Why I Blog

This is the question that has been on my mind lately:

Why do I blog?

And I keep coming back to two things:

1) I blog because I like to help people.

2) I don’t blog as a way to make an income.

So here’s the part where we explore those two statements.

I Blog Because I Like to Help People

On my blog, you will find posts on a variety of topics. Most of what I know I learned the hard way and by lots of trial and error, because I am a stubborn type. This can be a good thing, because if I want to know something I will not give up until I figure it out. This can be a bad thing because if someone is trying to help me who has already been down that path, I still want to figure it out on my own.

Someone passed this on to me once, so I am going to pass it on to you:

A wise man learns by his own mistakes, but a wiser man learns by others’ mistakes.

Every day I am growing and learning how to be “a wiser man” so to speak. Hopefully, this blog will be a means for you to be “wiser” also. Sometimes I offer help on the piano, the sewing machine, in the kitchen, in the church, in the prison, as a techie, as a mother, as a wife, as a woman, and I try to bring all of that around to how it pertains to serving Christ.

I should narrow my site down to more of a niche, but all of these things represent me equally, so it’s hard to just pick and choose which parts of me to expose and which parts to keep covered up.

I Don’t Blog For Money

When I first started this blog, I had an online business. I wanted this blog to serve two purposes: to serve as a ministry and to drive traffic to my online store. As time went by, we sold our house and alleviated ourselves of 90% of our debt. We moved into town, and my husband got a promotion. We (my husband) still bring home less than $2500 a month, but for us, that is enough. We are blessed with the ability to be happy with very little. Even though “very little” by today’s standards means electricity, running water, hot water, washing machine, dryer, internet, a laptop, DSs for both kids, cell phones, insurance, and enough money left over to buy gas and groceries.

I closed my online business a few months ago, and I honestly have no desire to do that again. Granted, it could change. But I value my flex time too much. I want to be able to do what I want to do when I want to do it without having to worry about filling orders. And, just as importantly, even though my husband was fully supportive, I know that he would have rather had me sitting beside him instead of sitting in front of the sewing machine.

Like Amy with Raising Arrows said recently, for some people, blogging for money is what they have to do to be able to stay at home, make ends meet, etc. Thankfully, I am blessed to not have to do that.

By not blogging for money, I feel free to talk about the controversial issues. If I recommend a product, it’s because I really, really like the product. If I recommend a fellow blogger, it’s because I connected with that blogger and think that you may like her, too. I don’t want my blog to have to be governed by commerce.

I don’t do giveaways on my blog. I want people to like my page because they just like what I have to say, not because they want something for free.

Why I Blog

Yes, I am enjoying watching my page numbers grow. On one hand, it is rewarding to my flesh. On a deeper level, it is a blessing to be able to minister to so many different people.

Thank you for growing with me. I want the main identity of my blog to be Christ-centered. I want to allow Him to minister through me and to build community so that we may all help each other. By blogging, I’m also learning to listen.

Additional reading:  The Real Family Business