Sometimes it takes that personal experience, or the one of someone you’ve taken the time to get to know, to really impact you.

And maybe that’s one of the things that is powerful about blogging.  Yes I’ve learned a ton from some of the immensely popular bloggers, and writers out there, but sometimes, I’ve picked up gems from individuals going about their lives, and quietly wrestling with life, work, truth, and the host of challenges that bind us all together as human beings.

Soooo…I figured, why not share, from time to time, the people, that I’ve had the opportunity to meet, and talk to, and most importantly learn from.

Here are a few bloggers you should check out.  Maybe someone’s story will connect with yours.

Nawala Damiba(aka Nicole)

Nawala is a young, dynamic woman who is leaning fully into the winds of life. She’s a fellow truth explorer, and I recently got the opportunity to interview her. We share a love for the practical aspects of Philosophy and Spiritual growth, which are among the topics she explores at her blog, theNawalaTribe.

Blog Post I Learned From: “God….What are you? Where are you? How…are you?”

Follow her on twitter: @theNawalatribe

Brandon James

I recently got to interview Brandon, from New Life Travel, and just in one short conversation, walked away having learned something.  Months ago, he decided to quit his job and travel the world.  With some savings and gut load of courage, he took off, and is now somewhere between Egypt and Greece.  I’m not quite sure   Brandon isn’t just traveling.  He is intentionally exploring the inward parts of the soul, questing for a deeper understanding of life’s meaning, his spiritual beliefs, and just growing as a person.

Blog Post I Learned From: Sweet Dreams Come True

Follow him on twitter: @NewLifeTravel

Sidney Champagne

A personal friend for many years, I remember the conversation we were having almost a year ago, where Sidney Champagne, author of Positive Struggle articulated his wrestle with remaining positive in a world of negativity.  Out of that he has began to share that journey through this growing site.  Check it out.

Blog Post I Learned From: Think About It…Positively

Follow him on twitter: @schampagnejr

Ashley Ambirge

She’s brash, funny, and will probably piss you off.  But in that, dang-I-now-that-has-some-truth-to-it sort of way.  If you need a shot of wake up and think for yourself, then check out her site. I may not agree with 100% of what she has to say, or her approach, but I do think that the sharp edges of someones opinion, or truth can serve to arrest us into deeper critical thought.  I always enjoy reading her site, and usually learn something for having been there.  She’s not afraid to think boldly, and out-loud.(She has 99% of my heart

Blog Posts I Learned From: Education And Wage Slavery or her first post on how to Become An American Without A Visa.

Follow her on twitter: @TMFproject

Rod Kirby

I learned a fairly valuable lesson from Rod Kirby of The Success Center.  He had this post on scheduling your editorial post.  Very practical and useful video.  So I looked around his site some more, and discovered a wealth of useful information for bloggers and entrepreneurs alike.

Blog Post I Learned From: How To Create An Editorial Calender For Your Blog

Follow him on twitter: @rodkirby

Thanks guys…

Featured picture by: BenTaher

Exploring Truth w/ the Nawala Tribe Part 2 from Veron Graham on Vimeo.

If you missed part 1 of our conversation, check it out here

If you read what it is that is playing a significant role in motivating this decision, you will better understand.  With a pretty elevated blood pressure, I had to figure out a way to begin the process of reversing the health risk that High Blood Pressure can cause.(previous post: part 1 & 2)

So far,  I must say, that this has been a great experience.

Here’s what my diet has looked like on any giving day during the month of February:

Breakfast:

• Fruits, fruits, and more fruits.  Pineapples, cantaloupe, papaya, pears, grapes, or some variation of at least 3 out of the bunch.

• Home made granola.  I’m pretty proud of this accomplishment, although, its fairly easy to make.  But I’m a granola freak, always have been, and its great to actually try my hand at making some.  For some examples of recipes, feel free to check out source: recipe

Lunch:

• Has usually consisted of avocado, lettuce, cucumber, tomatoes, or some salad concoction.  With lemon/lime juice as salad dressing.  I know I’m missing something here, but I hope to get a bit more creative with this meal in the future.  I’m starting to feel like a rabbit, so any suggestions to broaden my options are always welcome :->

Dinner:

• Brown rice, Multi-Grain tortilla, or whole wheat sandwich(stuffed with tomatoes, lettuce…minus meat,etc etc)

• Some sort of bean(lentils, red beans, etc)

• More salad

Snacks:

• When the urge hits, I’ll usually much on some fruits, or granola.  I need to add some other options to my repertoire.

Kiwi

Failures:  I was a bit ambiguous as to what the “20%” of cooked food would be during the month of February, and as a result, I didn’t clearly resolve to be strictly vegan or vegetarian.  Soooo, I confess, that when my mom visited and decided to torment me with Talapia that smelled like it had fallen like manna from some river in heaven…well…I did indulge.  And it was good!  What can I say.

Besides that wonderful Sunday evening meal, I did have a few sub sandwiches that I didn’t have the heart to order without cheese.  I’d already reached a milestone just eating a purely vegetarian sub(which is pretty good by the way), so the cheese was my consolation prize.

Exercise:

So walking everyday for 45 minutes, turned into walking around 4-5 times a week.  But I am beginning to feel like its time to start jogging(Slowly jogging that is).

Current Blood Pressure Levels & Weight

As of January 4th, 2010, I had Blood Pressure readings of  above 170/98, and I weighed about 198 pounds.  As of today, I weigh 195 and my last blood pressure reading was 155/101.  Still very high!  I have more work to do.

Commitment for the future:

I do feel better, especially when I walk for 30-40 minutes in the morning.  My whole day is different when I don’t put it of for the evening.  So for March  I’m going to begin my morning jogs earlier(b4 8:30am), and aim for at least 1 mile 6 times per week.  I’ll continue eating 80% or more raw foods(w/ the 20% being vegetarian).  I’ll also begin experimenting w/juicing some of the fruits & vegetables in order to get more nutrients and change things up a bit(I’ll share a couple recipes if all goes well).  I’ll also eat more garlic, which I hear is great for lowering blood pressure.

Sound good?

Updates towards the end of March!

Brandon is a 23 year old who quit his comfortable corporate job in order to pick up and travel the world.  His goal?  To live the life of a global vagabond,  and search for more meaning in his life.

He also aims to live life in the moment, face doubt and fears, discover perspectives, meet others with the same vision, learn about what people want out of life, and connect with the world.  A mouthful?  Well, that’s just for starters.

I was fortunate to get him away from gallivanting up Mount Sinai, in Cairo, Egypt, just to sit down and talk to me for a few moments.

We discussed:

• What someone needs to begin to do, in order to travel the world

• Similarities between exploring the world through travel, and growing as a person

• Long-Term travel vs short term trips

• And much more…

Check out the interview below and feel free to leave any comments below:

Part 1

Exploring The Inner & Outer World Through Travel Part #1 from Veron Graham on Vimeo.

Part 2

Exploring The Inner & Outer World Through Travel Part #2 from Veron Graham on Vimeo.

Featured picture by Brandon James

I felt it again when I would break away from the AC’d environment, and inhale a mountain of the Florida sun washed air.  73 degrees, outside, and free.

Those lunch breaks always seemed to end too quickly.  But whatever they whispered to my soul during the fleeting 30 minutes of gulping down an overpriced sandwich, seemed to remain, locked in stomach’s cage like a restless hummingbird.

We’ve all felt it.  The desire to get away.  This is the stuff they write songs about…right?

Come away with me. Leaving on a midnight train to Georgia.  On the road again.

(If this bit of travel song trivia is your cup of tea, check out 30 songs that catch the spirit of travel.)

Many have felt this urge.  To catch the next train to wherever…Board the plane to a far away place.  Jump in your car and just hit the highway.  And sometimes the farthest journeys we end up taking happen inside of us.  From our mind to our hearts.

What is it that calls us away anyway?  What exactly is it that we want to run from?

There are many reasons people travel, but I think fundamentally there seems to be a “primordial” need to explore our world.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

-Mark Twain

What is interesting is how a physical trip metaphorically speaks to so many other things in our life.  Life itself is a journey of sorts, and we’re always tempted to take the easy road.  The paths with less risk.  Avoiding the choices that don’t take us too far away from home.  Keeping us near the safe and familiar.

I mean there’s nothing wrong with home, but lately, I’ve been flirting with the idea of traveling outside of the USA for an extended period of time.  And I can sense the tension inside.  The uncertainty, the slight apprehension with the unknown.

But there’s also the thrill of discovering new things, people and culture.  Experiencing what some consider true education.

There are also some very practical benefits associated with the type of travel I am considering.

• I’d like to reduce cost of living significantly, and live more simply

• Focus more on building sources of income that are location independent(i.e. online businesses, etc)

• Write more

• Save money, destroy debt(sounds more violent..I mean, somethings are meant to be killed)

• Experience new cultures & languages

• Spend time in more service projects

I wish I could say that I am independently wealthy, and could travel the world on a whim, but we’re working on that!  For now, I am using a bit of creativity to figure out how to make this happen, and educating myself on the options available(Like interviewing friends who are actually traveling the world: Interview w/Brandon James from newlifetravel.tv will be posted here on March 1st,2010)

One possibility, that can facilitate some of these goals, is to teach English abroad.  I have some friends who have taught or are teaching in Asia, and other parts of the world, and I have heard many great things.  Depending on where you teach, your cost of living can be comparably much lower, living facilities paid for, fairly competitive salaries, and the opportunity to experience a new culture, language, and geography.  And although I have visited places in the Caribbean, Canada, and cities across the U.S, there is so much of the world I have not seen, and desire to see.

Check out: Footprints or Teachaway for more info on teach abroad opportunities. Nomadic Matt has a pretty informative 5 part series on how to make money teaching overseas.  Link here

Being able to work overseas, in a program that affords you enough vacation time and flexibility to do some traveling in adjacent territories, while earning, saving, and building your business part-time, in order to do more sustained traveling, is really a tempting scenario.  I’m in the middle of exploring my options, and will post the developments here each step of the way.

Any thoughts, experiences, or advise on how to best get away?

Interesting travel related websites/blogs you may want to check out:

New Life Travel (Interview w/the founder of this blog, coming in a couple days.)

Art of Non-Conformity

Thrilling Heroics

Brave New Traveler

Peter Rollins was discussing coming to grips with the truth about ourselves.  He uses the digital representations we use online(facebook/twitter,etc) to illustrate his point. Which is, that sometimes its easier to live through a “public profile”, which is “the idealized representation of ourselves.”  The type of person we want the world to see.  Smiling, surrounded by friends, leaned up against a car, that isn’t theirs.  You know..stuff like that. :->

Behind that image there is a “private self”, that is probably closer to the truth.

Peter Rollins basically states that the point is about bringing that story we tell ourselves, and others about ourselves, into line with what’s really going on…What we really do.  The truth being in who we really are. So in essence, it doesn’t really matter what you say you believe in, or who, but what does that doctrine look like in reality.

Being a Christian, or a Buddhist, for example, has to mean more than what your facebook profile says. Maybe your bullet point ordered list of doctrinal creeds can be just that, an idealized representation of yourself, but what and who are you really?  Check out the short interview, in Peter’s own words.  Very interesting stuff: (primarily from 2:30 min – 6:10 min)

A few days before seeing this video, I happened across another video from and interview with best selling author William P. Young, who wrote The Shack.  He was discussing how he came to write the book, and touched on the core of what it was all about. 

The Shack, he said, was a metaphor. It’s the place where the real you resides.  All the stuff you don’t let anyone else see.  The true you.  The part you disguise, and deodorize when among other people.  The thin veil worn at church, concealing the secrets, that prevents you from truly dealing with the hurt, and the pain of past events.

But it’s the very place where your healing awaits.

I know I’m listing off a bunch of authors here, but certain messages are connecting all at once.  Rob Bell, author of Drops Like Rain, a book about understanding pain and suffering, makes mention, that maybe the gut of God’s message to mankind, represented while hanging on the cross, was:

I know what you are going through. I understand.  Hanging, in the funk and despair of humanity.

After hearing that, live, at one his book tour presentations a few months ago, that image, has stuck with me.  The image of a God who is in the very mess of life.  I can’t say I’ve fully experienced this image,  but it’s a powerful one.

And probably the only image that I can swallow when I try to make sense of events such as the recent earthquake in Haiti.  Or the “Haiti’s” that have been occurring since our history books can record.  The natural and unnatural disasters that explode and implode, within and around our lives.

But unlike Haiti, we, as individuals, can ignore our own screams for help. We can mask the funk of our pain, guilt, secret mistakes, contradictions, trauma, and dark places.  The places we seek to forget.  But they do not go away.  They sit, festering, like rotting meat, in that “shack” that William P. Young talks about here:

How do you feel about sharing the real you with the world?  Is there even such a thing as the real you?  Pros and cons?

I also got a needed reminder from a friend who commented on the connection that health has to the spiritual journey.  I’d really like to continue to share how I’m doing regarding this area of my life, with the hopes to learn and share with others who are learning to live a healthier life.

Ok, so here’s “The Plan”

Lose weight

Over the past 6 months, I have successfully lowered my weight from 205 pounds to 195 pounds.  But that’s just a start. The plan is now to move that number to 185 within the next 6 months.

Regular Exercise

Since ending the p90x program in November, 2009, I haven’t exercised consistently.  One thing I’ve noticed about myself, is that challenges motivate me to action.  I’ve also realized that being outside, while doing something physical, and interesting, is more enjoyable to me.    For this reason, I’ve decided to begin training for a 10k race.  I mentioned it to someone I know, and they didn’t seem to think I could do it.  That well intentioned,  but minor display of disbelief, was all I needed to push me over the edge.  I’ve been walking/jogging for 45 minutes each day for the last few weeks, to warm up to actually running again.

Eating a healthy diet

This is the area of truth.  Over the last two to three years, I’ve made progress, but have much to still change.  I’ve cut out fast food, soda, and most sweets(except for some rare indiscretions at 5 guys, and oh, a slice of pizza every now and again).  I’ve flirted with becoming a vegetarian in times past, but never did more than to cut back on certain meats.  But with the need to respond more drastically to my high blood pressure, I’ve started to explore more than just a gradual and relaxed approach to my health.  These circumstances have led me to look into the Raw Food Diet.

Reducing Salt

From what I’ve read so far, you want to keep your sodium intake below 1500mg.  I’m shooting for below 1000mg.

Reducing alcohol consumption

This shouldn’t be a problem, because I can count on one hand how many times I drink in a year.

Don’t smoke

I don’t smoke.

Watch caffeine intake

I drank coffee fairly irregularly, but have since quit entirely.  Those ice mocha frappuccino’s at the Barnes & Noble’s Crack/Star Bucks still tempt me…but for now.  No.

Regularly monitor your pressure

I will check this weekly and record results.

So in Review….February’s Basic Plan is:

• Continue my Walk/Run combination for another 30 days, in order to ease me into running.

• Yesterday I began a diet of 80% Raw Foods (minus all meats and dairy of course, although some do eat some meats raw.  I’m not sure how they figure that one..but…)  I’ve committed for this month, 28 days, and then review.

On a side note, I finally made it to my local Farmers Market, and was kicking myself for not buying produce here before.  I picked up 10 oranges, 1 papaya, 1 cantaloupe, 1 pineapple, 1 bag of grapes, 3 limes, 4 tomatoes, 1 head of lettuce, 3 cucumbers, a bunch of asparagus, 5lb bag of potatoes, 1lb of lentil beans, and 1 avocado.  All for less than $26?!

Any advice from my health experts out there?  Have you tried some version of a Raw Food Diet?  What tips do you recommend?

So I guess the deep concentrated breathing and focused chart reading didn’t work.  I left the doctors office more committed than ever to do something about this.  From what everyone tells me, this is a matter of life or death.  And I agree.  They don’t call high blood pressure the silent killer for nothing.  So in the past year  since I’ve been aware of this situation, I’ve aimed to eat healthier and exercise more.  This effort has been met half halfheartedly at times, but also with some measure of success.

For those who read about my attempt at P90X, I was able to somewhat consistently follow a pretty intense exercise routine, which resulted in 10 pounds of weight loss, and although the 90 day p90x challenge ended a couple weeks prematurely, I promised to do it again.  I have not.  With the recent Blood Pressure news, and the transition into the new year, a sense of clean slates, ripe with possibilities, have motivated this 30-year-old still pumping heart into re-evaluating his health, and eating habits in some fairly somber and frank terms.

So What is High Blood Pressure?

High Blood pressure is where ones systolic pressure is 140 or above, or your diastolic pressure reaches 90 or above.  That’s the short version, and I definitely qualify.  Based on statistics I have what studies show to be the leading cause of death overall in African-Americans, because of its link with heart attacks and strokes.

Yes, serious, I know.  Why African-Americans are more prone to develop High Blood Pressure will have to be tackled on another day.  Today my focus is on how people deal with this issue in the healthiest way possible.  How do I avoid the prescription drugs being freely offered to me, and still aggressively lower my blood pressure?

Controlling High Blood Pressure..Naturally

Here are a few basic things I’ve uncovered regarding what can be done to lower one’s blood pressure.

1. Lose weight
2. Regular Exercise
3. Eating a healthy diet
4. Reducing Salt
5. Watching alcohol consumption
6. Not smoking
7. Watch caffeine intake
8. Regularly monitor your pressure

I imagine that what I am embarking on, will be a journey of lifestyle changes that will be permanent rather than temporary quick fixes.  For this reason, I will be spending considerable time and attention regarding this aspect of my life this year. Considering this is not my primary focus on this blog, I’ll try not to let it overpower the other aspects to living a more truthful life.  I’ll get into a bit more detail on how I plan to personally implement some of the recommendations listed above(particularly 1-3) in a follow up post, and continue to share how I’m doing on this blog.  I’ve been educating myself and hope to share what I’ve discovered shortly.  However, in the meantime, I’m walking/running each day for 30 minutes, increasing water intake, have lowered my salt intake to below 1500 mg a day, eating more fruits and vegetables, but feel that this is just the beginning.

If you have any suggestions, or have some health resolution of your own for 2010, please don’t hesitate to share it in the comment section.  We all can learn from each other!

You are welcomed to follow along on my journey back to the land of the extremely healthy people.  There are some of you that still exist in the world right?

So if you were wondering where you stood on the question of your addiction to your favorite social media community, here are some clues I came up with that may shed a little light on where you might stand.  These scenarios may or may not suggest examples of my online habits in any way.

1. If you’ve found yourself on Facebook , Twitter, or some online site, but originally got on your computer to do something else, and now have forgotten what exactly that other thing was…The crack may be trying to get you…
2. If you’ve found yourself in a room full of family or friends, and their were at least two to three computers open, a BlackBerry or iPhone, and conversations are all taking place over the top of your laptops or phones…The crack is about to get you….
3. If you’ve been making a promise each week for the past year, that you will cut down on your Twitter or Facebook use, and you haven’t..well…the crack may just have about got you…
4. If you reach over in bed and lovingly caress your laptop in the night, because you dosed of, with it almost burning a hole in your chest…well..that’s just sad…(ok, I’ll admit to this one…guilty as charged)
5. If your index fingers are slightly calloused due to excessive mouse tracking on your laptops mouse pad, or if your wrist and fingers involuntarily begin making clicking motions in public, and you try to pretend like you’re just pointing at something…well..that’s just strange…
6. If you hesitate to open your Facebook chat, because you know you just may be flooded with people just wanting to say hi, and you have stuff to do, but for some strange reason you open your chat anyway….hey it’s called loneliness, we all have to face it…but the crack is getting to you…
7. If you have more than 10 tabs open on your computer, (Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, your email, a few sites you stumbled into, the thing you were actually intending to do when you came online) and you’re so disgusted with the info overload, that you start randomly shutting them all down, without checking to see if any of them were important…and then you realize you had an unfinished report or email that you have to retype…well…that was dumb,  but kudos..you are fighting the crack…this is a start.
8. If you’re version of a nightmare, is one where you aren’t able to find the favorite button for a YouTube video you like, so much that it wakes you up, and you go online in the real world?  Well…dang…what the hay?…
9. If people wonder why your hands are always perched between your legs, fumbling around with that all important text, status update, or one of the 100’s of thousands of apps available through your mobile device…well…be prepared for some misunderstandings.  I’m just saying…
10. If you get this warm cuddly feeling whenever you think of Facebook, and you’re actually ashamed and confused that you could be had in this way…well..join the club…that’s just the tension between truth and your current reality.  Make your way to the exit signs…
11. If the girls or guys online just seem so much easier to “Talk” to…haha…well…its time my friend…to make your way out into the sunshine.  Shave your face, or legs, and get back into physically close proximity to real human beings.  The crack has officially GOT you…I’m just saying.

All goofing around aside…Let’s figure out a way to get a handle on whatever website continues to pimp our time.  On December 31st, 2009, I casually stumbled on a 1 week challenge sparked by John Mayer.  In essence, he challenged his “twitter followers” to a brain dump, or more clearly put, an information diet, or a fast from the social media sites that can take up a lot of our time.

I jumped in, and since January 1st, 2010 until January 8th,  2010, I, with trembling fingers, stayed clear from all that was eeeeevil online.  Ok, I don’t need a medal for this effort.  It was only a week right?  Hmmm…well, the point was well taken Mr. Mayer.  I along with millions of Americans, and the world for that matter, are still trying to figure out how to manage the time spent on various social media sites.

According to an article in the New York Times, a Nielsen study shows the average time spent on Facebook for the 25-35 age group to be just between 3-4 hours a day.  Where do you think  you stand?  And for those really wanting to push the envelop, and don’t think any of this relates to them, consider giving John Mayer’s wee experiment a try.  The proof is in the pudding or the break from it..right? (BTW, as if powdered Facebook wasn’t enough, now you can drink Facebook, check it out).

The week away from Facebook, and twitter wasn’t that tough for me, but it did make me better recognize the casual tendency to repeatedly check email, Twitter, Facebook, and the other often visited sites, to the detriment of actual work I was trying to do online, or my computer.  And that’s the issue, especially for those who spend a lot of time on a computer for work, school, or their business, and even more important for those like myself, who value building relationships and networking to further business goals.  The key is knowing where to manage the line between genuine networking, and relationship building, and wasting time.

Do your online habits, or mobile phone usage, interrupt your ability to get the things you really value done?

If any of this applies in anyway, and you are serious about reclaiming your time, and increasing your productivity in 2010, check out “RescueTime”. The video below gives a short demo into how it works(I am not affiliated with this service, nor do I get paid in any way to promote about it. In fact I haven’t even used it, but it sure looks like a good idea). It’s basically a software that “automagically” tracks which web sites & applications are actively used at your computer and provides charts of this data.  So far, without any cool time tracking software, I just have a gut feeling, that my productivity can always do with a little tweaking!

RescueTime Time Tracking Overview from Tony Wright on Vimeo.

Also check out:

Facebook Addiction Growing Issue

Psychologist Discusses Facebook Addiction

The 8(In no specific order):

Cody McKibben – Thrilling Heroics

Tag line: Adventures in Lifestyle Design, Entrepreneurship & Location Independence

What makes this website interesting: I’ve had the opportunity to begin to get to know this guy, through his very popular blog, and the magical world of twitter.  Cody seems to be someone who is a living testimony to living intentionally.  Originally from California, he decided to move to Thailand, and design his life in such away that affords him the ability to operate his online business from wherever he is.

Twitter: @codymckibb

Donald Miller – The Blog of Donald Miller

Tag line: Best-Selling Author of Books, and Stuff

What makes this website interesting: Don is a writer, so he’s probably not best known for his blog.  He’s written a few books, his most noted being Blue Like Jazz, which became a New York Times Bestseller.  His latest book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, a book about his journey editing his life, is poised to do the same thing.  Visit his site for a taste of his various “non-religious thoughts, on Christian spirituality”.  You’ll be sure to laugh a few times while your there.  Don’s a funny guy, but always thought-provoking.

Twitter: @donmilleris

Chris Guillebeau – The Art of Non Conformity

Tag line: Unconventional Strategies for Life, Work, and Travel

What makes this website interesting: Chris is a writer, traveler, and entrepreneur with the goal of visiting every country in the world while connecting with other world-changers.  Along the way he has been sharing his journey with the world, and helping people live unconventional lives, while changing the world.  This mix of social entrepreneur, world traveler, and humanitarian is very appealing to a lot of folks, including myself.  Check out his site, he has quite a few download available e-books, that will give you a peak into his philosophy on life.

Twitter: @chrisguillebeau

Leo Babauta – Zen Habits

Tag line: Simple Productivity

What makes this website interesting: Leo Babauta a living example of someone who has stripped down all irrelevant aspects of a once chaotic life, and gives you the fundamentals on what it takes to live a simple life.  Even his blogs design reflects his commitment to a minimalist lifestyle.  And when you read his stuff(books, and blogs), his message of simplifying your life by clearing the clutter, increasing productivity and finding happiness as a result, comes shining through.

Twitter: @LeoBabauta

Joan Ball – Flirting With Faith

Tag Line: Flirting with, and finding faith.

What makes this website interesting: She is currently slated to release her upcoming book: Flirting with Faith: My Journey from Atheism to Agnosticism to a Devoted Life, and I look forward to it.  For now, you can find her writing at the ever-growing community of spiritual sojourners: Beliefnet.   What I value from Joan, is her intentional positioning, or “flirting with faith” as she calls it.  Her example inspires the spirit of persistent inquiry in your own life and spiritual journey.

Twitter: @joanpball

Peter Rollins – PeterRollins.net

Tag Line: none

What makes this website interesting: Peter Rollins is writer, lecturer, storyteller and public speaker. He has a very provocative, and philosophically structured, out of the box way at approaching theology, and faith.  I’ve valued how he challenges many traditionally held Christian paradigms, allowing the Christian to evaluate if they have been transformed and are living a revolution, or a status quo, watered down set of rituals.  However, highbrow one may think his style is, he also manages to use storytelling, parables, theology, and poetry in order to explore the life of faith in accessible ways.  He is also the founder of ikon, “a faith group that has gained an international reputation for blending live music, visual imagery, soundscapes, theatre, ritual and reflection to create what they call ‘transformance art’.”  This unconventional approach to faith and even church, provokes new ideas, and ways of imagining religious life, and Christian spirituality.  Judge for yourself.

Twitter: @peterrollins

Lisa Colon Delay – Life As Prayer: the lifestyle (being, beyond the book)

Tag Line: Prayer: Not an activity, but what we may become

Do you pray?  Like as in clasp your hands and mutter something you hope goes past the ceiling? Or is your entire existence lived in such a way, that your life permeates the atmosphere, and all around you, like the sweet scent of  burning  incense.  Your thoughts, words, and actions, evoking a constant stream of letters to and from the heart of God.  This concept of “living as prayer”, was one I hadn’t thought of much, until I bumped into Lisa’s blog.  In fact the entire subject of prayer, is one that I’ve had mixed feelings on for sometime.  As a result of reading her work, I can say, I have grown, and have been challenged to reconsider some ideas on the subject of prayer.

Twitter: @lisacolondelay

Relevant Magazine

Tag Line: Covering God, Life, and Culture

Now Relevant Magazine isn’t a blog.  Then again, what is the strict definition of a blog.  The website is more a magazine, online community, blog network, and much more.  I discovered them a few years ago, and they represent a progressive Christian voice, so desperately needed in a conversation, that at times, seems to be monopolized by a much more conservative, fundamentalist, and a politically motivated majority.  Relevant magazine gives voice and speaks to a 20 something generation of people who are genuinely interested in God, above tradition, religion, or any of those other shenanigans.

Twitter: @RELEVANTMag