whenever that may be…

For as long as I can remember, I have had an unwavering love for capturing and recording life in photos and journals.  Everyone has their thing, I suppose.  For some it’s in the kitchen or on the ball field or behind a podium, but for me, it’s always been behind a camera.  Even in the era of disposable wind-up cameras, I single-handedly kept Walgreens in business.

It has been six years to the day since I began this blog and announced our pregnancy with Sam in 2008.  For me, this little space on the web has brought together my longtime love of photography and story-telling with friends and family and new readers (or rather, new friends) both near and far in such a significant way for which I am so thankful for.  I don’t regret a minute I have spent writing and sharing and photographing for this blog these past six years, but as wise Solomon said, ‘to every thing there is a season.’

In the past year and a half or so, for a number of different reasons, I have felt increasingly pulled away from sharing our lives through blogging. One very simple reason is time, or lack thereof.  Blogging takes time.  A lot of it! In the past, after the boys were tucked into bed, I would spend my time in the evenings editing photographs and sharing stories.  That worked for a season, but wisdom (and my to-do list!) tell me that that season is over and has been for some time.  If I want to be present with my family in the ways I desire to be and still do all the things God has given me to do during the day, it oftentimes means that I reserve a list of things to tackle for the evenings when I would be able to blog.  And if it’s between doing laundry or blogging, I just can’t justify taking my boys to church naked. Some people are really great at managing their time well, I’m one that really has to work hard at it.

I’m thankful for apps like Instagram that allow me a quick way to capture a photo and chronicle our days together without having to bring my nice and heavy camera with me everywhere we go.  I’m in the process of turning my Instagram photos into Chatbooks which I am very excited about.  I think they will be wonderful keepsakes for our family (and doting grandparents).

A second reason why I feel pulled away from blogging is because of the trend I’ve seen flood the blogosphere in the past couple of years. It seems to me that the highest virtue among many (not all, but many) mommy-bloggers these days is vulnerability and “keepin’ it real” for their readers.  Too often, though, this comes at the expense of their children. It’s a virtue I don’t hold dear and am not willing to partake in. I wince every time I read a post describing in detail the disobedience and misconduct of one’s children.  I’m so very thankful that blogs were not around when I was growing up. My children’s sin and disobedience is ultimately between them and the Lord and as their mother I want to protect them in the same way Aslan protected Edmund.

“…and there they saw Aslan and Edmund walking together in the dewy grass, apart from the rest of the court. There is no need to tell you (and no one ever heard ) what Aslan was saying, but it was a conversation which Edmund never forgot. As the others drew nearer Aslan turned to meet them, bringing Edmund with him. “Here is your brother,” he said, “and— there is no need to talk to him about what is past.”  -The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, C.S. Lewis

In other words, once my children have been restored to the Lord and their family, their sin is not up for discussion or for sharing on this blog. It has already been dealt with.

Two articles that I’ve been influenced by on this very same issue that I think hit the nail on the head is this one from Jen Wilkin (“Do we miss the truth that our families need our discretion far more than our blog followers need our authenticity?”) and this excellent one from Megan Hill.

This is not a post to end all posts, I’m sure I will still blog from time to time when something feels especially “blog-worthy”, but I do hope this does give some explanation to those who’ve asked, “So…why don’t you blog anymore?”

Until next time! (whenever that may be…)