Another About Face

 

It seemed like a good idea at the time. Back in August I returned to my old blog, planning to leave this one behind. I convinced myself it was right, that the old blog was the best place for me to express myself. Plus it was receiving visitors in larger numbers even though I had not posted there in years.

At first all seemed good. Then I noticed some uncomfortable trends in my pageview stats. Yes I was getting a decent number of page views but most of the readers were not from my target audience. In fact the site making the largest number of referrals was one which I find morally repulsive.

And so I am doing an about face, returning to this blog for my posts. In time I hope to build an audience of people who are here for the writing and for the chance to share opinions, including those who want to discuss opposing views.

Over the next couple of weeks I will mix new posts with posts I wrote since August that wound up on the other blog. Yes going back was a mistake. It's time to admit that mistake and to move forward in the right direction.

Back To Where I Started

courtesy of Pexels

I am heading back to my original blog: Fire & Hammer. There are a number of reasons for my move. First and foremost is my belief that this is what God wants, the place where I can best write for Him. Fire & Hammer was about growth and about a journey. It was about getting to know God and at times speaking out as He directs. It's title and description are reminders of the long path on which I walk, enjoying each day as God leads me in pursuit of my calling. I need these reminders. Besides Fire & Hammer is a much cooler name.

I am blessed by the fact that people still read Fire & Hammer. I look forward to adding readers and to building relationships with my visitors, old and new. To be honest I don't remember why I left those readers behind. I probably wrote about it in one of the early posts on the more recent blog. Eventually I will go back and check. For now I am moving forward by going back. I expect to have a lot of fun along the way.

So as of today it's back to the old blog. Fire & Hammer is active once again. It should be fun bringing it back to life. I look forward to the challenge of growing as a writer and as a person, and I invite you to come along with me. I'm not sure what we will find along the way but without some mystery, life would be mundane.

Book Review: 7 Women and the Secret of Their Greatness

In my review of "7 Men" I spoke of how the book was "...an introduction to people we may think we already know." I have a confession. While I knew a little about the men, I knew next to nothing about the women whose lives are detailed in "7 Women and the Secret of Their Greatness." As a result just about every fact and every facet of their lives was new to me as Eric Metaxas once again delivers on his promise of challenging our definition of what makes a person great.

Like their counterparts in the previous book these are people who followed their convictions. In so doing they withstood trials that might have crushed many men. They saved lives, restored kingdoms and helped restore dignity to those who were helpless. Their life stories inspire and just might make you question what you are doing with your time here on earth.

With its bite sized biographies "7 Women" is good for many different audiences, including those who normally avoid nonfiction. Metaxas gives us a wealth of details with a delivery that is entertaining though at times a bit uneven. (One or two of the biographies seem to shift to another style in a way that feels sort of like a speed bump.) Still this is a good read and a great introduction to some of history's most impressive but perhaps overlooked people. I highly recommend "7 Women," a book that will change your perspective of women while challenging us all to give our best during our time here on earth.