When to Quit Blogging

“Happy Birthday to me, (cha cha cha!) happy birthday to me (cha cha cha!) Happy Birthdaaaay Written By the Finger of God.  Happy Birthday to me!” And in honor of my first anniversary, my daughter and I do a little happy dance:

(I can't really dance ballet but I can tiptoe.  Does that count?)

So.  If you’re on tenterhooks waiting for my discernment on whether to continue blogging or not (doubt it—you probably just headed on to blogs of greener pasture like www.8kidsandabusiness.com or The Beautiful Gate), allow me in typical Anabelle Hazard fashion to stretch a short story longer of how I arrived at my answer…

One year ago today, I felt the urge to write what is now my Examination of Conscience post in a private blog.  Shared it with friends and family to an encouraging response. More posts oozed out which I thought would surely end after Lent.  Then came mysterious instructions  inspirations to upload the first book  (Wha--?!?) While still reeling from shock of giving away a book I slaved over, the second book self-published and uploaded.  Blog became public.  And that’s how you and I got here.  (You’re still there, right?)

The most impressionable compliment this blog has ever received is an email from a former roommate who wrote that reading my blog made her want the same joy in the faith I have.  I don’t know at what spectrum she hovers in her faith journey or if she (still) reads these very words I post, but her statement has guided me subconsciously as a universal tone and theme for the past year I’ve been writing.

 Course, there are certain days of the womanly month when I wax melancholic, certain political issues that get me to climb on my soap-box and sputtering out bitter, frustrated bubbles, but for the most part, I hope this unspeakable joy of the Catholic faith flows over to my writing.  Because while I delight in speaking (typing) of God and my Catholic faith, I rejoice more in gathering souls to Jesus through Mary, and making a heart giggle that echoes up to the glory of the saints in heaven.

At the end of last year, I was burdened with major burn out so I took my first 9-day-off since becoming public to discern if I should quit blogging. My resignation prayer went something along these lines, “Lord, you don’t need me anymore, do You? I’d like to retire from my pseudo-public life and have more kids now.  I’m sure I can pass off my readers to all those other bloggers with immeasurable talent.” (Okay okay, that’s what my end of the year post plugging my top Catholic bloggers was partly about. You found me out.  *sheepish*)

One scripture passage stood out during my mini-sabbatical: St. Paul’s famous line to the Ephesians:  “He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it in you.”

 “Whaddaya mean I’m not done, Lord?”, I whined.

 “WHADDAYA MEAN THIS POST IS NOT DONE, ANABELLE?!?!” you say over there.

 Okay, okay…to answer the question you never even asked in the first place, NO I’m not going to quit blogging yet.  Slow down definitely and take lots of breaks… depending on what opportunities and bumpy surprises (*cross fingers, cross fingers.*  I mean, *sign of the cross, sign of the cross*) are presented for the year.   But when the Holy Spirit is in charge, I guess it ain’t over so long as there’s joy in sharing the good news, a pair of eyes made it all the way down here and the glory of God deserves to be glorified.  (You lurkers can always subscribe so you won’t miss a post when I come and go.)

          Thank you to all who prayed for me.  After renewing my writing contract with the Holy Spirit, I'm assured: "Commit your way to the Lord and He will establish your plans." (Prov. 16:13)

I’ll close with how we always end the birthday songs at our house.  Altogether now, to the tune of HBD: “May the good Lord bless you! May the good Lord bless you, May the good Lord bless my blogggg reeeeaders… and make you a saint!”

+AMDG