#VoiceSaveblogCaroline Pennellfamehashtaginstant saveNBCPsalm 115purposeretweetsThe VoicetweetTwitter
That Time I Got 22 Instant Retweets...
So I've been at this blogging thing for a few months, now. And I really enjoy it. I like having an outlet to share my thoughts, rants, convictions, and soapboxes. And I get super excited about sharing what God is teaching me through His Word.
But with blogging, it is easy to get caught up with how many "likes," "shares," "comments," "pins," and "retweets" you get.
Now enter, Twitter.
I don't use Twitter all that much. In fact, there have been times when I have gone so long between tweets that the site has sent me a courtesy email "inviting me back" into the fold.
But every time I post on the blog, I tweet it out. Of course, with a whopping 72 followers, I only get one or two visits from the post...and no retweets whatsoever...but I do it anyway.
Well, my husband and I have been following NBC's reality singing show The Voice this season. On the nights when contestants get voted off, they have been incorporating a new interactive element wherein viewers can tweet the artist they want to remain to the hashtag #VoiceSave. In a mere 5 minutes, the hashtag receives hundreds of thousands of tweets. They then speed-tally the votes and "save" the singer with the most support.
My husband and I have participated in #VoiceSave for three weeks now and have picked the top artist two out of those three times. It's kind of neat to have your vote count in such an immediate way that you can see on live TV! Anyway...I can rarely just tweet a name without a comment about their talent to go with it. And during last week's show, I had been googling which contestant in the bottom three had the larger iTunes following. Our favorite girl had the top iTunes downloads of the three who were up for elimination. So when the time came for tweeting, we tweeted her up! I wanted people out there to know that she was worthy of their vote, so I included the iTunes results I had learned.
And just like that, I had 22 instant retweets. My phone's notification bell kept going off over and over. Since that's never happened to us before, my husband and I were startled at first. But I gotta' say, it was neato burrito to watch!
And then it was over. Our contestant was eliminated, and the show moved on.
[Sorry, Caroline Pennell! We still think you're the bomb!]
Now, my blog has NEVER gotten 22 instant retweets! What's up with that? Of course I jest...but it would be easy for me to get frustrated that something of such minuscule importance to me could get so much more recognition than the thoughts and convictions I spend hours precisely penning.
This whole experience got me thinking: "Why do I write this blog?" Obviously, my thoughts on life and ministry don't rank nearly as high as my life-changing tweets about reality TV [insert sarcasm here]. But it's not about all that. I write in order to have an outlet for what God is teaching me. I also write with the purpose of coming alongside others in their "journey to godly" so as to encourage, challenge, etc. In other words...I don't write to "rank."
Lord, let me keep perspective in this world of ever-growing hungers for attention and fame. And let me bring fame to Your name, Jesus.
"Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory, for the sake of Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness." Psalm 115:1
"Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory, for the sake of Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness." Psalm 115:1
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