Coming Out of Hiding

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Coming out of hiding (or returning to blogging after time away) is like walking out into a winter afternoon; where the brightness of the sun reflecting off the snow covered ground temporarily blinding me.  I stop in my tracks because I’m suddenly unsure of my footing.  The moment feels awkward because there’s nothing there that has grounded me but the light flooding my dilated pupils.  Still I remain where I stand.

What are the appropriate words to say after being gone for so long?  How will readers who have potentially forgotten about me and this space respond to a sudden message in their inbox?  A myriad of questions flood my mind like the blinding sun and they ground me in my seat with fingers posed over the keyboard.

A return to blogging after time away is daunting and full of uncertainties.  But I’ve learned a thing or two in my absence and one of those things is that time away, in hiding, can be a place where we learn to start again.  It’s also a place where we can lay a new foundation, one stronger and more capable of supporting what is to rest upon it in the future.

So where have I been?

Nowhere special.  I didn’t go on an elaborate getaway or retreat to a cabin in the woods to be surrounded by books and a fire blazing in the fireplace (though that would have been nice).  Nope.  I spent time here in my lazy town, healing from a brokenness that I was sure would destroy me, and building that strong foundation, in faith, that would allow me to come back here and begin again.

I’ve been building community and loving every minute of it.  God is doing extraordinary things with this calling He placed on my heart to lead seasonal book studies, growing it from a small following of 8 active members to over 30 and twice that many receiving the daily corresponding posts.  And despite my introverted tendencies, I have really enjoyed the expansion of my small community of friends through my church.

What have I been up to?

Believe it or not, I’ve been blogging and developing content and graphics and making connections and on and on.  It’s just not been here, in this place.  (Please forgive me?  I’m giving you the pouty lip, if that helps!)

The seasonal book study is mid-way through our Winter Study on The Best Yes by Lysa TerKeurst.  Want to get a taste of what we’ve been covering?  Read the posts here.

And believe it or not, I’m already working on the Spring study!  A definitive date has not been set, but a book has been selected (it’s a secret that will be revealed soon!) and additions to continue to improve the study experience are in the works.  Interested in being a part of it?  Sign up for the waiting list and I’ll send you an email to let you know when you can pre-register!

I’ve also been working full time, still interpreting at my church, taking pottery classes with my mom, and working on my relationship with Christ.  He’s been creatively revealing Himself to me through ways I can only describe as organic.

Sounds strange, right?  But don’t forget it was God who created the heavens and the earth.  He also created the clay in which I attempt to mold into shapes each week and the cold, bitter wind that threatens to blow me away each day I leave work.  Yesterday He even pushed me out of my comfort zone to post a video of what He was trying to tell me through that wind.  Check it out!

What have I been reading?

Honestly, not as much as I’d like to (I have a stack of books begging to be cracked open) but I’m working hard to keep my focus on the Winter Study and also the text we’re using in my small group, The Gospel Project: The God Who Is – which is really good so far!

Over Christmas, I did manage to read a title that I received through the BookLook Bloggers review site.  It’s called, Jesus Prom: Life Gets Fun When You Love People Like God Does by Jon Weece. {Affiliate Link}

With a cover sporting a shining disco ball, I really had no idea what to expect.  I failed to make the connection between the image and the rather elusive title, but I am glad that I proceeded despite my confusion.  Weece clearly outlines throughout this text what it means to have a servant’s heart.  The world as it is today, seems to be full of such an air of entitlement, even by the lives of many Christians, and it’s time to take a step back and take inventory of what this attitude is creating.

Jesus Prom was such a fresh reminder of what the world is in desperate need of, love and how easy it is to give it away.  I can only pray that others that read it are challenged from a complacent or stagnant faith and into action through love!

What now?

Well one thing’s for sure, I won’t make any promises that posts in this space will be as frequent or consistent as they once were, because I don’t want to let you down.  (Yes, that was a total people-pleaser plea) But I hope you’ll stop over to the book study blog and see what’s going on there from time to time.

I will say that I do intend to stop by here more often to share what God is speaking to me, no matter what medium it is.  And I will not let the fear or the brightness of the sun keep me from entering your inbox to let you know that YOU are of great worth and deserving of love.

Happy Valentines Day, sweet ones; no matter what your relationship status says!