I used to blog. I used to write every day. I used to take pictures of my kids. I used to be funny.
Now I have 2-3 blog posts a week-if I'm on a roll. I rarely write more than a day or two a week. I take pictures of food and I use stock photos for just about anything that isn't food. And, maybe I never was as funny as I thought I was...(snort)
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| BMW age 12-1/2. Doing the braces and peach fuzz thing. Almost as tall as me. |
I started a business that consumes more mental time than I anticipated. I work on a computer-typing away-for 5 to 6 hours straight one day each week. I often feel like I am preparing for my work day, working, or catching up on life after my work day. Which leaves me little enough time to buckle down and do the hard work of writing.
Lately, there has been maybe one hard work writing post each week, and then my recipe post, which actually is pretty easy to whip out.
And that makes me sad. It also makes me sad as I look at my Blogger side bar and see almost 2 dozen blogs that used to be my favorites to read, no longer being written. For ill or for nil, life has moved on, and so, too often, have the bloggers from blogging.
Like I said-sad. Because I do love writing. I love the practice of it. I determined last fall that I would scale back to 3 posts a week in order to focus on quality rather than quantity. But, too often lately, when faced with writing a blog post (quality or not) or reading a book-I've picked the book. (sheepish confession time...I've read about a dozen Lisa Mansell novels in the past month. Gulp.)
You know, it really takes effort to keep the most important thing the most important thing.
My business is important and it does require work. It requires lots of food photos, and time to input information, and time to work out bugs. And I don't regret either starting She Plans Dinner, or the time and effort I have put into it to grow it.
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| Freckles-11...out of his braces and into a retainer. Still lot of freckles. |
Also important is life-kids, homeschooling, marriage, running, triathlons, cleaning and cooking. Even reading to feed my soul.
And sometimes the important things even look like taking time to write amid all the other busyness of life.
I've been fighting a cold all week. It has been kicking my booty. I was going to take a nap this afternoon. But the weather is so gorgeous. I couldn't stand to waste it. I decided to haul out my camera (switch out the food lens for the normal lens) and take pictures of my kids.
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| LC-7. Whoa! She has changed a lot this year. No more a little girl, but a big girl. Tall and skinny as a whip! |
And then write. Write what's on my heart. Write about how hard it's been to strike my balance lately. And write what God's Word reminded me of almost a month ago.
Which is a story in and of itself...
The kids always have a verse to learn from BSF. I usually teach it to them using my lesson because I don't have a NIV Bible, which is BSF's preferred translation. Around spring break, this is the verse I taught them.
Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them. (Deuteronomy 4:9)
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| And Meres...3 (almost 4 in June. which she is pretty excited about). She makes me smile. It is funny because almost every time she crosses my path I think, "I love that girl." She is a bundle of mischief and energy, but I love her to death! |
Funny thing is, after we'd been working on it for 2 weeks, I realized while sitting in my small group, that I'd taught them the wrong verse. I taught them the lesson focus verse and not the memory verse.
But, you know what? I am pretty sure that this verse is the one God wanted me to learn. It's got the lessons that my heart needed to hear.
Moses was talking in this verse about teaching the law to the next generation. Passing on God's Words.
Notice the words...
Careful.
Watch closely.
So you do not forget.
Fade.
Teach.
As I was debating between a nap and writing this afternoon God reminded me of this post that I have had in draft form for the past month.
Doing the important things in life requires time, diligence, consistency, hard work.
And if you aren't careful, the things you consider important start to slip. They start to fade from your heart. You forget.
I don't want to forget. I don't want to forget the hard and diligent work of pouring the Word of God into my children, and their children.
This blog actually presents a very tangible way to not forget or fade. It is a record of my journey, and of God's faithfulness, and of my family. The hard work and diligence of writing is one way that I can be careful, watch, and teach these things to my kids.
I really still don't know what blogging is going to look like on a weekly basis. Because I still want to write quality that honors God and encourages and challenges all of you. But, the M-W-F thing is not working. I don't have time to write on Mondays and Tuesdays. They are too full of life and work. But, I think I can make work of writing in order to have posts for M-TH-F. And, I think that is what I am going to try to do. Write on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Let the scrubbing sit for a while. Let the other computer matters fade into the back ground. They will still be there when I get done.
This girl is going to work at her writing, so the the important doesn't get forgotten or fade away.
Have a magnificent Monday!
