Surfing contentment: confessions of a Christian mommyblogger

I keep trying to write this post explaining my thoughts about why I would consider deleting the past four years, but it’s been so difficult not to not sound like a whiner. Let me see if I can do this without the Internal Editor.

Contentment. I’m not too good with all the verses telling us to be content with where we are, with what we have, who we are. I feel like I’m on a cyber surfboard on my little blogging wave. I’m doing okay. I’m in the water, the sun warm on my skin, the water salty on my lips. The surfboard so familiar to me now as I’ve been at this blogging gig for so long. My balance is good, it’s a nice rhythm.

But then I take my concentration off my own modest sized wave and look to the other surfers around me – their waves are so much bigger than mine. They are faster, bigger. People on the shoreline are impressed, clapping, pointing to her. I think to myself: Cool. I want to try riding those big waves.

Do you see where I’m going with this?

Contentment.

I’m just a mom. One step further in – I’m a homeschooling mom. My wave is scattered with a tween, a preschooler and two inbetween. It’s a day full of little people.

That mom over there on that other wave, she might have her kids in school or they’re older than mine or she only has one. Her wave is hers. That’s her blog. My wave, for what it is, a mix of family stories, homeschool reference points, book lust or just cyber goofiness, is mine.

But dang it, friends, I sure do want to catch that other wave. All those “Hey, Lord, what about me?” prayers.

So that’s where I am: struggling to learn contentment – seriously, I don’t think I’ve ever been good at it, even before blogkeeping.

***

Okay, I just reviewed what I wrote and this is the way I feel. I’m writing in my journal, that three ring notebook I keep next to the bed so I dont’ have to get out of bed to record thoughts (often, it’s the only quiet place in the house.) After breakfast… no, tween Susan cooked breakfast muffins, all I have to do is tidy up. After that, I’m going to type this up, tweak the paragraphs, and punctuation, but I’m not going to touch one word of it in order to save face. I may change the title. Right now it’s Confessions of a Christina Mommyblogger, but that sounds too sexy. Maybe some nod to surfing or contentment. Not sure yet.

So now you know why I questioned Monday as to the future survival of this blog. I don’t want to delete Paper Bridges. I want to write, post videos of my kids doing kidly things and continue to be me. But me better – content with what the Lord has given me.

Okay that’s all for now.

This week

I anticipate being on the quiet side here this week. With the A Woman Inspired conference taking up most of my day, I’m going to focus my attention there. I’ll probably write thoughts about it at the end of the week. Please leave me your own links about the conference in the comments when I publish my post.

What else? My Twitter and Facebook fast has come to an end, now that Lent is over. I have lots to say about that experience too, mostly regarding Twitter. Those thoughts may find themselves here before the end of the week. Next week at the latest.

And lastly, I had the most wonderful time at my first regional conference for Compassion International advocates this past weekend. Must blog about that too.

Lots to write about… many thoughts coming. But first the kids, life in general and all those little tasks away from the computer. I’ll be back…

Loyal commenter no. 3

And it’s Mel from A Voice for Moms.

From her website:

I challenge all of you to pray daily about how your voice, gifts and talents can best be used. Your voice and ministry may not be the same as mine but we all have gifts and talents that God will use if we allow Him to.

Amen, Mel! Very well said.

Mel blogs about politics from a Christian perspective, a fact that amazes me. Not the Christian part, I’m down with that no problem; it’s the political commentary. I’m not much for blogging politics, so I’m glad Mel has it covered at her site.

Thanks for being a loyal commenter here, Mel. Keep up the great work at A Voice for Moms.

award