why i'm a horrible facebooker...

The email indicated we had to meet. There were serious issues which needed to be clarified. I set up a meeting and the 40ish father of one of the teens I mentor arrived promptly to discuss the serious issues. Privy to information about the current status of the family, I assumed it was to discuss matter of dire importance. I was SO wrong!

Him: Thank you for your time. I'll make this brief and to the point. Are we ok? Do you not like me or have I done something to offend you?

Me: [blink] Well, um, er [blink, blink, blinkblinkblink], I'm not too sure I know what this is in reference to.

Him: Well, it's just that I friend requested you on facebook over two weeks ago and you haven't accepted my friend request.

Me: [blink... blink]

I was dumbfounded. He could not possibly be serious. Oh, but he was! So serious I thought he was going to rain down fire. I explained to him that facebook was a way for me to connect with friends from high school and college and I don't accept friend requests from parents of my teens since the parents will use it as a way to spy on their children (which I knew he would do). He then proceeded to list the names of other parents who I had accepted friend requests. [blink]

Since then there have been other dramatic facebook situations which frighten me from visiting facebook (accidentally marking the 'married' and 'it's complicated' boxes; spammed with porn to my inbox; long emails from people who don't like me; being a silent voyeur of other people's lives [don't lie, you do it], etc.).

Usher had his confessions and now it's my turn. I'm sorry if I haven't responded to your facebook email, lagged in accepting a friend request, or haven't replied to a question. I have a job which I love and would like to keep so spending hours playing Farmville or snooping through photo galleries isn't my thing. I know I'm not the only one with stories from facebook, so spill it! What are some funny/dramatic/horror stories you've encountered?

Here's a video I saw on Michael Hyatt's blog. I love it!

michael hyatt, providence, and twitter...

I usually don't blog on Sundays, but I'll make an exception for Michael. No, not Michael Scofield, Michael Jackson, or Michael Jordan. It's better! The Michael Hyatt: husband to Gail, father of five, loving dog owner--oh yeah, and Chief Executive Officer of Thomas Nelson Publishers.

He's witty, charming, disarming and as cute as a button! I've been following him on Twitter for several weeks and if Seth Godin is right about tribes, then Michael has an army! With almost 43,000 followers this man could go to war against Alexander the Great. And win. Yes, he's that smart.

On Saturday morning I tweeted about speaking at a conference on the topic of modesty. In true providential form, Mr. Hyatt tweeted about posting a blog about modesty no more than a second after I did. Michael could write about the necessity of Velcro in the 21st century and I'd love it, but this article was a perfect resource to read before I taught. So I tweeted again.

BiancaJuarez: Providence! @MichaelHyatt posted a blog about modesty the day I talk on the issue. I might have to steal his material ;) He won't mind.

And then it happened. My phone chirped with a Twitter direct message from Michael Hyatt. Wait, let me write that again. From. Michael. Hyatt.

MichaelHyatt: Absolutely! Steal away.

In that moment, Michael Jackson could have passed me his white glove, Jordan could've passed me a ball, and Scofield could've tattooed my name on his chest and I wouldn't have cared. Michael Hyatt sent me a direct message on Twitter. I squeeled like a little girl and nearly died. Twice.