Tag: "social media"

Murder - Chalk Outline
2

Murder, USA: Is It Really As Bad As We Think?

by

Murder rates have fallen dramatically.

Feathers in the Wind: Scandal and Sharing Online
2

Feathers in the Wind: Scandal and Sharing Online

by

St. Philip Neri once told a woman that as penance for her gossiping, she should scatter a pillowful of feathers into the wind and then walk about the town collecting every feather. The task was impossible, of course, and it emphasized that we can’t take back our words once they’ve been uttered. That’s especially true […]

Would You Lay Down Your Life for Them?
0

Would You Lay Down Your Life for Them?

by

I have more than 1,100 friends on Facebook. Are they all really my friends? Fair question. My wife and children frequently voice their doubts that I even know that many people, much less can call that many people friends. My family has challenged me with this: “How many of those people, if they died, would […]

Sirach for Social Media
0

Sirach for Social Media

by

At first glance, it may seem odd that social media places a premium on less. The internet makes vast amounts of information and images available instantly, yet Twitter limits “tweets” to 140 characters. Snapchat allows captions on photo and video message “snaps,” but the entire message disappears one to ten seconds after it is displayed. […]

Social Media Fasts: Making Room for Blessings
0

Social Media Fasts: Making Room for Blessings

by

Remember when social media fasting was trending during Lent? My big undertaking for Lent was to fast from Facebook, and though it wasn’t complete, it was my first attempt and pretty strict. It was such a huge change for me that months later, I’m still processing the experience and reaping rewards from the fast. My […]

Social Media's Double-Edged Sword -- A Lenten Reflection
0

Social Media’s Double-Edged Sword — A Lenten Reflection

by

The Lenten season is upon us once more, and like many Christians, in an attempt to honor God’s faithfulness to his Church and in the hopes of deepening my own faith I have decided to engage in a fast of sorts. Inspired by a good friend of mine, I will for the duration of Lent […]

Five Reasons I'm Giving Up Facebook for Lent
3

Five Reasons I’m Giving Up Facebook for Lent

by

If you feel called to give up a Facebook for Lent this year, you aren’t alone. In social media parlance, the idea is “trending.” Before I explain my reasons for seriously curbing my Facebook use this season, let me first acknowledge that social media enables me to do my work as a writer with great […]

Twitter: Are You “Missing the Point”, or Not?
1

Twitter: Are You “Missing the Point”, or Not?

by

Amanda Mortus from WorthyOfAgape.com wrote a post about twitter practices called, “Missing the Point.” In the post, she highlighted her frustration with certain practices and strategies used by some folks on social media; in this specific case, Twitter. She asked me for my input into the post, so I will gladly give it! (Note: Amanda and I […]

How To Design A Simple Social Media Strategy For Your Catholic Parish
1

How To Design A Simple Social Media Strategy For Your Catholic Parish

by

As many may know, I am the guy behind the social media at my parish in Plymouth, Michigan – Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church. I’ve been asked several times and contacted by many who want help or insights into developing and designing a social media strategy for Catholic parishes. So, I’ve decided to quickly […]

How Does the Internet Affect Your Relationships?
0

How Does the Internet Affect Your Relationships?

by

There we were, my husband and I, lounging around the living room, facing each other but not looking at each other. He was transfixed on his laptop, ear buds in place, watching something on Netflix. I was glued to my laptop, working on business stuff. Over in a corner of the kitchen, two of our […]

Children Need Not See Parental Conflicts
0

Children Need Not See Parental Conflicts

by

From: Always the Bad Guy? My husband thinks it’s OK for our 12-year-old to get a Facebook page. I say absolutely not. She has heard us arguing about this issue and tries to jump into the conversation. Next thing I know, it’s me against them, which feels very unhealthy. I think we should present a unified front […]

Obama-Media
2

The Obama-Media War

by

Obama backs down from Muslim terrorists and Russian government thugs, but not from Americans.

Social Media in the Marriage and the Family
0

Social Media in the Marriage and the Family

by

“I’m not that interested in ‘mass’ communications. I’m much more interested in what happens between this person and the one person watching. The space between the television set and that person who’s watching is very holy ground.” – Fred Rogers The traditional family unit has been negatively hit from so many directions in our world […]

Adventures with Twitter
1

Adventures with Twitter

by

One day, my 17 year-old strolled into the kitchen after a long day at school, leaned against the kitchen counter and, between mouthfuls of food to appease his growling stomach, said, “Hey mom, did you know that the Pope has Twitter?” “So, I hear,” I replied absentmindedly while chopping vegetables for dinner. “Do you have […]

Just a Mom and Her Internet
1

Just a Mom and Her Internet

by

Do you ever ask yourself whether it is alright to stay plugged-in to the internet? I have struggled with this question since I was first drawn, overwhelmingly so, to this new form of communication six years ago. I already loved email, then I discovered Facebook and discussion forums. I could engage with people from all […]

On Writing in Dark Times
2

On Writing in Dark Times

by

In a (very) recent episode of the confessional Lutheran podcast “Issues, Etc.,” Matt Harrison, interviewing Allan Carlson, reflected on the meaning of the recent election for social conservatives. I’m sure we’ve all been immersed in this sort of thinking, this past week or so: Harrison said that “while there’s not an inevitability to this, we may […]

It’s Up to Parents to Pull Plug on Internet
0

It’s Up to Parents to Pull Plug on Internet

by

A week ago, after I gave a speech to a parent group, a mother with a difficult issue approached me. It was something she didn’t want to discuss in front of her school community during the question-and-answer session. “Basically,” she whispered, “my daughter is totally addicted to Facebook. She is on it all the time […]

Hate Twitter and Facebook? Get Over It.
1

Hate Twitter and Facebook? Get Over It.

by

Most business owners hate Social Networking. I don’t blame them. They have enough to do and now there’s this gorilla in the room that refuses to be ignored. I’m going to tell you briefly how to get started in a non-stressful manner. The main thing is simply to set up a Twitter and business Facebook […]

iConfess
3

iConfess

by

I have a confession to make. Recently, I made a solemn vow — never again to participate in another voting contest. I promised this to all my friends and family but before I carried out the vow, I begged them to vote for my ugly floor. It was an ugly floor contest and the prize […]

Breadmaking and Social Marketing
0

Breadmaking and Social Marketing

by

Breadmaking can teach us a lot about social media and marketing. I bake bread, and I’m a wheat snob. We have a tabletop wheat grinder, and I buy my wheat in bulk, from Montana, in 50 pound buckets. Wheat isn’t ground until just before I make bread, to ensure the highest nutrition content and best […]