Thank Sophie

     A year ago today, my friend Sophie suggested that I start a blog. I had actually been toying with this idea for some time, but was fairly convinced of two things:

 1. Nobody would care.

 2. I would probably give up after two posts.

That afternoon, I took the plunge, deciding that I might as well create a blog before I thought better of it. I began with the post "Blame Sophie", because I thought that title was superior to "Awkward First Post", and as it turned out, Sophie was not the only person who found my blog interesting. Because people actually read my blog, it was not as hard to keep going as I expected, and now it is hard to imagine not having this place to share my thoughts. It has been a blessing to have interested readers, and it has encouraged me a great deal in my writing.

Not only have my efforts increased my practical writing skills, but I have also learned how to write about difficult and challenging topics which would have overwhelmed me in the past. I am capable of structuring my thoughts into reasonable arguments, and do not need to avoid something just because I think that it is overwhelming and that I could never be clear anyway. The only way to learn this, of course, was to actually make myself write these things, and I am thankful that this blog has given me the opportunity to do so. In addition to being grateful for what I have learned, I am pleased that I have so many posts now to look back upon. Instead of just remembering how I felt about an issue at a specific time in my life, I have clear, meaningful expressions of my past which are not going to fluctuate with memory and current feeling. 

 I have been encouraged also to hear how my writing has blessed others. I am thankful for all of my readers who keep up with my random thoughts, and all of the people who have encouraged me about this blog. It is wonderful to know that what I write can be meaningful to other people, and one of the most important things I have learned from this blog is that what I write matters. I can use my writing to impact other people, and I have been very blessed by all of you who have encouraged me in my writing and shared how you have been encouraged by things I have written at different times. I am very thankful for how God has worked through my blog to benefit others, and am glad that I was willing to take the risk of starting this thing.

I have gone through and re-read many of my posts, and would like to share my top five favorites here. I imagine that my list would be quite different than anyone else's, and it amuses me to see what unlikely things I remember best and appreciate most.

5. Ten Ways to Be an Annoying Homeschooler Honestly, I'm not sure why I even like this post so much. It was a random idea that did not take a lot of thought or effort, but it amuses me so greatly... I suppose it was just really cathartic.

4. Open Letter to the Insecure So many of my friends passed this on that it ended up getting about six times as many views as my average post, and I am humbled by how my insights were able to bless others. Because this is not an issue that has impacted me as much personally, it does not make it to the top of my list, but this is the post which mattered the most to others.

3. Sixteen Going on Seventeen Considering all the deep spiritual insights I have shared elsewhere, it seems odd that I would count this goofy post as one of my favorites, but that song parody remains one of my favorite things I have ever written, so there's no way I can avoid including this on my list.

2. An Eternal Weight of Glory This post is an example of me finding myself capable of expressing thoughts that seemed to deep to pin down into words. This would probably not make anyone else's list of favorites, but is very meaningful to me, and matters as part of my spiritual journey.

1. Paid For: Forgiving in Light of the Cross This was my first serious post, and has remained my favorite. Stylistically, there are things that I would change about it now, but I really appreciate the message. I learned a lot about forgiveness early last year, and the major personal growth milestone makes this post valuable to me.

Back in my first blog post, I could not decide a suitable way to end it, so I just posted a random quote at the end. People liked that, and wanted me to make it a tradition, but because it would generally detract from the completion of a post, I never did it again. For old time's sake, and since this post likewise does not have a satisfying ending, here is a random quote:

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." -Albert Einstein