Sending a BIG HUG to all my blogger friends and blog followers! I cannot describe how you encourage me.

Not that long ago, blogging was an unknown medium to me. It is a world that has slowly opened up to me as a result of being introduced to well-known blogger Frank Viola on frankviola.org by my husband. It’s a long story short, but very basically, through reading Frank’s books, my husband and I found ourselves in touch with one of Frank’s colleagues, Milt Rodriguez who also has a blog called therebuilders.org. (There you will find any number of life-giving podcasts on the Lord and His Eternal Purpose).

Subsequently, after two years of knowing Milt and his wife Mary personally, and of following Frank’s blog, about a year ago another bunch of bloggers appeared on my radar, 3rdrace.org. These brothers and sisters are workers being trained by Milt & Mary, in the planting of churches that are organic expressions of Christ, with no other foundation than Christ Jesus. I started following their blog and found my heart indescribably strengthened and filled with joy in knowing this incredible Jesus of ours. Even today, when I get an alert of a new post, I get so excited! “Yay – it’s more of Jesus!” I say.

And then I found others. I was beginning to see there is a whole bunch of brothers and sisters out there in cyberspace who are voices crying out in the wilderness. I was inspired and felt led by the Lord and encouraged by other significant folks in my life, to also start blogging.

How has blogging changed my life?

As I meditate on the Lord and abide in Him daily (and 3rdrace.org have an amazing series on abiding in Christ through Andrew Murray’s book of the same title), I need an outlet. Although I am part of a small ekklesia where I live and where we experience beautiful expressions of the Lord together, we are often kept apart by distance. So being able to ‘share’ Christ in this way has been an incredible experience!

Not only has my exploration of Christ been expanded, but I see He is bigger and more colourful through all the many members of His body, than I ever knew! I feel so ‘encouraged’ –  I can’t think of a better word. I’m encouraged that I am not alone, I have genuine brothers and sisters who have so much of Christ living in them, from all over the world, being expressed through their unique lives, and I can receive and touch Christ simply by reading what they have to say. This is because they write with the life of God that is inside of them. They draw from the well daily that is Jesus Christ and that well NEVER runs dry.

To date, I have 27 followers who I love and cherish and pray for. I don’t know why they (you :-)) follow my blog, I can only imagine they may experience even just a little bit of that same encouragement and body life that I experience. Now, I visit the blogs of those who follow my blog, and I find such rich insights and vision into the Lord’s Eternal Purpose of having Christ truly and organically expressed through His many membered body here on earth. How wonderful to receive Christ through so many members, each offering a unique aspect of the Lord’s character. No longer do we need to be limited to just one man or woman from a pulpit! (maybe that’s for another blog? – though there are a lot of blog posts out there on this subject).

I read the comments made by others on all these other blog sites and I find more brothers and sisters! What an ENORMOUS body of believers Jesus has! And found in so many obscure pockets in the world.

Brothers and sisters, blogger, followers of my blog, readers, friends – I want to thank you from a very deep place inside of me, for being vessels of the Lord’s life to me. Your blog posts, comments, ‘likes’, your prayers, your support, your love, your vision of Christ, your struggles, your faith, your courage, your pursuit of Christ…..I am so grateful.

I never understood why as Christians we are often encouraged to blog/write. Now I know why.

If you’re a believer into Christ, and you feel isolated and alone in your journey, unable to fellowship in a face-to-face community, I pray this post encourages you. I too encourage you to start blogging, even if you don’t publish until if and when you feel ready.

I know Frank Viola is shortly releasing a new online program to connect believers who want to pursue the Lord in a deeper way, and who are lacking that face-to-face community with those of like mind. If you are interested, you may want to check it out here at www.thedeeperchristianlife.com.

May the Lord Jesus continue to live in and through His body and bind us together, across distant lands and over vast oceans, with His own love.