this video is well worth the watch.

So what do you think?

Excited? I know I am.

Not so much? Well, it’s easy to say “oh we don’t have a need for it,” but look at us 20 years ago. Many adults resisted any type of wireless cellular technology because they figured they didn’t have a need for it. Now if you don’t have one in a developed country, you’re kind of lost. Even more recently, Facebook for instance – it was only a few years ago a couple of ivy league college students had accounts there – now almost ever company and every individual has a presence there, even if they aren’t using it on a regular basis.

I say all this to say that good marketing will MAKE you need something, which isn’t always a bad thing in my opinion. Personally, I think new technology is fascinating – I love to watch for trends and see how the world is moving forward. The only thing is to never forget where we came from and that technology can’t replace everything.

Overall, I’m impressed with what I see! I’ll wait till it’s averagely priced so I can purchase it with my recently married/college grad budget!

Morgan

6 Ways to Use Social Networking without Facebook

So I spend a lot of time on the internet.

More specifically, I spend a lot of time with social networking. Between an iPad, iPhone, laptop, and everyday conversation, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube seem to find their way to me even when I’m not looking for them.

I know that if I wanted to I could easily just opt out of using social  networking as much as I do, but no– that’s the easy way out. Why not look for ways that this riveting new way of life can work for good?

So I created this guide.

Queen of Jordan - Rania Al Abdullah (QueenRania) on Twitter

Step 1: Get. Off. Facebook

I know, I know, I know, — when we hear “using social media” and we think “using Facebook.” As much as we would like to say that Facebook is a great marketing/networking/connecting tool, 95% of the time, we’re using it to stalk someone. So that’s step one. Log out of your account.

Step 2: Get on Twitter

You can use Twitter to stalk people, too but one thing that Twitter does that Facebook doesn’t is give you the chance to stalk the world. Sure, you’re getting updates from your old college roommate but you’re also getting updates from the President of the United States, the Queen of Jordan, and the German Chancellor. Unfortunately, Facebook, as darling as she can be, limits you there.

Twitter let’s you continue to network with friends, but also famous authors, news anchors, and world leaders – things we use to look up online before MySpace and Facebook came about – remember newspaper headlines and the evening news? Yea. All of those things in the world are still happening. Twitter is the way to access them.

Step 3: Get a blog.

I’ve read post after post about how “blogging” is out-of-date now, but I find it funny that I read this on blogs where bloggers are blogging about how blogging is outdated. I love this. You can blog about literally anything – even not blogging.

So find your topic and blog. It’s easier said than done, because people aren’t flocking to WordPress  andBlogspot like they do Facebook, but hey, it takes time – time that would have normally been spent uploading and tagging 250 pictures to your “Spring Break 2011” Album on Facebook. So remember Step 1, and write your first post.

Step 5: Get involved with a cause.

Movements are on the internet. Things go viral in hours on the internet. Sometimes they’re silly, like David After Dentist or Rebecca Black’s Friday, but sometimes they send waves all over the world. Organizations like the American Red Cross are online. TWLOHA – an org. against teen suicide is online. World Vision – an org. working with poor and impoverished children is online. You don’t have leave your computer to help raise awareness and do something about devastation in the world. Isn’t that beautiful?

It’s easy to forget about these things when we spend a majority of our time on the internet on Facebook.

Step 6: Get back on Facebook.

Okay, so I lied.

But this time, you’re going to tell your friends what you did that doesn’t involve Spring Break pictures. Make your status update about what you heard your President say. Tell them about your new blog post about. Interact with a few friends, then log out. Call that person in that picture instead of just “liking” their profile picture. I bet they will remember you calling them more than you “liking” something on Facebook.

I hope this motivates you.

Thoughts?

-Morgan

Want Less Give More

2 nights ago I started making bracelets for Japan. People started ordering them. And now me and my husband are staying up at night to keep up with the demand.
Thank you.

 

Thank you to everyone who wants less and gives more. Thank you for making this happen.

 

5 Songs that Go Well With Texas

I’ve got family in Texas and  I look forward to the summers I get to go there. Don’t know if I’ll make it out there this summer, so what I have done is compiled a list of songs that make me think: Texas. Most of them, I actually listened to while I was IN Texas somewhere over the past few years.

5. Lizzy – Ben Kweller

He’s from Greenville  (East Texas). He makes simply GENIUS music and ironically, I didn’t even know he was a Texan when I fell in love with his music IN Texas. It all made sense when I finally figured it all out that the line “even on Texas time” was about — well, Texas time. Kweller’s got many hits in my opinion, but this one screams long drives on Interstate 20 to me.

4. All the Wild Horses – Ray Lamontagne

Along the lines of Interstate 20, I remember VERY clearly the first time I heard this song and long behold, I was in Texas on Interstate 20.  The sun was setting, I was in the backseat and staring out the right window at good ol’ Texan nothingness: Probably a field. Or a barn. Or a field. Maybe a factory. But mostly like a field. And then suddenly this raspy, soulful voice hauled me out of my melancholic-stuck-in-my-headphones-state and ever since then, I’ve never looked out onto a field on the side of the high way the same ever again…now I just sing, “As for the clouds, just let them roll away…”

3. Cave (Acoustic) – Muse

You may be wondering how the UK band made it to the list. I will tell you.

There’s something about this acoustic version that touches on something American for me. It’s especially in the beginning with the deep tones and the way the guitar strings are plucked. I happen to play guitar by myself, but I am by no means skilled enough to theoretically explain the pure originality that’s going on here. If you are a huge Muse fan, the whole “originality” factor may not be anything new to you, but man I tell you – you just don’t get this sound everyday from alternative rock bands from England.

2. Thin Blue Flame – Josh Ritter

Is your GPS reading 30 more miles until your arrive at your destination? Play this song 3 times. It last 10 minutes. And I promise you, every time you play it you will hear something different. I know that there are literally loads of singer-songwriters out there, but Ritter’s one to listen to. If you have ever imagined your war veteran grandpa as a folk singer who wrote songs on the front porch out in rural West Texas then you’ve just imagined Josh Ritter. Except younger and I don’t think he’s a war vet. Nor from West Texas.

But nonetheless, this is a good one.

1. Willie Nelson – A Song For You

Need I say more?

Song is hauntingly, hauntingly good. It goes especially well  when you’re leaving a Tex Mex restaurant just at sunset. So when you’re in car, turn it up, and Texas will take care of the rest.

Morgan

Help me Help JAPAN.

Things I Left Behind In Random Places – Pt. 1

I don’t remember how this list started, but it has been existing mentally for some time.

When I go to a new place, I almost always leave something behind. Sometimes it’s a cell phone, a scarf, a wallet, feta cheese, and  sometimes I leave my clothes  (I’ll explain).

1. In Jefferson, Texas I left Ozarka Water. This water – originally from Arkansas – has something Holy in it. Dear Texans, e-mail me for my mailing address so that you can send me some. I will send you some…Atlanta-made Coca-Cola in return?

Thank you.

But really, I have never drank bottled water the same. And everyone in my family has followed in suit. It’s ridiculous, but I will do anything to get it. Ozarka water is my distinct memory from summer months in Jefferson, Texas which channels to other things.

Grandma and Papa Lee live here. It’s a small town, but there’s something rich about this place. It just so happens that every time I am there I am coming from some super busy occasion in life and I just need to get somewhere, sit down, shut up, and listen.

This place brings me pure serenity and I believe that something could really be in the water. A street named after my great-grandfather. House where my grandmother grew up. Watermelon farm right beside it. The place is literally in my blood.

2. In Portland, Oregon I left my cell phone. I called guest services at the hotel where we were staying and they actually found it, but I haven’t been able to get in touch with them so they can mail it to me. It’s been 3 days now and I’m still alive, so we’ll see.

On another note, when I flew down into Portland, I couldn’t get that Avett Brothers’ line out of my head “Oh Brooklyn, Brooklyn take me in…” I know I wasn’t landing in Brooklyn, but hey, the song came to mind for a good reason I’m sure, and it just made think of Portland taking me in…and he did.

I like Portland. I really do – and for no reason other than that it welcomed me. Even Donald Miller (whose books single-handedly put Portland on the map as a must-see place for me) welcomed me. – No, he really did. I really got to meet him.

So thank you Portland for taking me in. And thank you for taking my cell phone.  Because I’m still connected to you and calling you everyday until I get it back.

3. In Athens, Greece I left feta cheese. If you’ve ever been around me long enough to hear my backpack-through-Europe spill you will hear a lot about Greece. Truth is, yes  I loved Greece, but I’m pretty sure it is for her feta cheese. I have always loved feta, so it only makes sense that the capitol of feta (at least in my mind) is where my affection is directed.

Other than the feta, Greek food really took me for a loop. I learned today actually that sense of smell is one of our strongest connections to our memories. Out of all of the places I traveled, I remember Greek food the most. So consequently, I remember Greece is the most.

Isn’t that strange? I spent 3 days in the place and it might as well have been 3 years. I remember every restaurant, every person I spoke to, every train we caught, every picture I stopped to take.

My love for feta is no English-major-y way to start a travel essay, but hey, it helps anchor me to one of the most beautiful places in the world.

4. In Birmingham, England I left my clothes. Not all of them – I had clothes on when I flew back to America, don’t worry. But really, I left something significant in England. She’s beautiful I tell you, and so are her people (and her many H&M’s) – in this offbeat, unexpected, random, super meaningful way. So that’s why I left my American clothes. I had to make room for my new H&M wardrobe and all of the other things I collected along the way: letters from English people at this amazing place called Canvas, a British flag signed by all of my English friend, my collection of train tickets, pound coins, and random tidbits of everything and everyone that meant something to me for those 6 months.

There is more to this list, and I will continue to add to it. Stick around for part d’eux.

 

In the meantime – have you ever left anything behind that ended up leaving you with a memory? I’d love to hear.

Morgan

A Song Story – After All These Years

The other day I was talking with some friends about favorite songs. I shared with them that I wasn’t sure why, but I could remember the exact place in time I heard each of my favorite songs. So, I decided to write little mini-stories about these experiences. They are probably more “ramblings” than “mini-stories” but I just though I would share:

 

“After all these years, forget about all the troubled times…”

In an unexpected moment, I popped out my numbness.

I had been tired that night – on a long ride to Florida with a particular thing boiling in my mind. I couldn’t help but feel wrong about it, guilty, and at fault. I had been looking up at a cold, dark, south Georgia November sky when these certain words first streamed through my headphones. I had never heard the song and till this day I have no idea how it wound up on my mp3 player.

But no matter how it got there, it was there – and it played at the right moment: in the midst of deep-pitted, haunting fear, someone had started singing:

“After all these years, forget about all the troubled times…”

Straight through my earlobes, down through my chest, and without permission, it planted a seed in my soul. In that moment, I grew. My deeply-rooted fear began shifting into nothingness-where he belonged because

After all these years, I was forgetting about all the troubled times….

And 4 years later, I remember being troubled that night, but I can’t exactly pinpoint what I was troubled about anymore. And I’m glad of that, because I needed to forget it. And in that moment I did.

I would love to credit my sleeplessness on that night for discovering that song, but it was just way too much perfection for that to be true. In this very moment, my Creator showed me His creativity.  He was speaking to me. Through an Australian 90’s rock band.

And

I don’t know the story behind this song.  Sure, I can take an educated guess (and it’s probably not about God speaking to the band’s lead singer) but the beautiful thing about God is that he doesn’t require us to make it all work in our heads first in order for Him to speak. He doesn’t need a lets-make-it-make-sense-to-Morgan-first platform. He just speaks.