The Inaugural Blog

I seem to remember a story from the book, "Craddock Stories" by Fred B. Craddock, about a young preacher that was all ready to give his first sermon. At the last minute - he bailed out - ran away and hid. His reasoning was that the office was too great and he was too small; it scared him to death. Craddock surmised that the young man just held too high a view of the office.

I think that is the approach I have taken to this blog. I want it to be worth reading - inspiring, insightful - fresh.

I want that so much so that it's frankly hard to put down the first words.

Further, I visited several blogs in an effort to arrive at a unique title. In so doing, I was amazed at the number of blogs that began, five - six - even seven years ago and had only a few posts (unfortunately some of those forgotten projects used up some very neat titles!). At any rate, I don't want to begin and then fizzle.

So, here is my vision for this endeavour (I don't like to begin anything without knowing WHY I am doing it) - these are what I hope will be the guiding principles for this blog:

1. To Create - I think we most resemble the Creator when we are being creative. When people create - poetry, carpentry, painting, writing, landscaping -they can reflect God's creative beauty.


2. To Craft - I will confess here that I long to write. I have wrestled with that longing for a number of years. Wondering what to do with it; praying for opportunities and searching within to determine if my motivation was the right kind. For over ten years now I have kept a journal, and in reading over last year's journal a few days ago I learned that one year ago I was dealing with some of the same questions, issues and struggles that I am dealing with right now (I didn't dare go back to earlier journals for fear that the struggles may not have changed in several years!). I think that is the definition of a rut. My hope is to hone my craft (if my writing skills can be referred to as a "craft") through this project.


3. To Communicate - I want to record things that will be worth reading. In my perusing of other blogs mentioned earlier, I discovered that there are quite a few of these things out there! So I am not living under the delusion that many will read my thoughts. But perhaps from time to time, some weary traveler will happen upon a post here that will uplift or encourage; that is my hope.


4. To Learn - I like life-long learners. My mother-in-law has taken up the ukulele and the guitar in her seventies. There is something vibrant about someone that can still wonder - someone that has a hunger to know! I want to be constantly amazed and in wonder. I hope that I will be consistently teachable. I will welcome feedback if I can learn from it and grow by it.

I heard today that when George Washington was sworn in as the first president of the United States, he added a phrase extemporaneously at the end of his oath: "...so help me God."

I think I understand why he added that; I think - in his humility - he recognized the weight and foreboding nature of the task before him and his own frailty in the face of that task. Only God's help could fill in for his own weaknesses.

So I enter this small endeavor - just a learning exercise - an experiment of sorts; but with the same knowledge of human frailties. . . and so - help me, God... please.