Time to explain myself…

Why wateringcanblog?

In some ways it’s hard to believe, but I started this blog in May of 2012, so I figured it’s past time for me to explain why my blog is named wateringcanblog. For some strange reason, and in spite of the fact that I had only even read a few blogs myself, I felt compelled to start writing a blog. The reality was, I wasn’t even sure what I was doing, how to do it, or why–I just knew there was something inside of me saying, “You should at least give it a try!”.

Before I could even begin to write, I needed to come up with a name for the blog. It was springtime, and the watering can idea came to me out of the blue. I wasn’t even watering my flowers at the time. (I wish I had been–it would have made the story more interesting!).

The truth is, I never even considered another name. Once it came to me and after I had Googled it to make sure the name was available, I immediately logged on to WordPress and signed up for an account. The wateringcanblog was officially mine! (Note: WordPress offers a free blog, with some limitations, but very simple to follow and easy to navigate for a beginner like me.) I jumped into the blogosphere and right away began to see that this was so much more than a trend or a “hip” thing to do–it is a growing passion inside of me to write.

I’ve certainly never claimed to be an intellectual or a theologian, (or a writer!) I may plant some seeds of faith along the way, but I see myself more as a “waterer”.

“What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. Now the one planting and the one watering are one in purpose, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s coworkers.

I Corinthians 3: 5-9

I absolutely love to see the growth that comes when we allow God’s Word to penetrate and saturate our lives. I teach 6th graders the Bible on Sunday mornings and it brings me such joy to see them really start to grasp how truly alive and real and vital the Bible is.

We are never too old to learn, and I pray that I will never tire of learning new things and putting into practice the truths I learn from God’s Word.
Blogging is a funny thing. Often I start writing and something completely different evolves. Other times I start writing, it comes out freely, and I post it almost exactly as it was written. Then there are times that I work and work to get it right–trying to insure that the focus is true to the message.

One of my regular posts has become the Scripture Challenge:

https://wateringcanblog.com/2013/05/06/scripture-challenge-a-verse-from-every-book-in-the-bible/

After finishing reading through the New Testament again, I decided it was time to go back to Genesis. The challenge is a big one for me, but one that I’m enjoying–it changes how I read because I’m trying to get “the big picture” of each book and in doing so, glean the verse that I want to remember.

It’s not unusual for me to get excited about a particular topic, like this one on compassion, and decide to write about it:

https://wateringcanblog.com/2013/07/27/where-do-we-go-from-here/

Based on the stats, I get more viewers when I post something DIY, but it will never be my main focus. I am on Pinterest, though, and since I’m not very creative, I love that it’s okay to steal other people’s ideas:

https://wateringcanblog.com/2012/08/18/im-loving-spray-paint/

And, of course, it’s only natural that sometimes I just have to share about my family! This empty nest thing is not easy, but blogging has opened a door that allows me to process the changes:

https://wateringcanblog.com/2013/06/21/this-day/

They say “if you’re not growing, you’re dying”. I know that everything has a season, and this may pass, but for now God is using this blog to water and grow me. I pray that this isn’t just about me.