Many blogs are created for the purpose of sharing updates and everyday events with family and close friends. That was never, ever the purpose of this blog.

From its beginning, in fact, long before its beginning, this blog was created to fulfill a much different purpose. This blog was created in response to what I believe was and is a calling. God has been calling me to write, very specifically and methodically, since early 2003.

I understand that calling is a strong word choice. Believe me, I’ve debated and debated whether this is a calling for years. But after putting 11 years of pieces together, I’ve decided God has given me ample evidence. It is a calling. I have been called – by God, here in this space – to write.

With that in mind, let me state that this blog is for anyone, everyone who connects to the words I write on the screen. My words are for family and friends, most definitely, but they are also for fellow human beings all around the world. I understand these claims are big, bold, perhaps presumptuous, and maybe even scary for some of you who are family and consider my safety and privacy paramount. But I believe this sharing of a message with those known and those unknown, is what God has called me to.

The goal for my writing has always been to impact lives in deep and meaningful ways. I believe I have accomplished that goal in my two years of blogging. However, something’s been nagging in the back of my mind. While I have most definitely established my writing style, I’m not sure I’ve established my unique writing voice.

One of my favorite male bloggers, Jeff Goins, defines voice as follows…

“A voice, with respect to your blog, is a feel or style evoked in your writing that causes the reader to personalize what she is reading.

 Your readers begin to construct a person based on the voice of your blog. And when that happens, your blog ceases to be all things to all people and becomes something very particular to a certain group of people.”

Jeff states in another post…

“…that a blog needs a voice that is both exclusive and authentic.”

After two years of blogging and many years of reading blogs, I believe these statements to be true.

So why am I sharing all this bloggy talk with you today?

Because I want you and anyone else who visits my blog, hears about my blog, and knows about my blog, to have a very clear understanding of what I write about. What can you expect to find when you come to this place? How do we view the world similarly? What is the central theme here, at Divine In The Daily? What makes this space unique, different from other blogs? If you were asked to summarize my blog in one sentence, what would you say? If I was asked to summarize my blog in one sentence, what would I say?

These are the questions I want to answer definitively – for myself, for you, and for future readers.

You’ve been faithful readers. In fact, at this point, I consider many of you partners. So today, I’m inviting you on the next leg of this journey.

Here’s a little more information on where we’re heading…

Two weeks ago, I sat down with my husband at Caribou Coffee to discuss the long-term vision and next steps for this blog. I shared the vision that’s been milling around in my mind for nearly four months. I wanted to focus the blog. My husband said it was more a matter of “defining the topic.” It’s all just semantics anyway, because ultimately, we agreed on the vision.

I brought the vision, my heart, and knowledge of the blogging world I’ve gained to date. And he brought his business and marketing sense to the table. We worked together, scribbling a bunch of notes in a small spiral-bound notebook. Over the course of 90 minutes, we generated a framework I can use to create and define a clear, long-term, big-picture vision for this blog.

So between now and the fall of 2015, there are going to be changes happening on this blog.

I am currently working on a new blog mission, vision, tag line, guiding scripture, and core values. I will also be defining what I’m going to write about. Once these elements are made public, all of my writing will be funneled through those filters. In other words, I will only publish posts that fall within the new parameters I’ve set for the blog.

You can expect to see an updated logo on my blog home page. I will be updating my business cards, Twitter cover, and Facebook page cover as well.

Last, but not least, the “Meet Amy” and “Blog Vision” pages will be updated on my blog. This is going to be a lot of work, but is something I’ve been wanting to do for several months.

Once most of this behind the scenes work is complete, I will be sharing the new vision with you in a post similar to this one!

Then, I’ll begin writing within the parameters of my new vision. That is going to be the hard part. That is why this is all going to happen between now and the fall of 2015 (and realistically, probably beyond that). Because while the vision is definitely going to be clear, it is also fairly big. Writing is going to require a little more diligence and planning than it has in the past. And I have three small children at home. So while I define and hold the vision, I will also give myself grace. Grace to understand the vision can remain while I also maintain my most important roles as wife and mom of three.

We will grow into and through this together.

At this point, I can’t say exactly how and when all of this is going to roll out. It will definitely be in phases. If all goes well, I’m hoping to complete a good portion of the behind the scenes work no later than September 29, 2014.

For any of you who were wondering, my blog name, Divine In The Daily, will stay just as it is! You’ll still find me blogging right here at www.amybethpederson.com. You’ll still find me writing with the same style, the same heart, the same passion and compassion. Truth be told, nothing about me or the way I write is going to change. The thing you’ll see refined the most is what I write about.

I’m making these changes to establish, very clearly, my unique writing voice. As stated earlier, I believe God has called me to write and has a message to share, through me. If I am going to answer this call to write, then I want to make sure I define and communicate that message very clearly.

It is an honor to have you as readers and traveling partners on this journey. In the days ahead, I’ll be working behind the scenes to make all of this happen. I’ve already started engaging many of you in conversation about core values on my Facebook page this week. It’s been great fun and I’m taking all you’ve said to heart. If you aren’t already following my blog Facebook page, I’d LOVE to have you join us (just click here to connect). There’s a lot of conversation that happens on Facebook that’s not visible on the blog itself.

Thanks friends, for letting me share this special news with you today! So excited for what’s to come.