Outrageous Off Base Life Quotes to Build Your Word Power

My favorite magazine has always been Reader’s Digest. If you read it as often as I do you will recognize RD’s monthly column titles in the title to this post. I usually read RD cover-to-cover each month, that is, when I can get it away from my wife and our grown daughters. Even my 15 year old son picks it up and thumbs through to read all the humor articles.

I like testing my word power, reading the funnies, and learning strange facts about America. I like reading the inspirational stories of real people. I like that anybody can send in a joke or true funny story and get $100.

But I have been turned off by some of the changes in RD over the last few years. There are more ads than there used to be. There are less stories of regular, real life people and more about celebrities. There are more lists and how-to’s rather than excerpts from good books. There are more colors and text boxes and different fonts that simply distract me or make it hard for my aging eyes to read (please don’t say I need to go to the large print version).

Sometimes I will pick up a vintage edition of RD that I have stored in a secret place so my wife won’t throw them away (yes, I am a pack rat). It is refreshing to me to see more print and less hype; more content and less fluff; more reading and less skimming. I guess I am just old-fashioned. And sometimes I like myself that way.

Sometimes I like my discipleship with Jesus that way too. It is good to get away from the computerized Bible study software, the online devotionals, and other modern tools of the trade. It is good to just get alone with God and my Bible; to turn off the Christian radio; to bring along an old hymnal; to read quietly and listen for God speaking to me.

Jesus did that.  After an exhausting day of ministry with crowds of people, with sights and sounds, with demands on His time and energy—Jesus got away. “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.”  (Mark 1:35 NKJV)

Sometimes I need to stop all the sounds and listen for the Savior; stop all the hype and find the hope.  God really wants me to spend time with Him alone, quiet, undistracted. When I do, I am more able to make sense out of the noisy, advertisement filled pages of life.

What helps you to slow down and focus on God?

31DBBB Feedback Request

Welcome, 31DBBB bloggers! Today I am asking for feedback on my blog. Please feel free to give any suggestions you think would be helpful on this site.

Here’s a little bit about me and my blog: I am a pastor of a small church in Grand Junction, CO. If you are interested in my personal story, it’s the first post on this blog. I have been blogging occasionally since I set up our church web site on OCC last year. Just before Paul S. started the 31DBBB thing I moved over to Blogger with a new vision to reaching a larger audience than just my church.

So I have not been at this blogging thing nearly as long as many of you. If you look at my archives in the sidebar you will see that the posts go all the way back to … April. I need all the help I can get.

I know the layout is kind of “plain Jane” (no offense, Jane) but I like the soft color, it’s easy on my eyes. Question1. Is it easy to read?

Having looked at some of the templates, layouts and widgets at Wordpress, I wish I had known it was better than Blogger before I started. I would like to have a picture or something that would be attractive, unique and informative in my header. I just have not found it yet. Q2.  What suggestions would you have for the header or general layout? (And for those of you on Blogger, do you have any tips that make it look better or work better?)

I have played around with the sidebar some since I got requests for feeds and sharing. I have been a little frustrated with Blogger (does it show?). Q3. Does the sidebar have what you are looking for?

The content of my blog is planned to be Biblical, practical help for following Jesus every day (daily discipleship). Q4. Do you find that my posts fit my pitch (Biblical, practical, helpful)?

Finally I know my writing style still sounds still sounds a little like a sermon (I’m a preacher, old habits die hard). I don’t want to come across as “preachy” even though my daughters would say that is just my natural style. Q5. What do you think of my writing style?

As a beginner, I really appreciate all of you who have much more experience in these areas. Anything you want to say might just help this poor preacher be a better blogger (or maybe a better person, I do believe in miracles!). Thanks for the feedback. Hope I can be helpful to you as well.