Aren’t there enough blogs already?

Why am I starting a new one?

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.
— Ephesians 1:18

I think I have wrestled with the idea of doing a blog for quite a while. A decade ago, I was doing several online articles for a news outlet, and I had a blog for a while with the correlating Facebook and Twitter feeds. That turned out to be a LOT of work with very little return for the (supposed) paid portion of the articles. For several years, I let these endeavors lapse, and was also employed in jobs which consumed my time.

In this season, I feel more and more filled with ideas which need a place to land and share with others. I believe that the Holy Spirit has put upon my heart the calling and desire for writing again, and I am stepping out in faith that these words will come from His heart and speak to me and to you.

So, where do I start? A little of my story from this last year.

In 2019, I went from working full-time (and much more!) at a non-profit agency to volunteering part-time at another agency. The change was dramatic!

No more 17 mile commutes in rush hour which took up to an hour or more each way at times.

No more self-imposed pressure to put in extra -long days to meet the never-ending deadlines.

No more setting aside things I needed for personal growth and development (i.e. time with husband and friends, deep cleaning my house, etc.).

My life was suddenly wide open, and I had freedom in my schedule to do some things for which I had been yearning the past several years. These included:

*Getting back into Women’s Bible Study at church

*Organizing and de-cluttering my house (still in progress, but I got a lot done last year)

*More quality time with hubby and friends

*Opportunities to help my mom and mother-in-law with special tasks

*Participating in enrichment classes with my whole heart instead of rushing through the assignments

*Volunteering and using more people skills while working directly with the clients

*And now, writing a blog.

I am starting to see all of life as windows into God’s plan and His constant invitation to draw near to Him. This is what I want to explore, because I think I only see a sliver of what He is trying to show me. What does it really mean to draw near to the Creator? Why would He want that from me? What will that look like in everyday life–in the struggles, the pain, the joy and the times of overwhelming awe? How will that change my life? Why is it important?

Hang on, dear friends. I believe that we are in for an exciting journey. If some of these questions resonate with your heart, please leave a comment or question. We can’t do this life without input from fellow travelers, and your voice is important! Let’s go!