Thoughts on One Year of Blog Writing

This post would not exist if not for you, my readers. Thank you for reading, sharing, posting encouraging comments, and supporting me in this endeavor! It truly means more than I can adequately express!

A year ago last week, I wrote my first post for this space, the black and white lines born in exhaustion after a cross country move while feeling as though I was at a crossroads after weeks of agonizing over future life decisions.

I’ve dreamed of writing since I was a little girl, and as I sorted through boxes of momentos post move and found stories I’d written from kindergarten to high school, I knew I had to pursue this passion for writing which had been tempered by the seemingly high demands of adulthood. A blog was not my initial thought — although I follow quite a few blogs — I felt like the field was saturated and it felt oh so vulnerable to put my thoughts out for anyone to read…

Yet, the more my husband and I spoke about it, the more it made sense. I had a desire to write, but no clear direction on how to incorporate that into my everyday life. I had thoughts to process, encouragement to share, questions to ponder, a voice to find — yet no true space to do that.

Until October 5, 2015.

And one year later, I’m thankful. Thankful for the lessons I’ve learned, the thousands of words typed, the connections I’ve made, the questions answered, the encouragement I’ve (hopefully) both shared and found, the voice I’m developing. But mostly for the lessons, especially the realization that if I waited until my writing was perfect, my voice was fully matured, my platform was large, I would have never started writing.

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Do you know what my husband said to me as the final catalyst for starting this space?

If only your mom, sisters, and I read it, would you still want to write?

It’s easy to become entangled in the “what if’s” that can surround a dream and in that murkiness lose the dream itself. Before I started this space, I was completely lost in the world of self-doubt, comparison, all the while questioning why I would ever think I could be qualified to write something. Yet, in his question, my husband (as he usually does) unearthed the heart of the matter – write. Just write. Run after that dream, learn as you go, and as Zechariah 4:10 and Jen Hatmaker say, “Do not despise small beginnings.” 

Whatever your dream may be, I hope you chase it, trusting if the Lord has put a desire in your heart, He will use it, no matter how many people ever know your name. Whether its writing, art, business, education, medical services, retail, entertainment, food services, the list goes on and on — this year has taught me, there’s a place at the table for you.

While these past 365 days have only scratched the surface of the writing world for me, I’m excited to continue immersing myself in it, and, as much graduate school allows, sharing my heart with you in this space.

Thank you again for reading – hope everyone is having a wonderful week!