I've been writing down reflection of my life; struggles with balance, kids, loss, control, living real and really living for five year now.  Until recently, the pouring out, the conflict, the opinions, the honestly of me that is my blog, my fragments, was read mostly by me (and a handful of faithful loved ones.)  But in the last six months a new outlet for my messy grace covered story has opened up, bringing with it opportunity for new relationship.

Katie, an online sister I met online by way of the #fmfparty link-up asked me to be a part of this "blog hop" - again new to this world I didn't have a clue but thought I could manage answering four questions and then share some of the blog sites that encourage me.  A special thanks to Katie, who is busy managing her life as a homeschool momma, delighted wife, and is working on her first book!  Find her words over at www.echoesofmyheart.com where she talks about being a recovering perfectionist (how I can relate!) and slowing down to breathe in life.  If that's not enough in the middle of all that she organizes and shares other bloggers work during her many series (Psalms Series, Intentional Mothering, Isaiah 40).  

I know you're on the edge of your seat awaiting my answers to these four questions...
So here ya go!

What am I writing or working on?
What if God wanted you to know five things and five only, what would they be?  This was the topic our youth group tackled as we climbed a mountain and slept under the stars.  And so I typed, words of passion, truth, experience and life into FIVE stories, poetic writing turned video with the help of some friends, that illustrated these five things.
God - I'd like to introduce you to a friend of mine 
Sin
Substitution
Trust
Connect

With the FIVE project complete, I'm moving on to revise a talk I wrote previously on Masks and how we have to be real with the one life we get to live, and with that I am putting together a six week devotion to guide a true life-change, not just an emotional experience.  And then there's this, my blog.  If you're new, welcome, and here are some of my personal favorites; Windows and Walls, Whatever Works For You, and When Your Seven Year Old Drops The F*Bomb, Judgmental Christian , So I made cupcakes (miscarriage), and I Resign (homeschool) oh and THIS

How does my work differ from others in its genre?
My writing is personal, raw and honest.  I'm seldom funny, but there is the rare occasion.  I write in woven thought patterns, weaving words, emotions and opinionated points into something, it's not poetry exactly, but it's me.  Fragments, lack of, or over use of punctuation and all.
My writing falls into the categories of faith, homeschooling, family and life.  Me, who is overwhelmed by laundry, dirty floors, and grace.  Me, who is learning as she writes.  Me, who teaches homeschool but never planned to.  Me, boring, ordinary, semi-poetic me.


Why do I write what I do?
I love writing reflections of this life, but I don't like writing about what I ate for breakfast, it's when the mundane hits me with a dose of the bigger picture that I really get excited to jot it down.  So postings are generally reserved for the real stuff of life, stuff that's meant to build up or the stuff that when kept inside tries to drag me down or make me feel alone - we're not meant to be alone, or feel alone, we are made to be connected and built up.  I write what I do because God is good, because I am forgiven, and because He's given me a story to tell.  I feel called to herald the messages of grace, not good enough, perseverance, reliance and living real in both text and voice.  So, I'm sending out guest post submissions (look for me over at incourage.me on Tuesday, August 26th) and waiting for the right speaking opportunities to knock 


How does my writing process work?
Want to write, not carve out the time, carve out the time and the words are missing.  It's a battle of intention and wanting meaningful content.  I have set a goal to blog twice a week.  Just a meager two of seven days.  I want it to be real, I want the words to flow.  Sometimes it's a labor of love, other times I sit and my fingers move as in spite of me.  The kids, personal struggles, little victories and the occasional emotional break-downs fuel and inspire.  I write about life, I aim to encourage, show flaws, breathe redemption and show that I'm not special or good the Savior I rely on fully is.  I've found great encouragement and a reason to write consistently from an online community (#fmfparty)- discovered via twitter, and now a part of my routine.  Type-Delete-Type-Delete, it's a process of refining, restating, and releasing until it's finished.

I am excited to introduce these online friends and fellow bloggers to you as part of this #BlogHop. Take a few minutes to get to know them here, then head on over to their blogs to say hi!  Next week (or at some point in the convenient future) they will be answering these same questions about writing over at their own blogs.   

I've been blessed to get to know Kaitlyn through her writing over at fmfparty and on her blog - It Just Takes One.  Her passion for life and sharing life's story is beautiful and encouraging.

Kaitlyn is a lover of words, crazy about stories and relationships, and is addicted to laughter and queso. She's been broken by community but ever so slowly God has wooed her back to a new community that has mended so many holes. Kaitlyn was diagnosed with a brain tumor at 17, but lives to tell the story of His faithfulness. Her heart is to encourage each person that they can change the world because no matter where you've walked, there's power in your story. She's a Florida girl who has quickly fallen in love with Birmingham where she attends college. She contributes to More To Be, Brave Girl Community, and works for (in)courage. You can connect with Kaitlyn on her blog, Facebook, or Twitter.

LeeAnn is a fellow working mom who carves out time to write encouragement and proclamation of her faith over on her blog - Embracing The Mosaic Life.  Her words are honest and uplifting.

Lee Ann describes herself as a fellow faith journeyer, discovering new-found freedom in Christ.
An Intentional wife and momma.
Pursuing purposeful Christian living in the little things of life (and the big ones too!).  She's lived in fear and she's learned that easy things are aren't always the best things.  She's on a journey and she invites us to travel with her.   Learn more about Lee Ann Here: 50 Random Things About Me

And then there's this real life friend, who hasn't updated her blog - Meant To Shine for His Glory, in awhile, but when she does it's worth reading.  She's a fellow homeschooling momma, and a kindred spirit.  She can SING - like knock your socks off - jaw dropping - goose-bump causing belt out praise but her heart isn't to entertain it's to walk beside, gather and lead those who love The Lord into whole life worship.   She is a blessing to me and I know her words will be a blessing to you.

The little things

I forgot how she rambles on

How her passion plunges her into miseries depths and raises her to towers of triumph

I forgot how she loves, and desires love

How her life of rejection shaped her heart with holes of inadequacy but couldn't steal her hope

I forgot how much I loved her

And her story, how she makes me smile, makes me laugh, makes me feel

Anne with an "e"

Self described, skinny, red-headed, prone to fly into temper, imaginative - Anne

Listening to him read her story I couldn't shake these words

"All things great are wound up with all things little"

For me, it is the little things that seem the most overwhelming

It's the mundane and the routine that seem to drain and strip at any hint of greatness

The never ending tower of laundry

The writing I wanted to do but didn't get to

The scattering of legos and barbies, and construction paper scraps

The intention of exercise

The dusty surfaces and dirty dishes 

The worrying

The lesson plans and menus and grocery lists

The arguing and disciplining 

It's the everyday stuff of life, the stuff that's never really done 

It's the taunting whisper of "can't"

The nagging feeling of tired

And the dripping of time 

And then I think about those words, 

How there's real truth in them

And how nothing great just happens 

I think about how ordinary my life is 

How we're all ordinary

How greatness is birthed from ordinary 

How God chose ordinary as a means for our salvation

And how He makes us great

So greatness is wound up in the little things,

Little things done faithfully, lovingly, thankfully 

It's in the folding of laundry, and changing of diapers

It's in the dusting of shelves, and best intentions

It's in the laying down of worries and gentle loving discipline

It's in the breaking up of arguments and the picking up of toys

It's in the everyday

Because "I can"

"You can"

Even when we're tired

In spite of being tired

Because time is going to drip

I'll be a year older, they'll be a year older and one day we'll all be gone

So let's be great 

Great at thanksgiving

Great at laying down worries

Great at loving

Great in grace

Trusting our ordinary is good enough for His planned great

Linking up with Holley Gerth at Coffee for your Heart

Bloglovin

Follow my blog with Bloglovin
So I'm learning how to be a part of the bigger blogging community
Better late than never

Rocky Mountain High

Trees push up through dirt

And yellow faces of flowers turn to the sun

From bounty to barren the mountain side morphs

Until rock is all that remains

We climb

Climb to the place where wind dances unrestrained and clouds kiss peaks of earth

Until there is no more up

There's only feeling
Success and satisfaction wrapped in rays of sunlight

But here, on top of the mountain, nothing grows

Nothing

And we can't stay

Because feeling doesn't sustain
Feeling
Doesn't
Sustain

Life fully lived is sometimes in the absence of feeling, or in the middle of feeling tired
Life fully lived is sometimes an elated high, or the insecurity of the unknown,
Life fully lived is sometimes in the challenge, other times it's in the stretching of success

Where trees and yellow faces of flowers push up through dirt
We climb
We grow
We live

Live in the climb; in the pushing through, the falling down and the getting back up

Live in the pain, and the mis-steps, through mental insecurities,
Live in the wisdom of guidance and solid encouragement,

Live in the descent; in the steps of unsure, with fingers gripping tight
Live in the letting go, the following through,
Live in the dark of faith - unable to see but still believing,
Live in the next step taken with hope
Live in dependence on someone greater than self
Trusting
He is

Swallowing pride and questions
Covering this climb, this growth, with dependence, prayer
And
Exhaling thanks
Thanksgiving for questions, for trust, for youth group trips, for yellow faces of flowers, and little faces that look like mine
Thanksgiving for dirty dishes, for clean laundry piled in baskets, for serving in the ever day, and for fingers that intertwine.
Thanksgiving for rocks, for family and friendships, for homeschool books, for time alone, and second chances that never wear out.
Thanksgiving for the climb, this climb of dependence, full life lived in reliance
And the chance to keep climbing