Shhhh. I’m up to something new.

One of the things I love about community is the details. The idiosyncracies behind the bloggers; the flecks of personality that make people them.

I get lost in those small table conversations where we recount the banner causes of our lives intertwined with our commentary about a sitcom we watched the night before.

So every week for a while, I’m going to choose a couple leaders from the speaking, blogging, writing and general influencing landscape to celebrate the details. Here’s to those little bits of us that make us more fully rounded humans than our blog personas might be able to capture.

With no further delay, I bring you a small table conversation with Ron Edmondson and Cathleen Falsani. Thank you both for taking the time to answer a few questions.

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Ron Edmondson

Sarah: What are you reading these days?

Ron: Jesus Is: Find a New Way to Be Human by Judah Smith
Decisive: How to Make Better Choices In Life and Work, by Chip and Dan Heath
Craveable: The Irresistible Jesus In Me, by Artie Davis
Speed of Trust: The One Thing That Changes Everything, by Stephen Covey
Look Before You Lead: How to Discern and Shape Church Culture, by Aubrey Malphurs

And a dozen or so blogs.

Sarah: Wow. Read at all? :) Okay, what are you listening to right now?

Ron: I listen to a lot of different things. I love all things Chris Tomlin and Hillsong. But I also enjoy the music of the 80’s on Pandora.

Sarah: Long live the 80’s. Onto the silver screen. What are you watching lately?

Ron: I’m a Blue Bloods fan. I also like The Voice and Monday night sitcoms. By Monday night, I need something mindless. I like romantic comedies, because it usually means I can sit beside my wife and hold her hand.

Sarah: I think you just snuck in a date-night tip there. How about this? Where do you find yourself going?

Ron: I’m always looking for the next great coffee shop. My wife and I love to travel. Next stop Houston. Then Wisconsin. Then a cruise. Hopefully a cruise. We are hitting all 50 states and we have 8 to go.

Sarah: And who–just name one person–that you find yourself with these days?

Ron: Cheryl. My wife. She gets me and, therefore, completes me. She’s the best partner I could hope so. I can’t imagine doing ministry without her.

Sarah: This Cheryl person sounds important. She’s crept up in a few answers now. Let’s see if you can work her in here. Last question. What are you cooking? Or should I start with do you cook?

Ron: I’m actually a cook. I was raised by a single mom and she kept us in the kitchen. I cook everything from scratch. Following a recipe stresses me out. I cook everything from meat dishes to desserts. My wife is my biggest fan.

Ron is the pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church. His site, Ron Edmondson.Com, is one of the most visited ministry blogs in the world. I met Ron at a coffee shop in Franklin, Tennessee, but now he lives and serves in Lexington.

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Cathleen Falsani

Sarah: What are you reading these days?

Cathleen: On Heaven and Earth: Pope Francis on Faith, Family, and the Church in the Twenty-First Century by Jorge Mario Bergoglio and Abraham Skorka

Life’s Operating Manual by Tom Shadyac

Aether Apparel’s blog, Anne Lamott’s FB feed, daily emailis from Seth Godin and Fred Beuchner; and Google searches for “Dutch door” and “architectural salvage.”

Cathleen: First Aid Kit, Skinny Lister, and a lot of Mumford & Sons

Cathleen: “I Am” – the 2011 documentary by Tom Shadyac; “Game of Thrones,” too many “BREAKING NEWS” reports on CNN; reruns of “Malcolm in the Middle,” and my weight.

Sarah: Ha. Clever, clever. And the people paying attention will note this Tom guy has been mentioned twice. Take notes, friends. This next question will be a good one for you. Where are you going these days?

Cathleen: Three ounces of protein and a lot of celery and asparagus.

Cathleen is an award-winning journalist and author of several books. You can find out more about her at CathleenFalsani.com. I first met her online, in an email exchange about writing books for Zondervan. She still has her hands in even more projects than I do.

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