Roll Call!

[what's brewing: look who's on the menu...]

As much as I would like to say that I am a creative and artistic type of person, the reality is that I am not naturally that way. I always wondered if I would develop those gifts over time, but I think it’s safe to say that it’s most likely not going to happen if it hasn’t happened yet. (My friend Bethany says that everyone is an artist in their own way, so I can call myself an artist in an unconventional way. I like that.) I’m the type of person who enjoys creating things, but has to copy someone else’s ideas in order to get started. I’ve tried my hand at scrapbooking, card making, knitting, home decorating, and countless numbers of craft projects, all with the same result. If I can look at a sample or a picture in a catalog I can usually create something half way decent, but if I start with a blank slate I usually finish with a blank slate.

I’m a creativity copycat.

As I’ve slowly entered the blogosphere over the past year, I’ve realized that my copycat behaviors carryover to this realm as well. Nearly every sidebar goodie that I have on my personal blog was placed there after seeing it on someone else’s blog – book lists, world maps, countdown tickers, etc. I love to see the ideas and features that are out there that I would never think of on my own. One of the features I like to see most on blogs is a blog roll.

I love clicking through to other people’s blogs via the blog roll - not just to see what creative ideas they may for me to steal, but also to see what the lives of my fellow readers are like. I am consistently amazed by the diversity of reader’s that congregate on the same blogs, and I know that the same must be true for the readers of this very blog, Coffeegirl Confessions. Thus, we are proud to introduce The Blog Roll, aka The Coffeegirl Regulars.

Starting this week, I’d like to begin contacting you “regulars” out there to ask you if you’d be interested and/or willing to join The Blog Roll. As you maintain your “regular” status here through your comments (how else will I know you’re still a regular?) we’ll keep you on The Blog Roll and continue to build it as our group of “regulars” expands. My hope is that we will be providing one another with easy access to reading about the experiences, perspectives and reflections that are represented among us.

As you all know, Women of the Harvest (the host of this blog) is a ministry of support and encouragement for women serving cross-culturally. Coffeegirl Confessions fits into that vision by creating a forum for presenting authentic reflections and inviting you to share your perspectives and experiences in turn. The Blog Roll will help to expand that concept by putting you in easy contact with other women who know what it’s like to serve cross-culturally. Now that’s a great result, even if it does come from a copied idea. Let the roll call begin!

P.S. It struck me as funny when I realized that the word “blogosphere” up in the 2nd paragraph didn’t come up as a misspelled word on my computer. That’s the only word that seemed right, and it turns out that it’s a legitimately recognizable domain!