Blogging With a Purpose

Answers for Me consists of hundreds of diverse articles from authors all over. Included are five blogs that serve up an endless variety of delightful reading adventures.

T he blogs represent a collection of five short, yet insightful windows that provide readers with insightful perspectives on everyday life that are mixed with grace, compassion, and integrity. They can be accessed here.

Blog Authors

Sponsored by the Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, the blogs are written by Jael Amador, Ph.D., Rich DuBose, M.A, Madeleine Lowe, B.A., Karen Spruill, M.A., and Pamela A. Williams, MPH, RD. Several are involved in the healing professions and hail from a variety of backgrounds.

Amador is a licensed psychologist in New York City. Spruill is a retired mental health counselor who writes from Orlando, Florida. Williams is a nutrition educator from Costa Mesa, California. Lowe is recently married and lives in the mid-western city of Indianapolis, Indiana. DuBose, a pastor and church resource developer, is unique for two reasons. First, he’s the only male among the five scribes, and second, he lives in a rural hamlet in northern California.

Each blog resonates with the voice of its respective author. Amador, Lowe, and Williams bring the specialized expertise and energy of young professionals. DuBose and Spruill write from the perspective of decades spent wrestling with issues forged at the intersection of faith and culture.  We will consider each alphabetically by blog title.

Anchor Points

Anchor Points tops the page and represents the writings of DuBose. In addition to a penchant for bringing theological issues into clear, down-to-earth focus, DuBose is also a skilled wordsmith. His writings distill deep lessons on the subtle turn of a word. Titles like “Wise Men from the West,” “Mad at Death” and “A Demon-Possessed Messiah” arrest the curiosity of readers. They draw readers in to short, captivating discussions that reveal the simplicity and beauty of eternal truths as seen through the fractured lenses of the everyday. Nowhere is that more on display than in “How to Know God,” a piece that reduces what is often considered an abstract theoretical equation to a common sense analogy that can easily be sensed and applied in daily living.

Beyond Words

The second blog on the page, Beyond Words, features photographs captured by Pamela Williams, a photographer, writer, and nutritionist from southern California. Her love for photography is coupled with scriptural insights that bring hope and healing. In the past, Williams wrote articles for a blog titled, Second Thoughts, that feature her expertise and interests in health. Her articles can still be accessed in Second Thoughts” under the “Blogs” tab.

Crossings

Maddie Lowe, a young adult from North Dakota, who currently lives in Indiana, shares her everyday joys, struggles, and spiritual discoveries in her Crossings blog. Each life stage has its challenges and delights which Maddie transparently shares along the way. You will also enjoy some devotional thoughts mixed in from her father, Michael Temple.

In Between

In her blog, In Between, Amador blends equal parts whimsy and spirituality. One article, “The Agitator,” asks if readers know the names of three common items: the dot over the letter “i,” the metal eraser holder at the end of a pencil, or the tiny groove running from the bottom of their noses to the tops of their lips. After naming them, Amador reveals that the large column inside a washing machine is called an agitator. She writes that without one a washing machine is useless. Its function is to jostle wet clothes against other clothing to dislodge dirt and grime. She adds that agitators can’t withstand the weight of a four-year-old child attempting to recreate the Magic Kingdom teacup ride. Amador ends with a statement that God often agitates our lives to achieve His purpose.

Life Notes

Spruill’s blog, Life Notes, accords with her stated purpose in writing it. She observes that there is always good, solid wisdom to be discovered by wading through the mundane and ordinary. “Profound is usually smiling just below the surface of daily ritual,” she says, “waiting for those three seconds of wholehearted awareness we’re capable of. This is where God often speaks uninterruptedly. And this is where I like most to listen, and on a good day, take notes.” In articles like “Show us the Father,” “Asking Why?” and “Prejudice,” Spruill opens the pages of her notes and lets readers peer into her own struggles for authentic faith and openness as a child of God. Unlike her three fellow authors, she often ends her reflections with a brief, life-application section.

Different Viewpoints

Some readers may have a preference or affinity for one author over the others. Conversely, they may find that each different viewpoint offers something valuable.

Taken together, the 240-plus articles and vignettes are something like a jar full of tasty and practical spiritual vitamins.

Or better yet, a box of delicious chocolates that are also very good for you.

James Ponder writes from Southern California.

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