Image: MarEstrama via Flickr

Third time’s a charm, right?

The first time I started a blog, I had planned to start a paper goods company and wanted to document its growth. I had just heard about blogging and thought it was a nifty idea, so I plunged headfirst into Blogger and went for it. While my company never launched, the blog did, and I kept it around as a personal journal of some of the most difficult–and life-changing–years of my life.

The second time, I knew what I was doing. Blogging had gone from obscure to mainstream, and I was ready to take on the challenge of being the editor of a home organization blog when I decided enough was enough and I was taking a year to get organized at last. I started my new blog to record my year-long journey. Along the way I learned about editorial calendars, DIY tutorials, and how to connect with other bloggers. My readership grew past my own friends and family, and for the first time I felt like I was helping others by sharing my story. I hope that watching me go from slob to organized homemaker inspired my readers to believe that they could do the same.

“So, hello world. I’m back. I’m taking this slowly … I will post regularly, but not on a strict schedule. I will share only the best I have to offer with you. Whenever you visit, I want you to find something of value in the content I publish.”

As my home went from sloppy to neat, it was a rush to document it, but as the progress slowed down and I became exhausted from trying to post fresh material on the blog, I screeched to a halt. Blogging became less important and maintaining my home and enjoying time with friends and family more so. I was enjoying my offline existence. I didn’t know if I wanted to go back.

I admit I was hesitant to start again. I couldn’t deny I loved blogging, though. Pinterest is wonderful, but it is purely pictorial. Twitter is a great connection tool, but it is short. Facebook is fun, but it is fragmented and sometimes overwhelming. Only blogging is a long form way to communicate with multiple people online at once. I missed it, especially as my creative ideas began to bubble up again.

So, hello world. I’m back. I’m taking this slowly … I will post regularly, but not on a strict schedule. I will share only the best I have to offer with you. Whenever you visit, I want you to find something of value in the content I publish. Yes, I will talk about my writing process and funny stories from my daily life, but I will also share things about which I am passionate–like home decorating, DIY projects, and stories of God’s grace. I’m immersing myself fully in the creative life I have the privilege to live and its results will spill out on this page. I’ll geek out. I’ll giggle. I’ll grow.

And I hope you will, too.