Monday, January 24, 2005

Why I blog

Ok my friends and various other strangers, I feel the need to talk about blogging today.

I love to blog. I love to read other peoples blogs. I love comments. I started this blog as a type of E-journal. A place to vent and explain myself and learn from others. I started in hopes that others could be encouraged by knowing they are not alone when their three year old throws produce at people in the grocery store, or their husband buys them a birthday cake they really don't like.

Because it helps me so much, I thought it might help others to know that Christian women have good days and bad. At times, from a place of love and desiring to be and do better, we question our faith, our Creator, or our congregations. We mourn when loved ones are lost. We rejoice when our toddlers finally get potty training. We share diet dilemmas, pregnancy stories and shopping tips. We learn best by experience, even shared experience. I love to pray for my blog family, even though most of you I would not know if you walked up to me on the street. I think blogging is a way to share, to minister, to encourage and be encouraged.

Having said that, I feel I need to explain that my goals in blogging are not to keep a "day by day, minute by minute, could be published on the front page of the paper" account of my life or the lives of my loved ones. The rules of journalism do not apply here. I may draw on experiences from months ago. I may be very dramatic. This ain't no AP article! (See they can't say "ain't" in the AP unless it's a quote!)

I may have a different take on an event than someone else who was there... It's called perspective. I may color my world rosier or grayer than it really is... Again it is my perspective. I think most of you know this. I don't think it bugs anyone. Just something I needed to vent about. Thanks for reading.

Woosh ... I feel so much better. Out of curiosity, why do you blog? What do you expect to find in blog land? Just wondering.... Hey that is a great title! Hope you have a wonderful blog filled day!

AND my friend Elizabeth (who as you will see in the comments helped spark todays topic... in a good way) has taken up residency in blogland. Go check her blog out here! Welcome to blog land Elizabeth!!!

5 comments:

elizabeth said...

Wow! I feel so honored that our phone conversation sparked a blog topic! Call me a voyeur, but I love reading about other people's lives. What do they struggle with? What are their kids like? What do stay at home moms do in Ohio? etc. I also like reading blogs from ministers who give me inspiration daily. Having three young children, it is difficult at best to pay attention to a sermon Sunday mornings!

Anonymous said...

I try to explain to people that with a degree in Marketing and a job in community relations, I HAVE to embellish! It's not lying,it's embellishing!

Donna G said...

I too started as a journal. I needed the accountability of looking at a web site to do it regularly. At first I felt like a voyuer as well. But I find such pleasure in reading about peoples everyday lives where God is in the center of it all. I need the encouragement of knowing there are others like me all over the place, people who struggle and people who sometimes get it right. Blog on Stephanie. I will be around!!

Jenni said...

Well, I started out reading, lurking, following comments to profiles to blogs.....then I made a few comments. Then someone at my home church mentioned that I should write a blog. I thought about it for a day or two, then said "why not?" I love this blog-family that has developed. I love hearing about people's lives. I love the encouragement from brothers and sisters that I don't even know but somehow we have a connection in this blog-world. I also love learning about what I might expect when (if?) I get married and have kids. I've just been so blessed by you all!

jettybetty said...

I started blogging, because I thought I might have something to say that might bring glory to God in some way, it's a way to keep up with my family scattered all over the US, and I was entering the empty nest and wanted to remember what that was like.
What I got, that I didn't expect was to know people I would never know otherwise. For instance, I never watch that Home Makeover show without picking up a kleenex and thinking of you! My kids are gone from home now, but I love to read about yours and remember all those fun trips to the grocery store and fun days potty training. Please keep up the great work!
Betty