Better Than I Could Put It
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about my new registration on BlogHer, an organization for women bloggers that is part blog aggregator, part conference promotion, and part support group. I haven’t quite figured out the ratios of the parts, but I’m learning quickly!
I listed my blog on their Blogroll, being approved for the categories “Life Blogs”, “Mommy and Family Blogs” and “Religion and Spirituality Blogs.”
The “Mommy and Family Blogs” blogroll links, by my rough count, comes in at about 1000 different blogs that are written by women writing about motherhood and family issues. Not a surprise, really. I was a little disappointed that my blog could be found on page 17 (out of 20!)(who will ever find me?), but I quickly got over it.
Then I clicked on over to “Religion and Spirituality“, and found not 20 pages, but 3. Only THREE!
Where are all the women blogging about their Faith? Not on BlogHer, obviously.
This has caused me quite a bit of consternation, as I consider my blog (at least in part) part of my ministry, both to my IRL friends, local readers, and the Internet-viewing world.
So then the question became, “Am I the only one that thinks like this?”
I have many more thoughts about the 3-page Religion and Spirituality blogroll of BlogHer; thoughts of which I’ll no doubt blog about in the days and weeks ahead. But in the meantime MFR (Rinnie) stumbled across a blog that answers at least that first question with a resounding “No!”
Thank God! I’m not alone in viewing the Internet as a place of redemption!
And bless the heart of Danielle, from Dance by the Light, who answered the question for me.
In fact, her post entitled, “A Reason to Blog: Blogging as Ministry” is at least as good a job as I could do explaining myself, if not better.
Definitely better, actually.
So take a minute and read both the post and the comments.
And then let me know what YOU think.
Filed under: Catbird, General, Like a fire, Random Thoughts on August 15th, 2006
Glad you enjoyed it – I added her to my list of blogs I regularly check.
Thanks for your kinds words and for both linking to my blog and commenting. I’ve visited yours once before (through “Ordinary Mother”) and have to say, I love your header!
I’ve seen so much good come out of blogging! It started as a way just for me to get into writing regularly. I’d hit a mental block after graduating from college. But it’s certainly become more than that. Blogging has been a way to encourage others and learn from others.
I think one reason the Religion and Spirituality section could use some bolstering is because we could use another editor or two for the section. The editors find blogs for the blog roll, write surfing guides to folks writing on the topic. And when they write those surfing guides the people being pointed to find out about the site and join and pass it along to other bloggers, and it helps grow a topic area. We now have one dedicated editor, but it’s taken us a while to find her.
If you or anyone you can think of would be interested I’d urge you to email my partner Lisa Stone at Lisa at BlogHer dot org, and throw your hat in the ring!
I’m so glad there are people out there like you, Cathy. You take an active interest in changing the world or doing something that “counts.” I have to admit that I don’t approach blogging that way simply because it’s too overwhelming.
We might not be on BlogHer, but we are here, I assure you. I’m a friend of DAnielle’s. There are lots of us in the same church who blog, and often our content is what you’d call “spiritual.” I love to read and write about what God is doing in, through, and for other people. There is a bond here in blogland among Christian women, which I love!