Today, September 27, 2006 is my 3 year anniversary of blogging. 3 years ago today, I started blogging, as opposed to just "being on the web".
To be clear, this site is not been my first. I've been on the web for a VERY long time. I've had many sites before I started blogging. But they were very circa-90's-decade-personal-site, ya know? Infrequently updated. Look was more important than content. This site is very light on flash, but I use this site to discuss things that are on my mind and heart.
3 years blogging isn't a overwhelmingly significant milestone like my 1000th post or anything (which is like 18 years away, at my current post rate), but it's an opportunity, nonetheless, to stop and see where I've been and what has happened through this site.
First, 3 years ago I worked for a different company in a different industry focus than I do now. I spent quite a bit of time training, leading, implementing and fixing Microsoft CRM 1.0 all over the country. In fact, many of my first posts were about that application, either directly or indirectly.
Second, personally, life was a little different 3 years ago. I was one child younger. I was sub-30. I hadn't yet started teaching my Sunday School (now, Connection Point) class. I wasn't pursuing going back to school. I was almost 30 pounds heavier.
Socio-politically, we weren't yet at war in Iraq. We were waging a war on terror and Osama bin Laden. No one worried about a tsunami destroying thousands of lives off the Indian Ocean.
This blog has brought folks to me that I never would have had opportunity to meet. I've heard from servicemen in Iraq that used some of my lesson notes for their Bible studies. I've heard from a private Christian school teacher who wanted to add one of my book studies (Romans, I think). I've heard from a priest from Korea that wanted more information on Daniel. None of these people were my initial targets, but God saw fit to not only draw them to my site (via Google, no doubt), but to bring them to contact me. What an encouragement!
What I'm happy about is that from the beginning God was central to my posts. By way of this blog, I can see and reflect on the journey God has brought me on in these three years. I'm also happy that I'm nearing 10 years of marriage - which is related to this site because I COMPLETELY believe it has saved my relationship with my wife by sparing her the discussions that she just doesn't want to have with me... :)
I hope to continue to use this blog to bring glory to God and Christians closer to Him through provocative discussions and challenging thought. I pray that God continues to bring me along the journey that He started - I plan to keep talking about it as often as I can.
Later.