Three years ago I launched the “Hear It on Sunday, Use It on Monday” link-up community with much trepidation. I held my breath as I hit the publish button, and then watched in awe and joy as bloggers slowly began to link-up their own stories of living out God’s Word in the everyday. That first week 17 bloggers shared their posts in community here, and since then the community has grown to between 50 and 70 bloggers each week.
Today marks the end of one season and the birth of a new one as I joyfully hand this link-up community over to a writer I deeply admire. Beginning next Monday Kelli Woodford will take this beautiful link-up community and make it her own.
I admit, it’s a bittersweet moment for me. I’ve come to know so many of you through the Hear It, Use It link-up, and I have loved reading your stories over the years. You have taught me so much about God and the myriad, amazing ways he works within every last detail of our lives.
Yet I also know it’s time. I haven’t been able to connect with you as much as I would have liked in the last year. I haven’t had the time to read your carefully crafted stories and offer the encouragement and friendship you deserve. And so it feels right to hand this community over to someone who can and will do that.
Kelli Woodford has been a faithful contributor to the Hear It, Use It link-up for a while now. She is a beautiful storyteller and a generous, gracious person with a beautiful heart and a love for God that shines through her each and every word. I know you will be in good hands!
Hop over to Kelli’s place today to introduce yourself and say hi – she’ll tell you a bit more about the vision she has for the community going forward.
Thank you, friends, for being a community to me, for being the living, breathing Body of Christ right here in this crazy blogosphere. I am hugely grateful.
And so…one last time…
Oh, friend…I get it. I can understand why you are doing this, but in a way, it makes me sad. I was thinking just yesterday about the first time I read your blog. I was trying to remember how I found you. Did you ever link up w/Ann’s Multitude Monday posts? I don’t know how I found you, but I am so glad that I did.
Blessings and hugs to you in your next phase…I’ll still be reading you regularly…or at least when you post!
I’ll still be posting MWF, Mary – it’s just that stepping away from the link-up community gives me a little more freedom with the content, and allows me to skip an occasional Monday if there is a need for that.
Thank you for your kind words! {I did occasionally link up with Ann’s #1000Gifts posts, so maybe that was where we first met online?}
Ah Michelle… There is a season of everything but I a bummed to see this season end– but I am sure that Kelli will do a fantastical job 🙂
Thanks for your faithfulness in hosting this link up through the years. So excited to see how God continues to work in your life (especially through Spiritual Misfit 😉
Blessings!
And thank you for your faithful contributions to the #HearItUseIt community, Sharita – I hope you continue to stop by here from time to time to say hi!
You’ve been so faithful in this ministry, Michelle. I appreciate your consistency in keeping this going for so long. And I also appreciate your ability to know when it’s time to hand it over to someone else. Good for you! May the Lord continue to bless whatever is next on your journey. I look forward to reading your next book.
Honestly I sort of argued with God about it for a while (typical of me), but I finally gave in and obeyed!
I’ve been blessed by your contributions to and participation in the Hear It Use It community, Lisa – thank you!
I have such a mixed response to this! I thoroughly get it, I think Kelli is a fantastic choice, but. . . you’re my oldest link-up friend, so I’ll miss you! I didn’t read far enough the first time to see that I could still link up today – I hopped over to Kelli’s too soon and then thought there was no link-up this week at all, which really made me sad. Cuz I wrote one this week. Glad I came back.
I’m glad you came back, too, Diana.
Michelle, thank you for your faithfulness in hosting this link-up. I will join Kelli as “Hear It” moves on to its new home. But, I do hope and pray that your words will continue to grace this blog. I learn so much from you, and always appreciate your honest look at what it means to live out a *real* faith.
GOD BLESS!
I’m definitely not leaving the blog, Sharon – I’ll still be here Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Lord willing, and Saturdays with a photo and verse. I just felt it was time to hand over the link-up community, since I have not been able to participate in it and nurture it as I would have liked for a while now.
Michelle, it takes a wise woman of God to obey, despite those tugging heartstrings that might tempt to hold you back from doing so. I always admire your courage. And God will bless you in this new season, just as He will Kelli. What a gifted writer she is, as well. I’m so glad that you will still be blogging, and I look forward to your posts. Let us know, pls., if we need to sign up again for those. I wouldn’t want to miss them. I have no earthly clue how I eventually landed at your place, but I’m so glad that I did!!! BTW, almost finished w/ SM. I’ve had a very difficult time of it recovering from illness and then ministering to a friend who is desperately ill. Just telling you that, b/c under normal circumstances, I would have devoured your book. Still, it’s fun to still have something to which to look forward. This is just stellar, Michelle!
Oh, BTW, Im unable to post at Kelli’s, because it doesn’t allow me to post as a guest there. So I’m putting my message to her here as an encouragement. If I am not a royal pain in the patoot, can you pls. email her to let her know it’s here? Thanks for everything, stellar misfit!
Love
Lynn
Congratulations, Kelli. You are such a creative, poetic soul, and I know you exude unforced rhythms through your graceful lyricism. You will encourage that in others. And what a generous lady Michelle is. It seems like a win-win, all around, to me. All God’s best as you enter into this new, rhythmic phase or life, language, and love!
Love
Lynn
Thank you, dear Michelle, for being such an inspiration to me with all your posts!
Love and blessings!
Wondering how our loving God set me up with you, Michelle, giving thanks for your presence, and now linking with someone new. He keeps us moving forward, doesn’t He? The change may seem strange at first, but I have no doubt that you will settle into His rhythm in time.
Love and blessings!
How has it been three years?! I’ll miss the stories here, but am glad you’ve handed them over to someone who will care enough to keep it going. Hugs.
Blessings to you, Michelle 🙂 Glad to know you will still be posting 🙂