The following is an excerpt from an essay I submitted for the Blogging Essay Contest at WeblogToolsCollection.

I would appreciate your perspective on the essay. You can read the full version of Discernment in the Blogdom of God* at WeblogToolsCollection.

Please rate the essay using the star system at WeblogToolsCollection. The essay competition will be judged primarily on the input from readers like you.

The world of faith blogs is fascinating in its depth; and in what it, as a tool, can allow you to accomplish.

Faith blogging has unlocked the world of faith to seekers and researchers in levels unprecedented since the great efforts at Christian evangelization that occurred between the 15th and 18th century.

There are several aspects to this depth.

The Personal and Public Nature of Faith Blogging

As with any spiritual experience, the practice of blogging starts with oneself. Whether you are a recent convert, on fire for the faith, or a wizened philosopher, the message of faith in the realm of blogs most directly relates to opening yourself up —“ of sharing your personal faith journey.

Faith, at an essential level, is about fostering change. It is about self reflection, your relationship to the world, your fellow man, and to the metaphysical reality that exists beyond you and me.

The journey of faith often begins with a conversion experience. Whether one is a lifelong believer or new to faith, there is a moment at which the choice of faith, of believing, becomes real. After that moment, that conversion experience, you have to decide what you are going to do with your newfound joy.

If the choice comes down to staying where you are, being what you are, or evolving, of what Orthodox Christianity calls Theosis —“ coming into an ultimate unity with God (in a sense), the only choice is to evolve. Blogging is an effective tool in that process. It allows an opportunity to analyze where you have been and where you are going. It becomes a journal of the soul’s journey.

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How do we live, how do we change, how to we evangelize? In the midst of all that, how do we live our faith commitment in such a way as to avoid being pulled down? Blogging offers a tool to meet those challenges. Like any tool it may be used for right or wrong purposes. If used properly, it can help you get there; it can help you in becoming a saint.