Why Gather and Glean?

Gather and Glean may seem like an odd title for a website devoted to hearing God's voice in the world around us, but I can tell you, a lot of thought went into this. For several weeks now, maybe even months, I've had the idea to start the site but could not come up with a catchy name that summed up all that I felt the site should be. I went back and forth on a few names, but whenever I had someone else offer me feedback, well let's just say it wasn't positive.

Then, it came to me. Not in some heavenly voice from behind a white light or out of a burning bush, but through my thought process I landed on the word Glean. Thankfully, (now anyway) Glean was already taken as a blog title and I needed something else. After trying more combinations, I really liked the new name and here's why.

Gather has multiple meanings and I like that so many apply to what the site is about:

According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary -

1. to collect or accumulate (as in the posted content - music, book reviews, movies, devotions)

2. to reach a conclusion often intuitively from hints or through inferences (what we do with the information posted)

3. to come together as a group (I hope lots of you will continue to visit the site and share in the comments)

And Glean is defined -

1. to learn, discover, or find out, usually little by little or slowly.

For me, that sums it all up. This will be a place where we can come together, share in the collected content, and slowly open our eyes and ears to what God is saying to each and every one of us.

What is Gather and Glean?

Have you ever wondered why it is so easy to hear temptation, but so hard to hear God's voice? I'm sure there are 100's of reasons why this seems to be true, but for me, the biggest reason is that I don't know how to listen.

Gather and Glean was created as an opportunity to share my attempts to be a better listener. God speaks to us in so many different ways and as I learn to open my eyes and ears to them, I want to share them with you.

You can expect posts about the music and songs I'm listening to, the books that I'm reading, and the devotions that speak to me. I'll provide links where I can so that you have access to all that I share. As time goes by, my intent is for the site to become a resource for people looking for, or wanting to share God's message.

I hope you'll follow along as I listen for God's direction.