On Being a Catholic Blogger

Hi.

I’m going to do things a little differently today.  

Lately, behind the scenes, I have been really thinking and thinking about this little blog.  

Maybe it’s the pregnancy hormones, or potty training stress, or something else, but I feel like things have gotten a little bit away from me lately.  

I thought it was time that I stop and think about where I started and where I am…

1.  And so, I took a minute to evaluate my blog…

Blogging had really given me a lot.  

When I first quit teaching to be a full-time, at-home mom I was a little lost.  

I struggled without anything that was MINE, anything that I could work on and improve and share with others.  

And I loved motherhood, and still place that far above this little blog, but I needed a place where I was more than a mom/cook/maid.  

I found that here.

Very quickly this blog became a special place for me.  

I set it up carefully and was proud of its content… But lately, I have been wondering if this blog really communicates all of me.  

Sure, I am a craft lover (too much?) that’s hardly the biggest part of me.  

How, therefore, did crafts come to take over the blog?

2. How I accidentally became a craft blogger.

Ummm, Pinterest.

Okay, Pinterest is part of it, but a bigger part might be my personality.  

I’m actually a really private person.  

Often times when I actually open up about something important, sensitive, or emotional I burst into tears… Ask my poor husband.  

I quickly found that I was more comfortable hiding behind a cute little thing that I stitched up or a project I did with my kids.  

It was easier and safer to share about that than about my faith.  

I guess, I just took the easy way out.

3.  How being a craft blogger isn’t enough, for me.

I want to make sure that this doesn’t sound too extreme.  

I love creating and I adore many of the friends I have made through craft blogging (see here and here).  

But, I started to wonder if I could sustain this craft blogging.  

When I started to look down the craft blogging road long-term all I saw was burn-out.  

How could I keep generating new projects… and how could I continue to care about all these zillions of projects… Let alone inspire my readers to care about them.  

Posting craft after craft just wasn’t enough now, and it certainly wasn’t going to be enough in the future.

4. Getting back to where I started this blogging journey.

HERE is where I started this blogging journey–with a dedication to Mary.  

I named my blog after a phrase from St. Therese.  

She reminds us that we are not called to do great things, but to do small things with great love.  

A lot of things changed for me, admittedly, when this little blog started to be a little bit profitable, and I’m not proud of that.  

It is time (high time) that I stopped focusing on what will get me the most page views.  

Instead, I need to stay grounded in these words from St. Therese.

5.  Ok, so I am Catholic…but I’m certainly no expert.  What could I even write about?

An excuse to not blog about the Catholic faith that I have often used is that although I practice my faith, I am no expert on it.  

What do I have to add?  

I’m not a scholar and struggle to get in a few minutes of study here and there.

With the writing of this post, however, I am going to attempt to turn over a leaf.  

When I share about things Catholic here, I will not even attempt to teach, but instead share where the faith informs my life, where I struggle, and what I cling to.

I just hope to join the greater Catholic discussion, boldly.

6.  And then, I found some bloggers doing it right.

And, there really is a beautiful Catholic community online.  

It took me a while to find it, but I am so so so happy that I finally did.

Here are a few really awesome Catholic Bloggers that I depend on.  

They share what is important without pretending to be experts. They give me something to aspire to.

Jennifer from Conversion Diary

Haley from Carrots for Michaelmas

Nell from Whole Parenting Family 

Kendra from Catholic All Year

Lacy from Catholic Icing

Jennifer from Catholic Inspired

And I should add, there are many, many more great Catholic blogs.  

These are just the ones I personally have bookmarked and head to every day.

7.  Embracing being a Catholic Blogger

And, so, time to make a plan about how I am going to make changes around here.  

Honestly, I don’t have much of a plan.  

I still plan on posting crafts, every week in fact.  

Also, I love creating and I’m not going to stop.  

I do plan, however, to add some personal reflection posts, each week.  

What will I write about–no idea, but I am going to work very hard to adjust the way I think about this blog and what I share here–and include my faith in a more serious and focused way.

Wish me luck,