Happy Bloggy Birthday to Me!

Happy Birthday to Me!

Okay, so it’s not technically my real birthday (but it’s June 10 for those of you who keep track of those sorts of things). More importantly, it’s my bloggy birthday (which I’m not sure is a real term, but I like the sound of it. Shakespeare made words; why can’t I?).

As of today, it’s been one full year since I began this blog with this not so wonderful post. I wrote about something I’d noticed in my Bible reading, and I thought about how it applied to culture, but it had nothing to do with me (or I didn’t make it very clear, at least).

Then I posted this, about a trip to the store and something I noticed about the haircare products I was buying for my husband. I connected it with the truth I knew from the bible, and made a personal statement about what I learned from the experience. And Kapow! I hit on something.

Here’s the key difference: one was personal, one was impersonal. one was preachy, one was reflective.

I wasn’t exactly getting comments yet, but on the home front, my friends were giving me tons of positive feedback. I think I’d finally found my niche, well, or something close to it.

Over this past year, I’ve tried to express my authentic experiences and how God is teaching me through them. For better or worse, you’ve followed me through my trials and tribulations, as I stumble along the path to the Celestial City (see Pilgrim’s Progress for the reference). But, I hope that through it all, you’ve found someone who is real and approachable, learning to be more like Christ each day. Even though I screw up all the time.

I never expected all the wonderful things that would take place as a result of this blog. I’ve met some great new friends, all of whom I can’t list right now, but I’d especially like to mention Heidi, Jill, Jen, Midnight Run, and ~M, who came to visit me a couple weeks ago in Seattle, for a wonderful time of fellowship and fun in the city.

I also got some publicity for doing this that I never quite expected. People have been reading my blog from all over the place, and I’m getting e-mails from countries around the globe. But one of the most memorable was one from my hometown, from a reporter from the Seattle Times who had read this post on the Seattle Blackout babies. She interviewed me and quoted me in her front page story in the Times, giving me lots of great promotion for the blog.

So thanks everyone for all your wonderful comments and encouragement this past year. I’ve learned a lot and grown a great deal as a writer and a follower of Christ. I can’t wait to see what this next year of blogging brings.