Why Blog?

It's 12:32 a.m. and I can't sleep.  No one is on Facebook, nothing good on t.v.  So I check in on my blog for the 15th time today.  See who's visiting, where they are from, if there are any comments pending, etc.  I have to admit - I'm really addicted to checking out where in the world you people are - literally :)  Nothing excites me more than to see a new country added to the list - except seeing that new country actually get more than one hit meaning it wasn't just chance.  The other day I had an "odd" experience.  I was checking the list and became overwhelmed with a need to pray for you.  You were in Singapore,  checking the blog as I was looking at the stats.  I don't know who you are - but I know the Lord laid you on my heart - so I prayed.

Why do I blog?  It's a good question and a valid one.  For the most part, my reasoning's have stayed the same over the years.

When I was a kid, I loved to journal.  Problem was - I was not able to freely journal.  My Dad read my journal and if I ever said anything that was really going on - well - you don't want to know what would happen.  I got real adept at hiding that thing.  I would remove vents from walls, tuck it in there, pull out my dresser drawers and put it behind there, find some place to tuck it out of his reach.  He was just as adept at finding them - but that's another story for another day.

I do enjoy writing.  It's an outlet for me - a place where I can be who I am - fully - without excuse, without apology.  In fact - you'll probably get more of me here than you will if you met me in "real" life.  I don't know if that's a good thing or not - it's just who I am.

I like to share with you all the awesome things God has done in my life.  I love to share of His healing power, of His amazing love.  I love to tell you about my 2 beautiful blessings named Elyse and Jon.  I love to tell you about the handsome guy I married.  Sometimes I'm spitfire hot, sometimes I'm cold.  All the time - I am real.

I'm not perfect.  There have been times over the years I have used my blog as a place to vent.  People don't always like that - but I stand without apology.  I have "matured" - or at least tried to - and I'm much more careful about what I say than I was a few years ago - but I'm still - me.  Some people call me "opinionated", "stubborn" and "bullheaded" - my hubby calls me - passionate.  I like that better :)  I do try to filter things better now through the grace and compassion of Jesus Christ.  I try to respond instead of react more than I used to. 

My blog is my canvas - a place to be creative.   A place to share the music of my life.   A place to connect with friends and family near and far.  A place to share my tears, my joys, my sorrows, my past, my present, my future.

These are the reasons I blog.  It's my life on paper and maybe one day if my memory begins to fade - this will be a place I can come back to and remember.

Deuteronomy 8 - The Msg.

 ^1-5 Keep and live out the entire commandment that I'm commanding you today so that you'll live and prosper and enter and own the land that God promised to your ancestors. Remember every road that God led you on for those forty years in the wilderness, pushing you to your limits, testing you so that he would know what you were made of, whether you would keep his commandments or not. He put you through hard times. He made you go hungry. Then he fed you with manna, something neither you nor your parents knew anything about, so you would learn that men and women don't live by bread only; we live by every word that comes from God's mouth. Your clothes didn't wear out and your feet didn't blister those forty years. You learned deep in your heart that God disciplines you in the same ways a father disciplines his child.

Blogger Problems?

Hey fellow blogger users.  Tonight my followers, recent posts, and comments suddenly disappeared (right side).  Is anyone else having this problem?  I'm not sure where to look to see if blogger is having issues or if I'm going to need to re-do those elements.

Leave me a comment if you have any info.  Thanks much!

On Blogging

I found some of these questions in blog land.  I thought this might be fun - so here goes :)

What are your thoughts about blogs/blogging?
Obviously I love blogging.  I love writing.  I wish everyone blogged.  I'm a blog stalker and a blog writer.  Love, love, love blog(ging)s :)

How many hours a day do you spend time blogging?
Lots.  But honestly, it depends on the day.  I'm a streak blogger. Maybe that sounds bad.  I mean I go in streaks.  Sometimes I post a lot, sometimes days go by and I couldn't write if my life depended on it.


Any silly/crazy/funny stories or experiences related to blogging you'd like to share with the readers:   Two that I can think of.  One is funny, one not so funny.  Once I was in Kroger parking lot and a woman approached me and said she was a stalker of my blog.  I had never seen her before.  It was, quite honestly, a little unnerving and I kept thinking in my head "Oh boy - WHAT have I written about lately and just how much does this woman know about my family??"  but it turned out she is a wonderful person and we got to be friends.  Another time I had a woman FREAK out on me and leave me nasty comments and pretty much tell me I wasn't much of a Christian.  Unfortunately I allowed her rudeness to get to me and questioned myself for some time until one day I thought no more - I like me - just the way I am - and I don't feel I've done anything wrong.  Well she threatened to never read my blog again to which I happily replied "no problemo"  I've been removed from a blog roll or two for my frankness on certain issues and I used to allow that to get to me too.  But again - I am me.  Sometimes I say stupid things and sometimes I am - well - honest and blunt - and if you can't love me flaws and all - I don't really need you as a friend anyway so cest la vie.  Although, I have worked harder at keeping things positive and when discussing difficult situations involving other people, I try to keep my focus more on how I am growing and struggling through it and not so much on what the other person did.  I still fail - but I have grown in this area in the past few years.


What are your favorite topics to blog about? 
Everything.  I love talking about my kids, my good lookin' man, marriage, parenting, my walk with God - anything. 


Where do you do most of your blogging?
At home.  Usually after everyone has gone to bed.  Nothing frustrates me more than trying to put my thoughts on paper when there is chaos around me.  I'm pretty focused when I write and hate to be interrupted.


Do you pay attention to your blog stats?
Yeah.  I wish I didn't, but I do.  Every time I see a new follower on networked blogs or google followers, I get all excited.  I especially love to see how many countries in the world my blog gets hit on in.  Does that make sense??  I love when I see another new country, or a country I know is restricted or not open to the gospel.  I love reaching the world from my little 'ole place in it.  It's fun :)  I have yet to see any representation from Africa though - maybe once but that's it.  I'd like to see that change :)  I've seen hits from a whole lot of other places though - Mexico, USA, Canada, all over Europe, a lot of Asian countries - even restricted ones, India (one of the top three places in the world that hit this blog) - all over.  No, I don't mean that to brag.  If you know me, you know I just love all kinds of cultures and people and it's exciting to think someone that far away is reading my blog.

What kinds of blogs do you like to read?
All kinds.  I like reading family blogs of those I know (Hi Carlee, Stacey, Alana, DaNella, Bethany, and Jackie), I love reading missionary blogs (Hi Jennie Joy, Arise Haiti & the Mazurs),  I love reading crafting blogs (too many to name), I love reading blogs by women who inspire me (hello to Deanna , Women Living Well, Amira) and I love exploring and finding new blogs (hello tatertots and jello, don't waste your homemaking, jewelry for change, my repurposed life, beauty in the attempt, Misty @ bake me away,  A thing of beauty, etc, etc, etc!).  Forgive me if I missed yours.  I like finding new blogs to read and be inspired by.  There are a lot of amazing people out there and blog land is a place you can meet many of them.


Do you have any questions for me?  I'd love to hear them.  Leave a comment and I'll try to answer either via a post, e-mail or comment back.  Thanks for stopping by!

Shout Out

I was checking out some of the blogs listed in "Blogging with Moxie" when I came across this post.  If you've ever struggled with your self esteem and your weight - well this is the post for you.  Check it out.  I could learn a thing or two.

Blogging Advice I've gleaned

Image located at asianmommy.com

As I stated yesterday, I've picked up a couple of books on blogging.  Here's some advice:
1.  Keep your posts short - no more than 300 words.  Yikes.  I'm just getting warmed up at 300.....
2.  No music - Off but still at the bottom for your listening pleasure if you so choose :-)
3.  Catchy titles. I'll work on it.  Maybe I should have titled the last post "Full of Moxie"!
4.  Stay focused.  What were we talking about??
5.  Snappy design.  I think Leslie at Sweetie Baby's Design solved this issue for me!
6.  Comment on other blogs.  Hint.....Hint.....Hint.....No one likes writing and wondering if anyone is reading.
7.  Blog out of the box.  Be unique, different, controversial even.  Covered this in the previous post.
8.  Blog often.  Check.  Got this one covered.
9.  Pictures.  Always use pictures.  Working on it.
10.Be the best you you can be.  Always ;-)

Got anything to add?  What's YOUR blogging advice?  I'd love to hear it!

Under Construction

Thanks for stopping by!  Everything Beautiful is currently under construction.  Please be patient while my incredibly awesome designer sweetie baby's custom blog design designs the blog.  Can't wait to see it myself so I hope you'll stop by in a few weeks and tell me your thoughts.  So exciting!