...and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight [Psalm 19:14].
I like to think about things.
That trait has been with me since a very early age. In fact, there was a time in Jr. High where I had already thought about every topic that was brought up around me. I felt pretty smug about that, but I think I was pretty smug about a lot of things in my early years.
And today.
But as I've gotten older, I have found that I don't have concrete nor concise thoughts on a great many subjects. And I think about quite a few more that I don't think others are necessarily comfortable discussing. And this poses a problem for me as a blogger in the homeschooling world: How do I write things that aren't going to bother people unnecessarily? How do I link to things?
This came up today because I read a post that I found very interesting. So I felt like I should share it considering it really was another "post of note." But now it is staring at me in the "Other Posts of Note" section on my sidebar there, and I wonder, How will people respond when they see an article titled In Defense Of Halloween on this blog?
I mean, sure, I didn't write the thing, nor did I make any comment as to how right or wrong I thought it was, but by sharing it from this blog, someone could easily get upset. So then I think that I should probably comment on why I shared it, but then I also think, Come on, people need to grow up. If they don't want to read it, don't read it. I'm not making you. But then I immediately realize how immature of a response that is. Why so defensive? Probably because I'm anticipating an attack.
And so my head turns.
I don't have this problem on my personal blog (as much). There I talk about what I'm thinking about no matter what the content matter. But here--and in everything else I produce for Sonlight--I am held to another standard. I have to play to the strictest sensibility of propriety... within reason.
But I've been allowed to be myself, find my own voice, and speak truthfully on this blog. This is not a place for Sonlight marketing and polishing. This is me, Luke Holzmann, talking about my thoughts on Sonlight and homeschooling.
But my thoughts will reflect on Sonlight, whether we are in agreement or not.
And that is a burden I've known is there, but am feeling more acutely today. I have recently not linked to posts that I thought were interesting (or funny) due to mild profanity and potentially questionable photographs (of children, no less).
[Pardon me while I smirk. Okay, I'm back.]
After letting this mull around in the back of my mind, I have come to a thought, a prayer, a hope that I do my best live out in my writing. It is a cry that I quoted at the start of this post:
May the words of my posts and the links from this blog be acceptable in Your sight, oh Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.
Now I'm very interested in your thoughts.
~Luke Holzmann
Filmmaker, Writer, Expectant Father
Mary Grace,
Keeping an eye out for not getting caught up in details. That's a good reminder. Cool verse, I'll need to let that one bump around in my mind for a while.
And may this year be "just right" for you and your October festivities... whatever they may be <smile>. Thanks so much for sharing!
~Luke
As another self-admitted thinker of many thoughts, I find that I often get too wrapped in the details. When I am still and patient, God gives me glimpses of the big picture--which is, ultimately, HIS Big Picture, kwim? One of the verses I keep in several spots throughout my home is Jeremiah 12:5--"If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out,
how can you compete with horses?
If you stumble in safe country,how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?" Good perspective, isn't it?
As for Halloween, we have run the gamut throughout the years. Celebrating it. Defending it. Ignoring it. Redeeming it. Using it as an outreach opportunity. I still can't say that I have any real peace over what to do with it; what feels right one year inevitably seems wrong the next. Is this me being subject to the whims of church culture? I don't know. Maybe *this* year I'll pull a Goldilocks and get it just right.
Kate, I agree. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts.
Renae, yes, the fact that little eyes may be reading is a major consideration for what I include in all my blogs. I do my best to let people/parents know before they land somewhere that wouldn't be good for them.
Jenny, you're hysterical! Love ya!
Wendy, always glad to hear your perspective. Love your insights.
Ganeida, it sounds like you know a lot more than I <smile>. It sounds like you've done more research on the subject than I have. I always like other perspectives so I can reconsider my own. Thanks for commenting!
Thanks again all of you!
~Luke
Luke, my area of interest historcally is the Celts & so I know quite a bit about the theories of what & how Samhein was practised & am just glad I live in a country where this particular festival is not practised. That the church routinely absorbed pagan practises into the new order is not to its credit ~ but hey, what do I know?
Luke, we were cut from the same cloth. I am such a thinker. If I don't have something to think about, I'm bored. My husband and I debate if its possible to stop thinking-he claims he can do it (and I believe him at times, lol).
I've also thought over many things and have to be careful of pride. Ouch. However, the older I get, the more I realize my firm answers may not really be so firm...
As bloggers, we all wonder about our content. Once I hear someone else is reading my blog (someone local) I wonder if I should change my style or content. It's a constant struggle.
As for Halloween, we don't do it b/c we see it as a day that celebrates darkness. We have friends that do celebrate it. No big deal. Our original due date for this baby was Oct 31. God made Oct 31st, too. It is our heart God is after, so if we smuggly don't practice Halloween are we any better off?
Let's be fair. If Justin is allowed to put his undies on DVD, you should have permission to add a defense of Halloween to your posts of note. ;)
I appreciate finding articles that make me think whether I agree with everything or not. You set the tone for the way the links are shared. If you are not giving them a hearty endorsement, there is quite a bit of leeway for various opinions.
Amy's Humble Musings has a nice idea. She has a separate discussion page for the links she shares.
Personally, I try not to link to sites containing profanity because my children may read my blog. They haven't recently (the coolness factor has worn off), but other young bloggers have visited.
Luke,
You really answered your own question with the verse you opened with. Psalm 19:14 is a great measuring rod.
To me, (a seven year Sonlight customer) Sonlight's greatest strength is its global perspective. I personally love that the books we read each year challenge us to THINK, to consider where we stand on issues, to figure out to defend our position and sometimes... to even change our minds.
To know where people are coming from, how they think, why they think what they do gives me a sympathy, an understanding, a starting place for interaction. I think the ability to raise questions and present issues in a concerned manner on this blog fits in perfectly with the Sonlight's heart for ALL people.
It's always a temptation to be pleasers of men rather than God. The religious culture that I see around me today is really not much different than it was during the days of the pharisees. As a body we are quick to draw lines around what's acceptable and what isn't. We put major emphasis on outward appearances and have made abortion and homosexuality the poster children for sin. But we forget that our own personal issues with pride and family relationships and materialism are equally grievous to our Father. We're such inconsistent creatures.
So when you choose what to post in your sidebar, strive to please God, not His finicky creation.
Kate