Hello 2016 Blogosphere!
Wow. It has been a while, but here I am! In my last post, I shared the exciting news that I was going to start working from home for Marriage Helper as their Writer and Editor and now I am their Creative Director! It is WILD! So what can I say after my first few months of doing it? It is the most fun I have had in a long time! I am growing, learning, writing, creating, publishing (we released a prayer journal around Christmas time–check it out here); and most importantly, helping marriages! Not to mention, I have gained an incredible friend through it all (the amazing #girlboss, Kimberly Beam Holmes). God is so very good. He truly orchestrated the entire thing, and I am extremely grateful for it all. As I have worked for them, it has got me itching to do more and I am dreaming BIG for other things I want to do personally. So, I have decided on the first two books I want to begin authoring, AND I have been casting vision for what I want to turn this blog into. Of course, I consulted God and He did His thang, breathing beautiful inspiration along with a truck-load of direction. First and most importantly, He showed me what He DID NOT want my blog to be and then the rest fell into place...
WHAT MY BLOG WON'T BE 2015 was a big year in the blogosphere world. Blogs, specifically "Christian" blogs, became this hot spot for sharing in-your-face opinions and supposed truths. After reading blog-after-blog on how Christians should be responding to the Syrian refugee crisis, to Donald Trump, to immigration, to the Duggar's, to gay marriage, etc....my head was spinning AND my spirit was getting heavy. To be honest, I starting to get depressed after seeing all of the self-righteous and judgmental posts. To be even more honest, I didn't agree with most of those blogs; therefore, according to those bloggers...I am not even a Christian. So there you have it folks...
To provide what I think is a great parallel, I have learned that if you're going to speak-up on pro-life issues then you have to be loving, serving, and active in the pro-life arena. You have to be part of the solution. In the same sense, I aim to be known by what I do and not just by what I write behind a computer screen in the safety of my own home. Can people be inspired, moved, helped, and so forth with the written word even in the blogosphere? BY ALL MEANS, YES! That is why I am doing this after all. However, I do not believe in using my gift as a writer to manipulate, judge, or throw others under the bus–especially fellow believers. Seeing Christians tear each other down is just the ammunition the world desires to try to continue to silence us. Instead, how about we let them know who we are by our love for another (John 13:35)? End rant.
WHAT MY BLOG WILL BE Instead, my blog is going to be a place for inspiration in all areas of life–how to's, DIY's, devotionals, and the like. I would love to share on topics I am growing in such as, "How to Create a Style Guide for Your Church or Non-Profit", "Branding for the Beginner", "Story-telling in Graphic Design" and the list goes on and on. I also want to share recipes, devos, emotional rants for the stay-and-work-at-home moms, news in the pro-life area and how we can get involved, and maybe a fashion tip or two (for the days I am wearing kid-proof clothing). I am dreaming bigger, grasping onto God's vision, and yearning for this virtual space to be a place where people can come to laugh, find understanding, and learn to live more creatively.
How does that sound? I hope it sounds like something you'd want to read and possibly even share! It might get crazy, funky, and this might look different than any other blog out there...but that's just what I want it to be! Who wants well-structured and behaved anyhow?! As Laurel Thatcher Ulrich says, "Well-behaved women rarely make history". This gut-punching quote inspired the graphic below (photography props to my amazing hubby, Philip). I hope it inspires you to get a little unruly too.
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