Hello, my friend, hello. It's good to see you.

I've not been posting much material the past year. There are several reasons.

One of them is that I've taken a new pastorate, and it's been a tough year of transition. My family is trailing behind me, waiting for the oldest sister to finish high school. It has been bearable, but the "back and forth" has exacted a toll on my creativity and desire to be extroverted via this blog. Sometimes you just have to turn inward for a while to conserve and preserve yourself for the most essential tasks of life: family, faith, and work.

Another reason is that I've been focusing more time on preparing better sermons, writing for doctoral research, and writing curriculum for spiritual formation. Those venues have tapped a different voice from within me, but have made a recluse of my blogging brain. I imagine that's also an inward turn. Some would say my preaching was just fine - I would argue that it still has a long, long way to go.

But I suppose the biggest reason is that I've not been blogging is that I had little to say. The cup has been dry, but not for the reason you might think. You see, I'm turning 40 this year and I've been reflecting on what I've written and said in the past. Much of that older material is uttered by a less mature voice than what is at work in me now. I've been reading widely and learning that I have a lot still to learn about the craft of writing and preaching. I'm starting to see how good writing goes beyond elegant ordering of well-chosen words. Good writing must come from within a person who knows themselves well and I am only just now beginning to know myself. And only in glimpses can I even see me!

Further, good writing stems from full living. If a writer has explored his life fully, it's time to go live some more. That's the feeling I got when I read David Sedaris' last book, When You are Engulfed in Flames. I wanted to tell David, "Go live some more before you write another one."

So I'm slowing down on my writing, letting things more substantive and mature emerge. That will inevitably mean less output, but hopefully of higher quality. In the mean time, thanks for continuing to read here. I thank you for the visits to my page and I hope you'll keep checking back.