When I first saw it on Facebook I commented that someone ought to add a Frisbee into Joe’s hand. After all, the only reason Joe had ever had to jump like that before was to catch a disc. So, with a few clicks here and there I added one.

My friend Scott took my idea to turned it into a bona fide meme. First he added a Super Mario question block.

This next one is my favorite. Apparently Ken from Street Fighter tried to crash the wedding. Joe wouldn’t hear of it.

This last one shows Joe in considerable peril.

So, who wants to make their own? If you do, download the first picture, make your edits, upload it to Facebook and tag Joe.

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© 2004-2010 John Andrew Ledwith, All Rights Reserved

I just want to be clear on where I stand regarding this very important issue.

Image used with permission. You can get it at imwithcoco.com. Artwork by Mike Mitchell. Join the Facebook page.

Visit my site for more, or subscribe via email or RSS to receive new content automatically. You can also follow me on Twitter.

© 2004-2010 John Andrew Ledwith, All Rights Reserved

I have a few rules when picking the songs for my soundtrack. First, I limit myself to twelve songs, which is somewhat of an arbitrary number. Second, I limit myself to one song per artist. Third, I use both quantitative and qualitative data to make my decision. The quantitative data is how many times I played the song (I use my Last.fm account to keep these stats). The qualitative data is how the song impacted me personally. Finally, I can’t repeat a song from a previous soundtrack. Something else to keep in mind is that these songs weren’t necessarily released in 2009; they are songs that impacted me in 2009.

Now it is my pleasure to unveil this year’s soundtrack.

1. Be OK (Live) by Ingrid Michaelson from Live Session (iTunes Exclusive) – I’ve been a fan of Ingrid Michaelson for a few years now but this is the first time she’s found herself on my soundtrack. Her songs are clever yet simple. I always get the impression she’s singing about her life, not just about some out there topic. The EP this track comes from is awesome and includes a very good cover of Radiohead’s Creep. She actively uses social media, including a Tumblr on which she posted a song about her love of Twitter. “Open me up and you will see that I’m a gallery of broken hearts. I’m beyond repair. Let me be. And give me back my broken parts.” [Fan on Facebook] [Follow on Twitter] [Buy on iTunes] [Not available on AmazonMP3]

2. Heaven by Jars of Clay from The Long Fall Back to Earth – Jars of Clay has long been my favorite band. But I have to admit I was doubtful as to whether I’d like their new album when I first heard that it would have an ’80s vibe. I’m not a fan of ’80s music at all (much to the dismay of many of my recent roommates). But leave it to Jars of Clay to do the ’80s right. I’m telling you, this album is incredible. I’ve said it numerous times and I’ll say it again: this is the best album of 2009. By far. Every song is about relationships at one level or another. It was difficult to decide which song to include. Headphones and Boys both were seriously considered before I decided upon Heaven. This song is a perfect example of the ’80s sound they used. Lyrically it became the anthem of my mission trip to Berlin this past summer. “Go undercover. We drop from the screens. We’re hunters and lions. We are submarines. Under the surface, slip through the wires, decipher the code words, disable the liars.” [Fan on Facebook] [Follow on Twitter] [Buy on iTunes] [Buy on AmazonMP3]

3. Superman by WAZ from Superman (Single) – I’m a big fan of the TV show Scrubs, and one of the reasons is because it uses some awesome music in its episodes. Twelve of the thirty-six songs I’ve picked on my three soundtracks have been featured on the show, including this one. This is a remake of the theme song originally recorded by Lazlo Bane. This fall the show was revamped with a new cast and a med school focus, so the opening title sequence was changed (compare the new sequence to the original). This new version of Superman has entirely different instrumentation and vocalization. It sounds much more indie and really suits the collegiate environment of the new season. It’s difficult to remake a song and make it your own, and I think WAZ did a good job pulling that off. “Well I know what I’ve been told: you got to work to feed the soul. But I can’t do this all on my own.” [Fan on Facebook] [Follow on Twitter] [Buy on iTunes] [Not available on AmazonMP3]

4. Mess of Me by Switchfoot from Hello Hurricane – This marks the first of three songs on my soundtrack to feature the vocals of Jon Foreman. I still don’t think Switchfoot has produced anything as good as what’s on The Beautiful Letdown. Hello Hurricane doesn’t sound like them, but there are a few pretty awesome tracks on this record. Mess of Me is an anthem about what sin does to our identity. The bridge of the song lets Foreman show off his vocal abilities. I’d really like to see these guys live, and it just so happens they’re coming to Soul Fest in 2010. “I am my own affliction. I am my own disease. There ain’t no drug that they could sell. No, there ain’t no drug to make me well.” [Fan on Facebook] [Follow on Twitter] [Buy on iTunes] [Buy on AmazonMP3]

5. If You Would Come Back Home by William Fitzsimmons from The Sparrow and The Crow – I came across this William Fitzsimmons song randomly. It was on a playlist iTunes was giving away free. It’s a beautiful song about a guy desiring reconciliation, but by the end of the song you realize it may already be too late. It’s a moving song. Oh, and the guy has an awesome beard. If you haven’t heard of this guy I recommend you check out his music. “If you would come back home we could start all over. If you would come back home I swear it would be better.” [Fan on Facebook] [Follow on Twitter] [Buy on iTunes] [Buy on AmazonMP3]

6. When She’s Near by Fiction Family from Fiction Family – I had very high hopes for Fiction Family. Combine Jon Foreman of Switchfoot with Sean Watkins of Nickle Creek and you should have an incredible duo. But this album ended up having a pop sound that was a bit too generic for my tastes. Still, the first track on the album is incredibly catchy and one I’d recommend. Given the talent of these two performers I’d be willing to give them another chance to dazzle me if they ever decided to make another record. “When she’s near the new year’s here and there is not a resolution that I can’t do!” [Fan on Facebook] [Follow on Twitter] [Buy on iTunes] [Buy on AmazonMP3]

7. Laughing With by Regina Spektor from Far – I don’t usually fall for this type of song. By that I mean a song that talks about God in vague terms, saying things that at first blush seem deep but upon further inspection are rather mundane. I’m not sure why I like this song as much as I do. Maybe it’s because, likely without intending to do so, it speaks about God’s sovereignty. He chooses the times set for us, even the bad ones, so that people would seek him and perhaps reach out for him (Acts 17:26-27). I first heard the song when Regina Spektor was the musical guest on the Tonight Show this summer. I actually like that version better than the studio version, which she sings a bit faster. “No one laughs at God in a hospital. No one laughs at God in a war. No one’s laughing at God when they’re starving or freezing or so very poor.” [Fan on Facebook] [Follow on Twitter] [Buy on iTunes] [Buy on AmazonMP3]

8. The Spirit vs. The Kick Drum by Derek Webb from Stockholm Syndrome – Derek Webb is an expert at pushing people’s buttons, and his newest album continues that trend. While lyrically he stays consistent with his past work, the music on this album is a departure from the melodic tunes we’ve come to expect. On Stockholm Syndrome Webb experiments with a much more electronic sound, with mixed results. The best track sporting his new sound is Black Eye. The song I chose for my soundtrack isn’t quite as radical musically. In it Webb puts into words what a lot of Christians allow their actions to say about their faith. “I don’t want the Father, you know; I want a vending machine. I don’t want the Son, you know; I want a jury of peers. I don’t want the Spirit, you know; I want a kick drum.” [Fan on Facebook] [Follow on Twitter] [Buy on iTunes] [Buy on AmazonMP3]

9. Behind Your Eyes by Jon Foreman from Winter EP – Here’s Jon Foreman’s third appearance on this year’s soundtrack. I first heard this song last year when I picked up all four of his EPs named for the seasons, each of which is tremendous. This particular song has taken on additional significance as I’ve watched three men I’ve lived with get engaged in the past year. This song seemed to capture one of those relationships especially well. It speaks about how scary a new relationship can be, how risky it is to let the other person see who you really are. “And no one needs to know that you let me in tonight, that you let me see the world behind your eyes.” [Fan on Facebook] [Follow on Twitter] [Buy on iTunes] [Buy on AmazonMP3]

10. The Book of Love by Peter Gabriel from Shall We Dance Soundtrack - Last spring ABC aired what was supposedly the series finale of Scrubs. The final episode was very well conceived and executed, unlike many for long-running sitcoms. It closed with a look into JD’s future with this song playing in the background. It took me until after the show was over to realize it was a cover of a Magnetic Fields song. Peter Gabriel does a much better job with it. (Sadly there’s no way to buy this track individually; you have to buy an entire album to get it.) It’s a very self-aware love song, poking fun at many elements of the love song archetype while maintaining a unique charm. “The book of love has music in it. In fact, that’s where music comes from. Some of it’s just transcendental. Some of it’s just really dumb. But I love it when you sing to me. And you can sing me anything.” [Fan on Facebook] [Not on Twitter] [Buy on iTunes] [Buy on AmazonMP3]

11. Little Victories by Matt Nathanson from Beneath These Fireworks – One more song from a Scrubs episode. This song by Matt Nathanson was featured in a seventh season episode and plays as Dr. Kelso retires from the hospital. It’s a touching song about someone willing to risk everything, even in the face of struggles and failures along the way, at the prospect of making a little bit of ground. That’s a sentiment I feel like I face all the time in campus ministry, and probably something anyone faces in any kind of ministry, in which growth can be difficult to gauge. “I’ll be awful sometimes, weakened to my knees. I’ll learn to get by on the little victories.” [Fan on Facebook] [Follow on Twitter] [Buy on iTunes] [Buy on AmazonMP3]

12. Bless The Lord (Son of Man) by Urbana09 Worship Team from Worship from Urbana 09 – My last song comes from the worship team that played at the Urbana 09 conference. The band led us with many unique songs in numerous languages. (I took a video of the band playing a song called Hakuna Mungu Kama Wewe.) Buying the CD on sale in the conference bookstore was a no-brainer. I could have chosen any song on the album to include on the soundtrack; they’re all that good. (I almost chose an Arabic song called Madgan Lik.) I chose Bless The Lord because I think it’s the best of their studio recordings. “In the splendor of your majesty, from deep within my spirit sings, ‘Holy, holy!’” [Fan on Facebook] [Follow on Twitter] [Not available on iTunes or AmazonMP3]

Listen now!

You can listen to this soundtrack for free right away by heading over to this YouTube playlist. Currently it includes eleven of the twelve songs. (I can’t find Bless The Lord as performed by the Urbana worship team in its entirety anywhere on the web. But I’ll keep my eyes open for it and add it when it becomes available.)

If you’d like to download this soundtrack on iTunes check out this iMix. (Again, it does not include Bless The Lord.)

What songs rocked you in 2009?

You’ve seen my soundtrack. Now I put the question to you. What were some of your favorite songs during ‘09?

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/5

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© 2004-2010 John Andrew Ledwith, All Rights Reserved

What You’ll Need

1. Firefox
2. Adblock Plus

Yes, this little hack is only good for Firefox users, though I’d bet there are ways of accomplishing what I’m doing in other browsers. And if you’re using Firefox you ought to be using Adblock Plus anyway, since it just may be the very best extension for the browser.

Normally Adblock Plus is used strictly to block advertisements. But it can actually be used to filter out all sorts of page elements.

Step 1 – Add Filter

In Firefox, click the Tools pull down menu and select Add-ons. Find Adblock Plus and click Preferences. You should see a menu similar to the one in the image above. Click on Add filter… to enter in the custom block filter we’re going to use.

Step 2 – Insert Custom Filter

A text box should appear, prompting you to add in your new filter. Here you’re going to want to enter the following text:

facebook.com#*(UISuggestionList_ItemContainer)

Click OK. You’re done! If you have the Facebook homepage open in your browser you may need to refresh the page before you see the changes.

Here’s What You Just Did

“UISuggestionList_ItemContainer” is the class name for the div that holds the reconnect code. If you don’t speak geek, think of it like a section title in a book. Whenever your browser sees that particular class on the domain you specified (in this case, facebook.com) it will block all the content found there.

Be aware of two things. Facebook could change the name of the class whenever they want, which would require you to change your filter to match. Also, Facebook could start including something you might actually want to see within the area of the page we’re blocking.

If you found this helpful, share it with someone else!

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© 2004-2010 John Andrew Ledwith, All Rights Reserved

To tell you the truth, the menu was initially a big part of why Big Breakfast was resurrected. One Sunday evening my roommate Joe and I were casually tossing around the idea of hosting a Big Breakfast when one of us suggested the idea of creating a menu, complete with items named in honor of our friends. For the next hour or so we sat in our kitchen devising some of the worst puns you’ve ever heard, occasionally inventing something we wouldn’t be ashamed to admit we’d created. My roommate Aaron came home that evening and, upon finding Joe and I in stitches, added in a couple winners of his own. Later on I included my friend Zack in the madness. For a couple days I received these odd text messages from him while I was at work, each with one or two new suggestions.

The result of our collaboration is impressive. I’ve reproduced our menu below. (You can also view a PDF of the menu.)

Welcome to Big Breakfast

Specials

The Camp Special
“Your hosts recommend a breakfast of two crepes, two eggs, and hot coffee. Or just toast if you’re in a hurry.”

The Wirgau
“Nine items served between two pancakes.”

The Lighthouse
“If our carb- and fat-heavy options don’t suit you, try our wonderful fruit salad.”

The Cat’s Meow
“A pancake made from the finest dried catfood. Cat Wojcik approved!”

Pancakes, Crepes, French Toast

Creeps [Crepes]
– ala Rob [Apple filling]
– ala Kuder [Peach filling]
– ala Shaun [Cherry filling]

Zhang-cakes [Silver-dollar pancakes]

Flap-Zacks [Large pancakes]

Gavila Gorillas [Banana pancakes]

M & Emily’s [M&M pancakes]

Futch Toast [French Toast]
“If you thought ‘freedom’ toast was good, you’ll love this!”

Eggs

Scrambled Eccles [Scrambled Eggs]

Skeen’d Eggs [Fried Eggs]
“Two fried eggs served uncomfortably close together… unless you happen to be one of the eggs.”

Eggs Summers Side Up [Sunny Side Up]

More Breakfast Goodness

Grit-ney Grit-aker [Grits]

Ash Browns [Hash Browns with ketchup]

Leigh Browns [Hash Browns with salt]
“Best when eaten in Malaysia.”

Diggles [Oatmeal]
“A bowl of two-day-old oatmeal properly aged in a refrigerator without a covering. Contains original spoon.”

Sausage Patricks [Sausage Patties]

Strips of Ba-Clint [Bacon]

The Lord Marius [Sausage Biscuit]

The Chief [Bacon Biscuit]

E-Clares
“Our E-Clares were recently given a new filling. The old has gone. The new has come.”

Ruthie Phooey Vegan Hooey
“If you say ‘Phooey!’ when offered almost everything else on the menu, you’re probably vegan.”

Drinks and Condiments

Cup O’ Liles [Coffee]
“Two Liles Starbucks baristas can’t go wrong.”

O Joy [Orange Juice]

MOOriak [Milk]

Liz Spraybutter
“Item removed from menu as of July 26, 2009.”

Ta-Pax-co Sauce [Hot sauce]

Sar-up [Syrup]

Jam-aine [Jam]

The four of us did our best to include as many people connected to the FSU Navigators community as possible, and we didn’t leave anyone off the menu intentionally. If Big Breakfast makes an encore appearance in the spring, we’ll double our efforts to include even more people in a new edition of the menu.

Thank You!

Joe, Aaron and I could not have done all this on our own, so we want to thank everyone who pitched in on Saturday. Jermaine’s french toast and Zack’s pancakes were fantastic. Mandi made a great hash brown casserole. Clare brought flowers to brighten up our kitchen. A number of people lent us additional tables, chairs, and cooking utensils. We had a few people give some generous donations to offset the food costs. There were a couple people who saw us losing our minds in the kitchen and gave us a hand without being asked. All of you are awesome. And finally, thanks to everyone who came and made Big Breakfast a smashing success.

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© 2004-2010 John Andrew Ledwith, All Rights Reserved

Tomorrow it will.

My Family Away from Family

I write today to explain why I’ve made such a big deal out of Big Breakfast on Facebook this past week. Maybe it seemed a bit obsessive or over-marketed. But it wasn’t without cause. Going to Big Breakfast used to feel like going to a family reunion, where everyone I saw on a regular basis, those people I saw only rarely and those people I didn’t know but who were connected to my friends all gathered and had a great time over a large meal. Seeing my real family was pretty rare in those days. I never owned a car while I was a student, and even if I had owned one my nearest relatives were a five-hour trip away. Attending these kinds of events meant a lot to me.

Now I live in Camp Special (a house that refuses to be renamed despite 67 comments left on Facebook debating the subject). I’m roughly three and a half years out of college, complete with a car and money to spend on plane tickets to wherever. But Big Breakfast isn’t about me now. I’ve purposely chosen to stay connected with college students since graduating, and I wonder if maybe some of the ones I know can relate to my former situation. It’s time for their family reunion.

An Invite Fit for a King

My roommate Joe is a master wordsmith. I asked him to write the text to the Big Breakfast invite, which I’d like to share here for those out of the loop. It paints a vivid picture of what the morning will hold.

Intimidating, isn’t it? The body of text below, I mean. Just look at all of it. Are those footnotes? You don’t have time for footnotes! No time for laughter! What you need are the facts in a straightforward, no-nonsense manner.[1] Here they are:

Camp Special is hosting Big Breakfast on Saturday, November 14 from 10 am – 1 pm and you should bring a couple of friends (or dollars, if you’d care).

For those of you with a little more free time on your hands (or as most people call you, “students”) I would like to present the following meager document. Behold, the unabridged history of a place named Camp and the meal called Breakfast and the superlative known as Big:

“Man is what he eats.” – Ludwig Andreas Feuerbach
“Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.” – Adelle Davis
“Cheese on four.” – Joel and Brent

The illustrious Camp Special has served as humble home to great gentlemen (including the attributed geniuses behind the tertiary quote above) and final resting place for countless other tenants (bugs, mostly—and Rob’s Lincoln[2]). Camp’s history is certainly as storied as its hosts. Ponce de Leon once scoured the property, convinced that the fountain of youth lay underneath[3] and Teddy Roosevelt shimmied up the backyard tree and in search of bald eagle eggs.[4] Yet there is one event that outshines even Christmas tree burnings, Stuff-Gives[5], and Thursdays in scope and importance.

One weekend afternoon not too long ago, several roommates were sitting around in the living room. “I’m hungry,” said one. And just like that, Big Breakfast was born.

It wasn’t too long before citizens of Tallahassee were taking the house by storm, all starving and eager for a way to break the fast.[6] They found sanctuary in the warm halls of Camp Special—a place where flapjacks were stacked high and coffee cups ran over.[7] It was a time of perpetual bliss where no stomach went empty. But that time was lost. For a time. But now the time for waiting is over and a new time has arrived, for Big Breakfast is timeless.

Time for some fun facts. Did you know:

• The plural for biscuit is biscuit.
• Johnny Depp modeled Jack Sparrow after the vicious sea pirate Captain Crunch.
• The following are anagrams for breakfast: “baker fats,” “stab freak,” “takes barf,” “bra—” actually, that’s probably enough.
• Grits are awesome.
• Theologians have long debated the subject of what Adam’s first meal was. Most agree it was fruit salad, though Aquinas argues that he had an egg white omelet with biscuit and milk. Five-point Calvinists maintain that Adam wasn’t in the garden long enough to eat breakfast.
• Studies show that 36% of people prefer eggs for breakfast, 30% of people like pancakes, 25% of people enjoy cereal, and 9% of losers don’t care for breakfast.

There are plenty of other things to know but for now, there are but three: It’s big. It’s breakfast. You’re coming.

Footnotes:
[1] And probably a hug. Seriously, take a breather.
[2] Strangely enough, fate and local legend have it that Abraham Lincoln’s cousin Eustace died in what is now the carport (citation needed).
[3] It doesn’t.
[4] Which he ate, sunny side up, along with the eagle. And half of the tree.
[5] Technically there has only been one Stuff-Give. And a glorious event it was.
[6] Which, by the way, has nothing to do with the actual word “breakfast.” Go figure.
[7] The latter “blessing” led to the much-repeated phrase “My flesh! It burns!”

Coming Soon

Even though I’ll be one of the cooks (eggs and crepes) I will do my best to take some photos and videos to post up online.

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© 2004-2010 John Andrew Ledwith, All Rights Reserved

Furthermore, I’ll soon be making a Facebook Page for where I work. In preparation I’ve been reading up on the ins and outs of the site’s privacy settings and policies. As a rule, they’re pretty good.

However, there are two features on Facebook which each lack a privacy filter, and I would argue each needs one. I’ve sent numerous inquiries to Facebook, but since they haven’t replied or tightened things up I figured I’d point them out.

1. Imported Stories

I add/generate content on a lot of different sites, but if I don’t share that content on Facebook or Twitter no one knows about it. Facebook has a built-in feature that lets you automatically import activity from other sites. To access the area shown above click on the Options link on your profile (right under the Share button), then click on Settings. I think this feature is great, though I get the impression it’s not used by many people.

The trouble with this method of import is there’s no way to designate which of your Facebook friends can and can’t see the stories you import. (There is one exception: the Blog/RSS import is actually part of the Notes application, which does have a privacy filter.)

I think I know why there isn’t a privacy filter on the Imported Stories feature, assuming it’s not just an oversight. In order to import content this way, each of the profiles you import from must be publicly viewable. So even if there was a privacy filter on this feature nothing would prevent someone I’ve filtered out from going straight to the source. I see the logic for excluding the filter, but it’s shortsighted. This filter is necessary so a user can choose who is alerted to the existence of my content and who isn’t, even if it can’t control who can and can’t see it somewhere else on the web.

I can offer a simple alternative for those wishing to auto-import content to Facebook, but who would like the ability to add privacy controls: the FriendFeed app. The whole “import from elsewhere automatically” thing is what FriendFeed is all about. You can even join FriendFeed without signing up for a new account because they let you sign-up with your Facebook credentials.  Facebook recently purchased FriendFeed, so don’t be surprised to see these two in cahoots more often. (I don’t use this app because I import my Twitter activity into FriendFeed and don’t want to bombard my Facebook friends with all my tweets.)

2. List of Pages

Stick with me on this one, because I know some of you might be thinking, “Pages are supposed to be public.” You’re right about that, but I’m talking about the list of Pages that appears on a user’s Info tab. There is currently no way to filter which of your friends can and can’t see the list of Pages of which you’re a fan (the list you see above), even though there are a similar filters for who can see your Friends list and Groups list.

There really isn’t a workaround for this one. Once you become a Fan of something, your Facebook friends can find out about it.

You can prevent your Pages list from appearing when someone who isn’t your friend searches for you, but this is not the default setting. To change it go to the Settings drop-down menu at the top of Facebook, click on Profile Settings, then on Search. Under “Search Result Content” uncheck “Pages I am a fan of.”

General Advice: Check Your Privacy Settings

Look, I know it’s a pain, especially on Facebook because there’s just so many of them. But it really is a good idea to check through what other people can and can’t see on your web accounts. This article on AllFacebook.com might be a good starting point if you’re looking to tighten up your Facebook privacy.

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© 2004-2010 John Andrew Ledwith, All Rights Reserved

I’m happy to tell you that you can listen to this message online. You can also listen to more messages by staff and student leaders on the FSU Navigators Podcast.

I never really felt like this message had as much cohesion as I would have liked. Still, I was able to create a three-point outline to lend some structure to my thoughts. As a way of addressing my concern of speaking to neophytes I decided to emphasize the fact that sharing your faith is not optional, even though it is often the one part of being a Christ-follower that is easiest to treat that way.

One way to know whether this message had any impact will be to check back with me in three months. Students will be deciding where to live for the following year. I challenged them to have a missional mindset when making that decision, to live around those they can impact for Christ. Additionally, three months from now will also be near the sign-up deadline for summer training programs and short-term overseas mission trip. Any student who signs up for one of these trips will be demonstrating a willingness to grow in these areas.

Near the start of my message I made reference to buying a used car. I lifted this example from the intro to Donald Miller’s new book, A Million Miles in a Thousand Years. Also, I chose an ‘89 Ford Taurus (rather than the Volvo in Miller’s intro) because my parents owned that car when I was growing up. I have more memories of that car being in the shop than of it being on the road.

I extensively used Crazy Love by Francis Chan in the preparation of this message. I recommend you check it out.

I’m not sure when I’ll next be teaching at Nav Night. At the earliest it wouldn’t be until January. For more information about the FSU Navigators visit us at our website, on Facebook and on Twitter. We also have videos on YouTube and photos on Flickr.

Visit my site for more, or subscribe via email or RSS to receive new content automatically. You can also follow me on Twitter.

© 2004-2010 John Andrew Ledwith, All Rights Reserved

Google Voice is Google’s take on voicemail. It offers those of us without an iPhone or other fancy smart phone some pretty slick features for saving and organizing voice messages. But it does much more than archive messages. Google will give you a new phone number. You can then direct all your existing numbers to that one number. Indicate which line should ring when Person A calls. Block Person B entirely. Even listen in on Person C’s voicemail as they’re leaving it and, if it’s too important to wait, pick up the call mid-message just like back in the day when we all used our answering machines to screen our landline calls.

The feature set sounded awesome from day one, but I didn’t like the idea of needing to give out a new phone number to everyone just so I’d have a few more features on my phone. Google has hinted at allowing users to port their existing number to their service sometime in the future. They still haven’t added that ability, but today Google released the next best thing. You can now use many of the Google Voice features with your existing cell number.

Pro Tip

The way Google explains it you might think you would have to choose between using either a Google-provided number or your own number. In fact, when you first sign up for the service this is the first question you’ll be asked. But no matter which option you think you want, always select to receive a Google Voice number. Why? Because down the road you may want the additional features available with your Google-provided number. Because at some point you may find yourself changing numbers anyway. Whatever your specific reason, the point is you can setup Google Voice on your existing number whether you ask for a Google number or not. So why wouldn’t you?

If you sign up for Google Voice with your existing number, you’ll get:

• Online, searchable voicemail
• Free automated voicemail transcription
• Custom voicemail greetings for different callers
• Email and SMS notifications
• Low-priced international calling

If you decide to also get a new Google number, you’ll get all of the above PLUS:

• One number that reaches you on all your phones
• SMS via email
• Call screening
• Listen In
• Call recording
• Conference calling
• Call blocking

All the features in the second list only work when the person calling you dials the Google-provided number. The features in the first list can be made to work on any number, whether the person calling dials your Google-provided number or your original number.

Here’s How to Set it Up

Setting up Google Voice on your existing number is as easy as setting up call forwarding. Let’s say you signed up for a Google-provided number like I suggested, but like me you’re not eager to pass it out just yet. You just want to use the features on the first list for now. Once you sign up for Google Voice, just click on the settings tab in the upper right corner of the screen. You’ll see a screen that looks a bit like the one below.

Just click Activate Google voicemail for this phone and follow the instructions. You’ll need your phone to dial in some numbers to setup call forwarding. (It’d be a good idea to check out whether your carrier charges extra for call forwarding before you set this up.)

Get Started

To use Google Voice you’ll need to find an invite. Some existing Google Voice users have invites to pass out. (I have not been given any yet.) You can also request an invitation here. If you’re already using Google Voice let me know what you think of it.

Visit my site for more, or subscribe via email or RSS to receive new content automatically. You can also follow me on Twitter.

© 2004-2010 John Andrew Ledwith, All Rights Reserved

I’m happy to tell you that you can listen to this message online. You can also listen to more messages by staff and student leaders on the FSU Navigators Podcast.

From my perspective the evening went quite well. I’ve been happy to find, after talking with a number of students, staff and alumni who were there, that what I said met many people right where they were at. In the end it turned out my one issue — an issue only I seem to think is a big deal — was time. I spoke for an hour! I didn’t have a watch on and the room has no clock. Going in I knew I had more material for this talk than I’d ever had when teaching at Nav Night previously, but while speaking I had no concept of how long I’d been up there. When I sat down I glanced at a friend’s watch and was stunned to see that it was 10 PM. Lesson learned: keep a close eye on the run time, both during prep and when teaching.

If you’re interested in studying the topic of conflict resolution further you should have a look at the books I used to help me prepare: The Peacemaker by Ken Sande and Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges.

I’ll be teaching at Nav Night again on November 3. This time I’ll be speaking about missions. Check out the FSU Navigators at our website, on Facebook and on Twitter.

Visit my site for more, or subscribe via email or RSS to receive new content automatically. You can also follow me on Twitter.

© 2004-2010 John Andrew Ledwith, All Rights Reserved