focus

I know, it has been all quiet on the blog front for quite a while. But there are, I hope, good reasons.

One is that I have had plans for a while to move this blog to a real website. That has required some concentration on actually making that come to pass. As I write this, I am still not certain if it will be posted on the old or the new, but I press on.

Second, I have had a nagging suspicion for a while about the whole blog thing. Why am I doing it? Because someone told me to. Not normally a good reason for doing something, but a good reason, no doubt, when that someone is your agent who knows more about these things than you do, and she should be heeded. Making her one of the few people in my life that I will actually heed just because they tell me to. This is not a common pattern for me.

But why? To ramble? To vent? To go off on tangents that might be amusing (at least for me, if not you)? It does not seem to be enough. Every single how-to guru out there, and many who just think they are, have one thing to say about blog writing—have a niche, a point, and stick to it if you want to succeed. And I have always know myself to be in violation of that strict code. The problem is, I have far too many interests. How does one reconcile ministry, theology, community theater, a grammar and writing obsession, travel, parenting, reading, and a delight in basic nonsense into one 'theme'? Greater minds than mine would be boggled.

So I have spent some time 'mindmapping' these assorted passions and interests and attempting to come up with an answer that wouldn't force me either to write fifteen separate blogs or appear mightily schizophrenic. And I return to my basic reason for being.

To copy a page from my bio on the (soon-to-be) website, my work is all about second chances. Or possibly third, fourth, or fifth. I chose a seashore photo for its home page because each wave is new–not quite like the one before or after it, with a choice to be something different in its moment. Just like you and me. Plus, I just love seashores.

When I thought long and hard about my basic message, it remains one thing: Hey, you’re not perfect. Neither am I. Live in grace. Measuring up is strictly for geometry class, not people. Let’s help each other on the journey to becoming what we were meant to be, not compete for road space. I want to talk about chances—chances to get it right, try again, start over, just say I can't do that right now, or cry out for help and grace.

So, I am working on a website, complete with a change of name and location for this blog to refocus on the purpose. Please stay tuned. And if you could, let me know what you have enjoyed so I know what not to leave out.