So…it’s a new year, and in case you can’t tell by the slight face lift that my blog just got, things are a changin’…can you handle it? That’s right boys and girls, there’s some new things coming your way here at good ole Sleepless In Atlanta, and some of them are not for the faint of heart. Ok, maybe they are, but with the dwindling economy I had to resort to my own marketing…I’m trying to entice you at my best angle. ;) Here are some new additions that are coming soon to SIL:
1.
Creative Corner – I love to be creative. I thrive off of it. Believe it or not, people have actually told me I have a lot of creative ideas, and recent personality & leadership tests have confirmed. That’s right folks, you’ve got a genuine creativity nut on your hands here (
well, at least the nut part is true), so why not share in the fun?! At least once a month, I’ll be posting some of my creative ideas from random arenas in my life and showing you how you too, can scratch that creative itch in many…..um…..
creative ways. Look for these ideas under the “Creative Corner” category on the right side of my blog.
2.
Jamie’s Favorite Things – hey if Oprah can share all her favorite new discoveries, I can too. Why not?! I love learning about new technologies, books, destinations, etc….if I’m exploring, I might as well pass along stuff that’s worth your while!
3.
Blogspot-light – I read blogs….lots of them. It’s how I keep up with family, friends, and keep a pulse on lots of different things going on in the world. Sometimes I come across blog posts that are worthy of sharing, and that’s just what I’ll do. Be on the lookout for intriguing stories of interest periodically. Hey, it’s a blog eat blog world, somebody’s gotta dig in and find the good stuff.
And perhaps the most significant change you’re going to see on my blog has nothing to do with topics or technology or even global news. The biggest change I hope you will see in my posts will be a deeper dive into the trenches of my heart.
Over the past six or so years, I’ve really been learning what it looks like to be vulnerable, transparent and willing to share my finest moments as well as my not so finest moments. And until recently, I thought I had been doing a pretty good job at it. But thankfully, I have been blessed to have some amazingly wise people in my life who have helped hold a mirror up to my face to see some of the real depth that I’ve been hiding, and God has been revealing to me some amazing truths over the past 8 months.
You see, as a kid, I can remember working on a surprise or a project for my parents or sisters. Like the time I made something for my mom, or the time I wanted to surprise my folks and re-organize my room all by myself. I can remember mom poking her head in my door and me telling her to get out because I wasn’t finished yet…I wanted her to see the final product –
not a work in progress. It didn’t even occur to me until now, that this trend had carried over into my spiritual life. I have had no problem over the past couple of years in sharing with anyone what I have learned through some of the trials God has brought me through – but I was sharing most of them from the “finished product” perspective. In other words, I would wait until I had essentially “come out” of a situation, had time to process and assess what it was that God was trying to teach me through that, and then share what I learned out of it. I think I was afraid for people to see me in the middle of my mess. Sure there are a couple of super close friends that saw me through the entire process, but to most of the known world, they were just getting the polished, ‘
I’m wiser for having learned that’ aspect of me. And that’s not who I want to be.
As a wise friend told me, there is beauty in brokenness…with emphasis being on the word
IN, not past the brokenness. Sure, God can certainly use our brokenness once we’ve come out of it, but think of how much he can use us while we’re right smack in the middle of it.
So that’s my goal..to be more real. To be more “raw,” so to speak. And to not let fear of judgment or appearing imperfect keep me from sharing the real depths of my heart…not only in my writing, but in my friendships as well.
I believe I’ve quoted Steven Furtick in my blog before for this line, but I’ll quote him again: “between the promise of God in your life and the payoff is a process.”
Welcome to my process.
Jamie
