And so it begins...

I am blogging. This is not just an obvious statement of my actions. This is a commitment. I am blogging. I am going to do this. It's been on my mind for a while. Yes, we have the family blog, but something about it feels stifiling. Like it's suppose to just be pretty and perfect. Like I can't really just type away and share the real stuff. Like it's the stuff of happy moments, pretty pictures and perfect joy. But come on, that's not real. We are not pretty and perfect people - at least not all the time! And in this time of change, I'd like a place to just share about this journey...about God's work in our lives... about trusting Him, loving Him, knowing Him. McSweety & I have said from the beginning of this whole process that our desire is to survive and thrive. So many people have shared of struggles, hardships, ugliness, divorce... encouraging, right? But we have a God that is bigger than all of that. We have a Savior. We have a Rock. And we are His.

I remember a woman coming up to me as we were in the midst of our move - a doctor's wife. She came up and embraced me... how sweet... and then said to me... "I'm sorry. This is going to be such a hard time in your life." Not sweet. At all. In fact, somewhat discouraging. But, my immediate thought: God is on our side. He is with us in this. He will sustain.

And one last thing... I have a tendency to believe, at times, that I have nothing to say. Or at least nothing worth saying (let's be honest, I have a lot to say, but does what I say matter, does it benefit those who listen?) And maybe no one will listen/read. Maybe this will just be a place for me to come and share...because, at the moment, I have no dear friends to call up and say, meet with me, linger with me, listen to my life, face to face...which I pray will come... but I believe I have dear friends who will meet me right here, who are a phone call away, who would be here in a moments notice if I really needed them. Thank you, friends...since we're miles apart, maybe you'll meet me here, linger with me, be a part of this journey. Maybe something I will say will be worth reading. Maybe not. I will doubt the worth of the time spent here. I will doubt that anyone really cares. But I will come and share. Because I need to share, I think, in order to survive this...in order to thrive.