I've been an avid blog reader for the past year or so now. Initially, I didn't really 'get' blogging. I mean, do you really want to spend hours reading about what someone else ate for breakfast? No thanks. (Although, now we have Facebook for that too. And Twitter. I still don't really get Twitter.)
I've since realised that blogs can actually offer a lot more benefit to the savvy information consumer than I had previously thought.
I now follow craft blogs, nutrition blogs, christian blogs, photography blogs, quilting blogs, parenting blogs, advocacy blogs and well - just whatever takes my fancy. And I find blogs interesting. I like to get advice on how to create things, how to feed my family, to be encouraged to persevere in my life following Jesus, to work out how to take better photographs, how to advocate for social causes... I could go on. It's stuff that helps me and I enjoy it. And I am also really glad that other people have taken the time and effort to write the articles, design the patterns and work out the recipes and to make this information available to help people like me.
And so in all of this I began to think, if I am helped by some of these things, that maybe I can BE of service myself. Maybe I shouldn't just be a blog consumer, but a blog producer too. And also, I've realised, it's a way to stay in touch and to keep on talking.
We don’t tend to take time these days to really talk to each other. To share, to live, to laugh, to love, to argue, to debate, to wrestle, to communicate, to bear with, to forgive, to be honest, to just…talk. And to listen. Talking and listening are fast becoming the lost art of communication in our crazy world. Instead we are replacing concern for others with ”RU K?” and meaningful discussions, debates and conversations with “no thnx, l8r” (...as an aside, I do confess to being one of those FREAKS who still feels the need to use punctuation and full words in txt messages. Sorry, can’t help it. Showing my age.)
Some might say, ‘but blogging isn’t talking’. And it’s not. But it’s something and it’s a start. I hope that this may open up the potential for more actual talking – real talking – when I do see you face to face. For those of you I won’t see in person, it’s another way to keep in touch, to engage, to share ideas, to share wisdom, to share life. And it’s a bit more substantial than a txt or a tweet or even a FB update.
Anyway, that’s the reason.
The plan?
Well, I’m hoping it will be interesting (although not everything I find interesting will be interesting to you – I know that well enough!). If it’s not interesting – inspire me! Give me something to blog about! I am going to attempt to write regularly on all kinds of topics.
I'm particularly hoping to use this blog
to talk about life and how we can ‘do life’ better,
together. Not because I think I have all the answers, but because I think we
need to keep having the conversations.
It will be about fun (well, at least the
things I find fun!). I am planning to share some of the cool stuff I've found around the traps, recipes, photographs and the like. Also some of my own crafty 'tips and tricks' and ‘how to learn
from my mistakes’ because I think that’s way more interesting and useful to you
than the “hey-look-at-this-swell-thing-I-made, I’m-totally-awesome” variety.It will be about God. Because in the end, no matter who you are or where you are, you will only find complete fulfilment in your creator. And I want you to know that and I want you to know Him. And we will look at God through Jesus, in his word, together. It’s just another conversation, but it’s the best kind of conversation to have – because it’s the only one that ever really, truly changes your life.
So, here it begins, 2013 is the year that I
take the plunge. I hope you will join with me and pop in for a chat sometime along the way J
