Crowns of Thorns and Crimson Stains

After being challenged (to be precise, I was double dog dared!) by a very dear friend to start a blog, I have decided to take the plunge. I have actually been thinking about doing this for a good while, though I am just now taking action.

I struggled with what to call this blog. What is my purpose in starting a blog? What kinds of things will I write about? What is the theme of my life? Where Joy and Sorrow Meet is the title of a beautifully written song, in which are these lyrics:

There is a place, where hope remains,

In crowns of thorns and crimson stains;

And tears that fall on Jesus' feet,

Where joy and sorrow meet.

This is where Jesus Christ bore my sorrows for the joy set before him--the sorrow of my sin and the joy of glorifying Himself in the redemption of my soul. This is the cross, the center of my life now and the hope of life eternal. And this, dear friends, is the center of this blog. I will write about many things--family, friends, love, literature, music, joy, sorrow; but all of these things have at their core the beauty of the cross of Jesus Christ. Without the cross, I have no hope. Without the cross, there can be no true joy in the midst of even the deepest of sorrows. My prayer is that all who ever visit this blog will find in the posts the love, forgiveness, and beauty of the Savior.