Blogging: C is for Comments

We all love comments, right?!
But, we don't always get them.

Comments help us {bloggers} know that our readers enjoy what we are writing.  Comments can offer constructive criticism {helpful hints & suggestions} about what we write and how we write.

So, why do so many people just view a blog post, but not comment on it?  Maybe they are busy, maybe they clicked the link by accident, or maybe they do not know what to say.  Who knows?

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If someone comments on a blog post you have written, it is common courtesy to reply to their comment.  Some bloggers like to reply to comments in the original blog post.  Other bloggers prefer to reply to comments through e-mail, but this is hard to do when a blogger has not enabled their e-mail.

{Here is a link over at Fabulous But Evil that explains how to enable your e-mail so that you can receive replies to comments through e-mail!}

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And the last thing I want to put in this post is a Thank You to all of the individuals who have commented on my other two A to Z Challenge blog posts {Blogging: A is for Angle & Blogging: B = Bold}!

I personally like to respond to all my comments by e-mail, and I tried to do this for every person who has their e-mail enabled.  For the other individuals who commented on my posts, I tried to send you a comment on one of your blog posts or a comment on Twitter.  If for some reason I did not respond to you in one of those ways, I apologize, and Thank you!

{Traffic Sources}

So, I was going through my stats, and I wanted to share some interesting tidbits I found.

I was checking my Traffic Sources, and I literally laughed at some of the Referring URLs and Referring Sites.  Not because of the URL or Site being a funny name, but because I cannot understand how my blog ever got on these sites.

{I am afraid to visit these sites, as my anti-virus program has warned me they are not safe, and I do not need viruses on my computer.}

So here are the Referring Sites:

buygenericsfromindia.com

{I would really like to know how my blog got here.  I do not sell anything, I have never been to India, and as far as I can remember, I have never posted about India or products from India.}

 instant-online-refills.com

{Another site that I would like to know how my blog got onto it.  I mean, really?!}

Now onto the Search Keywords.  These I actually enjoyed, and I smiled when I read them.

Here they are:

i am happy

{This is great!  I am happy for whoever searched this!  I am happy that you are happy.}

reasons to love a kayla

{Awe!  There are several reasons to love a Kayla, I just don't think they can be found online.  Although, I do believe this is absolutely super-duper sweet!}

Blogging: B = Bold

How often do you post something that is bold/adventurous/daring?

For me, it is not as often as I would like, although I do have some posts that I would consider to be bold {based off of my personality and standards}, including a post with a picture displaying my weight loss {found here} and a post that I wrote when I was at a very low point in my life and extremely depressed {found here}.

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 Sometimes it can be hard to write daring or bold posts.  We often fear what others will think of us.  How will our readers react to what we have written?  Will they understand why we are writing and posting these items?

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Well, I have found that most of the time, I enjoy the bold posts the most.  Many times these posts are vulnerable and reveal the author's true nature, which is what makes me them the most interesting.  It is because in these post, the reader can connect to the author on a completely different level.

What do you think?  Is BOLD better?

To my readers

To all my readers/followers/individuals who commented:

After fully waking up, I hopped on Twitter, Yahoo!, and Blogger for a while.  I started scanning Twitter for new #atozchallenge posts.  After reading and commenting on several posts, I checked my e-mail.  I found I had several comments that I needed to read and reply to.

{I'm going to break here for a moment and tell you all that I woke up with a horrible headache.  My neck and shoulder muscles have been so tense and tight all day from this headache.}

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So, I am going through my e-mails, reading each of the comments, and I get to the end and delete them all.  At this point, I am not thinking, but I am savoring that I got so many views and comments on my Blogging: A is for Angle post.  {Thank you to all the individuals that read my post and left me comments!}

After checking my e-mails, I got on my blog, checked the spam comments {and deleted them - I hate spam!}, and started drafting some more blog posts.  {Now remember I said, after reading all my e-mails, I just deleted them} Yep!  That is when it hit me, like a smack in the head - which made me twinge because I already had a headache.  I deleted all those e-mails and didn't reply to any of them.

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I thought, "How could I just delete all those e-mails without even replying!  Oh my gosh, everyone is going to think I don't care that they took the time to stop by my blog, read my post, then comment on it!"  Yeah, I was in hysterics for a moment.  And then I decided I was just going to have to write a post explaining the situation to everyone and hope that they all understood.

So, you all understand, right?  You don't hate me do you?

{I sure hope not!}

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Once again, I want to thank each and every one of you for stopping by and reading my post.  I also want to thank all of you that commented on my post, answering my question and offering your support.  If I have not stopped by your blog, I plan on doing so at some point during the challenge {I am trying to check out everyone's blog who is participating}, and I am very sorry for my lapse in judgement when I deleted those e-mails.

I apologize!  Do you forgive me?

Blogging: A is for Angle

What is your angle?

{And, I don't mean degrees}

When I say angle, I mean approach, outlook, perspective, viewpoint, etc.

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 What is your blog about?  Do you write about only one topic, or is your blog a collection of several different topics?  Do you write about what you want to write about {about what you love}, or do you write about what your readers want to see {about topics that are popular at that point in time}?

If you have looked over my blog, you know that I write about several topics, including: life, love, religion, health & fitness, and food.  I am considered a "general" blogger.  I blog about what I want to {what I love}, and I enjoy doing it!

I believe you must write about what you love {or like}.  I think you have to enjoy what you are doing, otherwise your posts will come across as strained, and your readers will see this.

What do you blog about?

{Leave me a comment & let me know!}

By the way, Happy April Fool's Day!

A to Z April Challenge

So, I have decided to join the A to Z April Challenge.  This challenge entails posting 26 posts, one for every letter of the alphabet, starting on Sunday, April 1st.  Every day {no Sundays, except for 4/1}, I must write a post about a topic beginning with that letter for the day.

While many individuals who are completing this challenge have themes, I have not decided if I will do a theme yet or not.  If I do, it will most likely be a "blogging" theme {I have been blogging for less than a year, so I am no expert, but I will give my opinions on several topics - 26 to be exact}!

Is anyone else going to complete the challenge?

Update:  I have decided I am going to complete my A to Z Challenge on blogging.  I may have trouble with some of the letters {I may have to get very creative for certain letters}, but I am going to have fun completing this challenge.  

Each day I am posting for this challenge, my blog titles will begin with "Blogging:" followed by the letter for the day and the word that corresponds to that letter.  I have a couple of posts already in mind, and some already written and scheduled to be posted.

I hope you all enjoy!

Church Sign

"Been taken for granted?  Imagine how GOD feels!"

I saw this on a church sign, and all I could think was "Wow, this is so true!"

Yes, I have been taken for granted.  Several times.  Too many times to count.  Yes, it hurt.  A lot.  Sometimes it hurt so much that I thought my heart was breaking in two.  Sometimes I thought I would never be able to forgive the person who took me for granted.  But, I did.  

I lived, and I am a better person today because of what has happened to me.  I have learned from my experiences and my past.

But, I could never imagine how GOD feels.  Who could?

I can, however, reflect on this the next time I feel used or taken for granted.  I will know that it is a temporary pain, and it will go away.  I know that as long as I am doing the Lord's will, I am on the right path.

I also know that I must follow God's words.

Matthew 6: 14 - 15 (KJV), "For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:  But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."