The Blog Network

I introduce you to the latest addition to our network, none other than Mr Staggers himself! I've added his blog to our list of Blogging Buddies, so please show him some love and check it out!

Also, a follow-up to my previous post. As I write this, I currently stand at 7 comments to said post, and want to thank you for your love and support, even if some of it was sympathy support!
Let’s face it: I unashamedly asked, and thus I received, which proves that God was actually right (imagine that!) when He said, “you have not because you ask not”.

Is this a lesson to be learnt? For sure! Can it preach? Jason, please feel free to use this in one of your sermon illustrations if your answer to my question is a resounding “yes”, unless James decides to hold exclusive rights to it, seeing as he is the co-owner of this blog, and I’m his wife. But hey, the more publicity, the better. That makes more comments for me (yay)!

Back to your comments – I love reading them and have even arranged for them to come direct to my inbox so that I don’t miss a single one! This does of course apply to all my blogs, not just this one. Even this very post is a response to your comments! In particular to Jason’s about our lack of link to his blog (Jase, that makes 3 links to your blog – make that 4 – not including the one on our Blogging Buddies list, so hope you’re happy now *grin*)

So, friends, happy blogging, happier commenting, I look forward to what cyberworld brings us this week, and if you haven’t left a comment for me yet please do so soon!

Every Nation Campus Ministries

We had our first Every Nation Campus Service on 16 July 2006.
I know that was over a month ago, but these are for the benefit of anyone who has not yet seen photos.


P.S. If you want any pics, I can email you, just ask!

Why I Love Comics

My friends who know me (or strangers that have had conversations of more than 3 minutes with me) will tell you that I love comic books. The reason for this love, nay, this passion, is that they inspire me. Now to those of you who look down on comics as something that is meant for 8 year olds, or alternatively, something that is read by guys with no life, I can assure you that you are right on only one of those accounts.

However, just because some guys who read comics haven't got a date since 1998 does not mean that that is an accurate representation of us as a whole. Anyway, like I said, comics inspire me. What makes great literature is not fancy descriptions of nature or a depiction of eternal love. What makes great literature is the stories capacity to make us sympathise and relate to its characters. I once personally offended my wife because I said something mean about a character in a book that she personally related to. That is great writing.

I can't quite explain what its like to read a comic and be moved as Captain America, or Spiderman or Batman comes through once more. You have to read it for yourself. It is something that is subtlety set up by master craftsmen who know how to tell an unreal story in a very real way.

But it’s more than just that. Superheroes, by their very definition, are super. They are beyond what we experience in this world. They are legendary, heroic figures that fight the battles that shape their world. They are titans amongst men.

That is the sort of life I want to live for God. I want to be a heroic and legendary figure. But just as Superman doesn't save people to see his face on a lunchbox, I don't want to be a hero for my own glory. I want to bring glory to God in the same way that Superman or Captain America glorifies justice. I want to be a hero that inspires others to live righteously and to live for God.

The greatest thing about comics is that ultimately they are stories about ordinary people who can do extraordinary things. I don't know about you, but I believe that that is the call for every Christian's life. That is something that I can relate to.

Blogular

In one of my wife's recent blog entries not published on this blog, she queried whether people are actually reading other people's blogs, or if they are just working on their own and wanting people to read theirs. This got me thinking about the world of blogging and what it really takes to be 'blogular'.

If you read one of the comments to my last entry you will have noticed that 'Fungino' said that a blog is where you can make up your own words and get away with it. This seemed like such a brilliant idea that I couldn't help but steal it. Hence 'blogular' is my new word meaning, "popular (get it?) in the world of blogging'.

Upon reading the comments to my last entry I was also very enthused about the fact that I had tempted Ndumiso into entering the world of blogging. Now you may not have realised it, but if you have read this entry so far then I have already revealed to you the keys to blogularity. Don't believe me? Keep reading

1) I referred to my wife's blog. This serves a double purpose, first an foremost, it keeps my wife thinking that I'm a great all round guy. This is important because I am a great all round guy and I deserve the credit. Second though, if I refer to her blog, she will eventually refer to my blog on her other blog, making people who read her other blog want to read mine. Brilliant!

2) I referred to people who made comment's on my blog, such as Fungino and Ndumiso. It pays to give your fans props. It makes them feel like they are part of your blog and makes them want to keep coming back for more. And just to make sure that I don't create any enemies because I didn't refer to their comments I would officially like to give 'snaps' to Muda.Inc, don 'lidzi and of course Fiona :)

3) I stole a good idea from someone else

4) I got someone else (Ndumiso) into the world of blogging an thereby can now guilt him into continuing to read my blog because I helped him start his.

So, in summary, to be 'blogular' you must say nice things to your friends, say nice things to others so they will want to be your friends, steal and finally manipulate. Wow, its not really different from being 'popular' after all.

If he is "Techno-illiterate", then I am "Competitive for Comments"

I can't help but feel an ever so slight surge of jealousy that James has received 4 comments from our friends within 72 hours of writing his first post on the 1 and only blog that he writes on, whereas I have yet to receive a comment on any one of my 4 blogs on blogger that is not from someone I do not know. (disciple, if you happen to read here, this does not in any way detract from your encouraging comment on my Dream Diary, which I very much appreciate. It is more of a friendly, indirect rebuke towards my beloved friends)

What does it take to get someone to read your blog? Does anyone else relate to my recent observations about blogging and other such cyberspace-related paraphanalia?

How does one spell "paraphanalia" anyway? Who came up with such a word? And why isn't Blogger spell check able to identify said word and give me the correct spelling, thus forcing me to copy and paste the word into a Word document so that I can get the correct spelling? Speaking of spell checkers, has anyone else noticed that Blogger spell check also doesn't accept "blogger", "blogs", "blogging" or even "blog" as a word and also refuses to "learn" the word?

These questions and many more continue to be the bane of my existence. But for now, I will manage to live with them unanswered (or with answers that I don't like).

In the meantime, the competition ensues ~ vote me, vote Fi, and please, please, please, PLEASE leave me, Fi, a comment so that I can feel secure in the knowledge that you do love me and you do care about me and that this world isn't such an unfair place after all.

P.S. the correct spelling is "paraphernalia".

Typings of a Techno-illiterate

Hello, my names is James and I am a techno-illiterate.

There. I've said it. It's out in the open. I have no idea what I'm doing when I sit down in front of a computer. This is an embarrassing confession for a 24 year old member of Generation Y. I'm not even sure exactly when everyone around me gained the advanced understanding of information technology that I am seemingly incapable of possessing. Perhaps it was while I was romanticising of an age gone by when true scholars and gentlemen read books that they could touch with their fingertips and not be distracted by a little voice saying "You've Got Mail" (I've never had a computer that does this but it was in a Tom Hanks movie so it must exist...if only I could remember the name of the movie).

Fiona has instructed me not to make these entries too long, for reasons which are too long to be discussed in this entry which cannot be too long so I will keep this brief. While I am excited to be moving into the world of "web logging", I am filled with intrepidation that at any moment I could make the entire world wide web collapse, thus rendering the entire planet without banking, messaging and defence capabilities and leaving us open to a possible invasion of Klingons. Only time will tell if God will save us from this future.

While I hope that you will laugh, cry, pray and celebrate with us, I hope that for the most part I will be able to keep you laughing. After all, it makes you all the more likely to pray for us and join with us in our true moments of need if you enjoy reading this blog. So may God bless you and keep you and I look forward to writing to the world again soon. I just hope the Klingons aren't listening.

Meet the Snares

Introducing us - James and Fiona Snare.
At the time this picture was taken, we had been married 18 months and were attending the wedding of another couple who are good friends of ours.

To Blog Or Not To Blog?

Dearly beloved friends, family and partners in the Great Commission,

I am proud to announce that we now have internet at home! Do you sense my immense joy? Well, it's there!

James and I will now be working on keeping a regular blog to keep you up to date on the happenings of our escapades! Our hope is that you would laugh, pray, cry and celebrate with us as we seek to inform and entertain you through our thought-provoking messages.

Advancing the Kingdom together,
Fi.