Blog has been silent for a while after succumbing to this family's crazy summer schedule. Ball games and late summer nights have left little time for this brain to process life's details, and a question is stirring within that the mind just can't shake.
Is it worth it?
Writing is therapeutic for this soul, but it takes time, and shouldn’t any free time be invested in my husband and children? They are without a doubt my greatest treasures, but in order to blog, time must be taken from one or the other. So...is it worth it?
Blogging began after a stirring within to slow down and take note of the little things in life, the blessings that get missed when life goes by too fast. Reading an amazing book (one that has yet to be finished because it’s that good) brought realization that taking note of gratitude, stopping to count blessings, produces incredible joy within. Joy has definitely been experienced in recent months, along with an amazing sense of peace that cannot be expressed with words. So it is true that gratitude produces both joy and peace, as is promised by our Creator.
And yet the question remains - if blogging is not a part of daily life, is growth still taking place? Writing every day was meant to create a habit, a consistent practice of noticing God’s goodness all around me, picking up on things that had been missed before. Has the goal been met, or is it a lifelong process that needs constant nurturing?
The soul concludes that counting blessings is not a goal to be met, but rather a continual exploration of the depth of the love of a Father who provides such a great variety of gifts for His children to discover throughout their life on this Earth.
Going deeper in relationships requires time, and if there is true value to be found in a growing relationship with Christ, if it brings positive change to the quality of this life for both myself and my family, then blogging should continue.
So, being such a creature of habit, a decision must be made. How often do thoughts need to be recorded in order for growth to continue? In truth, there is enough going on in this mind to keep the fingers typing for several hours a day. This is clearly too much, and a balance must be found - for me, a boundary must be created in order to protect the valuable time for cultivating the other relationships in my life - the tangible blessings that are being counted every day.
For now, it is certain that the amount of time since my last blog was too long. It is evident that joy is not running as deep within as it used to; peace is in shorter supply these past few weeks. Recording thoughts of gratitude is a necessity, and one that will definitely be continued for the benefit of myself and my family.
And so the list goes on...
361. 14 years of marriage to an amazing husband - a perfect partner for me even when life is far from perfect.
362. A lazy and beautiful summer evening together to celebrate.
363. A ‘Hole in One’ in mini golf! (Never mind the fact that my incredible husband got TWO of them!)
364. Witnessing a husband’s growth as he continues to share the Word with the elementary students of our church during the weekend services.
365. Praying with children whose hearts are stirred by God’s truth.
366. Leading children in worship and listening to their sweet voices sing praise to God without reservation.
367. Hearing my own children break out in songs of praise at home or in the car.
368. Studying the book of Daniel as a family and making new discoveries together.
369. The unfolding of my sweet daughter’s prayer life.
370. The trust of my oldest child in sharing the intimate details of her incredible experience at camp - and the fact that she wanted to tell Mom first.
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