Consistantly at or near the top of the pile in terms of who links who in the Christian blogosphere Joshua is a real diamond. His blog is always witty, thoughtful and provocative and is propbably the one I read more than any other- except perhaps my own when I am desperately trying to piece some thoughts together for my next sermon! Do check out Joshua Claybourn's Home Page it is well worth it.

I feel highly honoured then by his comments on my website in email correspondance to me lately
You have a fine blog, and the layout is pretty good. More importantly,
the content is good, and that's what really keeps a blog going.

Joshua went on to answer a question I had put to him 'Am I wasting your time?'

It just depends on your goals. If you're achieving your goals - whatever that may be - then you're not wasting your time. But it's worth noting than many people have started blogging, only to quite some time later for some reason or another

I think your blog is the kind readers might enjoy, but I've found that it's important to find a niche and really aim to appeal to that group. Find a niche, that's my advice..

Which brings me to a point that often rattles around my head- ie who am I doing this for? Is it for my readers (and I guess if I had no readers at all why bother publishing it- it could always sit on my hardisk at home!) or is it more for me. I guess if I'm honest its got to be a mixture but when I started I did think- ah geat an opportunity for me to finally bring some of my erratic thinking into some kind of order- kind of like an extension of my brain. I see it as a bit like an old scrapbook of newspaper cuttings pictures and ideas hastily jotted down that is bound to be of more interest to me than anyone else. At the same time if someone likes it great, if not I am not going to be too disappointed, cos I do! I love the ability to scan through my own thoughts ideas and news storys Ive read the last week or so and see which of them might lead to a useful sermon or even just to be used in conversation! I can't count the number of times I've found myself able to say 'I read the other day.....' to someone since blogging. It seems the act of writing something down assists me in remembering it.

So do I niche my blog? Well if there are Christians, who are Psychiatrists working in the comercial sector, who Preach in a wacky newfrontiers church, and have four young kids and a gorgeous wife who grew up in Africa, and like reading biographies, theology, wacky news stories and history then this blog is niched just for you. If not well I hope you enjoy it coz I think I am going to keep going just as I like it and see where this wave takes me- that surely is the joy of blogging for me!

What do you think? Should a blog cater for an audience or should the audience decide whether they like the blog or not? Why not drop me an email!