Why Fallen and Flawed Is Back After an Epic Two-Year Sabbatical

The only reason why I really wanted to write this blog post is so I could show you the coolest logo in the world.

I’ll tell you who designed it for me below.

But then I thought that since THIS May 20, 2012 will mark the 2 year anniversary of abandoning Fallen and Flawed, I should probably tell you why I bailed on it in the first place and why I’m bringing it back now.

Let’s have some fun.

Short History on Fallen and Flawed

If you want a longer treatment of the old blog, then read A Beginner’s Guide: 10 Classic Fallen and Flawed Posts.

For those of you who want an abbreviated version, keep reading.

(By the way, I tell this story at the end of my about page–the about page that is nearly 3,000 words long. I thought I’d spare you.)

F+F started as project to hack my way into a seminary MA degree, which amounted to reading the books off course syllabuses at Covenant Theological Seminary…and then blogging about what I learned.

I created quick and dirty guides on the nature of God, the end of history and the book of Mark.

interviewed atheists and reviewed books.

I intended to keep at it for 2 years, but after 300 articles in 18 months I stopped for private circumstances.

I could’ve picked it back up. But I didn’t.

Instead, I went about my business…reading books, sitting with friends around a conference table discussing that terrible book by Rob Bell called and generally enjoying the lack of responsibility.

Eventually the domain expired. I warned Rob Powell that it was about to expire, and he graciously–without having to be asked–scraped all of the content and handed it off to me.

I then parked it onto a file on my computer…content never to blog again.

Why I Changed My Mind

In early 2011 my life got real interesting. I quit my full-time job to go to seminary.

To really get that MA.

Of course I still needed to care for my wife and children. That meant I had to work as a freelance writer, which I happily embraced.

However, the seminary experience was short-lived.

In June of 2011 I took a 5-week course on Biblical Greek that ate me alive. In 2.5 short weeks I dropped out because I simply did not have what it takes to start a business AND go to graduate school.

That , but allowed me to focus on making money for the family.

God graciously and generously blessed my work so within six months I was making more money than when I was employed. But this freelance life and its  was not without its handicaps…

And from late September to early January I worked hard.

Really hard.

Even fell into some bad habits.

Within time I burned myself out and  in the span of a week or two.

I needed to change something.

Was it working for myself? Too many hours? Who I worked for? Should I go back to school? Write a novel? Give up?

To be honest, nothing seemed attractive.

But it was my wife who suggested I bring Fallen and Flawed back to life as part of my therapy.

The moment she mentioned it something shifted in me.

In a good way.

So, just to test the waters I hunted down fallenandflawed.com. Somebody else owned it…but fortunately this lead me to an even better option: fallenflawed.com.

MUST Brag about the Blog, the Logo

This excited me to no end, and I spent the next three months uploading old articles, finding new images and talking to friends to help me piece this bad boy back together.

I went with this because of two reasons: enhanced readability and image display.

Those two features–and their associated benefits of better online reading and visually stunning images–are the most important to me. The most important things I want to give you, my readers.

Furthermore, since so many people access the web through smart phones and tablets, I’m using the , which renders a really good mobile version.

But by far the logo is the coolest thing in the world. One of my best friends from high school––designed it.

I gave him a few pages of examples, a bullet list of ideas, let him read through some of my content and then let him loose. 

I’d say he hit this one out of the park, don’t you think?

Your Turn

My goal is to post four to five days a week. And while I’ve got a lot of content ‘d like to share, I’m more interested in hearing what YOU would like to see.

Would you mind leaving a suggestion in the comment section or emailing me?

I’d appreciate any help I can get.

Truly, what I missed most about blogging was community and conversation…something that’s hard to achieve if you are talking to yourself.

20 thoughts on “Why Fallen and Flawed Is Back After an Epic Two-Year Sabbatical

  1. Anonymous

    I think it’s awesome that you are starting up a blog again… I am in the same boat with you. Before I met Robbie I blogged ALL THE TIME, but then my life just got all shifted around and it fell through the cracks. But I felt the void and I have recently started one up again too. I feel like something inside of me is coming back to life!!! My hope in blogging is that I will be spurred on towards an even deeper relationship with God. And I love to share what He is doing and speaking to me! So there you have it.

    Reply
    1. DemianFarnworth

      Excellent Gina. I know what you mean when you say that life can get the best of you. It does have it’s wee little demands. If you know what I mean. Love you and Robbie to death, so I appreciate your support. Looking forward to seeing how God is working in your life, too!

      Reply
    1. DemianFarnworth

      Thanks Don! I enjoy hearing from you, sir. I hope I can inspire, and maybe even share a guest post or two with you.

      Reply
  2. Rob

    It was a long two year break! Glad you are back at it and can’t wait to see what the future holds here. The new logo is sweet!

    Reply
    1. DemianFarnworth

      Glad you like the logo. It is indeed sweet. Not telling anybody, but like your new gmail address. ????

      Reply
  3. Anonymous

    Bro! You totally took my by surprise. It’s good, though, because you’re wife is awesome and we can tell she loves you and supports you.

    Reply
    1. DemianFarnworth

      Man, great suggestions, Jonathan. I’d be curious to hear more about what you mean by “starting and maintaining movements.” And I’d wonder if we’d see eye to eye on that. Practical implications of biblical doctrines is something I definitely need to get better at. And what is “community-centered growth”?

      Reply
  4. Anonymous

    Welcome back, Demian. You know I’ve always enjoyed your writing. And I’ve practically quit blogging myself, so I’ll have plenty of time to read your blog!

    Reply
  5. Anonymous

    You asked for suggestions about what to write about. Here’s mine: write about your passions; write about the things that are going to grow you up in the Lord; write about what you need to hear yourself. Preach to yourself and let others in on that. Write about the same thing over and over again, because it’s what you want to write about. Don’t write about what you think people want you to write about and don’t care about how many readers you get.

    Reply
    1. DemianFarnworth

      Abigail, that is spot on. Great advice. I so hear you. And can relate. I’ve spent the last two years [for work] writing things that I don’t have a passion for and it makes me a very horrible person if I’m not using my gifts to honor God. Thank you for your great comment. ????

      Reply
  6. Denita TwoDragons

    The simple format is punchy and powerful without slapping one’s retinas into next week. I really really like it!

    Reply
    1. DemianFarnworth

      Part of my therapy as in you are my therapist…or co-patient? Either way, I’m cool. ????

      Reply
  7. Jonathan Roy

    So happy to see you are back! You’re etched in my mind forever because it was your blog where I first heard of David Platt. I’ve watched so many of his sermons now, watched all of the Secret Churches (and attended all the simulcasts from FL), and then on to discovering Matt Chandler and some other people from the reformed community I hadn’t heard of. And it all flowed out from your Radical review and a comment someone wrote on it with a link to the sermon series it was based on. ???? I also became Facebook friends with Al from your blog.

    Reply

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