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Unquestioning faith

By Amy on February 23, 2010

So I was thinking about Mary this weekend. I mean the mother-of-Jesus Mary.

I like her.

She’s obviously a person who values goodness and righteousness to some extent (otherwise, why would God pick her, right?). So can you imagine what it must have been like to find out you’re pregnant as a virgin? How do you explain that one to your parents? Not to mention your fiancé.

And yet, as far as we can tell, she was totally accepting of the idea. Maybe the wild angel visit was enough to convince her that it really was going to happen. I mean, I’ve never been visited by an angel, but I can see how that would be totally convincing.

But do you think after the bright lights were turned off and all heavenly beings had disappeared, that she doubted at all? That between the time she got word and the time she gave birth, that she never second-guessed the whole thing? Just a little?

I think know I would have.

Because I’m far too concerned about disappointing my human counterparts.

Oh to have her kind of faith. And concern only for impressing (and not disappointing) the One who really matters.

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Oh the innocence

By Amy on February 17, 2010

In the car after picking up one of my daughter’s best friends for a play date. She recently moved from our neighborhood to another one nearby. The move required her to switch schools. She’s African American.

Me: So, how’s your new house [friend]?

Friend: It’s good.

Daughter: How’s your new school?

Friend: It’s good. But the kids are so bad! They don’t listen to the teacher at all! And then there’s this girl named Kennedy in my class…I don’t like her.

Someone: Why don’t you like her?

Friend: Because she’s races.

Someone: She’s what?

Friend: She’s races.

Someone: What is races?

Friend: It means she doesn’t like black people.

Almost 4yo: Are you black?

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Blissdom in the Raw, Part 2

By Amy on February 15, 2010

(Part 1)

So while slightly disconcerting at the time, I was grateful for my initial I’m-shutting-this-whole-thing-down feelings because it brought perspective. It was as though God was handing me a lens through which I would filter the rest of the conference. That lens repeatedly prompted me to ask this question: How will this (tip, strategy or idea) help me more effectively and efficiently bring glory to God and less to myself?

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to blog with excellence. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to make money. There’s nothing wrong with implementing smart strategies or brilliant ideas in order to gain followers or increase traffic. There’s nothing wrong with being successful. It’s certainly my goal. The tricky part is remembering for whom I’m doing it. And it’s not me.

So I’ll tell you some of what I learned — the practical, take-home tidbits (plus some of my own links & commentary too). I’m not going to break it down by session for two reasons:

  1. there was so much overlap and
  2. a lot of the learning took place outside the sessions

Legalities

  • As soon as you start making money from your blog (whatever amount) it becomes a business. Treat it as such.
  • Keep impeccable records of all transactions from the very beginning. Use an online spreadsheet like Google Docs, a separate PayPal account that tracks what goes in or out or just an old-school style ledger sheet. It doesn’t have to be fancy, just accurate.
  • Get familiar with basic accounting concepts and terms. (Have only glanced at it, but will look at this accounting site myself.)
  • Have at least a disclosure policy, a comment policy and a privacy policy on your blog.
  • Consider an LLC (or LLP for partnership) to limit your personal liability. Many bloggers are doing this.
  • Consult a lawyer or accountant if you aren’t sure about something. The cost could potentially save you much more down the road.

Writing

  • Content is king. Always has been, always will be. Write good stuff.
  • Know your voice. Be yourself. Don’t try to be someone else. The world needs you, not a copy of someone else.
  • Blog your passion(s). Readers will pick up on it (and leave) if you don’t. They’ll also know if you’re writing to please your advertisers or to get more free stuff.
  • Keep a file, journal or list of ideas for blog posts. Write it down when you think about it so you always have post ideas.
  • To niche or not to niche? In general, the feeling was that a niche is not imperative. However, don’t be chaotic. Stay true to who you are and write about your passions even if they cover various topics.
  • If your blog starts to feel like a burden, it’s time to rethink and refocus.
  • Don’t be afraid to evolve. Try new things, take risks. If they don’t work, move on. Stress less.

Traffic and Readership

  • Gain readership by commenting on other blogs, guest posting, taking part in memes and carnivals and being active on Twitter, Facebook and other social media.
  • Be helpful.
  • Spend 80% of your time promoting other bloggers and 20% of the time promoting yourself.
  • Consider collaborating with other like-minded bloggers, intentionally supporting & encouraging each other so you’ll all rise to the top together.

Advertising & Monetization

  • Lots and lots of bloggers make money on their blogs. Many make part to full-time incomes. Some make 6 figures.
  • Ways to monetize with ads: sell private ad space or join an ad network.
  • Private Ads are often the 125×125 pixel boxes you see on sites.
  • Some Ad Networks: JuiceBoxJungle, RGN, Glam, Blogher.
  • Private Ads Pros: you have total control over the ads on your site, you set the price and keep 100%.
  • Private Ads Cons: have to maintain everything yourself and find your own advertisers.
  • Ad Network Pros: the network finds the advertisers and does all the maintenance.
  • Ad Network Cons: you can’t entirely control what ads show up on your site, the network keeps typically 50% of whatever you make; hard to get into some.

Networking

  • Network, network, network.
  • Building relationships with other blogger and getting to know them is not only key to getting ahead on your blog, but is just plain fun.
  • Be intentional about building relationships with others and reaching out.

Until next time.

Shared at Musings of a Housewife.

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Blissdom in the Raw

By Amy on February 9, 2010

First, let me say, I am so grateful I got to go to Blissdom. I would absolutely recommend it to any blogger and I would do it again in a heartbeat. The whole experience was invaluable.

Funny, I went thinking I’d get one thing, but I took home something entirely different. It wasn’t bad, it was good…just a little unexpected. Here’s how it went down for me:

I arrived in Nashville on Thursday night. As I navigated my tired self and accompanying baggage to my room, I passed lots of women dressed up and on their way to the first official party of the weekend.

Queue my issues…

  • Oh shoot, why didn’t I think this through more thoroughly? Why did I wear these jeans? I should’ve worn my newer ones.
  • Man, why didn’t I remember I’d be making a first impression tonight instead of in the morning.
  • These socks looked so fun this morning, now I feel like a clown.

And I must confess, I fought my issues the whole weekend…

  • Who’s that? I wonder how many readers she has.
  • I wonder how much money she makes.
  • She’s so confident. Act confident, Aim!
  • I wish I had her nose.
  • I love her outfit. Why didn’t I think to bring some accessories!
  • Oh, oh, oh, there’s [celebrity blogger]! Will she notice me? How can I meet her? Gee, wouldn’t it be awesome if she mentioned me on her blog?
  • I’m met with blank stares whenever I tell someone the name of my blog…no one has a clue who I am.
  • What?!? Did she just say that 1000 pageviews a day is a major disappointment? Man, I’m ecstatic if I get 400 pageviews a day.

And I spent too much time at Compete comparing my blog to others’ and too much time trying to do the math to see how much *more* they make than I do. And believe me, it was always more. Way more. LOL!

Oh man, what can I say. I’m just sayin’ it like it is. :)

Someone (does anyone remember who??) Carmen at Mom to the Screaming Masses made the comment at one point that we need to stop comparing our insides to other’ outsides. How true is that?!

Anyway, I was ready for all the action Friday morning. The Opening Keynote was given by Kevin Carroll. He told the story of being abandoned by his parents by the time he was 7 and how he and his two brothers were taken in by their grandparents. He’s written a series of books about a Red Rubber Ball — an object of significance for him in an epiphany moment he had as a child.

I deeply appreciate his story. It’s encouraging to hear from someone who has overcome countless odds, “pulled himself up by his bootstraps,” and has committed his life to helping others find their own success.

So I wondered why, at the end of his address, as everyone else was giving him a standing ovation, I remained seated, feeling awkward yet unable to stand.

It was strange. I had come expecting to learn a ton, to figure out how to get this thing to actually pay and glean valuable morsels of blogging wisdom from those who had “made it.” This was supposed to pump me up, to inspire me. Instead, I felt defeated and deflated. I was overwhelmed by the feeling that I just didn’t think I was cut out for blogging.

Have you ever had a meal that left you saying, “You know, that was good….but…it seemed to be missing something.” That was me after the first session. Then it dawned on me.

The thing missing was acknowledgement of God’s grace and intervention. I’m not sure what Kevin Carroll’s personal beliefs are. He’s worked unbelievably hard and he’s made great choices even when everyone would understand if he didn’t. But the bottom line is, all the internal fortitude he could muster wouldn’t get him anywhere on its own. It is important, absolutely, but he is where he is because God’s hand carried him there. Whether he recognizes that or not is immaterial, it’s simply the truth.

And it’s the truth for me too. I’ve gotten so caught up in how to make my blog better, how to be known, how to get readers, how to make money, that I’ve lost sight of the real reason I blog. I blog for none of those things. I blog simply because it seems to be the tool God has put in my hands at this moment for this season and because apparently it is what will best help me fulfill my tiny part of The Great Commission: making Him known and for His glory.

So while I have utmost respect for him and thoroughly enjoyed Kevin Carroll, for me, it’s not a red rubber ball that made the difference.

Christ did.

And that’s why I blog.

To be continued…

Shared at Walk with Him Wednesday and Musings of a Housewife.

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Thoughts on Blissdom ‘10 (so far)

By Amy on February 6, 2010

Just a few early morning tidbits from Blissdom ‘10.

  • Avatars are such tiny pieces of a whole person. You look at someone’s avatar and then somehow conjure up a whole person to go with it. It’s fun to see how the picture you have in your brain does or does not match with what you see IRL (in real life).
  • Everyone — EVERYONE — tells me they “had no idea I was so tall!” (I know. It’s surprising.) :)
  • My whole early-to-bed, early-to-rise routine has been completely thrown out the window. Well, actually, the early-to-bed part has been completely thrown out the window. Unfortunately, my internal body clock has not gotten the message that at this point, it may also throw out the early-to-rise part.
  • I have met a surprising number of pastors’ wives and ministry wives. So many, in fact, that I have to wonder what God’s up to.
  • I’ve met even more couponing and money saving bloggers. Those women can stretch a buck from here to Mongolia. Oh my stars.
  • Someone said they love being able to meet people “in 3-D.” I ditto that.
  • I came thinking I was going to get one thing out of the conference and I’m getting an entirely different thing altogether. (More on that in another post.)

That’s all I have time for peeps. I’m off to a prayer breakfast hosted by Pensieve Robin — another woman I’m sure I will feel honored to meet.

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My lives intersected

By Amy on February 5, 2010

I lead a double life.

I have my real life and I have my online life — the two rarely intersect. Many of my IRL (in real life) friends know I enjoy the computer, some know I have a blog and some of them even read it. (Thank you IRL friends who read my blog!) But many of my IRL friends have no idea that I’ve got this whole other thing going on.

Then internet is like a different universe and I find myself sandwiched between a generation who knows it exists but barely scratches the surface of it and another generation that is so completely internet-immersed they practically are the internet.
So here I sit. Depending on who I’m with, I’m either met with weird looks and baffled questions or so much technological speak even I get lost. It can be a rather strange place to be.

But this weekend, I’m going to experience a whole different thing altogether. I’m about to enter a world with 500 avid blogging and internet-type women moonlighting as regular wives and moms IRL. Or is it the other way around?!? :)

I am ecstatic to be able to attend Blissdom ‘10, a blogging conference for women just like me. NOT ONLY THAT, I am flying on a plane, BY MYSELF, to AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT STATE. As in, I am taking a trip that only requires one single, carry-on suitcase and a laptop. WHAT am I going to do with myself?!?

(Did I mention I’m going by myself? Just checking because that is huge.)

Anyway, I am looking forward to meeting — IRL — many friends I have only met online. There will be workshops and speakers and interesting discussions about things like coding, personal branding, monetizing, SEO and all sorts of wonderful things. I cannot WAIT.

Be still my geeky heart.

And also? And perhaps the best part of it all? Unbeknownst to many, there is a whole contingent of Christ-following, blogging women who are working hard to represent the Master masterfully via their blogs, so that people who might never step foot in a church, might still have the opportunity to encounter Christ online. I will be meeting and praying with these women over the course of the weekend. Can this GET any cooler?

Not if you’re me! :)

So here I sit, in the airport, having just waved goodbye to my 2yo and 3yo. (I would’ve cried but I didn’t want to make my 3yo any sadder than he was.)

And hey, guess what? My plane just pulled up.

Someone pinch me, I think this is really gonna happen.

P.S. Because I know you have absolutely nothing better to do through the weekend (ha!), you can follow all my excitement on Twitter.

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One effective way to increase your blog’s pageviews

By Amy on February 2, 2010

I’m currently conducting a bit of an experiment with the recent reinvention of WithPurpose.com.

I’ve kept this little blog of mine limping along since blogging antiquity. Uh, that would be May of 2004. (I like to say that makes me about 117 in blog years.) During that time, I’ve had ups and I’ve had downs but somehow my little piece of cyberspace has managed to survive.

Well, you know how life is — it’s all about priorities. Until recently, I was doing good just to keep some semblance of order in my roles as wife, mom and pastor’s wife. But 2010 has brought with it some change and I’m looking ahead to some new opportunities. Woohoo!

Part of that change has to do with this blog. For the last 6 years, I have been keenly observing a bunch of people around me jump into the game and make money blogging. I’ve dabbled a bit and have made a little extra cash (and I mean little). Frankly, it takes a whole lot of time and energy to turn an income and I’ve never had much of either to spare.

But now I’m gonna give it a shot. Because why not? That’s what I’m thinkin’. I have no idea if I’m going to be successful, but I’m going to try. By the way, if you want to watch me, be sure to subscribe! ::coughshamlessplugcough::

That was a lot of blab, I admit, but it leads me to my first lesson learned on this little journey of mine. It’s this:

Making money blogging is complex, but one thing that’s significant is pageviews. You want lots of them. So, my tip?

Link internally. Intentionally link to other posts within your site to keep people clicking around. See how I did it in the beginning of this post? Yeah, do it A LOT. It makes your site “sticky” which means lots more pageviews. Pageviews, I’m learning, are powerful blogging currency.

Want more blogging tips? I’ve got more here. And check out Works for Me Wednesday for even more!

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Parenting tip: How to reboot a sluggish outing with kids

By Amy on February 2, 2010

I told you about how I keep kids occupied while out and about. And I told you the simple tip that has improved our kids’ behavior in public. Now I have yet another! (This parenting thing is all about hacks to make the system hum, right?)

So say we’re out somewhere and things start to fall apart — kids are going in all different directions, no one is listening and chaos is taking over. This is when I call a huddle.

I say, “Huddle!” and squat down so I’m on their level. We’ve done it so many times now that they know to come right away and they all gather around real close. I say, “Look at my eyes, look at my eyes.”

Once everyone is attentive, we regroup. I may or may not tell them what is happening that should not be happening. I always tell them what we are going to do and what I expect (“It’s too loud. Please use your inside voices.”). I always try to remember to reference “Go Team Andrews!” in some way. Sometimes we even put our hands in the middle and do a little cheer. Cheesy? Why yes, yes it is. But fostering a “we’re in it together and we have to count on each other” atmosphere is quite effective in encouraging everyone to shape up.

I love a good huddle — it’s like rebooting your computer. Everything seems to work just a little bit smoother.

What about you? What are your tricks to encourage decent behavior in public?

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One easy tip that has drastically improved our behavior in public

By Amy on February 1, 2010

Whether it’s the store, a restaurant, church, someone’s house, the Dr.’s office — anywhere outside of our house — there is great potential to encounter “issues” when galavanting around town. I already told you how we try to keep little people occupied while we’re out and about, but there’s another simple thing I do in an effort to nip any nonsense in the bud: I simply go over the expectations for behavior in the car prior to arriving at our destination.

So, for example, a few minutes before we are going to pile out of the car at the grocery store, I turn off all music and make sure everyone is listening. I then say something like:

“We’re going to the grocery store. Use your inside voice. J & A, you will ride in the cart. H & I, you will WALK close to the cart. Do not ask to buy anything. You may look but you may not touch anything in the cash register line. Does everyone understand?”

The key is to keep it short, sweet and clear. If there are any problems in the store, a reminder about what we talked about in the car is usually enough to straighten things out. Of course it doesn’t work every time, but it’s amazing how often it does.

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One way I find lost items lickety split

By Amy on January 29, 2010

This is a little trick I discovered recently and it works within minutes almost every single time. I can’t say it’ll work for everyone, but you just never know when you might find yourself in a situation where it’ll come in handy.

We’re forever losing stuff around here — someone’s shoe, my keys, my phone, whatever. It never fails right? You’re running out the door and you can’t find that thing you need to be able to run out the door!

I used to race around like a chicken with my head cut off searching for said item. Now I yell this:

“First one to find the _____ gets a quarter!” (Amounts may vary.)

You wouldn’t believe how quickly my house has 3 headless chickens running around…and I am no longer one of them. As far as I can tell, there are 3 things about it that provide much incentive: (1) money (2) competition (3) the chance to be a hero…because I make a BIG deal out of the person who finds whatever there is to find. You know, hugs and kisses and “So-and-so saved the day!” and a gold start sticker or something.

They have an uncanny ability to find stuff when they’re motivated. And I have an uncanny ability to pat myself on the back for thinking of such a brilliant idea.

(Your results may vary.)

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