The acquisition of Christian books is necessary for those who can use them; for the very sight of them renders us less inclined to sin and incites us to believe more firmly in righteousness.”

— St. Epiphanius
Daily Readings with the Desert Fathers
Templegate Publishers

It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it.”

—Oscar Wilde

Unfermented grape juice is a bland and pleasant drink, especially on a warm afternoon mixed half-and-half with ginger ale. It is a ghastly symbol of the life blood of Jesus Christ, especially when served in individual antiseptic, thimble-sized glasses.

“Wine is booze, which means it is dangerous and drunk-making. It makes the timid brave and the reserved amorous. It loosens the tongue and breaks the ice, especially when served in a loving cup. It kills germs. As symbols go, it is a rather splendid one.”

— Frederick Buechner
Wishful Thinking: A Seeker’s ABC

I read approximately 200-plus blogs a day. It takes less than 20 minutes. How? Simple. I use Google Reader. Using this simple tool, I subscribe to blogs I find interesting. When one of these blogs has a new post, the content instantly appears in Google Reader through the magic of RSS (“real simple syndication”).

You don’t have to understand RSS or the underlying technology to take advantage of it. Simply set up a free Google Reader account and start adding your favorite blogs. Here’s a short video to get you started.

Please note: I don’t read every new post that appears in Google Reader, but I scan through them all and read the ones that catch my eye. This is how I keep up with 200-plus blogs a day.

I write when I’m inspired, and I see to it that I’m inspired at nine o’clock every morning.”

— Peter DeVries

Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.”

— Stephen King

. . . the world that throbbed outside the library seemed to be losing its memory, day after day, unknowingly, feeling all the wiser the more it forgot.”

— Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Shadow of the Wind

This video is a a great introduction to social media. It moves quickly, so you may want to watch it a few times. I have actually embedded in my slide presentation for Social Media 101.

The best thing a leader can bring to their team is their energy.”

— Bill Hybels
As quoted by Andy Stanley

I have read a great deal about SEO, but it all seems so theoretical. This is the first article I have read that deals exclusively with WordPress blogs. It is also extremely practical. The editorial staff of WPBeginner walk you through the exact steps you need to take to make your blog more SEO-friendly. If you have a WordPress blog, this is must-reading.