I am not necessarily anti-Facebook (it has its place), but I refuse to have a Facebook page. I find it to be an impersonal way to interract with friends and loved ones and an excuse not to spend quality time with those who we say mean so much to us. I also find it very shallow that so many folks are consumed with "how many friends" they can have on Facebook and get offended when someone de-friends them, because their numbers went down. I would challenge those people to find ONE TRUE friend and cultivate that relationship, instead; as one true friend is of so much more value than 100 friends on Facebook. I have had many people "friend request" me on Facebook that I maybe met once in my life and have absolutely no connection with. I cannot fathom why they would want to pursue a friendship with me via the internet when they do not even speak to me or sometimes even recognize me when passing me in public.
Likewise, for a long time I did not understand why people who have nothing to say would want to share it with the world in a blog. That's not to say I don't understand the need to journal. I am a firm believer in journaling and have kept a diary or journal almost consistently since I was probably 14 years old. My journal tends to be filled with prayers...just me talking to God about anything and everything. I journal about my family (my husband of 8 years Rei and my stepson Warner who just came to live with us from El Salvador a year and a half ago, as well as my mom and brothers and their families). I journal about my clowning, which is probably my very favorite past-time. I journal about my job, my church, my other hobbies like stamping and singing, and crafting of all sorts. I journal about my friends and ask God to help them through struggles they're facing in their lives, whether emotional or physical, and sometimes ask God to help me deal with unresolved issues that arise from time to time within my friendships. I journal about my struggle with my weight and my health issues and lack of willpower, asking God for strength and endurance. I am a communications/journalism major, so I pretty much write about EVERYthing!
Recently we started a website for our clowning ministry, and I have posted a few blogs on there, but have simply not kept it up to date, and get frustrated that it's so behind. I also have several blogs that I visit on a regular (probably weekly) basis that relate from everything to ministry (my brother's blog), cooking and recipes, stamping and paper arts crafts, clowning, and book recommendations. If you search the web, you can find a blog on almost any subject. I am a Stampin' Up! (rubber stamps and scrabook and card-making supplies) demonstrator, and have a blog feature available on my company website, as well as a blog feature available on the Clown Ministry's website, and have considered becoming more consistent and maintaining those two blog areas as a start. But the truth is, I don't always feel like talking about clowning....and I don't always feel like talking about stamping. In clowning, I feel I have to post pictures with every post, and in stamping, I feel like I have to post a project every time I blog. So, I just didn't blog at all.
This past week, though, a friend asked me why I should benefit from everyone else's blog and am not contributing to the blog community myself. She likes my hand-stamped cards and projects and loves to see my clowning face-painting designs. She said that just as I search the net for ideas for cards and projects or new ideas for clown skits or face painting designs, I should be willing to share my ideas with others, too.
So, here I am. I admit, I'm an avid blog seeker and reader. And I do get so much from all the opinions, recommendations, ideas, and thoughts of those of you out there who blog on a regular basis. Therefore, this simple blog is my attempt to "give back" and we'll see how long it lasts! Hee hee.....I cannot promise a consistent theme or even that I won't ramble on from time to time on my most recent "soapbox." But I can promise it'll be heartfelt.
Hugs,
Angie
