Why Blog?

Blogging is a scary thing. It’s like thinking aloud, in public, and. . . leaving archives. No doubt, blogging can be used for many purposes, many of which are unworthy. Nonetheless, I believe that it is possible to blog in a God-glorifying way. In seeking to do just that, I've realized it would be wise to lay out--for the benefit of both myself and, hopefully, my readers--why I blog and what my goals in blogging are.

A quick glance at my archives will tell you that I've been doing this blogging thing for over a year now. An almost-as-quick glance will tell you that I barely wrote anything for the first five months (not that I've written very frequently since). But, as every blogger will tell you, getting a couple of regular readers has a way of motivating one to write. The topic of my very first post was similar to this one, but, as my blog has slowly developed over the last year, I perceived a need to refine and add to the points I made at that time. That fact, combined with the start of a new year (is it still new? ooh, I'm behind on my posts), seemed to present a good opportunity for me to present my vision for this blog.

Reasons for Blogging
Ultimately, as I said at the beginning of this post, I want to glorify God in my blogging. Blogging is certainly a part of the "all things" Paul tells us to do to the glory of God in 1 Corinthians 10:31. Blogging also provides several unique opportunities, including the following:

1. Unique conversations: there are many interesting and worthwhile topics that are not nearly as likely to come up in general conversation. In addition, these conversations can be continued over a period of days or weeks.

2. Unique participants: blogging is a great way of keeping in touch with people who are not geographically close. It can also facilitate conversation among a group of people that would not normally be able to come together to hold a conversation.

3. Unique opportunities to develop my writing: this one is pretty self-explanatory; I definitely don't see blogging as an excuse for sloppy writing.

4. Unique opportunities to develop my thoughts: while related to the last one because these thoughts are developed in writing, this goes beyond style and sentence structure; I have found that writing about topics which I've been thinking about brings increased cohesiveness and conclusiveness to my thoughts. Striving to write sentences and paragraphs with a logical flow forces me to work through details that I hadn't so thoroughly thought out--such as exactly why I blog.

5. Hopefully, to encourage my readers in their faith: not that I'm packed with wisdom that people have to read, merely that if I can't encourage or challenge others with what I write, I don't need to put it on my blog.

Goals for This Blog
As I said, my posts have been sporadic at best. I would like to be more regular--at least 5 or 6 posts a month. This will be a challenge, but there's no way of accomplishing a goal without setting it.

The breakdown might look something like this:
--a monthly quote
--one or two devotional-style posts
--one or two book reviews
--some posts on whatever I've been pondering

Comments
To those of you read my blog and leave feedback: thank you. I really do appreciate it. While some of this is likely an ego thing, I have found many of your comments helpful and encouraging. To be honest, I probably would've developed an acute case of NOIRSWAIWA* Syndrome and quit blogging if no one commented. To those of you who read my blog and don't leave feedback... don't be shy; I'd appreciate your feedback too.

*no-one-is-reading-so-why-am-I-writing-anyway

The Name
When I first started this blog, I wanted a name that would be both interesting and meaningful. As you can see, what I came up with was... Dord Defined. I'm not currently planning on changing the name. However, I want to take a few sentences to make sure that its intended meaning is not lost in its uniqueness/strangeness. (Do read the fascinating historical background if you haven't yet.) The definition I gave would best be understood in light of the following two Scriptures.

"Do you see a man who is wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him." (Proverbs 26:12, ESV)

"Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him." (Proverbs 29:20, ESV)

These sober me every time I read them. Proverbs contains dozens of verses on the fool. There is no doubt: a fool is definitely a terrible thing to be. Yet these verses tell us that there is more hope for a fool than for one who is wise in his own eyes or hasty in his words. I firmly believe that these warnings apply to all of life; I also believe that, in blogging, it is especially easy to be wise in my own eyes or hasty in my words. The name of my blog--and specifically the definition I wrote--serves as a not-so-subtle reminder of these truths.

Finally, a bit of recommended reading for all of my fellow bloggers: Bob Kauflin's series on Blogging to Worship God (Part I, Part II, Part III).