Blog Pirates

A Blog Pirate: Someone who tries to steal the spotlight from a more successful blog in order to make their blog noticed and to increase their traffic stats.

This is usually done by pointlessly criticizing posts in order to drive traffic to their blog. Most blog pirates surf the “What’s Hot” on the front page of blog hosts (I.E. WordPress.com) hunting their next victim. They also search through the tags pages to see what blogs have the most comments (thus a high level of traffic) and rips into the author of the blog and/or their content. If you have ever crossed a Blog Pirate you will see why they have to steal the spotlight, its usually because their content is not good enough to draw their own crowd and keep them.

Blog Pirates know that most authors will defend their content thus linking to the pirate and driving their readers (traffic) to the pirate’s site, they also know that when people search for key words pertaining to the victim’s blog in Google the searcher will be driven to the pirate’s blog as well, thus attracting extra traffic. Blog Pirates are interested in one thing, signing on to WordPress and immediately going to their daily stats and seeing how many hits they had that day…nothing more, nothing less.

Watch it! You may be hijacked by a Blog Pirate today 🙂

Join the Conversation! Have you ever been attacked by a Blog Pirate? Know anyone else that has? I’ve been attacked and I know others that have been attacked as well.

Do We Even Understand God?

I was wondering what I should blog about today, but after reading Pete Wilson’s post (God Bless America?) and watching the video he linked to, there is nothing more I need to say. I encourage you to go read the post and watch the video of a young boy who’s family had to give up their custody to the government because they could no longer afford to keep him. Pete’s post reminded me of a message that I heard in 2005 at the PDYM Conference by Louie Giglio called “Prayer-a-Remix” You can download the entire message for Free HERE

Warning: After listening to this message your prayer life will be totally messed up, so do not listen to it if you are comfortable praying the average cliche’ Americanized Chritian prayers and living the typical self-serving Americanized Christian life…I warned you!

Here is an excerpt from Pete, be sure to go check out the rest of his post HERE and watch the video:

I saw this bumper sticker the other day when I was walking into Blockbuster. It says, “My Pastor Says God Bless America.” Since seeing the bumper sticker I’ve discovered it’s linked to a political movement.

I want to be clear that I’m neither condemning nor endorsing this organization. I know nothing about it, but this bumper sticker just prompted the following thoughts.

I’m tired of praying “God Bless America.” Now, before you try to stone me at the county courthouse, let me clearly state, “I’m proud of our country.” I’m indebted to people who have served her to give me the freedoms I have. So we’re cool. I shoot fireworks off on the 4th and everything.

Join the Conversation, What’s Your Thoughts?

Georgia PDYM Network Lunch – You Could Win!

The Georgia Purpose Driven Youth Ministry Network Lunch is being held THIS Thursday, May 29, at Destiny Metropolitan Worship Church in Atlanta Georgia. If you are a part of the PDYM Network or if you are interested in being a part of it, please make plans to attend.

Time: 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Cost: $5 to help cover lunch

For Directions visit: www.destinymetro.org or Map Quest: 1775 Water Place SE – Atlanta, GA 30339 – Phone # 770-509-9010 (Latasha Morrison)

This is a great opportunity to connect with other like minded youth workers who are facing some of the same issues and struggles that you do in the trenches of student ministry. Doug Fields sent us a special training video (Exclusive Only for the PDYM Network), free resources for all who attend, and other tools and resources for door prizes.

**I am doing a special drawing for everyone who RSVPs in advance, so if you are planning on attending, let us know!**

For more information on the lunch or to find out more about the PDYM Network and how to balance your student ministry based on the 5 Biblical purposes, contact one of these Georgia PDYM Mentors:
Nick Carnes (Me) – Email
Jeffery Wallace – Email
Latasha Morrison – Email

Hope to see you there!

A Moment Like This

Have you ever experienced one of those moments where you knew from that point on your life would be changed forever? Sometimes the realization comes hours maybe days later after the moment has passed, but then there are those times that in the present moment, it hits you!

One of my moments came when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. Sure, its been several years since the hurricane devastated the Gulf Coast, but it was in that moment I saw things differently, and it affects me even today, it changed me then and the change has never subsided. I am sure the same would be said by those who survived the events of that summer and by those who spent months recovering bodies and doing the best they could to restore communities and cities and homes.

It was a Wednesday night that 6 of us embarked on a journey that transformed my life and the way I look at the blessings of God and the power that He possesses. I got to the office and was glued to the internet checking out the devastation that had wiped out much of the area. All of the staff pastors, two teenage guys, and another leader in our church decided to do something, so we rallied water and a few groceries and headed out after our midweek service, our plans were to make the 12+ hour trip throughout the night, hand out supplies and drive immediately back. Our destination was Biloxi, Mississippi. We didn’t get too far down the road and we experienced some significant problems with the RV, but we were not deterred from our goal. Fortunately we loaded up on gasoline at the last station that had it within driving distance, a couple hundred miles, we also carried numerous 5 gallon gas cans for backup. When we got to Biloxi, we were some of the first relief efforts in the area. The National Guard was there, but they were mostly scoping things out. All we had was a RV loaded with some groceries pulling a trailer full of bottled water. What was to take place was AMAZING! Continue reading “A Moment Like This”

Major Self Promoter

Why write a blog if you don’t want anyone to read what you write, right?
My community group had fun with me last night, because on several occasions, I have actually blogged about a topic that we were discussing and as I shared my view and opinion on the matter, I told the group that they could read more about my opinion at www.nickcarnes.com – Now its the big joke. Whenever I start to talk someone throws out nickcarnes.com, in fact I don’t even think they refer to me as Nick anymore, but rather, Hey Nickcarnes.com. They have told me to have t-shirts made to wear around, but I think I am going with the $4.99 car magnets from Vistaprint.com.
(You can order some too and give me free advertising :mrgreen:

So maybe I am a little bit of a self-promoter, ok a major self promoter, but I told my group I would give them some free advertising, so here goes, a shout out to Kieth and Alexia Larson, Eben and Cathy Gray, Shane and Diana Padgett (the coolest couple I know), and Ford Hatcher (who drives a Chevy).

Are you a self-promoter? For good reasons or bad?