[Note from the Proprietor: In case you're wondering what it's all about, well, we're smack in the middle of BLOGAPALOOZA! Hey, you're welcome to join in the fun if you like! All ya gotta do is click that cute little link and read all about it!]

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Guest post by Barry Wallace who writes over at who am I?

Well, Robert said this would be easy. He lied. Before I could list my favorite posts, I had to decide on the criteria for determining what constitutes a “favorite.” Would it be “the best written,” or “the most meaningful to me,” or “the most visited,” or some odd combination of the three?

In the end I leaned toward a fourth option-”most discussed.” I like posts that generate discussion because I believe that everyone involved benefits more from the interaction and exchange of ideas than they might have from the original post alone. That became the guiding principle for my selections, although the other criteria I mentioned factored into some of my choices.

Having said all that, I could almost just as easily have compiled a completely different list of favorites. So if you have time, just browse through the archives a while. You might uncover a few gems.

AUGUST – I began blogging the last week of August, but somehow one of my posts attracted the attention of a visitor who described himself as an atheist. The ensuing discussion was thought-provoking. Made For Another World

SEPTEMBER – This was my most prolific month of blogging, so the sheer number of posts to choose from made this decision difficult. In the end I opted for the one that is still the most visited on my site. It was my gut reaction to an announcement I had just read minutes before composing this post. Ray Boltz announces he’s gay

OCTOBER – In my opinion, almost all of the best things I’ve written were written this month, which made deciding on one post very difficult. The post I chose to include on this list is probably the most personal thing I’ve written. You can never go home again

NOVEMBER – My November selection is not my favorite post for this month, but trying to be objective I think it may be my most important theological reflection of the month (and besides, there were some great comments on this one). D.A. Carson and C.H. Spurgeon on Compatibilism

DECEMBER – Time to think about New Year’s Resolutions. One of the best resolutions we can make is to know ourselves truly, but that’s not as easy as it sounds. Here’s some help. Students lie, cheat, steal, but say their ethical standards are good

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My name is Barry Wallace (the fellow on the left). I live in Sikeston, MO, famous for being the home of Lambert’s “throwed rolls”, America’s Got Talent winner Neal E. Boyd, and LA Dodgers second baseman Blake DeWitt.

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[Further note from the Proprietor: Hey, if you're interested in having your own "best of 2008" posts highlighted right here at the Middle Zone, then by all means, click on this link: (BLOGAPALOOZA: What I Learned From 2008) and read all about it! BLOGAPALOOZA will be open for entries from now until Sunday, January 25.]

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