<a href="http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/2295293101_6e8f8f11a9.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-272" title="2295293101_6e8f8f11a9" src="http://www.halfwaytonormal.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/2295293101_6e8f8f11a9.jpg" alt="" width="462" height="308" /></a>
<h5 style="padding-left: 300px;">Photo by <a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/66176388@N00/">Mark Robinson</a></h5>
Probably the single most gratifying thing about my blogging experience, so far, has been the wide variety of readers I have, not the <em>number</em> of readers.

Some of my readers are similar to me in many ways: you're Protestant Christians, you're women, you're freelancers and/or moms, and maybe you've even come out on the other side of a divorce.

<strong>But many of you are different from me, in one or several significant ways.</strong> You live in Asia and Africa, Europe and Central America. You're childless, single, homosexual. Some of my fans are more than 30 years older than me, and some have shared that they're atheist or agnostic, Jewish, or simply not quite sure.

And these are just references to readers who have shared with me a bit of who they are. Just thinking about the dozens of you I haven't yet "met," and each of your stories—what makes you who you are—is truly thrilling to me.
<h4>Avoiding niches and trying to nail the anti-brand-brand</h4>
When I first started my blog, my biggest concern was that I would get categorized in some narrow way. I would immediately be thought of as a "mommy blog" because I have kids, and sometimes I write about them. Or I would be pegged as an "alternative Christian blog" because I have beliefs and I don't hide them, and I'm also an Obama supporter.

<strong>Avoiding a particular blogging niche is tricky. It can make branding your blog and focusing your message nearly impossible.</strong> I often joke that I have an "anti-brand-brand." If you're successful in avoiding niches, it also means that you're probably missing out on opportunities to tap huge networks and audiences.

This blog isn't just about "stuff" in general, though. I <em>am</em> able to say in a sentence what it's about: These are stories about a life that hasn't turned out like I thought it would, and the amazing things I've learned about myself, grace and redemption in the process.

<strong>I can also succinctly say what my "mission" is: To spark thoughts and conversations that help bust stereotypes.</strong> Here's another way to put it: I want to put an end to the idea of "normalcy." I want people to stop thinking they know what a "normal" Christian thinks about the world or politics or sex. I want people to stop assuming they can define a "normal family" or a "normal community."
<h4>Putting our fears and worries aside so we can talk</h4>
I tend to worry about things more than I should. Here's one of the things I worry about, as a blogger: that people who don't believe what I believe will be drawn to my blog, but then will sort of freak out when I write about my faith, thinking that this is all an elaborate ploy to convert them. They will run away, never to return.

In response to that concern, I have two thoughts—both "gifts" from people in my Twitter community.

First this reminder, which I desperately needed, was sent to me this morning from @ericcanaday (you can check out <a href="http://christianityunplugged.ning.com/profiles/blog/list?user=1h0di6nklozhs">Eric's blog here</a>):
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><strong><em><span class="status-body"><span class="entry-content">There aren't too many people that have a problem with Jesus. Like Ghandi they struggle with his proclaimed followers.</span></span></em></strong></p>
Yeah, in some ways that's frustrating. The things Christians do and say (myself included, at times) anger me to no end. But Eric's reminder also gives me a lot of peace. It's all about Jesus, after all, and the way he lived his life, as a model for the rest of us. It's not my job to convince anyone of that. My job, I think, is to do what I can to bust apart the Christian stereotypes so many people hold. These stereotypes are just muddying up the waters and preventing <em>all</em> of us from seeing clearly (Christians, too).

<strong>And here's a reminder for you: This blog is about conversation, not conversion. </strong>

Last week, someone else on Twitter, @Mrs_PJs, shared this link from The Friendly Atheist: <a href="http://friendlyatheist.com/2009/02/10/a-non-debate-between-a-christian-and-an-atheist">A non-debate between a Christian and an atheist</a>. The post tells about an event at Ohio State University, where a Christian pastor and an atheist, along with two moderators, simply had a conversation, answering questions from the 150 or so people in the audience. As <a href="http://friendlyatheist.com/">The Friendly Atheist</a> says in his post about the event:
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>It was fun, friendly, and enjoyable. Completely unscripted. Hopefully, it inspired people who saw it to engage in those types of conversations with people they know who think differently about God. Afterwards, a giant group of the skeptics and Christians went out for a late dinner.  Good times were had.</em></p>
I love that they all went out to dinner together (as you've probably noticed, I'm a huge fan of sharing conversation over meals). Yes, it's kind of sad that we're surprised by a Christian and an atheist having a conversation rather than a debate. But maybe we can gradually get to a place where that's not so surprising. Maybe we can all let go of the absolutes we're so desperate to cling to, and let go of our fear that someone might talk us into (or out of) something.

I'm not saying we can't come to the party with some deeply-held absolutes or beliefs. I'm just saying maybe we can leave them at the door with our coats, and sit down together and just talk.