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UFO'S.

No, it's not crazy flying saucers filled with little green men.

Sharon's Acrostic Dictionary defines it this way:

U nknown

F aces

O n

S idebar

Yes, I'm talking about all those little square-faced people that become your *followers*. I'm always fascinated by them. What stories are represented by those pint-sized faces? What struggles, what triumphs, what pain, what joy?

I have come to know some of those faces quite well. And one in particular, I just had the pleasure to meet IRL…(I know, I had to figure it out with my sons. In "textspeak" it means *in real life.* LOL)

A couple of weeks ago, Janis from Open My Ears, Lord, notified me that she and her family were going to be in my area on Sunday. Well, we met and went to church together! I can't tell you how special it was to celebrate next to a real-live UFO from Blog Land. Glorious.

I had lunch with her family afterwards. And it was like we had known each other forever. She was exactly how I pictured her – the way she spoke and acted, the things she talked about, her laugh.

I realized a wonderful thing about this blogging that we all do.

We are truly putting ourselves out there. And you really can know someone through their writing. Somehow the heart comes through…

A great truth.

Particularly when applied to God's Word. We have His writing, His actual writing in our hands. The Bible is God's Blog, so to speak. And through it, we can really know Him. All about Him. About His character, His pain, His joy, His triumphs, His love…we can know His heart.

Glorious.

You see, that's the thing about writing. It isn't just words on a page. It's the person. Janis was everything that her writing led me to know – and more. I sat with her in church, and at lunch, and couldn't stop thinking – she's JUST like I knew she would be.

I believe that we can have that knowledge – that SURE knowledge – about the Lord. And when we finally see Him face to face, He will be everything that His writing led us to know – and more…so much more.

So, I would encourage more of us to make the effort to meet IRL…in real life. It's a joy worth experiencing. And if that isn't possible, trust that we ARE getting to know each other, we are forming friendships that are real and vibrant, we are bonding to each other.

Blog Land is real.

And, as we pursue the Word of God – the living, breathing, vibrant Word of God – we will get to know God. We will become friends with Jesus. We will connect with the Holy Spirit.

I read my Bible every day – and I hope that you do, too. It's an amazing book. And sometimes in a radical way, and sometimes in a subtle way, its words work themselves deep into my heart. They become part of my soul. They find themselves at the forefront of my mind.

To all of you, every one of you little square-faced people, I want to say thank you. Thank you for becoming my friends, my confidantes, my soul brothers and sisters. What we have is wonderful and full. There is comfort and joy in knowing that we are upheld and empowered by real people.

Janis, it was my pleasure to meet you IRL. And I hope I have the chance to meet more of you, my dear blogging friends.

In the meantime, know that I know you. I see your heart. I feel your feelings, and I cherish your faith. I hold your friendship, and your words, so very close to my heart.

Just like my Bible, my friend.

How thankful I am that God knows me completely (IRL!!), and that I am growing to know Him ever more deeply and completely through His Word.

H&K – 143 !

(Textspeak to English translation: "Hugs and kisses, I love you!")

*SIDENOTE: Won't you please join Janis and me at her blog,

Open My Ears, Lord, for our online "interview"? We think you'll enjoy it...C'mon on over! :)

Have you ever met a blogger in real life – tell me about it!

(I am also linked today with Joan at THE BEAUTY IN HIS GRIP, for "Sharing His Beauty.")

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"