Hey everyone. I'm still alive and kicking. Just thought I'd give you an update about some things, and share some links and such that I've found interesting over the last week or so.

As with many of you, I've been shocked and grieving over the news down in Ft. Hood from yesterday. Now there's news of another shooting in Orlando. More proof we live in a fallen, broken, hurting world in need of the love and grace of Jesus Christ.

I'm participating in NaNoWriMo this year, and so far it's going very, very smoothly. I'm pretty excited about the story as it falls into place. You can track my progress over on the right-hand side bar. That NaNoWriMo widget should reflect my progress for the rest of the month. As of now, I'm sitting at 10,609 words, ahead of the pace to stay on track for 50,000 words in 30 days.

I've also been editing my completed first draft on the trilogy. So far I'm less than a quarter of the way through the first round of revision and I've managed to cut over 1,000 unnecessary words. Hopefully I'll be able to cut the thing down from over 155,000 words to a more acceptable 125,000 or so.

There's progress on the worship book too, but much slower since I can't just make it all up. I actually have to read the Scripture and do some research. I've done three full chapters of rough draft so far, and I think I've about got the skeleton of a full outline complete.

I started using Twitter lists this week, and set up a few of my own. Do you tweet? Are you on one of my lists? If you think you should be included just let me know. I'm sure I've overlooked more than one person.

It's pretty wild that I'm on 10 other lists so far, but I'm especially blown away by fellow worship leader/blogger Tyler Braun's inclusion of me on his "best bloggers" list. That's most certainly undeserved, but I appreciate the kudos.

I guess I'd better start blogging again on a regular basis for real. No pressure.

Here's some other random stuff you may or may not find amusing/helpful/interesting:

• If you're in the market for a blog redesign/makeover, you should really check out what my wife is doing.
• Have you checked out your Google Dashboard?
• Here's a fascinating post from an author who grew up under Chairman Mao's Cultural Revolution.
• Read this one-letter disproval of global warming from physicist Howard Hayden.
• Tim Steven's great post on how A Crowd is Not a Church.

Have a great weekend everybody. I'll be hunkered down typing like a mad man, or painting the garage door.