Broken Masterpieces

July 05, 2006

Blogging at Townhall

I'm going to also do some blogging at Townhall. Check it out here. Most of the stuff will be cross-posted here also.

Posted by Tim at 11:35 AM | Comments (0)

February 15, 2006

Another Friend In Iraq

The Babylon Blog - A guy I just met a couple of months ago is off to Iraq. Check out his blog and keep Glen in your prayers.

Posted by Tim at 10:13 PM | Comments (0)

December 26, 2005

The Patriot Blog

I just found out about The Patriot Blog. It's pretty good and gives you a few laughs. Go ahead and check it out.


Posted by Tim at 09:14 PM | Comments (0)

December 21, 2005

New Blog - Puritan Belief

Check out this new blog, Puritan Belief.

Posted by Tim at 11:53 PM | Comments (1)

November 14, 2005

Shameless Amazon Pitch

If you are doing any Amazon shopping please go there from my page. The following works:

Find the Perfect Holiday Gift at Amazon.com Gift Central

Posted by Tim at 09:40 PM | Comments (0)

November 09, 2005

The Ultimate Milblog Finder

Milblogging.com Military Blog Milblog - This is a great resource for finding milblogs. They are keeping track of all the milblogs out there and can keep you informed of all the new ones. Take a look, then bookmark it.

Posted by Tim at 05:23 AM | Comments (0)

October 21, 2005

GodBlogCon: The Hangover

A bloggin buddy of mine, Mark (Runalong with Pastor Mark - the world's only ultrarunning pastor!) has some questions and a bit of a hangover after attending the first God Blog Convention. Let's interact a bit with his perspective. Mark raises the issues (copied here) at this post.

It's always good to be skeptical of group-think. This isn't meant to be critical of anyone, I'm just asking myself some hard questions before I drink the kool-aid:

1. Is blogging really going to be "the next big thing"? Are comparisons to Guttenberg or television valid? Or is it a temporary blip that will be surpassed by new technologies before it ever really takes off? You can guess what the party line at GBC was, and they may well be right. But someone needs to at least ask these questions.

I wasnt' there, and am not an expert (although I play one onTVline. But I wonder the same thing. Can we truly evaluate the impact of some technological advance within a few years of it's origination? Better let the facts and history validate the cause rather than trumpet our prognostications and end up looking foolish.

2. Even if blogging becomes a mighty force, will it ever prove to be a significant force for the kingdom of God? Will all these blogs really have much effect on the fulfillment of the Great Commission? Is this a medium suitable to the task or will it turn out to be a diabolical (literally) distraction; thousands of Christians pouring time and effort into something that ultimately has little impact on God's work, but which meanwhile keeps all those gifted people and their time and energy away from more effective ministry? Again, I am not assuming a negative answer, I'm just questioning those who automatically assume a positive answer.

This question is worthy of an extended answer.

First, speaking personally, blogging is an addiction. There, I said it. (Hello, Garth.) That is, I believe that for most people, writing, acting, singing, performing, etc is simply an expression of their creativity - and that they must express themselves whether or not anyone is listening. This is a good thing. It is how we are wired up. In fact, we are all seeking an audience. As Christians, the applause of the Audience is our driving force. And I believe that all of our hearts are restless until they find their approval in God (to paraphrase some 4th century theoblogian).

Now the trap of every addiction (maybe too strong a word) is immediate feedback. Comments and trackbacks are to die for! And it becomes a matter of self-deception that we are having a major impact beyond the immediate circle of close friends and blogs of a feather. Again, not saying we shouldn't seek to have an impact, but let's be realistic. A true witness involves our conversation (deportment) not just our words. So do we retreat behind a computer screen for a couple of hours (like I'm doing now?) or do we go about witnessing kneecap to kneecap? Personal relationships are harder, messier, more time-consuming, and ultimately more satisfying, fulfilling, and effective in bringing darkness to light.

My conclusion. Blog for pleasure and profit, but not to proselytize. (Like my alliteration?) Blogs may open a door, and engage the mind, but the Spirit through the personal touch of a friend is what (most often) unlocks the heart.

3. Will the close relationship between Christian blogging and politically conservative blogging end up doing more harm than good? Have we looked at the unintended consequences? For example: When Christian bloggers vehemently argue for lower taxes, or less gun control or less environmental regulation or in favor of military intervention in Iraq (all positions I agree with, btw), will they create confusion between Christian absolutes and positions based on human wisdom? There is no biblical case that taxes must ALWAYS be lower or that ALL environmental regulations are bad so these arguments must be made on pragmatic, not biblical grounds. But the case is often stated with the same certainty and demand for orthodoxy as a case made (in the adjoining item) for salvation by faith. Call it the World Magazine Syndrome. At GBC my fellow conservatives seemed very defensive when these types of issues were raised.

The "politicalization" of evangelical belief disturbs me. So many believers have a list of causes tied to an "if you're not with us, you're against us" mentality. This is not healthy for the unity of our witness. And for that reason, blogs are often simply expressions of our diversity (not necessarily a bad thing) rather than our unity. As such, are they truly tools of outreach or should they be seen as "in house" discussions? Again, Mark raises some great questions.

For example, (and I'm going to get myself in trouble here, but that's the point) I am not pro-Israel. I'm not anti-Israel either. It's a secular state like the US and needs to abide by the agreed-upon rules of human dignity and honor state sovereignty issues. These topics can be debated. But so many Christians are automatically pro-Israel and are offended that you might have a different view. This is not a test of orthodoxy. But blogging can enourage such tests, which is unfortunate.

4. Can blogging be an effective tool for evangelism and why is this being treated as a minor side-issue of little importance?

5. Is it healthier to encourage Christian bloggers to respectfully debate these issues or to try to avoid or repress them? OK, this one is rhetorical! After getting to know them, I'm convinced that the leaders of GBC would all encourage this discussion.

Again, since I wasn't there, I can't address the rationale of the conference. But I do understand that evangelism will become a major discussion at future conventions. It needs to. The heart of the gospel is at stake. And yes, discussion is of utmost importance. But it's also true that too much discussion can become a distraction from the work at hand.

Case in point, (sorry to get off-topic, but it proves a point) our denomination has been "discussing" the homosexuality issue forever and all it has done is prove that those in leadership are weak on biblical authority and are avoiding taking a stand. As a result, churches are leaving in droves. The purpose of a discussion is resolution. The purpose of an open mind is to close it on something solid.

How long should the discussion last? I'm sure the answer varies according to topic. But it's probably safe to say that "years" is a bit too long to wait on this bloggin phenomenon. One, technology will pass us by. And two, the souls of those who are dying without Christ demand it.

Reflecting on Colossians 4:4-6
GT

Posted by Garth at 07:48 AM | Comments (3)

October 13, 2005

Carnival of Comedy

Christian Carnival - one of my guest authors, Garth, is hosting the Carnival of Comedy. Go have a look.

Posted by Tim at 11:12 AM | Comments (2)

September 25, 2005

Cool Broken Masterpieces Happenings

Two cool things happened today for this blog. First, someone at church came up to me and asked if I were the Broken Masterpieces guy. What an honor. I'm such a dork that I didn't ask this person their name (if you are out there please leave me a comment and THANK YOU).

The second is that an entry of mine at Blog Critics was an Editor's Pick. Again, a great honor.

Posted by Tim at 10:26 PM | Comments (1)

September 20, 2005

Notice Anything Different?

The new logo was done by Natalie at Digery Studios. They do great work and have great rates!

Posted by Tim at 11:48 PM | Comments (3)

September 04, 2005

A New Guest Blogger - "Garth"

A friend of mine dating back to 5th grade will be taking up residence here at Broken Masterpieces. His handle will be "Garth" so keep your eyes opened for his posts. He'll probably introduce himself soon.

Posted by Tim at 10:15 PM | Comments (0)

August 27, 2005

New Blog By An Old Friend

Thought Renewal - A friend from way back into 5th grade has decided to come in strong into the blogosphere. I'm almost positive he was in the audience when I was baptized way back in 1976. Give him a shot, OK?

Posted by Tim at 09:33 PM | Comments (1)

August 03, 2005

New Blog - Michael Barone

Tip to Hugh Hewitt.

The amazing Michael Barone has a blog. Need I say anything else?

Posted by Tim at 09:47 PM | Comments (0)

July 28, 2005

We Are In The Daily Roundup

Intermission 2005 - brought to you by "Election Projection" - Make sure to check out the Daily Roundup by the Blogging Caesar.

Posted by Tim at 06:12 AM | Comments (0)

June 29, 2005

Greetings to the Michelle Malkin Readers

Welcome to all the Michelle Malkin readers and thanks to Michelle for the linkage. Bringing Duke's experiences to the blogosphere is such a blessing. He sends me his thoughts every few days and I post them. He covets your thoughts and prayers for the soldiers serving in Iraq, especially the injured.

Posted by Tim at 07:56 AM | Comments (1)

June 27, 2005

New Blog - Chad Thompson

Loving Homosexuals As Jesus Would - Chad Thompson from Loving Homosexuals as Jesus Would has a blog. Make sure to update your links.

Posted by Tim at 06:45 AM | Comments (0)

June 22, 2005

Christian Carnival - 6/22/05

In the Spirit of grace - the latest Christian Carnival is up and running. A fantastic job by In the Spirit of Grace.

Posted by Tim at 10:12 AM | Comments (0)

June 16, 2005

Changes at The Truth Laid Bear

The Truth Laid Bear: Welcome to the new Truth Laid Bear - Looks like TTLB got some serious work done. For the goings on in the blogosphere make sure to check out TTLB.

Posted by Tim at 08:13 AM | Comments (0)

May 21, 2005

Bloggers: Consider Joining Blog Critics

Hey bloggers, why not consider joining Blog Critics. I just joined myself.

Posted by Tim at 12:42 AM | Comments (0)

My First Post at Blog Critics

I've signed up to be a blog critic at BlogCritics. My first post is here.

Posted by Tim at 12:24 AM | Comments (0)

May 09, 2005

Tommy LaSorda Has A Blog

Tommy Lasorda's World - Now were talkin'! As a true blue Dodger fan I'm jacked that Tommy LaSorda (the one all non-Dodger fans can't stand), Hall of Famer and Gold Medal manager now has a blog.

Posted by Tim at 10:05 PM | Comments (1)

April 21, 2005

New Site - MichaelStecker.com

Michael Stecker has a new blog. I've met Michael through many Switchfoot concerts and he's a media madman. Watch his site as he builds up his portfolio page (still a work in progress).

Posted by Tim at 07:28 AM | Comments (0)

April 11, 2005

FYI - Other Authors

As some of you may have noticed there are other authors on Broken Masterpieces other that myself (Tim). For their benefit those other authors do not necessarily agree with any other content on the site. They are even allowed to disagree with the site. Just an FYI.

Posted by Tim at 02:36 PM | Comments (0)

April 07, 2005

Prayers for Neophyte Pundit

~Neophyte Pundit~: Update: Surgery - see also this for the surgery details. Let's keep Neophyte Pundit in our prayers as he heads to surgery. God bless your Eric!

Posted by Tim at 11:04 PM | Comments (0)

Check Out The Tag Board

To your right (scroll down a bit) is a Tag Board. You can make some quick off-the-cuff general comments. Be nice (or at least clean)!

Posted by Tim at 10:36 PM | Comments (0)

March 29, 2005

Richard Miniter Has A Blog

RichardMiniter.com | Home - He's the author of Shadow War and Losing Bin Laden. Make sure to bookmark it.

Posted by Tim at 06:27 AM | Comments (0)

March 22, 2005

Blog - TenNapel

TenNapel.com - Home of Doug TenNapel - I doubt if Doug remembers me but we went to college together at Point Loma Nazarene College in San Diego. Check him out as he's quite a character.

Posted by Tim at 09:42 PM | Comments (0)

March 20, 2005

Why The New Layout?

I switched sides of the content of this blog in trying to get the page to load quicker. Any feedback on performance or layout (or anything else) would be appreciated.

Posted by Tim at 08:50 AM | Comments (1)

March 18, 2005

Great Linkage

Yesterday I got linked by both Hugh Hewitt and Mark Lee. I must admit that I get stoked when other people call out my blog in a post and to have it happen twice in one day makes it even better.

Posted by Tim at 12:51 PM | Comments (0)

March 17, 2005

Hugh Calls Me Young

HughHewitt.com - In this post Hugh Hewitt calls me young. Listen to Hugh!

One of the reasons I am so enthusiastic about the future of the blososphere is that there are so many talented, young writers out there --like SA, Rhett, Mark Rick and friends, Tim, Matt, and Jeremy. And those are just some of the young Godbloggers!

I you click on the link under "Tim" you'll see that it comes here. Yes, 40 is young.

Posted by Tim at 09:47 PM | Comments (0)

March 16, 2005

New Blog - This Guy Falls Down

This Guy Falls Down - Mark Lee from Third Day has a blog. Hey Switchfoot, hint, hint!

Posted by Tim at 09:58 PM | Comments (1)

March 14, 2005

Blog Rolling Down Again

The amazing Blog Rolling service is down again. I wonder if they are just getting bombarded with so much. I know they are responsible for bringing me a lot of traffic. Let's hope everything is OK.

UPDATE: It's back again.

Posted by Tim at 08:40 PM | Comments (0)

March 10, 2005

New Blog - the narnia 3 blog

The Narnia 3 Blog

Dennis Swanson, Seminary Librarian & Director of Israel Studies, from The Master's Seminary (where John MacArthur is president) has a pretty new blog with a catchy title. He also has a book review blog. He'll be listed on my links also.

Posted by Tim at 10:34 PM | Comments (1)

Blog Roll Back Up

Looks like the Blog Rolling folks are back up. It's amazing how much I rely on them for pointing folks to my site.

Posted by Tim at 08:29 AM | Comments (0)

Blogrolling Links Down

Tip to KMC.

It looks like the Blog Rolls are down so I had to temporarily turn off many of my links. Hopefully it returns soon.

Posted by Tim at 06:40 AM | Comments (0)

March 08, 2005

Geek Forum on "Is Blogging Journalism?"

Slashdot | Is Blogging Journalism?

A bunch of techies (I'm one myself) are answering the question themselves about if bloggers are journalists. See their answers for yourselves.

Posted by Tim at 03:42 PM | Comments (2)

March 06, 2005

Other Bloggers - Check Out FeedBurner.com

Tip to Agent Tim. Check this out:

Broken Masterpieces

You can do it also by going to FeedBurner.com. Get syndicated or get left behind.

Posted by Tim at 01:40 AM | Comments (1)

March 05, 2005

The Potential Power of Blogs

I've finally began reading Hugh Hewitt's blog book (see below). One of Hugh's big points is understanding the power of the blogosphere. Trent Lott, the NY Times, CBS News and John Kerry found out the hard way on what can happen when you screw up. I've been thinking further about this. Just imagine that you go to a place of business and you have a horrible experience with an employee. If you have a blog with some form of readership and connections, look out. Everyone needs to realize that you don't know who is in your presence and it makes everyone more accountable. Heck, some of my co-workers blog and I need to make sure I don't crash and burn in the blogosphere.


Posted by Tim at 10:45 AM | Comments (0)