Prologue
It’s a bit funny that I’ve just taken a two month long break from blogging, and the post up next on my list is supposed to honor my one year anniversary as a blogger (which was May 15th) by discussing how it all began and what it means to me. Of course with all the roles I play as wife, mom, employee, daughter, friend, etc. there are times when writing has to take a back seat to other priorities, but I wasn’t generally going longer than a couple weeks without a new post going up. I didn’t decide to take such a long break… it just sort of happened. Normally I feel called to write, but the past couple months I felt called to focus on other things instead. We’ve enjoyed family time, gone on several river trips, and we just celebrated my birthday and anniversary. I also spent quite a bit of time trying to get our house in order. I had had it with feeling like we couldn’t have people over or even be comfortable in our home due to my inability to keep up with housework sufficiently. I did make quite a bit of progress and get a good rhythm going, although you wouldn’t know it at the moment since I’m still playing catch up from our anniversary weekend away (story coming soon). It was nice to have a summer break, but now I’m feeling that pull to write again. So with that explanation out of the way, let me tell you my blogging story as this space where my thoughts can become words and those words can be shared with others is truly a special place to me.
How did you get into blogging?
Every week my church mom’s group sends out an email, and it usually includes links to useful pages on the web. One day there was a link to an NFP (Natural Family Planning) series that Haley was hosting, and I decided to check it out. NFP was something I was particularly interested in at that time, and the series had some great information, so I kept checking back to read the latest posts. While I was waiting for new posts in the series, I started exploring Haley’s blog and loving everything I was reading. The series was written by guest bloggers, and some of the posts inspired me to check out the websites of those writers as well. Who would have thought that something as simple as deciding to follow a link would have such an impact on my life? Prior to this my only experience with blogging was reading my friend’s blog about her adoption journey. I thought her blog was a great way to keep everyone updated, but I never realized there was a whole blog community out there.
I was on maternity leave when I discovered the blogging world, and I was desperately seeking a way to bring in an income while still being able to focus on my role as a mom and wife. When I saw that many stay at home moms were bloggers I wondered if maybe that was the answer. I had many thoughts on motherhood that I wanted to share, and I loved the idea of being able to have my own little business at home. It didn’t take long to discover that this was not going to be the answer to my working dilemma, but it didn’t really matter because I had already fallen in love with blogging and God showed me another path to finding a better work-family balance. When I was younger I used to read books constantly, and I loved to journal. As I got older and life got crazier, my reading and writing time decreased significantly. I didn’t realize that part of me was missing until I found it again with blogging. I never would have guessed I would have a blog someday. I had a number of misconceptions about blogging previously, but when I discovered what it really was and what it could offer, I was hooked.
You say you have no time, so why spend some of the limited time you do have on blogging?
It must seem crazy for someone in such a busy season of life to think throwing blogging into the mix is a good idea. Let me assure you, I do not blog because I have extra time on my hands that I don’t know what to do with. Even busy moms needs downtime to unwind and rejuvenate, and I have found that writing is one of the most effective ways for me to refresh my spirit. I often will notice that if I go too long without writing that my head starts to feel overrun with thoughts, and I start to get really burned out without that downtime.
It’s not just the writing though. It’s the reading and the sense of community. Through the blog world I can be surrounded by other Catholic/ Christian moms. Stories of their crazy days remind me that I’m not alone on this journey. Sometimes I get great ideas as they share tricks of the trade. Other times they will inspire me with beautiful words about faith or motherhood. Being surrounded, even virtually, by these women has really challenged me to be better. They live their faith in ways I had never even thought of. I started on a spiritual journey after we baptized Parker. Somehow that moment made it clear to me that I was responsible for raising him in the faith, and in order to do that I was going to need to have a strong faith of my own. These blogs have given me such great examples of how I can bring that faith to life for my family. Ladies, if you’re reading this, thank you for daring to put your life into words. I am truly grateful for all that you have shared to encourage me on my journey.
What are your goals for your blog?
Becoming a parent was such a huge life change for me, and I really wanted to encourage other mothers on their journey. Sometimes you need to hear that what you’re experiencing is normal, and during the challenging times to be reminded that it gets easier. Sometimes you need someone that you can ask, how did you handle this or how did you make that work? Thus, I have tried to share stories and tips that I hope will offer other moms support as they navigate through the craziness of parenthood.
One thing I wasn’t really expecting the blog to become was a way to document this time in our lives. I had been maintaining a journal that was supposed to do that. However, I found capturing our lives in blog form was more fun, and it had the added benefit of allowing me to share our stories with family and friends that we don’t get to see as often. Thus, I often like to write about key events, such as holidays and birthdays, and I even started a series called Little Moments to capture all the little things about my ever changing boys that I want to remember.
When I started the blog, I think I expected that faith would come up in the context of talking about our lives, but I was surprised to discover that the blog was a great way for me to continue on my faith journey. Not only does it provide a venue for me to explore my thoughts on faith, but I have actually found that sometimes when I write God will communicate to me through my words. I will actually find myself reading my own writing and trying to absorb the words because it will feel as though I didn’t write it at all. I will start off writing with one agenda and find unexpected inspirations along the way. Those are some of my favorite moments. I also hope that as I explore my faith that it will help others do the same. There is certainly an individual aspect to faith, but I think God gave us community for a reason.
Conclusion
So there you have it— my blogging story. I can’t believe it’s already been a year— or maybe only been a year— since I started my blog. I really appreciate all the people who take the time to read the words that I write. It really does mean so much to me to be able to share with you. A special thanks too to all the bloggers out there who continue to inspire and encourage me with their stories. Cheers to another year of blogging!
Happy first year Anniversary!!! I can again relate to so much of what you wrote. Thank you for your encouragement and sharing your life with us. Cheers to another year and God bless 🙂
Crisi recently posted…Celebration Continues
Thanks Crisi!! Your consistent support of my blog means so much to me! I really appreciate you taking the time to read and comment!
Sometimes this unintentional time away is the best thing for the soul! I totally understand the whole “having time for a blog” thought – but, I love how it forces me to sit down and reflect on what is going on in my life. (Plus, then I love having the written documentation of our life!) Congrats on a year of blogging – and here’s to many more. Love your musings, thoughts and inspirations!!
You’re so sweet Sara, thank you! I absolutely agree– having the opportunity to reflect on and to record these precious moments is invaluable. I truly appreciate you taking the time to read and to comment on my posts!
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