Really?

"You're starting a blog?"

Thus spake my 13-year-old son, disbelief in his voice. Well might he doubt, since he knows his mother NOT to be particularly media-savvy.

As a matter of fact, up until a few weeks ago, I had never even entertained the idea of reading a blog, much less creating one myself. My resistance was, in part, because of the very word "blog." Now, I am not opposed to the notion of new words' being coined; this kind of language evolution is fascinating to me. But "blog" is not a very attractive word. It sounds to me like a symptom of some dread disease: "In addition to high fever, congestion, and coughing, she suffered from a terrible blog." Do you know what I mean?

But I was won over by reading what must surely be one of the most beautiful blogs in cyberspace, that of my friend Rebecca. And I realized that a blog is, at its best at least, a sort of open journal. As I told Rebecca, reading her blog made me realize that a blog could be a window on the soul.

Alas: I'm afraid my soul is not quite yet a very pretty picture. But I take hope that "though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day" (II Corinthians 4:16). Thank God. At least my soul is under renovation, so if you should take a look inside, you'll see a renovation in progress.

My hope is that, whatever I may choose to share here, I'll be able to live up to the title I've chosen. Ephesians 4:29: "Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers."

Maybe I'll be the only one listening. But I could probably stand to impart some grace to myself.