10 years of blogging.

Today marks 10 years since my first ever blog post.  This blog started its life with a different focus; in the days before Facebook and Instagram my blog gave me an opportunity to share my life with friends and family all over the world.  In 2005 I had just returned from my mission journey in The Gambia, West Africa.  While there I had made friends and shared life with people from all over the world so I wanted to be able to continue to share my life with them. So I started the blog "My Jarrol Spot", reflecting on the name of the village I lived in in The Gambia, and how it had become a symbol of a place where I really 'found' myself - I was hoping to replicate that here online.

My first ever blog post reflects that, I shared some photos from a weekend on the Gold Coast where we joined with my cousin who had brought his daughters up from Melbourne. Here's one of the pictures just to hammer home how much has changed in 10 years.

In some strange twist of life - right now, 10 years on, I am in Melbourne visiting my cousin and his family.

As social media developed and grew the need for a personal 'life blog' became redundant, however I've always found comfort in processing my thoughts through writing so didn't want to stop blogging. "My Jarrol Spot" became "Working on the Mission" and the focus moved to how as a Pastor I could encourage the church to keep pushing on that Mission that Jesus gave us; to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" [Matt 28:19-20].

That is still such a passion of mine, and I hope to continue writing and blogging about it for many years to come. I surely hope that reading this blog has helped some process thoughts about the church and Jesus, I'd love some feedback.

Here in 2015 I am the Associate Pastor at Deception Bay Baptist Church in Queensland Australia.  I love the Church and being part of leading this little section of it is certainly God's call on my life. I know many from dBay read this blog, thank you for your support.