Instagram Contest

Posted on: 02/26/14 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee

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Jonathan-McKee-InstagramWINNERS POSTED! (at bottom of post)

I feel like giving something away!

Last week in Chicago my 16-year-old got on my case for Tweeting and posting pics on my Pinterest… but not Instagram. So I finally caved in to her repeated onslaughts.

“Okay… I’ll get an Instagram. Shut up!”  (Isn’t that how loving father’s talk?)

So there it is. I just leapt onto the Instagram bandwagon, and thought it would be fun to have a little contest Continue reading “Instagram Contest”

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American Idol’s Spiritual Advisor

Posted on: 02/24/14 3:30 AM | by Jonathan McKee

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American Idol JudgesAmerican Idol is still captivating American audiences, and this season the show has brought a new adviser backstage to act as a “life coach” for the young Idol hopefuls… a Christian counselor who has been helping NASCAR drivers since 1999.

Let’s be honest, it’s not easy to find good clean family programming on that big television screen in our living room. There’s Duck Dynasty… and there’s… uh… hmmm… hold on… give me a minute and I’m sure I’ll think of something!

My family has really liked American Idol over the years, but sadly, at times the show has brought in mentors whose actions were a little questionable– like the time Continue reading “American Idol’s Spiritual Advisor”

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On the Road with Mom and Dad

Posted on: 02/19/14 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee

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Ashley Chicago BeanEleven days, ten nights… over a week on the road with Mom and Dad. Poor Ashley!

Ashley is my 16-year-old, and for the last six days, she’s been in five cars, one plane, four hotels and three states with Lori and I. And we’re only halfway into it.

It’s not torture for Ashley, but it’s not her first choice for her winter break. “All eleven days? I can’t hang with my friends for any of it?!!”

Her 18-year-old sister Alyssa thinks she’s nuts. “You’re stupid Ashley. You get to go to Continue reading “On the Road with Mom and Dad”

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The Naked Truth

Posted on: 02/14/14 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee

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between the sheetsTonight I speak to a few hundred middle school kids about sex at an event at a church near Chicago called The Naked Truth.

I’m really proud of this church for addressing this subject so candidly with families, a subject that is often hushed by the church. I’m excited to share the explicit truth with these young people, especially in a culture where they hear so many explicit lies.

Here’s the intro to my talk Continue reading “The Naked Truth”

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Keeping Teens Safe Contest

Posted on: 02/10/14 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee

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Keeping Teens SafeWINNERS NOW POSTED! SEE BELOW.

It’s time for my first contest of 2014. I’ve got some great giveaways for youth workers this week: your choice of any one of my books, OR… a free registration to the Youth Specialties’ Team Training event, coming to another 8 cities across the US! (of which I’ll be teaching at 3)

Winning is simple. Just use my blog’s comment feature in this post to share your best “careless” story in no more than one paragraph. I’ll choose three winners Continue reading “Keeping Teens Safe Contest”

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Scared of e-Readers?

Posted on: 02/6/14 3:01 AM | by Jonathan McKee

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Shift towards e-readersThis week someone asked me, “Has the shift towards Kindle and iBooks hurt your book sales as an author?”

For me the answer was easy. “Not at all. I think it’s helped it.”

Yes, it’s a fact e-readers are growing in popularity. According to a new PewResearchCenter report last month, “the percentage of adults who read an e-book in the past year has risen to 28%, up from 23% at the end of 2012.” But this same report reveals most people who read e-books, also read print books, with only 4% of readers being e-book only.

Why am I not concerned? Probably because most Continue reading “Scared of e-Readers?”

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The Biggest Surprise from the Super Bowl

Posted on: 02/4/14 3:15 AM | by Jonathan McKee

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Bruno-Mars-Halftime-ShowBoring, depressing, a complete blowout… call it what you want, but Sunday’s Super Bowl game was the most-watched television show in U.S. history, drawing 111.5 million people on average. That’s a lot of people watching the competition between the top two teams, the greatest commercials of the year… and a 12-minute concert that literally changed the music charts.

So, what did families take away from this year’s Super Bowl television experience?

Past years’ on-screen antics have probably made some parents a little apprehensive about the content of this event that historically has brought friends and families together in one room watching one big screen together. Did this year prove to be the same?

Starting with a bad snap, the day was full of surprises, but the most unexpected element most people found was Continue reading “The Biggest Surprise from the Super Bowl”

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