Before I finished my undergraduate degree, one of my college professors advised me to keep writing after graduating to stay in the practice of it. Since then, I’ve written a few pieces for various publications, but I haven’t written consistently – as in every week or even every month. Granted, I suppose I stayed true to his advice in graduate school because I didn’t have a choice. But now I would hardly count commenting on my students’ essays actual writing.
So why begin a blog now? Well, it’s been on my mind. Recently, one of my students read a guest post I wrote about being a role model. I have no idea how she found it, but after telling me she’d read it, she asked if I ever consider creating my own blog. Her question came at an interesting time since I’d recently been thinking about doing this. I ran this blog idea by my family, and they were totally for it. My parents kindly and loyally read my work, my brother has already served as a consultant for a few posts, and my future sister-in-law gave me Austin Kleon’s Show Your Work! for Christmas. What encouragement!
Since I’m not in school, I have no requirements to write. I do not have an approaching assignment, an advancing due date, or an impending grade. I also don’t have any specifications of what to write about. But I believe in the power, the need, and the importance of one’s voice. It matters. And as it turns out, I have a lot to say. (More to come on this.) So I have created this blog, if for my eyes only, to give me space to write about life, stories, observations, lessons learned, and things I love. With my family’s support, I’m (finally) following through with my professor’s advice and my student’s suggestion. So with the new year, comes this new blog, and I am very excited for both.
In regards to the new year, I don’t always make new year resolutions. But I do always enjoy asking my students about this; some are enthusiasts, while others are cynics. This year, I fall into the enthusiast category. I’m ready for 2016 to move along and for 2017 to be ushered in.
I very much want my prayer for 2017 to be that I try to align my sight with God’s. I want to see people how He sees them. 1 Samuel chapter 16 verse 7 says, “The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” I want to follow His way instead of fighting to make my own; I want “the eyes of [my] understanding [to be] enlightened” (Ephesians 1:18). And I want to remember the end goal. I want to set my mind on things above (Colossians 3:2).
God promises to make everything new, and I am hopeful that in this year, He will bring new, good, and beautiful things.
So cheers to the New Year, and cheers to the new blog!
“I am making everything new!”
Revelation 21:5
Beautiful like you all
Amen! Love you❤️