God Guides through Rational Thought & also People

Hi you guys,
Do you Know that at Times I Write Best in Letter Form?  Perhaps I shouldn't be starting a Post out this way, yet this is how so many of my Posts begin.  I Start Writing to Individuals and then later Change what I have Written into a Post.  My Previous Post was about God's Guidance, yet quite Often God Guides me through my Interaction with others, so in a since, you could say that I am guided, at least in part, by you guys, my Commenters.  That is not to say that if you tell me or suggest that I write about a certain thing that I will do so, yet if you say just the Right Thing to me, you will likely Inspire me.

This Post is, at least in Part, a response to the two Last Commenters who Wrote below my Previous Post, as of the Date and Time in which this Post was Posted.  Among other Things, Z-man has Expressed that he has become Tired of his own Blog because he is not only Disagreed with, but also Misinterpreted because his Style is to "Think Out Loud".  From that, I was inspired to write about how so many People are quite set in their own Way of Thinking and are not Persuadable.

I just don't have the Interest in Arguments that Lead no where any more.  I just don't and though I really do not want to Abandon the Original Audience that used to Follow my Blog, my Interest in Arguing has Changed and I want to Figure out a Way to Draw an Audience that is Truly interested in what I have to say.

This got me Talking all about the Question of who my Target Audience should be if I choose again to Blog, which I will get into in just a Minute.

Aside from this, Z also brought to my mind a couple of other interesting Questions in relation to what should be our Approach to Blogging.  The first of which is "Should we really 'Think Out Loud' on our Blogs, or should we do that with a Pen Pal and then write something on our Blogs that is a little more Polished?"  I have Struggled with this Question quite a lot myself and am not sure if I know the Answer.

Another Question that I have been Asking is whether or not I should Still Blog about Politics and as I was responding to Z-man, I got thinking about how so many People, just as I mentioned above, are quite set in their own Way of Thinking and are not Persuadable and you see, here is the thing....  There are such a large Number of Obama Supporters on the Web that are not Persuadable that I'm feeling led away from discussing it.  To those who do not Agree, it just sounds like Obama Bashing and that's not what I want my Blog to be.  Perhaps there will come a time in which the Political Harvest will be more Ripe for Reaping, yet I do not feel that now is that time.


The other person that has recently Commented in the Below Post is Satyavati.  From her, I have felt Inspired to Think and Write about another Question relating to "Feeling Led", or more precisely, the Idea of just Waiting for God's Voice or Well, more Actively Pursuing the Answers to the Questions that are in my Mind.  This is what Led me to the Title of this Post in that God Guides through "Rational Thought" and not just the Act of Waiting for Him to Answer.

In the End, I know that it will be, at least in part you, the Commenters, who are going to help me to Find the Answers to what it is that I should be Blogging about.  I've never felt that God Communicates that Often in a Crystal Clear way within a total Vacuum of our own Thoughts and the Thoughts of others.  I've always felt that we find our Answers, at least in Part, through the Information that we Acquire from our interaction with those who we Communicate with and this is why God's Voice is so Rarely ever Immediate.

The Impatient do not make very good Christians because God has a Tendency to Take His Time.  When He does Speak, it can be quite clear what He is saying, yet this Clarity is often quite Long in Coming and that is just the Way it is at times.

Here  is my Dilemma...

A lot of Christians do not Understand the Intellectual.  They are able to Accept Things just based on Faith and will often present as their Argument, nothing more then "Well, because the Bible Says so".  This is not enough for some people.

There are actually times in which I feel like a Half Breed, for if I take an Intellectual, Thinking, sort of Approach to my Interactions with Non-Christians, there are Actually quite a lot of Christians who will tell me that I am Wasting my Time, yet if I take the Approach of just Talking about the Scriptures, though this will Draw more Christians to my blog, I also know for a Fact that I will lose a good part of my Non-Christian Audience.

It is really Hard to reach both Audiences at Once and, In fact, very Possibly, it is not even Possible.  So the Question that I have to Answer is "Do I want to Lose a good Portion of my Non-Christian Audience, or a Portion of my Christian Audience?" and in Truth, I am leaning towards the Later, instead of the Former.

Yeh, here I go "Thinking Out Loud" again and in all reality, sometimes the more Polished is a long time in Coming, just as also is God's Guidance.  I have problems with the Idea that is pushed by some Christians, which is "Don't Think About it, just Pray and Wait for God's Guidance."  What I am trying to Illustrate in this Post, however, is how aside from just the Waiting on God for the Answers, there is also a Thought Process that goes on that will lead to our eventual Conclusions and God's Guidance will come in the Midst of that Process.

To Blog or Not to Blog, Waiting on God's Guidance

I don't have any real Clear Direction in my Blog yet, but that's Ok.  Sometimes when we Wait on God, it takes a little time before we know all of the Answers.  So Far, I'm sensing that I should be writing about Spiritual Things, rather than Politics, at least for now, but I do not want to do so in a way in which Drives Non-Believers Off.

Two Posts Down I was having a Discussion with probably the most loyal of all my Followers, BB-Idaho.  We were discussing how the Blogging World can be Hostile at Times and the Discussions can appear to be quite Futile and because of this, I am Reluctant to Pursue some of my Old Followers by Visiting their Blogs.  Peace of Mind is a worth while thing to Preserve and I'm not so sure that Pursuing Lots of Hits is really what this is all about.  There has been a Slight Increase in comparison to the Hits I was getting when my Blog was Totally Inactive, but it's not enough to really brag about.

Anyway, as BB and I were discussing, "Whether 'tis easier on the mind to agonize over the darts and arrows of written argument or to press the 'escape' button and from the sea of troubles, by deleting, end them?" (Words of BB-Idaho)  I guess he was Paraphrasing Hamlet because of my Chosen Title, though I'm certainly not as Depressed as all that and I assure you that my life will continue to go on quite Contently, whether I decide to Blog or not.  Poor Hamlet.  If only he had known that Jesus and the Indwelling Spirit could have helped him through all of his Troubles.

Here's my Response, though, to BB and to all others who might be listening....

I'm not as Concerned about Injury as I am about Outcome.  If I could feel confident that the End Result would be that someone might actually be persuaded of at least a little something, then I will take "the Darts and Arrows", yet when it seems Fruitless, that is worse than any Dart or Arrow that is slung at me, so let's just find a way to not make it Fruitless, shall we.

This is why I want to be sure that God is truly the one Calling me to do this, for it is my Belief that He is the only one who can make anything that we do actually matter and this is why I simply will not Proceed with any Post until I feel sure that that's the Direction that God wants me to go in.  I feel at Peace about this Post, yet my Efforts to Pursue Followers is in Slow Motion, until I can sense some further Direction from the Lord.

I have Often heard it said that "God's Word will Never Return Void", yet how can this be if the one who we are Quoting Scriptures to does not Believe in the Validity of those Scriptures?

Just so that I could be sure that what I am saying is actually what the Scripture says, I looked it up.

"10) For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater, 11) So shall My Word be that goeth forth out of My mouth.  It shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."  (Isaiah 55:10-11, KJV)


Ok, now that I've read it directly out of the Bible, a Question comes to mind.  Does the Phrase "My Word....that goeth forth out of My Mouth" and "in the thing whereto I sent it" refer to any Scripture spoken at any time, or just to that which the Lord has Specifically Directed, Guided and Sent Out.

You see, there is a difference between a Christian that is simply going through the motions and another Christian that is actually Following the Direction and Specific Guidance of God and this is the Reason Why so many Christians are not Effective in what they set out to do, for even though the Bible says...

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Philippians 4:13, KJV)

It also says....

"I am the vine, ye are the branches.  He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me, ye can do nothing." (John 15:5, KJV)

So Often when we Hesitate and are Reluctant, people think of things such as "Agony" and Fear, yet to Press On or to "Escape" is so much more Complicated than just the Question of Fear or Agony or of Considering what is "Easiest on the Mind".  The Appropriate Question to Ask is not "Will it be Hard?" or "Will I be Injured?", but instead, "Will it be Fruitful?", "Will there be a Positive Outcome?", "Will it be worth it?" or more Pointedly, "Is this what God Wants me to Do?"

To Truly be Effective, we have to "Abide in Christ" and Wait for His Direction, for the Bible also says....

"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength.  They shall mount up with wings as eagles.  They shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint."  (Isaiah 40:31, KJV)


So you see, being Hesitant and Reluctant is not a Negative Thing.  Quite the Contrary.  It is the Right Thing to do.

As I was Looking for that last Verse, I found three others that are encouraging in relation to Waiting on the Lord and then I thought of One More...

"Wait on the LORD.  Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart.  Wait, I say, on the LORD."  (Psalms 27:14, KJV)
"Wait on the LORD, and keep His way, and He shall exalt thee to inherit the land.  When the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it."  (Psalm 37:34, KJV)
"Say not, thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee."  (Proverbs 20:22, KJV)
"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."  (Galatians 6:9, KJV)

In Closing, I just want to Pray that these Words will not Return Void and that God will Draw those to my Blog who Need to be Encouraged by these Words.  I also Pray that He will give me Direction as to whether or not I should Pursue anyone, by Visiting the Blogs that they Frequent.

Oh How Blogger.com has Changed.

Perhaps I will Change my Subject Matter Soon to Religious Topics, rather than Political Ones.  Hopefully I will find followers who have that Interest.  Feel Free, though, to Click on my Labels and Read whatever you choose to, for I have actually Posted on quite a large number of Subjects and Categories.

Before I Change Directions, though, I think that I will talk just a little more about the Subject of Blogging.  The whole Look of the Blogger.com set up has Changed since I stopped my Blogging on March 5 of 2012.  It is not as easy to Find Things.  When I'm Logged in, which I usually am while on my Own Personal Computer at home, all I see in the Right Top Corner of my Blog is "New Post", "Design" and "Sign Out".  There is no Link to my "Dash Board", which of course, includes my Feed to all the Blogs that I used to Follow.  In Fact, I no Longer know how to get to this Feed.  I Suppose that I'll Figure it out eventually, yet if anyone happens to Wonder by my Blog and knows how to help me, that would be really Appreciated.

The other thing that is weird is the Absence of the Tabs that use to be at the Top of the Screen when I'm on the "New Post" or "Design" Pages.  I actually have to Click on Close, in order to find my way to "Comments" and then "Comment Moderation".  Why so many Steps?  We used to be able to just click on the Tabs across the Top.  If you ask me, they have made their Program less User Friendly while I was away.

And as to how to Find the "Dash Board", I have yet do Discover that one.

Here's one other Thing.... I Understand that if someone decides to Follow my Blog, I can just Click on the Avatar and find my way to their Blog.  It is interesting if the New Trend is to ask people to "Please Follow Me", for it used to be "Please Add me to your Blog Roll".  I, personally, like to Limit the Number of Blogs that I Follow because if I don't, my Feed becomes so Cluttered that it is hard for me to make sense of it all.  But then again, it would be Nice if I could even find my Feed, now wouldn't it?

The Blog Roll Works just as well as the Avatars of those who are Following us, for the Blog Roll is made up of Links to People's Profiles and Blogs, just as the Avatars are a Similar Link.  The Difference is that we can Create these Links ourselves and do not have to Rely on someone else to Provide those links for us by becoming a Follower.

Yes, all that I just now wrote in the Two Previous Paragraphs was in response to someone who made the above mentioned Request of me.  I hope that this will help him, if he decides again to Drop by.

Meanwhile, can anybody tell me how to find my Dash Board Feed?  Thanks.

To Blog, or not to Blog, That is the Question?

I've been asking myself lately whether or not I should start up my Blog again and the Answer has not been Clear.  I wonder how many of those who are listed in the Column to the Right as my Followers are still around and are actually watching their Feeds.  The only reason why I know that there is a possibility that at least some of them are not is because I have listed myself as a follower on quite a number of Blogs and yet when I quit Blogging, I also stopped looking at the Feed that reports to me the Activity on the Blogs that I Follow.  So you see, I'm not really following those that I "Follow".

Anyway, I have found the Blogging World to be Hostile at times.  The Debates are often quite Futile and when I search my Mind and Heart for reasons to continue this Craziness, I am often at a loss for any Clear Direction.  It's just that I've began to Comment again on the Blogs of a few others and when they come to my Blog to check me out, I wish that I could come up with something fresh for them to read.

Not only that, but I also wish that I could offer them a Forum in which to Talk to Me and maybe that is all that this Post is.  It's a place to say hello and to talk about whatever.  Even if my Visiting of and Commenting on other Blogs is Minimal, I still Wonder if anyone is out there simply because they have decided to "Follow" my Blog.  Perhaps there is someone out there who is watching his or her feed who would like to show up again and talk to me.

For all those Lurking in the Shadows, Be at Peace.

Hi,
I'm still here, but I'm Drawing a Blank.  There are People Lurking in the Shadows of my Hit Counter, Some of which Visit quite Often.  I can Even Think of Something that I could Post, but I'm so Tired of Arguing.

The Blogosphere is such a Crazy Place.  So Often it Feels Like an Unfriendly Place.  Very Possibly there are even Unfriendly People that are Reading what I am Writing Right Now.  It's Ok, though, for I Know that some of them are just Frustrated, Angry or Perhaps Even Afraid.

If Someone says something that we Consider Incorrect, we become Angry.  Wouldn't it be Better to just Calmly Express our Point of View.  We Take Things so Personally at Times.

Here is a Point of View that is Common on the Blogosphere....  Everyone is Responsible for their Own Feelings.  Hmmmmm.  Interesting.  What about the Verses in the Bible that say we are to Bear One Another's Burdens?

Here's what I Believe to be True.  We are Responsible for Our Own Feelings when in the Presence of Untrustworthy People.  It is Good, though, to Strive to Be Trustworthy, Encouraging and Helpful whenever we are able to do so.

When I Feel a Certain Way, I sometime Wonder if I should just Pray Rather than Talk...


Lord Jesus,
Please Bring Peace to my Friends on the Web.  Please Calm their Hearts of all the Things that Cause them to Feel Disturbed.  Please Help us to Better Communicate.  Please Help us to Understand and not Misjudge.  Please Help us to Speak Clearly.  Please Bring Peace to the Web.

For those who are Afraid of the Truth, Lord, I Ask that you will Help them not to Run from it by Insulting, Changing the Subject, Asking Unrelated Questions and the Like.  Shhhhhhh!  Be at Peace.  Shhhhhhh!  Be at Peace.  Shhhhhhh!  Be at Peace.  Shhhhhhhhhhh!  Be at Peace.

Lord Jesus, Please Bring Peace to Those on the Web.  Amen.



This Prayer was at Least in Part Inspired by a Certain Flow Chart that Explains How People Avoid Genuine Discussion and Use Diversionary Tactics Instead.  Here is the Link.  Those of you who do this, I Wonder if you Know who you are.

Meanwhile, I sincerely Apologize to anyone who I have Offended Lately.  I Never do Mean to.  It just Seems to sort of be the Way Blogging is.

Manipulative Arguments

I Guess I've Written about the Manipulator before and One Very Common Response is that if Someone is Making me not Feel so Good about Myself, or Confused in some Way, then I should Stop Interacting with him.  Perhaps those who have told me that are Getting Tired of me Bringing Up the Subject, yet don't you see, I'm not Just Talking about "The Manipulator" anymore, but about those who Manipulate on the Web.

Manipulation can be Used in a Rather Cruel Way in the Context of Relationships and Friendship, yet it can also be Used in just Plain Arguing.

People Manipulate by Exaggerating the Facts, Appealing to the Emotions and Accusing and Pointing Fingers in a Hypocritical Way, when the Party (in Politics) or the Position (Everything Else), that they are Supporting is just as Guilty of the Same.

People Manipulate when they Change the Subject, rather than Talking about the Issue that is Being Brought Up by their Opponent.  Or when they Insist on Focusing on the Part of the Issue that is Stronger for their Own Point of View, while Avoiding that which is Less in Line with their Point of View.

People Manipulate when they Insult or Accuse their Opponent of Motives such as the Quest for Power or Ego, Hatred (Hate Speech) or some form of Phobia or Fear, (Xenophobia, Homophobia), rather than Giving a Rational Argument for their Position.

People Manipulate when they Misinterpret what their Opponent Says, Put Words in their Mouth and then Argue against something that was Never Actually Stated, Make it appear that there is Agreement, when there is not, or Try to Make their Opponent Appear Inconsistent because of something that they Never Actually Said.

People Manipulate when they Exaggerate what their Opponent Says in Order to Make it appear Foolish or like an Agreement with something that the Opponent in no Way Agrees with or Approves of.

People Manipulate when they Lie, Misrepresent the Facts or Exaggerate the Facts, while Speaking Authoritatively about that which they have Absolutely no Evidence for.

People Manipulate when they Redefine Words, such as Marriage, or in the Case of Evolutionism vs. Creationism, Species and even Words such as Confirm, Falsify, Assumption and even Science.

Manipulators will Make sure that the Definitions of the Words Used will Fit their Own Point of View Better then that of their Opponents and will Avoid Using any Words that their Opponents Introduce.  Such a Practice has Way more to do with Manipulation then with Truth.

Manipulators Apply Different Rules and Different Definitions to their Opponents, than they do to themselves.  In Friendship, this is Called the Double Standard, yet People do it in Politics as well and also even in Science, just as Evolutionists Expect more Proof from their Opponent then they are Willing to Offer themselves.

There.  Now Maybe I have Created a Can of Worms that will Cause my Blog to be Less Quiet, but Oh well.  Go Ahead and Talk and Tell me what you Think.

Blogging and People Reflections

My Blog is Often more Peaceful then the Rest of the Blogosphere and I guess you could Say that I Like it that Way.  Arguing can be so Tiring at Times.  And even I can be One of those who Doesn't Exactly Know when it is Time to Quit.  I Wonder what the Rest of you Think.  Is there an Appropriate Time to Turn and Walk Away and Stop Arguing with Idiots?

Speaking of the Word Idiot, I Used to be so Reluctant to Use that Word, but you Know what?  It is Sort of Like when a Person is Pushy in some Way and Hangs Around and will not Go Away.  Being Polite is not Enough, so a Person has no Choice but to be Rude in Order to Get the Message Across that I do not wish to Interact with you any more.  This doesn't Apply to Anyone on the Web Right Now.  It's just something that I've Come Across before in my Life.

There is Something Similar, though, that Occurs while Arguing on the Web.  When a Person Keeps Repeating a Totally Ridiculous Point Over and Over Again that Makes no Sense at all, I've Actually Gotten to the Point At Times in which I Feel that I have no Choice but to Use Words Like Stupid or Idiot or BS, for this is the Only Way to Get my Point Across that I'm Really not at all Buying This and I Really do mean Really.

Sometimes I Get the Feeling that People Say the Ridiculous on Purpose, in order to Persuade People to Doubt themselves and their Ability to Reason, so that the One Speaking the BS can get the Upper Hand.  I've Actually seen this sort of thing used as a Form of Manipulation.  Control Freaks will do this in Order to Maintain Control Over the Situation.

Again, I am not Directing this at Anyone.  I'm just Curious what People Think about what I'm saying.

There are Times in which I have Actually been Obsessed with Idiots.  I don't Know What it is.  Perhaps I'm Trying to Figure Something Out about them.  Why don't they Get it?  How can they Possibly be so Dumb?  And Do they Really Think that I'm That Stupid?

There is Another Phrase that I Never Used to Say, that I've Said a lot more Recently, and that is the Phrase, "You are Insulting my Intelligence."  Never Before have I ever had my Intelligence Insulted on such a Regular Basis, Prior to Entering the Blogging World.  Never Before have I Met such Idiots, as I have Met in the Blogging World.  At First, it was just one, yet more Recently, I've Found Out that there is an Idiotic Personality Type that Lurks in the Shadows of the Web.

People are Far more Insulting and Some of them are even Far more Cruel on the Internet than anyone that I have Ever Met in Person.  If Someone Drops by and Reads this who is New to Blogging, Heed the Words that I'm now Saying.  It might be Good to be a Little Less Trusting and do not Let your Guard Down too Early.

It's Funny, you Know, I'm Even Having Trouble Writing about Relationships, cause on the Internet, such is even more Difficult than in the Real World.  People have no Desire to be Civil.  All they want to do is Argue.

Am I Venting Right Now?  I don't Know if I'm Venting or Reflecting.  Perhaps it doesn't Matter.  All I know is that I Don't Really Want my Blog to Always be just about Arguing the Issues.  Sometimes I just Like to Talk about what Troubles me.

So What's your Story?  What is Troubling you?

Still Here, just Feeling Over Whelmed.

When I Get Behind, I just Feel Over Whelmed.  I Got Behind on the Reading of the Blogs Over the Holidays and Now just don't Know where to Start or what to Read.  There were a Few Blogs that I did Keep Up with, but the Others, well, there's just too much to Read.  I don't know how Most of you do this Blogging Thing.  I just Can't Keep Up, even when the Blogs I Follow, for the Most Part, are Slower than those Crazies that Blog Daily.  My Hit Count is Down Again and yet I'm not sure what to Write or Say.

It's Funny How Life Goes On when I'm Away from Certain Blogs and I Wonder if anyone Notices or Cares whether or not I'm Present.  I don't know why I am Feeling that Way.  Oh well.

Please do me a Favor, and if you are a Brand New Visitor and I am in One of my Non-Inspired Sort of Moods, Please do Check Out my Labels, for it is not as if I haven't had my Moments of Inspiration.

Brain Storming Leading to Evolution/Intelligent Design Discussion

I'm Actually Wondering if I'm not Going to Feel all that Inspired Until After the Elections.  I've got a Rather Busy Weekend Coming Up with a Lot on my Plate.  There are Things I could Post on, such as, well right now, I'm Thinking about some of what BB-Idaho and I have been Talking about in Relation to Science and Religion.  That Post Relating to Determinism and Free Choice sort of remains in the Back of my Head too.  Anybody have any Preferences?  Any body have any Comments in Advance Relating to either of these Topics?

Well, it Looks Like Evolution vs. Intelligent Design is the Topic that was Chosen and that Follows Below.

For Self or for Influence (Just Has to Come Out!)

In the Comment Section of the Previous Post, I did some Brain Storming in Relation to what I should Post Next and the One Subject and Question that Continues to Stick Out in my Mind is the Question of Whether we should Blog for Ourselves, or for the Sake of Influence and having an Effect on Our World.  Actually, I Think that it's a Little of Both.

When I was Struggling a lot with Issues of Depression, I had a Lot that "Just had to Come Out", yet I'm not always Depressed and I'm not always Inspired.  Sometimes if I Wait for that which is Pressing and "Just has to Come Out", I will Wait a Really Long Time between Posts and that is why sometimes I just do Brain Storming in Order to Find my Inspiration.

Personally, though, I do not Think that Posting for Influence is a Negative.  Whether we Post sort of for Ourselves, because it "Just has to Come Out", or because we also have a Desire to, at least in some Small Way, Influence our World, none of this Matters.  Either Way, it is Fun to Write and Fun to Read and if we are Opened and Willing, we will all Learn from each other.

This is Shorter than I Thought, yet Perhaps there will be more in the Comment Section.

Take a Break and Just Chat

So many of the Blogs I Follow have Slowed way Down.  It's almost to the Point of being Strange.  Is any body out there?  Talk to me.  Tell a Joke.  Share the Reason's why you feel Discouraged.  Blow off Steam.

Even I've been in a Bit of a Funk Lately.  I guess it's because sometimes the People who I used to get Along with, for some Reason Change for the Negative and though I Try Very Heard, there is no Longer any thing there to Like.  Maybe I shouldn't be saying it that way, yet I don't know how else to say it.

It's sad when Relationships Change.  A Person can't help but Remember Good Times and Wonder why it is Impossible to Get Back to what once was.

Yes, that's it.  That's the Reason for the Funk.  Hopefully, I can get Passed it, though, soon and Move On.

Priorties - The Tug of War of Anger & Peace.

Well, I'm Considering coming back to the Blogging World, yet to Tell you the Truth, Life Does Keep Getting in the Way.  The Same Question as always is still within me.  It is a Question of Priority.  Blogging can be Like an Obsession, when I Let it Get the Better of me.  Blogging Pulls at me, and yet Life Pulls at me too and if I'm Smart, I will Allow Real Life to Win the Tug on my Heart, yet somehow it seems that there Ought to be a Way to do Both.

I Guess Politics is the Same Way.  The Political Situation has Gotten so Intense that it Seems that Getting Our Opinions Out there is the Only Thing that Matters Right Now and yet Life Goes on and we Still Need to Live Our Lives and we can not allow Ourselves to be Eaten Up with Political Anger and Rage.  We Need to Be Careful that we do not Tare Away at Our Own Freedom to be Happy, by Entering into Anger, Discontent and Worry about what Freedoms we Might Lose.

When I Quit Blogging, one of the Things that was Troubling me was that the Democrats had Gotten so much Power and have been Behaving in such an Extreme Manner, that I didn't even Desire to Write as a Moderate Any More, yet what is the Other Option?  Should I join the Rest of the Crowd in their Obama Bashing?  That wouldn't be Hard for me to do, yet I'm not sure if it is Going to Serve much of a Constructive Purpose and Any Way, there are Plenty of People Out there Doing that Already, so what's the Point?

No, What Ever I do decide to do in the Blogging Word, it has to be Different and Uniquely me, so Here I am Returning to what I've always been About.  No Matter how Bad Things Get, Our Mission should Still be to Try and Understand our Opponent and see if we can Find a Way to Work Together, rather than Imposing Extremes Upon Each Other.  Just because the Democrats are Acting in Extreme Ways Right Now, does that Mean that we Need to Impose the Extreme of Zero Regulations on Businesses and Zero Social Programs.  We Still Need to be Reasonable, for if we are not, then the Democrats are Just Going to Turn a Deaf Ear to us and We are not Going to have much Effect on them.

When I'm Angry, I do not Feel Like much of a Moderate, yet in Reality, that is always what I'm going to be.

The Priority War that I Mentioned in the Title has to do with the Obsession with Blogging and the Need to Live Life.  It Relates, though, to so Many other Things.  There is a Tug of War between Obsession and the More Mundane Things in Life; Between Politics and Living Life, Between Wanting to Make Some Kind of a Difference and just Doing what Needs to be Done, Between Anger and Peace and Between Passion and Practicality.  This is such a Hard Balance at Times.  Such a Very Hard Puzzle that does not Appear to have an Answer.

Anger, though, does not Lead to Peace.  It is Understanding that Leads to Peace and Unfortunately, Compromise Leads to Peace.  I Know that a Lot of you do not Like the Word Compromise, yet Unfortunately, this is a Reality of Life and it is not Going to Go Away.  Perhaps Along with the Tug of War Between Passion and Practicality, we should Add the Balance between Idealism and Reality, for no Matter how Bad we want it, No One is going to Get Everything that they Want.  Unfortunately, Life is just not that way.

So maybe I can Still Blog about the Attitude of Moderation, rather than Extremes.  Why should that Change just because I Feel that the Current Administration is Way Out of Hand?

Preaching to the Choir

As I was responding to someone's Comment on a Blog just now, I realized something. Earlier in the discussion, I had commented that while talking about this particular subject with this person, I felt as if I was preaching to the Choir. Of course, I'm sure, no doubt, that the person I was talking too probably felt the same way about me. In the last Comment that I left, however, a light bulb went off in my head and I finally understood something about what he was trying to say to me.

There are many Possible Reasons why Communication between people can fail. One Possible Reason for Failed Communication that always comes to my mind is that one or both of the Communicators are too caught up in an Extreme Position and are not willing to Compromise and find some Middle Ground. This is only one of the Reasons, though, Communication can fail.

When ever there is disagreement in a Conversation, it can always be debated who exactly is the Preacher and who exactly is the Unreceptive Choir, yet sometimes I see these things in a totally different light. Could it be instead that the Individuals in the discussion are simply not understanding one another? When ever we feel as if we are Preaching to the Choir, there are at least two possible explanations: no, actually maybe three. One is that I'm right and the other person is Unreceptive. Another is that the other person is right and I am the one being Unreceptive. The third possibility is that we are not in disagreement to the extent that we think and the problem is that we have not adequately explained our position.

Also in the last Comment that I left on this Blog, I made the statement. "Here's where you and I have trouble communicating. We are both too General and we don't understand each other until we become more Specific."

Here is the Post that the Conversation that I'm describing is on. The Post is about Socialism, yet the discussion eventually lead into a very common subject between Griper and I; Compromise between the Extremes. You can read the entire discussion if you like, but I think that the point at which it really got interesting was in my Comment on 4/4/09, at 6:14 PM. If you start from this point, you will only have to read 12 Comments, instead of 65. At least those were the numbers when I wrote this Post.

God's Guidance/Decisions in Life & in Blogging

I first wrote this Post Yesterday morning and now I'm wondering if I should Post it or not. At the time in which I wrote it, the comments on my Previous Post had slowed down quite a bit and I was wondering if I should just keep Rambling for the sake of keeping my Blog moving and I also wanted to Expand on what I had just said in that Post.

In my last post, I was sort of hoping for comments relating to Experiences within our lives that actually have Life verses those that make us feel as if we are Going Through the Motions, but that subject didn't seem to move anyone to comment on it. I've seen a Parallel to this in Blogging, such as when I Post just to Post, verses when I sort of Feel Led to Post by something deep inside of me. Such Inspirations come occasionally, but not anywhere close to daily.

I guess I didn't want to just let the subject drop because I do sort of want the chance to answer some of my own Questions.

It is the Spirit of God that brings me Life and when I sense His guidance and Inspiration, I feel very much Alive. In my Previous Post, I asked the question "How do I keep a feeling of Life and Energy in the things that I do throughout the day and how do I keep Life and Energy in my Blog?". Usually the answer to this is to remain as connected as possible to God, because He is where my Energy and Life comes from, especially when it comes to Writing Inspiration.

So I guess that this Post is just an expansion of my Previous Post. I expanded on it a little in the comment section and I am doing so again now.

When I made the Statement in that Post that "Some of the Questions that I keep asking myself just don't seem to have answers.", I was thinking about an issue that reflects my continuous struggle with simply making up my mind, such as "Should I or shouldn't I Post to my Blog?". I talked about this in one of the comments that I made beneath my Previous Post and the Post itself addressed the Question of "Significance verses Posting Speed".

I wonder if I should just repeat some of what I said in one of the Comments below the Previous Post. The Question "Should I or shouldn't I Post to my Blog?" comes up often and quite often it relates to whether or not I feel that what's on my mind at the moment is "Significant" enough to be "Worthy" of Posting and thus the Question, "Is it more important to Post often or to Post something that's 'Significant and Meaningful'?" and I continue to be Indecisive on the issue and may never fully figure it out and/or decide which the most matters to me.

The Bottom Line is that when I sense God's Direction and Guidance in my writing, my Blog really Comes to Life, but when God doesn't appear to be saying anything to me that's specific, I have trouble making up my mind what to say.

For some people, God's Guidance is more on going and continuous. For me, it is more occasional than continuous. When I'm not sensing anything that strongly, it's as if God is saying, "I don't care. Do what ever you want" (aside from sinning of course), yet when left on my own like that, I have trouble making decisions.

When I originally wrote this Post, I was feeling as if my most recent Post wasn't really that Significant and perhaps neither is this one, yet I may have at least one Thesis Statement that has meaning. The answer to the Questions "How do I keep a feeling of Energy and Life in the things that I do throughout the day?" and "How do I keep Life and Energy in my Blog?" is to "remain as connected as possible to God".

Anyway, when I originally wrote this Post, it contained the below links because when it feels as if I'm not Posting anything that's really that Significant, I feel tempted to tell my fans what Blogs I've been conversing on, so that they can find me if they want to, for just because I'm not Posting on my Blog does not mean that I'm not writing interesting things somewhere. So here's where I have been lately if anyone is interested. The links are listed in the order of the most recent comment that was below them at the time that I collected the Links some time Yesterday morning.

Which is Most Likely to be True? (Z-Man's Blog) (Among other things - a UFO discussion)
Socialism, Exploitation of the Worker? (Griper's Blog)
Abstinence is Not "Realistic" (Lastrow's Blog)
Thou Shall Not Covet Thy Neighbors' Goods (Beth's Blog)
Who Defines Marriage? (Kris' Blog) (A Discussion about Homosexuality)
Moral Instruction (Z-Man's Blog) (A Discussion about Romantic Love, Soul Mates and Love at First Sight)

Destractions/Broken Focus/Bordom vs. Energy & Life

It is so hard for me to keep my focus. I think that I'm going to finally have some time to Blog and to have enough of it that I can actually do a Post and than I discover that there is a really big project outside that my husband wants me to help him with, or some other thing that needs doing that breaks my focus. I actually respond to comments on my Blog at times with the words, "Once again, I got to run. Catch you with more later.". This is so frustrating. Oh well.

It's not as if I do not have Ideas about what to write. I've got lots of Ideas and Inspirations, yet not every Idea or Thought has Life. It's sort of like life in general and all the activities that fill it. Some of what I do has Life and some of it just feels like going through the motions. The idea in life is to try and fill it with as much as possible that brings Life and not just Boredom.

When I say this, it makes me wonder. What am I saying really? Am I saying that I'm Bored with my Blogging? Am I saying that sometimes I don't Blog more than I do because I'm Bored? When it flows, it can really be fun, yet this sensation comes and goes.

So how do I keep a feeling of Life and Energy in the things that I do throughout the day and how do I keep Life and Energy in my Blog?

Sometimes I wonder if I should just sit down at the computer and begin to Ramble and just see what comes out and I guess that is what I am doing right now. My Blog might actually move more quickly if I was willing to do that once in awhile.

Sometimes I think that my desire to make each Post really Good and Significant and my desire to make each Post Really Mean Something slows me down a little, for the really Good and really Significant and "Full of Life" Posts don't always come as often as I would like them to.

Now we're back to the Question of "Significance verses Posting Speed". Sometimes it feels as if some of the Questions that I keep asking myself just don't seem to have answers.

What a crazy Post, huh? Oh well. Maybe it will just be a Good Conversation Starter.

Fast Food Information/Truth Worth Waiting For

It's frustrating and perhaps even a little too bad that I so often feel like beginning a New Post with some comment about my frustrations relating to the Blogasphere and/or the Internet. Everything moves so fast. I just feel like I can't even begin to keep up most of the time. One unfortunate reality relating to it all is that when a very quick response is possible, quite often it is expected. I not only feel this way about Blogs, but about Email as well. When we used to communicate by Snail Mail, to wait a week or more before responding to a letter was more the norm and in a lot of ways that is so much easier than feeling rushed to say something immediately in response to everything that one receives. Everything seems so time sensitive and it can actually create stress if we let it.

If this is true of Email, then how much more so of the Blogosphere? Gosh! If you wait too many days to respond to something you read on a Blog, it will be buried behind a good number of "More Current" Posts and most of those who were originally reading the comments will have moved on.  If you want to actually be heard by several others besides the blog author, then you had better be fast.

Add to this the fact that those who post to their own blog at least once a day get more hits and the pressure continues. How in the world is anyone supposed to "Remember to Enjoy the Journey" under these circumstances.

I finally decided to view it this way...

It's just like Fast Food Information and yet we must remember that people go to Fine Restaurants all the time and even pay more for the food. Why?; you ask. Well, it's because Good Food is Worth Waiting For.

Just think about it a minute. Can we really digest the deepest and most meaningful of insights about life, or even about politics, when we are always in the Fast Lane?  Can anyone really write a well thought out Post with a message that deeply touches and effects people's hearts and minds in a hurry?  Can anyone actually receive such a touch and allow what they've read to really penetrate and touch them, or even take the time to think about and adequately digest what they've read, when they are reading in a hurry?  What are we really doing anyway?  Are we just cramming as much information as possible into our brains so that we can feel smart, avoid boredom, increase our popularity on the web or whatever?  If very little of it is having much affect other than just stirring up more anger and emotion relating to what we already believe, then what's the point?  Remember, if those who hold the opposite point of view are doing exactly the same thing, then there is not much real and genuine communication going on.

If I could get no other message out, other than this one, my blogging might be worth it, yet unfortunately, I can talk until I'm blue in the face and yet no one out there seems very interested in slowing down and taking the time to really think.

As I blog along at my own slow little pace, I continue to hope that there will always be a few people out there who are more interested in well thought out information, whether than Fast Food, cause that's what I am trying hard to serve.  Hopefully, there will always be a few who have the opinion that "Good Food is Worth Waiting For."

Hit Counts and Success as a Blogger

Maybe I'll just say something brief. Sometimes I feel so darn tired and in my tiredness, I don't post and in my not posting, I watch my hit count drop again.

Perhaps I shouldn't keep returning to this subject, yet it seems to be the easiest subject to write about off the top of my head without an enormous amount of thought and effort.

The thing is that when I'm not posting to my own blog, it is because I'm distracted by conversations on other blogs and if I was to ask myself the honest question about how much exposure I'm getting, is it really my own personal hit count that contains the accurate answer to that question?

If when I do not post to my own blog, it is because I am visiting and posting elsewhere, than the actual answer to the question of how much exposure I am getting has more to do with the number of hits to the blogs that I am currently conversing on. After all, isn't it possible that when ever I am not posting to my own blog, but instead posting to another blog that has more hits, than in this case, I am getting more actual exposure when my hit numbers are low because I'm conversing elsewhere. Since the people who visit other blogs are often different than the ones who visit my blog and since the people on one blog that I visit are different than on another blog that I visit, perhaps when I visit is when I get more exposure, not when I post on my own blog.

This is a very interesting thought and it brings me back to something that I keep saying, which is that the hit counts on ones blog are not an accurate record of any given person's actual exposure on the web, nor is it an accurate record of what kind of an impact that person is having on the world.

Planting, Watering, Blogging and Counting Hits

I keep coming back to the similar subject of numbers within churches. There are some churches that draw large crowds. Often these are churches that stress Evangelism. They are led by pastors whose gift is Evangelism. They grow quickly in numbers and have lots of new converts to the Christian Family.

Often these churches do not have enough leadership in order to take care of all the discipling that is needed. The focus is on Evangelism and not discipling. The numbers are impressive, but the depth of growth and faith among them is not and some even fall away. I talked about this in more depth in my post "Why do we Blog?".

I remember reading once about a minister that was discouraged about his numbers and also jealous of this other minister that had a huge church. It seems to me that it might have been Dietrich Bonhoeffer, but I'm not sure. Instead of the Lord blessing him with larger numbers, he was asked to pray for the growth of the larger church that he was jealous of. Reluctantly, he obeyed. What made it even worse was that the prayer for this other church was answered.

This minister's smaller church was near by and continued to only grow at a snails pace. Eventually, though, as this larger Evangelistic church grew, some of it's members began to seek council from the minister at the smaller church. Like is so often the case, the larger church lacked the leadership required to handle the load of the rapid increase in their numbers.

Hungry for Discipleship and something more than just the basic Gospel Message taught over and over again, those who wanted something deeper than that overflowed into this other minister's church and his church began to grow as well; never as fast as the larger church, but it was a growth that represented not just an introduction to the faith, but a greater depth and growth.

The principle here is illustrated in one of Paul's letters to the Corinthians...

"6) I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7) So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8) The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose and each will be rewarded according to his own labor." (1 Corinthians 6-8, NIV)

So what does this have to do with Blogging. Well, different bloggers have different gifts. Just as in the Church "One Plants and Another Waters", so also in the Blogosphere, one plants the seed of a new idea into the hearts of many and than another picks up the job by trying to weed out all the obstacles that are blocking people from accepting the idea.

The second of these jobs is more intense and requires much time and thought. The second of these jobs involves a greater depth that is not accepted by and does not draw all of the crowd.

As one last thought, I ought to add that influence goes out like the ripples from a pebble thrown in the stream. As I am often influenced by people like Dietrich Bonhoeffer, as well as by many of you, and my blogging is influenced by you all. As you influence me, you influence how I write and than what I write influences how other bloggers write, which influences what other people write, which influences all that is available on the Web to read.

Interestingly, when ever I pray and ask God to do this or that in our world, God ends up assigning me at least part of the job. For example, I asked him once to give energy to all the bloggers on the web that are writing about what is true. Since I don't have the energy to do the whole job myself, I need God to give energy to all others that are doing it as well. Considering that prayer, is it any wonder that aside from my originally thought that I'd be blogging about Politics and the fact that God seems to keep drawing me away from that and into more Spiritual Subjects; that aside from all that, I am also drawn often to the very subject of blogging itself? As soon as I submit this post, I will be able to say that I have done more posts on this subject than any other subject. Why the subject of Blogging? Well, because this is one way in which I can encourage other bloggers and "give energy" to them to continue presenting what's true.

When you think about it, there are two ways to influence the world. One is to directly influence someone and play a part in changing their mind on something. The other is to influence those who influence. In a lot of ways, the second of these contains more power.

The Sacrifice/Cost of Efficiency

There are things Sacrificed for the sake of Efficiency that I am simply not willing to Sacrifice. For example, most Efficient Bloggers Read Fast, Type Fast and Comment Fast. The problem is that many of them read a whole bunch of Posts as fast as they can, while giving minimal thought to each Post they are reading and occasionally Comment as quickly as they can, while giving minimal thought to what they are saying. Some "Efficient" Bloggers are obsessed to the point at which they are spending too much time on the computer and don't have enough of a life spent apart from it.

In order for me to keep up with this level of Efficiency, I have to make all the same sacrifices and me even more so, because I am a slow reader. Aside from my reading speed, the other main difference between me and highly Efficient Bloggers is that they think that the price they pay for Efficiency is worth it, but I do not. That which is Sacrificed just plain isn't worth it to me, so instead, I just keep plodding along, at my own slow little pace, and hope that a few loyal followers will still come by.

It's like the story in the Bible about Mary and Martha.

"38) As Jesus and His disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him. 39) She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. 40) But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, 'Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!' 41) 'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, 42) but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her.'" Luke 10:38-42 (NIV)

I've used this story often in order to remind myself that when I have company, it is more important to spend a little undistracted time with them, than to plan an extremely complicated meal that keeps me in the kitchen. Even the house work, if left to the last minute, like I so often do, causes me to feel tired when the company arrives. It is so easy to forget our priorities.

The other thing that this passage is about, though, is about spending time at Jesus' feet, in both Bible Reading and Prayer. This is more important than all of our busy, Efficiency Goals and even than our Ministry.

Another important lesson relates to a few words that I put in Bold Print in the above passage. When we are interacting with people, we need to listen and not just talk and we need to try to do so very intently, without distraction. When we pray, this is true as well. We need to listen to God and not just make our requests. This involves the Reading of Scripture and also moments a quite reflection, in which we stop complaining and requesting and just listen to that still small voice inside of us; the Holy Spirit; God's Voice.

So how does this relate to Blogging? Well, first of all, time spent in Bible Study and Prayer is more important than our Blogging. There are other non-Blogging priorities that we need to tend to as well. We also need to seek God's direction in our Blogging and not just do it from our own strength or even from our own passion. This is why we need to Listen Intently to God, Without Distraction and than after this is accomplished, then we can Blog.

It's very interesting how so often when I try to write about politics, I get writers block and I'm not able to return again to the blogging until a give in to writing something Spiritual. Isn't that the strangest thing? It's as if God Himself causes the writers block, in order to get me back on track again.

Blogging Fatigue/Sometimes God has Different Plans

Ok. Once I got thinking, I decided that maybe I should make my response to the last comment on the previous post into a new post, whether than just a comment. Interestingly, though, I thought that this post was going to be about our puppy, yet as I began expressing a frustration that I have, it became Spiritual instead and also relates once again to frustrations with Blogging.

BB's Comment
In what is now the last comment on the previous post, BB-Idaho was talking about "getting bruised up a little in the political blog arena, with the Election coming up and most folk uptight."

My Response
Your frustration with politics at this time is interesting. I've actually been annoyed with God a little over how my life has been going since we got our puppy. I've been thinking that it is such bad timing with the Election coming up and all.

I even asked God just before the puppy arrived to please send one that would fit with His plan, not only in relation to what ever life lessons we need to learn, but also in relation to not being too much of an interruption to something that I have considered a ministry, such as my blogging.

Since I prayed this prayer, I have to trust that what ever happens is what God wants, yet I've been so frustrated because what was sent to us was an extremely difficult puppy that requires a lot of our time and causes me to feel almost too tired to blog. I've been very frustrated and have been asking God why. Why at a time in which it would seem that blogging would be all that much more important, has God allowed me to be experiencing this distraction? I haven't had much time to blog or to visit blogs. My hit count is way down to the point at which there are only a small handful of people coming by and looking at my blog. I want to thank those who still do come by and tell you how very greatly I appreciate you.

And yet from the above comment, it seems that one of my most loyal supporters is almost pleading with me to not post about politics. How odd and yet, you know what? It just goes to show you that sometimes what we think is really important is not what the people who we are interacting with really need.

Perhaps just before an election is not the best time to sway people's basic political views anyway. If I thought that there might be some undecided voters reading my blog, that might be different, yet for the most part, I get the feeling that Bloggers in general are rather opinionated people who are difficult to sway. What mostly appears to be happening on Blogs is that those who feel passionate about something have the chance to vent their feelings and they draw others to their Blogs who feel the same way that they do and are also venting. I wonder, at times, how much actual persuading is going on.

And as for me, I ask God for guidance and he distracts me with a difficult puppy.

The bottom line is this...

The Bible says "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV)

Perhaps the key to effective communication both politically and otherwise is Humility, Prayer, Seeking God, Purity, Honesty and Sincerity. Unfortunately, Passionately and Obsessively expressing our views doesn't usually produce the effect that we would like it too.