Every once in a blue moon, Rebekah and I get a chance to slip away for a few hours for some "just us" time. It almost always involves a new restaurant to try, good food, and a hot drink or two (coffee for me and tea or hot chocolate for her). The hours slip away as we talk about everything under the sun. Eventually, the phones start ringing, as husbands caring for kids begin to wonder if we'll ever surface. Poor guys.
It's pretty much guaranteed that, at some point, we'll talk about blogging. You see, we met through blogging. Rebekah and I both read Elise's blog, A Path Made Straight. One thing led to another as we realized we lived in the same state. Emails begin to fly. We met in person a few times, and it quickly blossomed into a true blue friendship. We've carried each other through a tough year. (By the way, she is a killer cook. Seriously. You almost want to get sick just so she'll spoil you. Almost.)
This last Saturday, we got to slip away. It was the rainiest, yuckiest day outside, and we were tucked into a booth, warm and cozy. We talked of our kids (we both have four), of our husbands, of the Christmas just past, of family relationships. Sometimes it's hard to trace the map of our conversations- we cover so much ground. I had paused to take a sip of my drink. She had been looking out the window, contemplative. She turned back to look at me. "You know, I think that's why I blog. That's why I call it Beautiful Days. Because I have to make this conscious choice to turn away from the old patterns, to find the beautiful. Like Ann says [The Ann she is referring to is Ann Voskamp, Holy Experience]. To purpose to see it. To know that God is moving. Because it is so easy…so easy…to descend to this place that is dark, that bears no joy." I paused again, drinking her words in.
Even now, four days later, her words still pass through my consciousness. (It has been on her mind too- she posted almost the exact conversation here. Pure poetry.) Back in September, we all had been talking about why we blog: LL had been wondering, Ann had been mindful of fruitless blogging, and I had been considering the journey. There is definitely a dichotomy, particularly for Christian bloggers. Is what we're doing edifying, encouraging, and uplifiting to the body of Christ? Where's the line between showing everyday life and flaunting it, porn style, as Ann so aptly put it? Are we being honest or are we trying to gloss things over so that we appear perfect? Is the community real, or just imagined? (I argue that it is definitely real. I know it to be true- how much I have been blessed by bloggers who have emailed me, commented here, supported me, encouraged me…prayed for me!)
Rebekah's statements are such a valuable contribution to the conversation on blogging, big and small. It's been dwelling with me, making me think, reminding me to catch the light.
It's pretty much guaranteed that, at some point, we'll talk about blogging. You see, we met through blogging. Rebekah and I both read Elise's blog, A Path Made Straight. One thing led to another as we realized we lived in the same state. Emails begin to fly. We met in person a few times, and it quickly blossomed into a true blue friendship. We've carried each other through a tough year. (By the way, she is a killer cook. Seriously. You almost want to get sick just so she'll spoil you. Almost.)
This last Saturday, we got to slip away. It was the rainiest, yuckiest day outside, and we were tucked into a booth, warm and cozy. We talked of our kids (we both have four), of our husbands, of the Christmas just past, of family relationships. Sometimes it's hard to trace the map of our conversations- we cover so much ground. I had paused to take a sip of my drink. She had been looking out the window, contemplative. She turned back to look at me. "You know, I think that's why I blog. That's why I call it Beautiful Days. Because I have to make this conscious choice to turn away from the old patterns, to find the beautiful. Like Ann says [The Ann she is referring to is Ann Voskamp, Holy Experience]. To purpose to see it. To know that God is moving. Because it is so easy…so easy…to descend to this place that is dark, that bears no joy." I paused again, drinking her words in.
Even now, four days later, her words still pass through my consciousness. (It has been on her mind too- she posted almost the exact conversation here. Pure poetry.) Back in September, we all had been talking about why we blog: LL had been wondering, Ann had been mindful of fruitless blogging, and I had been considering the journey. There is definitely a dichotomy, particularly for Christian bloggers. Is what we're doing edifying, encouraging, and uplifiting to the body of Christ? Where's the line between showing everyday life and flaunting it, porn style, as Ann so aptly put it? Are we being honest or are we trying to gloss things over so that we appear perfect? Is the community real, or just imagined? (I argue that it is definitely real. I know it to be true- how much I have been blessed by bloggers who have emailed me, commented here, supported me, encouraged me…prayed for me!)
Rebekah's statements are such a valuable contribution to the conversation on blogging, big and small. It's been dwelling with me, making me think, reminding me to catch the light.
