Warning of forthcoming sin

Confession: I’m going to commit an unforgiveable sin this week. Two of them.

I’m going to host another giveaway tomorrow.

And then I’m going to publish a post that contains the word “gluten.” And a bad word.*

*Unless of course I get cold feet, a health condition I am much prone to.

I have to give this disclaimer ahead of time, for my own sanity and for conscience’ sake. I have always hosted giveaways at least a month apart, to discourage greed in you and commercialism in me. This is intentional and I prefer to keep it that way.

Giveaways boost my stats temporarily, but I have given up faith that they matter much in the long run. I now host them as a means to an end: for you to discover and I to defend the products and authors I care about. {Still, it is fun to watch you come out of your holes.}

And the other post? I am a mercy person and much less forthright in real life than in writing. I am perpetually afraid of offending someone, and I have gotten gun-shy in writing as well, lest something hit the fan. But sometimes when even a mercy person gets tweaked so long, she stands up on her soapbox and preaches like a boss.

I suspect that I cause offense to at least half of you at least half of the time—not that you are deeply disturbed by what I say, but that it means nothing to you. Those of you who love my occasional humor and clear-headedness are probably bored to tears by my crafts and recipes. Those of you who love my hands-on projects probably wish I’d get off my theology already. It is the cost of having a popcorn blog: whatever comes to mind in the wide, wide world.

I’m considering renaming my blog Something For Everyone: Shari Zook’s Collection of the Bizarre, the Outdated, and the Macabre.

And the purists who want me innocent may object to the mercenary side of advertising.

Sometimes I object to it too. I am thinking on it, and welcome your input. Meanwhile I do not mind advertising products I actually love, however apologetic I may feel about the timing.

Matthew at Christian Learning Resource said their big push on this brand new cookbook is now, actually—just in time for Christmas—and there’s free shipping until December 10— And I said “Yes of course. I’d love to host a giveaway.”

So here we are. Hang in there. Push back on me when you think I’m getting lopsided or big-headed. And ignore the parts of me you don’t like. This is just a blog: that’s your prerogative.

Plus, I ignore the parts of me I don’t like all the time. Let’s ignore me together.

Till tomorrow then!

*****

Any thoughts? I’m listening.