Let’s talk.
Giving you advice on how to raise giving kids is not me.
I know we don’t know each other, but trust me on this one. It’s not me.
First of all, what do I know? Second, I’m not giving. So that pretty much ends that idea.
Right? Well, not exactly.
None of the lessons God teaches us are ever simple, and so He placed a huge burden on my heart. I tried to ignore it, but it was so heavy that I felt as if I was suffocating.
So then I did what I usually do when God is trying to tell me something I don’t particularly want to hear. I continued to ignore Him.
But the heavy suffocating feeling got worse.
All around I observed selfishness. I saw a world consumed by the next must-have tech gadget, the next soccer trophy, and the next family vacation. I hated this, and decided my family had to change, but how?
I mean seriously, I had no idea.
There are so many ways to help. I was overwhelmed. Where to start? Was I even qualified to do anything?
I argued with God. I am only capable of small gifts. I don’t have an abundance of money or grand ideas about getting mosquito nets to people in need. However, slowly I started to embrace what God had planned for me. I let go of the idea that I needed to fund a pregnancy shelter or get on a plane and dig a well for an impoverished community in Africa. Maybe one day I’d get a chance to do some funding and digging, but as for now, God just wanted me to get up and move in my community. He wanted me to get off the couch and do something.
So that’s my deal. Not only do I blog about my journey in learning to give, but I’m writing a book on it. Ugh. It’s funny- sometimes that’s tough to say because I feel as if I’ve still got so much to learn…so far to go.
Anyway, as I logged on today I giggled at my little group of followers and wondered about YOU. So to my followers and friends, why do you blog? What’s your goal? Or if you don’t blog, why have you decided to bounce around the blogosphere? Who do YOU follow and why?
Details please. Tell me. Tell me.
24 comments:
I am extremely new to the blogging world and I'm still trying to figure it all out. I originally started to brag about my children through photos that tell an entertaining story (I take 50 photos a day...or more). As I started to blog, I too noticed the "Followers" thing. It is flattering when people follow you and the war to be "Top Blog" is viscious. Top blog status is NOT my goal! It is wildly insulting when people follow you without interest just to have you follow them back. I hope to entertain, share pictures of my children with their relatives who live hundreds of miles away and use blogging as a creative outlet. I don't get out much, so through blogging, I can make sure that I still am able to communicate further than ABC's and "Don't hit your sister!" (Scrapbooking is out...my son likes to play with scissors.)
Lisa,
Thanks, so fun to get to know you! Agreed- can't stand the random follow me I'll follow you thing.
Your thoughts sound so much like my own thoughts these past 2 years. I pray every day for God to show me how to raise my children and what to teach them. I felt God sharing so much with me, and just felt this overwhelming feeling of sharing it along to others. I didn't know how to do it, but it was in the back of my mind for 2 years...this feeling of wanting to share God's Word and what He shares with me with others. I thought of all sorts of things - write a book, send out e-mails to friends and family, host a Bible study in my house. I tried some of these, but there was little to no interest. Finally, 3 months ago, the idea to write it all out and share with others God's Word through a blog came and my mind. I started it that day and I have loved it. I feel like I can release all that God is pouring onto my heart and people are actually stopping by and reading! My ultimate goal in blogging is to share God's truth, and that God will use it for His glory!!
Keep up the good work Amy! I'm totally with you -we all need to give more than receive!!
Big Fat Mama,
I can barely write this...your name cracks me up!
Anyway, thanks for the encouragement. I just started reading your blog. You are sharing God's truth in your blog (plus a little sass). I enjoy reading it.
Why do I blog? I've been an outnumbered, overwhelmed mom, and I know what it's like. I figure God gave me four boys for a reason, so maybe He'll take my words and encourage or inspire another mom. I hope so. He's using blogging, as He does everything in my life, to teach me something!
Love your blog! Your previous post reminds me of my volunteer idea for summer. Love your concept here, Amy.
My blog is a mishmash of this and thats...but it most of the time ends up showing my heart and that is with Jesus...I blog about it because I love sharing, reading others, and learning, laughing, it's all so much fun. You do a great job on here Amy, I always enjoy coming over and reading your 'stuff'.
I blog to keep my sanity. Mostly to annoy my family and to connect with other moms across the globe. It's been really fun! I can't begin to describe the awesome bloggy pallies I've made.
Have a nice day!
Good question - one that I have been contemplating much lately. It is a chicken and the egg question for me. I blog about marriage, wives and husbands, about love and respect, about marriage is a partnership of three not just two, about Ephesians 5:33b and the women of Titus 2.
That is the egg.
I write greeting cards for wives to give their husbands messages of respect, appreciation and encouragement. The blog promotes the cards.
That is the chicken.
Which came first? A happily married me with a husband who prayed for a little respect.
Amy, recently found your blog -- and love it. I follow you because I want to be consumed with Someone big.
I blog to share what trying to live entirely for Jesus looks like. And for writing practice :)
Hi Amy!
I'm glad to find you too! I love how you share your heart, warts and all, with humor and grace. I guess I blog so my head doesn't explode from all the random thoughts and questions that cross my mind each day :)
Heidi ( www.fallingdowtherabbithole.com )
Thanks everyone for commenting! I feel as if I'm getting to know all of you better and that's so fun!
Who else are some of your faves to follow?
I started blogging because it was a place to put what I wrote to people in one place. But the big surprise to me was how much fun it was to read what everyone else had to say. And how many "ordinary" people had just as many insightful and interesting things to say as more well known journalists. Plus sometimes "ordinary" people write you back. Here is a blog I read yesterday that was kinda neat...
http://droppedstitches72.blogspot.com/
I started blogging over four years ago out of obedience to God. I didn't know why I plugged away each week. I had no followers, and only one person read my blog (my twin). But I continued to do it because that was God's desire for me.
Through that time, though, I learned to make time for writing. I struggled to find my voice and platform. I started understanding the sacrfice writers must take. And I learned how to work with my Editor (Holy Spirit).
I'm glad I didn't have an audience then, because I had to pretty much erase everything I wrote for three years.
Ok first of all, I LOVE that photo. So cool.
And it's all the little differences in the world that we can make that we need to try to do, no matter how small - you're right on that one. Good luck with your book.
My blog has two purposes. One is to provide a journal of my wee ones growing up so that I can remember things in the future. And the other is to have a place to vent so I can have an outlet that is not feeding anything negative into my family - thus the anonymity part of it.
I just found your blog through Saturday Samplings at Mrs 4444. I follow blogs that I want to be sure I revisit because of a certain post that got my attention, or because the writer seems to have some things in common with us.
I initially started blogging to promote my book, but then started my personal blog just because it was so much fun connecting with other bloggers and sharing things that happened in our lives. Then our pets wanted to start too so I gave them a page on my PNN blog. Just recently I started a book blog to share our thoughts on books we read since we both read a lot. Good to have found you!
Hi Amy,
I like your message here today...about your struggle to become a giver. Boy I can relate to that.
I'll be honest...I first started blogging in an effort to build a platform. I wrote a book...and then realized I needed a platform to go with it. But it quickly became so much more than that, as I was welcomed into this community of supporters and encouragers. Now I blog because I love it...because I can't stop!
Other blogs I love: Holy Experience, Chatting at the Sky, In the Hush of the Moon, Jumping Tandem -- to name just a few. I am sort of addicted to reading blogs!
I enjoyed stopping by your blog today and your thoughts on giving. So many more of us need to give - it truly is the best way to live.
I know - today is Monday but I finally made it to the second column of blog posts from the Saturday Sampling linky. I am so glad that I did.
I blog NOW because I have a message to share. My mother talked and talked and talked about what it really means for a wife to respect a husband. Always sounded weird to me - Mom was married and divorced three times and now forever single by choice. She was talking to me - married four times and divorced three.
She became obsessed with the message from "Love and Respect" and how Emerson Eggrichs said it was a shame that there weren't any greeting cards for wives to give their husbands that spoke of respect.
For four years she carried on - often - and wished I would write those cards. I got laid off this year. I now write those cards.
And I blog about about it. "
Oh - I missed an important question.
I follow you because you inspire me.
oh amy, i'm so glad to have met you... thanks for stopping by my blog today. this question has been burdening me... why do i blog? is it for self-proclamation, or for God? let it be the latter... can you pray for me? may my words be holy ones... bless you, friend.
Great post! I blog and read other blogs because God is using them to help me be more of who He wants me to be! Thanks for stopping by and commenting on my blog!! Blessings to you!
You giggled at us? We are a funny looking group of little tiny squares, aren't we?
I blog because I enjoy the writing and I love the feedback in my comments. I enjoy the personal relationships I feel I have been able to foster with a percentage of my followers and the folks whose blogs I visit. Some may say you can't really form relationships online but I believe you can learn so much from each other.
As far as giving, that is something I struggle with constantly. Of course, I need to be more giving. Teaching my children to be giving is yet another hurdle. And it's one I'm doing better with as far as some of my children go than others.
I follow you because you are lovely and someone I'd love to know IRL.
let me start by saying WOW, to this article.
Well I blog because I love to write about my thought,I love to share what I have , and I love to know what people also have to share, that´s why I read this blog and others, To Learn ,learn,learn and learn.
Whenever I read your blog I feel closer to you! Sometimes I even tear up reading your thoughts and reading the responses of your followers. You are an inspiration who I miss terribly!
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