I stumbled on a blog challenge: write about blogs that inspire. Hmmm
Do blogs inspire me, comfort me, annoy me, challenge me ...? In thinking about it I struggle with the concept of "inspires". The blogs that really impact me ... now "impact", there's something I can get my teeth into. But inspire me ... not really! But, but ... perhaps its how I read the word "inspire"? Does inspire mean that it prompts one to take it as a foundation to build further, as a catalyst to something greater and higher, but not negating the source? Or do I take inspire to mean that it gets me off my backside to do something, anything? I think inspire for me is more of the latter, for then its the blog that challenges, that makes me engage my mind, causes me to wrestle with a difficult subject, or even evokes a responsive cry of "No, I disagree because ..." -- there's real inspiration for me. That's what my hunger is; blogs that change the way I think, not blogs that package me in cotton wool. Blogs that challenge my perceptions, blogs that say "Hey, are you sure you've reasoned it out correctly?" Blogs that inspire new perspectives. Such impact can from many sources; for me, images and music are two of the most powerful. For example, I look at the image above and my mind starts to run away with thoughts. Or I can listen to a piece of music, such as Don Chaffer singing I'm amazed by life and it's amazed by me we're a strange old pair me and eternity and before I know it I've lost 10 minutes of my life as my mind follows the rabbit trail of thoughts. I've been "inspired". But which blogs ... inspiring/impacting blogs? Like images and music, it's the challenge posed by the writing, when it turns ideas around and shows me a different face. The epitome for me is G.K. Chesterton. I can't read his "Orthodoxy" without marking or highlighting passages on nearly every single page (and yes, I DO mark my books!). As I read, each phrase is like cresting a ridge and seeing a new vista. Do I find many blogs like that? Well, not at the Chesterton-level of inspiration, but (t)here are some. Note: I don't have to agree with a blog to benefit from a blog, so in that vein let me cite the following: At one end of the spectrum are the "professional" blogs such as Patheos and the multiple Christianity Today blogs like Her.meneutics. Then there's the middle ground of story telling blogs; consider Donald Miller's Storyline blog. From there all the way across to the smaller personal blogs like sowhatimachgristianteen. In parallel are the science blogs like realclimate, and then there's physics, and xkcd's Whatif. Many more besides, but in common they all stop me in my tracks and make me say hmmmm.
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A fellow book-marker. When I open a book I read long ago, it's like going "home" to find those familiar passages marked and noted. There are so many quotes by Chesterton that inspire and move me, that change my perspective and cause me to shift my perspective from this life, to live with a loving Savior all over again. I'm interested to go take a look at some of the blogs that you have listed here. Thank you for joining us at The Loft!
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Why?
Probably the best therapy is to express yourself. Why do you think psychiatrists make you lie on the couch and talk, while all they do is murmur "hmmm", "uhuh", or "go on"? Archives
May 2017
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