If the finale of American Idol has left you feeling empty and confused about what to do on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, or if the final word on the results still doesn’t settle the question of who really won this season, maybe it’s time to start looking for a way to move on.
Here are 10 suggestions for things you can do, now that American Idol is over:

1. Read a book. May I suggest the Bible or My Utmost for His Highest devotional by Oswald Chambers? Or if you’re at all interested in social psychology and how fads start, decisions are made, and winners are born, check out The Tipping Point, Blink or Outliers, all by Malcolm Gladwell.

2. Find another show to follow for the next several months. It’s still early in the season for “So You Think You Can Dance.” Maybe you can find another contestant to root for (and uncover another conspiracy theory early enough to prevent it from affecting the results).
3. Tune up your own vocal cords. Audition cities for season 9 have been announced! You can head to Boston, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Orlando or Denver for your own chance to compete on American Idol. And remember, if you can’t be good, at least be interesting.
4. Turn off the TV. It’s almost summer, so why not emerge from your Idol-induced coma and breathe some fresh air and soak up the sunshine?
5. Volunteer at a local soup kitchen or homeless shelter. I know that the results of season 8 stirred up a lot of debate and emotion, and for many Idol fans the elimination of their favorite contestant from the show felt like a personal affront. But maybe it’s time to gain some perspective by serving some people who have real problems.
6. Turn off the computer. You can get on as many message boards as you want and hound all the bloggers you can email in a day, but it’s not going to change the outcome of this year’s results.
7. Check out music from some other Idols. Reuben Studdard as a new album out. So do Mandisa, Melinda Doolittle, and Taylor Hicks. Phil Stacey has an new album coming out in August, and Chris Daughtry’s new album releases in July. In fact, there’s music from almost every Idol contestant. And by the time you’re through all of that, Kris Allen and Adam Lambert will have albums out, and Danny Gokey might be on “Dancing With The Stars.”
8. Find something else to read on the Gospel Souncheck blog. Although American Idol has been by far the most popular topic, I cover Christian music and mainstream music with ties to Christian music. And there’s always something new for you to get mad at me about, from the Newsboys new lead singer to the debate about gay Christian music to my ongoing quest to define Christian music.
9. See the Idols on tour. Tickets for the tour, which kicks off July 5th in Portland, OR, are on sale now. You’ll get to see all Top 10 contestants, including Adam Lambert, Kris Allen, Allison Iraheta, Danny Gokey, Anoop Desai, Matt Giraud, Megan Joy, Michael Sarver, Alexis Grace and Scott MacIntyre.
10. Seek professional help. If you’re still crying over Danny Gokey’s elimination or investigating conspiracy theories about who really blocked Adam Lambert from winning, perhaps it’s time to seek some objective feedback about how to move on. American Idol is, after all, just a television show. And you still have seven months to clear your head before season 9 kicks off in January.
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Read my feature on faith and American Idol at WorldNetDaily.com.