Oh, the Places You'll Go

I've been blogging for nearly three years now. I think Jon encouraged/dared me to start it. Not being one to shy away from a dare, I started writing. It's been fun having him and other longtime friends like Aleah and Rhonda jump into the blogging community alongside me. It's also been fun to reconnect with people I knew from way back in high school, like Jon O. and Eric.

I've also enjoyed "meeting" other people through blogs. Although I have not met them in person, there are several people that I feel like I already know through reading their blogs. That has been a delightful experience.

Writing can be such a personal act, and publishing it (whether via blogging or articles or books) is opening yourself up in a very special way. There's a certain vulnerability to sharing your writing with the masses (and by "masses", I mean the dozen or so people who stop by my blog on a regular basis).

There are some times when I've gone days or even weeks without anyone commenting on my blog, and I wonder if what I've written has made any sort of impact on anyone. Then, I try to quickly remind myself that I am not writing for the approval of others, but rather to express the thoughts that God has placed on my heart. Even if no one's reading, or if no one agrees with what I say, what matters is that I'm saying what God wants me to say.

Still, it's encouraging to go to my blog and discover that someone has indeed left a comment, or to have some random person at church or elsewhere mention to me that they've been reading my blog (unbeknownst to me) and enjoying it. I consider that the icing on the cake.

I do bookmark and read several blogs on a fairly regular basis, and there are a few that I want to give special kudos to now:

-Thank you, Terri, for making me laugh--what a great gift!
-Thank you, Donna, for not being afraid to question and doubt and wonder and share what's on your heart.
-Thank you, Dee, for your humility and encouragement.
-Thank you, Jim, for your thought-provoking questions.

I've been so blessed by the writings of so many! Thanks to all who use their gift of writing to encourage, exhort, and entertain me!