My Facebook

Facebook and other social networking sites have changed the way we connect with people - both near and far. I saw a recent article that was saying that you can only have a few friends and Facebook doesn't serve the purpose. That is about as much as I read - of course my closest allies are usually going to be people that I see or at least talk to on a regular basis. Now some of my close friends ARE Facebook friends as well - especially those that live further away it allows us to keep in contact. I have FB friends who are people I knew in high school - it has been fun seeing what their lives are now and I probably know more about a few of them than I did then.

I also have connected with people interested in similar things that I am, in fact I have FB friends that I met via games here. But yet I have gotten to know them. So FB is a place I come to relax, unwind, keep in touch. Many times friends near and far will make a post letting their FB world know of something going on. It allows us to pray and wish them well. Prayer can move mountains and certainly travels quickly.  I have also made friends nearby because FB allowed us to find out we had some common interests. In particular there is one couple that I knew from my church with small children - being allergic to small children I didn't really know them (or their kids). Well once we connected on FB - we found out we have a lot in common even if my "kids" are 4 footed. They (and their kids) are a whole lot of fun. Without FB I might never have known that.

Recently I find myself irritated by posts of some friends that come from very different beliefs. Now most of the time you can look at the headline and say - oh - not interested. But I have found that it is easier to ignore something from a person not related to me as opposed to those in my extended family. This morning I really wanted to post articles that basically would be rebuttals to other posts- possibly creating friction. While related; as there is distance, and the fact that I keep many things close due to my husbands work as a pastor, they might not know where I stand. So am I being false to my beliefs if I don't post links? I don't make comments and I don't "like" anything that I don't really like. But am I shirking on my duty when I don't lay it all out there.

I like having friends and family from many areas, beliefs, and backgrounds. Is it wrong to want to share joys with them as well as support in times of trouble? But yet keep back parts of me? Facebook is a hobby and a tool. For now I will strive to keep the peace, keep my friends and hopefully not ruffle too many feathers. There are many ways to support what we care about.