Why Did I Change To My Own Domain?

This week I changed from a WordPress domain to a self-hosted domain.  It was a big step.  And it still is a big step as I figure this whole thing out.  So why did I change domains?  That’s a great question, and I’m honestly still working through the answers to that question.  Here’s my answer so far:

1.  Having my own domain gives me an opportunity to try new things and add new things to my blog.  I like to play with the different widgets and gadgets.  The WordPress domain was limited in what I could add and tweak on my blog.  The new self hosted domain gives me more flexibility.

2.  Doesn’t jonstolpe.com sound better than jonstolpe.wordpress.com?  Maybe this is an ego thing, but it’s one of the answers to the question.

3.  I’ve heard that there is an opportunity to make money on my blog by switching to a self hosted domain.  This  brings me to answer number four.

4.  I want to do something great with my blog.  I’ve been wrestling this week with the financial impact of self hosting my blog.  Yes, there’s an initial upfront cost to getting this off the ground, and there will be a small fee associated with keeping it going, but I’m hoping that The Stretched Blog will start to make a little money.  So the question is what happens to this money.  I haven’t figured this all out yet, but my general answer is that I’d like to give it away to do something bigger – something that STRETCHES me.

Today at my church, I received some confirmation that this was the right direction.  Our pastor showed a video about the power of blogging and the power of doing something way bigger than ourselves.  Check out the video and let me know what you think.

Do you self host your blog?  Do you make any money through blogging?  If so, what do you do with it?  Finally, would you be game to do something big together through The Stretched Community?

Don’t Hold A Press Conference

We all like to be noticed.  We all like to be recognized for doing something good.  We like to hear people say, “Good job.”  We want the praise of man.  I think this is a normal human desire.

The other day, I was reading in Matthew 6 which is part of the Sermon on the Mount given by Jesus.  In part of this sermon, Jesus talks about how we should give to the needy, how we should pray, and how we should go about fasting.  Three times in this passage Christ says, “Then your Father who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”  When we give to the needy, when we pray, and when we fast, we should do these acts so no one knows but God.  We want the recognition.  We want to hold a press conference when we do these things.  But Christ tells us to keep it between God and us.  Surely, God’s reward is far greater than any recognition we get from man.

As a blogger this is a huge topic to ponder.  I often blog about the activities of my family including the activities related to serving others.  I hope that my main motivation in sharing these things is to encourage others to find ways to serve with their families, but I confess that there may be a part of my motivation that wants to hear others say, “Your family is so good.  You are a great parent.  You and Leanne do such a great job.”  These compliments do mean a lot, but my suspicion is that these praises of people pale in comparison to the reward that God promises.

Ultimately, I want to glorify God.  Whether it’s giving to the needy, praying, fasting, working, running, blogging, or whatever, I want my thoughts and actions to bring glory to God.

And so I stretch!  (In a year of being transformed, transformation of my motives is a great place to start.)

What do you think?  Do you struggle with seeking the praise of people?  How do you fight this?