You clicked SOMETHING, to get here...(thanks for doing that,
BTW) now, 
I wonder what jumps off the page, and catches YOUR attention.....
Blogs are like digital-life snapshots or scrapbooks. While a picture says a thousand words, it can't possibly tell the whole story.
I've been looking at my blog- in an attempt to be objective and to see what I may be communicating to others.
It's a tough call. A couple of months ago- I followed like a lemming--- and ran the "word cloud" thing....it was an interesting experiment- to see what the general "theme" of my blog is. ( I was surprised--- that" suck " and "crap " didn't show up, cause I think I use them both too much. Maybe they filter out rude words)
Anyway, there were other parts that didn't surprise me. "God, knitting, spinning, yarn, MOPS, Lord, Jesus, family, boys"......those things didn't surprise me. But- while "word clouds" can show you the most commonly found words on a site... can they show the way they are recieved? Can they show the intent? The history of the writer?
Nope.
I suppose, while I've been looking around, TRYING to be objective... I've realized- there are limits to communication online. ( Aren't I wise?... duh. I know, not a news flash, I know). But, here's what I mean, Blogs are like "sound-bites of life" they are quick stories, pictures, thoughts- shared from a single perspective at a single point of time.
Scrolling thru- I see lots of different days, and different thoughts captured.. (in some cache's possibly FOREVER!) Thoughts that are in process, pictures that show just a moment in time. Since I have a deep passion for living authentically- my faith and journey with God--- and I see this blog as a part of doing that.. my question is...
Am I who my blog says I am?
I was relieved, in a way- while seeking to answer this... cause- well- YES. I am. But then--- there is so much more.... my HISTORY... the sum total of my life- and all that God has done in me--- well- it isn't here.
Not because I want to hide it--- but because, this isn't my life story-my memoir. This is my blog. Yet- looking around, I see how somethings- taken out of the context of who I am and the experiences I've had, could confuse who I AM from what you see.
You see- what I show, some who read, know more- they understand better, (in theory) because they know me.
If you were just hopping around... you could see- some obviously dyed red-head in a crown... lazily knitting in a (my perception) pretty room.... like some neo-knitter princess freak. In that snapshot.. you may assume somethings...spoiled, lazy maybe self absorbed.
Is that who I am? Maybe.
Hopefully- you'd also see, I have a sense of humor about myself, and a high level of authenticity. Not to the extent that EVERYTHING in my life is laid out here- but in the sense that I desire to share with others- what may be helpful, or encouraging. Also, a desire to appreciate when someone goes out of their way- to show kindness to me. (that pic was a thank you- to a SP who went out of her way to locate some highly prized, and very rare, knitting needles for me)....
Next, there are the pictures of chaos and mess- the stories of struggling as a mom.... is my life as a mom chaotic and loaded with struggle? Well... sometimes. But mostly? No--- mostly- things just move along at a normal pace. A natural rhythm of waking up, throwing in laundry, getting kids ready, some devotional time, a drive for school drop-offs, errands, etc....not exactly stuff you want to read about.
There are also opinion pieces, where I talk about news events... and media stuff, political issues and matters of faith. My experiences, both in this world and in faith, and in study, create these opinions. Not just some pompous, pious, princess, prissy-ness. (who unabandonly uses aliteration)
Don't forget, there is the knitting, the spinning. I write these pieces as a way to join the knitting community- something we share. Sometimes- I write about SP exchanges, and my love of gifting... not because I am some rich witch who likes to flash the ability to give... but because- I really DO love to give- and part of these exchanges is to write about those things.
While I was looking around- I realized I am a pretty "integrated" person. I don't compartmentalize my life. One thing flows into another. I think that can be disorganized to some, and maybe even frustrating..."isn't this a knitting blog?" Could be a fair question.
So--- I have started another blog- one called "Missional Mom" http://missional-mom.blogspot.com/ where I am planning on sorting out specific mothering , marriage and ministry issues, from a "missional" perspective.
My MSN blog,"Extreme Adventures In Knitting and Motherhood" http://spaces.msn.com/Nottinbutknittin/ will remain general mothering and knitting, as will my Blogger blog- by the same name. (double blogs doesn't require double time--- I write in blogger, copy-cut paste to MSN...pictures are added without a second upload) EASY. I like MSN because I can keep organized lists- and links- while in blogger I can maintain membership in blog-rings etc. (well- I can when I don't screw up my links/buttons in HTML!)
So is there a POINT to this POST? Yeah. There is. I guess, I 'd just like to remind myself, and others- that when we're blog-hopping, we need to remember- there is soooo much more to each blogger- than the sum-total of their posts, opinions or what the pictures show.
Blogging with you!
Dear Lord- please let everything that comes from my mouth- or my pen/keyboard, be honoring to you, please help me be authentic, and loving, respectful, even when passionate about an issue, in all my posts, and in all I do--- I love you Lord- and ask you to show me yourself- everyday- amen.
