Excitement!

I've been thinking and pondering about this new blog for the last couple of days, and I am so excited to have it. I've truly missed writing as much as I did at the paper. I'm also thrilled that I will not have the same constraints put on me here as I did at the paper.

You see, when you write a column, it's from your point of view, so there is so much more leeway with it that with, say, a news story. It's your opinion, your take on things, and as such is considered you and not a reflection of the paper in which it is printed. ... Well, to a point.

Because I loved the paper as much as I did for so long and because I was very proud to work there, I would often pull punches, so to speak, in my columns so as to not create any sort of an image that would reflect badly on the paper.

Now, I can hear some of you drawing in sharp breaths of shock as I say that. I'm not at all saying that I'm planning to post any radical ideas or controversial subjects...well, they won't be to the people who know me, anyway.

I'm looking forward to being able to write more fully about my faith, what it means to me and the things I learn in my journey to draw closer to God. This is the primary place where I tended to hold back in my writing for the paper. Oh, I made my beliefs no secret, but I held back writing about them fully because a newspaper isn't really a venue for that. (Actually, as a Christian, I feel the message of God's grace should be shouted from the mountaintops and printed everywhere, but as a journalist, I knew doing so would compromise my credibility at my job in certain areas. It wasn't easy to live a semi-hypocritical life for that time.)

Mostly, I'm just looking forward to sharing with people again. I know I am no great wise sage nor is my writing particularly wonderful. That's why it always makes me smile so huge when someone complements my writing or asks me to find a way to share my thoughts again. I have missed writing so much, though, and am ready to jump back in with both feet. So, feel free to check back here often. I also plan to find ways to link my Facebook and other social media accounts to this so people can see when I update.

Enjoy!