Why I am here

So...... I finally broke down and created a blog. I had convinced myself for the longest, like with most other new technological luxuries (facebook, the iphone, and twitter) that I did not need, nor wanted to blog. However, I have recently grown to have a new appreciation for blogs, and I have seen by example from some amazingly creative and ingenious women how blogs can be used to inspire, share, network, and be just plain fun. A good friend of mine, Amber Marie Wright, a fellow English major in the trenches at Delta State, once mentioned that she sharpens her writing process by trying to write something at least once a day, whether that be a prayer in a prayer journal, a blurb for a class, a major analytical paper, or a blog post. That comment has stuck with me, and I have decided that I too could use more writing time. I rarely write for myself or write about personal material. Usually my writing consists of analyzing Shakespeare, Austen, Milton, Whitman, etc.

Honestly, I have avoided writing for myself because writing is a draining process, and it is one where you bare your soul. And what good, self-respecting English major or writer for that matter does not try to hone, take risks, and exercise their pen? So that is exactly what I plan to do: try something out of the ordinary and hopefully grow and do some good in the process.

Here is my lovely fellow English major and co-worker, Amber who is in some way responsible for the creation of this blog. If you want a good blog to follow, check her out: http://ambermarie8.blogspot.com/

Also, why "Out on a Limb"? I have recently had lots of life changes, and God in His soveriegn and loving way placed the daily devotional Jesus Calling by Sarah Young into my hands. I was having a day where changes were being thrust upon me, and everyone who knows me even the slightest knows I am not one to welcome change (hence the afore mentioned resistance to blogging). As soon as the change occured, for some reason I immediately picked up the book Jesus Calling and read that day and the previous day's devotion. Through those devotions God gave me comfort and showed me that as much as I want to control my life, I can't.

Here is a portion of what the devotion said:

"Be willing to go out on a limb with Me. If that is where I am leading you, it is the safest place to be. Your desire to live a risk-free life is a form of unbelief. Your longing to live close to Me is at odds with your attempts to minimize risk. You are approaching a crossroads in your journey. In order to follow Me wholeheartedly, you must relinquish your tendency to play it safe."

That was exactly what I needed, and my God knew that because He knows me best. That is precisely what I do. I try to control my life by playing it safe and only acting in a way that I am fairly sure will bring me no harm. Well, this blog is one of the first steps to eliminating the habit of playing it safe. I am sure I will post things that might be slightly embarrassing, I might regret, and might make someone see me in a different light. But, I am going to strive to be honest and open. This blog is intended to document my life as I go out on my own unique limb that God has purposed for me. So, it will be interesting reader-friends to see how this growth takes form, and one day I will hopefully be able to look back at my old posts and track the changes that have occurred as I am lead down this narrow path.