One Hundred

This is blog post #100 for Prone to Wander, so I thought I'd take a minute to celebrate and reflect.

To say that I'm surprised that I got to 100 would be a lie; I fully expected when I started this that it would be a priority and that I would write regularly. What I have been surprised about, however, is how hard that's been. Finding time to write has not been easy, especially the kind of time it takes to write about topics that others might care about in a way that makes others want to read it. There are times when the blog almost died, when I hadn't written for a few weeks. But it did not die. I'm still writing and more motivated to write than ever.

I don't know how much good this blog has done for others, but it's made a huge impact on me. It's forced me to be more reflective and more intentional in my spiritual life, challenging me to be on the journey that I say that I'm on. It's also helped me to focus my efforts and my thoughts. Writing requires a certain coherency, a pattern, and an application. It has to exist for a reason. It can be full of twists and turns and seemingly aimless wandering, but all those have to ultimately lead to somewhere. Writing this blog has gotten me to look at the daily events in my life (and in the literature and news that I read) and make meaning out of them. If God exists, then nothing is inconsequential - this blog has helped me to find the answer to the "So what?" questions in my life and aim each day in a certain direction. I firmly believe that good writing is public and for an audience, and I want to be a good writer; however, no matter what this blog is to my audience, it has been precious to me.

I'd also like to use this celebratory blog to post links to a couple of my favorite posts. It was hard to choose, as I feel so connected to all of them. However, here's a few that were memorable to me:

My Sermon in a Barn: "It's Not Me." (July 2009): The text from one of the favorite speeches I've given. Some of the most applicable thoughts on spirituality I've put together.

The Reality of "Here." (November 2009): This post and a couple of subsequent posts on the same topic is the first time I really took all the covers off and got blatantly real about personal struggles.

New Year's Confession (January 2010): The day I faced an addiction and realized I'm not as disciplined as I had hoped.

Health Care and Chainsaws (April 2010): The reason I love living in Nora Springs and near family, and my vision of what churches should be.

Seeing God This Weekend (May 2010) and To Be a Man (June 2010): Tributes to my parents, who worked hard (and still do) to raise me right.

Playing 1st Base: Marty McFly (August 2010): Anytime I can connect Back to the Future references with spirituality and church-league softball, it's a good day.

Two Steps Back to Make One Step Forward (January 2011): The post that has guided my path for spiritual growth for the past four months.

I'm partial to some of my more recent posts as well, but I'll let time be the judge of those. They need to stand for a while before I can call them favorites.

As for you, thanks for reading. I don't always know who's reading, and I do know that many of you often disagree with me. But I'm glad you're a part of this and let me speak through this blog that's meant so much to me. If any of the 1st one hundred posts have been particularly memorable for you, I'd love to hear about it.

Here's to the next 100. To God be the glory.