As I was cleaning up my Google Reader subscriptions yesterday I realized how many blogs I used to read have fallen by the wayside.

Some have stopped being good, others have just stopped.

It made me want to celebrate the blogs that I love the most, so here they are. (and since it’s the all-star break in the Major Leagues, let’s make these folks grab their gloves and play the field.)

The 2010 BryanAllain.com Blog All-Stars

Here’s the lineup card:

P – Jon Acuff (StuffChristiansLike.net) [what i love] – Jon is consistent. I know I’m getting a funny post from Jon 4 days a week, a serious post on wednesday, and something community-related on saturday. I know I’m getting his authentic voice because he has done such a good job developing it. To me, Jon is the definition of a great blogger.

C – Tyler Stanton (TylerStanton.com) [what i love] – Tyler is one of the funniest people I know. When he writes something funny on his blog, it’s not just trying to be funny, it actually is funny. It also helps that he knows the power of self-deprecation. He knows about self-defecation too, but we won’t get into that here.

1B – Ben Arment (BenArment.com) [what i love] – I love reading Ben’s blog because of the things Ben has done in his life. He’s written a book, started a conference, planted a church, and left good jobs more than once to pursue his dreams. That kind of resume earns cred with me, and it’s the reason I find his blog so inspiring. Though he might not write as much as he used to, and despite his veiled threats about leaving blogging for tumblr, it’s still one of my go-to sites.

2B – Darren Rowse (ProBlogger.net) [what i love] – Darren blogs for a living and is open and transparent about the things he has done to put himself in that position. Through guest posts and his own writing, he provides consistent inspiration for bloggers like myself who want to get the most out of all the time and effort that goes in to maintaining a healthy blog. Likable, humble, and a great teacher, Darren is the real deal.

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Here’s a few things that caught my attention on the world wide spider web this week:

[+] Stuff Christian’s Like’s Jon Acuff blew me away this week with his post on “Refusing the Gift of the Desert Road“. Really appreciated the perspective this gave me with regards to my own journey as a writer.

[+] Speaking of perspective, I enjoyed Donald Miller’s post on leaders needing to be able to admit when they’re wrong. His blog post came in light of Robert McNamara’s death. I didn’t know much about the man, but I’ve heard that The Fog of War is worth a watch.

[+] Speaking of Robert McNamara, over at the Burnside Blog Karen Spears Zacharias wrote an inspired rebuttal to Don’s blog post that examined the other side of the coin.

[+] Speaking of things that are metal, if you’re a golfer and you’ve heard about the changes coming to the grooves in your irons, this post has all the details you could ever want.

[+] Speaking of things you might want, would you like to instantly know how far a Home Run was hit in next week’s home run derby so you can challenge your friends to a “yell out the distance of the home run as it leaves the bat” contest? Well, thanks to some newfangled doppler technology, now you will.

[+]Finally, speaking of challenging, Ben Arment continues to keep me from getting comfortable. This post on how fear can paralyze us was a nice kick in the ribs. Thanks Ben!

A couple of guys who write blogs I read every day – Ben Arment and Jon Acuff – had posts up today about the books they are working on. Jon Acuff’s Stuff Christians Like book will be published in 2010 by Zondervan. Ben Arment’s book will reportedly be out next year, but he hasn’t mentioned a publisher yet.

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little bit jealous. But only a little. I think my time might be coming, and I’m willing to wait for it. And if it doesn’t, I’ll be okay with that too because it won’t be for lack of effort.

Congrats Ben and Jon!

If you like what you read here, you might enjoy these as well…these are some of the Christian bloggers on the interspheres that I admire…

Ragamuffin Soul – Carlos Whittaker is a worship leader at Buckhead Church in Atlanta. He’s got one of the most widely read blogs of any Christian online. He’s honest, funny, and always willing to try new things. If you watch L.A. Ink, you might recognize him as the guy who got Saul tattooed on his arm.

FlowerDust.net – Anne Jackson is the author of the upcoming book “Mad Church Disease”. She’s on staff at Cross Point Church in Nashville, TN. The thing I love about her blog is the way her community has rallied around the causes she believes in. According to her blog, her readers have donated over $100,000 to help those lacking resources.

History in the Making – Ben Arment is a former church planter who now works for Catalyst. He’s all about innovation, be it as a leader, an artist, or a christian. His posts are always short and to the point, and usually it’s a great point.

Stuff Christians Like – Jon Acuff runs one of the most popular Christian humor blogs on the planet. An unrelated spinoff of the hilarious Stuff White People Like, SCL pokes fun at the Christian sub-culture with great writing and sharp wit. Jon gets bonus points for telling me in an email last month, “I read some of your work tonight and am in awe at what you are able to produce, from the don miller site to your own site to the prayer for blowouts. You are managing an empire my friend and that is awesome and inspiring. I could learn a lot from you…” Flattery will get you everywhere, my friend. Keep up the great work!