People of all ages keep track of milestones:  years lived, jobs held, home runs hit, anniversaries celebrated, games won, states visited, trophies awarded, records overturned,books read, snow fallen, calories consumed . . . and on it goes. Perhaps we keep these statistics to validate our lives and accomplishments.  Maybe we are really  eager to share what’s important to us with others. Or keeping track may be a legacy from our moms who every year measured us (“stand up straight!”)  next to a wall and marked our journey into adulthood on the wall  in inches.

Whatever the reason, I have a milestone to share.  This is my 300th blog.  It’s important to me because when I began blogging in September, 2013, I had no discipline as a writer  and I was told in no uncertain terms that the only way to be a successful blogger (or writer of any kind) was to put my butt in the seat and write. Now 18 months later, I think I have learned that lesson. I also think I have found my blogger’s “voice.”  And I’m beginning to find my “tribe,” a term used by Seth Godin to describe the people who have “the same set of things that excite them and that they believe in.”  This tribe is made up of all kinds of people from all over the world; in the last 7 days this blog has been viewed by people in 16 countries.

Recently, it occurred to me that those of you who are followers and get each post by e-mail probably don’t visit the actual blog.  So I thought I would give you a tour of the features you might be missing.  At the top of the blog is a tool bar  listing three “pages” – Home, About, and What’s New?  The About Page explains the purpose and perspective of the blog and some details about my life.  The What’s New? page keeps you informed about new features of the blog (categories, series such as  Hope Changes Everything), and other places where my writing can be found. Coming soon:  Best Of a page hi-lighting the best of past blogs.

On the Home Page of the blog you will find my picture and a welcome.  Currently  a brief What’s New announcement appears next. Below that is a list of categories into which daily posts are sorted. You can click on a category and find every post written about that category.  The My Journey category features some background on my life and thinking.

Next come some statistics: number of viewings of the blog since its inception and the number of followers, as well as the way to become a follower by filling in your e-mail address.  You can also see (and click on)  a few blogs that I follow.  As you will see next, I am a member of the Faithful Bloggers network. You can click on that logo and find a directory of thousands of inspirational and devotional writers.

Next is a list of most read current blogs.  The most recent feature is search engine that will allow you to search for titles of blogs you might want to re-visit or a word or phrase that you may be interested in (like The Twelve Steps)

At the very bottom of the blog you will find a list of recent posts, a calendar of the days blogs have been posted that month, and an “archives” designation that allows you to look at each month’s posting since the beginning of the blog.  Finally you will find  links to Compassion International and to pages that will introduce you to children who are waiting for a sponsor.

A blog  is a journal if it has no readers.   Thank you for visiting my blog and becoming a member of my “tribe.”