It’s been a good year. It is my hope to keep on blogging, keep on challenging as I am being challenged, and share the growth I hope I am receiving in my walk with Christ.
Hopefully an upgrade
I have used WordPress for years and had the “free” plan. That meant from time to time there would be ads at the bottom of each post.
A family member sent me a screen shot the other day of a post with an ad at the bottom. It was enough to send me scrambling to pay for an upgrade so hopefully readers won’t have to see ads like THAT any more.
Hopefully, my site will now be “ad free.”
90,000
I have finally passed 90,000 views for my blog. Small potatoes in the blogging world, but for me a moment to say thanks. I am so encouraged to know people are reading, and the comments I get on Facebook. I am also grateful for those I meet and they compliment my posts. It’s gratifying.
Thank you for paying attention. Thank you for listening to my rants and random thoughts. You encourage me along the way.
Many blessings.
To be … or not to be…
Just when I get introduced to a good blogger, he goes away.
But I sure understand his reasons.
Modern liberals and conservatives continue to control the discussion. Those of us who think otherwise are marginalized because we refuse to accept the power and influence of those who are members of the extremes.
I get that completely. And I play that game. Not with my content, I hope… but with my headlines and tags. I am not going to lie.
I know my normal “stuff” doesn’t get read. It doesn’t get “hits.” I don’t have angst. I grew up in a fundamentalist atmosphere, turned into somewhat of a moderate, moving from a die-heard conservative to a raging “moderate,” and that stuff is just plain BORING.
People want shrill.
And my blog the other day about Hobby Lobby proved my point. I got huge numbers on my “hits.” I got ONE person commenting. And when there wasn’t a fight to be had, even that dried up.
I hope Bevere comes back. His next post said he might.
But I sure understand his frustration.
And, quite frankly, I think I’ve reached a point where I’m just plain out of words. I have no desire to be shrill. I just want to lift up Jesus, not as a conservative or a liberal, but just let Jesus shine and do my dead level best to walk in faithfulness to what I see of him in Scriptures.
So, I go off to do that.
And maybe I will find more words to share. But I’m pretty sure they won’t be shrill. And if they make both “sides” mad… even better.
But I think I’ve just run out of words.
And we’re back
The blog was down the last couple of days as I was trying to navigate Google’s new payment systems and how they charge for website domains, etc.
Huge hassle.
I’m probably the only one who is upset, but I’m back.
Whew.
Happy Anniversary
I was informed by a WordPress notification this is my 5th Anniversary for this blog.
I’ll never match tremendous numbers of “hits” or views like other great friends of mine, but I have enjoyed the process.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for commenting. Thank you to those who let me know in person that you read my blog.
It’s meaningful to me. I hope it is to you.
Happy Anniversary.
Are any other WordPress Users having trouble with highlighted links right now?
An interesting development, brought to my attention yesterday, is I had whole pages that were blank. Then, I discovered the problem is links I highlight have disappeared. For an example, click on my “Book Review” page and see what happened to my book titles.
Is anyone else using WordPress having this issue? Or, if it has happened and you fixed it, could you help a brother out?
Thanks!
The Liebster Award
When I first saw this, I thought it said “LOBSTER Award,” and I was excited… and hungry.
Then, I read that “Liebster” means “favorite” in German. Okay, I still like it.
So, my blog has been nominated for a “Liebster” by my wife. (I’m still her favorite husband!)
The rules are:
- Tell 11 things about yourself.
- Answer 11 questions from the blogger who nominated you.
- Nominate 11 bloggers who have less than 200 followers.
- Post 11 questions for those who will be nominated by you.
- Get in contact with those 11 bloggers in order to inform them that you nominated them.
I am open for bribes, so if you want your blog nominated, I like peanut M&Ms, coffee, and Twins season tickets.
ELEVEN THINGS ABOUT MYSELF
1. I have an adorable wife who is unbiased in her opinion about her favorite blogs.
2. I teach part time at a college along with pastoring a church.
3. I can’t wait for baseball season to get started.
4. I live in a place that can be 20 below one day and 20 above the next. (Try that temperature swing in Phoenix and see how you feel!)
5. I live for Kansas Jayhawk basketball.
6. I am absolutely convinced that Lou Gehrig is the greatest baseball player ever.
7. I have never seen an episode of “Lost,” or “Friends,” or a lot other shows “that everyone is talking about.”
8. Martin Luther is my homeboy.
9. I actually LIKE Windows products. (There. I said it. Deal with it.)
10. One day I will own a Mini Cooper.
11. I am immensely proud of my three boys and my daughter-in-law.
ELEVEN THINGS I WAS ASKED:
- What kind of blogs do you read? Many church ministry/theology blogs.
- Which blog do you hate to miss? Anything by Mark Stevens, who SHOULD write more on Blue Chip Pastor, because he IS one!
- What are three of your favorite novels? Anything by John Grisham. Call me shallow. Deal with it.
- What are three of your favorite movies? Bourne Series, Back to the Future Series, and Star Wars Original Three.
- What kind of food do you like? Italian.
- What’s the best health tip you ever received? “Move it, tubby.”
- If you received a ticket to anywhere, where would you go? The baseball game.
- What book has most influenced your life, besides the Bible? Seven Storey Mountain, by Thomas Merton
- What are your favorite writing resources? A good pen and a legal pad.
- Where do you go to get unbiased help with your writing? Since I don’t write, I don’t care about anyone’s opinion.
- What social media do you use/avoid? Why? I use Facebook and Twitter. Not a fan of Pinterest, Instagram, or Reddit.
ELEVEN THINGS I WILL ASK MY NOMINEES:
1. Who has influenced you the most in your life? (And Jesus doesn’t count on this one.)
2. Where did you grow up?
3. If you could have dinner with anyone living (because eating with dead people is just gross), who would it be?
4. What is your favorite Book of the Bible?
5. If you could own any car in the world, what would it be?
6. Who is your favorite TV character?
7. Where is your favorite place to blog?
8. When do you think your best thoughts?
9. What is your favorite quote?
10. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would you live?
11. What is your main way of communicating your blog posts?
MY ELEVEN NOMINEES FOR THE LIEBSTER:
1. Rick Waldholm: Wonderful World of Waldholms
2. Gary Zimmerli: The Sundry Times
3. Scott Lencke: The Prodigal Thought
4. Craig Benno: Trinitarian Dance
5. William Molenaar: The Molenaar Press
6. Eleanor Stoneham: Healing This Wounded Planet
7. Mike at Head and Heart
8. Lance at Lance’s Blog
9. Brian Fulthorp: Living the Crucified Life
10. Joseph Fehlen: A Growing Family
11. Phil Zarnes: Phundamental
A COUPLE OF THINGS:
There are a couple of blogs I wanted to nominate, but I think you guys have over 200 followers, and that’s the limit on followers. If you have fewer than 200, please let me know because I want people to know I love reading your blogs as well!
If I nominated you and you DO have over 200 followers, you’re out! Sorry. And, congratulations for having more followers than me. I will be taking you out of my will.
If you have any questions, contact my wife. She knows WAY more about this one than I do. I just wanted to have some fun.
Words
We really use too many words. And then we use wrong words. I often get confused between when to use “effect” and “affect.” I’m confused on that right now.
An exercise I want to take up this month is to use one-word titles. Nothing long at all. Just try to sum up what I want to say with one word.
I want to think about different issues and summarize them into one word.
February? Maybe two word titles. Maybe two word posts. I don’t know.
10,000
Somewhere in the middle of the night, my blog finally reached 10,000 hits. Thanks to all who have taken the time to stop by regularly to see what is going on. Who knew that a post about cell phones and bathrooms could get THAT many hits? 🙂
