Five Years of Blogging

 

I couldn’t let September 17th go by without bringing a mini-milestone to light. After all, five years of blogging deserves a mention, right? It might even call for some chocolate! :)

A few of you have probably been with me from the beginning and several more for three or four of those years now. Some of you are relatively new, possibly stopping by for only the last year or so. Whatever your time frame with me, I’m so happy you make me a part of your life.

That’s probably the best part of blogging—the opportunity to touch the lives of others, being able to bless and encourage and being blessed and encouraged in return. Your support and friendship mean so much to me.

To celebrate my five-year mark, let’s have some fun. For each of you who leave a comment on this post, I will leave a comment back (though I may group a few remarks in one comment) telling you five words or phrases that come to mind when I think of you. Five for five. Fun, huh?

If I don’t know you very well, feel free to go ahead and play. It will just challenge my creative abilities, right? And that will be fun, too :)

So go ahead. Leave a comment and find out my five for five for you. I’m so thankful for you all!

“[I] love you so much that [I am] delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but [my life] as well, because you have become so dear to [me].” 1 Thessalonians 2:8

*Do you remember when you first started visiting my blog? Do you remember how you found it or came to know about it?

*Flickr photo by TheDeliciousLife

Marking Time

Believe it or not, this past Thursday marked my 2-yr. anniversary as a blogger, and over 200 posts later, I’m still blogging away. As of the end of my second year, I’ve had hits from all fifty states as well as 53 foreign countries, including places as surprising as Cameroon, Morroco, Bolivia, and Malaysia. Through the blog, I’ve met many new friends, encouraged and blessed others, received encouragement and blessing in return, and grown as a writer as well. When I took the plunge into the blogging world, I had no idea the blessings that awaited.

As I thought about my 2-yr. mark as a blogger, I began thinking of other identity markers in my life and thought it would be fun to chronicle them here. So here we go:

*54 years as a daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, and cousin
*50 years as a friend and neighbor to various people (Susan in Arma, KS, is the first friend I remember)
*47 years as a Christian and church member (gave my heart to Jesus at the tender age of 7)
*42 years as a poet — of sorts :)
*40 years as a choir member (to the best of my memory)
*39 years as a driver — became a shopper about that time, too. Imagine that! :)
*36 years as high school graduate
*36 years as a voter
*36 years as a sister-in-law — Debbie started that role by marrying Keith :)
*34 years (in December) as a wife and homemaker
*34 years as a daughter-in-law
*32 years as a college graduate
*32 years as an aunt (34 if you count aunt by marriage)
*30 years as homeowner (the last 4 of those with mortgage paid off!)
*29 years as mother (and all the jobs that entails…)
*28 years a Bible study group participant or leader
*21 years as a preschool Sunday School teacher
*14 years as a writer (on various stages of that journey)
*12 years off and on in various part-time caregiving roles for my mother-in-law
*7 years as a great-aunt
*6 years as an empty-nester
*5 years as a missions committee member
*3 years as a mother-in-law (yay!)
*2 years as a blogger
*1 year as a Facebooker (use the link to connect to me!)
*3 1/2 months as an Angel Tree coordinator
*1 month as a mother of the bride — again!! Yippee!

Okay, so that’s way more of my identity markers than you ever wanted to know, but once I got started it was hard to stop. Sorry :) Of course, there are a host of things that I couldn’t nail down to a specific time — like chocolate-lover, prankster, and nut for example :), — and then other things that were temporary roles like student, secretary, teacher, prayer ministry leader, etc.

We all fill a multitude of rolls throughout our lifetimes, don’t we? I just hope at the end of my days, I’ll be able to say, like Paul, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7). And even sweeter would be the blessing of hearing the Lord say, “…’Well done, good and faithful servant!..'” (Matthew 25:21a)

I’d love to hear how long you’ve been in some of your roles or which of these you share in common with me. Let’s have some fun. Leave a comment and let’s see what we can learn about each other!

Flickr photo by Marionaire

Summer Fun — My "No Real Post" Top Ten

Time for some summer fun with my blog. Since writing meaningful posts twice a week can be a challenge at times, I’m giving myself permission to kick back and just have some fun.

Actually, Mike Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson, handed down that permission with his 8 Blog Tips from Tim Ferriss post. Tip #7 encourages bloggers to keep it fun, and I love it when I find advice that’s not too technologically challenging for me to follow :)

So today I give you my Top Ten Reasons (some might call them excuses) for No Real Post:

10. I’m a gal who’s always up for some fun.

9. Vacation is next week so might as well start it a few days early.

8. Counting on this not taking as much writing time as a real post.

7. Agent Rachelle Gardner did it so I figure I can, too (thanks for the idea, Rachelle!).

6. Waiting to see what news story the media will beat to death next.

5. Making time to avoid writing by arranging my paper clips and the like (writers will understand this!).

4. Marathon Man has finally crashed, and now I can’t think for his snoring.

3. Trying to lose 3 or 4 pounds so I can splurge on vacation — am dark chocolate and Peanut M&M deprived and too on edge to concentrate.

2. My competitive nature just wanted to see if I could hang with David Letterman.

1. Too busy celebrating — just found out about a Harry & David store near our vacation destination! Chocolate truffles, here I come!

So what would be on your Top Ten list for taking a break from your regular routine? Go ahead — have some fun! I give you permission :)

“Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy…” Psalm 126:2a

p.s. See how I couldn’t resist giving you something meaningful from the Word of God? Can’t help it — it’s who I am! :)

Face to Face…with T. Suzanne Eller and a Girl Named Flea

Who would think that when I started visiting and interacting on the Boomer Babes Rock blog (which is no longer operating) that I might one day meet one of the blogger/authors and a fellow commenter? Well, last night it happened!

Author, speaker, and columnist T. Suzanne Eller (known by friends as Suzie) stood side by side with two of the gals she’s become acquainted with online — me and Flea! That’s right — Flea! :)

And what brought the three of us together? My writers group, Fellowship of Christian Writers, celebrated its 30th anniversary Tuesday night, and Suzie, one of its past presidents, was our special speaker. We considered ourselves lucky, as she regularly teaches at writers conferences nationwide and is the author of six books and over 700 articles. Flea, a member of another writers group, attended ours last night especially to meet Suzie. Meeting me was a bonus :) We had more or less lost track of each other when the Boomer Babes site shut down.

Suzie, Flea, and I had more than writing on our minds yesterday evening, though. We were busy celebrating our friendship. Getting to see each other face to face thrilled each of us, and we took advantage of the time by sitting together at supper, taking some photos (thanks for the pics, Flea!), and grabbing hugs before we headed off to our own corners of the world again.

In one short evening, what had been friendly online relationships turned into real people, in-the-flesh friendships. I’ve experienced this a couple of other times with Renae and Cec as well, and no matter how you look at it, it’s good stuff :)

Are you longing for a face to face with someone? I hope to meet many of you other online friends someday, but the real face to face I’m longing for is the one with Jesus, my Savior and friend of over 45 years.

Now, I’m not trying to hurry my time on earth. I’m just looking forward to the day when my faith will be made sight, when I will see Him face to face. I’m looking forward to heaven. Anyone else?

“Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12

The Prize Goes To…

Today’s the day for one lucky reader to jump for joy — Cheesecake Factory joy, that is! You heard me right. It’s time to announce the To-Die-For Giveaway winner. Help me congratulate her as she heads into some yummy territory this Mother’s Day weekend — congratulations, Robbie! Robbie is a fellow writer and blogger. When you get a chance, you might like to head on over and check out her Joy Dance blog.

We had fun here on the blog a couple of weeks ago sharing our favorite to-die-for desserts, but today I want us to think about a few to-die-for things we hear about in God’s Word. Just as you would savor bites of that delicious dessert, sit back and savor these slices of truth:

“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?… In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:1-2, 11)

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” (1 John 3:18)

“‘Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.'” (John 15:13)

“‘Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer…Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.'” (Revelation 2:10)

Even though just one of us walks away today with the Cheesecake Factory prize, we all have the opportunity to “press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13b-14)

Wha-duh-ya say? Let’s “run in such a way as to get the prize.” (1 Corinthians 9:24b)!

Flickr photo by bingbing