How did I choose the name "in all honesty?" I went to bed last October thinking about a name for my new blog, and woke up with the words "in all honesty" echoing around my brain! Nothing like sleep to inspire the mind.
But people are constantly fascinated by honesty. So here's the Q & A about this topic from the interview about blogging I did recently.
Your blog is called “in all honesty” and from reading it regularly I can say that it is exceptionally honest. What was the catalyst for committing to this angle for your bog?
I have never had a problem with honesty. I’m sure there must be some darker motives behind my honesty, like a quest for affirmation. But honesty has always been one of the ways I encourage people, whether I’m meeting one-on-one or leading a seminar. You can’t expect people to open up to you if you’re not open with them.
And it’s just so important that Christians learn to be honest with one another, otherwise we will spend our whole lives thinking no-one else struggles, or doubts, or fears like we do. Honesty undercuts hypocrisy, which we are very good at: we argue in the car on the way to church, then sit there like the perfect couple or family, while everyone wonders why everyone else’s relationships are better than theirs.
But the main reason for honesty is that Christianity is all about grace. I want to be honest about my sin and struggles, so I can show God’s strength in my weakness, and the forgiveness and hope God has given me, which are available to everyone through Christ.
Do you ever feel vulnerable blogging about personal issues and ones that impact on your husband and children?
Absolutely! Although I have learnt to be very, very careful when posting things about other people. I don’t mention people’s names any more without asking them first; I get my husband to read anything about him before I post it; and I don’t post stories about my kids if I think they would be embarrassed to read them when they’re older.
As for my own honesty – well, that’s up to me – but I have found that vulnerability comes at a high price. It can leave me feeling very, very scared and alone, very fearful of what people will think of me. For a while, coping with all these new feelings made me quite depressed. But I am learning when and how to be vulnerable, and it affects me less with time. And if this is part of the cost of encouraging people, I am prepared to pay that price – it’s easier for me than it would be for someone who’s naturally more reserved.
What topics won’t you blog about?
That’s a tough one. Certainly nothing that may prove embarrassing to others: not everyone wants their private thoughts and feelings splattered across the internet. That’s a lesson I learned the hard way. Nothing clearly marked “private,” and I’ll leave private exactly what lies behind that door!
Look for the rest of the interview in the May issue of RedWhiteYou. Susan interviewed my bloggy friend Nicole from 168 hours as well, so you'll find her answers there too!
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