My Top Five Favorite Sites...

To the average bystander, it would probably seem I'm on a mission. A mission to see how many sites I can join before I turn 40.

Oh wait. I already am 40.

No I'm not.

Ok, I am.

Now that we have that out of the way, on to more important things. Like websites.

I've heard people say they refuse to join yet another networking site. They already belong to a bazillion, they don't have the time, yada, yada. And I can understand that. In fact, for a while, I was joining sites left and right. Then I started receiving notices - daily - from sites asking where I was. "We miss you!" the subject lines read.

I was touched. Really, I was. Especially because my own kids don't say that even when they go camping for a week without me.

But I digress.

When these notices started appearing in my email inbox, I wondered if I might just be joining more sites than I could handle. Hey - my hair may flip up on the ends and I may dress a little strangely from time to time (just ask my kids), and my name may be Lynda with a "Y" but I'm no Wonder Woman.

So I whittled down a little, picking and choosing the sites I can't live without. I ended up with five, which isn't bad, as long as I am able to appropriately balance my time on each of them. That's not always easy - and sometimes I fail - but I refuse to give them up. So here are my top five favorite sites:

FaithWriters - I joined over four years ago and FaithWriters is, singlehandedly, the site that rejumped my writing career. I can't even tell you how many opportunities have come to me through FaithWriters. And don't even get me started on the members. They are the warmest, most genuine group of Christians I've ever met. And I am proud to call them some of my closest friends.

GodLinked - Ok, I'm a little biased here, because I am site administrator at GodLinked. It's my baby...well, not exactly MY baby, but I did play a (very) small part in its start-up, such as the name and the motto: Connecting our faith, one link at a time.

I don't do MySpace, even though my kids do (and we monitor their activity, believe me). GodLinked is similar to MySpace but without all the junk. The people are fabulous, we've got some great groups started (including Authors, Comedians, Desperate Moms, Weight Watchers, Lighter Moments, Teens, Prayer Intercessory, Scrapbookers Corner - just to name a few - and the forums are also beginning to pick up steam. So if you're looking for a Christian networking site, check out GodLinked. It's relatively new but there's a lot of potential there.

Twitter - Who thought of this name, anyway? Doesn't matter. I personally love the name and love the concept. The point is to type blurbs about what you're doing at the moment - up to 140 characters (which aint a lot, trust me! Really tests a writer's chopping skills). You can follow as many Twitterers as you'd like and respond to their posts. You can twitter from your computer, ipod or phone. As of right now, I am following 27 and have 20 followers. This is nothing compared to most, but give me a break - I'm just getting started.

Facebook - I felt so out of the loop...all my friends had a Facebook and I didn't. So, basically giving in to peer pressure, I joined. I didn't think I'd like it. Honestly, I hoped I wouldn't like it. But, guess what? I LOVE IT. Facebook has allowed me to reconnect with high school friends and keep in touch with far-away cousins. Lots of fun stuff there...so beware, it is a potential time-waster. But it's quickly becoming a favorite.

ACFW - I shouldn't even need to explain why American Christian Fiction Writers will always be listed in my "favorites." Loaded with all the tools and resources I need on my journey towards "published author", I wouldn't dare stray far. And the message boards are fun - where else can I rub shoulders with the authors I love? Sometimes I feel so unworthy to be in the presence of such greatness...

So there you have it. Five sites I won't be giving up anytime soon (if ever!). So what are your top 5 irresistable and addicting sites? I might check them out and I might not, depending on how much space I have left on my balancing scale.

Now, excuse me. I have to go twitter.