I took some time off...Here's why

It's been quite some time since I posted last. I know I have a history of being sporadic but this time I actually had a reason. I took some time off blogging on purpose.

I have only in recent years discovered the beauty in participating in the season of Lent. Every year I have participated, I have been beyond blessed to have experienced Christ more deeply. Lent is a time of praying more, fasting and sacrifice, but its always so much more than that. It is a time to think. I mean really sit and reflect on your life. It always sobers me
when I take a minute to examine my heart and where my life is going.
A few weeks before Lent I began the process of deciding what to "give up". I thought about what things were occupying most of my thoughts and taking up most of my time - what things were stealing precious time from my family and my relationship with Jesus. I ended up giving up Instagram, access to Facebook on my phone, and, together, my husband and I gave up Netflix. None of these things are intrinsically evil and can even be used for good, but the point for me was to free up time to pray and reflect more on Christs sufferings. I thought about how much these convenient technologies were infiltrating my day-to-day life. I found myself every time I nursed instead of cherishing every moment with my sweet girl. Danny and I watched Netflix every night even though our prayer lives were at an tremendous deficit. After Netflix, we would go to OUR room where we SHARE a bed, only to be lost, each in our OWN cyber world via our phones. I was sick thinking about it.

I won't say that I was perfect and my life is completely different, but I can say that all of this has brought a fresh perspective which is something that I welcome.

All of this reflection in preparation for the Lenten season led me to also question my motives for my blog. A few weeks prior to all of this, I had been making plans to do more with my blog and be more consistent with it, but now I was questioning the existence of it. The cyber-sphere is flooded, no, BOMBARDED, with millions upon millions of people's reflections and options everyday. Everyone wants to be heard. You can find blogs about anything and everything from cooking, to raising your children, to sports, to politics, to fashion and so much more. Not only that, but every person behind these blogs has different opinions, logic, taste, values than the others. 

Don’t get me wrong. I love reading all sorts of blogs; missionary blogs, food blogs, style blogs and whatever else may show up in my news feed. 

The question for me became “why?” Why should I add more to the chaos of an already cluttered cyber and blog world? Was I just another faceless voice shouting above the clamor in vain? Was I trying to prove something to people?

After some time away and praying about what had been my vision for myself including and excluding my blog, I found my answers. It all came back to the fact that I love to write and expressing myself though it. My blog isn’t about wowing people, being heard, or proving anything. When I began this blog, it was a way for me to share my pregnancy and family's journey with our friends and family since we live "on the road". Over the course of the year, however, it has taken on more significance and meaning in my own heart. My blog is about expressing myself in my writing. Sure, I could also just journal, and I do, but there is something that feels good about sharing some parts of your thoughts/heart.
So here I am today, sharing my thoughts with you. Its good to be back. I hope to be more consistent and share more of my life than just Stella...although, she IS a large part of my life :)

Coming soon... Stella's 9 month photos!