One year ago yesterday, I made my foray into the blogsphere with little fanfare. Originally conceived as a repository for my devotional writings for the teens in my youth group, this little page has become a means for me to find my voice on a variety of issues: social, spiritual and secular. My blog has evolved into an outlet for me to not only satiate my inner writer but also as an opportunity to articulate my personal experiences, my doubts, my joys…my LIFE basically. Sports, music, Scripture, family, books, God, movies…these are the elements that comprise my existence and, consequently, this page.
My blog’s title, Already & Not Yet, succinctly expresses not only a theological truth but a developing worldview for me. Life is lived “already and not yet”. It’s about who we find ourselves to be in this moment coupled with the recognition that we’ve not fully arrived. It expresses something about how we are to value life lived today with a nod toward the hopeful anticipation of something more on the horizon. It’s acknowledging that I’m a member of a Kingdom that is both a present reality and a future development. It calls me to live faithfully as a member of this inbreaking Kingdom NOW with an understanding that the beauty of this life is fully realized in a Kingdom yet to come. It is this beautiful tension that most fully expresses the most fundamental truths of the abundant life we find in Christ. On my good days and, perhaps most especially, on my bad days, I most desperately need to be reminded that I am both “already” and “not yet”. This is a truth I hold most dear.
So, for those of you who make this little lemonade stand a part of your regular Web routine, I say thank you. You honor me with your thoughts and your comments. Silly as it may be, the practice of blogging has taught me something about my intrinsic desire for community and relationship. Thank you for listening, thank you for commenting, thank you for enriching my life with your presence. Here’s to one year down and (hopefully) many more to come!
Peace and grace,
Jason
already & not yet 
I like this little lemonade stand Jason Bybee.. My dream is to have a blog as interesting as yours. Okay.. so that’s not my dream. But still…
nice lookin crimson red you got gonin on there! happy blogiversary!
Crimson! I’m going to have to change templates again….Seriously, what do you think about the new look? I thought after a year it was time to spruce the place up a bit. I’ve been inserting a few links into my posts, but due to the color of the type, they were difficult to see. I like this look better. I should’ve thrown a Blogiversary party or something.
It’s wild we both started our blogs within a day of each other. We could split the blogiversay cake.
As it’s been said before, we is twins.
I know what you mean about the blog becoming more than you had planned. I’ve had my xanga for over two years and at first it was just the “cool” thing to do, but now if I go more than a few days without sharing my thoughts on anything I want, I start finding myself thinking “Hmm… this would make a good xanga post.” or “The world needs to know about this. So, since of course the world reads my xanga, I’ll post about it.” Blogging is indeed a wonderful form of self-expression and community, even though virtual.Happy Blogging Birthday!
You said blogiversary. Nerd.
I know….I know….