Welcome to Daughter of Ruth. I know, it’s an unusual name for a blog, and it actually surprised even me. You see, I knew I wanted to start writing again, and as I’d previously enjoyed blogging, I figured it was a good way to get started. But what on earth do you name a blog these days? I considered a few things, but they were all taken (and not very good names to begin with anyway). It may seem silly, but I actually wrestled with the name for days – after all, your blog name sets the whole tone for your site.

But I had nothing. So as I was lying in bed one night I did what I should have done from the start – I began to pray. I felt a little odd asking God to help me name a blog because, well, He’s dealing with poverty, natural disasters, diseases, war… but we’re told He cares for the smallest details of our lives, so I thought I’d open my heart and ask Him for help. After all, my main reason for wanting to write again was to share the thoughts and insights He’d placed into my heart.

And after just a few minutes of praying, Daughter of Ruth came to mind. It was perfect. You see, after marrying my husband I moved about an hour away from my friends and family to live with him and pursue his passion for church planting. I’d say I’m here to support him, but ministry, and especially church planting, is not a spectator sport. Either you’re on the field or you’re somewhere else entirely. Now, an hour may not seem like much, especially since my first foray away from home literally took me to the other side of the earth, but throw in a new marriage, a massive puppy, and a new ministry, and I began to feel like I was living in a foreign land.

I found myself relating to Ruth from the Bible. She followed her mother-in-law Naomi to a new land and I can’t help but think she felt insecure, lonely and, sometimes, afraid in this new place. While she may not have regretted her choice, she probably felt in over her head a time or two. I know that feeling.

So Daughter of Ruth was born. I don’t know if it’s going to be groundbreaking, or just an outlet for my own creative expression that’s tucked away in a forgotten corner of the web, but I’m following my passion and I hope it encourages others to follow theirs. I’ll be telling stories about the lessons I’m learning on the journey of life and also share some other things I’ve picked up along the way – like recipes, tips for small business owners, home decor ideas, and whatever else strikes me as interesting.

Welcome to Daughter of Ruth. I’m excited to share this journey with you.

JoAnn

Oh, and my mom’s name is Pat, not Ruth, in case you were wondering.