I constantly wrestle with what is the right tone, content, and emphasis of this blog. After every third essay I publish, I hate myself for being narcissistic. Who really wants to read my loving ode to extinct Disney attractions or my Honda Accord? Who cares—besides (maybe) my mom and grandmothers—how I feel about my inadequacies of articulation or memory? But then I think, Well, this is a personal blog. Isn’t it assumed I’ll be writing about myself? Referring back to the charter I outlined in my maiden post,

this here blog will be a place where I log the things that I’m thinking about, things that are happening in my life, things I would like to see generate some discussion, and funny videos of cats getting hurt.

Now, I’ll admit, there has been an embarrassing dearth of cats-getting-hurt videos, and indeed, anything cat-related. But I’d say the general promise from that inaugural essay is pretty much what I’ve delivered on (which just goes to show how craftily safe I played it on the campaign trail).

Feedback to a recent Facebook question assured me that my readers enjoy a more buffet-like approach (topically) to the blog, rather than a single concentration. This came as a relief—both as affirmation of the blog as it is, and because I have so much more freedom when I’m only limited by my own creativity.

Here’s the rub. The one area of my life which is, arguably (and ideally), the most significant is my faith—and that’s the one area I’ve been shy to explore on here. Partly that’s because I have a pretty diverse audience (which I am thankful for), and the rule at any polite dinner table is “no politics or religion.” I don’t want to chase any one group off by favoring a niche topic, and I especially don’t want to scare readers off with soapbox, and potentially suffocating, material.

This was never “a Christian blog,” and I don’t really want it to be. But I also feel it’s dishonest for me to muffle the most important element in my life. So how do I broach topics of cosmic and spiritual proportions without smoking out my nonreligious friends or offending my religious friends (and family) who might be shocked at my stance on various doctrinal matters? I definitely don’t want this to turn into a platform for religious debate or heated discussions, and yet I would love to stimulate deep discussion in the comments.

Yes it’s my blog, my turf, my party. I can write about anything I want. But I’d prefer not to end up standing here talking to myself.