In the fall of 1998, after receiving a $100,000 check from a generous supporter, a new Web site was born.

Unlike the countless Web sites that also launched that year, Boundless is still going strong. Oh, so is Google. That other site that started when we did, also for a mere 100 grand. And like Boundless, whose name means limitless, Google was named for the ginormous math term "googol," which is 10 to the 100th power.

Sure, they now have 20,000 employees to our three and a half. And their $150 billion market cap dwarfs our nickels and dimes budget. But even in the shadow of what was arguably the most successful Internet startup to date, Boundless has surprised most everyone involved in the project, exceeding expectations and building a community of readers committed to living the abundant life Christ promised to those who follow Him.

It was never a given that we'd make it this long. Of the 10 Web sites we identified prior to our launch who were also targeting a college audience (our original focus), only two are still around in their original form, the others are either defunct or repurposed with a new mission for a new and different audience.

Thankfully, God had a long-term plan for Boundless. At points we didn't know if we'd survive budget cuts, departmental restructuring, editorial turnover, and more. But we've seen His hand guiding us from the start — helping us minister to collegians and even enabling us to expand the message as our first readers started graduating and moving into the 20-something season of life. In addition to the webzine's daily publishing schedule, we've added the blog, the weekly podcast, and are gauging interest in a quarterly print magazine.

While our net worth hasn't changed all that much since we started Boundless — in stark contrast to Google's Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who are now worth about $19 billion each — our payoff has been the stories of lives changed.

One 34-year-old male reader wrote,

When I moved to England about 5 years ago because of trouble back home in Zimbabwe, I was suddenly exposed to a more flagrantly immoral culture and released from my circle that would have held me accountable, I went the easy way of the world....

However, there was always the guilt that accompanied these deeds, because of my upbringing. Being an avid internet surfer I came across boundless.org through circumstances I can't remember. Initially I wasn't impressed because the bent of the whole site spoke against my lifestyle and because of the conviction I felt, I carried on anyway, but not merrily.

Long story short: After another failed relationship I decided to get my life straight, or I should say I gave in to God's grace. I repented of my sin and got my business straight with God. Coming back to Boundless after the initial aversion was a pleasant experience. I didn't feel condemned, even though I knew I had much restoration required. I started using the resource, in addition to reading the Bible and praying and finding a church and getting involved in worship.

Thanks for the Godly advice along the way. God's way is not easy but it certainly is most rewarding. I'd rather fall on the Rock and be ruined than to have the Rock fall on me and be utterly destroyed. May God expand your horizons in reaching to the wandering, directionless Christian young adults.

Another reader who found us in college, and still reads nine years later, wrote,

The first time I read Boundless was in my dorm room my freshman year. It was 1999 I was 6 hours from home and I was crying. I couldn't believe what I was witnessing on campus — the drugs, the drinking, the sleeping around. I could hear it, see it, smell it everywhere I turned. I was being immersed in things that I wanted to avoid. It was getting harder and harder to make the right choices so I visited the family.org Web site figuring they'd have something encouraging. There you were, and so began what has been a very personal relationship between Boundless and me.

You have served as a source of accountability for me when struggling with a decision. You have encouraged me for making the right decision and even admonished me when I made the wrong one. You were there offering advice and words of warning when my boyfriend and I started dating. You advised us during our engagement and were there when we were married. You offered comfort and peace when I lost a family member on 9/11. Today you offer fresh perspective and challenge me mentally and spiritually as a mother.

As the wife of a pastor, your articles have forced me to think all the way around issues of social justice, the treatment of others, the role of the church in a world that we are not of, but are certainly in, and much more. Often when seeking guidance, questioning my role in the world or simply enjoying a new experience I can hear the words of past Boundless articles playing in my head sort of like a voice over. Thank you for everything, old friends, and Happy Birthday Boundless!

Back when we were pitching the idea of Boundless to the Focus execs, we envisioned a place where young adults could go to learn more about thinking and living biblically. Thankfully they thought it was a good idea. According to one reader it's been that and more.

I've been reading since 2004 when I was a sophomore in college. When I first stumbled upon it and started reading the articles, I was aghast! Especially when it came to marriage and gender roles. My exact thoughts were, "Where did these people come from? 1950? This is ancient stuff that I can't believe I'm reading." For some reason, though, I was intrigued and I kept coming back for more. There was something attractive even though I didn't agree with the ideas.

Continuing to read Boundless, it occurred to me that these "crazy ideas" were being backed up by Scripture! I have been a Christian since I was very young, and I believe in the authority and inerrancy of the Bible. So realizing that my personal views were more aligned with the culture than with Scripture was very surprising and unsettling. I began to have my eyes opened to all of the smog I had breathed in from the culture, and the clean crisp air I was neglecting that came from God's Word.

It is amazing to look back and see how God used Boundless to initiate a drastic transformation in me. Along with a godly woman (herself a wife and mother) I learned from throughout college, Boundless was a HUGE part of my worldview being flipped upside down. Prior to Boundless, I had accepted a lot of the feminists' rhetoric without even realizing it: "as women we don't need men," "we can and should do everything ourselves," "focusing on your career is #1," "the idea of submitting to your husband is crazy" ... you name the idea, I had unwittingly soaked it into my views about life.

But since being under Boundless's "teaching" and under a godly Christian mentor for the past four years, God has turned me a complete 180 degrees. I am so eternally grateful for all of your work and investment to making Boundless a shining light. I am sure that as God has used you in molding me to be more like Christ, He has done the same in so many other lives. Thank you!

Another credits Boundless for encouraging him to pop the question:

I'm just a reader who has been greatly influenced by your webzine for the past couple of years — what you write has made a difference in my life. Thanks for encouraging me and other young adults to pursue marriage. I'm a bit of a commitment-phobe and the extra shove really helped me. I just wanted to let you know that I got engaged last week and will be getting married next July.

It's impossible to know at the start of a venture — whether a new Web site, a new job, a new life post-graduation, a new relationship — what twists and turns a decade will bring. Even bad news can turn out to be good.

What does God have in store for your next 10 years? As our past decade has reminded us, every year matters. How you live each moment matters. The more intentional you are with your money, relationships, community, time and talents, the more confident you can be that you're on a good path. And if you're living faithfully, you can trust God for the rest.