I generally don’t indulge in a lot of introspective navel gazing in my posts, but I recently had the urge to write something about my blogging routine.
I’ve been blogging for over five years and I thoroughly enjoy it. This blog, excatholic4christ, is a ministry of Gospel outreach to Roman Catholics and also a ministry of warning to evangelicals about the dangers of ecumenism with the RC church. I also like to sprinkle in some non-theological topics here and there. So, this blog is a ministry and also a creative outlet. I like to write and I also enjoy reading the posts of other WordPress bloggers. I’m very grateful for the friendships of several fellow-bloggers. After I was laid off from Kodak Alaris last September, blogging became my unofficial, part-time job.
A lot of time goes into researching, writing, and publishing posts six days a week, Monday thru Saturday, with an occasional post on Sundays. I’ve developed a system over the years of drafting posts two-weeks ahead of publication and I even created a two-week blog worksheet which helps to keep me on track (photo above). The advantages of a two-week draft queue are 1) I’m able to “level out” creative peaks and valleys, and 2) I’m able to “fine tune” drafts before publication. As a draft post sits in the queue for a couple of weeks, I’ll usually add some points that didn’t occur to me when I initially wrote it or I’ll delete unnecessary or imprudent material. I’ve written several posts “in the heat of the moment” that I later heavily edited or deleted after I cooled off.
All of this brings me to the point that I really wanted to discuss. I spend a lot of time blogging, but I wasn’t sure exactly how much time. A few weeks ago, I thought it would be interesting to record all of the time I spent on my blogging activities (writing, editing, reading, commenting, responding to comments, etc.) in a sample week. So I used my iPhone stopwatch and set out to do exactly that. Nerdy? Sure, and I was doing a pretty good job of it for several days, but eventually fizzled out. A thought/conviction kept gnawing at me that it was wrong to put a stopwatch to ministry, so I quit that dumb project.
Blogging here at WordPress is a great blessing, however, I have to constantly align it with my other responsibilities that maybe aren’t so enjoyable. How do you fit blogging into your life? I’m sure most bloggers operate a lot more extemporaneously compared to my Poindexter-self with my two-week worksheet. No, the worksheet is NOT attached to a clipboard! I’m not quite that bad!
p.s. I definitely don’t like the new WordPress block editor. WordPress should have left well enough alone.
Hey, Papa Tom! My heart jumped in my throat when I saw your title. I thought you were going to stop blogging! I spend hours on WordPress. I comment more than I write. I am glad God brought you to a place to not put a time limit on ministry! I KNOW I take a lot of time and patience, especially with your RCC posts because I am really interested in learning. Are things calming down in your area? Praying for you, Corinne and your son!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi Mandy! Nope, no thoughts of quitting. Thanks though! I began blogging by creating new content seven days a week, but after awhile, I felt like the blogging tail was wagging the dog. So over time I eventually whittled back with the Sunday day-off and the easy Tuesday Arkansas sermons posts, and the Throwback Thursday posts. I’ve seen A LOT of bloggers come and go over the past five years. I imagine many of them become “burnt out.” I think every blogger has to come up with some type of practical management strategy if they’re going to stay in it for the long-term (of course that applies to every ministry).
Please don’t ever feel like you’re imposing with your comments and questions because they are encouragements! You’ve been a blessing! Some of my blogging activity is downright frivolous, but discussions with a believer on important spiritual topics is never frivolous.
RE: protests
Thank you for your prayers! We are 8 miles from the agitation and are staying away from the city center. I see from the news that protesters were out in force again yesterday, the fifth day in a row. They’re calling for the mayor and police chief to resign (both African-Americans by the way). There are many unemployed here with nothing but time on their hands so this could continue for a long time. I hope you have an enjoyable Labor Day cookout! We’ll be heading over to our son’s place for a short visit, but it looks like rain here throughout the day.
LikeLike
Hello! We are not doing much today, there’s a nearby fire so outdoors is super hot on top of the record temperature yesterday of 121 degrees. Lowkey recovery day for me, also I’m a bit dizzy from everything late night these last few days. Hope you have a good time with your son and family! Will read this post shortly!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow! 121F is amazingly high temp! Hope you had good recovery day. Our visit at our son’s was good, thanks, but lasted longer than expected.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you got to spend time with your son!!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks! We had a good time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad to hear that!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are very disciplined with your blogging, that two week model is great, whereas I blog the night before though I do have several ideas at once of what I want to eventually talk about. Lately its been cutting late into my sleep at 3-4 as I’m trying to read till 2 AM. I feel what helps me blog sometimes is also things from my teaching spill over unto the blog and also things from the blog spill into my ministry
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks! The two-week sheet is admittedly quirky, but it helps me keep my blogging process organized. I hope you know you’re speaking an “unknown tongue” to me when you describe staying up until 3 and 4. π€ π
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha unknown language ππ πππ€£
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ha! I knew you would enjoy that one! How does your day look?
LikeLiked by 1 person
It will be sermon prep all day today for me. Iβm hoping to cover the difference between secular social justice versus Biblical justice, been reading for weeks and it will be by far the most controversial and technical message Iβve done in 2020. Would you be able to pray for a balanced, fair and Biblical and understandable and clear presentation for tonight and I be able to really maximize my final hours of research today?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sorry, brother! I didn’t see this comment until 4:30 because of working in the front garden. I’ll be praying for your prep and presentation tonight.
LikeLiked by 1 person
How was your work with the front garden?
LikeLiked by 1 person
It went well, thanks. More to do tomorrow. I trimmed back the decorative tree and bushes quite a bit.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sounds busy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yard work. I complain about it, but Iβll miss it when I canβt do it.
LikeLike
π
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are a very diligent and expert blogger Tom.
What a wonderful ministry you have been chosen for.
Thank you Tom.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Crissy, thank you for the encouragement in the Lord! I appreciate your fellowship over the years and I’m looking forward to your posts blessing my mornings again after you get settled.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Tom
LikeLiked by 1 person