Amy . . .

What would you like to know? I am fun, but crazy. I have a most perfect husband, and 2 cats named Samson and Delilah. We are presently working on adopting a little girl from China and have a separate blog for that. I am a Christian and am working on a better relationship with him. I live in the Atlanta area and love sharing stories with people. I am also a pediatric nurse and I love it! I love to talk and meet new people and I love Disney Cruising

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Today we have a Guest blogger

Today we have a guest blogger whom we shall call Steven.
Let me introduce Steven to you.
Steven is:
1) a friend from college
2)a family guy who has a beautiful wife and 2 awesome kids
3) he is real, he is honest and he admits his mistakes
4)I have recommended his blog and I do so again

So without any more waiting, I give you Steven R (his words are in italic)
Make you go visit Steven and check out his videos and his blogroll..There is some cool stuff here



Wow. First off let me say that this is an honor. Thanks to whomever thought enough of my blogging to recommend me to Amy. It means a lot to know people like to read what I say.

So. What to blog about.

This is a lot of pressure.

All you people coming to Amy’s blog thinking you were getting her. And instead you got me. And I have the opportunity to impress you enough that maybe you will visit my blog (
http://digisteven.wordpress.com). Like how I slid that shameless plug in there?

I thought long and hard. Ok. So I thought on the 20 minute ride home from work about what I would blog about. And I came to the conclusion that I would blog about why I blog and what I think makes a good blog.

Realize of course, these are just my opinions. Meaning you can give me an “amen” or throw something at me. Either one is fine with me.

The thing I have tried to stay true to when I started blogging was to completely be myself. And by that I mean to show every side of me. Not the side of me I thought people wanted to see. But the screwed up, flawed, funny, passionate, crude, loving guy that tried his best to love every day as though it could be his last.

My most fulfilling days are days when I am doing something I am passionate about and loving every moment of it. Days where I lay my head down on the pillow at night and think to myself, “I would totally do that day over again.”

Too many blogs are people putting on their masks and playing the person they think might get the most comments. I could care less how many comments I get. I used to. But I figured out the comments come when I am myself. And a lot of times that might mean I give a point of view that isn’t very popular.

I try and balance the fact that I am a Christian guy with the fact that I like to have fun. I love dc Talk. But I also love 50Cent. I love drinking milk. But I love a nice tall beer as well. I try and have a daily Bible study. But more times than not I don’t. I oversleep church when I get in late the night before. I sin daily and fall into bad habits. But hey. Jesus loves me. This I know.

So if you want my two cents (which won’t get you much), just be yourself when you write. Be transparent.

But if I could offer one bit of advice in closing. Don’t start up a blog if all you are going to offer me is e-mails you got that you cut and pasted into your blog. It bores me and doesn’t really give me any insight into what it is that makes you tick. Give me substance.

I like to read blogs of people I have never met but feel like I know them personally. Through blogs like this, I have made a couple of great friends like Carlos (
www.ragamuffinsoul.com) and Salty Dog (www.livesalty.com). Guys I would totally hang out with in person.

So class. What have we learned? Be yourself. Be transparent. No crap on the blogs.

With that. I hand the reigns of this big bad blog back over to Amy and thank you all for reading.

17 comments:

Melanie said...

A big hello to the guest blogger, Steven! Love your points! :) Will definitely have to stop by and do some reading on your blog!

Great idea Amy! :)

Anonymous said...

Thanks Melanie. I really appreciate it.

And everyone here is more than welcome anytime over at my place.

Thanks again Amy. It indeed is/was an honor.

Anonymous said...

I am new to blogging but I like what Steven says. Why bother blogging if you are just going to be what other people want you to be? Thats not fun. I have learned a lot from reading blogs and Steven gave some great advice to new bloggers..I on the other hand cant come up with a name for my blog.

Amy,this was awesome.Steven sounds like a neat guy.Are you going to do this on the adoption blog as well?

Elizabeth

Unknown said...

I hear ya buddy! :) I totally worry about my family reading my blog ~ and a lot of times that stops me from being my true self. There are days when I slip up a bit and say things they may not want to hear...but we all have those days.

I'm not too concerned about how many readers I get, because I don't blog for the readers. I love comments, but I blog to blog...I love to throw my ideas out there. It's easier than keeping a journal for me and if someone wants to read it and let me know what they think that's just a bonus!

I'm gonna go check your blog out now and add it to my Google Reader. At least I know I'll be getting someone "real" :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Steven! Everything you said is so true. It's hard to be a Christian in this crazy world we live in but you are right, Jesus loves you (and me, and everyone else). There are lots of people out there trying to be something they're not and one day it's going to hit them smack in the face. Thanks for your thoughts, I enjoyed reading them and will have to visit your site as well.

steven.russell said...

Thanks ya'll. Glad everyone enjoys the stuff I had to say.

I guess when it comes to being real, I just decided to stop putting the mask on every day.

I guess I just found it easier to be held accountable if I was who I was and not pretend to be something I am not.

Unknown said...

Im still having a hard time taking the mask off. I feel Im much more honest with myself blogging then I am with the real world. I struggle with this because I know who I want to be what I have been and there is who I actually am
confused?

steven.russell said...

I think we all struggle with wanting to fit in. Wanting people to like us. So we try to be like them in order to fit in. The problem comes when we get so deep into fitting in, we forget what we looked like without the costume on.

I feel it is important for us al to just get "naked" from time to time. Strip it all off and just be our ugly beautiful selves.

And be honest with people. Tell them that while I attend church most every week, I still cuss from time to time at work and have the same sin problems as most everyone else in the world.

It is amazing how freeing it can be when you just let go of everything and live.

Valtool said...

All I have to say (in being transparant) is that the one and only time I met Steven it involved a public restroom and a camera.

TeaMouse said...

Good points - and it's so easy to fall into that comment trap. I almost feel like I was a better blogger before I actually had readers. I have to get to the point where I can say what's on my mind without it mattering who reads it.
WTG!

Anonymous said...

Hey Steven...long time.

steven.russell said...

Wow. Long time indeed.

Jeff said...

Mmmm, yeah, getting naked on the blog. Good times. Oh, wait, is that not what you meant, Steve?

Anonymous said...

I wondered when someone was going to pick that comment up and run with it.

Sallie said...

Steven and Amy -- That was such a great post! My husband and I try to live our lives as transparent as possible. Who knows, if either of us ever run for office there won't be any skeletons in the closets..LOL..

We try to do the same on our blogs and it was encouraging to read your post and see that is what other people really want to see too!

God bless,
Sallie

Unknown said...

I totally recommend his blog and his blogroll. Total encouragement and when he is feeling down, its just an honest post.

I may let him post here again.Haha!

Its hard to be real. I look forward to the time where I quit trying to please and impress everyone!

Heart of Rachel said...

Hello Amy and to your Guest Blogger, Steven. He must be a good friend.

I love blogging. I always share the real me. It feels good to show part of myself and slices of my life and memories. It's wonderful that I have met wonderful friends through blogging.

Saw your earlier post. Very interesting! I'll come by later to read more about it.

Have a fun-filled weekend!