Why blog?

Since I've started telling people that I'm blogging this is a question I've been asked in various forms, by various people including my Mum, my brother, and a tutor at Ridley. A valid question, so let me try and answer - partly in order to set some of the drivel that will appear on here in some kind of context for those who happen to visit the blog now and again, but mainly to clarify what I'm trying to do a bit for myself!

Some people use their blogs as a way of giving vent to their frustrations and angst, but that's not me - I don't get wound up by things easily and don't feel a particular need to express my feelings in this way. But maybe therein lies part of the answer to this. Expressing myself, my feelings, what I'm thinking etc. has never been my strongpoint. Being at Ridley has really brought that out - I'm finding it 'easier' (not easy - everything's relative isn't it!) to write the more 'academic' essays where I get to say: this is what this topic is about, this is what such and such says about it, that is what someone else says about it, on that basis I conclude that... What I'm finding much harder are the more 'reflective' style of essays where I have to put into words a particular experience or encounter I've had, my thoughts and reflections about it and then bring in some relevant 'theological' writing to back it up. Putting my thoughts etc. into words that make sense in an essay format is really difficult. So part of the idea behind the blog is just to practise putting my thoughts into written words that hopefully make some kind of sense, and also doing it quite quickly as I haven't got time to spend too long doing this as well as everything else I've got on. It's also good practice for me in terms of my self confidence - putting things out there that I've written or I'm thinking about for anyone to read isn't something I find easy, so it's probably a good thing to get into the habit of making myself do. Having said all of that, this blog is also about news - its a good way to let people know our news without having to send circular emails to everyone, where 1/2 the time I miss someone out accidentally or have some of the email addresses wrong!

So that is why I'm blogging, but it still leaves me with the question of what to blog. I've said that I want to practise putting what I think into words that make sense on paper - but there is a limit to that, partly because of not wanting to bore people senseless, also because it's out there for anyone to read so I need to be sensitive especially where it either impacts or is about other people! I've also said its about news - but I don't want it to just be a journal saying 'today I did this, this and this...' For some that would mean something and be interesting, for others it obviously wouldn't! I could put lots on here about what I'm doing and studying here at Ridley and other churchy / theological stuff - but again a lot of that won't mean much to some of the people I hope will enjoy the blog from time to time. So, to end this waffle - this blog will include some of my random thoughts on a wide range of topics from time to time, and it will include bits of mine and Lisa's news at relevant points. A lot of this will be linked to college and church stuff, and I'm not going to apologise for that becuse that is where God has brought me to at this stage - but I do hope there will be stuff in that that people can connect with, and that will make people think from time to time. There will also be (as seen already) lots of me commenting on sport (particularly LFC), and music because I love them, and things I come across (links to video clips etc) that amuse me and I want to share. Enjoy!