A year ago today I debuted a new design for the Celestial Lands website, one that allowed me to add to the long standing online journal/archive that has served me well over the years something I did not know if I would actually use… a blog.
It is hard to believe that it has just been a year. As I count them up, I have written in the past year over a hundred and thirty articles, many of them between one to two pages, on topics ranging from theology, to politics, to ministry, to the military, and even a little bit of tongue-in-cheek humor. Only a year… wow.
Writing for this blog has become a deep an abiding part of my spiritual practice. It has required me to take what was a loosely formed practice of jotting down thoughts and ideas and transformed it into a way that I can continually push myself to expand the bounds of and my understanding of my own thought and theology. It has led to many comments, both public and private, that have helped shape who I am and how I think about the issues that are important enough to me that I wrote about them.
I see the numbers… and in this year over 20,000 hits have occurred on the blog section of Celestial Lands, and over 50,000 hits on the rest of the Celestial Lands website, including the library, the Journal, and the Dynamic Deism archive. I am more than a little humbled by that, considering for the most part I keep this blog and website as a personal spiritual practice. I am grateful to all who have commented and participated. Thank you.
By far, the most popular article of the year has been one entitled “Not Misusing Intoxicants“, my reflections on what it was like choosing not to use alcohol for a year, during my ministerial internship in a UU congregation. There was also a lot of comment around an article titled “Unitarian Universalism and Military Chaplaincy” and another one that garnered me many private comments (some from ordained Christian ministers) titled “In the Tradition of Jesus“.
Wife was complaining on me being “fast rider”… This actually hurts, like for Levitra real!
From this blog have come my sermons. Through this blog has been much of my theological growth. Thank you all for participating and sharing with me, and I hope you continue to do so in the future.
Yours in faith,
David
And, Happy New Year!
Congratulations, David! I look forward to more really good stuff here in the future.
Dave,
I love reading your blog! I admire your discipline in putting down your thoughts for all to read…it’s very brave of you! I hope to read much more and be inspired. Blessings for the New Year…
Jeanette
David,
Great Website!
I look forward to contact with you at the Rotary Club this Tuesday,
and with our Navy, Unitarian, VAMCNC, and RFU Medical School
connections.
Warmly,
John
David,
I look forward to contact with you through our Tuesday Rotary Meeting, and our
Navy, Unitarian, and RFU Medical School Connections.
Warmly,
John
I’ve been enjoying reading your blog David. I’ve always respected your perspective on things.
It is hard to believe it’s only been a year! Here’s to many more! 🙂
Hi David,
Just wanted to speak up as one of the many readers you’re touching with your blogging.
Keep up the good work and God bless!
All the best from Japan!
really inspiring website, and intellectually stimulatin. Looks like I’ve found a very encouraging and respectable source of liberal fact, opinion, and yes, adventure. Thankyou for this.