Testing...Testing...1.2.3.

Can anyone hear me?
Well, it seems I am back in the blog world...I have put it off for quite a while now. You might wonder: "Why? Blogging is so fun! I love to stalk people I do or don't know and share all about my world too!"

First of all, some may see blogging as just "one more thing" on their to-do list. I did. That is reason #1 why I stopped blogging a few years ago. My job(s) of full-time teaching, being team leader, and a mom, wife, shopper, cook, taxi-driver, etc....I honestly needed to say NO to something. Something's gotta give, you know?

Second of all. Ever heard that old saying by Theodore Roosevelt "Comparison is the thief of joy?" Oh, you haven't heard it. Well here it is all purty-like:

Unfortunately, blog-stalking and blogging began leaving such a sour taste in my mouth. Nobody really did anything to make it that way, it just DID. I began blogging several years ago as a way to keep in touch with our former city, Houston, and all the loved ones that lived there. But the physical distance was only broadened in my heart by the lifestyle distance that kept pushing its wedge in there. Not only were we no longer with our friends and family there, in the words of John Mayer, I watched those pretty lives play out in pictures from afar. I began to notice that every single time I logged in and blogged or read others' blogs, my heart hurt. Plain and simple: we were different than everyone else. Comparison stole my joy.

Thirdly, I hit rock bottom. Everyone's rock bottom looks different. Some may consider my rock bottom mild. But for an extroverted, happy-go-lucky, artsy-fartsy goodie-goodie gal like me...I thought my rock bottom stunk. I lost my love for life and all the beauty it held. I became angry, hard-hearted, bitter, jealous and grieved. I learned to cling to these 3 things during that time: the powerful Word of God, my husband and son, and my own bigger family. I honestly could not have gotten where I am this moment without those 3 things, in that very order.

The reasons for NOT-blogging have begun to be outweighed by the reasons FOR blogging lately. Have I had a change of heart? Absolutely. Just like that?? NOOOO. God has been working on me for so long now, and there are countless ways He has refined me; too many to mention, in fact, although I do hope to share with you some tidbits of our journey here and there mixed in among the fun day-to-day sharing. I don't want this blog to be just about our past, or just about my kids, or just about my crafty tendencies. This is a blog about a lot of different things.

Values I can see now in blogging:

~Keeping in touch with distantly located friends and family
~Sharing insight and profound "aha" moments as I live them
~Providing a testimonial outlet
~Sharing in joy, not having my joy stolen
~Book discussions
~Therapy in writing it out
~Log of our family life

So, as I close it out...do a couple things for me:
1) Post your own top reason for blogging in the comment section below
2) Cast your vote in my poll for your favorite type of lit  :)

Until next time....Peace Out.
~XO~