Blog Name Change

     I haven't written in a very long time.  During this break, my perspective has changed.  First of all, I began this blog many years ago to have a space to share the things that were on my heart.  I didn't really know who the "audience" would be, nor did I know if there would be one.  I was ok if people read and enjoyed the blog and ok if no one ever saw it.  I'm still in that same place.  I love, love, love to write and would like a place that my children can visit for years to come to get a glimpse of my thoughts.  I suppose that is the reason for the name change.  I want this to be a journal.  I don't want it to be a place with any agenda.  I'm still ok if a ton of people read it, or no one does. 

     Years ago, when starting this blog, I had just experienced a new level of healing with God.  I had allowed Him to touch on some deep wounds that I had never given over to Him in the past.  I wanted to tell the world about God's mercy and love!  I wanted to share this testimony in a safe place that belonged to me.  All of those are wonderful things, but it put me in a strange place emotionally.  I noticed that I had started identifying myself as a woman who was post-abortive.  That was my deepest hurt and God had released me from it.  I cannot even find the words to share the level of gratitude I felt for the way God had released me from the shackles of my past.  Although I do still feel that way, I have also had to learn that I am NOT identified as a post-abortive woman.  Abortion is a choice I made at a time I did not know the Lord.  My identity is found in Christ and Christ alone.  As far as this blog goes, I realized I had stopped limiting the things I shared to my healing journey.  I started sharing whatever was on my heart.  I want to keep doing that without there being one focus.

     In the past, I named the blog "Digging in the Dirt" because of a poem God placed on my heart after I had gone through post-abortive recovery.  That poem is still on this blog and I am still amazed at how God will dig through the dirt in our lives to redeem every part of our past.  NOTHING given to God will go unused (Romans 8:28).

     One of the additional advantages of the name change of the blog is that people will no longer think it is a blog about gardening.   People who turn to me with advice for gardening will quickly be disappointed.  My garden is where plants go to die.  I've accepted it.  My garden is now full of some beautiful broken pottery that my friend gave me.  I love broken pottery because it reminds me of the story of the woman with the alabaster jar.  She laid everything at the feet of Jesus.  When I decided to lay my brokenness at the feet of Jesus, I experienced so much freedom.  I realized that trusting Him with ALL of my past was an offering--even the broken parts.  God has been faithful to make me a new creation.  However, this new creation still has no green thumb and I'm ok with that.

     If you are reading this, I do hope you will enjoy the new angle of this blog.  More than that, I pray that it is a place my children can look at in years to come and know my heart, my dreams for them, my love for them, and the ups and downs of my walk with God.  More than anything else, I pray that I glorify God with the meditations of my heart.  I'm a busy homeschool mom of five who loves to fill my calendar with ministry opportunities, things my kids are doing, and theatre...lots of theatre.  I have to force my Martha self to stop and be sit at His feet and be a Mary.  I cherish those moments and some of them, I'd love to share.

Thanks for stopping by!

Leigh