Dangerous Blogging

The overall work continues at a bit of a slower pace at the moment, due to a shortage of skilled workers. But the ones who are working do not feel like it is a slower pace! Michael and Kathleen King are here from West Virginia. They seem to have enjoyed the week doing all kinds of work in the kitchen, appliance deliveries, and warehouse organization. Kathleen said it was very humbling to go into the homes and see the damage. We all know how she feels. Floyd has been helping out in a big way in these areas as well. I will get some pictures of them all today if possible. I haven't been carrying my camera around as much as I should. The group from San Diego worked half a day for us doing yard work, and half a day for Church on the Rock. They are here with Operation Love Thy Neighbor, so their work will extend beyond Central's focus. They are, though, helping out with what we are doing. Daved Baker is doing a great job with Operation Love Thy Neighbor, which is about to premiere a brand new website soon! I'll tell you about it when they do. My friend James Guy has now started a blog, located HERE. James' first post is like most first posts on new blogs. It is a bit self-concerned about what will appear on the blog. BLOG is a slang term for Web Log, or Web Journal. Journals are personal reflections. Personal reflections of a day or a thought or an experience are just that - reflections. New bloggers always worry that what they write will somehow be used against them. Well, that is what happens sometimes, unfortunately. I think most bloggers blog for themselves. It is therapeutic. I think a big reason why blogs are so popular is that they are so personal. Why should we be afraid to think about something, write it down, and receive input? Thinking demands that we explore other ideas. If we only want to think what we always thought, it doesn't take much thinking to think that way. A blog is a great place to think out loud, share those thoughts with volunteer readers, no one is forced to read a blog, and receive some input via comments. Blogging can be dangerous. Challenging our traditions, comparing them to the truth of Scripture, and writing things that others can read can be scary. We never know if we are expressing ourselves clearly enough. We also could be wrong ... and that happens at times as well! The truth is that every boring book I ever read simply parroted what I've already heard from someone or what I already believed. If we are students of the Bible, we will always be challenged in our thinking - because we are always learning and growing. So, James, blog away my friend. If you find a critical reader, join the club. If you get fired for thinking, then God has given you a gift. We always need thinkers. Some of our best thinkers have never been in the pulpit. That's why blogs are awesome ... they give birth to the opportunity for expression. And they are free. The big challenge for new bloggers is getting into the habit of daily blogging. Well, there's a blog about blogging ... whodathunk that sharing our thoughts could be such a dangerous thing? Even if it is not, in reality, it feels like it. Thanks for reading!