I was in middle school when I discovered the Internet. AOL’s Instant Messenger had just hit the scene, and I had no plans to be left behind. I didn’t let my parent’s dial-up modem slow me down too much. I had to ask for permission before signing on and I got kicked off each time someone in the house used the telephone, but those days were sweet.

 Believe it or not, I learned a lot about life from discovering the world wide web. There were late nights of overanalyzing conversations, and asking my mom awkward questions. There were follow-up discussions with girls at school, and notes passed with tears and laughter. 1990′s Internet was simply another one of my teachers. She taught me about friendships and first loves, about character and integrity.

 I’ve fallen in and out of love with quite a few endeavors since, but I just can’t seem to shake the Internet. To me, it’s a launching pad for ideas and inspiration. It’s an anchor for friendships of new and old. It provides an outlet for me to communicate my thoughts and feelings, and it allows me to connect those thoughts and feelings with other people who would not otherwise cross my path.

 What I’m trying to say is, I love the Internet. I’m not going to stop anytime soon. But this year, it’s time to make my online life mean something. Therefore, it brings me honor to serve the Influence Network in the area of forums. I’m excited to help women connect with each other, to learn from each other and build each other up. I’m grateful to be a part of something much bigger than a single blog or chat room, and I can’t wait to see what the Lord does with this group of women!

See a peek at the private, member forums here.