I launched Divine in the Daily in July 2012. From day one, my vision for the blog was made public on this page. However, after two years of writing, I knew the original vision needed to be refined. After much prayer, consideration, discussion with my husband and consultation with readers, I launched a new blog vision in September 2014.
The vision I have for this blog is BIG. It runs DEEP. And it has the potential to last the life of this blog. Sure it may need tweaks, refining and rewording along the way, but big picture, it’s good to go for a long time. There’s great freedom in this place, knowing I’m working within a framework deep enough to last a lifetime.
Without further ado, let me share the foundations of this blog. This is the vision for Divine in the Daily.
I believe that God created every human being to fulfill a unique and specific purpose here on earth.
Therefore…
My purpose is to inspire people to discover, embrace and walk boldly in their unique purpose.
Based on the observations I’ve made about life, you’re likely to discover, embrace and walk boldly in your unique purpose IF you…
love what you live.
and
live what you love.
You can expect every post on this blog to be written with these qualities, these core values in mind…
Beauty.
Authenticity.
Faith.
Passion.
Compassion.
Depth.
Tenderness.
Strength.
ALL posts on this blog fit into one of four categories as follows:
1) PEOPLE WHO LOVE THEIR LIFE.
These posts feature people who love their life. My goal is to observe and interview people who love a particular aspect of their life, or maybe they love everything about their life! This might include their work, their hobbies, the volunteer work they do, or just about anything about their life that they LOVE. I’m generous with my borders and boundaries on this one. Everything from Mary Kay consultants to body builders to real estate agents to pumpkin farmers. From muddy race running to blogging to mosaic making. From food shelf management to Special Olympics coaching to animal rescue missions. There’s something to learn from people who love their life. I don’t know about you, but I’m eager to learn their secrets. I write these posts with the belief that if you LOVE your life, you’re most likely tapping into your purpose.
2) PEOPLE WHO EMBRACE THE LIFE THEY LIVE.
These posts feature people who whole-heartedly embrace the life they live. The vision for these posts is to observe and interview people who love what they live, people who are making the best out of less than ideal situations, people who are living in joy, beauty, peace and love even though life has proven to be challenging. My dream is to feature a whole host of individuals, including people who have special needs, people living in poverty, people living with mental illness, people who have suffered abuse, people who have battled addiction, acutely and chronically ill individuals, infertility, stillbirths, adoption, foster care and a whole host of others unnamed and yet to be imagined. Within this category, I would also like to dive deeper into the impact of these special situations on the family at large, including moms, dads, siblings, friends, and extended family members who have been impacted and found beauty in the ashes. I’m pretty sure God has more in store for this category than I’ve imagined. My definition of “love what you live” is going to be expanded exponentially. I write these posts with the belief that God wastes nothing, that your purpose might very well rise up from the ashes.
3) EMBRACING AND WALKING BOLDLY IN MY PURPOSE.
These posts are personal reflections on embracing and walking boldly in my purpose. I’m working this “love what you live” and “live what you love” out in my own life, and I’m committed to sharing that journey with you in real time. What does it mean to love my life, even when it’s hard, even when it’s messy, even when it’s less than desirable, even when it’s barely tolerable? What does it mean to live a life I love? What makes me tick? What fuels me, makes me feel lit up inside? What risks will I take? How many times will I step out of the proverbial box or boat? In what ways will I be stretched like never before? And how will I know if I’m living my purpose? These posts cause me pause. I’m reflecting on my life in ways I haven’t before. And one thing’s for sure, I’m jacking up my courage. Big time. Because in order for me to live out my calling, the purpose for which God created me, I’m going to need a lot of courage. And faith. I write these posts with the hope that you’ll feel empowered to live, love and discover your purpose if you know someone’s on the journey with you.
4) LEARNING TO LIVE, LOVE AND DISCOVER YOUR PURPOSE.
These posts are written for you. There’s nothing else I’d rather do than get down and dirty in the trenches with you, to help you. I also like to step back from the details and draw big-picture conclusions. What words of wisdom can I draw from interviewing people who love their life? What words of wisdom can I draw from interviewing people who choose to embrace the life they live, even if their life is less than ideal? What words of wisdom can I draw from embracing and walking boldly in my own purpose? If there was ever a how-to aspect of this blog, these posts are it. I want to empower you. I want to inspire you. I want to engage in meaningful, authentic communication with you. I’m not hesitant to get vulnerable and real on this blog; I sure hope you’re willing to go there with me. And yeah, I’m going to ask some hard questions. Because nobody ever started loving their live and living their purpose until they started asking and answering some really hard questions.
Last, but not least, I’ve chosen two scripture passages that guide this blog.
Psalm 139:13-16 (click here to read the passage)
and
Isaiah 61:1-3 (click here to read the passage)
These are some of the most beautiful pieces of scripture there are. They both speak beautifully to the vision for this blog. I can’t imagine any better words to guide my writing than these.
So yeah, let’s do this!
I feel like a baby blogger with a gigantic God-sized vision. And I have to be honest. The vision scares me. It has the power to stretch me beyond my wildest imagination. In and of myself, I don’t have the power, strength, connections or resources to make any of this happen. In and of myself, it’s a real challenge to embrace and walk boldly in my purpose, and share vulnerably with you. In and of myself, I don’t have the power to create change in your life. In and of myself, I can’t make this God-sized vision come to life.
But as Kristin Welch of “We Are That Family” stated:
“There will be a big gap between your yes and the reality of your dream. That space is God-sized. If we have all the answers, resources, funding, the perfect plan, it might be our dream and not His. But when we don’t know all of the details or have all the answers, it gives God room to show up.”
God’s assured me with His still small voice that He’s prepared and trained me for this, that He’ll equip me because He’s called me. So I’m choosing to say yes. Because I don’t see any other plan for this blog. I believe this is what God is calling me to do with this space. I believe He will show up. Big time.
So let’s go.
You and me.
Let’s live and love. And on the way? Perhaps we’ll discover the purpose of our lives.
