Do you have a blog about faith? If you have a blog you might as well join our Blog Directory. I’m planning on creating categories for every blog that wants to be listed. All you do is link up and then let me know that you did. You can link up by posting a text link, button, or both. Once you are in the directory I will get you introduced ASAP. What are you waiting for? Tell all your Blog Friends too!
Here is a list of all the blogs about faith listed in the BIBLE STUDIES category
Do you have a blog about animals? If you have a blog you might as well join our Blog Directory. I’m planning on creating categories for every blog that wants to be listed. All you do is link up and then let me know that you did. You can link up by posting a text link, button, or both. Once you are in the directory I will get you introduced ASAP. What are you waiting for? Tell all your Blog Friends too!
Here is a list of all the blogs about animals listed in the ANIMAL KINGDOM category
Last month we welcomed a few new bloggers to our directory. If you are just tuning in be sure and add these bloggers to your news reader OR bookmark them so you can check them out when you have some time. That’s the best part about networking, to me, is getting to discover new blogs and meet new bloggers.
Here’s a listing of who was introduced last month:
The most popular trending topics last month were:
When was the last time you took a look at your blog and really cleaned it up a bit? I think it’s always a good idea to give your blog the stink eye at least once a month. I try to do this on the first day of each month. You might feel comfortable picking your own day. Some bloggers do this every quarter, every six months, or once a year.
Here are some things that I look for when I’m looking to clean up my blog:
1.) Does it take forever for my blog to load? If so, I might need to scale back on some of the widgets and pictures that I don’t really care to use. You know, the ones that really do not make a difference in improving the look and feel of my blog. I tend to hang on to only the buttons that promote networking. Everything else I can link to from a “resources” type of page.
2.) Go through your blog rolling links. Those are the bloggers you are networking with that understand the importance of what blog rolling is all about. Make sure you are getting a fair shake. If you want to link to somebody but don’t really care if they link back to you or not then save their URL for your “resources” page. This will clean up the front of your blog considerably and you’ll be able to focus on linking to those blogs that understand the importance of networking and what that can do to help all of you to increase your traffic. I find brand new blogs to read by checking out somebody’s blog roll. I Love It!
3.) One thing I’ve been doing lately is making sure that the links on the front of my blog open up into a new page. This will keep folks from losing their place. WordPress recently offered this in their “links” section and I absolutely Love it!
4.) Ask a close online friend to give your blog a once over OR you might even post this question to your readers via a blog post. Ask them to be honest with you and give you some constructive feedback as to what they see and how easy or not it might be to get around your blog.
5.) Take a look at your blog and make sure it’s doing what it’s supposed to by going to it in three or four different web browsers. If you have friends that use IE and you use Fire Fox or vice versa, maybe you can ask them to take a look to make sure nothing in the template is out of whack. You would be amazed at how many discrepancies you can pick up just by having somebody else check things out via their web browser.
I would like to know what you do to clean up your blog! Did I miss something? If you found this post helpful please leave a comment. I Love Comments. I also want to hear from other bloggers as to how they run their blogs and whether or not you guys clean up your blogs from time to time and what it is you do to keep things tidy in your neck of the Blog-o-sphere.
After you leave a comment here on Blogs Rule [Blog Directory], head on over to BlogMommas.com and check out her Tues Tip Jar.
32 They said to each other, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” 33 And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them, 34 who said, “The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter.[a]”
Jesus Appears to the Disciples
35 Then the two from Emmaus told their story of how Jesus had appeared to them as they were walking along the road, and how they had recognized him as he was breaking the bread. 36 And just as they were telling about it, Jesus himself was suddenly standing there among them. “Peace be with you,” he said. 37 But the whole group was startled and frightened, thinking they were seeing a ghost!
38 “Why are you frightened?” he asked. “Why are your hearts filled with doubt? 39 Look at my hands. Look at my feet. You can see that it’s really me. Touch me and make sure that I am not a ghost, because ghosts don’t have bodies, as you see that I do.” 40 As he spoke, he showed them his hands and his feet.
41 Still they stood there in disbelief, filled with joy and wonder. Then he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he ate it as they watched.
44 Then he said, “When I was with you before, I told you that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and in the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures. 46 And he said, “Yes, it was written long ago that the Messiah would suffer and die and rise from the dead on the third day. 47 It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations,[b] beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ 48 You are witnesses of all these things.
49 “And now I will send the Holy Spirit, just as my Father promised. But stay here in the city until the Holy Spirit comes and fills you with power from heaven.”
The Ascension
50 Then Jesus led them to Bethany, and lifting his hands to heaven, he blessed them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up to heaven.[c] 52 So they worshiped him and then returned to Jerusalem filled with great joy. 53 And they spent all of their time in the Temple, praising God.
The Walk to Emmaus
13 That same day two of Jesus’ followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles[a] from Jerusalem. 14 As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. 15 As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. 16 But God kept them from recognizing him.
17 He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?”
They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. 18 Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn’t heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.”
19 “What things?” Jesus asked.
“The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. 20 But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. 21 We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.
22 “Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. 23 They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! 24 Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said.”
25 Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. 26 Wasn’t it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” 27 Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.
28 By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on, 29 but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them. 30 As they sat down to eat,[b] he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. 31 Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared!
The Resurrection
1 But very early on Sunday morning[a] the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. 2 They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance. 3 So they went in, but they didn’t find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes.
5 The women were terrified and bowed with their faces to the ground. Then the men asked, “Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive? 6 He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Remember what he told you back in Galilee, 7 that the Son of Man[b] must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and that he would rise again on the third day.”
8 Then they remembered that he had said this. 9 So they rushed back from the tomb to tell his eleven disciples—and everyone else—what had happened. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and several other women who told the apostles what had happened. 11 But the story sounded like nonsense to the men, so they didn’t believe it. 12 However, Peter jumped up and ran to the tomb to look. Stooping, he peered in and saw the empty linen wrappings; then he went home again, wondering what had happened.
The Death of Jesus
44 By this time it was noon, and darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. 45 The light from the sun was gone. And suddenly, the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn down the middle. 46 Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!”[a] And with those words he breathed his last.
47 When the Roman officer[b] overseeing the execution saw what had happened, he worshiped God and said, “Surely this man was innocent.[c]” 48 And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow.[d] 49 But Jesus’ friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching.
The Burial of Jesus
50 Now there was a good and righteous man named Joseph. He was a member of the Jewish high council, 51 but he had not agreed with the decision and actions of the other religious leaders. He was from the town of Arimathea in Judea, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come. 52 He went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. 53 Then he took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in a long sheet of linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock. 54 This was done late on Friday afternoon, the day of preparation,[e] as the Sabbath was about to begin.
55 As his body was taken away, the women from Galilee followed and saw the tomb where his body was placed. 56 Then they went home and prepared spices and ointments to anoint his body. But by the time they were finished the Sabbath had begun, so they rested as required by the law.
32 Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. 33 When they came to a place called The Skull,[a] they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left.
34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”[b] And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.[c]
35 The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” 36 The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. 37 They called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 A sign was fastened to the cross above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.”
39 One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”
40 But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? 41 We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.”
43 And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
