All of the warm emotions flowing through my spirit at this moment could easily make this an extremely long post! You see, I am so grateful to God to be able to celebrate a 3-year anniversary today. In this spectrum of thought and always, I am fully aware that it is only because of Him, that the little nudge to do something with my writing, tuning in to the word “gift”, and feeling a “press” in my spirit to act during a Monday morning conversation at work was all GOD! I thank Him for the messenger, Patricia H, who was adamant and determined to carry out the assignment that she had been given. I’m reflecting on the sense of relief that seemed to exhale through her posture, as if to say, “Mission accomplished!” I am in awe of everything about that morning and completely aware of the incredible and awesome nature of the blessing. I am fighting back tears to finish this post…
Three years ago, April 24, 2016, a group of family and friends gathered to watch the mouse-click to publish The Cherry Vine to the world. The gathering was certainly formed in love, as none of us really knew what was to come after the celebration was over on that Sunday evening. In my mind, we were launching a blog for a country girl who loved to write, but one who certainly had not yet transformed into an actual writer. To that point, the event was the culmination of God’s plan, wrapped up in a circle of folk whose love and support go way beyond any formal event.
Giving Thanks ….
From day one, my daughter has been my rock! On the very day that the assignment was delivered, she met with me to make sure that her mom, with a superhero spirit of procrastination :-), didn’t backpedal. It was definitely going to be a challenge because, until that day, I had only heard the term “blog”—had no idea of its purpose or what one looked like. So, what would later become The Cherry Vine was birthed that Monday evening at a Panera Bread in Raleigh, NC!
So many have been and continue to be an integral part of this mission trip, oftentimes serving as compasses and barometers for the journey—I’m so grateful! Without names, please know that I thank God for your presence–for riding with me, coaching me, praying for and with me, for reading, commenting, and narrating, for your unwavering support in so many ways, inspiring me to share my heart.
As I celebrate everything about this day, I am also thanking God, and sharing with you, a few stats that started three years ago:
Posts ~ 147
Views ~ 28, 000+ in over 90 countries
Visitors ~ 6995
Shares ~ 175 (FB, Twitter, Press This (WordPress))
Most Viewed Post ~ Spiritual Traffic Signs
Most Commented Post ~ When A Woman Loves A Man
In closing, this is indeed a path-of-purpose; not a path-of-perfection, but a path-of-pursuit-to-better. I don’t know what God has in store for me or this platform, but I do know that I am open for Him to use me and this forum for His greater good. In the process, please keep reading, commenting, sharing, guest-blogging and narrating, but most of all, please keep praying that this blog continues to Energize, Educate, and Empower, as God would have it. Again, thank YOU for your support! I mean that with every ounce of love, genuineness and sincerity in this Cherry girl’s soul. 🙂
*As a reminder, you can follow The Cherry Vine via email setup on the blog site (http://thecherryvine.com), Facebook (The Cherry Vine) and Instagram (thecherryvine1). Also, please check out the YouTube Channel (The Cherry Vine – An Inspirational Blog) for narrated posts by some talented narrators.
Peace & Blessings,
Lisa B