Category Archives: blogaversary

Five Years of Peace

Five years ago, I started this blog.

  • Five years.
  • Half a decade.
  • 1826 days.
  • One-ninth of my life.
  • 555 posts.

Who knew it could be done? I certainly didn’t . . . not back then. Back then, I was just a little girl dreaming about collected words—thoughts yet unreleased in the previous eight-ninths of my life. Back then, I didn’t know a thing about blogging; I just dove in one day, swimming in the thought of it all, and here I am, five years later still paddling my arms and drifting with the current wherever it carries me.

I never thought it would last this long. Never. Honestly, I never had a plan. I’ve just kept at it, one word at a time. Looking back, I’ve crammed a lot of life into these past five years and chronicled it accordingly. A recorded history of messy faith wrestled out in front of an audience.

Interesting then, that I should I come across a passage of scripture this week, undetected by me in the entirety of the nine-ninths known as my journey on planet earth.

“Here are the stages in the journey of the Israelites when they came out of Egypt by divisions under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. At the Lord’s command Moses recorded the stages of their journey. This is their journey in stages:” (Numbers 33:1-3, NIV)

A journey in stages. Forty years. Forty stops along the way. Chronicled at the command of the Lord. A recorded history of messy faith wrestled out in front of an audience—us.

Why? Because maybe, somewhere in the Israelites’ stages—those “starting places” according to the New American Standard Version of the Bible—we find ourselves, and we collect God’s strength for the journey ahead.

Our path to Canaan is not unlike the one the Israelites traveled. There are many stages along the way. Pauses that shape us; pauses that launch us. Starting places, not ending ones. No, never ending ones, not yet. The Lord hasn’t set us on this course to finish us here. Our finish comes later—in a stage just beyond this one. Until then, we mark our course, and we leave a trail of faith so that those who step behind us won’t have to wonder where we’re headed.

I suppose that’s the sum total of what’s been done over these past five years—this one-ninth of my recorded history. Stages and starting points of a messy, unglamorous faith. In it all, I hope that I’ve written more truth than fiction, more faith than doubt. Most importantly, I pray that these posts serve as sign-posts–not so much in regards to where I’ve been, but even more so to where I’m heading.

Thank you for walking alongside me, readers, and for allowing me to join you in your journeys of faith these past five years. It’s been a beautiful stage of grace, a starting point for many deep, enduring friendships. It’s hard for me to imagine another five years’ worth of words at this cyber address, so I won’t go there . . . won’t plan a moment of it. Instead, I’ll walk on in faith and with gratefulness for every seed of grace that’s grown in this place.

This is my journey in stages.

I walk it with Peace.

three years of Peace…

I wanted to wait and write when I had something profound to say; I decided against it because…
1. You might be waiting a long time to hear from me, and
2. Today marks my three year blogging anniversary.
My heart longs to mark this occasion with eloquent prose and promises for another year to come. Alas, prose and promises aren’t mine to give to you this day… only a few miscellaneous thoughts rambling through my brain.
I’ve written this post a least a dozen times in my mind… rehearsed it in the dark of night, searching for the right words to use, longing for the strength to write them. Still and yet, each time I entreat this blank screen, words fail me. They disappear as dawn approaches, and I grow increasingly frustrated by this new reality. Accordingly, I tried to make a video to express my thoughts; eight minutes into it, I gave up… just looked at the camera and said, “This isn’t working.”
And it isn’t… this working out of words through me, whether written or verbal. For this woman who’s had so very much to say over the past forty-four years, I have little to offer these days. At least it seems that way. I’m not a fan of my new, diminished capacity. It’s cruel torture for a soul that longs for exposure… for corporate connection with others. Words are often the catalyst to lead me there. When they are absent, isolation creeps in all around me, leaving me to work out this new irritation. Like a small piece of gravel trapped in a runner’s shoe, so is this bankruptcy of words. It prevents my stride, my focus, and my determination as it pertains to my running and living my race in a public venue.
I’ve thought about quitting at least a hundred times over the past few weeks… thought about shutting down the blog and turning in my writing pen. It seems an easy thing to do… to quit. Instinctively I know that should I choose that route, a week later I’d have something else to say with no place to say it, and that wouldn’t be easy for me. That would be a very hard thing for me, because deep down, I can’t help but be a collector of words. I can’t help my desire to write them, speak them, and give them to you as quickly as they are given to me. But therein lies the rub; the words aren’t coming as quickly these days. And while I’m well connected to my thoughts and ponderings, I’m less connected to the process of getting them all down on paper.
This pains me greatly, friends. Hurts me badly and taunts me viciously. Calls me less than and mocks the previous ruminations of my heart. The barren inkwell dares me to surrender the pen in search of a filler that will fill me like words have always filled me. And I am tempted to go there, to give in, and to call it a win. To mark my previously written words as enough… completed… the end of this chapter in my story.
But they tell me it’s just a season, and mostly, I believe them—those experts who’ve paved the road with previous understanding. This is, indeed, a time in my life like no other. I am fragile and worn, tired from a year’s worth of transitioning. Most of you have walked that transition with me—a ministry move, getting settled into a new community only to soon discover that cancer would claim my days and nights and every stop in between.
And now I’m here. Stuck. Hoping for more; most days settling for less, and my prayers are endless. At least with them, my words remain. My prayers have yet to disappear. Prayer has been my lifeline, my tethering to the Divine. To let them go is to lose hope altogether, and that is one place where I refuse my participation; my hand will remain on his hem, because with that grasping I know I’ll make it safely home.
I know this is heavy stuff, maybe even depressing to some of you. To that I would say, heavy has been my portion in recent days. But God has been my portion as well. He understands about heavy. His heart weighs with understanding, and he reminds me this day of our kinship—that, in fact, I am related to the Word. That he’s made his dwelling within me, and accordingly, there dwells his truth, his many words… his infinite history of bold revelation given generously to me because of my sacred bloodlines.
So while it doesn’t seem that I have much to say in this moment (even as I have tried to say over these past three years and some four hundred posts), I imagine that in days to come, I’ll have a few extra words to add to our ponderings. Why? Because the Word living in me cannot be chained or constrained by my inability to articulate him adequately. He’s just that big. He’s just that bold. He’s just that willing to use me, most days in spite of me. And because of who he IS… my heart is humbled, grateful for the gift of his abiding presence who promises to remain, despite the fading elements that surround my days.
Thank you for joining me on the road, friends. You are why I’m still here after three years, even when my written offerings are sparse in coming. I pray, as I have always prayed, that my writing focus remains consistent and on track with the purpose of knowing God more through his Word via my corresponding words. It’s not always easy to write about the things of God, but it certainly is always worth the digging.
How I pray for myself, even as I pray for you, a holy unearthing of the Divine in the year to come! As always…
Peace for the journey,
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two years of "peace"…

Just under the wire, and after eight hours worth of uploading (I’m just about to quit posting videos), I give you my greeting and my thanks for walking this blogging road with me for two years. That’s right… 24 months and 730 days worth of my life shared with you, in part, at my cyber address. Thank you for your faithfulness. You are why I’m here.

PS: Would love to know you’re here, even if you’ve never commented before. Click on the word “comment,” sign in as an “anonymous” contributor, add your thoughts, type in a jumble of letters if you’re prompted, and then hit publish! Enjoy your weekend, friends. Shalom.

A Year’s Worth of Peace…

Please note daily updates below for the rest of the week…

I can hardly believe that a year’s worth of my living has been chronicled (at least in part) upon the pages of this canvas that I call “peace for the journey.” It’s been a good season of salt and light via your words and encouragement of me. Thank you from the depths of my heart.

I will leave this post up all week and add a prompt for your comments each day. Please note: comments will accumulate throughout the week, thus enhancing your opportunity for a win. Simply answer the prompt, and your name will be entered into the giveway. I will use random.org to select the winners.

Again, it is my privilege and my joy to serve you in blogland. Feel free to contact me anytime via my e-mail link in the sidebar. If you can think of any ways that I can do it better, please let me know. I look forward to continuing the walk with you in the days to come. As always,

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Friday giveaway and update and lingering thoughts…

1. The winners for Sarah Young’s “Jesus Calling” are #38 Lori and #64 Edie. Congrats girls. Please email me your snail mail.

2. Our final giveaway for Watermark’s A Grateful People will be announced on Saturday morning. Still time to add a final comment to this post, which brings me to my final thought…

3. Write whatever you want! Maybe tell us what’s going on over at your blog. I’m exhausted. I’m now officially over myself and all my “blah, blah blahing” on the video and will get back to the pen in short order. Seriously, this has been an extremely busy week for me; my head is spinning in wild and wooly directions all at once, and I can barely catch my breath at times. Thanks for playing along, even if you aren’t winning some of my favorite things. I would trade them all (except for the Bible) to simply have the occasion to sit and chat with you for awhile … face to face! Have a peaceful weekend full of rest and Jesus, and if that doesn’t seem possible, seek Jesus (whatever that looks like for you) and the rest will come. Shalom.

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Thursday giveaway and update: the winners for the Holman Bible Dictionary are #46 Melinda and #18 Shane. Congratulations ladies. I know you will enjoy the treasure and the teaching from this book. Please snail mail me your addresses. Today’s prompt for Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling (announced on Friday morning…sorry for the earlier oops) is as follows:

What is the one thing you know to be most true about our God as it pertains to your most recent season of living?

I look forward to reading your thoughts. God bless you in your Thursday. Shalom.

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Wednesday giveaway and update: OK…a few things I’ve learned in the past 24 hours:

  • I’m a hand talker.
  • I’m a hair toucher (thanks for counting Joy).
  • My flip ultra does a great job picking up crunching leaf noises.
  • Our operating budget at “peace for the journey” is zero; thus, you get what you get friends.
  • Last but certainly not least, I’ve got some of the best bloggie friends in the world. You have graced me with your words of support and encouragement, and I am blown away by your friendship.

Now…onto the winners of the NIV Study Bible. Congrats to KelliGirl (#22) and Kristen (#24) selected by randominteger as the winners. Girls, please snail mail me your addresses, even if you think I have it. If you don’t need the Bible and would rather someone else receive it, please let me know.

To win a copy of the Holman Bible Dictionary (#2 on the list of elaine’s favorite things), please finish the following prompt with your thoughts in the comment section:

“The day that Jesus interrupted my life with the truth of who he is … ”

Winners will be posted on Thursday morning. Remember, comments accumulate throughout the week. Shalom.

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Tuesday giveaway: Please leave your comments below to win the NIV Study Bible. I will announce the winners on Wednesday morning. If you’ve never commented before, but would like to enter, simply click on the word “comment,” leave your thoughts, and sign in as an “anonymous” contributor. Shalom.

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