You know how much I love a great site prompt. (The website that hosts this page gives a daily topic to encourage more engagement from me. They figure the more I write, the more you click & read, the more business they get, right? I don’t write every day, and probably won’t, but if the site prompts would be like today’s, maybe I’d revisit that, but they are sometimes questions like, “What is your favorite e-commerce site?”) Today’s question is, “Why do you blog?” What a beautifully introspective avenue to examine.

Is it because I like the clicks, visits, likes, and comments? Do likes equate to worth: the more likes I get, the more valuable I am? Maybe it’s because my name attached to something online is a form of narcissism, or maybe the narcissism is thinking my thoughts on anything are somehow necessary to your lives. Do I want to be an influencer, internet-famous, parlaying this blog into a YouTube site where I produce videos of my family and the products of sponsors, where you can “smash the like button,” share, and subscribe, making me rich beyond my wildest dreams?

I don’t think it’s any of those. I say “I don’t think,” because it’s always possible, isn’t it? We can be pretty selfish, with remarkably well-honed powers of rationalization that clouds our judgment until we don’t even know why we do what we do anymore. But I truly don’t think it’s any of those. (I don’t get too many likes, hardly any comments, and I have yet to get a check in the mail from The Internet.) I don’t think it’s one of those, because I think I know exactly why I do what I do, blogging or otherwise.

Last week, a very good friend and I recorded a podcast (it’s called “A New Thing,” and you can find it here, on her YouTube page:  https://www.youtube.com/@DreamMythosStudios/podcasts I bet I’ll smash that like button and put it up everywhere, the second I figure out how to do that). It is the first in a conversation where we’ll take a spiritual/religious idea and discuss how it is still important today. I was going to say “if” it’s still important today, but I don’t ever wonder IF it is, I know it is, it just might take a moment of attention to see how. That’s the sort of thing we’re discussing. We’ll also get into popular songs, movies, art, whatever, everything, and see where and how that affects our beautiful spirits.

That podcast is a very recent perfect example of my Why. I happen to love Jesus and think He is The Answer. I think if we’d fall in love with Him, listen to & follow Him, our hearts would explode (grow 100 sizes in an instant), we’d all love each other and the entire world would change in a moment. He changed my whole life, and now, ideally, everything I say, do, or think would express that foundation. Every time you’d listen to that podcast, you’d know that I love Jesus, and that I love you. I would want to make you feel valued & safe, you’d know I think you’re awesome and important. I would listen and hug you a lot. I would try to explain the Ark of the Covenant (that was our 1st topic on the podcast) in a way that might help you see His love for you (for everyone, ourselves, our neighbors AND our enemies alike) and His pursuit. I try to do the same with the Bible on Sundays. I try to do this at the church, but I also want to do this at home afterwards, and at the grocery store on Mondays, and the gym everyday. I want to be a walking, talking, living illustration of The Gospel in every situation and space.

Of course, as you already know, I am not able to do that all the time (probably much, much less than I’d like). I can be an obstacle, I can fall, I can be a bad example of what love looks like, I’m not always patient and kind and I can really keep score – but even in that, it is my hope and intention that I can point to His grace, mercy, and forgiveness. In my failure, I can still express my foundation.

Sometimes, like here, today, I am very explicit in my belief. I am quite religious and will use religious examples to connect. But other times, I use Marvel movies, books, and pop songs. I am honest, to a fault, and anytime there’s anything to share, I over-share. I am grateful. I will love you and everybody else with no agenda. This isn’t to amass “like” smashes or paychecks, I love just because I do. Just because that’s how I’ve been created.

So, love. That’s why I write. But it’s more, it’s why I do anything.