Press On

Because I have not been posting regularly prior to this 31 day challenge, there is a good chance that not many are reading my blog or pressing the play button on my vlogs. But that is okay. I speak, I write, for the One who calls me and urges me to write and speak words that would please Him.  I fret, I worry, I wonder, I hope that what God says to me in the depths of my heart is true.  He has spoken before, and still I wait to see if what I believe He has said will come to pass.  So instead of acting on the fret and worry, I dismiss it.  I act on hope and continue to write and to speak.

There are over 700 blogs participating in the 31 day challenge.  A few of the blogs that I am reading are:

• 31 days to change the world.  Emily Freeman's www.chattingatthesky.com
• 31 days of rest.  I am blessed to find Ashley at www.oneordinaryday.com
• 31 days of devotionals.  Stephanie Hanes blog at tjsmhanesfamily.blogspot.com

I list these because Emily has a way of inspiring you to keep on keeping on doing the thing God is calling you to do, and that's how we change the world.  Earlier this week I read on her blog a quote from Mary DeMuth's new book, "11 Secrets of Getting Published," which says this:

"Did you know that George Clooney appeared in The Golden Girls’ episode, “To Catch a Neighbor” in 1987? He was one of the two police officers who stayed in the women’s home as protection. And now what’s he up to? Anything he wants. But George had to work. He had to pretend he was a young police man on The Golden Girls. He paid his dues."

The idea of pressing on toward the goal I believe God has me on helps me persevere.  I'm not saying that I will be George Clooney one day, but that God will achieve his purposes in me as I do what often feels a lofty goal, being transformed from novice to learned.

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.  Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 3:12-14

So I write, I vlog, as one working for a goal, but I also blog as a way to rest.  Stop by the blogs listed above; you will be blessed. 

I've been blogged

I like to refer you to the wonderful things I see on the internet and blogosphere, but I suppose I do most of that on facebook these days.  And while occasionally I will write a post that my friends recommend on facebook, rarely do I find my blog referred to from another blog post.  One such person who does so is David Dollar, the other Valleydale blogger.  Although to be fair, many a Valleydalian has attempted blogging:  Nikol Whitten, Robin Kelley, Philip Waters, Suzanne Tullis, Meredith Dunn, Katie Green, Kelly Fisher, Kris Dekker, and Amarilys Barnett just to name a few.  The ones currently still blogging are Nikol, Kelly, and Suzanne, and I bet Robin and Katie will add one soon.  That aside, Mr. Dollar and I are the ones who have gained the most recognition thus far.  He recently included me in one of his posts.  We really do not know one another apart from the blogosphere, but I remember that he helped with the college kids (or was a college kid, but I don't think so) while I was in the singles class with his wife who was single at the time and lived in Georgia most of the time (so I didn't know her very well at all).  Now she works with my husband, albeit in the same company, but not department.  And his father in law used to be my boss once.  And he knew my dad.  Because they worked together too.  So I knew of his family and of him, the blogger back then for a while now, but I did not know I too would be become a blogger, of Valleydale fame, which according to Dave, I am.  That is both cool and embarrassing.  It really is.

This being said, I owe David Dollar a great deal of thanks for bringing traffic to my site.  I get more referrals from him than from anyone else, and next in line, the referrals come from A New Song to Sing, and my bff, Levi's Mom, who I never talk about on here.  But I love her, and she runs a little blog about her son, Levi, and now her daughter, Kara!  Networked blogs and google also send a lot of traffic my way.  The top things people search for that send them to me are mother hen story, scripture memory, and happy harpers.  Write a post about a fairly famous story and you will get traffic.  Comment on big blogs and you will get traffic, though I must say I don't have as much time to network and read other blogs as a good blogger probably should if they are worried about that kind of thing, which I used to, but don't much anymore.

Speaking of kids, you may have noticed that I talk about my kids on here less often.  Originally I started this blog as a way to document family life, but it also quickly became a way for me to release steam and vent about things I had come to internalize.  Some times I wrote about my kids and the crazy things they did that I wasn't sure I could handle any more.  Though I do just run a very small blog, I recognize that it has some notoriety, especially among my Valleydale family.  That being said, I had found I needed to pull back some of the things I said on here for integrity's sake and for the privacy of my children.  Although, I do need to step it up more in the way of some family updates and fun stories.  In the early days of blogging, I made many mistakes, including talking about friends and things I should have never made public, but did so out of earnest cluelessness in the matter at the time.  Now I know there is a certain code of ethics when blogging.  And here in is the rub, who wants to be friends with a blogger, if they are afraid they will be blogged about.  David Dollar does this kind of thing very well, but I'm not sure I know how to do it.

Funny thing

People have been leaving comments and I totally did NOT know it, because I was not getting my comment moderation emails!  Today when I went to change the pictures on the sidebars – I noticed that I had comments to moderate.  Funny how God allows these things to happen to increase my faith.  Thanks for your encouragements!  I love all of you!

Jesus in Suzanne’s Skin

My blog means a lot to me.  When I post personal posts, I am posting from my heart, from the very deepest places, and I do so because I feel like God is calling me to share whatever story I happen to be sharing with you in each post.  The problem is once I post my heart for all world to see, I rarely know if anyone reads or if God is using it to speak to anyone.  I don’t know who reads regularly.  And posting things that are deeply personal makes me feel naked and exposed.  I have posted about how insecure I am here and here. 

For whatever reason, I often feel as if God has placed a veil over me and no one sees me.  I know this is naive of me to say, but I often feel like a stranger in a foreign country.  Or like the girl with the scarlet letter.  I know that I am different, and I want to be different, but I also want to be connected.  And to be fair, I have felt a whole lot more connected lately, just not when it comes to this blog.  So after I posted this, I felt exposed and forgotten – sort of how one might feel visiting the female doctor, when you’ve had to undress, but the doctor does not quickly come and you are just hanging out under a thin sheet all alone.  Yeah, that’s pretty much how I felt.  I followed God’s plan by posting, but I did not trust Him in His work through me after I posted.  And my heart’s cry is “Use me, Lord, use me.  Empty me for more of You.”

So I began to feel insecure about posting such personal thoughts.  I was feeling particularly down and knew that it was an attack from the enemy, so I asked a friend to pray for me that I would feel His joy and a overwhelming sense of His presence.  My day continued on.  I went to my last bible study of the year and was encouraged, but still not where I needed to be. 

After bible study, I went to the grocery store.  I had to double back for a particular item, and that’s when I saw Suzanne and Josh.  I waved to Josh and turned down the aisle.  Suzanne did not see me.  Josh came to talk to me, and then he got his mom.  When Suzanne turned down the aisle, she said it was funny because she had been looking for me at church.  I was surprised because we say hello at church, but we don’t regularly talk.  She said that God had wanted her to tell me how He had used my blog for her this week.  I knew that in that moment I was staring directly in the face of Jesus, and there was the overwhelming sense of His presence that I had asked for in my prayers.  She proceeded to tell me two ways that God had used my last post to speak to her, and in particular, she had found out about a need, and she had encouraged her bible study ladies to buy a boy a NEW coat, not one that was leftover.  I thanked her and told her that she had blessed my heart by sharing, but I was so overcome with worship for God that I did not share just how much her God-touch meant to me in that moment.  I was overjoyed and grateful to see my sweet Jesus in beautiful Suzanne.

This just shows the sovereign power of God.  God used Heidi to speak to me.  God used me to speak to Suzanne, and God used Suzanne to speak to the ladies in her bible study and then back to me again.  And on it goes.  When God moves, He moves mightily.  And not only does His message resound to the hearts of those He is wanting to change to a better truth, He is a deeply personal God, caring about my heart and meeting my need to see Him.  What other god can you say this about?  I know not other god that cares or that is alive and active as is Our God – the Most High God!  Praise the King!

Windows Live Writer

If you are a blogger and you’ve ever thought that the blogger editor could be improved upon, here is the solution for you.  I am currently writing this post using a new editor, Windows Live Writer.  I got the tip from Shirley at Alabama Times.  She links to all the appropriate links so that everyone who suggested this fancy tool gets credit where credit is due.  I went ahead and left a link straight to the download, because you have to clink through a few links to get there.  Supposedly, this editor makes it easier to use fancy fonts, as well as makes it easier to post pictures.  If you’ve used blogger for very long, you know how difficult it can be to post pictures – including how they appear on the page as well as the upload time it takes.  Windows Live Writer is supposed to be the answer.  Let’s see… It looks as though it really is easier to add photos this way.  And, you can even edit your photo, crop, give it a fancy border, etc. all inside this editor.  Pretty nifty.  I’m pretty excited about this!

 

Comfort Zone

Last Friday, I drove the kids to mom's house to visit with her and my grandparents. As I was driving, I really felt like I the "summer vacation" of my mind was over, and now would be the time to crank out some more blogs. I had a myriad of posts running through my mind as I drove.

When I first started blogging, the blog world was a safe place to be. I could write my heart out, and not too many people would be reading it. I certainly wanted to be read, but at the same time, if I wrote or said something crazy, I was not worried about too many people reading it. I had very little going on in my life in the way of relationships, so in a sense, I had nothing to lose. I sent the link to my friends, but I did not have many close friends, and the ones I did have were not interested in reading my heart cries on this blog. That was a little disappointing, but at the same time, I just kept writing away and trying to minister to someone else in a similar life circumstance - hoping without ever knowing that this blog reaches someone for Christ. I put my name in blog circles and waited and still not much happened. But somewhere along the way, people started reading.

I was thinking about how I feel somewhat of a celebrity for anyone to want to read my blog, and I know I don't have as many readers as a big time blog would. Being someone who prefers to be behind the scenes, this is a little funny to me - seeking to achieve blog readership yet wanting to be unknown - how can the two coexist right? And my church has started a blog, Valleydale Church blog, and it links to my blog, so suddenly I feel a little shy as you might go to church with me and know me, but I may not know you. *sigh* Regardless, I am just Jamie, a simple girl, who sees God in big ways in small things - one little reminder that God finds significances in things and people who seem sorta insignificant - like me and maybe like you. You are significant and important to God. You are loved by Him with the deepest love imaginable, and as I seek Him, I will continue to pour out my heart and step out of my comfort zone. So more blogs and thoughts to come soon.

Blogoversary

Yesterday was my blogoversary, and I totally forgot about it. Go figure, and I was even somewhat excited about it, but oops, I forgot. Oh well. I have been blogging for a year! I have kept a hobby for a whole year and managed to keep up with motherhood and wife duties too. Thanks for reading. I know most people are not able to commit to read every time I post, but thanks for stopping by anyhow. I hope that I am a blessing to you along the way at some point. You definitely bless me by reading and commenting. This blog has really helped me process my thoughts over the last year.

Just a Few Random Things

Lately, I have ventured out into the blogosphere more than I've ever done. I have found a few neat ideas/sites/memes that I thought I would share.

First of all, there is a site called OrgJunkie that hosts a Menu Plan Mondays every week. You can join in and post your weekly menu on her site.

Secondly, I know you've heard me gripe and complain about all the stuff we have, and yesterday, I found SimpleMom, courtesy of Keeper of the Home. Actually, I found both sites courtesy of Keeper of the Home. Simple Mom is hosting a Spring Cleaning Party this week and next at her blog, and she walks through some easy spring cleaning and decluttering steps. She has also written and ebook called, "Spring Clean Whenever" for $7, which gives more details about all of the steps she will mention this week and next.

Last, I'm not sure how I found Scribbit's page, but she has written a FREE ebook about how to blog and develop your blog into what you want it be. It may be written for women, but it has all kinds of information that any blogger needs to know. If you've thought about blogging, but have not started, it is a great resource, and if you are blogging, but you are not accomplishing what you want to, it is a great resource. One thing that I am really excited about and hope to participate in is her monthly writing contests. I had no idea that there was anything like that out there, so I'm excited about opportunities to practice writing, other than what you see here.

My Blog

Only about a year after I started blogging, I have finally decided what I want to do with my blog. First of all, I want to glorify God and do so by sharing my life and struggles with you. Second of all, I want to encourage other parents by weekly sharing verses and prayers that I am praying for my children, and I would like you to join me in this by either commenting here or blogging about it on your own page. Thirdly, I want to discuss books that are relevant in shaping and molding the hearts of our children. Lastly, this blog is still about our life, and I will always share current events in our lives and random tidbits of useless and useful information. :) Hope you enjoy, and I'm sure it will continue to evolve.

Being a Light

Since our power was off on Wednesday, we've had candles all over the house. I noticed that even one candle who displays his glorious light in the darkness creates a lot of light to see by - that a lot can be accomplished by this one light even or especially if that is all the light there is. It reminded me of these verses in Matthew 5: 14-16, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." For this reason, I will continue to pour myself out to you in this blog including my spiritual musings and frustrations. I hope that my life is an example and encouragement to someone who reads and that my Jesus within me might be a bright light shining in the darkness. :)

Blog themes

I am toying with the idea of adding weekly themes to my blog, like Word filled Wednesday, Thankful Thursday, or Fun-filled Friday, maybe one to do with parenting. I think it would give the blog a little more focus and enable me to have direction about what to write in times of boredom. I would like to start with thanksgiving since it would put my focus on God and not on me and what I do not have. What do you think about this idea?

Playlist

Hey all,
I've added a playlist to the right side of my page. I did not set it to play automatically because I sometimes need to concentrate while I read, but please check it out, especially the first two tracks by Shawn MacDonald called "Clarity." This song really resonates in my soul right now, but more on that in my next post. Also there are some fun children's songs on there as well - those are for my kiddos.
Love,

Go Blog!

Okay, thanks to everyone who has left a comment telling me their opinion on whether I should quit blogging or not. Though there will probably be a lot of times when I don't have anything to say, I cannot quit blogging. I love it too much, and even when I open up myself wide open which is very scary to do, I don't know that I would find quite as much enjoyment if I just wrote it privately as I do publicly. Call me crazy that I like to martyr myself for your enjoyment and mine too. But, there is at least one that I write for so she can know more about this walk with the Savior I have. Maybe one day we will find time to sit down and have that conversation even though I am a little terrified.

Writing, Blogging, and Such

Since I have started blogging, I have started taking the art of writing itself more seriously. Writing helps me to wrap my arms around my thoughts and emotions, instead of letting it all swirl around and around in my brain and never letting them get fully processed. If you've been following my blog for at least a month or so, you know that I entered a writing contest, of which I did not win. So I asked for feedback - I am happy to know that it was just the mechanics of my writing that held me back, but I am also sad that this is the case too. I was very grateful to receive any feedback, but also slightly embarassed about my mechanical errors. Do you think I write engaging pieces? Why do you, my friends, keep reading this blog? Is it because you are intrigued by my life? Are you emotionally attached to me in some way already? I would actually like to capture new readers and therefore, write to the best of my abilities.

Actually, in another life time, I was a bit of a perfectionist, so I would not have posted anything until I had read and reread it 50 times at least, but as a mom, I just have a few minutes to work on a post each day, and I want to give you something to read, so I post what I've got even though it doesn't always flow like it should or is not always grammatically correct. Anyhow, since I'm practicing, I thought I might from time to time take posts and rewrite them. If you see the same thing written differently, please let me know which post you prefer. Thank you for reading my blogs, and please accept my apologies for lack of time to give you the best posts. I plan to rewrite my contest entry one day, so please give me feedback.

The Princess and the Pea

I had a bad night last night, and my last post reflected that. I am human and I hope all of my readers understand that. This week has been harder than most. Anyhow, I've decided to give my kids little pet names for blogging purposes. My A will be Princess and my E will be Pea. If in the future, I have another kid, well, I will see what I will call them then!

Getting Serious

So, I've decided that I really enjoy this blogging thing, so I'm going to try and blog at least once a day. Since I have plenty to do all day with little ones and rarely any time to write like I would like too, this will probably only happen after they go to bed each night, so look for a new post each day, either late in the day or the next morning. I know I probably only have a handful of regular readers, but I like blogging so much that I am going to branch out into the blogosphere and see if I can capture the hearts of any new readers. And I think I will be posting a link to rate my site soon, so please let me know how I rate.

Happy Reading!

Jamie,
Bloggin' Mama

Hmm...blogging / walking

I am constantly thinking of blog topics. Right now, I have several, but I never have enough time to actually post all of them! :) I have no idea if anyone actually even reads these blogs other than my sister and my husband, and I am okay with that. They make me happy. :)


I have started walking on a regular basis. A few weeks ago I got a new pedometer, which I loved and was very excited about. It has already met its death, as it got placed in the washer. :( However, as I used it, I quickly learned that unless I go for a walk or go to the mall, which I'm rarely able to do with both children, I do simply do not get in enough steps in my day. The average is 5,000 steps a day, and I found myself to be below average, even playing with kids and doing housework. So now, as part of our routine, we walk in the mornings after breakfast, at least 3 days a week, or that's my goal anyhow, and then we try to go for a walk in the evenings after dinner as a family.


Wednesday we went to Veteran's Park and walked around the walking track and then went to the park. This was my first time to experience their walking track, and I loved it. If anybody is interested and wants to start walking on a regular basis with me, please let me know. I want to make it a weekly if not more often occurance.


E, though, does not care for strolling. Sadly, he has been on less outings than I took A on in the stroller. But as we've gone on more and more walks, he has started to settle down. A's favorite part of the walk is when we let her walk Gizmo the rest of the way home.