Honesty Check: Why This Blog (and others) Link to Amazon

~ Bob Hayton ~ 4 Comments

Abraham Piper at Twenty-Two Words recently commented on why bloggers link to Amazon:

Why bloggers link to Amazon so much…other than that Amazon is cheap and has everything.

Whenever I link to Amazon, then you click and buy something, I make money. This is true for almost every serious blogger.

He’s right. And I thought I would take the time and opportunity that Abraham’s post gives, to do an honesty check for my own blogging.

If you notice the credits at the bottom of this blog’s header, you will see that I am in association with Westminster Bookstore, Monergism Books, and yes, Amazon.com. If you follow links to learn more about books or to purchase them, I usually try to have my referral code in the link. So visiting their site or purchasing from it (depending on which site it is), can result in a modest amount of compensation to me for providing the link.

I also highlight special offers in my Odds N’ Ends section, and in the past had trumpeted a music club where if you signed up for it, I would get some free CDs for sending you their way.

I think that this is all fair and above board. I spend time blogging, and take the time to point you to other sites for deals or books or whatever. And based on the amount of traffic I send their way, I get a small something out of it.

To be very honest about this, I have not received all that much back from these sites. I did get a lot of “free CDs” but I had to still pay 4 bucks or more for shipping. From Amazon, I have made just over $100 total compensation from two years of linking to Amazon. Now that I have purchased my own site, I’m paying almost that much each year to maintain it. I have yet to meet the threshold for receiving compensation from the other stores (which would be in gift certificates).

Another compensation for my blogging, of late, has been free books. And with this I try to be above board as well. I ask publishers for books, and promise to review them. I ask for books I am already interested in. I then review them, with no promise of a positive or glowing review. The nature of my review pertains to my real honest assessment of the book. I also am careful to mention in my review that I got the book from the publisher.

If you are a blogger, I encourage you to take advantage of these means to get compensated. This will help you stick to your blog, and in my case, it keeps my nose in good books. Bringing in a small amount of income or saving yourself from spending a bit more than you would otherwise for books, is an honest venture. And blogging can and should be an honorable hobby.

And for those of you who enjoy reading this blog and others like it, I would ask you to understand about the occaasional links to Amazon and other sites. I try to keep the advertisement as low key as possible. And I am not in blogging to make money, anyway. But if you’d like to support me and this site, I’d love it if you use these links when you shop for books or other purchases. Many thanks for your readership.

Book Giveaway: “40 Loaves” by C.D. Baker

~ Bob Hayton ~ 2 Comments

As part of the 40 Loaves book blog tour, this week. I am giving away one copy of C.D. Baker’s book 40 Loaves: Breaking Bread with the Father Each Day. I’ve reviewed the book and am sure you will enjoy this. It will make an excellent gift, too.

Please use the following form to enter the contest. You can get additional entries to the contest if you subscribe to my blog or follow me on Twitter/Facebook, and if you publicize this giveaway on your blog or via Twitter/Facebook. So spread the word, and may the best one win!

The contest will end Friday night at 10pm Central Standard Time. The winner will be announced Saturday on the blog and contacted via email.

Contest is now closed, the winner was Toby Holland!

Bob’s Blog Finds: Tiger Woods, the Manhattan Declaration, Blogging Arrogance & More

~ Bob Hayton

In my blog finds I highlight some of the best articles I’ve found online recently. You can see all my blog finds in my sidebar, under the Bob’s Blog Finds & Bob’s on Twitter sections.

Tiger Woods Controversy

I don’t relish the media’s obsession with all the gory details of things like this. Thankfully, I’ve missed most of such coverage. I did come across a couple really good treatments of the issue from a Christian perspective and wanted to share them here for your benefit.

  • Albert Mohler: “The force of public outrage directed at Tiger Woods’s admission of marital infidelity indicates that the American public conscience remains more deeply rooted in its biblical origins than many secular observers would expect or appreciate…. For Christians, there is an even deeper concern. The current travail of Tiger Woods points far beyond his need for marital recovery, career consultation, or brand management. Tiger Woods needs a Savior. I am praying that this devastating experience, caused so classically by his own sin, will lead Tiger Woods to understand that he is not so self-sufficient as he thinks…. In the end, all this must remind Christians of the universal need for the Gospel. We must remember our own sin and our utter dependence upon the grace and mercy of God made ours in Jesus Christ. Without question, this is the most important lesson drawn from the travail of Tiger Woods.”
  • Curt Harding: “The truth is he’s no better or worse than you and me. You can talk yourself into believing you’re superior, but you’re not. There’s no leader board for sin and Tiger’s not at the top of it…. The good news for Tiger is that this can be done. Peace can be his again. God wants to put us all back together.”

The Manhattan Declaration

I’ve already blogged a little about this. But R.C. Sproul recently explained why he is not signing the declaration. I thought his post was really good and worth the read.

However, true reformation and revival within the church and the winning of our culture to Christ will come only through the power of the Holy Spirit and our clear, bold proclamation of the biblical gospel, not through joint ecumenical statements that equivocate on the most precious truths given to us. There is no other gospel than that which has already been given (Gal. 1:6–8).

The Manhattan Declaration puts evangelical Christians in a tight spot. I have dear friends in the ministry who have signed this document, and my soul plummeted when I saw their names. I think my friends were misled and that they made a mistake, and I want to carefully assert that I have spoken with some of them personally about their error and have expressed my hope that they will remove their signatures from this document. Nevertheless, I remain in fellowship with them at this time and believe they are men of integrity who affirm the biblical gospel and the biblical doctrines articulated in the Protestant Reformation.

Blogging Arrogance

Carl Trueman has some important words for those of us who engage in social media and blogging:

Let’s stop there a minute. This is madness. Is this where we have come to, with our Christian use of the web? Men who make careers in part out of bashing the complacency and arrogance of those with whose theology they disagree, yet who applaud themselves on blogs and twitters they have built solely for their own deification? Young men who are so humbled by flattering references that they just have to spread the word of their contribution all over the web like some dodgy rash they picked up in the tropics? And established writers who are so insecure that they feel the need to direct others to places where they are puffed and pushed as the next big thing? I repeat: this is madness, stark staring, conceited, smug, self-glorifying madness of the most pike-staffingly obvious and shameful variety.

“40 Loaves: Breaking Bread with Our Father Each Day” by C.D. Baker

~ Bob Hayton ~ 1 Comment

Author: C.D. Baker
Publisher: Waterbrook Press
Format: hardcover
Publication Date: 2009
Pages: 162
ISBN: 9780307444905
Stars: 4 of 5

Devotional books abound these days. They remain popular since Christians continue to desire books which help them connect with God. Scriptural readings followed by devotional thoughts, a prayer or a poem — this is what one expects to encounter with books in this genre. One doesn’t expect to be given penetrating and even troubling questions.

40 Loaves does just that. C.D. Baker dares to ask and discuss the questions that find their way into our heart of hearts. Why do I so easily lose self-control? Why am I so uncomfortable with doubts? Why can’t I overcome sin in my life? Why am I so discontented? These questions (and more like them) aren’t addressed easily.

I knew that this book addressed such questions. I wasn’t prepared for how relevant the treatment of them would be. Baker uses such questions to probe deeply into our souls, and to ground us firmly in the gospel of God’s free grace. Throughout his devotional readings, he displays a gift in cutting to the heart of the problem.

Each reading begins with a story or example which draws us into the problem represented by the question covered in the reading. The stories are gleaned from Baker’s ministry and life experience, and they do much to keep the book interesting. The devotional then considers the question and finds the key issue or obstacle such a question reveals. The Scripture is briefly applied to the problem at hand, and some questions for further reflection are provided. The section ends with a brief prayer pertinent to the issue.

The readings are short, 4 small pages each. Yet their message is weighty. Don’t think the book is frighteningly sober or dreadfully serious. It is, but it isn’t. Baker manages to keep the readings eminently readable, interesting and above all, helpful.

As a once-upon-a-time-legalist, I found Baker’s emphasis on grace refreshing, and his exposure of their peril of performance-based Christianity convincing. Baker also quite often gives encouragement and reminds us that we are human after all. It would be wrong to assume that Baker just offers a cheery view of the world, however. He acknowledges and addresses the grittiness of the Christian struggle. And his thoughts are grounded in Scripture. I appreciated his emphasis on the centrality of the gospel and his encouragement to focus on Jesus.

This little volume will be a blessing to you. All the more if you find yourself voicing some disturbing questions. 40 Loaves will prove to be accessible to almost any reader, and offers a high return on any investment involved in the reading. This book has made me interested in picking up some of Baker’s other devotional books. I encourage you to pick up a copy of this book, you won’t be disappointed. Also, this would make an excellent gift book, this holiday season!

C. David Baker founded an award-winning business before redirecting his career to write full-time from his small farm in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. He is the author of eight books, including six novels, one of which was nominated for a Christy Award. He has contributed articles to the Christian History Institute’s international publication Glimpses, and to Christian Singles magazine. Baker has a Master’s degree in theological studies from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

Disclaimer: this book was provided by the publisher for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

This book is available for purchase at the following sites: Amazon.com or direct from Waterbrook Multnomah.