To the Readers of My Blog

As of yesterday, one hundred people have signed up to follow my blog through Google Friend Connect. I don't know very many of them in "real life." I learned, today: I don't know many of them even in the blogosphere.

The following thing is strange. Some people follow through Google Friend Connect. Some people follow through Networked Blogs. Some people follow through both. Some people follow through e-mail or possibly another means. Of those who follow, some read, and some don't.

Some people don't technically follow but do read. They click over from facebook, or perhaps they have my blog bookmarked and simply check in from time to time. Others hit upon a specific post through a search engine.

The point is: I rarely know who's actually reading unless (s)he comments. I've made a few friends in the blogosphere, but I'm not sure how many of the people who read my blog have blogs that I read. I'm thinking (based upon the time I spent visiting Google Friend Connect folks, today) that ("mutual") number is much smaller than I'd thought.

I haven't been shy about my main objective in blogging, which is to write things down for my kids. But the fact of the matter is: the interactive nature of blogging fuels my writing. I'm here because you're here.

If you're following through Google Friend Connect or Networked Blogs and have a blog, I'll be coming around to visit. I made a point of visiting some of your blogs, today, and I felt sad and sorry for having never visited, before.

It was sobering to nose around and realize: some followers of my blog face tremendous challenges. I met a follower who has brain cancer. I met a follower with an injured back. I met a follower whose son has seizures. I met a follower whose daughter has Smith-Magenis Syndrome. I don't know which of these have actually been reading my words, but I felt compelled to pray for each of them, today, in addition to the follower who's about to be published and the one who writes in a language so foreign I couldn't even determine what it was.

And I'm going to be doing more of this. I'm certain the Lord wants this of me. It's lovely to be small because I can visit your blog. I can pray for you by name. And I will.

If you'd like me to visit your blog but are not following through Google Friend Connect or Networked Blogs, please follow...or at least say, "Hi." If you're a reader but not a blogger, please say, "Hi," especially if there's something I can pray for you. If you feel uncomfortable commenting, feel free to send an e-mail to normalgirl (at) hotmail (dot) com. Just put Smooth Stones in the subject line so I'm sure to see your e-mail. 

I don't know where my blog posts go when they're e-mailed, but--if you'd like to receive my words via e-mail (instead of coming to this site to read them)--you may sign up over on the right.

May God bless each of you. I pray you find something of worth in or through this space.