Least in the Kingdom: January 2011

All I can say is that it is a good thing I did not make keeping this blog updated one of my New Year's resolutions! I would have been off to a rather poor start...

~In the meantime, Least in the Kingdom has hit some snags. Namely, I've run out of picture space. That means decisions, decisions, decisions... I knew this day would come - a product of having too many blogs I suppose! I could choose to upgrade, or I could choose to move. The truth is, I have almost decided upon moving to a new blog. Its been on my mind lately, I'd sort of like a fresh page, a new outlook as I go through my college years. I'm just hashing this brain process out loud on the page, but a couple reasons would be -

1. I am out of picture space.

2. This blog has been a wonderful conglomeration of all my interests for the last couple years, and its been a lot of fun! But I don't have time to do everything anymore (yeah, like I ever really did!), and the mission God has laid on my heart lately is to write about ideas. All sorts of crazy exciting ideas! About things like how Scripture holds so much relevance in a relativistic society. About the books I am reading for college and how they influence society. About warring and fishing for souls. "Least in the Kingdom" filled these roles but had a more diverse layout, good for recreation, not as good for time-limited posts aimed to incite discussion and interest on specific topics.

3. Its a hard thing. I'm not saying that the only sure-fire way to decide what God wants us to do is to go the hard route, but I think what seems hardest, scariest, and most challenging for us is often the area God intends to grow. I've become "safe" here, in my little corner of the internet world, and I like it. But its not too challenging, and sometimes I've been tempted to just focus on lil 'ole me!

~Blogging has many interesting facets. It can be a great way to have fun with glitter and stamp art without the mess of the glue and ink pads. Through blogging we can connect with other people who share like-minded interests, and get inspiration to use in our "real" activities. But there is another side to blogging that needs just as much attention, if not more, than the pluses. Blogging can be a way of creating an "image", a second chance after a long weary day. It can be an easy escape to fantasy land where we dream about what we "want" to do, and never do anything. I've come to see more and more for myself that blogging needs a purpose. I don't want to have a double identity online, instead I want it to be just another way I communicate the glory of God to others. Its a tool, not a part of "me".

So, with these thoughts in mind I'm thinking about what to do with this new turn in the road! I'll be posting soon with what I work out - the best things about this blog have been the incredible opportunities to "meet" so many of you godly like-minded workers in the field!

Me, reading Sir Walter Scott. Not an uncommon occupation these days - though unfortunately not always in such scenic settings!

~Wow, as I sat down to write this I glanced at my blogs last post and realized it has really been four months since I dropped off the face of the blogosphere! Crazy, it seems like an age ago, time flew by so quick I scarcely realized how fast it was passing!

~I wasn't diagnosed with a mysterious illness, whisked off to Timbuktu on the dream undercover writing commission, or even abducted by aliens. Nothing that interesting. But I did start college rather suddenly - and that particular diagnosis does eat up an abnormally large amount of time!

~Though I won't have as much time to post as before, I hope that now I've got past the first hurdle I will be able to keep this blog somewhat updated! The focus may change somewhat, its always been a place for me to post about the things that I find interesting, and the thoughts that inspire me, so that will be the same. But be prepared for more "I wonder why there is a character named 'Starbuck' in Melville's 'Moby Dick', and does it have any connection to the coffee house of the same name?" sorts of thoughts, and less Etsy updates. *sniff. I do love Etsy so, but haven't the time to browse its wonderland-ish pages with as much vigor these days. Lists of "favorites" discovered at two in the morning under the undeniably strong effects of caffeine would be interesting to say the least!

Cheerio for tonight! Hopefully I'll have something more substantial up sooner than later!