I was a freshman in college, 1,500 miles away from home when I decided to start a blog. I’d moved from rural Florida to a campus just outside Minneapolis, Minnesota. Everything was different, everything was changing and I knew the next several years would continue the trend. I saw it all as a grand adventure: from my first snowfall to making decisions about what career options I would pursue. I wanted to invite my family and friends to join me as I embarked on this journey to discover more of the world, myself and God. So when I sat down to think about what I would name my site, “The Journey” seemed a good choice. A simple theme stated in two words after 10 minutes of deliberation.
It has been a journey. From being a college student in Minnesota to an intern living on a small island in Indonesia to moving back in with my family in Florida; I have covered a lot of territory. Some of it in the way of mileage. Most of it in the way of the soul. My scenery and companions have varied but the greatest changes have occurred within me. It’s true that I am a little older and my base of experience has grown much broader. However, I believe the transformation finds it’s origins in the Spirit of God as I have sought to increase my understanding of and obedience to His Word.
The daily steps of obedience have lead me to wonders beyond description. Plundering the depths of grace and the gospel have been my most worthwhile endeavors. Knowing and delighting in Him, that has been my real joy. Everything else, as exciting and great as it was, was only the means to a much greater end. The incredible thing is that I am still just at the beginning. I will spend the rest of this life and all of eternity reveling in the glory of Him: His nature, His works, His love. That’s the real journey of discovery. That’s what’s worth writing about.
This blog began as a way to introduce my family and friends to my life in Minnesota. It later became a way to connect and invite them into my life and work in Indonesia. For the past 6 months or so, it has been an abandoned effort. I was in a time of transition and I didn’t really know what to write about. If The Journey was about inviting you to join me on my journey, shouldn’t I have some sense of where I was headed? Only in recent weeks have I discovered that the answer to that is a resounding, “yes!” My purpose in posting my musings remains what it has always been. I write with the hope that what I say increases your faith and declares the glory of Jesus.
Thus begins another stage of The Journey. I decided that it was appropriate to keep the name and the history, as I am not taking a new direction. I am, however, taking a new approach in my thinking and my blogging. I’d like to make a habit of a weekly post (Tuesday Thoughts) that enables you to track with me as I post an update of current ideas, events and such. Please check back on a regular basis to find out what’s on the horizon.
Thank you to those who have traveled with me since 2005. And thank you to those who choose to join me now. May the Lord be exalted and His Kingdom extended as we seek Him together!
In His hand,
Tiffany
February 3, 2009
