There were big influences on me in taking the initiative to actually start blogging. As best I can determine, here are the main ones:
1. Matt McComas - Matt is a good friend, a great thinker, a gifted staff member, and an early adopter of technology for ministry. I've spent three out the last four summers on assignment with Matt, and this last one he helped me grasp why twitter, blogs, and social media in general are so powerful. I've given him a hard time about it at times, but hopefully he knows it was a respectful ribbing. :) I'll probably be linking to his blog on Leadership, Technology, and Innovation, often.
2. Google Reader - It was about a year ago that my friend Chris asked me if I used Google Reader. I knew Chris was smart and always seemed to know stuff that I wanted to know more about. I took his advice, started using RSS, and have never looked back. Goodbye bookmarks and surfing the web for interesting stuff. Now it all comes to me. Hopefully, my posts will be welcomed in some of your feeds. :)
3. Russ Martin - I've never met Russ, but as a fellow operations leader with my ministry, his blog was one of the first I subscribed to. The wisdom, insight, and practical tips for operations leadership he offers are top notch. Plus, the name of his blog really appeals to me as an engineering major who took my share of calculus!
4. Friends and co-laborers - Over the last year, a lot of friends and fellow staff members have begun to blog. I've enjoyed getting more insight in to their thinking and interests and realized how they are adding something to my life. They've helped give me the courage to take the plunge and trust I have things to share that could benefit others. I'm sure I'll be linking to many of them in days ahead.
5. My wife - Since my wife launched her "celebrity gospel" blog, I can honestly say it is one of my favorite blogs to read for reasons that have little to do with being married to her. She is thoughtful, spiritually mature, a savvy student of pop culture, and a very good writer. I'm fortunate to be married to someone that is both beautiful and intelligent.
