Hello again

After 3 1/2 months I've decided to re-enter the blogging world. Not that I was unhappy blogging, it's just that life seemed to get in the way. In short: a sinus infection, lice that wouldn't go away, a holiday vacation, the celebration of Christmas and a new year, a snow storm that shut down life in China, another holiday vacation (yes, I know, I travel alot!), another cold. Add to that a family life and an intense writing course, and I hope you can understand why blogging got put on the back shelf.

But this time around I want to do things differently. Rather than just write random thoughts or things I feel compelled to share, I want to be more open. To do that means I have to remove the masks and quit hiding behind the fears that hold me in. This is a very difficult thing for me to do, but one I know that God is leading me to. One way I can start is by sharing with you something dear to my heart - my writing.

Most of you know that I enrolled in a two-year Christian writing course. Every other week I submit work to a mentor that allows me to improve my skills and write in different styles and genres. This has not been easy for me and has stretched me in so many ways. But at the same time it has been satisfying and exciting. My mind is always working to craft a story or an article that will captivate readers and encourage them in some way. I am enjoying it (well, most days when I'm not behind!) and look forward to seeing where God will take this adventure and use it for His glory.

I have not shared much of what I have written because of fear. One of my greatest fears is rejection - what if they don't like it? what if confuses them or doesn't make sense? what if they thought it was boring? - I think you get the picture. But I know that I can't allow my fear of rejection keep me from sharing what I feel God has lead me to write. And when I focus on what others think about my writing, I lose sight of who I'm really writing for and why. The only way I know how to begin overcoming my fear and keeping the focus on God is by sharing it with all of you. I hope that you will enjoy what you read, but it is also my prayer that you will honestly let me know what you think. I'm not writing this for me, but I look forward to any comments you might have!

With this new direction, I hope you will continue visiting my blog and encouraging others to visit as well. You can rest assured there will be something to read, as it seems I am always writing something! But don't worry, I won't always post my writing. I do have a life outside of that (although there are some days when I question that!) I will try to post as often as I can. Tomorrow I will post my most recent story, but I thought I would share a small part of it to "tease" you a little. Thanks and enjoy!

Liana


Large drops of rain began to fall as Chloe pulled into the last parking space. She stepped out into the storm, hoping it was not a sign of things to come. She had tried this before and it hadn't worked out well. Why did she think this time would be any different? As much as Chloe wanted it to work, she had already decided that this would be the last shot. Rejected again and she was done.

(To be continued...)