One Year. Big Thanks.

Podcast available on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or your favourite streaming platform!

It’s been a year since the relaunch of the blog, so happy anniversary to everyone celebrating!

To commemorate this first anniversary, here’s what I’ve learnt in the process.

Published over Polished

Posting new content weekly is a lot of work. Especially when I’m also a high school teacher and executive leader at my church. Did I mention I’m also a wife and raising three children with my husband? It’s a lot! However, none of that is meant to excuse sloppy content or half-baked ideas so I’ve come to accept that these blog posts do not have to be absolutely perfect.

I've discovered that writing is often clarified through publishing. Ideas become sharper when they're tested in the real world. Sometimes a post I almost didn't publish because it felt incomplete ended up being the one that resonated most with readers. The pursuit of excellence is worthwhile; the pursuit of perfection can become a form of procrastination disguised as virtue.

That said, I am cognisant of two things:

1. Being faithful to Scripture and to the doctrine that makes up my belief system to the best of my ability. If I’m not sure about something, you best believe I’m researching the life out of it before writing about it! One of my greatest fears is to lead others astray. So if I’m sharing about anything in Scripture, whether it’s a foundational doctrine, or a minor theological perspective, I want to be sure that where I land aligns with Scripture and the body of work that confirms its claims.

   
   

2. Being true to myself. I’m sure this venture would grow faster if I shared hot takes on the latest spilled tea. I just don’t want to because I don’t really care about those things. I have tremendous clarity about the passion God gave me for his Word and for walking alongside others who want to grow in their faith and knowledge of Scripture. I just think the Bible is the most beautiful story in the world and the best part about it is that it’s not only true, but that we get to be part of it! Most of what I share will be to that end. 

One of the surprising lessons of this year is that in saying yes to one thing, we are saying a no to many others. Every writer eventually chooses whether they'll build around attention or conviction. Attention is unpredictable. Conviction is digs deeper. I don't always know what people will read, share, or engage with, but I do know what God has asked me to steward. For me, that means opening the Scriptures and helping others see the beauty within them.

Passion over Popular

Which brings me to my next point. It’s been over 25 years since the Lord first spoke to me through his Word. I still remember it…

I got dumped in a weird way as a young teen. I thought my friend was the third wheel on our date. Turns out I was the third wheel on their date! Later, when I chatted with another friend on the phone, she shared this verse with me out of her mom’s Bible.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18

It was my first meaningful encounter with the Bible and by extension my first meaningful encounter with the God of the Bible. It’s been a love affair with the Scriptures ever since. Much of what we read isn’t popular, nor does it always feel good. But it is timeless, and it is for our good. So I’ve learnt it’s ok to share what I’m passionate about, even if it isn’t the most popular or pandering thing to say.

Twenty-five years later, what amazes me most is that the Bible has never become exhausted. I've read many of the same passages dozens of times and somehow continue to discover something new. Not because the text changes, but because God continues to use it to shape me in different seasons. The Scriptures have comforted me, corrected me, challenged me, and sustained me. They have proven themselves trustworthy over and over again.

Faith over Fear

How do you always have something to write about? I don’t know. God brings new themes and topics to mind and he keeps doing that so I’m choosing to believe in his faithfulness to me rather than give in to the fear that I’ll run out of ideas, or time, or readership. There is a lot about this that scares me. But I love it too much to give in to the fear. I choose faith in a God who is faithful rather than give in to fear of the unknown. 

Gratitude over Growth 

If there's one thing I didn't anticipate this year, it's how grateful I would become for the people on the other side of the screen.

When I started writing consistently, I wasn't sure who would read these posts. I certainly didn't imagine the emails, messages, conversations in church hallways, and notes from people sharing how a particular article met them at just the right time. Those interactions have reminded me that faithfulness and fruitfulness are not always measured the same way.

In a world obsessed with numbers, it's easy to focus on views, followers, clicks, and shares. Those metrics have their place, but they don't tell the whole story. A blog post may be read by hundreds of people and quickly forgotten. Another may be read by only a handful and become deeply meaningful to someone walking through a difficult season.

One of the gifts of writing has been discovering that I often need the message before anyone else does. Many of the lessons I've shared over the past year were things God was teaching me first. The writing process has forced me to slow down, study more carefully, think more deeply, and articulate what I actually believe. In that sense, the blog has become one of God's tools for my own discipleship.

I've also been reminded that consistency matters. Not because every post is life-changing, but because small acts of faithfulness accumulate over time. Week after week, post after post, God has continued to provide ideas, opportunities, and the desire to keep going. Looking back, I'm less impressed by any individual post and more amazed by God's sustaining grace throughout the process.

For every person who has read, shared, commented, listened to the podcast version, or encouraged me along the way, thank you. Your support has been a gift. More importantly, thank you for caring about the things that matter most: knowing God, understanding his Word, and learning to follow Jesus more faithfully.

A Sabbath month

And with that I am signing off for a whole month! One month off from researching, writing, and recording. You’re welcome to visit the archives for any posts you may have missed!

What’s in the Ears

This is the part where I share a song or podcast I’m currently into. If you’re reading this and want to check out the podcast version, you can look up The Flourishing Life with Tina Avila or find it linked in the email.

If this stirred something in you, share this post with a friend or drop a comment below. I’d love to hear what small step you’re taking towards the flourishing life today! And don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss a thing.