A new start to an old blog

After a few weeks of overbearing heat, last week finally brought in a few days of my favorite summer weather.  The nonthreatening morning clouds lingered long into the day, like a close friend who doesn't want to part.  The afternoon sun then came slowly peeling back the clouds, producing a comfortable radiance for a few quiet hours before saying goodnight, leaving our corner of the world in a soft, warm blanket for the next cloudy morning.

Maybe this post is a little like the refreshing coolness in the drought of my blog.  As my last blog post drifted further into the past, I felt a sense of obligation to just get something posted again.  Anything.  That's how I knew I wasn't ready to say hello to my blog again yet, so I took an unintentional break.  I don't want to be here out of obligation or to just get another post out there.

I have thought about the blog nearly every day of my absence, though, wondering what direction I should take here and wondering when I would be ready to be back.  I want my blog to be purposeful, and not just about making sure to blog something with some kind of frequency.  I want to contribute content that has meaning and that is of interest to you, my readers.  (Hint: make use of the comments section and let me know what you like to hear.)  Along the way I've struggled with things like fear: what if I don't do a very good job putting my thoughts into words?  What if my amateur skills in writing and photography aren't really worth this blog?  And things like uncertainty: what do readers like to see/read when they come here?  What is worth sharing?

When I was little, I spent every spare moment writing because I loved it too much to let anything get in the way.  Stories, letters, essays--practically anything other than poetry.  As an adult, I've forgotten what it's like to write and create fearlessly.  I think more about what people will think and spend more time comparing myself to accomplished people whom I admire.  And I think anyone with a gift or hobby has to face these kind of hurdles at some point.  We all have to overcome the fear within to allow ourselves to be something for the world outside.  God gives each of us different stories, different talents, and different ways of expressing who we are as unique individuals.  People aren't respected for giving up but for pressing through resistance to find the real talent.


So here I am with a blog that started because one of my heroes advised me to share a little piece of myself with the world.  But maybe this blog is more for myself than for the world as I keep practicing the writing and learning what it's like to produce a purposeful blog that can help me become a better communicator and person.

The weather is hot and oppressive again.  I've already gotten 2 sunburns this summer, which is 2 more times than usual.  The sun unashamedly peeks through the trees in the early morning, revealing a blue sky that's pale with haze, as if even the sky is tired out.  The sun is setting a little earlier each night, like a secret message that summer will soon give way to fall.  How did August creep up when I'd turned my back?