Just wanting to test out composition via the iPad. I have to admit, the on screen keyboard is way better than I could have ever imagined…to the extent that I dug out my old BT keyboard and got it all synced up with my iPad for such occasions. I am, at this point, however, considering using the built in keyboard as my de facto, go-to setup. Once you start using it on a daily basis, you really get the feel for it!
Oh…and it’s always a good chance to show the world my beautiful Sydney!
Looking forward to some great posts I’ve been storing up the past few weeks. Until then…
Just want to throw this out there…having a baby changes your whole life! No news flash, there, but I can’t help but be inspired by the events of the past week. I’ve always tried to use this site to share portions of my life, and from what I can observe thus far, my newborn baby has taken up residence in almost every portion I have to offer.
Where does that leave us, then?
My only conclusion is to begin a series of posts that will chronicle the events in the life of the Payne family, the good and the bad, and the lessons I learn from them. I can already tell you this child has spurred my mind and awareness to keenly see and understand God working around us in ways that I never had before. I can tell you that I have quite a few posts in the chute inspired from only 7 days with this beautiful child. And I can tell you that there will be lots of content and lots of story and lots of connection.
What can I say? For now, this is my framework…
Hope you’ll come along for the journey!
It’s been awhile, hasn’t it?
It’s been a good while, though…at least for me, it has. At one point, I was writing for this blog, Open House’s blog, and another side blog I had started. I thought writing was my thing. I thought if something was your thing, you couldn’t really wear it out.
You can’t over-do your passion, right?
Turns out, you can tell yourself one story, fully believe it, but have a real and true sub-plot flowing underneath it all. That was me. I love writing and have been at Open House from the time I took my much-needed break from Faith in the Frameworks. I have a passion for the crafted word. I love being provoked to think deeper than the surface and pushed to see God at work all around me.
I just let it consume me. Read More→
Those of you who follow this blog with any regularity know very well that my last week was spent in observance of Lent, denying myself each and every source of social media in an attempt to draw closer to God. It’s been a good week; a long week, for sure! Yet, I feel like the first three or four days were actually more like a much-needed break. An over-due nap, perhaps. Either way, I didn’t feel much self-denial or sacrifice and I don’t feel like it was a dedicated “draw closer to God” time at all.
I did seek His counsel on one very important issue regarding this blog, however, and that was the question of whether or not to continue. I believe He’s answered that with a definitive “yes.” And for that, I am so very grateful! I can honestly say I feel ready to return to regular writing and am invigorated to share life through this medium once again. I’m just not sure about the regularity just yet. As the last post stated, I have another site that is just beginning and seemingly tons of other weekly responsibilities I have to tend to. Responsibilities that I am unequivocally called to…I’m sure of that. And as difficult as it is to admit, this blog plays second fiddle to those responsibilities.
So, I continue to wrestle with those questions and continue seeking God in more deliberate ways this upcoming week. One way or another, the blog posts will resume. The interaction will continue. And the heart of this website will remain. I’m excited to return, but for at least another week I ask for your patience as I seek God’s heart a bit deeper. May you be blessed!
UPDATE: While I still hold to the fact that I will continue writing, I won’t be doing a whole lot on this site for the time being. Sometimes we just have to cut out the things that aren’t necessary for a season, and that’s exactly what I’m doing for now. I will, however, be doing lots of work with the Open House webpage and blog. So come by there often to connect!
Until then, thanks for coming by! I’m sure I’ll return some time in the future! =)
Wow! Lot’s of stuff to cover here. Lot’s of stuff has happened and is happening and will continue happening.
First things first: Tricia, my wonderful, beautiful, awesome and incredible wife is PREGNANT!!! Holy crap!!! Most of you reading this have probably already heard this, but it bears repeating again and again: we’re going to be parents!!! Tricia’s gonna be a mommy!!! I’m going to be a daddy!!! I could write a whole, whole lot about all this…but not here! In the future, there will be posts about things that impact us here, but I will leave most of the blogging about this whole parenthood adventure to a different place.
Which is the second thing to cover. There is a new blog I’ve started that is everything Baby Payne and all our adventures along the way, colorfully cataloged for your reading pleasure. However, my greatest hope for this site is that it might become a place where parents of all ages feel free to comment, leaving their wisdom for us and other new, ignorant, and green parents who follow after. I hope it becomes a great resource! Here’s the link to it (and it’s in the sidebar over there, too!):
http://the-green-parents.blogspot.com
There is a high probability that it will move to a better domain in the near future, but I’ve done what I can so far and hope you enjoy it!
The third, and last thing I want to cover is Read More→
