It Is Worth It

I've started re-reading Bob Benson's See You at the House. Then tonight Pastor Williams started a series on Abraham beginning with God calling him to leave everything he knew to go somewhere. God didn't say where, or how long it would take, just that Abraham would be blessed and be a blessing.

That reminded me of how the first section of See You at the House - "Looking for the Threads" - starts:

The quest -

Wherever it takes you - go;

Whichever the task - do it;

Whatever the burden - accept it;

Whenever it calls - answer it;

Whichever the lesson - learn it;

However dark the path - follow him;

Because wherever he takes you,

It is worth it.

--Bob Benson--

I Said Race . . .

Not play tag. But tagged I have been by Craver. The tag questions are:

1. Are you happy/ satisfied with your blog, with its content and look? Yes, I am. But then I'm not one easily dissatisfied with a background or a color. As long as things are legible and not ostentatious, I'm okay with it.
   
2. Does your family know about your blog? My brothers and sisters and at least one nephew knows about the blog. I don't think any of them read it.
   
3. Do you feel embarrassed to let your friends know about your blog or you just consider it as a private thing? Embarrassed probably isn't the right word. I sometimes think it is slightly arrogant to think I have something to say worth putting into public forum. But I do post, so it is a false humility that I seem to be trying to maintain.
   
4. Did blogs cause positive changes in your thoughts? Writing, probably not so much. Clarifying and ordering my thoughts would be more accurate. Reading blogs? Definitely. I could almost copy Craver's answer here. Until I started reading a lot of blogs, and in particularly the comments in blogs, I didn't realize how hurtful (maybe not the best word, but the best I have at the moment), arrogant, and condescending some statements could sound, even if they were not intended that way. The written word is a difficult tool to wield gracefully, and the blog (and blog comment even more so) are such small pieces on which to work. To do so well is a rare gift.
   
5. Do you only open the blogs of those who comment on your blog or you love to go and discover more by yourself? Most of the blogs I read (or scan, more often, using Google Reader) have never commented on my blog (this one or the other one). I'm not a stat junkie (I deal with that all day; I don't want to deal with it when I get home) so I've never even checked who, if anyone, visits. I'm quite irregular in my posting, so I doubt many are in the habit of reading this blog.
   
6. What does visitors counter mean to you? Do you care about putting it in your blog? I touched on this in question five, but no, I don't care. I remember a story (Alistair Begg, I think) told of being in Scotland taking headstone rubbings in an old church graveyard. The minister came out and said that he had a youth study to lead in a little while. Would Alistair take a break so as not to be a distraction? He did, but came back a little early to listen to the message. The minister was teaching, but there was no one there to hear. While the story seems humorous, the point was that the word must go out, whether there is anyone to listen or not.
   
7. Did you try to imagine your fellow bloggers and give them real pictures? I don't have a vivid imagination and have learned not to trust my images. For example, I had listened to White Horse Inn for a long time before I saw a picture of Kim Riddlebarger. I had a mental image of a darker haired version of Michael Horton. Wrong. Not to fault Kim. He has more hair than I do. But I have a hard time putting the voice with the face now. As far as using a picture of myself, let me quote another Hoosier (John Mellencamp), "I never wanted to have my picture taken; Now tell me, who'd want to look into these eyes?" If anyone's curious, we (my brother's and I) described me to my new sister-in-law who is legally blind (adult illness) as Uncle Fester with a (now mostly grey) gotee.
   
8. Do you think there is a real benefit for blogging? Yes, but there are real dangers as well. The Bible is serious when it warns us that those who teach will suffer stricter condemnation. Blogging has a tendency to encourage everyone to "teach" whether that is what we call it or not.
   
9. Do you think that bloggers’ society is isolated from real world or interacts with events? It all depends on the blog and blogger. Some blogs are dedicated to interaction and maybe go to far in that direction. Others are totally cut off from the real world. I think most are somewhere in between, but balance is hard to find and maintain. Too much interaction and you can easily become a "guardian of the public good" (at least in your own mind). Speaking to what's on people's minds without becoming a demigog is difficult.
   
10. Does criticism annoy you or do you feel it’s a normal thing? Pobody's nerfect, but it is natural to be defensive when criticized. I just try to understand the other view and not get too wrapped up in a war of words. I've been there, done that, and nobody's opinion changed. Dr. S. Lewis Johnson once (at least) said, "You can win the argument and still be wrong." I know I'm wrong about many things. I just don't know which things.
    
11. Do you fear some political blogs and avoid them? I have been part of the great mass that believed in politics. When I was in high school and college I was a serious Libertarian. After I became I Christian, I became a serious conservative (not the same as a serious Republican - I'm not sure such an animal exists - but frequently confused). Today, I just don't think politics or science hold the answers that we as Americans have assumed for so long that they would.
    
12. Did you get shocked by the arrest of some bloggers? Since I didn't know about it, apparently not. Is this the case (speaking of the Libertarian Party)? Given the description of what's going on there, I'm not surprised by this. I would be surprised if the case stands.
    
13. Did you think about what will happen to your blog after you die? No. I don't see any great change over where my blog is now.
    
14. What do you like to hear? What’s the song you might like to put a link to, in your blog? I have a list on the right. I must admit that I generally turn off songs that play at other people's blogs. I might even like it, but most of the time the quality of the sound isn't that great. However, if I did put a song on my blog, it would probably be something like this (warning - youtube link; video quality is not great, but he audio is good). I already linked to this, and some Steve Taylor songs.