Why do I blog?

I've been thinking a lot about this lately.

I launched into the blogging world quickly, once I discovered it.  I spent several nights many many months ago exploring a few blogs, and suddenly longed to have my own!  Since the day I started blogging, I haven't looked back.  I just love to blog.

It's interesting, thinking about why we choose to blog.  For me, it's a form of expression, an opportunity to put thoughts into words, a chance to capture and record the significant moments of our family's daily life.  I've realised as I've reflected this week that it's really this simple.  It's not a thought-out, predetermined style or format or method.  I don't write for a particular audience, or in the hope of receiving hundreds of comments or of changing people's lives forever. :)  (I know some blogs do this!)   It's really just a place to be myself and write whatever I like.  

My dear friend Cathy left a comment recently on my last rambly sort of post, and said that "If the eyes are the window to the soul, the blog is the movie to the spirit".  How well she put that, and what a lovely thought!

All the blogs I most enjoy reading are vastly different.  Some are poetical, some idyllic, some humerous, others practical and down-to-earth, others inspiring.  They all reach me in different ways, and I enjoy travelling along life's road with these bloggy friends.  My blog is probably a subtle mix of them all, yet still distinctly my own.  It's my safe haven of self-expression.

I have heard people say that blogs are a sugar-coated version of reality.  Well, some blogs clearly aren't as their writers seem to deliberately focus on the negative parts of life, lightened up a bit with humour.  I agree though that many blogs are a bit sugar-coated, mine included.  However, I defend this by saying that I'd rather not waste my time writing posts about cleaning the toilet or driving around town not being able to find a car park or having a small breakdown crying on the kitchen floor because I couldn't think of anything to cook for tea.  To me, these are the little annoyances of my daily life, not my highlights or joyful parts, or hopes or dreams for a better tomorrow.  I actually like my blog because it gives me a chance to focus on the positives!  The little things that make life beautiful.  As a stay at home Mum, days can kind-of go on and on pretty much the same; monotonous, challenging, and often thankless.  Yet I love to be home, caring for my husband and children.  The little daily joys, and the knowing that this is where I'm meant to be, makes it all worthwhile.  Blogging gives me an opportunity to deliberately remember the good bits and record them, and share them!  To take photos of the funny things my children do, or the nice things happening in the garden.

If I'm having a really really hard day, I'll either choose not to blog (often on those days there's no time anyway!) or I'll do a realistic post about the difficulties of homekeeping or mothering or life in general, or how much I hate staying overnight in hospital with sick children. :(

Most of the time though, at the end of the day when I sit down to blog, it's good to think about all the gifts I've been given........ my home, my precious family, and all the beauty around me.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things".  Philippians 4:8  

This verse from Philippians was read at our wedding, and it's one of my favourites.  It's kind of a part of me, I guess.

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So here is a question for you, just for fun:  Why do you choose to blog, and what do you like most about it?  Or, why do you like to read people's blogs?   Or, what sort of blogs and/or posts do you most like reading?  

I look forward to reading your answers!!

(and I don't know why Blogger has changed the size and colour of my font......)