Not quite a year ago, I posted the first of what was to be a two-part post on "how and why I blog". Eleven months and 19 days later, I think it's about time I finished the poor thing! Here's a bit about my "process" and a little about my reasons for blogging.
Process
This post all started as an explanation of my "process", and so far I haven't said much about that. So far, in 6+ years of blogging, my process has been mostly not having a process. :) Typically one of three things happens:
(1) Something happens, I think, "I should blog about that," and at some point from a few minutes to a number of months later, I sit down and blog about it.
(2) I realize I haven't blogged lately and I really should post something. I pull something off my list (paper or mental) of "things I want to blog about", and I sit down to blog about it.
(3) The aforementioned those posts...the ones where I am typing a status or reply on Facebook and I realize it is getting way too long, so I decide to make it a blog post.
It is not unusual at all for me to work on a post a few sentences at a time over the course of a day, a week, or even occasionally, a year! :) And then there are the ones where I sit down and start typing and can't stop until it's posted. Those don't happen nearly as often, though. :)
The Whys Behind the Blog
You'd think after a year, I'd have a neatly composed list of "why I blog". Unfortunately, I don't. I originally started blogging because I had seen some really neat homeschooling blogs, and I thought it would be neat to do something similar.
The funny thing is, this blog has been much less about homeschooling, and much more about all kinds of other things.
I've always loved to write. I discovered that the blog was an opportunity to not only write, but easily share what I'd written. I liked the less formal, conversational format of blogging. I enjoyed being able to share photos and stories about our family with friends and family near and far.
As the years have passed (7 of them now!), I've discovered that I still love all those things. I've also discovered, however, that my main heart's desire in blogging is to be an encouragement.
True encouragement, however, encompasses SO much more than what we often think of. As Kate Megill of Teaching What Is Good says, "It's not just about making someone FEEL better; it is about helping them BE better." Her short post, "Encouragement: Coming Alongside" is one of the best I've seen on true Biblical encouragement. Click over and read her list of words associated with Biblical encouragement. There is so much more involved than patting someone on the back and telling them it's going to be okay. Kate's post explains so well my goals for this blog.
Posts on child protection, growing through suffering, learning more about Who God is, sharing the Truth of God's Word rather than Satan's lies, and even Guy Penrod concert stories :) are all part of the encouragement focus of this blog. I hope that through my sharing my heart and the things God is teaching me, you will be encouraged as you read.
Have you been encouraged by something you read here at Ponderings of an Elect Exile? If so, I'd love to hear about it! Leave me a comment below, or send me a message through the "contact" box on the right.
If you've been encouraged by this blog, I'd also love for you to consider sharing it with your friends. It's easy using the buttons below or the "Pin it" button above!
Want to make sure you don't miss anything? You can follow via Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest, or find me on Instagram as Jenbh68. You can also sign up in the sidebar to receive new posts by email.
No comments:
Post a Comment