Why Do I Blog

Jennifer at "Getting Down With Jesus" is doing a "Why We Blog" series which compiles the stories of Christian women bloggers. If only my students could speak in such endearing terms about writing! So, in the spirit of the series, I decided I want to tell you why I blog: I have too much time on my hands. I'm KIDDING! Wow--if you believe that, I'll gladly accept you as a babysitter one afternoon next week. After a few hours, most people leave my house running--if the doors are locked, a window escape seems to do nicely. But seriously:

1. I blog to be obedient to God. After the twins were born, I felt very trapped by the needs of two infants and a toddler. I needed an outlet to reach people, but that seemed impossible considering the sheer chaos just for a trip to Wal-mart! More than that, I grew concerned about how I could fulfill the Great Commission to "Go...tell" people about Jesus, especially since I might leave the house one day a week and since showing up for door-to-door witnessing with 3 fussy little ones in tow might not be the best way to achieve success. I told my Pastor my fears of not pleasing Jesus, and he suggested witnessing in chat rooms. I prayed about it. Nope--didn't feel right. But that night, God showed me I needed to write a once-a-week devotional blog for Christian and non-Christians alike. And thus, "Quail and Manna" was born.
   
2. I blog because I want others to know God is the victor over hardships. No matter the hardship, God will not only see you through it, but will also help you be victorious IN (and at the END of) the trial! God will never leave you. My husband and I suffered through years of infertility and two miscarriages. We were married six years before the birth of our first son. A couple years later, we're now also the parents to twins. God is good. Another trial God sent our way was when my husband permanently lost his legal career because of another woman's lie. We're still suffering through this, but we choose to live victoriously to show others that life in Christ is worth everything.
   
3. I blog to live out loud for Jesus. In today's society, Christians are being hush-hushed at every turn for not being politically correct. I make no apology for my faith & I want to encourage others to do the same. I want Jesus to be the first thing that comes to someone's mind when they see me and my writing.
   
4. I blog for the silence of reflection that comes with blogging, a silence just for me and God to go back over my day and analyze it to see what He is trying to teach me so that I can learn, move forward, and do better tomorrow. This reflection time is when He's teaching me how to see each and every thing that happens in my day as a chance to learn more about Him, and that's something I try to impart through my writing.
   
5. I blog to leave a legacy of faith for my children. When I'm no longer around, I want my children to know that they were loved, that their mother tried her hardest to raise them to love Jesus, and that Jesus was the first love of her life. Perhaps they will read my path, learn from it, and not make so many of the mistakes I have.

I think that's it. I was kind of apprehensive to start with and had no idea when I'd find the time to write and research, but the more I write, the more I can tell God is pleased with my work here, the more He blesses me through the process, and the easier the writing come. God speaks through my sacrifice. And I'm the one who is blessed.