As for seeing the fruits of one’s labor, one may spend a lifetime toiling in the master’s garden and see nothing apparently come of it, yet unbeknownst to them the results are pouring in.

The book “Thru Gates of Splendor” by Elizabeth Elliot may have been around for a few decades, but it will never lose its impact. La Shawn, hopefully sooner than later, you’ll get to meet her on one circuit or another.

Ciao.

I already commented above, but tonight as I was writing a new post on my blog, I was reminded of this post and I linked to it.

Check it out if you can!

Thanks again for your inspiring words.

In Him,

Alex

I saw you the other day on CSPAN with Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson and his New Black Vanguard Conference. You did an amazing job. I’m glad you got to go visit Grace Community Church. John MacArthur is amazing. I’m a big fan of his. How is your sister doing there??? I hope things are going well for her. Well, keep up the good work.

Take care and God Bless,

Aaron

I nominate you as the first woman representative for a panel discussion at the next GodBlogCon 2006!

In Christ,
Christine

Sounds like the Con was great. Your comments were certainly refreshing.

Thanks so much,
Marilynn

Thanks for the plug of my blog.

Fred
Hip and Thigh

I was reading through the comments on my way to leaving you a comment of my own, when I read Alex’s comment. He said what I wanted to say. Probably better.

Before GBC, you were a link on Hugh Hewitt’s blogroll and words on a screen to me. Good words, but words nonetheless. Now you are a whole person to me, a woman of warmth and a ready smile and a quiet spirit (or was the quietness just the jetlag?).

I want to thank you for baring yourself in this post, because I need the reminders (often) of my weaknesses. Seeing them under your name is like looking into a mirror of my own sins. How terrible it is to see my sins named, but how good God is to give us the reminder that we share both our fallenness and our salvation. We are not alone.

If you’d like a devotional, I’m one of the “Bakers” over at thebreadblog.blogspot.com, and that’s where I do most of my self-baring.

Thanks for your link to my blog. I hope to meet you again in person sometime, maybe at GBC ’06.

Lashawn Barber wrote a post about being a Christian blogger:

Weaknesses discovered through blogging? Various answers: the need to be liked, to be recognized as a great writer at the expense of our purpose as Christian bloggers, un-Christ-like response…

During one of the plenary sessions at GodBlodCon, a question was raised about the lack of women bloggers represented, but as one of the few women present, you seem quite unperturbed by the discussion. Someone mentioned the idea that women possibly tend to do more “devotional” type blogging, and I remember hearing you say something to the effect that maybe you could use a little more of those type of links on your blog, and to send them your way . I admired that you diffused potential controversy with a humble admission of your own need.

The question of what is appropriate self-revelation on a blog was raised at another point during the conference, and Andrew Jackson wisely responded that the blogosphere is probably not the best place to air personal struggles, except in a general way. Yet perhaps more transparency, of the type you’re modeling on your post, is really needed.

It was a pleasure meeting you, and I appreciate your mentioning my blog in your post as well.

Thanks for being “real”. May God continue to shape you, and at the same time, expand your influence.

Alex

BTW- when I noticed the article on CNN earlier and I thought I saw you in the background of the photo they used? here’s the link.

Anywho, thanks again for the honest thoughts.

“Spirituality is not superiority. It (being a Christian) doesn’t mean we are better then someone else. We are better than the devil (Acts 2:21) We are better than our circumstances (John 16:33) and we are better then our past (2nd Corinthians 5:17). But we are not called by God to be better then others. When you are trying to be superior to others you are in the flesh.”
-Pastor Gregory Dickow

I had signed up to go, but then had some conflicts, so it’s helpful to read about what you experienced.

There is a temptation toward pride in writing something for the world to see. Recognition brings its own reward, it seems.

There’s a corollary temptation, though, to not write just because of how it opens us up to criticism. I want to be liked (recognized), and I want to be liked (not criticized)–both the same temptation.

Thankfully we’re both “fallen but forgiven”.

Thanks for sharing your life.

Rudy Antle

La Shawn,
I think your most powerful posts are your Christian POV posts. Your straight political rants are spot on, but as you realized a few weeks ago, they drain you. Contrarily, when you address social issues in the context of God’s word, it energizes you and us too.

GBC sounds like it was a powerful event. Thanks for sharing the experience with us, and I look forward to follow-up posts.