Chris Tomlinson's Blog: Crave Something More, page 12

7 Reasons To Not Care About Blog Traffic

Bloggers care about traffic.  I think that's just the way it is.  If you're an artist, you care about people seeing your art.  If you're a photographer, you care about people seeing your photos.  If you're a writer, you care about people reading what you write.

I suppose I shouldn't speak for every person who blogs; I can only open the human experience for one person—me—examine what I find, observe others around me, and make inferences about what they may be experiencing as well.  And what I f...

There Must Be More Than This

A prayer when wondering if there is more to life and faith than this…

God, there must be more than this, right?

I can remember when the days were days,

And the weeks were weeks, one after another,

And the months and years were months and years;

Times that passed slowly,

Slow enough to plan, and anticipate, and savor,

But now they blend into one long passing life.

And here I find myself at the mercy of time,
Knowing my life is but a vapor,
Feeling my one chance slowly slipping away
And wanting so...

It's Here

This week marks the release of my first book, Crave: Wanting So Much More of God.  This is an exciting time for me, because the hours of writing and editing and dreaming are now neatly bound into a book I am holding in my hands.  It's been 4 years in the making—3 full rewrites based on 3 rounds of feedback from 15 friends, family, and professional editors—and it's exhilarating, and relieving, to finally have it all complete.

Jan 1, 2010 has been a date that has been looming in my mind for...

Top Ten Posts of the Year

OK, so we've only been cranking for 3 months here at Crave Something More, but all the cool kids are doing Top Ten Posts of the Year, so let's go for it.

Here they are in order:

Tiger…And The Prowling LionDear Kayli AnnekeYou Don't Want To Read ThisMy Dog Has a Cone:  Thoughts on SufferingTomorrow's PhantomThe Multiple Means to Joy: Spurgeon on SufferingSee a Need, Meet a Need?How to Not Waste Time BloggingA Jew, a Muslim, an Agnostic, and...

Site Maintenance

Hello.  The site is undergoing some changes this week, so you may find some issues with navigating around.  It'll hopefully be squared away soon.

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Free Chapter Download and Video: Joy

Welcome to the last of the Crave chapter downloads.  Next week, you can get the book (I wish I could give it to you in full here).

I used to think joy was the goal of the Christian life.  You know how we often hear that we're supposed to count it all joy when we encounter trials and be joyful to the Lord in all things.  And we should do those things—Jesus means for our joy to be full.

There's even this stunning promise in the Bible that's raises the stakes in joy seeking:  "In [God's...

Happy Birthday King Jesus

A meditation in poem on Luke 2:1-20

It's strange we gather together on these days

To remember our moment of entering in,

And mark our place against the tide of time

That has been rising and falling

For countless ages before us.

A tide which will one day see the day

When we leave this world and go on.

Both days that are not of our choosing,

But days we face nevertheless,

Some with fear, others with longing, all with finality.

What a wonder then that the Maker of these tides
Would enter in as...

Free Chapter Download and Video: Hunger

When's the last time you were hungry? It may have been a few hours ago.  Or maybe you're hungry right now.  So what are you going to do about it?  I imagine you're going to feed yourself.  Then you won't be hungry anymore.  Easy.

We talk about having a hunger for God, seeking to satisfy our deepest cravings with more of Him.  And hunger is a good proxy for this kind of desire because it's so tangible—we all know exactly what it feels like to hunger for something.  But hungering after God...

How To Not Waste Time Blogging

Do you ever wonder if blogging is a waste of time? Despair Inc. has the following encouragement for you:  "Never before have so many people with so little time said so much to so few."

If you blog, here's the number one reason you have wondered if it's worth it:  the numbers.  You may tell people, "I blog for myself," or "I don't care how many people read my blog; if I encourage one person, it's worth it."  And that may be true for you.  But it wouldn't be for me; I'm not that magnanimous.  I ...

Free Chapter Download and Video: Different

God is different.

I know, I know—where do I come up with this stuff? Well, this is the kind of brilliance you can expect from Crave Something More.  Wait, what do you mean this isn't all that profound?  What do you mean of course He is different?

Well, I suppose you're right.  It's almost not worth saying.  But then again, brilliant or not, I think it's something I need to hear—and hear on a regular basis.  I tend to fall into the trap of believing God is like me, and reacts like I react...