This Day a Year Ago My Journey Began

Courtesy of Google Images

This day a year ago I published my first post for this blog. You can read it here:  http://ascendingthehills.blogspot.com/2010/10/experiencing-god.html      It was about experiencing God in our everyday moments. I had been writing for some time at that point, but had only been sharing my articles with a select few. Part of that reason was because much of what I share has a very personal nature to it. It has to do with my individual beliefs and approaches. The perspectives that lead me to the paths I choose to tread. To open that up to others, strangers even, leaves me vulnerable in a sense. I was a bit intimated at first to share my thoughts, my spiritual revelations, my questions and quandaries here with an audience that is largely unknown.

I have been pleasantly surprised at the reactions I have gotten from readers and I feel a genuine gratitude towards the encouragement and receptive nature of everyone that comes and visits and takes the time to comment. Thank you! You have made it a joy to share my personal reflections and to receive yours. I value them immensely.


I am looking forward to my blog's second year and hope that all of you are as well. I am planning on changing the focus a little. Being a Christian, I began this blog with a lot  of articles concerning my Christian faith, concentrating on the Scriptures and how we can apply them to our lives. I still plan very much on discussing my faith and the Scriptures, though, I have found that much of my own personal journey is becoming much more spiritual. I have found a lot of peace and direction through the practice of contemplative prayer (Christian meditation) and want to focus a lot of my articles in the future on the Christian mystics, what they experienced, and what they have to offer us in their wisdom.

I also plan on exploring the paths of different mystics ascribing to the other wisdom traditions (Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, etc.) and seeing if there are parallels to those of the Christian mystics. As my faith's journey progresses, the more I meditate, the more I read Scriptures and the sacred writings from other religions, I am starting to see a beautiful thread of truth that God has woven among all of humanity's traditions. I am beginning to realize just how big God is and want to share some of these revelations here with all of you.

Book reviews and podcast interviews with the authors of some of the books I review are elements I began to add in the latter portion of this year and I am looking forward to only increasing the number of reviews and interviews I publish. I will also be conducting a series of interviews with individuals I feel have interesting and inspiring stories to share. Individuals that might be experiencing God in unique ways, or having challenges to their faith and can share with us how they overcome such challenges.

Through this journey I've had the pleasure of coming into contact with bloggers that have inspired me with their encouraging posts. Travel bloggers who have taken me to places I will most likely never go. Photographers that have captured my breath for moments as I've been lost in their amazing images, many of which still remain imprinted in the corridors of my mind, an amazing tapestry to behold! ;) I have been inspired, encouraged, informed and have gone to places beyond where I would have imagined. It has been a great journey so far!  I would like to thank my friends at Blogplicity specifically, for they have always been there when I've had technical questions or needed a bit of encouragement. My experience as a blogger would not be the same if not for all of you.

I look forward to many years of blogging and I hope all of you will continue to come back again and again, leaving when you go, your amazing insights and thoughts. Thank you for joining me on my journey and I look forward to sharing it all with you as it continues to unfold.

~Blessings in Christ