3 Ways to Encourage a Blogger

Mike Leake 2 Comments

Faithful Blogging is hard work. I suppose about any goober could install Windows Live Writer and link it to a blogging platform like Blogger or WordPress and then set to typing up whatever random thing comes into his/her mind. But Christ-honoring mostly-daily blogging is hard work.

Blogging can be difficult and painful. Comments can be nasty. Words can be misunderstood. Articles that you worked your tail off on will usually disappear somewhere in Al Gore’s basement where he houses that computer that runs the entire internet.

Bloggers can get discouraged.

Therefore, I thought I would let you know 3 ways to encourage a blogger. Not because I am fishing for encouragement at present…wait a week or so, that way I don’t make the connection…but I am writing this article to help you encourage other bloggers. And you ought to do this if with those superhero bloggers.

These are in order, with #1 being the most encouraging (at least to me).

3. RT, Share, +1, link, etc. Whatever you use in social media use it to let others know that you were digging on an article. When our articles have more life than just a day it is encouraging. It’s the 21st century way of patting somebody on the back. If you like something you read hit the share button.

2. Post a thoughtful comment. Most people only comment when they want to either show how amazing their own knowledge of a subject is or to tell you that you are a moron and your children will probably turn out worse than Hitler. It’s nice to have people thoughtfully interact with something you wrote.

1. Tell us you are using it in the “real world”. Hands down the most encouraging comments and emails are the ones where somebody tells me they are using what I wrote for a bible study, a sermon, a discipleship group, etc. When somebody hits print on an article and turns it into a hard copy that means something to me. It communicates that the article was useful enough for them to want to keep around for awhile.

My overarching aim for blogging isn’t to simply get traffic or have people say, “wow Mike sure did a great job in writing this article”. My aim is that people would be helped because their joy in Jesus has grown because of something that I wrote. There are ton of other bloggers with the same aim—encourage them by specifically letting them know that they helped you delight in Christ.  

If you are a blogger, what encourages you?

If you are not a blogger but you benefit from reading blogs, I encourage you to think of a few bloggers and make it your aim to strengthen his/her day by sending a little word of encouragement.

Today in Blogworld 1.16.13

Mike Leake

7 Lessons on Blogging

Thom Rainer has become a regular blogger. Here he notes a few lessons he has learned in the last three years of blogging.

Pilgrim’s Conflict with Sloth

A great video and introduction by John Piper on sloth. I hope with his “retirement” he does more stuff like this.

How Do We Know if God is Disciplining Us?

I’ve joked that I ought to subtitle my forthcoming book, “A Wannabe’s Interaction with D.A. Carson” or something like that. His book on suffering is phenomenal. That’s why I was excited to see Carson tasked with answering the question above. Here is his answer.

Short Rules of Blogging Etiquette

It would be nice if we all heeded these rules of blogging etiquette. Helpful post here by Barry York.

These are insane. I’m pretty sure that some of them would cause me to break my nose on the concrete floor:

Review of The Medicated Meatballs New Album

Mike Leake 1 Comment

I have seldom enjoyed reading reviews of albums. They make little sense to me. I believe that all the authors do is find a book with a boat-load of adverbs, pick a few objects in their office, try to tie together as many genre’s as possible, and then start to writing their review using as many weird and lengthy adjectives as they possibly can.

I though that it might be a little fun to write my own music review. If you can understand anything I have said kudos. The whole thing is mostly nonsense. And there is no band called The Medicated Meatballs—at least not yet, that I know of. Hopefully you will enjoy my made up song titles and find a bit of humor in this.

After you read this I have one question. Does this not sound like a typical hip music review?

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The Medicated Meatballs enjoyed an epic run in the early 80’s (Button Hole, Cheetah Forceps, and Frankenstein’s Heartworm) that notoriously gave voice to the era’s disdain for the dance-under-the-moonlight funk charade. Their valiant yet humble renderings of the melancholy earth-sounds endeared an entire generation of adoring fans. But things changed for the Seattle-based quartet when rival grunge bands exploded onto the scene.

For over a decade The Medicated Meatballs struggled to sell out even the echo-laden halls of hotels in the slums. Throughout the 90’s the flailing quartet flirted with their sound; even diving into renegade techno lullabies with their early 90’s Pandas with Dysentery offering. With this project the groups pedantic meanderings all but ostracized their entire fan base. By the turn of the millennium the band–now only playing county fairs in rural Alaska—decided to take a break.

After taking almost a decade off from music a rejuvenated Meatballs launched a 48 city reunion tour which spawned their newest album: Gravy Boat Shoelace. Their present undertaking is a welcome return to the bands sublime approach. Early fans will be pleased with their homecoming to the eclectic sounds of gypsy-dance-skiffle.

With their more pop-oriented tracks (like Simon and Garfield) the band launches their plunge into the icy-cool waters of over-dramatized circus ballads. Their ear-melting mockery of all things Reagan in Iraq You Ran will likely endear them to the posh elite but will do nothing to gain them traction in the ever-increasingly-popular world of the moody folk brigade.

Their most adventurous track, Androgynous Mule-Shark, assumes a smooth yet rocky pose with brief reminiscence of the angrier tracks of Rage Against the Machine. Many will be confused by their foray into breezy metal, but rest assured none are more confused than their new lead guitarist Harvey—who every time he drives towards a steady beat meanders into a weird improvisation of a rickety chainsaw.

The Medicated Meatballs had hoped that this album would give a pulse to their fans of the 80’s and attract a new generation of Meatheads. There’s plenty to love on Gravy Boat Shoelace, but there is also plenty to make the casual listener’s stomach to churn. This is their best album since Frankenstein’s Heartworm but still not enough to take them out of dimly lit and poorly populated night clubs.

Week Without Google: Day Two

Mike Leake 2 Comments

Today was more difficult to be without the Google Machine. My Tuesday’s are usually given to writing blog articles, stuff for the church, sermons, etc. It’s a busy day of reading, writing, and interacting. Therefore, I found myself wanting to use Google a bunch. Here is the rundown of day two without Google

Stuff I will probably go to bed without knowing that I would have Google Searched

  • A list showing the difference between the wise and the sluggard in Proverbs
  • Sho Baraka’s testimony (Listening to his new album I wondered what his story was).
  • Who is St. Dominick? (Richard Baxter mentioned him in my reading)
  • Is George Thorogood still living?
  • What does SMH stand for?
  • That article where Dr. Mohler outlined theological triage. I wanted to link to that for my article on 20 Directions for New Believers.
  • How do I make a “does not equal” sign on my keyboard

How this Google-fast as helped

  • I probably saved about 30 minutes that I would have wasted researching a few unimportant things—like George Thorogood or what SMH means.
  • I’m becoming more and more comfortable with simply not needing to know certain tidbits of information.

How this Google-fast as hurt

  • It looks like I use Google a ton to mask my computer ignorance
  • I would have liked to have researched St. Dominick and Sho Baraka’s testimony
  • It is good for helping me find articles quickly and being able to link to them