I read every single comment last week. I didn’t respond because I was overwhelmed by all of the, Me too!‘s. But, I clicked through, like back in the old days, and I found a few blogs I’d like to introduce you to over the next few weeks, just as I promised. Last week I said I wasn’t sure what the guidelines would be for choosing the blogs to highlight in these weekly posts. I don’t know if I’ll highlight one each week, or more than that. But one thing I realized is that I want to highlight bloggers I’ve never met before, and for whom my visit to their place was my very first. You might already know some of these amazing bloggers I hope to introduce you to. You might like some of them, and you may not be so keen on others. I think that’s alright, because we’re talking about art, here, right?
When I started blogging, all those years ago, the thing that hooked me was the comments. The fact that people read what I wrote astounded me. But, there was the proof, right there in the comment box at the end of every (well, almost every) post. The words people left behind let me know they’d stopped by, and that they’d read what I’d written. Sometimes, they even responded specifically to some bit of information I’d shared, or a thought I’d lifted up, or a stand I may have taken (which I rarely did).
I started blogging on Blogger (which I still hold in high esteem), and the comment system connected with that platform made it easy to click through a person’s profile and then find your way to their little corner of the Internet. Reciprocity was one of the gifts of the blogging world, back in the day. I had a proclivity toward leaving a response for each person who commented on my post, and then clicking through to read their latest over on their site. As often as possible, I left a comment for them at their place, too.
My fellow blogging friends whom I knew in real life would get together from time to time and, back then, our greatest concern was, “How do you have time to keep up with the comments?” Did you ever have that conversation with your blogging comrades?
For me, community was forged in the comment box. Eventually, comment systems developed threaded comments which made it possible to respond to a commenter, right beneath their original comment, rather than a few comments below where they’d first responded. What a breakthrough! What innovation! It felt more like a real conversation around the dinner table, with people sitting around and silverware clinking in the background while candle wax pooled itself on the tabletop. When I hit “publish” on a post, it became an invitation to sit for a while and share a meal, or an appetizer, or a cool glass of water. And people took me up on it.
I want to see if I can get that back, here. At some point along the way, the idea of responding to the comments you left here must have slipped through the cracks. I’m sad about that. I got distracted by the glitter of Facebook and other places and the fact that I was distracted meant that, while I may have set the table and invited you to a meal, when you arrived here at my front door, I let you in and then walked out the back door to somewhere else. Not very hospitable.
While Facebook may be glittery, blogging has its own brand of glitter. In fact, I think blogging may have invented social media glitter. Here’s something I think is important to remember: the content here is mine. It’s the same for you. If you a write a blog that is self-hosted, your content belongs to you. (You can read more about self-hosted and free blogging platforms, here.) When I write something over on places like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, the owners of those platforms have some rights to that content. I’m not paying them anything to sit at their tables, eat their food, drink their Kool-Aid, and write stuff (nor, by the way, are they paying me), so, in the unlikely event they decide to pack up and leave, they can take the stuff I’ve written with them.
When I write content on Facebook, my content is combined with content posted by a gazillion other people. Facebook rolls my content into a basket with a quadrillion (clearly, these numbers are estimates) other people who seem to like boots and being married and who have adult children and one farm dog, and Facebook says to their advertisers, “Look how many people might be interested in buying what you’re selling! If you pay us a ton of money, we’ll put an ad for your boots for happily married women with adult children and one farm dog on Facebook, and we’ll make sure these people see it and that they can’t resist clicking through to see what else you have to offer them that they never knew they needed until they saw your ad!” I’m not saying any of this is a bad thing, I’m simply saying it is what it is. (And, I should also say, I’ve never actually been to a meeting at Facebook, so I might be a little bit off in my description of how things truly unfold there. But, I think I’m pretty close.) Facebook has a lot of good to offer people who blog or who want to run a profitable business and who don’t mind paying to make sure their content gets seen by the married-with-adult-children, farm-dog owning, moms who like to wear boots.
What I think I want to do, however, is place a higher value on building community on my little corner of the Internet, right here on this blog, I want to get back to the art of the conversation in the blog comment box. I’m not quite sure how it will look but I’m sure it will show itself as I go. Last week, when I told you I had a nostalgic longing for some old-school blogging, you are the ones who showed me what I’ve been missing. Your cascade of comments reminded me that what I’ve been missing most of all is sitting here at the table with you, my elbows on the table (despite what I was taught), my chin in the palm of my hand, as you and I share some words over a bowl of soup or a crust of bread or a slice of pizza with something cold to wash it down.
So, here’s who I’d like you to meet this week. Despite all my words here about comments, there are no comments on this blog, written by Beth + Lindsay.
:::
Some questions for you: When you get together with your blogging friends, what kinds of things do you talk about? Which platform (Blogger, WordPress, Ghost, TypePad, Squarespace, something else) do you use for your blog? Is there something you used to do on your site that you no longer do? Do you think it’s a good thing to let go, or have you considered bringing it back? What would that look like? And now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going back to respond to your comments from last week. When I’m done there, I’ll catch up with you here.
when I chat with blog friends I chat about what the ‘topic for the day is’… I encourage them in their writing, I cheer them on realizing how hard and long it is to write a blog post. I use at this point in time, blogger. I purchased my blog name and title and had a ‘good friend’ make my blog ‘page cover’ using the biggitty blog antique rose page. I like the ease of blogger and the user friendly editing involved with the site. From the time my blog began to today the only thing different is the ability for others to read it, at first it was only private. For a choice few who asked to read it, after a season I decided to open it up to the public. That was very scary as I am a very private person. Not knowing who is reading the blog is a hard thing for me, but I must rest in the knowledge that it is what it is, an open to the public blog. Yours was one of my first to read along with a few others.
I remember when you made the switch from private to public! I remember how scary that was for you, and how you were brave, anyway! Yay!
You’re one of the most encouraging people I’ve met on the Internet, Sharon. It’s a gift you have, so I can totally *see* you being an encouragement to your blogging friends in real life. You’ve definitely been an encouragement to me!
I still use Blogger and love it. I’ve used WordPress for other projects and it stresses me out. I used to do more affiliate advertising than I do now. I took the ads off my sidebar because, well, they stressed me out too. Blogging is my therapy, a way to document life, and a way to connect. That’s what I want it to be so I try to do things that keep that focus in mind. Thanks for this series – it’s encouraging to me!
You know, as I’m getting back into the habit of reading blogs, many of the ones that speak to me are still on Blogger. It feels like home, in many ways. I switched when I had a designer redesign my blog. That designer only worked with WordPress at the time. I like having the ability to be self-hosted on WordPress, but I still appreciate a lot of what Blogger has to offer.
You are one of the few who ever really, personally responded to my comments on a blog. You showed a sincere interest in me and that meant a lot. It made me feel a part of your community. As I get back into the swing of things on my blog thats something i want to prayerfully consider – how can I foster community that engages people? It will be a sacrifice to make the time but in the end i know its worth it because of my experience here. Thanks 🙂
I do believe there is great value in cultivating deep and sincere community, right in our own corners of the great, big Internet. I hope to get back to that, here. Thanks for the encouraging words, Sandy. It’s good to know those comments made a difference. And, I’m glad you’re getting back into the swing of things! 🙂
I love the concept of Hello, Friend – makes me want to grab a friend and do something like. To answer your questions – I haven’t talked with anyone lately about bloggy things, but I blog on WordPress. I originally had a blog on blogger – didn’t write much. Then decided to go with WordPress, which I really like. I always try to reply back to comments when I receive them. I don’t want people to leave a comment and then feel like I didn’t hear them. I realize that for some bloggers who receive tons of comments replying to all of them is next to impossible, so I usually gauge my expectations of a reply based on the size of the blog. I love it when someone replies back, but that is not a deal breaker for reading their blog if I love the content. Something I haven’t’ done in a while is my Weekend Toss – I have never done it every weekend, but I would like to begin doing it on at least a monthly basis. It was kind of a catch-all for links, recipes I tried or any miscellaneous type of information. Right now, I am still on hiatus and need to get my muse back and start writing again. I probably just need to set a date and start. Thanks for reaching out and being intentional about bringing back a sense of community to blogging. I’m so over Facebook says she who still hangs out there on a regular basis. 🙂
Isn’t Hello, Friend a sweet idea? I love so much about it. The concept, the look, the letters.
You raise a great point about volume of comments impacting the ability to respond. I think I’ll have to give myself grace as I do my best to engage in the conversation here.
If you ever do your Weekend Toss again, I hope you’ll let us know!
I enjoyed reading this. I think we do find community around blogging though the people who respond to us can be surprising. Your project is an important one. Thank you for doing it.
Thanks so much for reading, Katie. I’m enjoying our friendship here.
You’re welcome. Me too on enjoying the friendship. Am thinking about Jumping Tandem still, so I can meet you and a few others…
Well, this is exciting! I just finished my free trial at Squarespace and am now “live”…so I’m holding my breath and putting myself “out there” as I reboot my blog. I actually started this blog in 2011, and I’ve “met” you before in the blogosphere…at the time I was over on Blogger, and I followed you in my Google reader thingy. 😉 But then my life got crazy, I went to grad school…and blogging got put to the side. Facebook became so quick and easy. It has its place, but nothing beats old school blogging. As I mentioned in my previous comment in the first post in this series, I have discovered that the blogging world has changed considerably since I left and came back. At first, I was somewhat discouraged and not sure if I should even bother trying to do this again. But THIS series…wow! It’s right on time! God is good! It is a confirmation of what I believe God placed in my heart…to step out and start blogging again. You really encouraged me to just carry on, and trust Him. So…here I go, taking the plunge! I have no idea where it will go, but I will certainly enjoy the journey. Thank you for setting this table. I am looking forward to getting reacquainted with you!
Yes! I remember when you first visited my blog! I still want to hear you play the violin one day. I’m glad you’re back!
I remember Google Reader! What do you use now, to keep up with blogs? Do you remember blogrolls?
Thanks for the the response! 🙂 I was going to ask what people use these days to keep up with blogs! Right now I’m just subscribing by email to the ones I want to keep up with. I don’t know how else to do it. 🙁 I’m not savvy when it comes to things like that…and Twitter is another one that I’m completely ignorant on. I’m kind of out of touch, lol!
And on my “new” blog, I’m actually going to try to include more of my playing. 🙂 In fact, if you’d like to get in the mood for Spring, feel free to have a listen to Beethoven’s “Spring” Sonata here: http://www.miningfordiamondsblog.com/new-blog/2015/3/8/cqrsy9d368mprtvabtyjw2q75y01h6
I really like where you are going with this! I have felt unsettled in my spirit over the past few weeks at the “bigness” of facebook, twitter and instagram. So, actually just this morning I went through and made some pretty significant changes about who I was “following” on all 3. I don’t want to live in an impersonal world. I want to be present and engage…..not distracted.
There is a scene in the movie “Shall we Dance” where Susan Sarandon says “Everybody needs a witness to their lives”…..and it is so true. I want to witness the lives of others….and, I do want my life witnessed as well!
I have been pleasantly surprised by the response to this little project. I had no idea so many people were feeling the way I’m feeling about blogging. And, now I feel as if I have “permission” to feel this way and to return to the pursuit of community rather than always feeling I need to be noticed out there in other social media spaces, many of which feel like The Arena rather than the dining room. I think I prefer witnesses the lives of my friends over the flickering candles at the table, instead of having to strain to hear them above the noise. I’m not giving up on The Arena. There are definitely some benefits there. But, I want to press into the smaller space right here — going deeper rather than wide.
“Shall we Dance.” Sigh. One of my favorite movies.
It’s like a blog reinvention! I have enjoyed the relationships I’ve forged through writing online. Those moments of true connection. Hollywood Housewife does a nice job sharing her thoughts on blogging. I chose Typepad as my host after reading one of her articles.
Just got back from hanging out at Hollywood Housewife. Thanks for the recommendation!
Yes, I think this does feel like a blog reinvention. Or, rediscovery? I like where it’s headed, and I’m grateful for the conversation. Glad you’re here, Traci!
I use blogger and I live with another blogger who used wordpress and now uses squarespace. We talk a lot about developing content for our blogs, mainly recipes and she encourages me to post more sewing and knitting related things. Living with another blogger has encouraged me to stay innovative and keep writing. I use to write and post posts that had no pictures. For me, that just doesn’t work well. How I write and what I write needs images, so I don’t think I’ll bring that back! This is such an interesting conversation! I’m enjoying reading the comments.
Our blogs are here:
http://onebluebicycle.blogspot.com
http://unbuttonedcardigan.com
Thank you so much for leaving your links here! Your blog is so cozy, and that is one of the qualities that first drew me to blogging. The feeling of being welcomed in and inspired. Thanks for that.
I would love to hear more about what it’s like to live with another blogger. That’s not something I’ve heard before and I imagine there are some good stories you could tell us.
Have you read Notes From a Blue Bike, by Tsh Oxenreider?
I’m so glad to see you writing about this, Deidra, because the blogs I enjoy reading most are those which have conversations happening in the comments!
I use Blogger and host my own site. I also have a wordpress blog, but redirect it to my blogger site. When I began, Blogger seemed easier and now I don’t want the hassle of moving, lol. I don’t have any problems with Blogger (now that I host my own site) so no need to change. Before I added disqus to my site I used to respond to comments via email, or directly on the commentator’s blog because who has time to go back to see if your comment was responded to and I wanted my readers to know I appreciated them reading and leaving a comment. With disqus the commentator is notified when I respond, and it seems easier to have a “conversation” with disqus. I won’t be going back to Blogger comments. Looking forward to where this conversation is going 😉
Disqus has really made it so much easier to engage with commenters, hasn’t it? Do you log in to Disqus to reply to comments, or do you respond directly on your blog?
Hmmm, I have been replying right on my blog, is logging in and commenting better?
I’m replying to you on Disqus right now. I don’t do it all the time. What I like about this functionality is that I can keep up with new comments on old content, since Disqus always shows me the most recent comments, first.
Diana Trautwein doesn’t know this, but I learned this trick from her. Once, when we were together at a retreat, I saw Diana log on to Disqus to respond to comments. I was in another conversation at the time and didn’t get to follow up with Diana, but I went right home and tried it for myself. That was a few years ago, and I still like the way Disqus keeps me up to date with the conversation. 🙂
I need to poke around some more in Disqus, but I think I like this better {being logged in}, or I may use a combination of the two, which is what it sounds like you do. Being logged in seems to work best for an ongoing conversation. Thanks for taking the time to show me this, Deidra! I appreciate it!
Absolutely (and this response comes to you straight from the blog, after clicking through from Disqus)! 🙂
Deidra,
I first found your blog when you were hosting The Sunday Community, in fact, I am quite sure it was the very first link up that I ever participated in. It wasn’t all that long ago, actually. Though I have blogged for a time, I simply did it for me w/o all the glitz or really the connecting or comments. I didn’t realize how much work it took to ‘get the words out’… to connect. Or just how much time it would take from what I needed to do. 🙁
However, I have had the privilege to connect with a few bloggers, in real life, and the gift of that connecting has truly been one of the dearest blessings I have known.
I still write for myself, well.. no, actually, I write for Jesus, that has always been my goal. I am learning to write wisely with my time, to spend words in grace and to use them well so that they touch hearts, which is ultimately what I want.
I am have found, as well, that this connecting with word warriors, who love grace and Jesus and sharing that with others, has given me cheerleading skills that I didn’t realize I had. It is beautiful to see others grow in their gifts of encouragement when we can comment. I totally get what you are saying here, I love it and I really enjoy spending time reading the beauty you share.
Thanks so much!
Blessings!
Dawn
Thank you so much for your kind words, Dawn. That Sunday Community was a real gift, and Lisha is doing a great job shepherding the community over at her place.
I keep going back to these words you wrote: “write wisely with my time…” I’d love to hear more about that. What does that phrase mean to you, and how do you live it out?
🙂 I smile because you picked out those words, Deidra.
Yes, Lisha is awesome. I love her poet heart… her words always move me.
So, for me this writing wisely illuminates a part of my love language which is quality time. I don’t want to ‘waste’ time or ‘words’ because they are so valuable. I also don’t want to write for the sake of writing, but write for the purpose of glorifying God, solely.
I have wrestled with the blogging business… of trying to get the comments and get my words out but is it just for me? If so, then it is futile. And that causes me to sometimes not write, so I am trying to find the delicate balance.
Being able to find that balance, create time to write, and take care of the pressing important things here is where writing wisely comes into play for me, I think.
To write wisely is to be open to His heart, to speak(write) those things He is laying on my heart, so that when others find them they are blessed and encouraged, (Hab 2:2)
Oh, this has been good at working out what has been a stumbling block in my writing process! Thanks for starting the discussion, Deidra!
Bless you,
Dawn
When I talk to blogging friends – some of them mutual friends of ours – they all say the same thing: blog comments are dead. But FB comments are alive. So then the question becomes: should we all move over to FB for mini posts and/or old-school interaction?
I don’t know. I know that I worry about the content ownership, like you mentioned. I worry that FB, with it’s slightly longer than Twitter attention span, doesn’t have the space for deeper community. It feels like a microwaved mac and cheese versus a slow-braised brisket.
That said, some of the richest IRL friendships began because of blogging. I would never have met these women without the wonderful world wide web and the connection of writing online. So I’m willing to go where the people are, to a degree, because ultimately, that’s the heart of this. If I was just writing into a vacuum, and there was no interaction at all, I would probably stop my writing online and put it all in a journal.
It does feel as if blog comments are dead, doesn’t it? I thought the same thing. But then, I started this series and was so pleasantly surprised by the number of people who chose to engage right here in the comment thread on the actual blog post.
I think I’m leaning toward both/and. I do believe there are benefits to engaging on FB and Twitter. But, what I’m hoping to do is return to the slower pace (yes, a slow-braised brisket) of community on the blog. It’s why I loved blogging in the first place. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on this, Kelly!
Some folks close comments altogether. I think, like you, Kelly, I’d consider putting all my words in a journal, too. But I cherish those connections.
I love the words “conversation” and “community” way better than “content.”
I started out on Blogger, too… “Beholding God,” I called that blog. And then I started a second one… “The Write Pursuit.” What made me think I had any writing advice back then to give? Mostly I shared stuff I was learning. Then I combined them both and packed up and moved to WP.
I was stunned when people actually came around to read my words, too. And to comment. I tried to respond to everyone… but in looking back, there are times I didn’t do that. I miss is heading out to visit others more. I don’t know where the time goes. Maybe I scroll FB too much and click over from there too often. I could sit at my computer easily 24/7… so I’ve got to find a balance.
I’m so glad you’re doing this series. I love your heart.
Me too. the 24/7 thing. What I’ve noticed in myself is that whole “chasing the conversation” thing. I want to move away from that and stay at the table with the people right here in my virtual dining room. There’s a time for engaging on Facebook and other platforms, but I want to honor the people who show up right here, many of whom — like you — have been right here since the early days. There’s something to be said for that, and I don’t want to take those friendships for granted. I’m like you. I want to visit more. Read more. I want to engage more deeply before flitting off to see what’s trending and adding my voice into the fray. Fry. 🙂
They say neither fraying nor frying are (is?) especially good for a body or soul. (Hey, that could be a 15-word post… )
“I want to get back to the art of the conversation in the blog comment box.” Yes, unequivocal yes! This is where we all started, with God in the midst of us, and He still waits for our return.
Hi, Karen! It’s so good to see you. How are things? We miss you over here. 🙂
I miss having time to write, to comment, to share. We’ve been in a battle and taking a bit of time for rest and ministry in South Africa. Stress is lifting and His glory shines
Deep sigh. Praying peace over you.
I just spent 20 minutes reading Beth and Lindsay, and I think I am in love. It’s such a testament to the power and beauty of friendship. I can tell that they are both “noticers.” I want to be more like that.
I have met some incredible women through blogging — many of them through visiting your place on Sundays. We chat about “whatever” is pressing in on our hearts. It’s an incredible gift to have people in your life who see you with eyes of grace and respond with interest and affirmation.
I started blogging on wordpress.org because I found it easier to make my blog pretty — especially for people who like me who lack that HTML knowledge. I switched to self hosted WordPress about a year and a half ago when I inherited a linkup from another blogger. At that time, I also took off “moderation” on my comments and just decided to “let it be.” I have not regretted my choice one bit.
In defense of Facebook, I would like to say that I am a big fan of Facebook private groups. I have forged some of my strongest relationships online with women here — and I think some women find it easier to share in a private setting. This year, I created a group that is tied into my blog’s theme for 2015 – “Pray Big.” I am so thankful for the women who have joined me there.
The last couple of years have been hard for my family — and I must admit that my responding to comments on my blog has been terrible. I want to do better moving forward because like June I value the conversation so much. Your words here have encouraged me in that regard, Deidra. Thank you for being a good mentor and friend.
Much love
Just a word about the Sunday Community, because a few people have mentioned it, here. I miss it. I do. But, it was definitely time to let it go. I’ve found that, with the dreams God gives, I need to be willing to let them go. For me, The Sunday Community was one of those things.
When I sat down last week to write about blogging, I saw the words about this being a weekly series as they typed themselves onto the screen. I realized then that God was giving me back this little Sunday evening corner and providing a different approach to community building. Well, at least that’s what I hoped. I wasn’t sure until you guys started leaving comments. So, I’m holding this loosely, too. Glad for the chance to reconnect here, with you, and with others along the way.
And yes, Facebook groups are wonderful!
Refreshing.
🙂
Blogging is still my first love when it comes to cyberspace communications. I started on WP back in June of 2008, usually posting three times a week. More recently I moved to twice a week — Monday and Friday — because it fit into my writing schedule better, but I do miss those midweek conversations.
Mine has a mixed focus. I call it musings and mental meanderings, and while my Christian faith and worldview undergird everything I write, I wander through topics of life, faith, family, writing, photography and purebred dogs. Without a single focal point I don’t expect it to appeal to a regular readership. There are quite a few followers but not a lot who comment.
One big problem I have is in having so many blogs that I like to follow that I haven’t time to read all the associated comments, or to comment very often myself. That doesn’t make for real conversations, either ‘at home’ or when I’m visiting. 🙂
Carol! It’s so good to see you here! I think a mixed focus is fine. It’s one of the things I believe makes blogging feel cozy. In our real lives, we are focused on many things, and I love that your blog reflects the things tht matter to you.
Deidra,
I love all that you are saying about blogs, and absolutely love that you interact with your readers. To me, the excellent writing I’ve come to expect on a number of blogs is enhanced even further, when the guests are invited in, seated at the comment table, encouraged to respond, and when the blogger communicates with them. I’ts this dialogue that I thnk makes blogging to inviting. I’ts just not the same when the comment box is closed, or if the host doesn’t take the time and thought to interact, or just does with a few guests. Without their meaning too, I’m sure, due to time constraints or any number of good reasons, it can see offputting–or as if they are interested in only some readers. Ridiculous, I know, but it’s just a perception. I love your original reason for blogging, and I continue to feel it is the one online forum that really fosters deeper community. I hope it will not become passe (Pls. put an accente egu on that “e”!) 🙂
One thing that is revelatory for me in this post and pretty shocking is that if I wrte on FB, they own my stuff. Am I reading that right?! Sheridan told me that about her photographic images, but I hardly believed it. If you’ve a moment to clarify further, I’d be grateful. The whole idea of plagiarism online really does unnerve me.
Love
Lynn
Just for you: passè. 🙂
Regarding FB and ownership, according to their terms, we still own the content there, but they have some rights regarding the content. I’m not an expert, but here’s some info from FB’s terms of service:
Sharing Your Content and Information
You own all of the content and information you post on Facebook, and you can control how it is shared through your privacy and application settings. In addition:
1. For content that is covered by intellectual property rights, like photos and videos (IP content), you specifically give us the following permission, subject to your privacyand application settings: you grant us a non-exclusive, transferable, sub-licensable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use any IP content that you post on or in connection with Facebook (IP License). This IP License ends when you delete your IP content or your account unless your content has been shared with others, and they have not deleted it.
2. When you delete IP content, it is deleted in a manner similar to emptying the recycle bin on a computer. However, you understand that removed content may persist in backup copies for a reasonable period of time (but will not be available to others).
3. When you use an application, the application may ask for your permission to access your content and information as well as content and information that others have shared with you. We require applications to respect your privacy, and your agreement with that application will control how the application can use, store, and transfer that content and information. (To learn more about Platform, including how you can control what information other people may share with applications, read our Data Policy and Platform Page.)
4. When you publish content or information using the Public setting, it means that you are allowing everyone, including people off of Facebook, to access and use that information, and to associate it with you (i.e., your name and profile picture).
5. We always appreciate your feedback or other suggestions about Facebook, but you understand that we may use your feedback or suggestions without any obligation to compensate you for them (just as you have no obligation to offer them).
Deidra! Thanks so much for the accent and the info. Greatly appreciated. Admittedly, it sounds a bit Greek to me and I need to read this carefully and ponder it. But thanks so much for the heads up and all your trouble!
Lynn
The last year has been very difficult for me to respond to comments and visit blogging friends since 2009 or even make new ones. However, God has opened a door for change – and I have that time now. Those bloggers ministered to me in big and little ways in some very hard, heart-aching challenges. Sometimes it was just their message that was a God word I needed just then. Other times, these women responded to prayer requests with such grace and hope that it gave me greater grace and hope – it was a support system that was not available where I walk. I’m so glad to be able to visit – sit across the table with a cup of coffee and minister and be ministered to! To me, that is blogging at its God-designed best!
Blogging is a ministry, isn’t it? I think blogging saved me in many ways, because of the community here. I remember, when I first started blogging, I’d hear so many people bashing the Internet, saying it was (just this side of) evil. But, I kept saying, “I see God on the Internet every day.” I still do. God is here.
❤️
🙂
What matters most for me is the community that has been built, one person at a time, and the hearts that have been opened wide and raw and real through the process of sharing comments. I found myself excited about what’s being served next over here at your dinner table in your corner of the world.
I’m having fun, cooking things up and setting the table and welcoming you to come in and have a seat for a while.
About once a month a small group of women in my area meet… and in this rural neck o’ the woods that means some of us live over 2 hours apart. We meet at a middle ground. Anyway, I think they’d all agree that we are writers first, bloggers second. We come together for encouragement, editing one another’s offline pieces, education, and sometimes to discuss the techno side of blogging. Most of us are WordPress users. Some started blogging near about 10 years ago, some last month.
One thing I don’t do is “follow” blogs. I don’t want it in my inbox. I want it on their terms, at the table they set, not the condensed (where sometimes pictures show up and sometimes not) version. Time permitting, I’ll go to their site, read, and comment there. I have a “follow me” button (and all the other social media hoopla) on my site, but it’s buried at the bottom.
hmmm. your side bar says i’m following you – but i’ve no idea about that. i don’t get notices in my inbox. maybe that’s related to FB? obviously i lack technoSavvy out here in the land of Blog 😉
Maybe you follow me on FB? I have no idea what that would mean, but that would be my guess. 🙂
Deidra, we found each other by way of one mutual friend – and she found half of the folks at a writer’s conference in our closest bigCity. Our commonality is Christ and writing – two are multi-book published authors, one is a songwriter/singer extraordinaire, one is a techno-social media-blogging guru, one is a multi-media artist and poet, one is cranking out her intriguing lifestory, and the other is me. Thanks for asking. What about your group?
(and the follow thing *is* FB…)
Blessings.
I had a couple of friends over one afternoon — both are bloggers. Naturally, our conversation turned to writing/blogging and our desire for a group of people who *get* the whole blogging thing and could talk about it on a regular basis. So, I created a FB group of local bloggers and invited them to come to my house once a month to “talk shop.” This month will be our third meet-up.
Well, I’m just glad, every time I see you here, Darlene.
Your small group of women sounds wonderful. And, what a commitment you’ve made to each other. We have a small group that meets each month, too. It’s a new group, and last time we met, one of the women drove an hour to be with us. It will be interesting to discover what we each consider ourselves to be — writers, bloggers, ideators. But, I’m enjoying the time we spend together. How did you and your friends first find each other?