What Happened to You?
Someone asked “what happened to you?” when I shared a video and expressed pride for Sen. Stabenow (D-MI), despite being a Christian white guy my age. I thought I’d explain what happened to me.
Author: Brian Atkinson
Brian is an international and inspirational speaker, consultant, and voice artist. Brian has served as the Director of Digital Communications at American Bible Society, and the Director of Digital Media at The Bible Gateway (Gospel Communications International). He has worked as a communications director, technology manager, church-planter, radio announcer, welder, and ice cream man. He has a lot of t-shirts.
Church Website on a Shoestring
How can we have a church website on a shoestring budget? The answer to the shoestring budget church website question starts with the basic who-what-when-where-why questions.
What if the Cubs win?
What if the Cubs win? Tonight, the Chicago Cubs face the Cleveland Indians in game seven of the world series. I have been a Cubs fan since I was a little kid, correction “long suffering Cubs fan” since I was …
Critical Elements Of Any Church Website
Twenty years ago, churches were starting to put pieces of what they did online, and a few basics emerged that are as critical to a church website today, as they were then.
The Other Cheek, Shirt, and Extra Mile
We are called to love and forgive people who hurt us, no matter what. No matter what? Does the Bible actually say that? Did Jesus actually say that? Are we actually supposed to live that way?
Giving it Away
Here’s what I wonder, why would someone make a free viral tool or game? Why would they give away something cool? What are you giving away?
Love Your Enemies
A Christian Response to ISIS “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” Matthew 5:43-44 NIV Really?
End of the World
As the Cubs gear up for a 1-game playoff vs Pittsburgh tonight, “Doomsday” is also today, at least according to Chris McCann, leader and founder of Pennsylvania-based eBible Fellowship. It’s like the mere possibility of the Cubs going to the …
The Five “A”s
It’s International Talk Like a Pirate Day! (September 19) Here’s a primer to help you with what The Pirate Guys (c. 2006) call The Five “A”s – because there’s 5 of ’em, and they start with the letter “A”.
911 Recovery
It was the anniversary of 911 this week. September 11, 2001 is a tragic date, especially for people who lost loved ones in the planes, World Trade Centers, Pentagon, and near Stoystown, PA. It is good that we honor their …
Fish Where The Fish Are
No matter who you’re trying to reach, or for what purpose, you need to go where they are.
Being a Christian Without being a Jerk
As a Christian, I expect better from my Christian brothers and sisters. It hurts more when things go wrong.
Wacky Laws
I live in Michigan. There are some wacky laws, still on the books here, and some of them appear in books about wacky laws.
A Prayer
Sometimes a prayer, tucked neatly into the Scriptures, surprises me. I had just such an experience recently.
Woodchuck or Groundhog?
When people talk about a varmint in their yard, along with rabbits, voles, field mice, and gophers, the groundhog or woodchuck usually shows up. Same or different?
Missionaries Wanted
As of March, 2015, Facebook became the equivalent of the world’s largest country with over 1.4 Billion monthly active users. Do they need missionaries there?
4 Easy Church Lessons from Ron Popeil
I’m not embarrassed to admit that Ron Popeil, the Ronco guy, is one of my heroes. Inventor, entrepreneur, marketer, and the godfather of the TV pitchman has four easy lessons for churches.
Voice-Artist-slash-Model-slash-Actor
I’ve worked as all of these things: a voice artist, a model, an actor. It’s the most fun I’ve ever had, and I’d like to tell you about it.
As You Go
In the Great Commission, Jesus tells us to go and make disciples. Do you really need to go somewhere to make disciples? Is it even possible to live out the Great Commission in the digital world?
Unexpected Speaking Invitations
Speaking invitations come in all forms. You can contact me to invite me to speak. Sometimes people refer me to someone organizing a conference who might be looking for speakers, and I always appreciate those referrals. Sometimes, it’s an email, …
Good For You
As an American Christian, I might want to outlaw things that are not good for you. I’m not alone. On May 30, 2012, The Mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, announced the Portion Cap Rule. It stated that sugary …
Skate Where the Puck is Going
Clairvoyance isn’t one of my spiritual gifts. I’ll go out on a limb and say that Wayne Gretzky, “The Great One,” didn’t have it either. He did have the ability to look at the players on the ice, and see …
Flying Cars Conference
When I speak at conferences, I try not to give tech sessions. If I did, I’d talk about flying cars.
Baseball Sumo
A few years ago my parents visited me in Philadelphia, and I took them to a Camden Riversharks minor league baseball game. They got to meet my friend Holly (now my wife) and we had a lovely time. Oh, and …
It’s Supposed To Be Tough
Reaching people across generations, across different communication tools, and becoming a missionary into a different communication culture sounds scary. It is. It’s not easy. The thing is, it’s supposed to be tough.
Respect for Authority and our Leaders
“If God had not given you the power, you couldn't do anything at all to me."
The Bible gives very specific instruction as it pertains to respect for our leaders.
A Broken World
Whenever I talk to people about God, I usually get questions about this sin or that. I get questions about sickness, disease, and in general, the junk that happens to us that seems unexplainable. We are often hurt and confused …
About The Bible
The Bible is the account of God’s action in the world and His purpose with all creation. Forty authors, inspired by God, wrote the text of the Bible over the course of sixteen-hundred years, compiling a collection of books documenting …
The Name of God
The Tetragrammaton as it appears in three types of Hebrew scripts
From time to time I get questions about the name of God and why I don’t use it on my pages. I actually do refer to God in the most reverent and respectful way I can – by never writing …
What Christian Leaders Can Learn from Star Trek
Christian leaders: are you willing to boldly go where no one has gone before? Turns out, whether you’re a Star Trek enthusiast or not, we have much to learn from Captain Kirk’s style of leadership.
Creepy Symmetry
OK – here’s a weird thing about my brain. At lunch today I had an apple that was leaning off to one-side and I thought – hmm not very symmetrical. Then I remembered a Newsweek Magazine article from about 15 …
NASA – David Coppedge and evangelism at the office
There’s a trial in progress alleging NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory demoted and then fired computer specialist David Coppedge for promoting his views on intelligent design.
Facebook posts from history
So, it turns out there’s a whole book full of these things, but I really had fun making them to go with this date in history. Hopefully, they are funny enough to inspire people to look up the event on …
Just Say No to Comic Sans and Papyrus
Can someone really hate a font? How about two fonts? The answer is unequivocally, yes. If you’ve spent any time near churches or schools, you know the font all too well.
Another T-Shirt
Sometimes I feel like I live on Social Networks. My profile on most of them reads like this: “Tweeting from stoplights since 2006: voice actor, speaker, strategery, interwebz bible guy, displaced Bears and Cubs fan, I have a lot of …
olden days
I used to write on this blog all the time. I used to publish every week and even had a “what’s wacky this week” tagline. So, what happened? Facebook… Twitter… I’m posting there all the time and neglecting this, my …
Worst Christmas On Record
I like to make music mixes and I really do listen to them over and over. This year I put together a new Christmas mix containing some of the worst Christmas songs ever.
stuff that occurs to me
So maybe you’ve heard about the guy on twitter who wites “sh*t my dad says“. My twitter feed (also facebook) is much easier to digest. Here are some from the last couple of weeks.
It’s a trap
Admiral Akbar just cracks me up. If you’re not familiar with this squidly character from the Star Wars movies, he’s got one famous line, “it’s a trap!” It really killed me this morning.
PDA
Whether Public Display of Affection, or Electronic Organizer (which by the way does not abbreviate to PDA at all) it’s not something I think about often. However, today someone mentioned that teenagers use PDAs. Yeah… perhaps not as hip to …
Men Are Happier People Part 2
Men Are Just Happier People – continued Again, thanks to my friend Sue for sending this to me.
Men Are Happier People
Thanks to my friend Sue for sending this one to me. Men Are Just Happier People
New Amex Ad Bombs
From Homeland Security / Special Operations On Wednesday, April 6, 2011, members of the Baltimore County Police Department – Hazardous Devices Team responded to a suspicious item received via the mail (USPS). The recipient partially opened the item and observed …
Christmas Story
I can’t believe that Christmas is almost here!I have a special shout-out to my friend Matt for passing this heartfelt story on to me. I’m not above posting something that’s traveling around the internet and although this might not exactly …
Turn around
Oddly enough, in the last couple of weeks I’ve been pointed to a couple of different quirky pieces about the old 80’s hit, “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler. First is this flow-chart detailing the song. Jeannie Harrell …
It is ITLAPD again
Get Your Yaar On! Today is September 18 – or as I like to call it, International Talk Like A Pirate Day‘s Eve. For the weekend, I am Piratizing the whole Mirthmobile site. Enjoy it while you can! Special thanks …
Still a Typo
Is it still considered a typo when you make it out of wood and mass-produce it? A co-worker of mine picked up some office decor and found what she thought said “Peace” followed by a decorative cross. While showing it …
marker fun
See how much fun you can have with a marker and a window in your cubicle? It’s lots of fun working in a creative environment. Meanwhile, here’s a list of other things you should have seen on the internet.You Should …
Google Makes Life Easier
I know you all need help with the technology in your lives and I thought I’d point you to some ways Google is making my life easier. Over the years, Google has helped me with my home internet connection: Helped …
Doritos mouse trap
Still killing me.
objects in mirror
objects in mirror are dumber than they appear Objects in Mirror are Dumber than they Appear Reminds me of a story – These two guys get out of Truck Driving School and on their first run, they see a sign …
shooting stuff
shooting stuff I’ve never been one for guns. I staunchly support very strict handgun control. I honestly didn’t know it could be this much fun. My friend and co-worker Matt is getting married on Saturday, and this was event #1 …
Elf Yourself a bit
By now, you’ve probably seen the Elf Yourself site and maybe you’ve even played with it.I decided to elf my co-workers a little bit old-school. It’s easy! My cube has glass walls, and I have red and green dry-erase markers. …
Good to be that guy
So now I’m the Director of Web Communications at my new company – a very old company – the American Bible Society. The pace is frenetic, the people are fantastic and I’m trying to clean up a bit of a …
what is the difference?
You might wonder what’s the difference between Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where I live, and Grand Haven, Michigan where my sweetie Sylvia lives. The differences are actually quite striking. In PA, winter means rain, sleet and snow, all mixed together or at …
Burgeriffic
Five Guys First of all, it’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything and that’s not because I haven’t been eating – oh no. I’ve just been very busy… Getting a new job Moving to the Philadelphia suburbs Getting …
Elevator brand name
Elevator brand name I’ve always been fascinated with branding, names, and coming up with a good way to present something, whether it’s really cool or rather mundane. A common elevator brand name is Otis, but the elevator in my office …
between the lines
Line at Pat’s In Philadelphia there are cheesesteaks. Today, I had them for the second time at Pat’s King of Steaks. Jeremy was kind enough to haul me around after visiting his church. In this picture, you can see the …
stuck in my head
Special thanks to Sylvia for posting this video on her facebook page. I can’t get it out of my head now. For the record – it’s a medley of John Williams music from a variety of movies, but uses dialog …
mmmm… Big sandwich
mmmm… Big sandwich Did you know Wal-Mart sells sandwiches? I didn’t either, but now I do. Living out of a hotel room in Philadelphia is strange enough and I honestly don’t feel like a daily diet of eating alone at …
Never-ending Hallway
I’m looking for a place to live in the Philadelphia area.This hallway appears in one of the converted factory loft-type places I’ve toured. Notice the ramp and doorway creating a fancy optical illusion that the hall is actually longer than …
Tony Packo's
Tony Packo’s I was in Toledo on my way to Philadelphia and I had to jump off at the Front Street exit.The chilli, the spicy dogs, the even spicier pickles are a magical combination on a cross-country road trip. … …
How to Drive
Today is Saturday and on Monday I’m getting in the car and driving to Pennsylvania. I’m kicking off a new job in the Philadelphia area, working for The American Bible Society as the Director of Web Communications. My GPS will …
Saint Pat
Today is my first day in my new office and I’m excited to start my new job at The American Bible Society in Wayne, Pennsylvania – near Philadelphia. Pat’s With Philadelphia comes Philly Cheese Steaks. This is Pat’s King of …
Social Lubricant
the internet Gabe Lyons – opening keynote for the Internet Ministry Conference made this observation… The internet is the new beer Meaning – it takes away the inhibitions and promotes a lack of consequence for one’s actions. Since I don’t …
Twitter with a raspberry reduction
Twitter w/rasberry reduction It’s Internet Ministry Conference time and the food is always amazing. Notice this dessert – white chocolate mousse in a chocolate shell with a raspberry reduction, next to an iPod touch with twitter running on it. That’s …
Not Ashamed
One of the biblical writers, Paul, wrote in his Roman letters that he was not ashamed of the gospel.
Fall – with a twist
Fall Whilst driving through my local Starbucks I like to make fun of Sylvia’s order. She gets a “Venti, skinny, vanilla, latte” but when I order it I like to say something like this. first I’m gonna need a big …
Tow This
Tow away Who gets to tow that? I imagine they will call the towing company next door to tow its own truck. I live next door to a towing company and they often park their trucks right outside my windows. …
Fire!
Fire! Jodi is awesome.Jodi signs up for a variety of giveaways, promotions, contests and such.Jodi wins stuff.This time it was a dinner for up to 8 people at the Golden Corral buffet. We didn’t know that it was also a …
Crabs!
Crabs! My friend Steve Wilcox invited a bunch of us over for Maryland blue crabs. Sylvia and I had a great time and Zeke ate almost a whole hot dog. Note about blue crabs: after you cook ’em, they turn …
The most wonderful time of the year
September 19 is upon us again!Talk Like a Pirate DayIt’s a regular feature around here: 2007And something I try to celebrate with a certain degree of gusto each time it comes around. Do not confuse Talk like a Pirate Day …
Tina Fey Glasses
Yeahit was awesome. Not political – just dang funny. Tina fey returned to Saturday Night Live as Sarah Palin and kicked off the season opener with her old cohort Amy Poehler as Hillary Clinton. Oh… it seemed some guy named …
Bag O' baby
Bag O’ baby My local Wallgreen’s store has everything. I had to stop in for some supplies today and there on an end-cap was a display containing this: Bag O’ Baby. Not to make light of a tough situation, but …
Not a parking lot
Well done This is the front of my apartment building and not some cheesy used car lot. Can you believe that someone would just drive up on the front yard like that? Well, I guess if you have 4-wheel drive, …
Best Juice Ever
Best Juice Ever Many years ago, Ocean Spray made Cran-Blueberry. It was amazing. Then, they stopped making it. It was sad. Today, I found this in the grocery store. It is fantastic. I’ve started hitting the juice pretty hard today. …
Wild Stallion
Wild Stallion As if we needed one more energy drink – this is mango flavored. I found it on tap at a gas station. When you think of wild stallions, raw power, rippling muscles, thundering hooves, and manes whipping in …
McCain – Palin
McCain – Palin I can’t be the only one who thought of this can I? The thought of Michael Palin in the pepperpot drag getup along with John McCain has me in stitches. Sarah Palin is probably a better choice.
one please
one please There’s got to be a way that I can set this up in my own kitchen. I’d probably just end up sticking my face underneath and dispensing both barrels directly into my mouth. … maybe it’s just me.
Red Knapp's Dairy Bar
Red Knapp’s Dairy Bar Rochester, Michigan is the home of Red Knapp’s Dairy Bar. Until I was on the way there, I thought is was the Dairy Barn. Clearly, I’m a moron. It’s a 50’s-style diner. It’s been a 50’s-style …
keep on giving
ADD: the gift that keeps on giving. Clearly this poor fellow missed the first day of marketing school where they taught people the three basics.1) who is your customer?2) what do you want your customer to do?3) how do you …
100 posts
It was about 18 months ago that I converted the long-standing Wacky pages into a blog. I actually started the Wacky thing of the week on a shared drive at Calvin College over 10 years ago and the wackiness continues. …
Tanks alot
According to my friend Paul…This was taken in front of the Gardendale, Alabama , Walmart while she (the subject of the picture) was going to the Flea market. Now I ask you…Who sits and looks at a pair of men’s …
I Feel Great!
I don’t know about you, but I feel GREAT! Here’s a guy who made up his mind to do something and by golly, he’s doing it. Spirit like this is contagious and gets around the office simply by being near …
Old Joke
The Corner Bar I have the privilege of serving on the Board of Directors for Greater Hopes, Inc. Adoption Agency and we had our first meetings this week in Rockford, MI – just around the corner from The Corner Bar. …
not dead yet
I’ve been listening to the local radio station in Grand Haven. It’s small-town and full of delightful little nuggets that you just don’t get at the big stations. I worked on the air for about 12 years and I fondly …
one pound of awesome
1 pound… One of my favorite places in Grand Haven is Pavilion’s Wharf right there on Washington. It’s a cute little place decked out like a red, green, and white cottage, but inside it’s an awesome little restaurant and bar. …
And then that happened
And then that happened My office isn’t the best place in the whole wide world right now and yesterday the ceiling started to cave in. Seriously, right in the middle of a meeting and right on cue as Andy said …
Dairy Treat
Dairy Treat It’s Summer time and that means ice cream. In Grand Haven, a lakeshore tourist community, that means you have plenty of choices. Today I’m talking about the Dairy Treat – at the request of my special guest requester …