A New Start

Well friends, the time has come to let you in on a little secret project I've been working on. It's still in its infancy; the things that are posted there aren't well-developed yet and the new blog site doesn't have much of a collection of posts, but hey - it's started. And for me these days, that's a feat.

I'm working and writing in a new place, a place that will be similar to this place (in that it will be me doing the writing), but it is a place where (hopefully) my writing will be a bit more focused.  The blog was inspired by Philippians 2:15, which says this:

"Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night..." (The Message)

When I started the project, it was a collaboration between myself and Sam Inman (who I'm sure most of you know), who asked me if I would start blogging for Harbor Light, specifically. Posed with this question, I immediately felt intimidated and flooded with more self-doubt than perhaps I've ever really felt. And yet, despite all that, I found myself excited and ready to take on the challenge.

And then, my excitement turned into dread as I began to research blogs that had a similar "feel" to the one that I was beginning to envision. I felt like anything I did would just be a copy of someone else's work, or worse, that I wouldn't be able to make myself seem like I had any right to say anything at all, as if  I couldn't fit my voice into an authoritative box.

So I didn't work on it for months. And I've been away from this blog for over two months as well. Fearing I had nothing of worth to say, I didn't say anything at all. (A self-fulfilling prophecy indeed.)

But little by little, ideas came. As I forced myself to write, I discovered a reason to write again.

Something that helped me was a blurb about being creative that I read not long ago, a quote which now I can't remember exactly (or at all), and I can't even remember who said it. But I remember the main point of it, which goes something like this:

Don't create art that you think people want to see, hear, read, etc. Instead, create what's in your heart. Say your words, your way. Be authentic. Be artistic in your own way, and risk not having anyone notice. Before you know it, people will.

And so friends, I'm risking doing something new for the sake of being authentic. If you want to check out what I'm up to, head over to www.shineslikestars.com.

I'll still pop in here from time to time to give updates of a more personal nature, perhaps. Pictures of Addie, things that don't really belong over at the other site. But for now, I'm going to be pouring myself into developing that site. I hope to see you there.

Thank you for encouraging me, reading me, challenging me, and sticking with me. I appreciate it so much more than I can say.

Much love.