My Favorite Blogs

In honor of all of the talking recently that I've been doing trying to get people into blogging I thought that I'd share some of my favorite blogs.  I'm leaving out people I know because most of them are on my side bar and that way I feel less stalkerish.  Although, I guess if you really thought about it it's much more stalkerish to be obsessively reading about people's lives that I don't know in person!  But I have yet to talk to someone who doesn't want people reading their blog...I mean, isn't that what they're for!  Just like me, the more the merrier! Unless you're sketchy of course, in which case, please exit from my blog.  :)

So here are *a few* of the blogs that are in my Google Reader:

1. Bring the Rain - Angie writes a great blog that she started when she found out that her baby had severe medical problems and wouldn't live for very long after delivery.  Go check out her summary of Audrey's story on her page.  Angie is married to Todd Smith, one of the singers in the Christian group Selah that is awesome!  Angie is really fun and writes about every day stuff going on as well as giving inspiring Christian messages.

2. Baby Bangs - Amanda is Beth Moore's daughter and this is her personal blog about her family.  She's expecting a little girl in the spring and has a son, Jackson.  She's an amazing woman and always inspires me!  Plus, her blog is funny!

3. Living Proof Ministries - Speaking of Beth Moore, this is her blog for her ministry.  Her daughters, Amanda and Melissa also post on it.  She has great posts that are inspirational and fun.  Who knew that someone as amazing as Beth Moore was so down to Earth and so funny!  My favorite recent post is the one of Seed and Bread.  Go read it, you'll think about things in a whole new light!

4. Endless Possibilities - Kim Wheeler is an artist in Tennessee and this is her artist blog.  She does have fun anecdotes about her family but mostly she shows off her beautiful artwork.  I can't wait to see what her Christmas 5x5 paintings are because I really want one!

5. Big Mama - Melanie is an amazing woman, again from Texas, who works with Lifeway.  Her stories are hilarious, personal, and inspirational.

6. Boo Mama - Sophie is from our own Alabama and also works with Lifeway.  She's hilarious even if she is a Miss State fan.  :)

7. Magnolias, Marriage, and Manhattan - MMM is from Alabama and is an Alabama fan living in New York.  She's expecting a little boy this spring and has links to the cutest, preppiest stores on the web.  If you ever want to just click links and surf for hours upon hours go check out her blog and get to clicking!

8.  My Charming Kids - MckMama is pregnant with her fourth child who is sick with heart problems in her womb.  She calls her three older kids Big Mac, MckNugget, and Small Fry on her blog and always provides the most humorous stories.  Please go check out her website and pray for her and her family.  Also, she's a photographer and her photographs on her blog are always awesome!

9. Lifeway's Women's All Access - This is Lifeway's women's blog and a lot of the bloggers (like Big Mama and Boo Mama) have already been mentioned.  It's a great place to get some Christian inspiration.

10. The Pioneer Woman - Again, if you want to get lost in a blog for days go and check out the Pioneer Woman's blog.  She's from Oklahoma and lives with her husband and children on a ranch!  She home schools her kids also.  And includes sections on recipes, photography (she's awesome too!) and other interesting stuff.  If you have a spare 10 hours go and start reading her love story with her husband.  She's only on installment 37 and they're just now engaged!  You'll be begging for more installments once you start reading it!

So after giving you the Top Ten I feel not only like a stalker but like a big looser.  BUT, I'll tell you how I do anything other than read blogs.  I use Google Reader which I am in love with.  All you have to do is enter the blogs that you want to read when they posts new posts (like mine!).  Then you just go check your Reader occasionally.  It will give you a list on your left hand sidebar showing all of the blogs that have been updated since you checked last.  Make sure and select Mark All as Read when you enter the blog into your reader otherwise those old posts will continue to show up on your sidebar.  That saves tons of time because you don't have to go to each blog individually and you don't have to obsessively check for updates, Google Reader does it for you!  I do think you need a Google account but those are free.  Let me know if you have problems setting it up and I'll help you out.

So now it's your turn.  What are some of your favorite blogs?? List them in the comments so I can add them to my ever expanding list!