Blogging, Openness and Accountability

My last post was a little too personal from what I found out from some other regular readers of my blog. One of the things with blogging is that one that writes really puts themselves out there for anyone to read and write a comment. Most people make fun of bloggers that we are "anonymous" and "hide behind our keyboards." While I agree with that to some point, I have done everything personally to allow anyone to find out anything that they would like to know about me so that I am in no way an impersonal or anonymous writer.

This is what makes my blogging experience a little different than some other bloggers who refuse to allow people to know who they are. They will say that they remain anonymous and that one should still listen to their arguments because what they say is more important than who they are. I would have to disagree with that as a whole.

When I write a blog, my good friend and associate pastor and his wife both get emailed each blog post to read if they desire. My pastor checks in on my blog from time to time and a lot of people from my church also check into my blog to see what I am writing about and also to learn more on the wide variety of subjects that I write on.

Because of this, I have to be careful what I write and how I write because I have some accountability with what I write and the tone that I use while responding to people. It has been funny in the past when I blast an "anonymous" comment to find out later that it was someone from my church. They laugh at it and it has been no big deal, but it also makes me think twice before calling someone a whackjob in need of a straight jacket. Although this might be true for some in my church, I still need to be careful in telling them that truth. :)

Without this accountability I could run my mouth and treat people however I decided without a care because no one could call me out on it if I decided to be less than truthful or a little too harsh.

Quite the opposite I have found many friends who read my articles in many place across the globe and will call me out if I sound a little too harsh or haughty in my actions. This, frankly, is what I need.

I want to stop and thank the three commenters who wrote to tell me that my last post was a little too close to home and one that I need to deal with away from the blogosphere. These three are people who are not from my church, but are those who read my blog on a regular basis and said that my post was more of an emotional rant from an angry person than a gentle reproof or discussion topic. After reading my post again and again...I agreed.

I will be trying to deal with the subject matter that I posted on personally, apart from the blogosphere and ask for your prayers on this subject. But, I wanted to thank you guys/gal for putting your statements bluntly as you know that is how I work and exactly what I needed.

I work a little different than most others. If I am wrong, I will admit it. If I am right...I will let you know. I don't beat around the bush and I don't expect my friends too either. Some have had to get used to this, others have just known me for so long that they are the same as I am.

In the end, I am glad that I am kept accountable on my blog from more than just my friends. I am glad that I kept accountable from my church and also from my other readers who are able to "get to know me" in other ways because they know my identity and I am not just some anonymous writer getting away with anything that I please. If you stay anonymous, you can write whatever you like and rarely will close friends admonish you to say something differently or more humbly. On the other side, the more people know you, the more likely they are to know that you are open and honest about criticism and aren't afraid of being admonished by others.

I hope that I will continue blogging, but I am just not sure at this point if I will continue. I put on my facebook status that I might hang it up, but many of my friends called me a quitter and told me to get over it...which made me laugh, so I probably won't quit.

As far as my readership goes, I am glad to have people come on here and tell me that I am crazy, or that I need to take posts down, etc. It does help me be more careful and humble in the topics and the way that I write.

I hope that you have a blessed weekend and I pray that I will continue to find a good medium in writing, exhortation, honesty and admonition.

Praise God that he is more patient than me.