My First Blog

I have just lost my blogging virginity. This is my first time. If anyone cares to check in on me occassionally, be gentle with me. I'm new at this.

So why would I want to create a blog at this time in my life? Well, I am going through the most exciting, frightening, growing, trying and rewarding time in my life. I've often thought over the past year about a writing a diary. Something I could look back over to see the course my trials and tests of life have taken as they become victories.

2010 was an interesting year for me. A 30+ year newspaper career came to an end through no choice of my own. I dealt with my first time of unemployment since I joined the workforce when I was around 16. I was blessed (as I am in many ways) to have a relatively short time with no job. So 2010 went out with me holding on to gainful employment.

I have grown and backslid spiritually during the last year than in any previous time in my life. I have a strong faith. It has kept me at peace during a tumultous time. And it has frustrated me as I study the Word and learn that I am such an infant in my walk with God. I've never thought of myself as prideful. But the Holy Spirit has a way of convicting me and showing me I'm not as humble as I pride myself in thinking I am. I want so much to be Christlike in a desire to be the Christian God wants me to be. But I can open just about any page in the New Testament and quickly find a verse that convicts me as a man still living in the flesh and not the spirit. But as the saying goes, "Be patient with me. God isn't finished with me yet". So I continue to try and fail with a few successes thrown in to keep me going at it. I believe I will get there some day only because I know that is what God wants for me and His love for me won't let me lose the fight. But honestly, sometimes I get so tired of the fight; so disappointed in myself. On the bright side, it helps me love my neighbor more than myself because there are times I just don't love me very much. So much for that pity party. God is good and His will be done.

So here I will be spilling my mental guts for the purpose of looking back over it in the future and perhaps being able to enjoy overcoming what my "challenge du jour" was. What is so fantastic is that throughout this life, God has faithfully held my hand through every dark valley and brought me back into the light....His light. I hope to someday be as faithful to Him as He is to me. I guess that's my ultimate goal.

My plan is to post something every day because life usually shows me something every day that gets a thought process going that I need to write down. So the blog is for me. Anyone who for some reason...boredom, a death wish, a break from watching the paint dry...wants to drop by and read my ramblings is welcome to do so.

I start this blog a very happy man. Greatly blessed. Curious as to what the future holds. Getting physically older by the minute but mentally still feeling like I'm twenty (and sometimes wishing I was). Frustrated over a body that has declared mutiny. A man who loves his wife more than life itself. With two kids and their spouses that I could not be more proud of. And two grandkids that bring a joy to my heart that I didn't know could exist.

Well, here I go on this blogging ride about life as a rollercoaster. With God's safety bar lowered across my lap while I raise my hands high over my head. You know, that's not a bad analogy. On a rollercoaster, all the screaming is done as you're plunging seemingly at a suicidal rate towards the bottom. But then we are at peace and enjoying the ride as we slowly (and under control) start the climb from out of the bottom. Ever realized that you're looking up at that point....looking up toward heaven and you're at peace.

So I'll close my very first blog with this thought. Keep looking up to God and know His peace which most assuredly passes all understanding. I sure don't understand it. But I hope I never have to face life without it.

Peace be with you and me.

And I try to always remember, this too shall pass.