Hello, World.
God. Who is He? Let alone, why should we even care? There are many tragedies that occur in our world today, in the past, and many that will happen in the future that it’s hard for many to say that God even exists. Growing up in Catholic school from the age of three up until my sophomore year in college when I was nineteen, I was groomed to believe that God inevitably exists. It may have been with the help of the nuns that used to teach me the sign of the cross and how to pray or the academic professors I have had in theology classes, but I certainly do believe in God. Having faith in God is something I struggle with at times, but at the end of the day I have faith.
I’m not going to preach to you on why I think you should have faith in God, instead I’m blogging for myself, so that I can understand why I do. I am using this blog as a way to keep up with my daily findings that reiterate why I have faith or why I might not. In my everyday life, there is something I will encounter that will support my beliefs or threaten them, but it is up to me to come to the conclusion of that and why that happens.
There are many things that happen to each one of us that can oftentimes cause people to lose faith if they once had it. In the news, you hear of the most heinous crimes, so it’s understandable when people doubt that there could be a God. Why would God allow for children to be murdered, people to be killed in car accidents, etc.? I, myself have experienced many deaths of family members and friends, heartbreak, and other tragedies, so why is it that I still have faith? Let it be known it does not come easy; there are times when I have doubts. Like a few years ago when my two best friends died in a car accident, only a week after seeing them for my birthday? How could God let that happen? Why would He? But ultimately without knowing, there is reasoning for everything and when I can finally come to an understanding for certain things, that is when I get back on track. What is it that even helps me get back on track? Well that is what I am going to find out here. In my regular days of being a college student and having struggles, what do I see in the world around me that gives me faith? It may be the tiniest thing such as a hug from someone when I’m secretly hurting inside, or something bigger such as the work of people coming together for those in need, like the help many are trying to give for those in Haiti right now.
I also might encounter days when there is just too many bad things happening that causes me to have a little doubt. It’s my experiences with my faith, how it can grow and what happens if it doesn’t. It’s up to me to figure it out and to take you along for the ride. There are going to be a lot of questions too. I don’t just wake up in the morning and have 100% faith that everything is okay or know why not so good things happen to me sometimes. So there will be questions, concerns, and doubts. But this is my place to let that happen.
So here is to the beginning of my blogging journey. Hello world. Come see through my perspective and my experiences on what it means to have faith. My everyday life shines light to help me gain new ideas and perspectives on faith. What I experience will either help strengthen it or it may weaken it, but ultimately there is something that is learned. Maybe it just might help others see things a different way too.
Profile
Got God? He does. When searching for some similar blogs to mine, I found one about faith reflections. Fortunately, it was not too hard to find considering the name of the blog is Faith Reflections and the subject is about religion and faith. The author is David J Claassen and he blogs about spiritual issues. In his introduction he states that he: “seeks to give spiritual leadership to a group of people called the Mayfair-Plymouth Congregational Church.”
The church is in Toledo and from what he says, seems like its directed to a very specific reader. The blogger posts quite frequently, mostly every other day. Unfortunately, I don’t think this blog is too popular because on the most recent posts there is no comments or very little (meaning one). One reason as to why this may happen is because the blogger comes from a very smaller town and since this is a faith-based blog, not many readers are interested or aware of it. I feel that this blog is interesting, however, mine will not solely be about preaching religion, as he seems to do. You don’t have to worry about me shoving the Bible down your throat. Instead my blog will be about my daily life, it can relate to others and I can explain to my readers from my perspective of what it means to have faith and what I see around me that gives me faith.
One interesting post that I read of his, was one of the most recent ones entitled Grounded in the Ordinary in this post he talks about the different things we can do to have a therapeutic/spiritual feeling. He mentioned President Barack Obama and how he plays basketball with his daughters as a way to keep him grounded. I think that this was really good insight and a good comparison because doing something spiritual does not always mean getting down on your knees to pray. It could simply be taking a walk outside and enjoying what is around you or spending time with your family. Another interesting post I read of his was one entitled Detours of Life. In this post, he describes a quote about detours and how oftentimes it’s so easy to get annoyed by detours rather than see the beauty of it, which could also be related to life. I also want to be able to talk about the detours I encounter in my blogs and what about them makes my faith weaker or stronger.
This blog relates to my work rather well because not only does the blogger speak about religious issues, he also finds ways to relate them to reality. Although his blog was really well written, I feel like I want to have my own personal voice shine through by using whatever mood I am in, whether that be happy, sad or sarcastic. His blog posts do seem a little dry.
The blog could be considered somewhat academic just because he also mentions other issues and media context that relates to what he is trying to say. His posts are rather simple and not too long. It definitely could be a little more detailed without having to be a novel. But his posts do vary so I guess it just depends on the subject matter of each post. The audience in which he is trying to address is spiritual people who have some sort of religious faith, although it is not specified what religion he is. The blog is completely relevant to a spiritual audience because of the context in which he addresses issues, all of which are faith reflections. This blog may feed my work because it could bring up an issue I may want to talk about or relate to something that I have discussed in my posts in relation to spiritual faith and why I do or do not have it.
My site will differ because it will be more personal and through the perspective of my daily experiences. His blog takes on an issue and then discusses it, but I want to talk about my point of view and also have my voice come out through it. I want to be able to convey my emotions about the issue I am discussing and have a more lighthearted discussion rather than a preachy, authoritative one.
Voice Critique
Where are you, blog? Looking for a blog similar to mine with a distinct voice was a little harder than I thought it would be. Many of the blogs I came across were very dry or preachy about religion. Although my blog may be deemed a spiritual/religious blog, I feel that it is more of a journal than anything. A journal, where I can be able to write down what it is about my day that gives me the faith that I have. What incidents in my daily life as a college student hurt or help my faith? In recording those moments, I want to be able to capture the emotion of what is happening, to be able to carry a distinct voice in what I’m trying to portray. For this reason, it was a bit difficult to find a blog that talked about faith, in a way that was not condescending or dry.
The blog that I came across is called Catholic Chicks. In its description it is deemed: “A social network where Catholic women of any age, race, ethnicity, and background can come together to celebrate God's love and build a support group for each other. This is an enemy-free society!”
The blogger, Monique seems to be very honest and tells it like it is. What attracted me to this blog is that it does not sugar-coat faith, even in Monique’s description she admits that at times she was distracted from the Church but at this moment she has a lot of faith. That is exactly how I feel at the moment myself. There have been many times in which I have been distracted from my faith, not because I didn’t believe in God anymore, but just because I was too busy or going through a tough time. However, as she says everything does happen for a reason. I truly believe in that. There will be days when something bad may happen to me, but in the end it does all happen for a reason.
The Catholic Chicks blog in no way is a preaching script of Catholic thoughts, however, Monique uses it more as a journal. This is clear in her most recent post about her best friend. She describes her best friend and what they have in common in such a genuine and honest way. It is through the presence of her friend, that she is able to see God in: “I thank God for her. He has brought me the sister I never had. It's so amazing how God works to bring certain people into our lives. For good or for bad, there is a reason for every person that has crossed our paths.”
This is what I know I will be doing a lot of. In my daily life I have come across many people who I feel I see God in and that somehow they were brought to me for a reason. I want to be able to bring that perspective to others with writings like Monique’s.
In another one of her posts she brings up the rain that all of us just recently experienced. She also makes sure to add a little humor: “We really need this rain, but we don't need the floods, tornado warnings, and mudslides. Maybe I shouldn't have said that prayer for rain...oh oh. If you know me, then you know I love the rain. Probably a little too much.”
This is what I hope to accomplish, to be able to add a touch of my personality in what I am trying to say.
