150 Posts! State of the Blog Address

Hello, my dear blog family!

It’s time for a check-in! This website dream of mine has been up and running for 3 years already — isn’t that insane??

And what an insane 3 years it has been for us all. From the world spinning on as usual, to suddenly stopping in its tracks, to us all learning how to live more with uncertainty and discord, and for me personally, growing my family after 5 years of painful waiting.

These images are from the Pamut FW’22 photoshoot that I was so honored to model for! Pamut is an NC based field to garment clothing company that creates the most beautiful, long-lasting, well-fitting pieces for your closet.

In that time, I have hit publish on 150 posts!

My posts are read in countries ALL OVER the world!! That will never not astound and delight me.

I couldn’t be more proud and thankful. Sometimes you need to say yes to walking forward in something, even if others might ask or wonder why?

For the Joy of it

As a society we’ve come a long way in learning and accepting the measurable importance of investing in things that bring us joy, even if they don’t always file under the Productive, Profitable, and Professional categories.

And while I do hope I have bits of all three of those sprinkled throughout this here web-home, I mostly do it because I love it.

It gives me joy.

I am one who sometimes finds it hard to express myself well in real-time, in person, with my real mouth (ha!) and writing helps me. It helps me to figure out my own thoughts. It is me giving myself space and time, like a friend, to express my thoughts.

It is a therapy to me.

I also love words. I love the practice of writing. I love the delicious flow state of my heart, mind, and fingers all working together to create something honest and beautiful and fun.

Not only does the practice of showing up here help me connect my heart to my mind, but it also helps to practically sharpen the less shiny aspects of writing and sharing, like SEO (getting the right hearts to the words that will mean the most to them), grammar, syntax, tone, and keeping things succinct (not my finest skill, but I’m getting better!)

And I love sharing with you!

To feel, to experience, to wonder and to somehow capture it all in words (and the joy therein), and to share and connect with you is why I show up here.

Here’s What I know

I don’t have all the answers to things, but I have learned to honor that I do have some lived experience and a little learned wisdom.

When I write here, I like to write the types of things I want to read. I want to use my voice on stuff I feel energy towards, stuff I care about, even if I’m no expert.

I know I don’t fit the textbook mold of blogger or influencer. There are just some ways I am not, and I’m trying to honor that and be totally who I am. Thanks for allowing me to do that here.

I have so loved the almost meditative practice of showing up and spilling out whatever happens to be in my heart.

I like to pull the threads of things I’m curious about, firey about, or living out in my life, even if there’s no definitive conclusion, and even when there is!

This space is a sort of time capsule for me, a scrapbook of my current life and thoughts. I’ll keep treating it that way. Looking back over previous posts (and even old blogs) is such a precious reminder of where I’ve been, who I am, and how I’ve grown. It’s a testament to God’s enduring faithfulness in my life.

Thanks for coming along with me! I absolutely write as if I’m sitting down with you for a coffee, with our messy thoughts and real, gritty life. I hope you’ve felt that!

Going forward:

I hope to continue posting here regularly, as usual, covering the same variety of topics — home, faith, creativity, travel, poetry, friendships and relationships, how-to’s, stories and lessons from my past, things I’m loving, and current life updates.

As with many things in life, I’m holding it all with an open hand to allow for the natural flux of life. Some weeks I might post 3 times, and then not again for the next few weeks. That’s how I roll!

I still offer copywriting services, and this space is still a real-time portfolio for people to easily access. Those people tend to be mostly web designers looking to hire out copywriters for their clients. It helps for me to keep things regular for that purpose as well.

I will continue to link anything relevant. I love links! While some of those links could technically “earn” me a commission, it’s basically nothing so just know that when do have a link, it’s more for your convenience than it is for my earning things! LOL!

I also hope to spruce things up around here, soon. New pics, maybe some new design! We shall see!

The bigger goals

These aren’t so much numerical goals or filling content calendars or growing my brand.

It’s more the hope that I’ll keep writing, keep sharing, and keep connecting to real hearts on the other side of the screen.

It’s the personal challenge of showing up as I am now, with what I have now. Perfection be damned.

It’s the hope that my words will bring someone somewhere hope, or the feeling of being less alone or especially flawed or troubled. The hope that something I share might spark some alive joy or gentle permission, some self-grace and self-honoring. Some other perspective, or some like-minded one.

I hope to continue to have a devoted readership (friends!) of kindred hearts — to those already here, thank you for being my family.

I have a goal to get better at getting my best content in front of more eyes, so that the hearts that need the words the most will find them! This practically looks like sharing more on social media when I’m active there (maybe weekly roundups?) and creating Pinterest pins so that people searching for topics I write about will find what they’re looking for!

I see a fuzzy hope that the words I write might make it into a physical published something, something to be held and enjoyed, the weight of real pages and the smell of new paper and print. What it might say I’m not certain, but for now, I’m aiming to be an open conduit for whatever beautiful topic, creative idea, or words that might come in book form.

Thanks for coming along with me in this journey. It means so much to me!

As always, if you have a suggestion, feedback, or thoughts, I am ALL EARS. I read every single comment (and do a happy jig whenever I get one!), and every single email.

Onward and upward, my friends.

I’m so happy to have you by my side. I can’t wait to see what all we discover in the seasons to come.

Sending you all my love, and dreaming of sniffing fresh book pages,

Sam

P.S. Do you want to read my Welcome Note my introductory post on this blog from 2019? It’s SO GOOD and I love seeing how this space has evolved! I still stand behind all that I wrote then, all of my heart behind this space.

P.P.S. This is my most viewed post of all-time, the one that gets THE MOST hits day after day, week after week — Our Babymoon in Savannah! The runner-up? 5 Ways to Thrive in a Waiting Season.