Crossed The Blogger

JP from Return of the Prodigal Blogger tagged me with these questions. Here goes:

1. How did you start blogging?
I never intended to blog. Being a musician and part time physician took up most of my time. It started accidentally. I was visiting with my extended family and got into a discussion over Catholicism. I later received an e-mail from one of the family members present excoriating my wife and I for our decision to convert. It contained the usual mis-conceptions, bad history and fundamentalist *mythology* regarding the Catholic faith. Even more surprising and sad was that it was from a person with a good heart and good mind, as is often the case.
It prompted me to answer his objections and misconceptions one by one. I may have had my testimony of conversion already blogged, I can't remember but, I decided that it was necessary for me to attempt to make a defense of the faith for those who had never heard the "real story."
I had gone 30 years as an evangelical having never heard an apology for the Catholic faith and my intention is to not let that happen to someone else. The internet is an excellent tool to share the faith since there are so many people on line these days.


2. Did you intend to have a blog with a big following?
No, I didn't, and didn't really understand the whole process when I started. My intention was to share my story of conversion and experiences as a Catholic Christian to the many people who would never ask me directly. Little did I know there's only about 5000 other Catholics out there doing the same thing!
I usually don't have that "big" a following unless one of my posts is picked up by another blogger that is heavily "trafficked." I find it curious that certain non-Catholic Christians who are hostile to "all things Catholic" have links to my blog! If one of their readers is directed to my page, then Praise God!

3. What do you hope to achieve or accomplish with your blog? Have you been successful? I often look to St. Frances DeSales as my role model. Despite being handicapped by the lack of internet access, he was able to win 60,000 Catholics back to the faith by his handwritten tracts, sermons and heroic faith dedicated to Christ. My hope is that by the grace of God, my blog will point some back to the Church and hopefully bring them home. It is frightening though because we will be held responsible for every word typed and we will all have to give an account for our blogged words someday. Sometimes, I wish I could have a good theologian looking over my shoulder as I type, to make sure I don't write anything that is not solid Catholic teaching. It's a bigger responsibility than many of us realize.
I think I have been successful in getting many people peeved at me! But seriously, a highlight for me was when I received a comment from a student at Virginia Tech thanking me for the prayers and telling me had had been reading my blog for awhile and was seriously considering Catholicism.

4. Has the focus of your blog changed since you started blogging? How?
Maybe a bit. Besides the apologetic-type posts (which get old after awhile, I mean, how many times have I written "Catholics don't worship idols?") I also focus on topics that converts and reverts find helpful or humorous. Quite frankly, living a Catholic life is so counter-culture that we are constantly faced with incredulity and derision so the blogosphere forms a nice supportive community. A "virtual 12 step support group." LOL

5. What do you know now that you wish you'd known when you started?
How much hostility was out there. Whew! I don't publish every comment that I receive.
6. Do you make money with your blog?
No, I actually lose moneywith my blog because I should be spending the blog time marketing and promoting my music career! The Cafe Press thing has made zero so far and I am giving that money to Catholic Charities anyway.

7. Does your immediate or extended family know about your blog? If so, do they read it? If not, why? My brother's son-in-law who inspired the whole thing used to go to it, but doesn't anymore after getting peeved by some of my posts. Unless of course he is the silent reader from Helsinki or the Korea (Man, do I have a lot of readers in Korea!)

I initially was impressed with how many people across the world were reading my blog until I realized they were just masking their ISP's by cloaking software. Well, on second thought, maybe my blog is a huge hit in Latvia and Gdansk!
So no, I don't think anyone from my family reads it. My enthusiasm for Catholicism has not been widely shared by family. (Except for Prodigal Daughter of course)

8. What two pieces of advice would give to a new blogger?

Here's more than 2:
Pray before you type, I often don't. Did you have your quiet time before you blogged?
God first, family second, career/job third, blog "ministry" last. None of our blogs are so important that the world will end if we don't post!
Keep your computer in a public place, keep accountability software on it at all times, invite your spouse/friends to read your browser history. Too easy to be lead to badness on the net.
Finally, when on your honeymoon, it's probably best not to blog! (Japhy)