21 Days of Prayer: Twitter Pre-Party

Hi friends! I am so excited for the start of our group, as we build a community of women that are passionate about lifting their sons in prayer. At last count, there are over 800 participants in the challenge! We are our own small slice!


We are going to keep this group mostly on Twitter. WAIT! Some of you are running away. Hands off your mouse! Keep reading.


I know that some of you are not on Twitter yet. But you really, really want to be part of this challenge. And I really, really want you to join us. And just to make everyone feel better, I am going to share with you my own 2009 Twitter newbie confession, complete with pictures at the end of this post. But first, let me give a few details about the group.


We are going to have our very own Twitter pre-party this Sunday, June 5 at 9pm EST/6PM PST. Mid west people, help me on the math for your time zone. We are aiming for 30 minutes. If you are still hanging out after that, we will go a little longer. This is a chance for you to get to know each other and also for those brand new to Twitter to give it a chance. I will be giving away copies of Warrior Prayers, and maybe something special for you folks who already have a copy. We will use the hashtag #warriormom. You can thank the witty and funny Lora Lynn from Vitafamiliae for choosing the hashtag! Between now and our party, we can use the hashtag for our tweets!


The actual Warrior Prayers challenge begins Wednesday, June 8. We will continue to use the hashtag #warriormom throughout the challenge. I would go on about the hashtag but the folks reading this that are new to Twitter are probably saying HASH what?!?!


So Twitter Newbies, I bring you my Twitter Confession!


But first, a little of my own background. I met Lora Lynn eleven years ago at church, before we had digital cameras. YES, it was that long ago. The pictures I needed of us to tell our whole story about how we can teach you anything, do not exist. So I have to skip the juicy story. I asked many people across the country for such pictures on Thursday to no avail. But since Rachel generously produced this one picture for me, I must post it. Lora Lynn had just had the twins, I was very pregnant with my first son, and Rachel was also pregnant with her first son.The very next year Rachel moved to Kansas, I moved to Hawaii, and soon Lora Lynn moved to Alabama.

Then months after I moved to California, Lora Lynn and some of her crew came to visit. I had all kinds of blogging questions to ask her, because she has blogged far longer and better than me.  


And I felt very small and intimidated and incompetent and asked her about Twitter. 


These Twitter things all scared me: @, #, DM, RT.


And I sat in my kitchen on the edge of my bar stool and felt all sweaty palms sitting next to someone with close to a thousand Twitter followers, thinking, I don't get this Twitter thing. She probably thinks I am a complete idiot.


Oh, I so wish I had a picture of us playing cards to show you....to show you I am NOT a complete idiot and can hold my own with her and her Euchre muscles. (It's a card game.) 


She popped open her laptop, showed me her account and walked me through Twitter, step by step. Really, I did not need this Twitter thing. I had no idea why I asked her about @, #, DM, and RT. Now I had to act mildly interested. She was so effectively explaining it to me. But, I had no time for this Twitter stuff. I was very pregnant with my third son. And before I could finish arguing with myself about Twitter, she was done explaining and I knew what I was doing in less than 5 minutes. There is not much to Twitter at all. The great thing about Twitter is that you can build connections and community in an instant. So here I am, pregnant again, with Lora Lynn just after I survived her Twitter lesson.

I want you to just try it for 30 minutes, this Sunday, June 5 at 9pm EST. I am giving away prizes, remember?


So here is what you need to do:


1. Set up your account at www.twitter.com
2. Click on Search. Type this: #warriormom. Save the search.
3. Use the hashtag #warriormom anytime you want our group members to see your tweet.

I will be creating a list for folks whose Twitter handles I already have. Right next to the Searches tab you will see another tab for Lists. If I have your Twitter handle I will list you under warriormom. If you create an account please follow me @thefarmerfiles so I know you have created an account and can add you to the list. You need to follow the list (see the green button after you click Lists), and that will have you follow our group. 


I will start tweeting today using the #warriormom hashtag. Those of you already on Twitter show me some love, and tweet back, m'kay? Newbies, play around a little so you will be ready for our Twitter party Sunday night. How do you attend the party? Very easy. Log into your Twitter account Sunday night before 9pm. You will start to see my tweets coming your way right at 9pm!!


thefarmerfiles at gmail dot com.