Why This Blog? A Driving Passion:

Since the creation of this blog, there's been quite a bit of interest in it by many who are excited about this ministry of bringing Christians together. Others, however, have remained strangely silent on the issue, perhaps pondering over questions they're afraid to ask. In this post I'll try to answer some of those questions and help you understand the driving force behind Thoughts Of The Heart.

Question 1: "Why would anyone create a blog with the primary purpose of letting others fill it?"

Answer: Somebody needs to do it, so why not me? The driving force behind this blog is a calling God placed within me several months ago to minister to others via the internet. In addition, I've seen many Christians who have found the support they desperately needed via the posts and devotions written by fellow believers around the globe, not to mention the incredible blessing of email (think of the saved time, as well as postage!).

Question #2: If believers have already found the support they need, why create this blog? After all, there are plenty of Christian blogs out there, as we all know, so why this one?

Answer: While I agree the internet has been useful to many Christians (myself included), I also believe its biggest potential has been left largely untapped. That potential lies in the fact that many Christian believers love God, but don't speak English. Even if they do, they may not feel comfortable enough with their ability to write it to post their thoughts or begin a blog of their own. My hope is to recruit capable volunteers who would be willing to help translate, confidentially when requested, the thoughts of overseas Christians from their native language (or a mixture of that language and English) into a post that most people with only a basic knowledge of English could understand. This way every Christian has equal opportunity to share what God has laid upon their hearts regarding matters of life, living, and love for God, as well as how all three are connected and how they cannot separated from each other.

Question #3: Okay, that sounds nice, but how can you be sure others will understand the posts?

Answer: The average American Christian (myself included) has developed the habit of using "Christianese" terms that are difficult for unbelievers or new Christians to understand. Even those who speak English as their native tongue struggle with some of the words commonly heard in churches. Thus, an essential requirement for posts on this blog would be to cut out those terms that aren't easily understood by others with only a basic ability to understand English. This is a place where anyone with a God-given passion for ministry may post about it. It's also a place for those with a vision for new ministry may test the waters with other Christians who are on the cutting edge of what God is doing in His church and around the globe. It is a place where those who post can expect honest and constructive feedback from brothers and sisters around the world. All posts will be backed by Scripture, either in the post itself or by emailing those who help to administer the blog. If anything is felt to be unscriptural, let us know; we'll pray about it and do our best to work things out in accordance to God's will as written in His Word, the Bible.

Ultimately, each person must seek God's will for him/herself regarding involvement in this ministry. If any of you have thoughts you'd like to have posted about any aspect of the Christian life, feel free to email them to me or leave them in a comment to any recent post. Also, any suggestions or feedback about this ministry would be greatly appreciated. I'm just getting started with this and can use all the godly advice I can get. If any of you have further questions about this ministry, please email me and I'll be glad to post the answers. Also, short devotionals will be coming soon, as a few things are already in the works. However, it is my desire to see a majority of posts on this blog written by other Christians. So step right up, there's no need to fear. I've already taken the first step, so as I've heard my pastor say in asking questions to a shy congregation, "Who wants to be second?" *Grin* God bless you all, and have a great week.

With love in our Lord,
Brooke