Recently, I revisited my old blog posts. It was a journey that proved both humbling and enlightening. Reading my work from eleven years ago was almost painful. Those early posts were riddled with mistakes, clunky writing, and wandering focus that made me wince.

My posts from six years ago told a different story. While I wasn’t delighted with them either, they showed clear progress. The writing had improved dramatically, though grammatical errors still peppered the text. These pieces were longer and more content-heavy than what I publish now, which explains why I could only manage two or three posts per week.

Today, I’ve found my rhythm. I’m genuinely pleased with both my writing system and the quality I’m producing. My posts are concise and digestible, crafted for busy readers who want substance without the fluff. My process has evolved too: I write, then put each piece through three rounds of editing to check grammar, refine the tone, and search for more effective phrases. I maintain a buffer of at least a week, giving myself space to revise when inspiration strikes. The result is work I’m proud to share with the world.

Last week, sitting in my office, I felt the urge to delete those early years entirely. Then I considered updating and republishing the old posts. In the end, I chose to leave them untouched and keep moving forward.

Those old posts chronicle more than just my evolution as a writer. They also document my growth as a Christian, parent, and pastor. Each imperfect sentence represents a step in my journey forward.

Many of us harbor the desire to erase our past, to delete or rewrite our earlier selves. Yet that flawed, fumbling past is precisely what brought us to where we stand today. Those words and experiences, however imperfect, are the building blocks of who we’ve become. I thank God for where I have been, but also for the way he is changing me through the years.