Blogging Thanks

As regular readers know, I often struggle with balancing my desire to blog with my call to be a better mother and wife.  I find it far too easy to "get lost" in writing or in being online instead of staying steady-on with my path of training up my children in the way they should go and maintaining an ever-improving home environment for them.  So, as I have meandered back into more regular blogging over the past few weeks, I have also questioned myself:  Am I headed towards a slippery slope of time management again?  Is blogging the best use of my time when it comes to meeting God's will for my life?

At times, when I found myself stealing a few minutes here to tap out an idea and a few more there to review recently taken photos that I might upload to go along with a post, I began to think the answers to my questions were, "Yes, you are already on that slope," and "No, especially when you allow yourself to stay up late to have some quiet blogging 'me' time instead of sleeping while you can so you can be a better parent and more effective housekeeper in the morning."  At other times, I reasoned that since I use blogging as a way to share our experiences and ideas and to journal about our family's journey with homeschooling and just growing into the people God wants us to be, blogging is actually not a selfish endeavor and does tie-in to who I am and what I have to offer the world based on the interests God has given me.

Still, I wondered:  Is God smiling or frowning when my fingers jones for the keyboard?

An answer came about a week ago in an email that I received from a reader:

"Thank you very much, Martianne! I love, love your blog. I am doing the prayer pegs with my kids. :) Know that you are evangelizing the future of the church with your blog. :) ... God bless you and your family!"

This email warmed my heart and made me realize that I am doing something worthwhile when I blog.  As long as my blogging inspires others without hampering my duties to my children, my husband and my home, it is okay.

Like anything, blogging can be tool toward living one's call and sharing one's faith or an idol that detracts from the main mission of life.  I pray to keep it the former.

I am very grateful for the opportunity blogging affords me to think, reflect and share.  I am also thankful for the wide community and fellowship it has opened up to me even on the days or nights I am otherwise cloistered away in my home with my children.  Likewise, I am very happy to know that God uses my desire to share online to inspire others in their faith and life journeys.

Big thanks to the reader who took the time to send me a personal email last week.  Her shared thanks actually helped answer some questions I had been thinking about.  Big thanks, too, to all the readers who take time to leave comments on this blog.  Your questions, tips, invitations to view your own blogs and sites, etc. are always appreciated!  I am thankful for the communication we share and am making a point to leave comments at the blog posts I happen upon, too.

This post is being shared at Heavenly Homemakers Gratituesday, where many share the blessings they are thankful for this week.