The word blog is incredibly nuanced in my opinion. It doesn’t hold a single meaning, but rather layers upon layers of meaning, all depending on the content.

Food blogs. Celebrity blogs. Dog blogs. Stop blogging about your dog. No, but really. Stop it. Ending personal angst: now. Mom blogs. Art blogs. Travel blogs. Gossip blogs. If you can think of it, there’s a blog dedicated to it somewhere.

But my favorite blogs have little to do with content; it’s almost always the context to which I’m drawn. It’s when the writer shows up, when she brings herself. It’s when I can sense her sitting behind her computer somewhere, allowing herself to be fully present in her words. If authenticity seeps from every letter, then I’m hooked. Maybe he’s writing about preparing his favorite curry dish, the detail of each ingredient, the colors and how the smells take him back to that particular day when he was 15, and his mother was teaching him how to get a feel for just the right amount of spice. Or maybe she’s telling a story about when she was driving up Highway 101 on the coast, taking in the breeze, stopping every few hours to take snapshots of the ocean. And she knew that the photographs couldn’t capture what was happening at that exact moment, but they would always stir up the memory, and that’s what she wanted to preserve as much as possible.

I’m a sucker for a good story, and even more so if the author is present in his or her words. Likewise, if the author seems absent, or if the words feel contrived, then I become absent as a reader. But if she flows authentically through her words, then it doesn’t matter what she writes about. I want to read it. It’s through the experiences of others that I often learn about my own. As a human, I have a deep need to relate, to feel another’s presence. I want to know that I’m not alone, that others are in it as well, even if their story is very different from my own.

Mars Hill Graduate School has taught me what it means to be fully present, or maybe more honestly present. I have learned what it means to take steps towards true presence. Yes, I’ve written papers, read books, and given presentations with the goal of getting a degree, but my hope from all of these things is to become a better man, to have meaningful relationships, and to love well.

It’s been the students, my friends and peers, that have taught me the most. They’ve inspired me to strive to be authentic in every endeavor, whether it’s blogging, graduate school, or having a good conversation with a friend over a cup of Seattle coffee. I am learning to be comfortable with myself, to be honest and vulnerable, and to value others more deeply as my time at Mars Hill Graduate School continues. I am here for a degree, but I am also here for so much more.

Joshua Longbrake is a 2nd year MDiv student at Mars Hill Graduate School and a photographer who posts his images and writings on his personal blog. He highly recommends having a cup of Zoka Coffee when you visit Seattle, Washington.