Mark's Blog

One year ago today, I started this blog–and I must confess that I have enjoyed it immensely!  If it didn’t sound so melodramatic, I would probably say that blogging regularly has changed my life in meaningful ways.  Just a quick list will show you what I mean:

• I spend most of at least three and sometimes more mornings each week writing. I started writing this post before six this morning because I woke up thinking about it. It usually takes me somewhere between one and two hours to write each post, edit, find pictures, apply tags, check category boxes, and post it.  That’s a significant amount of time each week.
• I hardly go anywhere any more without someone mentioning the fact that they have enjoyed reading one or keeping up with my posts.  I don’t mean lots of people because in the blogworld, mine is microscopic; I just mean I do have a widely spread and wonderful set of readers.
• It has been a great challenge to address even highly sensitive topics positively, which for me means not just to criticize–probably not even criticize at all–but to offer a positive idea that if adopted or practiced would achieve a positive change.  One gets the impression that the only way to be heard in our media world today is by being both cynical and offensive. I’m still of the persuasion that we can speak the truth in love.
• I love the task of seeing what is going on around me and looking for that which might be of help to someone else.  I’ve enjoyed doing the movie reviews as I have for many years, but I’ve especially enjoyed writing the “How to Talk To Kids About Movies” reviews. I probably should have done more. I’ve loved talking about the British TV series that Sherrylee and I have been hooked on. In my imagination, these posts help a few people experience a TV world that they wouldn’t even have tried otherwise, one that opens up their world in a positive way.

Well, I said a short list, didn’t I. Brevity continues to be a challenge. I’ll work on that this next year.

In my first post, I made you some promises which I want to post again.

• I will be honest and truthful, but not blunt.
• I will try to limit myself to what I know about and not write about things I don’t know about.
• I will try to be helpful to you the Reader rather than just cathartic for my own benefit.
• I will stop when I’m finished.  

These still work for me. I hope they don’t surprise and that you find them consistent with the blogs that you have read.

In addition, I promised a focus to the posts, which were

• Christian missions –especially foreign missions, and even more narrowly short-term missions.
• Christian culture – especially juxtaposed to western culture, and even more narrowly in family cultures.
• Bible study – I really want to share regularly things I learn about the living Word—it’s just who I am.

I only feel that I did not do nearly as much Bible study with you as I had planned. We did do the Luke 10 series as well as the Advent series, but I really want to do a lengthier study of Acts with you this year.

As we begin this next year together, let me say how much I appreciate your comments, both online and in person. It’s much easier for me to write for people with names and faces than to just write out into cyberspace, so just be aware that I’m really thinking about you when I write.