So, what’s a blogidentity? Simply put, I’m defining it as who you are in the realm of social media. Some might define it as your personal online brand. And as is quoted by so many books and blogs on branding, your brand isn’t who you say you are. It’s who they say you are. But what if they aren’t saying anything about you? Or worse, what if they don’t really care at all?
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The Best Use Of This Blog Ever
You see the graph up there? It’s from Google Analytics and is for my blog’s traffic over the last month. Now, I have high hopes of what this blog might be, dreams of it having hundreds of readers a day. But that’s a lot of ego, if I’m honest. Anyway, I’m used to looking at a graph like the one above and not seeing it climb above about 77 for any given day. I’m also used to the peaks and valleys that come with not updating every single day. But as you can see, about a week ago, my graph suddenly changed.
That’s when Sterling Davis had surgery on his brain to remove a tumor. I wrote a little post about how we could all be praying for him. Some of you thought it was good and helpful, and so you passed it along to a few other people. Some of them felt the same way and passed it on to a few more. Eventually, that one little post got a lot of hits.
Funny how I’ve always wanted my personal blog to grow and the only time it really has was when it was devoted completely to someone else.
That’s the best use of a blog that I can think of.
And the best response too.
So, anyway, Sterling did really well in his surgery. The doctors were able to get about 85% of the tumor out, which was huge. He went home after just a few days, which is even… well… huger. Since then, Roger and Becca, Sterling’s parents, have just been waiting to hear from the pathologist as to whether the tumor was benign or malignant. In other words, they were waiting to find out if it was cancerous or not. Well, today they got their answer.
It’s benign.
See? I told you prayer works.
However, please continue to pray for Sterling’s continued healing. The prognosis is a lot better now, but the journey’s not over. I’m humbled to see all of you walk along with him.
Thanks.
Looking Forward
Sorry my blogging has sucked royally as of late.
Sincerely.
It’s not that I haven’t had things to write about. Quite the contrary, actually. It’s just that I’ve had a couple of crazy weeks where various different things have consumed my thoughts not only during the day but also at night. Those “things” consist of things like:
- Student Life Theme
- Summer event Bible study for summer 2010
- Halloween costumes
- A blog “initiative” for SL
- Messaging for SL
- What’s next
- Zombies
I didn’t say they were all serious or anything.
Anyway, today I traveled with some co-workers to Atlanta for the Catalyst Conference. I first came to Catalyst a few years ago. Student Life had a booth, and I came to stand in the booth and talk about Student Life. I would go into the sessions, though, and was blown away. I was challenged from a production standpoint, spiritual standpoint, and business standpoint. For the past three or four years I’ve been coming just as an attendee and bringing more people with me each year. This year, though, I’m back to work the SL booth. But it’s cool. I’ll still be attending as much as possible.
And, lucky you, I’ll be blogging and twittering all about it. Plus, if you’re interested, you can keep up with all that’s happening at Catalyst Backstage. There Anne Jackson and Carlos Whitaker will be bringing you all the backstage action as well as what’s happening in the room. Check it out, if at all possible.
So, until sometime tomorrow, thanks for sticking with me… all five of you.
Morality and Narrative Law
I’m going to do something today that I normally deplore other bloggers doing. Namely, I’m going to simply point you to someone else’s content and not comment on it, at least not yet. It’s extremely thought provoking, and I need some time to wrestle with it some more.
So…
If you haven’t read Don Miller’s post today, do so now by clicking here.
Friend Friday: Freeing My Mind
I’ve got some updating to do to the old site here and might get to it this weekend (hopefully). One of the (many) things I have to do is to add to my ever-increasing blogroll. I’ve gone ahead and started, though, with today’s Friend Friday Feature.
As you’ll notice (if you’re a careful observer), I’ve added a new category to the blogroll. “Family Ties.” As you might guess, this will be a place to bring special attention to blogs that belong to members of my family. The only two I’m reading (and am aware of) right now are Liza‘s and (my brother) Craig‘s.
Craig just entered into the blogosphere this week. So, please, welcome him and make him feel at home. If you’re one of those people who likes to bring cookies to the new neighbors, Craig likes chocolate chip. You can find him over at “Freeing My Mind.”
Since Craig just started blogging there’s not a lot to read, but what is there is good. He’s an excellent writer, and you’ll probably discover that we have similar voices when it comes to that kind of stuff. Also, once you’re done with the blog, you can head on over to his ministry site and check out some of the articles he’s written. He also has a podcast that’s relaunching soon, and I’m supposed to be a part of at least one of them. I’ll definitely link to those when they’re up, but you can always check out his other ones too.
From time to time someone will ask me what Craig does, and I never really know how to adequately answer them. He’s in ministry (Awake International) , for sure, and he ministers primarily in a sector of the Church that most visitors to this site probably don’t encounter very much. I think Craig would say he’s a reformer, or at least those are his aspirations. At any rate, he’s a teacher and preacher and prophet and budding writer and mentor to various people every year through his AwakeU program. The churches and events where Craig is are often marked by a working of the Spirit that many of us don’t get to experience very often. To be honest, Craig operates in a world that I don’t always understand but I need to and that challenges me consistently.
If nothing else I can say that I have personally witnessed no other greater work of God than what He’s done in Craig’s life. Maybe one day I’ll write more about here, but for today, I’ll encourage you to get to know him and find out for yourself.
Friend Friday: Shlog
Shlog is the blog of Shaun Groves (get it? “Shaun” – “aun” + “blog” – “b” = “Shlog”. that concludes our math lesson for the day). If you look in the various blogroll categories I have listed on the right, you’ll notice that I have Shaun listed under “Some People I Know (Kinda).” That “(Kinda)” is there for a reason. To be honest, I don’t really know Shaun hardly at all. I mean, I read his blog, obviously. So, I know a some stuff about him, things he does, thinks, feels, says, in so far as he writes them down and publishes them there. And we’ve communicated to one another a handful of times on Twitter. Other than that, we’ve only actually met two or three times. I can only recall two for sure, though I could swear there was a third time. Both of the times I can remember involved a mutual passion we share, seeking the release of children around the world from poverty in Jesus’ name through Compassion International (for more info on Compassion click my category to the left or the add on the right; if you’d like to sponsor a child then simply click here).
The first was during our Clairty tour here at Student Life. During that tour we were honored to have a graduate of Compassion’s program travel with us to be an advocate for the million children with whom they work. Her name was Jackie and her story is awesome. Compassion had randomly chosen to begin filming her when she was a young girl in their program in Uganda. Their pick couldn’t have been more provident. They’ve been able to follow her all the way through their program, and she is a real success story. I had the privilege of meeting her mother while I was in Uganda that year. It was obvious to me that not only had Compassion made a difference in Jackie’s life but in that of her entire family as well. But I digress. While Jackie was here in the States travelling with us, Shaun (who’s a Compassion advocate, himself, and even directs their Compassion Bloggers program) came down from Nashvile to just sit down with Jackie and interview her a little bit. Taylor, Eric and I filmed their time together. Now that I’m writing this I’m wondering what ever happened to that footage and if it was used at all. I should ask him.
The second time we met was at an appreciation dinner hosted by Compassion during GMA week. Shaun had recently traveled with Compassion on their first ever vision trip for bloggers. I think they went to Uganda, coincidentally enough. Following that trip he was then tapped to lead their effort. Maybe that was the plan all along. I don’t know. I just remember them announcing it at that dinner.
So, that’s it, really, as far as me knowing him personally, which, again, isn’t really at all. What I do know is that Shaun is a lot of things as far as labels go. Musician. Songwriter. Preacher. Husband. Father. Writer. Thinker. From what I can tell he’s not one to be comfortable with the status quo. It seems to me that he seeks Jesus with a devoted passion and is willing to literally follow Him wherever He leads. Unfortunatley, that makes him a real radical in the American church that challenges and at least afflicts any of us who get too content in our pews (or padded stadium seats) for an hour on Sunday.
But that’s not really why I wanted to feature him and his Shlog for this edition of “Friend Friday.” Here’s the real reason.
Shaun recently had a bout with depression. I know this not because of any real connection we have but because once he came out of it he began writing about it on the Shlog. You can find the posts here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here (or just click here). He writes about this time openly, honestly and forthrightly. I know that a lot of you don’t like posts that have much length at all (it’s a wonder you stop by here at all), and these posts aren’t short, but they’re worth reading. I don’t know. I wonder how much you will get out of them. For me, though, they were a Godsend, literally. From the moment the first post popped up in my Google Reader I was captivated, eagerly waiting (often not patiently) for the next installment.
The reason why is because I struggle with depression, too. I have for years. Many of you may not know that. I don’t really talk about it that much. It’s hard for me to do so, not because I don’t want to or am not willing to, but because I often can’t find the words for it. It’s something I live with and experience deeply but when I’m not gripped by it I have trouble thinking about it and contemplating it. It’s like that depressed version of me is someone I don’t know, a stranger (or at least unwelcomed visitor) that I have no idea how to interact with. Shaun, however, found the words, and through them I found I could relate so much.
Depression is a tricky topic in the Church. After all, we have the “joy of the Lord,” what’s there to be depressed about? That’s a great question with no easy answers, but in his posts, Shaun takes them on and does so beautifully.
I don’t know, maybe this Friend Friday is one that’s just too personal. You might not have any interest in reading those posts whatsoever. But even if you don’t, Shaun’s got a lot to say, and it’s usually not easy. So, I think he’s worth listening to and getting to know (at least as much as you can).
Again, you can read the Shlog or follow Shaun on Twitter. His next trip with Compassion Bloggers is in November. His lates post is about putting that group together. Be sure to follow that and let anyone and everyone know about it. It could save a child’s life, quite literally.
Thanks. Have a great weekend!
Friend Friday: Bogue and Weejer
Bogue and Weejer is the blog home of Ruth Tinsley. I’ve actually known Ruth and her husband David for a number of years, even before they were married. You see, we went to the same college, Mississippi College, to be exact.. Though, I think I was a senior when they were freshmen (or maybe sophomores; I can’t really remember for sure). We first met my last semester. I was doing set and technical design for one of our shows (Children of Eden) in which Ruth and David were cast. David played Noah and Ruth played the dove. One night I messed up one of Ruth’s lighting cues, but she didn’t skip a beat and never went all diva on me about it.
Further on down the road, as I worked Student Life Camp in the summers, I often was part of the team hosting events at Shocco Springs. Ruth and David were on the Shocco summer staff a few years. So, that’s cool. Eventually, we at SL hired Ruth to be a graphic designer. She now does her thing for a church from home as well as freelance stuff. So, while she’s not on our payroll anymore, we still get to work with her some, which is beneficial because she’s a great designer.
Ruth really helped me out without even knowing it because Liza was helping throw a baby shower for Erin. She was in charge of invitations and was really stressed about it because she couldn’t find anything cute. So, Ruth designed one for her and it was awesome. Thus, the general atmosphere of my home was much more peaceful. Thanks, Ruth.
Ruth and David are also expecting twins, which is extremely awesome.
Anyway, back to the blog. Ruth writes about many different things. Her interests are wide and varied. Thus, so are her posts. However, every one is not only well-written, but is also interesting, witty and full of personality, and most of the time, highly amusing. She’s such a fun blogger that her cat decided to get in on the action, but that’s for another day.
So, if you’re not reading Bogue and Weejer, start (that’s a strong encouragement, not a command; I realize I don’t have that kind of power over you all).
Have a good weekend, everyone. I’ll be in Memphis officiating a wedding for my friend, Sarah. Maybe I’ll post about it. Why don’t you spend the next few days in eager anticipation over it?
American Idol ≠ World Stuff AND Friend Friday
Today I’m introducing a new feature here at Enigmatic Meanderings that I’m calling “Friend Friday.” This just means that on some Fridays (though, possibly, not every Friday) I’ll feature something from a friend of mine.
Sounds like fun, right?
But first, let me relay to you a conversation that just occurred in my office.
Here’s the set-up: Liza was up here with Story for a few minutes, and Erin was standing in my doorway talking to us. Earl was walking by on his way to talk to Taylor. He stopped in, though, to see Story and whatever. While he was there, he asked Erin how the heat’s been for her (you see, Erin is pregnant, as many of you know, and it’s funny to some of us that she’s pregnant during the hottest time of the year). She remarked that the air-conditioner has been out at their townhouse and then animatedly relayed to us the story of trying to get it fixed. This resulted in her saying that she and Ben had finally given up and called an AC guy themselves to come fix the problem. They called Evans, whom Liza and I have used before, and Liza, especially, liked. She then went on to tell Erin why she liked them so much when the following conversation occurred.
Liza: …So they’re really nice. Plus, it’s who Rick and Bubba recommend.
Erin: (Sarcastically) Well, there’s a shining recommendation right there.
Me: (Equally sarcastically) Isn’t it?
Erin: (To Liza) You listen to Rick and Bubba every day, don’t you?
Liza: No.
Me: She used to, during school.
Liza: When I was driving to school every day, I would listen to them about twice a week.
Erin: (Skeptically) That’s it?
Liza: They talk a lot about hunting and sports and stuff, and that’s not really my thing.
Erin: Right.
Liza: But I like to listen to them when they’re, you know, talking about world stuff… like American Idol.
!!!!!!!
Oh, babe. (SIGH) I love you.
Now, on to Friend Friday…
Today’s Friend Friday Feature is the blog Kitchen Mischief: A Chronicle of Culinary Mishaps and Masterpieces by Josh and Matthew. Josh was one of my closest friends in high school, and though he’s a marketing manager for Time Inc. here in Birmingham, we haven’t really spoken directly since that time. It’s a shame really. I even struggled with where to put their blog in the links to the right. I settled on “This other stuff”because it’s specialized and not a personal blog, but it’s not because I don’t consider Josh a friend or anything. It’s just one of those things that happens as you age. Plus, I don’t really know Matthew, though I’m sure he’s a great guy.
Anyway, back to Kitchen Mischief… these guys aren’t chefs or anything, but they love food and have good tastes. On this blog they’re simply sharing recipes and how-to tips they’ve tried with the idea that if they can do it, so can you. It’s a young blog, but it’s great, and here’s to hoping they keep it up. So, check it out.
Have a good weekend.
