Find Free Images for Your Blog

Last week I discussed Creative Commons License and what exactly it means in regards to using someone else"s graphics on your blogs. Today I am going to show you how to find some free images that are in compliance with the Creative Commons License.

As previously mentioned, Creative Commons License is a group of copyright licenses that allow the distribution of copyrighted work, according to certain specifications that vary from license to license.  Most bloggers, unless you are planning to make money from your blog, just need to find images that have the Attribution or non-commercial licenses.  One way to find images that fit this category is to use Google Images.

While you cannot simply search Google Images and use the images you want (even though a large number of people do), Google does provide you with the search tools to find images that are under the Creative Commons License.

To get started, go to the Advance Google Image Search at http://images.google.com/advanced_image_search

On the search form, you will see an option called “Usage Rights”. The drop-down box gives you the following options:

If you have a commercial website of any kind, you should choose “labeled for commercial reuse” or if you want to actually edit the image, choose “labeled for commercial reuse with modification”.

Here’s are the results for a search for “kitten”, “photo content” and “labelled for commercial reuse with modification”:

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Before you use any photos, you need to confirm the Creative Commons Licenses are correct as noted in the following Google warning:

Again, before using an image, make sure you confirm the precise terms of the Creative Commons License. You can do this by clicking on the image and then click the X in the top right of the corner of the image, so you can see the actual web page the image came from.

This particular image is on the Wikimedia Commons Website (http://commons.wikimedia.org), so the information on the license is easy to find and are shown below:

If you want to use an image from Wikimedia Commons, you can click the “Use This File on the Web” icon to the right of the image.

A screen will pop-up, giving you the location of the image and the proper attribution. If you click the HTML box beside the attribution (as shown below), it will make copy-and-paste code for you.

By using Wikimedia Commons you can make sure you legally can use the image you want in your blog or on your website.  Of course, there other ways to find images with the correct Creative Commons License and next week we going to go over using Flickr for that same purpose.

I hope this helps and if you have any questions, please ask!

Guest Blog Post Checklist

Last week I sent out to our newsletter subscribers a copy of the Guest Post Monthly for the month of April.  If you don't know what the Guest Post Monthly is, you can found out more on our Free Resources page.  I have gotten a lot of feedback - all good, which is exciting. So I put together a simple guest blogging checklist for you to use in your efforts to guest blog.  It will help ensure that you cover all of your bases when providing content for others and also to make it as easy as possible for blog owners to publish your content. You can download it below!

I hope it helps!

Understanding Creative Commons License and Images

Bloggers are always on the look out for images to use in their blog posts.   It can get expensive quickly if you use sites like iStock, Big Stock Photo, or Dreamstime to purchase images you can legally use.  But guess what, you don't have to pay to find pictures to use in your blog posts.  You just have to understand how the Creative Common License works and a whole new whole of free images will be available to use. Creative Commons License is a group of copyright licenses that allow the use of and alteration of documents in other works, including websites and blogs. These licenses can be used in different combinations, making it possible to different uses for a variety of works. These licenses were released by Creative Commons (http://creativecommons.org) in 1992 and make it easier for you to find free images that you can use on your website or blog.

Types of Licenses

When searching for images, you will see combinations of the following four core licenses. They are also often abbreviated and you can see the abbreviation for each license in brackets below.

• Attribution (by): You can use image, as long as attribution for the work is provided.
• Non-commercial (nc): You can use the image for non-commercial purposes only.
• No Derivative Works (nd): You cannot create derivative works only. You cannot edit the work.
• Share-Alike (sa): You can make derivative works and modify the work, only if you distribute the work under the same license as the original work.

Possible License Combinations

There are 6 possible combinations of these licenses:

1. Attribution (by): It can be used for commercial purposes, derivative works can be created, but only if proper attribution is provided.
2. Attribution AND Non-Commercial (by + nc): It cannot be used for commercial purposes, but derivative works can be created and proper attribution must be provided.
3. Attribution AND No Derivatives (by + nd): It can be used for commercial purposes, but derivative works cannot be created and proper attribution must be provided.
4. Attribution AND Share Alike (by + sa): It can be used for commercial purposes, derivative works can be created, but only if the derivative work is released under the same license. Attribution must be provided.
5. Attribution AND Non-Commercial AND No Derivatives (by + nc + nd): It cannot be used for commercial purposes and no derivatives can be created. Attribution must be provided.
6. Attribution AND Non-Commercial AND Share-Alike (by + nc + sa): It cannot be used for commercial purposes and derivatives can be created, as long the derivative work is released under the same license. Attribution must be provided.

Graphical Representation of Licenses

While some sites may use different images to indicate certain licenses, you will likely see the images used by the Creative Commons. You will often see a CC, which stands for Creative Commons and indicates a Creative Commons license:

Then the following images, show the 4 possible licenses that can be used in the variety of combinations mentioned earlier.

1. Attribution (by)
2. Non-Commercial (nc)
3. Share-Alike (sa)
4. No Derivatives (nd)

Understanding these licenses will make it easier for you to find the images that suit your needs.  As a blogger who is not interested in making money on their blog, you really just need to focus on finding images with the Attribution or non-commercial licenses.  An of course who are looking to make money off their blog should look for the absence of the non-commercial license.

There is more coming on this topic such as how to use Google Images, Flickr, Zemanta, and Photo-Dropper to find images with the appropriate Creative Commons License, so keep an eye out on the blog!

Are You Setting an Example?

1 Timothy 4:12 tells us to be an "...example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity."  In word and in conversation. Isn't blogging using our words and engaging in conversations with our readers?  I think so.  So I would take this verse to mean that we should be an example of a believer on our blogs. What does a believer look like: (The Fruits of the Spirit)

1. A believer shows love - The self-denying, self-sacrificing, Christ-like love which is the foundation of one's belief
2. A believer shows joy - Serving the Lord with a joyous heart
3. A believer haves peace in their life - Knowing that the Lord is in control and trusting in His plan; not worrying
4. A believer haves longsuffering - Having patience and steadfastness in everything that comes their way
5. A believer has gentleness - Being of good temper
6. A believer has goodness - Readiness to do good in any situation
7. A believer has faith - Honesty in what they profess and promise
8. A believer has meekness - Not easy to provoke
9. A believer has temperance - Having moderation in all things

Not only should we be setting an example to those who read our blog but also to other bloggers - even those who are not Christians. How many times have you seen something controversial on a blog and a fight between two bloggers ensues?  I can't even count on my hands how many times I have seen this happen.  Now I'm not saying you have to agree with what every blogger says or not to voice your opinion, but there is a correct way in dealing with those situations.  (Though that is not what this post is about.)

Don't think for one second other bloggers are not watching what you do and how you conduct business on your blog.  It doesn't matter how new or old your blog is, someone is paying attention to what you do.  Unfortunately we don't always know who those people are - weather they are Christians or not - and it really shouldn't even matter.  How you conduct your blog should be a testament to your faith.

How To Install Google Analytics

Everyone wants to now how many people visit their blog every day. Some people may check their stats every hour, some every day, and some people maybe check them once a week. To be able to check your stats though, you have to have some sort of analytics program installed on your blog. If you offer advertising or want a sponsorship, blog stats is something you will be asked about.

My analytics program of choice is Google Analytics. The best feature is that it is free! I also like

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how easy it is to install - just copy and paste some code - and the advanced features are pretty neat. I really enjoy the goal setting and having the ability to link it to my adsense account as well.

Below is a quick video tutorial on how to install Google Analytics on your WordPress blog.

That's it! You have now installed the Google Analytics code on your WordPress blog. Of course there are plugins that supposedly take care of this for you, but I don't like having to use plugins if I don't have to. With an analytics program installed on your blog, you can now track your visitors, the number of view you get a day, what keywords are being used to find your site, and much much more.

The Death, Burial, and Resurrection

I think it's a about time for another group writing project.  The ones we have done in the past have been so much fun and encouraging.  With Easter just around the corner, I think the theme The Death, Burial, and Resurrection is perfect! How it works:

Each blogger that wishes to participate will write  a post about the chosen group writing project topic on their blog.  Once the post is up, the blogger will need to leave their link in the comments section so that everyone can read it.

Once everyone has submitted their posts, I will publish  a round up of all the posts with links back to the blogger’s blog. The entire writing project will then be complied into a special report for the bloggers who contribute to giveaway for free on their own sites.

Normally I have everyone choose a from a list of verses based on the topic, but The Death, Burial, and Resurrection is such an important message and spoken all through-out the Bible, that I'm not going to do that this time.  You can choose to base your blog post on any verse you wish, as long as it fits the topics - The Death, Burial, and Resurrection.

Your post can be as long or as short as you want.  It can be a personal testimony, a devotional, or Bible study in nature.  It can be a photo that you believe describes the verse.  Anything goes.

You will have until Friday, April 1, 2011 to write your post and leave a link to it in the comments section.  I know Easter isn't until April 24, 2011, but I want to make sure I have time to get the special report together and in everyone's hands before then to share.

Oh yea, there is a prize for participating too.  Everyone that participates (those who actually write a post and submits the link) will be put into a drawing to win a free a copy of my report, Creating Christian Content.

I can’t wait to read everyone’s posts!

P.S.  If you would like to include the badge for this Group Writing Project on your blog post, here is the code:

<a href="http://faithfulbloggers.com" title='Faithful Bloggers' target='_blank' style='font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;'><img src="http://faithfulbloggers.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/deathburialgwp.png"></A>

Spend Less Time Blogging

Blogging can be an addictive hobby.  It can become very time consuming and start taking away time from other important things such as your family, Bible study, and household responsibilities.  For me my household responsibilities tend to take the brunt of my blogging. Laundry doesn't get done.  Dishes don't get cleaned.  And before I know it, the house is in a complete mess, because I chose to blog or work on my business instead of fulfilling my household responsibilities. Proverbs 31:27 clearly states the the wife is in charge of the household responsibilities, "She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness". So in my instance, blogging and running an online business, at times causes me to go against what the Bible teaches (because I am not looking well to ways of my household), which of course, is not what I want to do.

In my opinion, it is all about choices.  We make the choice to blog and we make the choice as to how much time we dedicate to blogging.  When blogging starts interfering with our faith and family, then we really need to take a look at the choices we are making.  While writing this post, I have realized that I need to cut back and spend more time on my household responsibilities.  It's a choice I have to make and then stick with.

I'm almost positive that as I get back to living as the Bible teaches, my blogs will not suffer.  Why am I so positive about that?  Because I know running Faithful Bloggers and my other blogs, are in the will of God.  I'll be honest, in the past I have tried to let go of Faithful Bloggers but something always happens to bring me back.  That something is God and I need to realize that in order to give my best in fulfilling His will in my life (running Faithful Bloggers), I have to be living a life completely for him.  I know something as simple as household responsibilities, doesn't sound like big deal or that it would complicated my relationship with the Lord, but it is a Biblical duty of a wife as stated in Proverbs 31:27.  Anytime you are not living the way the Bible teaches, you put relationship with the Lord on the line.

I know many of you struggle with the same issues - time management and making the right choices.  It may or may not be the same as my issue with household responsbilites, but it is still something that may cause you to have a stilted relationship with the Lord.  If that is the case, I urge you to make the choice to spend less time blogging and more time getting your relationship with God in order.

P.S.  I would love to have some accountability while I work on this issue in my life.  If anyone else has an obstacle they need to overcome and wants accountability, let me know.  We can setup up an accountability and support group to encourage each other in making the correct choices.

5 Tips on Marketing Your Blog

Most people who blog want an audience and to know that what they are writing is making a difference to someone.   To grow an audience you do need to have some degree of patience.   A large blog readership doesn't happen overnight.  However, in addition to patience, planning and action also help to market your blog and drive traffic. Here are a few useful tips to market your blog:

1. Comment on other relevant blogs. One great way to start getting your name recognized is to post useful and insightful comments on blogs which relate to your niche and are where your potential readers might hang out. Get active in the blogging community and forums. When you post create a profile that enables you to link to your blog many people will click through and subscribe to your blog.
2. Guest blog. Guest blogging is a wonderful marketing tactic and like commenting on other blogs, it builds awareness for you and your blog. If you are willing to guest post on other blogs or publish guest post on your blog, check out Faithful Bloggers Guest Post Monthly.
3. Post consistently and post often. This is where patience comes in. Posting regular and valuable content will help your blog to grow, to be recognized by others in your niche and will motivate people to link to you.
4. Make it easy for readers to  Tweet or 'Like' your content. Social networking is growing and it pays to take advantage of this useful medium.
5. List your blog with relevant directories such as the Faithful Bloggers Blog Directory. Registering with some notable directories can help boost your traffic and put you in front of people who are looking for your information.

Just remember that no matter what you do, ultimately God is in control as to how big or little your blog becomes.  These are just tips that can help reach potential readers, there are no guarantees that they will work, but I have had some success with them, especially with commenting and guest blogging.

Ministry Technology: Open Source Image Editing When You Can't Afford Photoshop

What can you do when your ministry needs image editing software, but you either can not afford or do not understand how to use Photoshop? For those who could not afford Photoshop but understood high-end image editing programs the answer has traditionally been "The Gimp".

Gimp has been the flagship for high-end open source programming projects for quite some time. Sure its good and sure its free, but it sure is complex! For most churches and non-profits working with volunteers, complex is not a term we want to hear.

Now there is an alternative that your church, ministry, non-profit or business can use and its also free! It's called Pinta.

Pinta is a drawing/editing program modeled after Paint.NET. Its goal is to provide a simplified alternative to GIMP for casual users.

I tried it this weekend on some website banners and I personally found it easy to use. Although I am familiar enough with Macromedia's Fireworks program instead of Photoshop, this was much easier to get a handle on.

The menus and layout were surprisingly easy to use and understand. At no time did I feel intimidated or overwhelmed trying to understand what I should do next. This was a welcome change from working with the Gimp, which has left me bewildered more than once.

It did require that I install GTK for windows, but that was simple and easy as well. It should be noted that this program is not intended to replace Photoshop for serious graphic artists. It is nonetheless, a great substitute for those of us who only need to use a graphics program now and again.

If you are looking for a good, easy to use, no-cost solution for graphics editing try Pinta. I think you will like it. Pinta is available for download at http://pinta-project.com

For more articles like this on Internet Ministry and Technology visit http://ifeelgod.org

Bishop James Brown aka "I Feel God" is the founding pastor of Victory Intl Church in Fort Worth, Texas., he is called "The Internet's Favorite Pastor". In addition, Bishop is a prolific writer and speaker who is in demand for his insights on cutting edge ministry and technology. He is also founder of http://1000churches.org, a global Internet community for ministers.

©Copyright 2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Seven Tips on How To Write a Devotion

Writing a devotion can offer hope to your readers and inspire them in a way that lectures or plain articles, may not. A devotional is a very well thought out piece about one very minute topic usually focusing on a particular spiritual lesson.

Writing devotionals does not have to be difficult, there are many steps you can take to calm yourself down, get centered and write what God wants you to write.

Yes!  There is something already inside you that God wants you to say. You just have to open your heart to the Holy Spirit, and listen.

1. Be prayerful -- Before you put pen to paper, or rather, start typing, pray. Ask God to tell you what He would have you to write about. What message does He want you to impart? Be mindful of what comes to mind as you are praying. Does a particular person come to mind with a specific issue? Does a specific verse pop into your head? Listen. He will tell you what to write.
2. Pick one topic -- After intensely praying about what to write, pick one topic that comes to mind and be very focused on that one topic. It is easy to get carried away writing with all the ideas that will come to you!
3. Keep it short -- Your devotional should be no more than one page, or 500 words. But it is even better if it's less than 500 words, shoot for 250 words to keep yourself focused on one small laser targeted topic.  This will also help to keep your reader interested and with you.
4. Know your audience -- When you have your topic, write it to a specific audience, this is known as your "target market" in business, but here, this is your audience. Ask yourself the question:  Who is going to read this devotional? If it helps, write your devotional as if you're writing it to a dear friend.
5. Check your facts -- Make sure, if you are quoting biblical scripture that you not only check the scriptures to make sure you are not taking something out of context, and that you are quoting it correctly, but make sure you are using a relevant verse to support your devotional.
6. Inspire action -- Ask the readers to do something at the end of your message in your closing paragraph. That action will depend on what your message was about. You can end with a very short prayer if you wish, but keep it related to the message.
7. Be yourself -- Remember to be yourself. You're not perfect -- no human is -- and that is perfectly okay. Grammar isn't as important as your message. Do check your spelling with the spell checker, and have someone else read it if you wish, but the message is the most important thing here.

Ready To Learn How To Shape & Share Your Message?

God’s Word + Your Experience & Creativity = Amazing Personal Impact!

Check out Creating Powerful Devotions to learn a simple formula for penning devotions that make an impact in just five steps!

When you think about a devotional, you probably visualize a small, pocket sized book. That’s still a popular format of course – but oh the options we have today!

• You can publish your devotional on Amazon’s Kindle.
• You can offer your devotions as an email subscription.
• You can publish your messages as blog posts.
• You can record your devotions as a podcast via iTunes.
• You can deliver your messages on video and publish to YouTube.
• You can design your message as a graphic to be shared on social media channels.
• You can mesh your written devotions with blank pages and publish as a Prayer Journal though a service like CreateSpace.
• You can even blend your devotions with coloring pages – that’s a hot trend!

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CREATING POWERFUL DEVOTIONS!

Also:   Check out our guide "How to Write Your Testimony". It is available for free in the members area. Simply fill out the form below and you will be emailed the current password to the members area. Let us know if you get your testimony written, we'd love to read it. 

Looking for more ideas for writing devotions? Check out this other post:

• How to Write a Devotion, be Prayerful

• 50 Devotion Topics and Ideas

Some More Content Creation Tips

I mentioned a couple weeks ago coming up with content for your blog on a consistent basis is hard work and I shared with you some ideas on how to keep the ideas coming.  Coming up with valuable content week after week, day after day, can get old after a while and it can become quite challenging.   So here are a few more tips to help keep the wheels spinning and your blog growing.

1. Get organized. Do you ever notice that great content ideas come to you when you’re driving to the grocery store, taking a shower or at the park with the kids?  Keep a notebook or smart phone with you and capitalize on these inspiring moments. Then, as soon as you get home or to a computer, draft a quick blog post on that idea so it doesn’t disappear.  I use the Evernote iPhone app to keep track of ideas while I'm on the run.
2. Capitalize on creative moments. When you’re having a good writing day, do more than pat yourself on the back for a good post, take advantage of your momentum and write several posts at once.  I try to do this once a week.  It so nice to know that I have all my posts written for the week in advance an to have one less thing to worry about.
3. Keep a file of blog ideas. As mentioned in #1 blog ideas come to us at the most inconvenient times. Keep a log of your ideas in a file on your computer or at least on a notebook you keep on your desk. Now, when you’re stumped for an idea, you can simply open your notebook and pick the one on top.  I tend to keep my ideas in Evernote too; that way I can access them from any computer or even my iPhone.
4. Borrow Ideas. If you keep up on industry publications, blogs and data then you can borrow from these resources to create a quick post.  You can start your post with something like, “Today in the New York Times” or “I read a blog post this week about…here are my thoughts.”  The good thing about this method of content creation is that it also keeps you up-to-date with what is going on in the world.

I know a lot of people don't have problems coming up with ideas, but I am not one of them.  These are just some tips I use to help in the creation process.  Also remember that your content doesn't have to be in the written form.  It can be video, audio, or image too.

Would You Like To Be on the Faithful Bloggers Podcast?

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Would you like to share your blogging journey on our podcast?  I am looking for Christian bloggers to interview for the Faithful Bloggers Podcast.  We can discuss how you got started blogging and how it has changed your life.  It doesn't matter if you are a new or established blogger.  All are welcome. If you are interested, please send us an email using our contact form.  Please make sure to include a link to your blog!

If you would like to listen to some of our past podcasts, you can do so here on the blog or at iTunes.

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What if Your Blog isn't Based On Your Faith?

Most of the time when someone says they are a Christian blogger it is assumed that they blog solely about their faith.  But what if your blog isn't based on your faith?  Can you still consider yourself a Christian blogger?  Of course you can! Being a Christian blogger is much more than what you write about.  It's how you conduct yourself and your blog.  It's how you interact with readers and other bloggers.  It's you giving control of your blog to the Lord. Giving something completely over to the Lord is not always the easiest thing to do. It is in our nature as humans to want to control everything we have, including our blogs.

So here are some tips on how you can give your blog to the Lord, even if you don't blog about your faith:

• Pray for your blog - I know I mention this a lot but prayer is such a prayer thing.  If you where going to go through a life changing moment, you would pray to the Lord for the right outcome.  Guess what, God answers every prayer - large or small.  It doesn't matter what the prayer is about - buying a house or writing a blog post - consult the Lord in all the you do.  We are told to "pray without ceasing" in 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
• Love Your Enemies - Luke 6:35 tells us "But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and [to] the evil."  The Internet is huge and you are bound to encounter people who want to use you, have hateful comments, and seem to attack you in the social media realm.  React in the Christian way - with love.
• Don't Covet Other Bloggers - It's so easy to want what other bloggers have - their traffic, their readership, their amount of comments, their design, their friendships, etc.   Remember the 10 Commandments?  We are told to not covet our neighbors' house in Exodus 20:17.  While it is good to set goals and base those goals on other peoples' success, don't get stuck in the trap of resenting the fact that others have what you don't.

Of course these are just a few ways and they don't just apply if your blog isn't faith related.  Regardless of the type of blog you publish these 3 points should be implentented anyways.

If you have a blog that isn't faith based how have you turned your blog over to the Lord?

Easily Create Blog Content

Imagine committing to a daily blogging schedule, that means you not only have 7 blog posts due each week, you have approximately 30 each month and 365 posts a year. That’s a lot of blogging and you don't have to post every single day to have a successful blog. However, it is a great blogging schedule (I use this blogging calendar to plan out my posts and content ideas) and with a few tips and tricks, you can easily create that much blog content and more! #1  Know that there are many types of blog content. It doesn’t have to be an argumentative essay. You can write:

• How to’s
• Reviews
• Lists
• Tips
• Pros & Cons
• You can also create a blog series, write one longer article and break it up into smaller parts for several posts.

#2 Audio and video messages. Instead of worrying about what to write, sit down at your webcam and create a quick audio or video message. Make sure it has a purpose and that you’re easy to see and understand. And because these messages shouldn’t be longer than a few minutes, you can create almost a month’s worth of content in an hour.

#3 Let someone else write it. Ghostwriters, PLR – Private Label Rights, and Guest Bloggers are great for filling in the content gaps.

#4 Repurpose your content. If you have reports and ebooks handy that you own the rights to or have written yourself, repurpose sections of this content to create new posts.

#5 Fill in some days with questionnaires, surveys, contests and the like. These are interactive posts that require you to create the form but the rest is done by your readers.

Blogging doesn’t have to be difficult and I have found that it actually helps to plan out a general idea of content themes in advance so that when you have the time you can create your posts and content in advance.

Do you have any tricks or tips for easily creating blog content?

Does Blogging Add to Your Faith?

"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make [you that ye shall] neither [be] barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:5-8

Our faith is something that is always changing.  We are either growing in faith or backsliding in our faith and, of course, we all want to be growing in our faith.  But sometimes there are things in our lives that prevent that from happening.  Is blogging one of them for you?  I hope not, but some times we need to take stock of where we are and what we are doing and make sure they align with God's will.

In the verse above, 2 Peter 1:5-8, it states that we should add virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity to our faith and if we do so our faith and knowledge in the Lord will continue to grow.  So I ask this question - does your blog add virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kidness, or chairty to your faith?  If not, I might start questioning if your blog is a hindrance in your faith instead of a benefit.

So what do these things actually mean?

• Virtue - One who stands in the face of opposition.  Strong courage.
• Knowledge - Christian knowledge or discernment of God's will
• Temperance - self-control as to one's lusts and passions
• Patience - patient endurance amidst sufferings
• Godliness - God-trusting
• Brotherly Kindness - Love one toward another
• Charity - Love towards all men

(All definitions taken from the Jamieson, Fausset & Brown Commentary on 2 Peter 1 at Blue Letter Bible.)

Only you can answer this question but I think it is one that deserves some thought and attention.

P.S. If you are unsure about God's will in regard to your blog, please join us in our weekly Prayer Meeting so that we can pray for you.

Blogger Basics

Today I have a guest post for you from someone who knows more about Blogger than I do.  I hope you will find what she has to say helpful.  -- Courtney Make no mistake, I'm a Wordpress Girl at heart and I know very little beyond the basics of using Blogger as a platform for your message by virtue of having had a couple of blogging misfires over the past few years and having ghostwritten a book on Blogger. I never did figure out why anyone would be recommending blogger even then, but I did the research and now it resides in my head. So when Courtney was looking for experts on Blogger, I put my hat into the ring. I'm not an expert, but beyond the technical details which are easy enough to learn. The first thing you'll want to think about with your blog, especially if you plan to monetize your blogging experience, is customize the look of the basic blog. This process of finding and refining a skin is not difficult, though it can be time consuming only in the process of looking for the right template for you. The process of switching out the template is very easy.

The simplicity of blogger that frustrates so many is exactly what endears the platform the average audience user and audience. While it can be used to reach a wide audience, most users are not looking for that kind of impact and reach. Blogger was designed for traditional blogging for the average user. When it came along, blogging could be a rather complicated affair that only truly appealed to geeks and aficionados.

It's simple but it works for most pure blogging purposes. There are certain things you can't do with Blogger, but you can certainly build a healthy Ad-sense income with the right message in the right markets.

When choosing your look keep your purpose and message in mind. As is always the case in design, form follows function. You need to know what you want your blog to do before you can settle on it's final look.

You can find the whole process of switching out your default template outlined on this video from IceMarketing:

One thing I must caution against here is analysis paralysis. Don't get so caught up in choosing your design that you forget about the ultimate purpose of this exercise, which is to start blogging and carving out your corner of the internet universe. Remember that skins are easily changed. Resist changing too often or you risk jarring your readership, but do keep up with the times as far as technology goes.

Once you've chosen your look, your next step is ensuring you have your own domain. This is easy enough to do via the Google Dashboard and involves a minimal investment of around $10. This will help brand your blog and make it easier to share offline than the standard blogspot address. Choose your name wisely and be prepared for some serious brainstorming if the name you have in mind has already been snapped up.

With your look established and your domain purchased and set up, the next things to tackle will be your content and monetization, but I think just getting a template chosen and a domain secured are big enough jobs for the initial stage.

Patrysha Korchinski teaches marketing witchcraft and provides a range of services for small businesses serving a local marketplace. Her work has crossed a range of creative marketing platforms and has won awards at various levels. You can learn more about her and the fundamentally frugal techniques she relies on to spread her knowledge online and off at PK Marketing Solutions (http://pkmarketingsolutions.com)

Choosing WordPress

I admit it – I’m a bit of a WordPress snob.  I love WordPress and wouldn’t even dream of using anything else.  When I first started blogging  I started out using a Blogger blog because it was the only thing I knew of.  Within two months of starting my fist blog I discovered WordPress, moved my blog over to a self hosted WordPress blog and haven’t looked back. If you are having trouble deciding which blogging platform is right for you and if you are looking for an easily customizable and user friendly option, look no further than WordPress.

What WordPress Has to Offer

WordPress offers customizable templates. Some of these templates are free and can be found online through a search engine, via the WordPress website, or from developers themselves. Other WordPress templates can be created and designed by a professional to meet your specific needs. And you can also find WordPress templates available for sale online. In short, you can create a 100% unique website with WordPress templates.

It’s so very easy to use. Whether you’re a blogging novice or an industry expert, WordPress offers a user friendly control panel. Even the customization of readymade templates is pretty straightforward. And there are blog posts, manuals and forums on just about every WordPress topic under the sun which means if you have a question, chances are the answer is out there and easy to find.

Widgets and plug-ins. Because WordPress is so very popular, there are literally thousands of developers continuously working to create widgets and plug-ins to solve the needs of bloggers like you and to make your blog experience unique for your readers. Widgets and plug-ins cater to just about every interest or need from games, to social networking to SEO tracking and data. If you need it, you can probably find it in a widget or a plug-in.

But what I love the most about having a self-hosted WordPress blog is that I have complete control of the entire site.  There are no rules about what I can or cannot put on my blog.

If you use WordPress, what is your favorite feature?

P.S.  If you have any questions about WordPress, leave them in the comments and I will be happy to answer them.

Choosing a Blog Theme and Layout

The look of your blog is important (but content is even more important).  It is what your visitors first notice and often gives your visitors a good or bad impression of your blog. There are a lot of things to consider when choosing a blog theme. The first thing to consider is the actually layout of the theme.  There is the basic one column with one or two sidebars and also the magazine type layouts are growing in popularity.  Choose a layout that you like and works for you.  There isn’t one that works better than the other, in my opinion - as long as your content is being displayed in a organized  and easy to read fashion.

There are a lot of free themes available on the internet for both Blogger and Wordpress blogs.  With a self-hosted Wordpress blog you have greater control over your theme and layout.  The downside to using a free theme is that someone else is probably using it to.  Of course if you know HTML and CSS you can customize it yourself or hire someone else to do it.    You also have the option of hiring a blog designer to create a custom blog design for you.  The cost of this varies depending on the designer but can range anywhere from $60 to $500 and upwards.

Some tips to keep in mind when deciding on your blog theme and layout:

• Regardless of the background color or images you choose keep the content area a light color with black text.  This will ensure that your readers can actually read the text.
• Don’t overload your sidebar with images and button.  Not only is this an eye sore but it can also cause your site to load slowly.
• Don’t have music playing on startup.  One of the most annoying things in the Internet is go visit a blog and instantly be bombarded by music.  When this happens I immediately click away from the site regardless of the content.
• Make sure your content is easily accessible.  Don't make your visitors search for your blog posts.

If you are not sure what look you want your blog to have, go blog hopping and look at other blogs.  Write down the features you like and dislike, the colors you like, the layout you like.  You can then take this to a blog designer and they should be able to create you a custom theme based on the information you provided.

Just remember your blog doesn't have to be the prettiest or the most visually exciting blog to be a success.  The most important thing is to remember why you started blogging and to make sure you are giving your readers the information they are wanting.

P.S.  I primarily design for WordPress blogs and if you know of any designers for BlogSpot, please let leave a comment with a link.

Choosing a Blogging Platform

The first step in beginning a blog is to choose a platform.  There are a number of blog platforms for you to choose from.  Some are free, some are not.  The two most popular blogging platforms are Blogger and Wordpress.  When I say Wordpress I mean a self-hosted wordpress blog, not a free blog from Wordpress.com. The pros and cons of each service is extensive and I will be diving into those in the coming weeks.  This post is about choosing the right blogging platform for you and your blog.  Here are some questions to think about:

• How much control of the blog do actually want?
• Do you want to be able to install scripts for additional functionally?  (ex. shopping cart)
• Are you willing to spend money on web hosting monthly? (normally as little as $5/month)
• Are you willing to spend money on a domain name yearly? (normally about $10/year)
• Is this blog just a hobby, a ministry, or a career?
• Do you plan on accepting paid advertisements on your blog?
• Are you willing to learn the technical side of blogging?  Or outsource it?
• Do you have a site you really like the layout and use of?  What platform are they using?

Answering these questions will help you decide which blogging platform is best for you and your blog.  Not everyone's needs are the same and all the blogging platforms offer different benefits.

If you already have a blog, what blogging platform do you use?  I admit I'm a bit of a WordPress snob and use WordPress for almost everything but would love to hear what others are using.

P.S.  Don't forget about my free blogging Q&A webinar on Thursday.  If you have specific questions about blogging platforms I would be happy to answer them in the webinar.  Sign up here.

Do You See God Working in Your Blog?

This can be a hard question to answer. How do you know if God is working in or through your blog?  I'll be honest, I don't know that I have the correct answer.

There are a number of ways to measure the success of a blog - number of page views, number of comments, number of RSS subscribers, etc.  In my opinion though, your blog is only truly successful if God is working through it.

But how do you know - really know?

I find a lot of times that to know if we are in the will of God we have to pay attention to our prayer requests and how God answers those prayers.  Are your prayers for your blog being answered?  Do you even know?  I actually keep a separate prayer journal for my online business and blogs.  This is so helpful in keeping track of my prayers and God's responses.  It also helps me to see just how much God is working in my business and on my blogs.

Of course comments and emails from readers stating that you have helped them in some way can show you that God is working through your blog.  It just makes my day when I get a comment or email stating that I in someway helped that person - it just confirms to me that I am doing what God wants me to do.  It's amazing that I can help Christian's build online businesses and blogs - but I know that it is only through God that I am able to.

So how do you tell if God is working through your blog?

P.S.  Have you visited our Facebook Community lately?  I'm trying to bring it to life by asking questions about how you blog.  Stop by and join us!