Did you know 1 in 4 people have a blog today? I just made that statistic up, but it feels about right, doesn’t it? After all, everyone and their brother is bombarding you with social media notifications to check out their articles, take their online courses, or buy their products. Well, since I’m married with 2 kids (that’s 4 of us if you weren’t counting), obviously one of us has to start a blog to keep the status quo.
When I combined that with the fact that 75% of Americans have a side hustle (made up statistic number 2 if you’re counting) I felt like it was time for me to jump into the ring. So Welcome to www.gwsmallwood.com.
Who is G. W. Smallwood?
Well, if you read my About page, then you have some ideas already. If you didn’t read it, then you should probably go back and do that. Why would you start reading posts from some random dude who decided to start a blog without checking him out first? Remember my made-up statistic says that 25% of people have a blog? That’s a completely made up quarter of all people, and there’s no vetting process. You should really find out more about me before you read further. Go ahead, read my About page if you haven’t already.
I have been an avid reader ever since my grandmother taught me to read as a kid. Over the past 10+ years, I have made a habit of reading through the Bible once every year, I regularly read 5-10 blog posts per day, and I’m usually juggling a couple of books at a time. I also listen to podcasts and watch YouTube videos daily. After years of excessive consumption, I decided it was time to start balancing that with some creation.
I have always believed in God, though I haven’t always walked very closely with him. I am part of the 100% of Christians (not so made up statistic) that struggle with obedience and occasional doubt. The older I get and the more I learn, the more convinced I am that Jesus is who he claimed to be, and that following him is worth the effort.
What Will I Be Writing About?
So what sorts of things can you expect to read on this site? I’ve enjoyed journaling for a long time, and I have found that when I want to fully understand something I need to write about it. Writing has always been my way of figuring out what I really think and how I really feel. As Benjamin Disraeli noted in the 19th century, “The best way to become acquainted with a subject is to write about it.” This blog is my attempt to write about the things I have been learning, hopefully in ways that can benefit others.
The focus of my writing is wisdom, faith, doubt, and discipleship. As a disciple of Jesus, I am especially drawn to ideas that pertain to Biblical wisdom and obedience. I love exploring the parallels between Biblical wisdom, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and biology. Most of the things you’ll find on this site will involve my exploration of these sorts of topics, though as you may have noticed, I like to take the occasional rabbit trail (Squirrel!). I may also occasionally post some links or references to my favorite source material.
Why Should You Subscribe?
I also believe that Biblical wisdom and Biblical obedience are relevant to everyone, everywhere, not just to Christians. Jesus didn’t require belief from his very first disciples. His disciples didn’t really believe until they caught him breaking and entering a locked room and crashing their dinner after they saw him die. One of them was even given the nickname of “doubting” Thomas (John 20:24-29). Jesus’ first request to those disciples had nothing to do with belief. He simply asked them to follow. I believe everyone deserves that same invitation, to follow, regardless of belief. I’m convinced that anyone can improve their life by following Jesus.
A few years ago I heard a great sermon from Andy Stanley about the parable of the talents. If you’ve never read the story, check out Matthew 25:14-30. I think most of us would consider ourselves the 1 talent guy in the story. I know I do. But I decided that I don’t want to make the same mistake he did. I don’t want to waste what God’s given me, regardless of how little I sometimes think it is. God has given me a little bit of knowledge, a little bit of experience, and a little bit of time. I hope that what I write here will allow other people to benefit from all of those little bits in some way. If all else fails, I can always fill my posts with 17% more fake statistics, which fake data says makes content 65% more interesting.
Subscribe to get a short email notification anytime I post something new. I hope you’ll be able to use some of the things I’ve learned to improve your own life.
