How should I feel about blogging? Should I keep going or phase out this work? Let's look at the number of comments in the last week.
POST/NUMBER OF COMMENTS
When You Don't Know Where to Turn 2
Am I Trying to Run the Show? 3
This Is My Blogiversary 11
The Excitement of Being a Person 1
Thanks for the Long-term Love 1
Will There Be Another Life After Death? 1
When I gauge my effort by responses, I'm not sure this blog is anything but barely breathing. However when the counter says we are having 200 hits per day/1200 per week, this tells me there are many readers and I must trust blessings from this work are happening. I must view this by faith, not by public comment count.
So it is with you, dear friend. You work very hard in the kingdom. If you count the meager few you have baptized or the hand full whom you led to attend a church, the count might plead a failing grade. However, if you walk by faith and believe He is working in your walk, you must be assured more good is being done due to Him than you can imagine or can be reported.
We must continually cheer one another on to lift our eyes to the ones reading our work and benefiting from it knowing they simply choose not to comment. You need to know this about yourself and your work. Hundreds, even thousands, admire you and brag to others about your walk. Most likely they make no "comment" to you.
Be sure. You are making a remarkable difference whether one person other than God ever comments. You are a winner. You are phenomenal. You are effective. You are taking on hundreds and hundreds of hits as friends and family check in to read how you are serving. And, you are looking good. You each are a blog....a walking blog being read by all. Don't count the comments. Praise God for your readership. I do.
You are our letter (Blog), written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter (Blog) of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God....II Cor. 3:2-3.
17 comments:
If you phased this out I would be very sad. I read your blog everyday....sometimes more than once, twice, or even three times a day. Sometimes I have thoughts I feel I can comment with and sometimes I have thoughts that I need to meditate on for a while. You write some pretty deep and amazing things that I know can only be God speaking through you. If I gauged my blog on comments, I should have quit long ago.
When I blog, I don't blog for others or an audience. I blog for myself and to put in writing what is on my heart for that day. If someone gives me a comment, well, then that is an added bonus.I love the comments and love to know that people care enough to stop by and read it.
If your blog disappeared, I would be forced to come find you everyday and hear your thoughts. ;o)Hummm, not a bad idea!!! Love you Terry!
Brenda,
Now let me get this straight: If I quit the blog I will be forced to be around you every day?
I think I could handle that threat. Now I'm really torn: keep writing or get to have to deal with you every day.
Do I understand it right? Every day?
Terry - I trust you are wondering aloud about your blog's impact to make a point... and it is very well-made indeed....
however, I will second Brenda's feeling... I read your blog everyday (as do a couple hundred other people). So please keep sharing your thoughts through this powerful medium!
God Bless!
Tim and others,
Right. This article is not intended to drum up comments. It's to get you to see you are doing well...even if only a few make comment regarding your efforts.
However, I've discovered early this morning that by responding to you two early commentors, I have doubled the comment count! Way to go me!
Terry, I would say you can take that as a threat! ;o) Should I remind you I only live 4 minutes from the building about the same distance from your house! Yes...I know where you live and I may have to track you down.
Now...having to deal with ME everyday may be a chore, but I think you would be up to the challenge! There was nothing better than seeing your face light up when I walked in the office. I think I could handle that and your hugs EVERYDAY!!! So just try it...try to give up on this blog thing...I dare ya!!!
But I would be terribly sad that I wouldn't be able to dive into the thoughts, emotions, and meanings you pour out into your blog everyday if it were gone. You've started a new chapter in your life that is good. Good for you, Good for the people, and Good for God! It's a yay...and it's a yes. ;o)
I'm one of those hundred + readers that view your blog and you don't know personally. You are in my links to check everyday.
But I get your message here today. We have an effect on people everyday even though we don't know it. I was made aware of that one weekend when I behaved in a rather unChristian manner. A young woman from church was at this party and began telling me through tears how she admired my relationship with my teenage son. I was shocked and sad that I had not really been a good example. It really made me realize that people do watch/read and are thinking about our actions/writings. Its humbling at the least.
Thanks for your daily thoughts.
I would not even pay attention to number of hits. Besides, people like me read you every day through an RSS reader and don't even visit your site anyway except to make a comment.
But more importantly, is it a beneficial spiritual exercise for you? If so, keep going.
Comments are like phone calls on a radio show..only about 2 percent or so of the audience does it.
Very good analogy! For the record, I read you daily (and am disappointed when I pull you up and find only yesterday's blog) whether or not I comment. And I refer others to your blog quite often.
Terry,
I did not know that you read the comments, because until today, I had never seen you respond to one. Thanks for reading our responses!
I am always amazed when I see places like China or the Middle east show up in my statistics/traffic. You are certainly doing a good work here. God bless,
Matt
Terry,
Are you kidding me? I read every comment every day. I just never felt like commenting on the comments.
Get it? That's the point of this article.
Soooo, thanks for your (as well as the others)many comments!
The ability you have to push me closer to freedom in Christ has been more than I know how to express. I do not get to check your site every day, but almost. I attended Tulsa last Feb. and have never been the same since. To spiritually chew on your thoughts/words helps me to continue the process of transformation. Just a few encouraging sentences can run through my head all day drawing me closer to Him. Your words have blessed my life and I pray that you never stop. I know there are many like me who soak it up but don't necessarily comment.
Thank you for the investment of your time and wisdom.
Keep blogging. I don't how I happened upon your blog but I did and it has been a blessing to me for quite awhile.
I live and serve the Lord in South Korea....so your blog has an international audience. Thanks for your words. Be encouraged.
Sincerely,
Fellow blogger, Ryan
Wouldn't it be cool to have a blog from Paul? What if we could ask him questions and comment on 1 Corinthians...that would be great!
Wow, I am the 16th comment. I know that it can be hard when I want a pat of my back for doing something I feel was special, but I know for the most part I am not going to receive it and that should not be my motivation for doing it anyway. Terry, I know you will keep writing - your book won't be published without your writing. Something that came to my mind and heart this week is the saying, "spurred on by love and good deeds" - well I tell you Terry Rush your work and you probably don't call writing this blog work, because it is from your love that you share, keep loving it too. God Bless, Jim Cooke
YES! Keep Blogging! :-)
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