10 for February 2012 : Links Roundup

February is so short. Even this year, with that extra day, it feels like it’s only 29 days long or something. I’ve always wondered what February did to the calendar makers that caused them to dis this month. Oh well, maybe I’m the only one who wonders those sorts of things.

This month, we’ve got some great links for you, a two-video mid-post break, and our traditional closing song (no, former Sonshine Singers, it’s not “God’s Family”).

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First, we’ll give you five great links.

1. We’ve got three “new to me” bloggers on this month’s roundup, and the first is none other than Gospel Advocate editor Gregory Alan Tidwell. His post “Faith and Wisdom” has a simple message, but one that truly encouraged me.

2. Another new blogger is Nick Rollins, who attends Lebanon Road. Much of his blogging is for his school work, but he also puts some personal things on his site. His post “The Impact of Technology” was an article I found to be very helpful, and I think you will, too.

3. Our third “new to me” blogger is my friend Chuck Webster. Chuck is a great writer, but his post “A Message for Us Rich Folks” really hit home with me. I think it will for you, too.

4. We have two posts this month from marketing blogger Seth Godin. The first deals with mass marketing, but I found a great application to the way many congregations think about getting the word out. This is a very short article, but one that could have impact. It’s called “Faux Familiarity is Worse Than None at All.”

5. Paula Harington wrote a simple post, but one that is so powerful. Sometimes the simplest message is just what we need. Take the words of her post “Your Worth” to heart.

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Okay, for our video break, I’m giving you a two-fer. This is our “I can’t believe that’s the same guy” career change edition.

We’ll start in the 1960s with a great pop song that was the only Top 100 hit for a group called The Gentry’s.

Now, with that video in mind, the lead singer on that song went on to also be an icon to a lot of children of the 80s. While his looks changed a bit, his big voice didn’t. You see, that lead singer became…….

Wow. Talk about a career change. Oh, and the change from moptop to mullet couldn’t have been more stereotypical. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, yes, he sang his own entrance song, “Eat Your Heart Out Rick Springfield.”

Now, don’t you feel more cultured?

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Alright, back to the links. Here are the final five.

6. Gambling is an awful plague on our society. Recently Albert Mohler published two posts on this problem. The best, in my opinion, was his piece “Casino Culture and the Collapse of Character.”

7. I love my marriage, and my wedding band is a constant reminder of those vows. Jeff Jenkins recently mused about that wonderful piece of  jewelry in his post “My Wedding Ring is Stuck!”

8. The second Seth Godin post we will link to deals with a problem that many have, but few are willing to recognize. It is selfishness, and it leads to a myriad of other problems. Enjoy Seth’s brief post “The Sad Irony of Selfishness.”

9. If you’ve read our blog for more than about 8 minutes you know that I love music. But I also recognize that music has power to cause great harm if we just listen to “whatever.” Steven Hunter writes about this in his post “The Impact of Music on Society.”

10. Finally, a list. I love lists. Have you noticed that before? Anyway, Trey Morgan shares with us “17 Signs Your Church Might be Dying.” There is some humor here, but a lot more wisdom.

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Thanks for reading. I hope you are enjoying the “8 Days with the Preacher” posts, and we have a lot of great stuff planned for the coming days. But, before we end February, it’s Friday, and, well, I’m in love! This month’s version of the song comes from a band called Red Umbrella, and it might be my favorite. (In fact, you can download the song for free–and legally–here. It is becoming my new ringtone!) Enjoy, and we’ll see you for another monthly roundup in March.