Some General Blog Updates
othing of substance here, but wanted to alert you to some new things around here at Theological Musings, if you’re interested.
First of all, you may have noticed that I changed the banner picture at the top of the blog. I loved the misty bridge picture that came with the template, but finally found a good picture to substitute and make my blog that much more original. Where did I find such a picture, you ask? Right out our back window last October when the leaves were their prettiest here in Boone.
I also updated my picture in the sidebar, since the other one was well over a year old. I took the opportunity to enjoy the new Photoshop Elements software that we received as a Christmas present by overlaying my picture onto a picture of the Blue Ridge Mountains that we took just a few miles from our house. The mountains are beautiful. Now, if I could just do something about the fact that my face is quite a bit rounder in this later picture than it was a year ago. Sigh…
Also, some of you may have noticed that I have included functionality on my blog now to see “Snap Previews” of external links before clicking them. A good example of this is when you mouseover this link right here. You should see a popup that shows what the target website looks like before you click on it. This only works with “external links” — that is, links that are outside of my blog. If I link to another page within my blog, you won’t see the preview. I also have disabled it for links to Bible passages on BibleGateway (such as John 3:16). There isn’t any need to preview those sites, in my opinion. (By the way, this plugin is available for WordPress.com users, as well, according to this article.)
Finally, I have added a new page to my blog called “WP Plugins“. This page would better be called “WP Plugin” (singular) for the moment, since I only have written one plugin, but hopefully this will not be the last plugin I write. As I develop more plugins, I’ll add them to that page.
Writing plugins for WordPress is a new thing for me, and I’m very excited about having written my first one. It wasn’t a whole lot more than making modifications to an existing WordPress function, but it was something that I wanted to have in terms of functionality, and something that I couldn’t find elsewhere in other plugins. So, I tried it myself, based on the info received on a support forum, and have now released it to the public!
If any of you have WordPress (I don’t know if you can install additional plugins on WordPress.com blogs, or just self-hosted WordPress blogs like I have), and would be interested in being something of a beta tester on this, download it and let me know what needs changed or what works well.
Thanks! I hope you all are having a blessed day. I hope to post again soon.
Until next time,
steve 
January 21st, 2007 15:04
Is a beta tester used to determine how much beta carotine is in something you want to eat?
There really shouldn’t be any more questions about why I don’t blog. I honestly undertand more about Greek (and that is very little) than I do about what you said in this blog post. Except, of course, that the mountains are beautiful. That, I get!
January 21st, 2007 21:22
Steve I’m in the same boat with DED? I am not up to all this new technology, but give me a fishing pole and I’ll produce some fish! Although the more I have to sit around the house I’m getting more interested! Have a good week. RON.
January 21st, 2007 21:29
Sorry, guys!
I realize it was a bit more technical than most of my commenters care for, but I do have some readers that don’t comment who might be interested in the technical side. I thought I would throw them a bone 
January 21st, 2007 22:16
Steve,
You’re kidding right? That is really the view from a window at your home? I am so jealous!
I guess I could post a picture of our propane tank on my blog. Sigh…
January 21st, 2007 22:20
Tony,
Nope, not kidding. David (ded) and Raborn can vouch for me on this one
Paint a pretty mural on that propane tank!
January 21st, 2007 22:27
if the techies get a bone, can the non-techies have some chocolate?! please???
is your anti-spam word “ives” as in “currier and ives”?? (i know it isn’t; just kidding)
January 21st, 2007 23:58
I like what you’ve done with the place. Like Tony, I must confess to being a little jealous about your view.
January 22nd, 2007 06:45
Well, the 360 degree view isn’t quite that serene, though the leaves in fall are beautiful no matter where you look.
January 22nd, 2007 08:12
Hi Steve,
Not a techie here, but since you were throwing a bone…
I have been a reader, but not a commenter. The reason
for that is simply because I enjoy the tone of your
blog and the interactions that exist here between you
and the others. I appreciate the maturity that I have
seen and the ability for dialoge to exist between
believers who may disagree from time to time, but still
find common ground in unity. I glean a lot of solid
information….not just scriptural, but relational in
the way that you all treat each other. I left the IC
about a year and a half ago, after 11 years, so I can
relate, and many times you and your readers put into
words what I could not. Your blog is very useful to
me and I would encourage you to continue sharing and
helping others to grow in learning about the great love
of God!
God is good!
kkmhmom
January 22nd, 2007 08:22
flutemom, you are definitely welcome to some virtual chocolate here anytime
Gordon, nice to see you, my friend
You’ll have to come up and see it for yourself this fall.
ded, I’ll make sure to pass your sentiments on to my neighbors!!
kkmhmom, if I try to pronounce your “name” there, I sound like I’m eating too much of flutemom’s chocolate!!
Seriously, thank you for your very kind words, and thanks for poking your head up long enough to let us know you are here. You are welcome anytime, and welcome to chime in anytime!
January 22nd, 2007 09:25
Like kkmhmom, I’m another regular reader but seldom (if ever) commenter. And I keep coming back for at least one of the same reasons: the overall tone. I’m still an IC guy (actually, really just back to attending church of any kind for about a year following about 20 years of “only on Easter, if then”), but even though I may not agree with all your views along those lines or any others, this is, by far, the most mature interchange I’ve found on any of the religious themed blogs I lurk on.
January 22nd, 2007 09:36
Mike, glad to have you here! Thanks for the encouraging words. I feel more and more like I have an incredible group of readers and commenters here.
Blessings to all of you!
(My anti-spam word is “haydn”, as in “Mike and kkmhmom are no longer haydn here on this blog”
hehe)
January 22nd, 2007 17:02
WOW! What a view! Can we bring our camper and live in your backyard?
Brandon
January 22nd, 2007 19:40
Steve,
Just trying to help my blog brothers avoid envy.
January 22nd, 2007 21:42
Brandon, come on up! We’d love to meet you and Heather anyway
ded, ahhhh, I see! I thought you had something against our neighbors
hehe
January 22nd, 2007 23:16
I like the new look. Way to go, Steve. Fall is one of my favorite times of the year. The picture is awesome!
January 23rd, 2007 10:45
Great view, Steve. Reminds me of a park somewhere in your area. If memory serves, it’s just off the Parkway. An old manor house with carriage roads? My wife and I would go there and picnic by the pond that was on the grounds. It was one of the most beautiful, peaceful places on earth. It’s been almost ten years since we’ve been there, and we still talk about it often.
Blessings,
Cameron
January 23rd, 2007 19:17
wow, that is a gorgeous view. very lovely. are you going to change it again in the Spring? tell your family we said hi and that we’re looking forward seeing you all in a couple weeks.
can’t wait to see the dress!
January 24th, 2007 22:05
Okay Steve … we’re on our way!
It’s beautiful there!
I’ve missed reading your blog while I was gone!
Blessings!
February 15th, 2007 05:16
What a back garden!