It was probably 15 years ago that I discovered the difference between a web site and a blog. I took a course in how to start a blog and , “voila,” I created my own. That was the easy part. Writing, which used to be easy, suddenly became hard. There was all this pressure to have a distinct style, presence, write often, and grow a large readership. If these were the elements necessary to be a successful blogger, I fell short. No matter how many great ideas I had, as soon as I sat down to type I forgot how to write. Now and then, I wrote a keeper, but it was not often enough to keep anyone coming back. It was too much pressure. Eventually, I took a good, long break from the pursuit. When I did come back to writing in blog format, it was for the right reasons. God can use my blog in a worthwhile way whether I have zero readers or a huge readership who interact online. I try not to pay too much attention to the statistics showing how many reads or likes a post has. What does get me excited is seeing the many countries from which readers “click in.” It is hard to grasp how someone in Africa may be reading something I write, whether in part or in whole.

Why I Write

1. To please the Lord. He made me a writer and He gives me words, therefore I write if, and only if, He places something on my heart.
2. To learn. I am an external processor. If I don’t talk something out, I may just go round and round with it forever. Preparing to share pushes me to research and work out the details. I learn far more than simply pondering an idea. Afterward, I have the materials with which to teach again, if God calls me to do so.
3. To encourage. I was a young mom with questions and no local support, not even family support. I prayed for help and God provided through other women’s blogs. While I truly missed friendship, there was a season when I just needed little doses of help, with time to process, and room to change. Other bloggers wrote about what God was teaching them, using scriptural support, and they shared about their families. I read when I had time, studied, prayed, saw possibilities, and God used all of it. They were online mentors, and don’t even know how they blessed me. If anything I share can encourage someone else, then I am thankful.
4. To teach. I told my one of my adult daughters today that I wish the wisdom we learn through experience was passed down through genetics! If only my kids didn’t have to wrestle through the same kinds of lessons I have had to learn. I truly desire for my children to be more wise than I have been. Think how much farther the Lord can take them! Paul instructed older Christian women to teach the younger women. This is one way I can teach.
5. To stay sane. 🙂 God very much made me a learner, thinker, and problem solver. My brain is always full of many ideas. Without closure for some of these thoughts, my brain might explode. I write it, publish it, and walk away from it… then we are on to master the next thing! I’m trusting God to use it.

Blogging is my personal fun time. God, family, church, and camp come first, and my life is full and blessed. So, I don’t know how consistent my posts will be in 2022, but the archives are available and I am here for another year…

God bless you in this new year as you pursue His heart, ~Linda