Beginnings

Taking a first step into something new is never an easy thing for me. This is especially a bad trait to have when it involves stepping into a new venture of some kind.

I remember when I was in High School and I really liked this girl. She was beautiful, smart, into sports. We'd chat but I never took that first step of moving beyond the "chatting" stage to the "I think you're great" stage. When I found out that she also liked me, I froze even more. After a while she gave up on me and drifted off to some other lucky guy.

I don't think I did so well taking my first steps as a child either, because I have a crooked nose that causes me to think this but somewhere, somehow, I did do it because I can walk pretty well now - usually.

Well, I have thought for a very, very long time that I would start doing a blog. Back in 1999 I actually did something along the lines of a blog but not on the web - it was an email that I sent out of thoughts, reflections, ponderings, humor pieces. I usually got a good response from what I sent out. I'm not sure I even knew what a blog was back then but I do now.

Blogs are everywhere. You name it, you can just about find it in the blog world. So why add one more to the ever growing expanse of the blog world? Because I want to. Because I'm tired of thinking about doing it and not. Because I like to see what I think or feel or question or come across of interest be posted and see if anybody cares about reading it, if it lifts up and encourages or challenges or stirs thought and discussion. Because first steps are hard sometimes and you can feel foolish when you take that first step but the result of taking that first step is that you move a little further along in your journey in life. And I need to keep moving!

So, after having created this blog about two years ago and not do anything with it, I figured I better do something or get off the pot, as they say (I suppose I could have used a better analogy than that but I couldn't think of one). The blogs may be short thoughts (which does best describe my thinking), condensed sermons (trust me, you won't want to read the full versions), humor, quotes, you know, the usual stuff blogs are often made of. And, though I probably won't write something everyday, it is my hope to have something every few days. I may have short thoughts but I have been known to have short thoughts often!

To those who were invited to come by for a look (I can't believe you have nothing better to do), and to those who happen to stumble across this by accident (boy, did you take a wrong turn), I hope you will find something of value. If so, let me know what you think. If not, let me know, too, but please be gentle - I bruise easily.

Oh, and by the way, don't be afraid to take that first step. You could find yourself exploring some new territory.

Grace and Peace