Just For Fun {Blogger Selfie}

Happy Sunday, everyone! I don't usually blog on Sundays, but my friend Amy tagged me in a fun little "Blogger Selfie" game so I thought I'd take these few quiet Sunday afternoon moments and play along.

Amy is a homeschooling Mama to 11 (soon to be 12!) amazing kids. We met a few years back at our homeschool co op and she very quickly became one of my very best friends. She inspires me every day with her honesty, faith and zeal for Christ. She makes me want to be a better Mom, a better wife, a better Christ-follower. It's no wonder I lover her so very much! She blogs about her life here.

She gave me 4 questions to answer.

1)  What Are You Working On?

I'm currently working on a few projects for some print publications as well as contributing regularly on my church blog. I'm spending some time in thought over where I want to go from here and talking with a few friends about moving forward in my writing. It's exciting but as always, tempered with the reality of what I'm called to right this moment. That is, raising my 6 kids and living fully in the vocation God has for me. Prayerfully considering, trying to be open to where my path is meant to lead.

2)  What Makes Your Work Different From Others' Work In The Same Genre?

I think I tend to be all over the place. I know that the blogging experts tell you to focus on your niche and try not to deviate, but I'm not very good at following rules like that. My blog is kind of a mishmash and changes with where I am in life and what I'm focusing on. I have a lot of respect for blogs that are more streamlined - but my brain just doesn't work that way. So my blog tends to be a bit like my brain - cluttered with yarn and unfinished sewing projects, dirty kids and heaping doses of grace covering all the failures. I'm not organized in life, so it stands to reason I'm not organized in writing, either.

3)  Why Do You Write What You Do?

I've often said that I write "self-sermons." It's all stuff I need to read, need to know, need to believe, need to remember. I'm so happy that is blesses others, but in a lot of ways, I write for me. I definitely have a heart for young moms especially who need encouragement in raising their children. I think many of us are thrown into this life that is exponentially larger and deeper and more complex than we could have ever anticipated or understood. I know that just reading an encouraging blog while sipping my morning coffee can make all the difference in the trajectory of my day. For something that I write to be that for someone else is such a wonderful feeling. There's not much I can do from my life here to touch the world around me beyond raising my children. Writing has given me the opportunity to reach out and connect in a way that just isn't possible in other areas during this time of life. I write what I do because I think it's important, I think it's true, and I think someone out there just might need it. I know I do.

4)  How Does Your Writing Process Work?

I mentally write while I'm working on other things, which can be a bit tricky. Quite often by the time I get to a computer, the thought or idea has disappeared into the back of my mind again, tangled up with all of the other things that I have to keep track of. I usually mentally write my best things while my hands are busy, so doing dishes, knitting or sewing or folding laundry all help me write in their own way. Most of my writing ideas come straight from real life situations that I run into - though occasionally they spring up from music I'm listening to or books I'm reading. I'm inspired by classical music, beautiful photography and conversations with friends. There are so many interruptions in my day and thought process, but those interruptions can give me the perspective I need to bring to whatever it is I'm working on...and often yield an even better result. I write my best things when I'm right in the thick of it, living life. Quiet, peaceful writing times are not only rare, but not even necessarily that useful to me. Apparently I thrive in chaos...good thing there's lots of that around here! 


*Now For The Real Fun*
I'm sending you all over to meet my friend Mel. We've been friends for 20 years and she just might know me better than anyone. Mel inspires me in so many ways - from how she loves and parents her 4 beautiful children to her Christ-centered marriage and beyond. I love this girl and I know you will, too!

Also a new friend, Jessica, who is knocking my socks off with her new blog. She's just as amazing in real life, I promise! She's got 5 kids and a great sense of humor and I'm just so glad I met her. Head over and say hello!

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