When God and Blogs Intersect

Anyone who has a blog has tinkered with tweaks and modifications to everything from the design to the very name of the blog.  This often leads to spin-off blogs that extend the blogger's expertise into the community.

Here's an example- Leo Babauta of Zen Habits eventually created Write To Done and then Mnmlist.  He's a prolific writer with many interests and his readership has obviously liked what it's seen.

Two spin-offs that I've toyed with over the years have been FaithWorker and BraveProductivity.  While I haven't pulled the trigger, each time a spin-off comes to mind it gives me pause.  Should I switch my blog name?  What kind of marketing campaign would be needed if I were to switch?

If you're a blogger, pay attention to the inner stirrings that your platform provides.  A stirring is a classic Quaker concept whereby you listen to what God may be telling you.  For bloggers, this may come from a comment that someone posts or from an email that someone sends you.  If you run contests on your blog, the feedback that you generate may tell you something.

How do you listen to the voice of God within your online platform?

*photo by AnnieMol

Tech Surprises from 2009

2778557435_7aafca784d_mGone are the days of hanging back from the world of technology.  In the new era of Web 2.0, the information you want shapes how you interact with the internet.  As I looked back at 2009, some surprises emerged in my own life:

So how about you?  Which Web 2.0 sites or personalities surprised you in 2009?

Bonus: the most interesting person that I met in 2009: David Allen

*Photo by Ewan M

A New Blog I'd Like to Recommend

tpminI've written for Today's Parish Minister for several years and Editor Nick Wagner is a standup guy.  I like the way in which TPM challenges the status quo and then encourages those folks who work in churches around the country.  I've said it before but I believe that youth ministers and religious ed coordinators may have the toughest jobs on the planet.  It was how I spent three years at my parish here in NJ.  You know, back in the day.

Today's Parish Minister has a new blog which I'd like everyone to check out.  It features yours truly plus a host of other top-flight contributors.  Click here for the jump to the new Today's Parish Minister blog.  Enjoy!

Two Years ago on The Daily Saint: 5 Facts About Blogging

2836828090_d44f5278bd_mBlogging is good for you, or so we think.  My first post in 2005 laid the groundwork for what drives me today- a passion for meaningful work.  The power of blogging is undeniable (think: Blog Action Day) and sites like the Huffington Postare now home to one of our favorite authors, David Allen.  Here are five surprising facts about blogging that are now emerging more strongly than ever before.

  1. Blogging is good for your health. An Australia university found that those who blogged for two months regularly felt more connected and purposeful than those who hadn't.  With sites like MySpace, Facebook and various social networking connectors (i.e. Digg), it's easier than ever for startup bloggers to gain vocal power.

  2. There are 175,000 new blogs born every day. A lot of people have a lot to say and while that's a good thing, it also makes specialty blogs (like The Daily Saint) more valuable than ever before.

  3. One blog is born every half second. With English as the most popular language of choice, followed closely by Japanese, there are more ways than ever before to publish to your blog.  Twitter widgets are gaining popularity (2000 new accounts per day)  and you can even post to your blog via Jott.

  4. The Blogosphere is spinning new tails. Apparently political bloggers have driven this movement of new venues and niche markets that cater to the politically savvy among us.  I would add technologists and to a much smaller degree, productivity-minded folks.

  5. Blogging will soon slow down and go mainstream. As Seth Godin points out, there is a growing tragedy of the commons when it comes to blogs.  More readers read different blogs, making it easier to leave yours.  The answer: specialization.  My response has been to forge The Daily Saint as within the productivity niche, but with a totally unique spiritual twist.


The Spiritual Twist
Blogging can be helpful in getting thoughts out of your head and onto "paper".  As long as you don't become obsessed with your traffic, RSS subscriptions and what the other guy is doing, I think it is a tremendous opportunity and vehicle.  Looking at blogging as a stewardship is also a good idea.  You are there to serve, not just broadcast whatever is in your head.



What's your motivation for blogging?

*photo by Kristina B

Inside My Strategy to Expand the Spirituality of Work

A few years ago I was talking with friend Christopher West (of theology of the body fame) about where I was at in ministry and in life.  He had been drawn to Pope John Paul II's framework for sexuality and was working on another book.  His advice was simple, "Find your thing and then do it really well."

The conversation haunted me until this past year, when I shifted the focus of The Daily Saint from productivity to the spirituality of work.  I was very hesitant because I knew that the niche for productivity was vast but the spirituality of work... not quite so popular.  Quite simply, there are only a handful of folks who have made a point of spiritualizing work.

This bothered me and after much prayer and discussion with my wife, I left thousands of RSS subscriptions behind and started from scratch.  I've never regretted it because I feel drawn to this and see the need.  Every year when I attend Mass on Labor Day weekend and don't hear the priest talk about work as sacred, it only motivates me more.  So what's my strategy?

  1. Shift blog post focuses. While I am passionate about productivity (and yes, we still discuss it), I've tailored my articles to more overtly spiritual themes.  So far, the response has been very positive.

  2. Add a "tips" section to the blog. You should check it out!

  3. Expand "examples" section of the blog.  Now you'll read about realtors, bloggers and venture capitalists who are living their faith every day.

  4. Network with others in the field. No one has done more for the spirituality of work than Margaret Benefiel.  With her inspiration and an outstretched arm to others with similar interest, a grassroots network is now emerging.  Care to join?  Email me at mike@thedailysaint.com.

  5. Use Twitter as a tool for evangelism. Why not follow me today?   @thedailysaint

  6. Provide workshops on the spirituality of work. I'll be at the Diocese of Metuchen in November and talking about productivity as a spiritual task.


So what's the goal of all of this?  To help more people engage in their work as a spiritual task.  After all, that's how people change the world.  One to-do list at a time.

If you enjoy The Daily Saint, consider subscribing via RSS or email.  You may also want to join the conversation via Twitter: @thedailysaint

*photo by ElFrijole

The Four Websites I Just Can't Ignore

I used to use Google Reader until I discovered Twitter.  I then found that Twitter's "favorite" feature (starring) was a great way for me to save links and then read them when I had more time to focus. Twitter just seemed to make my RSS reader seem, well, irrelevant.  I said goodbye to Google Reader and pushed on.

Of late, there are a few sites that I have purposefully not subscribed to via email.  I do follow the authors on Twitter but there's something organic about actually going to their sites on a daily basis.  Why bother?  For me, it's a bit of a ritual but I also find their sites aesthetically pleasing (a fancy word for "looks nice").  They authors are thoughtful and speak to where I'm at right now in my ministry and in life.  So who are these masked men?

  1. Michael Hyatt.  Michael is the CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, the world's largest Christian publishing company in the world.  He writes about Web 2.0, leadership and writing.  I find his insights helpful as a new CEO myself and his Tweets (@michaelhyatt) only compliment the strong content that can be found at his site.

  2. Pastor Connections. This site is a combined effort of several pastors who write about different aspects of ministry.  Each day there is a different focus and once a month, pastors join together in Ohio for a shared discussion.  I find this site particularly challenging in a good way.

  3. Church Crunch. CC is dedicated to all-things-tech but as they relate to ministry.  You get plenty of high-end geeky stuff but since it has a ministry angle, there is an honest sense that the authors are on your side.  Nice layout and plenty of updated content.  On Twitter, @human3rorr.

  4. Scott Cheatham.  Scott is a forty-something pastor in Colorado who is also a church planter.  His articles seem to blend much of the above three sites, weaving tech with ministry with writing.  Scott is also great about getting back to you so feel free to drop him a line.  You can also follow him on Twitter, @scottcheatham.