Why this and not Facebook?

My friend, Rafe, at school, asked me this question when I excitedly told him I had started a blog. I had made a big deal of quitting Facebook back in June; I didn't really even tell anybody, I just quit. My friends told me that there were a few other girls with my name on there, but that it just wasn't the same as being friends with me. :) Haha.

So here's what had happened. Facebook had made me feel too important. WAY more important than I actually am. Let's face it; I am a vapor. Constantly updating my Facebook status, and trying to reduce my feelings, emotions, thoughts, day-to-day routines and events into pithy, clever statements gave me an extremely overinflated sense of self. I thought constantly of ways to let people know what I was doing and how I was feeling. It was an idol big-time, as well as a huge prism for pride. It was bad. Not that it's bad for everyone, or anyone; I'm just saying that this is what I felt and thought about it. Facebook was part of me being someone I didn't want to be, so I quit. My husband, wonderful man that he is, quit with me to support me. I told him over and over again that he didn't need to, but he said that the last thing he wanted to do was cause me to stumble by saying, "Hey did you see the picture's on so-and-so's Facebook...oh...right...

That's the other part of the Facebook equation. It's not just about you; it's about everyone else. All their stuff, all their business. Pictures, their statuses, friends, networks, fans. I started checking Facebook every spare chance I had, no matter what I was doing, on the off chance that someone I went to high school with had posted a random picture without me knowing about it. It literally consumed me. Now, to my credit, I became addicted when I was on maternity leave and needed to feel connected with the outside world. It was just too much for me. I think it was Calvin who said that the heart is an "idol factory," and Facebook for me was a huge source of idolatry.

So, how is a blog different? That's a legitimate question, because at face value, a blog seems even more self-centered than a social networking profile. Well, here are some of my differences. This whole post is probably pretty controversial, and you may agree, disagree or come up with more reasons than I have here.

• There's more writing involved in a blog. My best friend, when she read my blog, laughed and said I was such an English teacher. I asked her what that meant, and she said it wasn't bad, but that the way I write is just so me. Honestly, I like to write, and having a blog gives me sufficient motivation to do so. And I can actually write, and not feel pressured to boil my whole life into the predicate of a sentence. It also gives me a lens through which to consider my life and God moving and shaping my life. I am more mindful of spare moments that I might be able to harness a thought or two for the blog.
• It gives me motivation to take pictures. Let's be honest, we haven't taken pictures of Charlotte as frequently as we have in the past week. Going to Staunton and the prosthetics place, I never would have brought the camera. By no means do I consider myself a photographer (see Shannon's blog for that), but I like having a reason to take pictures. Not only that, it's nice for the out-of-town family who miss Charlotte and want to see what she's up to.
• Christ is more present. He just is. From the name of my blog, to the blogs I follow, I hope to honor and glorify my Lord and Savior through all my actions including this blog. If I can encourage a fellow believer, motivate or spur on a sister in Christ, witness to someone who's lost or help someone in my similar position cope all in the sweet name of Jesus, then Hallelujah! After all, that's the purpose of us vapors: to glorify and magnify Christ. May I do that in all things, but especially in this blog.

Soli Deo Gloria!