Starting a Personal blog and website
Reflections on creating a website, blogging, Purpose, and Personal Growth
I have been wanting to start a personal website and blog for quite some time. Along the way, I’ve found myself interested not only in platforms like WordPress and Elementor, but also in learning the fundamentals of coding itself. During graduate school, I even built a simple website from scratch—an early project that sparked a deeper interest in web design and digital creation.
If I’m being honest, though, I can be guilty of putting things on the back burner. This often happens when I struggle to put my thoughts into words or when a task feels more difficult or overwhelming than expected. At times, it isn’t a lack of ideas that holds me back, but the tendency to give up too easily when I hit a roadblock or can’t immediately find a solution. While advancements in technology have helped guide me through many of these challenges, I still very much see myself as someone who is learning as I go.
Life, for me, has been a journey marked by both ups and downs. In
the weeks and months ahead, I hope to explore some of those experiences more openly here. Why? Because one of the most important lessons I’ve learned over the past year or two is this: we are all, in some small way, called to serve one another. My hope is that anyone who visits this site or reads these posts might find something that helps them through their own challenges and encourages them to pursue purpose and growth in their own lives.
About a year ago, I came across the book The 5 AM Club by Robin Sharma. One line from the book has stayed with me ever since: “Own your morning. Elevate your life.” The central message of the book emphasizes the importance of being intentional with the first hour of the day. While I plan to reread it and offer a more complete reflection in the future, one idea stood out clearly—structuring the early morning hours with purpose. Sharma suggests dedicating twenty minutes to exercise, twenty minutes to reflection or meditation, and the final twenty minutes to journaling.
I tried to adopt this routine with enthusiasm, though I made a few personal adjustments along the way. Unfortunately, those changes made the routine difficult to sustain. I often went beyond the allotted time, which disrupted my mornings and added stress to the start of the day. Eventually, I gave up altogether. Writing and reflection have always taken time for me, and that challenge only compounded the difficulty. Looking back now, however, I’ve come to realize that every failure opens a new horizon. Each attempt—successful or not—offers something to learn if we are willing to reflect on it.
During that same season of life, I spent a great deal of time learning, thinking, and ultimately completing my Master’s degree in Library and Information Science. I remain grateful that I challenged myself to return to graduate school in the fall of 2020. I never anticipated how much I would grow to enjoy learning about information, organization, and access. In one course, I even had the opportunity to design a website of my own—simple in structure, but foundational in purpose. That experience further ignited my interest in website design, both from an introductory coding perspective and through the use of tools that make thoughtful design more accessible.
Through all of this, I am often reminded of the words from Jeremiah 1:5: “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my spokesman to the world.” This verse serves as a powerful reminder that our journeys are not accidental. Each season, each challenge, and each new beginning carries meaning, even when the path forward isn’t entirely clear.
This blog is one small step in that ongoing journey—an opportunity to reflect, to learn, and to serve along the way.
God bless.