A Sneak Peek at What I'm Up to These Days ...

Chain letters: I toss them.  

(800) numbers on my phone: I let them go to voice mail.  

Those emails that say, “If you pass this to 10 people in the next hour you will get $1,000,000, “ yeah, I delete those too.  

So, when I was invited to be a part of a “Blog Hop,” I wasn’t so sure.  I met the blogger who invited me, Laura Moss, through an amazing group of kindred writers who have come together to help launch the book, “Finding Spiritual Whitespace,”by Bonnie Gray.  Laura caught my heart right off the bat as she shared her story of surviving cancer.  If any number of other bloggers had asked, I’d have said “no.”  But, since it was Laura, I gave this blog hopping a chance.  

 If you are as green as I am, you may ask what in the world a blog-hop is.  What I’m going to do here is answer four questions about my writing and what God is calling me to these days … and then I’m going to introduce you to some amazing bloggers and suggest you go check out what they are writing.  It’s worth the “hop.”  

What am I working on/writing? 

Well, now.  If I told you, I’d have to kill you.  So, to avoid that messy business, I will just suffice it to say I have some super great things in the hopper.  Surreal good - so I’m just going to keep it at that.  I’ve had the desire to be a writer before I could physically write (around age four) and in adulthood I set aside that longing for years until I found this blog space and the words poured out.  What I did before I blogged was to write letters of encouragement to my friends when they were in a tough spot or I would write journal entries or emails to my mentor which were like a chapter in a book … the book I held in my heart, but never dreamed I’d actually write.  So, what I’m writing right now is a bit of a bunch of stuff. You’ll have to come back here to find out what it is over time.  And one day, God willing, I’ll share the gut-wrenching, soul-shaking, eye-lifting story of what I have lived through and what beautiful things God has done with the remnants of those experiences.  

I stepped away from writing for two weeks because I had built myself a mental cage and was getting caught up in what the blogging world pushes in terms of what makes for a “successful” blog.  And who gets to measure this anyway?  Isn’t it successful to reach women’s hearts – even one woman – and impact their lives and homes?  Do we need to take a head count or make sure the banner on our blog is trendy?  I’m convinced God isn’t about numbers or appearances in that way.  So, I let go of writing and when I came back I knew afresh why I write.  I write to bless.  I write to express what burns up inside my soul.  And I am drop-dead passionate about ministering to hurting hearts and helping moms learn to love their children and their husbands … especially this little corner of the population who home educate. 

How does my work/writing differ from others of its genre? 

I’d have to say I differ in that I won’t stick to a genre.  I write about motherhood and home education and then I write about my broken past and the wounds I sustained and how God has stepped into darkness and built me into someone I enjoy being.  I write about my real nitty-gritty walk with God through hills and valleys.  I write about loving our husbands and then I write a poem.  I’m sort of all over the map. They tell you to pick a corner (of the market) and stay in it and I just bop around.  So, I’m probably not racking up the blog stats that way, but it’s my heart and, p.s. it’s my blog.  Bottom line is I write what I’m inspired to write and on my good days I trust God to get that writing into the hands of whomever He wants.  

Why do I write what I do?

Well, as I said, I write because it burns in me to say what is inside my heart.  I can’t say I’m a huge extrovert, though I can be energetic and oh-so loquacious (wordy).  But, truly, I write because I want to celebrate what God has done and is doing and I want to encourage and help others as they seek Him and come through hard times.  I hope my blog (and other writing) are like pit stops in life or retreat centers where you come to refuel and get a fresh perspective so the rest of the journey isn’t as draining.

How does my writing process work? 

If you really want to know, writing pours out of me like water from a pitcher most days.  I just sit and my fingers can barely keep up with my thoughts.  But what inspires me to write is often a heart-to-heart moment with a friend and as we discuss a challenge they are facing or a hurt they have endured, I want to give them something to hold onto.  I write in response to hurting around me or longings.  The other thing that motivates my writing is my own walk with God and my own successes and failures as a wife, mom and home educator.  I am moved to share these things so that I can give others hope and tools.  And then, I do edit a tad, but not much, really.  My writing is pretty much like how I would talk to you if we were sitting over a cuppa and having a good talk.  

So, there you have it, a little peep into what goes on behind the keyboard here at HeartsHomeward.  

And now I just can’t wait to introduce you to these three awesome bloggers.  Set aside some time to read what they are writing these days.  It is truly such goodness. 

Laura Moss is beyond grateful to be able to say she has survived being Mom to 4 spirited girls, a battle with aggressive breast cancer, and some difficult seasons in her almost-25-year marriage. She calls herself a Creative, is drawn to beauty in all its forms, and loves loving on people. You can find more of her musings at gratefulamazement.wordpress.com.  

Satin Pelfrey is a daughter of the King and a humble work in progress.  Satin’s two biggest dreams in life are to be a mother & a writer.  While she is grateful and proud to be a stepmother, her heart’s desire is to have a child of her own.  She is trusting God’s timing and writes transparently about her life at myhearthiswords.com.   Satin’s mission is to encourage and challenge others in their walk with God, bringing the Scriptures alive through life-application.

Shannon Guerra is an Alaskan homeschooling mama in a family of eight (expanded by two kids in 2012 through the challenging miracle of adoption).  She also has a baby in heaven. Shannon loves Jesus, homeschooling, Alaska, and simplicity. She is an advocate for children born and unborn.  Shannon says of her family, ”We laugh often, usually at each other.”  Shannon keeps it real as she is committed to loving her kids wildly and raising them to be world changers. Her family is convinced they are a battleship, not a cruise ship.  I adore her writing which you can enjoy at Copperlightwood.com