Posts We Love - Edition #5

/

 

Every Friday I post links to some posts that I recently read and loved. You can also leave links to any posts you loved too. If a post stands out to you, encourages you, teaches you, let us know about it. Leave a comment with a link to the post so that we can visit, leave a comment, and show some social love.

Here are some posts I enjoyed this past week:

I have also created a Tumblr blog, Posts We Love, where I will link all the posts I come across that I love. If you have a Tumblr account and would like to be a member of that blog and submit posts as well, just shoot me an email with your email address and I'll add you as a member. Every Friday, I will add some of the links from the Tumbr blog to the Posts We Love edition here on Faithful Bloggers.

Posts We Love - Edition #4

/

 

Every Friday I post links to some posts that I recently read and loved. You can also leave links to any posts you loved too. If a post stands out to you, encourages you, teaches you, let us know about it. Leave a comment with a link to the post so that we can visit, leave a comment, and show some social love.

Here are some posts I enjoyed this past week:

I have also created a Tumblr blog, Posts We Love, where I will link all the posts I come across that I love. If you have a Tumblr account and would like to be a member of that blog and submit posts as well, just shoot me an email with your email address and I'll add you as a member. Every Friday, I will add some of the links from the Tumbr blog to the Posts We Love edition here on Faithful Bloggers.

Blogging A-Z: G - Google

/

Unless you live under a rock, you know about Google.  But do you know how important it is to play friendly with Google in order to get them to send you traffic?  Google is one of the most used search engines and if you want people to be able to find your blog you best hope your blog appears in the search results.  Plus they have some great tools to help make that happen. For example - In the last thirty days 35% of  all traffic to Faithful Bloggers has come from Google.  That's approximately 700 visitors in the last 30 days.  If you search through Google for "Christian Bloggers" you will find us on the first page in the #2 position.  That is what is bringing us 700 visitors a month.  The positioning in Google search results was accomplished with SEO.  SEO stands for search engine optimization and is the process one uses to increase their rank in the search engine results.  And that is a topic for another post another day.  The point is that Google is an important factor when trying to increase the traffic to your blog.

Google provides a lot of cool tools to help with blogging:

I use almost all of the above listed tools to help grow my blog.  Which ones do you use?

In Every Thing Give Thanks

/

Are you ready for another group writing project?  I thought with Thanksgiving coming up just next month, thankfulness would be a great topic for a group writing project.  I chose 1 Thessalonians 5:18 as our main verse, but any verse on thankfulness would work too.

"In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

How to Participate

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.  I will also be submitting the special report for download on the Kindle and Nook.  So if you don't want to appear in special report, please let me know in advance.

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 - though I have the right not to include any posts that do not include the chosen theme.

You will have until Friday, October 28, 2011 to write your post and leave a link to it in the comments section.

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!

Blogging A-Z: F - Feed

/

One of the most useful and user friendly options for a blog owner is providing your readers with the ability to subscribe to your blog. This means they’ll receive your most recent post(s) in their email inbox or on their reader of choice such as Google Reader.   This subscription function makes it easy for your fans to stay up to date on your blog posts without having to visit your blog to see if there’s anything new. It saves them time and energy. As a blogger, it’s beneficial for you to use a subscription option for your readers because it ensures that you stay in touch with them – they won’t forget about you because your posts are being delivered to them.

Feedburner, owned by Google, is a service that makes it easy for anyone to subscribe to your blog regardless of their preferences for email or the various readers.  It is the service I use here at Faithful Bloggers and it is easy to setup and best of all it's free.

The first step is to visit Feedburner.com and enter your URL. Feedburner will then generate a feed URL for your blog. You’ll then have the option to determine what statistics and data you track. Finally, you’ll want to integrate your feed into your blog. Depending on the blogging platform you’re using the instructions will be different.

If, for example, you’re using a self hosted WordPress blog then you will need to download and activate a plug-in to use with Feedburner or some themes such as Genesis already have the support built in.  Depending on what theme you are using you may or may not already have an RSS feed icon displayed on your blog.  If not, simple search Google for "free rss icons" and find one you like.

Time management is an important aspect of building a successful blog as is offering your readers every opportunity to become active in your community and Feedburner is one tool that can help.

P.S. You can sign up for the Faithful Bloggers RSS feed by clicking on this link or clicking on the RSS icon under the newsletter sign up on the sidebar.

 

 

 

 

Online Ministry - Starting a Bible Study Blog

/

Starting a Bible Study blog takes a lot of work in my opinion.  Writing a Bible study can prove to be a bit more complex because it is after all, a study. That means that you have to study to show thyself approved (2Timothy 2:15) so that your Bible study has some legs to stand on.  Of course, before starting an new project you should pray to make sure it is God's will for you continue. Bible studies can created in a number of different ways - you are not limited to just writing out a Bible study.  You can create it as a podcast or a video. You can create it as a slideshow or powerpoint presentation.  Of course, you can always write it out as a blog post as well.

Of course before beginning and after diligent prayer, there are a couple things you need to decide on before you begin.

  1. Decide who your audience is.   Keep in mind that your audience will depend on the content. There are many types of Bible studies you can write on but all fall under two main categories: Book and Topical Studies. What type of studies you are going to focus on?   Will you just focus on Bible studies for moms?  Or Bible studies for those who are in a marriage?  Will study solely focus on the books of the Bible? You need to know who you are writing for and what you are writing about before you can even start.
  2. Determine how readers will participate. Will you host a weekly meeting to cover desired topics?  Will you communicate with your readers and answer questions via blogs comments or will you use a forum or maybe even Facebook?  Will you create the Bible study in PDF format to allow your readers to download it?  The answer to these questions may change over time, but you need to at least have a format in mind before beginning.  You can always change it later to better suit your audience.
Things to keep in mind
  1. Be consistent.  Formatting your Bible studies the same way will help your readers follow along, participate more, and allow them to learn more.
  2. Be timely.  If you are writing a multiple part Bible study that will span several days or weeks, post the studies in a timely manner.  Keeping your readers waiting for the next installment will just create frustration and they may even forget all about it.
  3. Be Biblical based.  This should be obivious, but when writing a Bibles study make sure you use the Bible!  Use the Bible as your source.  Remember scripture interprets scripture.
Above all remember why you writing the Bible studies.  You are ministering to others by sharing the Word of God.  You are fulfilling part of the great commission - "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations,....Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." Matthew 28:19-20.
Do you write Bible studies on your blog?  Do you have any tips to share?

Posts We Love - Edition #3

/

 

Every Friday I post links to some posts that I recently read and loved.  You can also leave links to any posts you loved too.  If a post stands out to you, encourages you, teaches you, let us know about it.  Leave a comment with a link to the post so that we can visit, leave a comment, and show some social love.

Here are some posts I enjoyed this past week:

I have also created a Tumblr blog, Posts We Love, where I will link all the posts I come across that I love.  If you have a Tumblr account and would like to be a member of that blog and submit posts as well, just shoot me an email with your email address and I'll add you as a member.  Every Friday, I will add some of the links from the Tumbr blog to the Posts We Love edition here on Faithful Bloggers.

P.S. Leave a link to your favorite posts this pass week and get another entry into the blog party giveaways!

Posts We Love - Edition #2

/

 

Every Friday I post links to some posts that I recently read and loved.  You can also leave links to any posts you loved too.  If a post stands out to you, encourages you, teaches you, let us know about it.  Leave a comment with a link to the post so that we can visit, leave a comment, and show some social love.

Here are some posts I enjoyed this past week:

I have also created a Tumblr blog, Posts We Love, where I will link all the posts I come across that I love.  If you have a Tumblr account and would like to be a member of that blog and submit posts as well, just shoot me an email with your email address and I'll add you as a member.  Every Friday, I will add some of the links from the Tumbr blog to the Posts We Love edition here on Faithful Bloggers.

Online Ministry - Tips for Running a Devotion Site

/

Devotion websites are one of the most popular types of online ministries on the Internet today.  Devotions are usually a short writing about a topic related to the Christian faith and life. They usually have a Bible verse or two on which they are based; and because of their brevity, they are not written on 'heavy' theological topics. Devotionals provide words of encouragement or challenging and inspiring thoughts on the many issues that Christians face. Many devotional writings also contain illustrations from everyday life and then relate that to Christian living. Devotionals are good to write because they are quick to do and can offer encouragement on many different areas. No matter who your audience is you can write a devotional for them.   However there are some things you should keep in mind if you are running this type of ministry.

  1. Pray before starting.  The Word tells us that we are to pray on all occasions. Ephesians 6: 18 “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,…”  This is true, even with the creation of content. Believe it or not, God really does want to be the one to guide you through everything you do. After all, He is the one who knows everything we need and all that we need to do. When you pray to God before moving forward with what you will create, it seems to make the creation process a little easier. He helps you to focus on the topic and He is pretty good with reminding you about important scriptures that you can use to validate what you write or say. Before you get started, pray that God will give you the right words to use, help you to convey the message properly, and that someone is blessed as a result of what you write.
  2. Always include Biblical examples and/or Bible verses.  The Word is the strongest component in life and it carries with it the power to effect and change lives. It makes no difference if you are writing about the Christian lifestyle, Christians in business, or a topical subject, it is best to include some Scriptures to back up what you are saying. The Bible is the truth and it is this truth that will set people free. It has answers that cover every area of life. By using scriptures in your Christian content, you are helping people find the truth and answers to many of life situations and problems.
  3. Be Personal.  The best devotions are usually ones written from experience.  Write about what you know.  Write in your own words and style.  Be yourself and be honest.  Your readers will appreciate it.
Just remember why you are writing devotions - to encourage others in living a Christ filled life  and everything will fall into place.  Do you have any tips to add?

Posts We Love!

/

 

I'm so excited to introduce a new feature here at Faithful Bloggers - Posts We love!  Every Friday I will post links to some posts that I recently read and loved.  You can also leave links to any posts you loved too.  If a post stands out to you, encourages you, teaches you, let us know about it.  Leave a comment with a link to the post so that we can visit, leave a comment, and show some social love.

Here are some posts I enjoyed this past week:

I have also created a Tumblr blog, Posts We Love, where I will link all the posts I come across that I love.  If you have a Tumblr account and would like to be a member of that blog and submit posts as well, just shoot me an email with your email address and I'll add you as a member.  Every Friday, I will add some of the links from the Tumbr blog to the Posts We Love edition here on Faithful Bloggers.

Faithful Bloggers Podcast #8 - The Saturday Evening Pot

/

For this podcast episode I have guests Anne and John from the The Saturday Evening Pot.  I also make make a fun announcement about the blog directory and an upcoming blog party! [display_podcast]

Links mentioned:

The Saturday Evening Pot

The Saturday Evening Pot Facebook Page

The Saturday Evening Post Twitter Page

Dine & Dish

eKat's Kitchen

SITS Girls

We Are That Family

Women Living Well

The Time Warp Wife

21st Century Housewife

inLinkz

 

Living A Life of Integrity

/

Integrity. We hear this word mentioned a lot, especially as Christians. But, exactly, what is it and how do we live with integrity?

As I looked for a clear definition, I realized that it is not an easy word to explain. I didn't like the definitions I found, so I thought I would give it a
try myself.

I believe, in defining integrity, we need to look at some of the characteristics that are involved in being a person of integrity.

Honesty is essential. Others need to be able to trust what you say and do, and not have any doubt that you are being less than completely honest.

Being morally upright is another quality high on the list. You would never expect a person of integrity to be involved in pornography or adultery.
Integrity involves having high moral principles and sticking to them at all times.

Speaking of sticking to it, integrity includes consistency of actions. You aren't honest or morally upright only around certain people or just on Sunday
mornings. This is the way you live your entire life.

You embrace responsibility and dependability. When you say you will do something, others can forget about it and know it will get done.

Do you think it is important to God that we really walk with integrity all of the time? Let's see what He has to say about it.

"He who walks with integrity walks securely..." Proverbs 10:9;

"The integrity of the upright will guide them..." Proverbs 11:3;

"But as for me, I will walk in my integrity... Psalm 26: 11

I guess it is what He wants us to do! When we obey God, we not only please Him, but we are also blessed. Look at what these verses say about
someone who walks in integrity - they are secure and will be guided. I don't know about you, but I want that!

If you feel that you come up a little short on the integrity scale, don't worry. God is always willing to help you come more in line with His will for how
you live your life. Just ask Him.

Interested in finding out how you can run your business in a way that honors God? Visit http://www.christianhomebusinessconnection.com/christian-
business-ethics.html for details.

Author: Laurie Neumann

Twitter Tips

/

The other day while I was doing a search on Google I came across a blog of a pastor, Rev Trev.  I really enjoyed his website - there's a lot of good information on it.  One thing caught my attention though was his report, Twitter Tips from Rev Trev.  It is a blueprint to help Christian increase their influence on Twitter. Here's a video of Rev Trev talking about the report:

So I signed up to get the report and started reading it. I have to say, I was impressed.  I really enjoyed the section about how Christian should act on Twitter.

It's a free report and you can get a copy at http://revtrev.com/twitter-tips/.  I highly recommend it!

Faith Based Business Devotions

/

My online mentor and friend, Kelly McCausey, has just recently released a book of faith based business devotions.  I have read these devotions and they are wonderful!  In fact, I refer to them often in my day to day business dealings. Her book  is a ten week devotional that you can follow to help you reach your God size dreams.  And yes, I know it is called Business Devotions, but all the topics could easily be applied to blogging.

Check out these topics:

  1. Praying for your business.
  2. God's ecomony.
  3. Your calling.
  4. Your spiritual gifts.
  5. Managing your time.
  6. Business by The Book.
  7. Your mentors.
  8. Overcoming personal obstacles.
  9. Pursuing excellence.
  10. Sharing your faith.

You know I put God is in the forefront of my business and blogs and these devotions just help me to continue doing that even when I'm feeling down or depressed about the way things are going.  They remind me that God is in control and if I run my business and/or blogs according to His will, then by God sized dreams will come true - in fact, they already are coming true!  It's amazing to watch God work in my business and blogs.

You can get a digital PDF version  of Kelly McCausey's Faith Based Business Devotions for just $5 or you can even get a copy for your Kindle if that is what your prefer.

Online Ministry - Starting a Devotional Site

/

Have you ever wanted to start an online ministry by writing devotions?  It's pretty easy to get started with and can actually be done quickly. Of course, the first thing you should do is pray about it.  The only way a your devotional site will have any type of success is if God is involved. What is a devotional?

According to WikiAnswers:

"A devotional is short one-page writing about a topic related to the Christian faith and life. They usually have a Bible verse or two on which they are based and are not, due to their brevity on 'heavy' theological topics but provide words of encouragement or challenging and inspiring thoughts. Many devotional writings also contain illustrations from everyday life and then relate that to Christian living. "

What is a devotional website?

A devotional website can be found in many different formats.  The most popular format is using the written word.  Bloggers and content writers will write devotions and then publish them on their website.  However you don't have to stick to the written word.  You could have a devotional radio show (which is easy to setup on BlogTalkRadio.com), an audio podcast, a video podcast, a TV show (also very easy to setup with WordPress and plugins),or a combination of all the above.  There is no set way to publish a devotional site.  You just have to publish devotions in some form or fashion.

Remember though that it's not just enough to put up some devotions on a webpage and be done.  It's takes love, passion, and devotion.

  1. Love – In order have a ministry, online or offline, you have to have a love for Christ.
  2. Passion – You must have a passion to show God’s love to others
  3. Devotion – You must be willing to devote your time and resources to the ministry.

What do I write about?

Since devotional writings usually contain illustrations from your everyday life you could pick a particular life issue to focus your devotional site on.  For instance, if you are a stay at home mom your devotions could be focused on issues you and other stay at home moms face.  

Some other examples would be:

  • Single parents
  • Marriage
  • Homeschool
  • Divorce
  • Business

These are all topics you could write devotions around.  Your devotional site could touch on all these topics or you could concentrate on just one.  The choice is your to make.  Of course, there are lot more topics than just those I listed.

Do you have a devotional blog or website and have any tips for those who are interested in starting one as well?  If so, leave them in the comments!

courtneysig
courtneysig

Online Ministry - Different Types of Online Ministires

/
1295779_44452649.jpg

Having an online ministry can be a joy and done in a lot of different ways.  There is no wrong or right way to run an online ministry as long as you are going down the path the Lord leads.

"A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps." Proverbs 16:9

Below is a list of just some of the different types of online ministries you can have.  Through out the upcoming weeks, I will be discussing each type in more detail.

  1. Devotions - This is probably the most common type of an online ministry and even this can be done a number of different ways.  Devotions sites online can be all encompassing, such as Faithful Devotions, or very specific in nature, such as Devotions for Moms. Devotions published in written form, audio, or even video.  Devotions are a type of worship and as such there are many different ways we can worship the Lord.
  2. Bible Studies - Bible studies online can also be done in numerous ways - written, audio, video.  Bible Study for Her is a good example.  You could even create an e-course that delivers a specific Bible study via email.
  3. Personal blog - When you think of an online ministry, a personal blog probably isn't what you think of, but they can be a great ministry tool.  Sharing your life struggles and accomplishes, along with the Word of God, can help others who are in the same situation as you.
  4. Radio Show/Podcast - There are many online Christian radio shows and podcasts all on different subjects - such as Christian life, finance, Bible studies, etc.
  5. Resources - Having a website with inspirational messages such as photos, screensavers, computer wallpapter, etc., can even be a ministry.  Breath of Life Online Ministry is a good example.
Just remember that as long as you are sharing the Word of God, have a love for Christ, passion to show God’s love to others, and the ability to devote your time and resources, you can have a successful online ministry.

Online Ministry - Is Your Blog Your Ministry?

/

People blog for different reasons.  Some say it is their hobby, their business, and many Christians claim it is their ministry.  Is your blog your ministry? What does it mean to have a ministry?

When people think of a ministry they usually think of a church, missionaries, Vacation Bible School, the bus workers, etc.  Some think of those who write books, speak, sing, and run Christian conferences when giving examples of a ministry.  A ministry can came in many different forms and fashions including the form of an online blog.

According to Acts 6:4, simply put, a ministry is the action of spreading God’s word. “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.”

In my own opinion, though, a ministry takes more than just quoting Bible verses.  It takes love, passion, and devotion.

  1. Love – In order have a ministry, online or offline, you have to have a love for Christ.
  2. Passion – You must have a passion to show God’s love to others
  3. Devotion – You must be willing to devote your time and resources to the ministry.

How can a blog be a ministry?

If you share the word of God on your blog, your blog could be considered a ministry.  Now there are a lot of different ways you can share the word of God online.

Usually when someone thinks about an online ministry, they probably think about devotions.  There are thousands of devotional blogs online and many of them are a true ministry. Anyone can post a devotional online, but that doesn’t mean they are running a ministry.  As I stated earlier, a ministry, takes love, passion, and devotion and while many bloggers have good intentions, they just don’t follow through.

Of course, devotions are not the only type of blog a ministry can be.  You could create a blog on almost any topic and as long as you are using sharing the word of God, you could turn it into a ministry.

Why do you blog?

Is it for hobby, fun, business, or ministry? Perhaps it’s a mixture of all of those.    It’s important to know why you blog.  It will help you keep focus on the purpose and give you the ability to give your readers the information they are seeking.  So what is the purpose of your blog?

Why Owning Your Own Blog Is Important

/
1162226_91584950.jpg

While approving blogs for our Christian blog directory, I have noticed that a large majority of the blogs submitted are hosted through the Google Blogger platform. I have made it no secret that I am not of fan of Google Blogger and prefer using a self-hosted version of WordPress for my blog platforms.  I understand that WordPress may not be for everyone but the most important aspect of using a self-hosted blogging platform is that I actually own my blogs.  I have total control.  I'm not giving some third party complete control over it.

You don’t have to be a control freak to want to have complete control over your blog. For a majority of us, your blog is part of your life and it makes sense to want to be able to design it, modify it and access it when and where you want to. Hosting it yourself ensures you have this control. And this control over your blog means you can create a blog that is 100% unique. You can focus on highlighting your brand personality and creating a strong image in your niche.

Hosting your blog yourself also means your audience won’t have to remember a long domain name and you can choose any URL you want.  When you’re hosting your website on a blogging platform, for example http://yourdomainname.blogspot.com, your domain name has two unique challenges. The first is that your blogging host may deny your domain name for myriad reasons and the other is that your audience has to remember your domain name plus your hosting site. They have to type the entire thing into their browser. If you host your blog yourself both of those challenges disappear.  (Yes, you can use your own domain with Google Blogger, WordPress.com, and other hosted platforms, but often times you have to pay extra to do so.)

Another issue when using hosted blogging platforms is that many of them restrict what you can do on your blog, especially if you are trying to make money. Many don’t allow affiliate promotions and they don’t allow you to sell ad space or participate in PPC to make money. Host it yourself and you can sell or promote whatever you want on your blog.

Blogs are hacked, often. And while security generally isn’t an issue if your blog is attacked you need to be able to get onto the blog and clean things up. If your blog is hosted by someone else, you can lose information or be locked out of your account and that is perhaps the worst thing that can happen to a blog owner.

Do you want to move from a hosted blogging platform to a self-hosted blog?   What's keeping you from doing so?  Is it the money for hosting, the technical know how, lack of time?  Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts and concerns about using a hosted service such as Google Blogger versus using a hosted blogging platform such as WordPress.org.

 

What's been going on...

/

I have gotten a few emails from some of you asking what happened to me!  Don't worry, I'm fine.  As most of you know, I was pregnant with  my 3rd child and was due July 13.  Well the Lord felt our new baby need to join us a little early, so on June 28th at 8:31am we welcomed Brandon into the world.  It was an emergency situation, so I was not prepared at all for it.  Then right after his birth, I got extremely sick.  I'm just now getting better and starting to get back into the swing of things. I appreciate all the emails and warm thoughts and prayers sent our way.

Brandon weighed in at 9lbs and 15oz and measured 21.5 inches.

Be Still and Know

/

Psalms 46:10 tell us to "Be still, and know that I [am] God..."  Most of us have heard that verse hundreds of times but how many of us actually put it into action?  How many bloggers apply it to their blogs? I hear this a lot - "I don't know what to do with my blog".  I've even been there too.  It wasn't until I stopped and waited on the Lord that I realized He wanted me to start Faithful Bloggers.  I've found that when I struggle with my blogs and online business, it's usually being I'm not waiting on the Lord to direct me and once I do that everything seems to get back on track.

Now I know waiting on the Lord is not always an easy thing to do - especially since there is no way to know how long it will take to know the Lord's will.  You could discover it immediately, the next day, the next week, or even the next year.  It's that waiting that can be discouraging.  But the waiting is so worth it.

Do you have issues with waiting on the Lord?  Just know that you are not the only one.  We all struggle with it at one point or another in our spiritual lives.