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Archive for the ‘Blogging’ Category

Get Going and Get Blogging

10 Sep

One of the easiest ways to be creative is to blog.  It’s nearly free and takes so little time that it’s any wonder everyone isn’t blogging.  But they aren’t and that’s too bad because it’s a wonderful outlet for ideas and conversation.

I thought I would compile the posts that TDS readers have enjoyed the most related to blogging in the hopes that you’ll try it out or encourage someone else to do so:

How Much Soul Does Your Blogging Provide?

When God and Blogs Intersect

How Twitter Can Make Life More Contemplative

Confessions of a Lazy Blogger

5 Facts About Blogging

How Authors Can Benefit from Blogging

*Photo by smemom87

 
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Posted in Blogging

 

How Much Soul Does Your Blogging Provide?

26 Apr

This is of course the key question to blogging- what difference does it make? Pope Benedict XVI is asking the same question of bloggers.  I’m inspired by such blogs as Shrinking the Camel, Michael Hyatt, Productivity at Home and Scott Cheatham.  These folks make a difference because they inject something human into their blogging.

Something soulful, you could say.

More and more, I see a value to Facebook for adults but very little positive from it for young people.  The amount of vile commentary that spews daily from one person to the next on the walls of Facebook is enough to concern any parent. Where is the soul?

In whatever your doing, inject some soul today!  Talk about prayer.  Mention the existence of God.  Share your faith with someone in need.  Demonstrate compassion.  It’s never too late to be soulful in whatever you’re doing.

*photo courtesy of salt of the earth

 
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Posted in At Work, Blogging, Communication, Education, Faith

 

What I Learned from a Two Week Digital Fast

12 Apr

Prior to Easter, I was feeling a bit strained so I decided to “go dark” (in software developer’s language) and go offline for a few weeks.  I figured that with Holy Week and then a vacation with my family, it was the perfect time to hit the pause button and unplug.

Little did I know that I would enjoy it so much.

With Twitter, email, voicemail and weekly blog posts, it’s safe to say that I’m pretty well connected.  Here are some things I learned as I now gradually ease back into digital life:

  1. It’s not that difficult. You just do it, plain and simple.  For those who feel they can’t, try it.  You may be surprised.
  2. It’s helpful to tell folks that you’re going offline. My blog post from March 29 explained to readers that I was shutting things down in order to reconnect with the Lord and my family.  Those are hard to argue with and friends were very supportive.
  3. You enjoy time with family and friends more. When you’re not worried about Twitter or email, time is freed up to have quality time with those you love.
  4. You’re not fully out of reach for emergencies. With my role at work, I can’t afford to be 100% out of reach so some folks know how to get hold of me.  That’s just how it has to be in the digital world and it’s ok.  No one abused the sabbatical by calling me every twenty minutes to see how things were going.
  5. You learn more deeply about the importance of sabbatical. Honoring sabbath is still a relevant concept and makes a whole lot of sense.
  6. It’s good to gradually enter back into the fold. Like all fasts, it’s good to ease back into things.  I chose Twitter as this means and started posting items last week.

So how do I feel now that I’m back online?  More energetic, more ready to tackle the challenges of life.  More connected with God and family.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or tired, why not try a digital fast for a week or two?

*Photo by totojaunjo

 
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Posted in At Work, Blogging, Communication, Faith, Family, Sabbath

 

Easter Break & Blogging Sabbatical

29 Mar

“Sabbath keeping is not about taking a day off but about
being recalled to our knowledge of and gratitude for God’s activity in creating
the world, giving liberty to captives, and overcoming the powers of death.”

— Dorothy C. Bass

Christians around the world entered into Holy Week as of today, Palm Sunday.  For literally millions of believers, this week above all others is considered “set apart”, that is to say it is holy by virtue of what took place this week two thousand years ago.

For me, work has been crazy lately.  As I checked in earlier today with my mentor, I had to admit that “busyness” is not necessarily godliness.  Still, we press on and keep positive.  I like to think of this as God’s week and my family and I will be traveling and spending a lot of time at church.

In the spirit of taking a sabbatical (or practicing sabbath), I’ll be stepping away from blogging until mid-April.  I need a break.  For those wondering, “Is Mike okay”, the answer is a resounding yes.  Everyone needs a break and it will enable me to come on back with more gusto than ever before.

See you in a few weeks!

*Photo by unhindered by talent

 
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Posted in Blogging, Motivation, Sabbath

 

When God and Blogs Intersect

22 Mar

Anyone who has a blog has tinkered with tweaks and modifications to everything from the design to the very name of the blog.  This often leads to spin-off blogs that extend the blogger’s expertise into the community.

Here’s an example- Leo Babauta of Zen Habits eventually created Write To Done and then Mnmlist.  He’s a prolific writer with many interests and his readership has obviously liked what it’s seen.

Two spin-offs that I’ve toyed with over the years have been FaithWorker and BraveProductivity.  While I haven’t pulled the trigger, each time a spin-off comes to mind it gives me pause.  Should I switch my blog name?  What kind of marketing campaign would be needed if I were to switch?

If you’re a blogger, pay attention to the inner stirrings that your platform provides.  A stirring is a classic Quaker concept whereby you listen to what God may be telling you.  For bloggers, this may come from a comment that someone posts or from an email that someone sends you.  If you run contests on your blog, the feedback that you generate may tell you something.

How do you listen to the voice of God within your online platform?

*photo by AnnieMol

 
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Posted in Blogging, Faith

 

Tech Surprises from 2009

05 Jan

2778557435_7aafca784d_mGone are the days of hanging back from the world of technology.  In the new era of Web 2.0, the information you want shapes how you interact with the internet.  As I looked back at 2009, some surprises emerged in my own life:

So how about you?  Which Web 2.0 sites or personalities surprised you in 2009?

Bonus: the most interesting person that I met in 2009: David Allen

*Photo by Ewan M

 
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Posted in Blogging, Communication, Web/Tech

 

A New Blog I’d Like to Recommend

21 Oct

tpminI’ve written for Today’s Parish Minister for several years and Editor Nick Wagner is a standup guy.  I like the way in which TPM challenges the status quo and then encourages those folks who work in churches around the country.  I’ve said it before but I believe that youth ministers and religious ed coordinators may have the toughest jobs on the planet.  It was how I spent three years at my parish here in NJ.  You know, back in the day.

Today’s Parish Minister has a new blog which I’d like everyone to check out.  It features yours truly plus a host of other top-flight contributors.  Click here for the jump to the new Today’s Parish Minister blog.  Enjoy!

 
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Posted in Blogging, Faith

 

Two Years ago on The Daily Saint: 5 Facts About Blogging

21 Aug

2836828090_d44f5278bd_mBlogging is good for you, or so we think.  My first post in 2005 laid the groundwork for what drives me today- a passion for meaningful work.  The power of blogging is undeniable (think: Blog Action Day) and sites like the Huffington Postare now home to one of our favorite authors, David Allen.  Here are five surprising facts about blogging that are now emerging more strongly than ever before.

  1. Blogging is good for your health. An Australia university found that those who blogged for two months regularly felt more connected and purposeful than those who hadn’t.  With sites like MySpace, Facebook and various social networking connectors (i.e. Digg), it’s easier than ever for startup bloggers to gain vocal power.
  2. There are 175,000 new blogs born every day. A lot of people have a lot to say and while that’s a good thing, it also makes specialty blogs (like The Daily Saint) more valuable than ever before.
  3. One blog is born every half second. With English as the most popular language of choice, followed closely by Japanese, there are more ways than ever before to publish to your blog.  Twitter widgets are gaining popularity (2000 new accounts per day)  and you can even post to your blog via Jott.
  4. The Blogosphere is spinning new tails. Apparently political bloggers have driven this movement of new venues and niche markets that cater to the politically savvy among us.  I would add technologists and to a much smaller degree, productivity-minded folks.
  5. Blogging will soon slow down and go mainstream. As Seth Godin points out, there is a growing tragedy of the commons when it comes to blogs.  More readers read different blogs, making it easier to leave yours.  The answer: specialization.  My response has been to forge The Daily Saint as within the productivity niche, but with a totally unique spiritual twist.

The Spiritual Twist
Blogging can be helpful in getting thoughts out of your head and onto “paper”.  As long as you don’t become obsessed with your traffic, RSS subscriptions and what the other guy is doing, I think it is a tremendous opportunity and vehicle.  Looking at blogging as a stewardship is also a good idea.  You are there to serve, not just broadcast whatever is in your head.

What’s your motivation for blogging?

*photo by Kristina B

 
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Posted in Blogging, Ministry

 
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