I want to start this post by saying “thank you”. Thank you for reading. Thank you for being here. Thank you for reading this post all the way through to the end and supporting me by becoming a “follower”. Thank you for encouraging me by sharing and commenting. This blog thing started as an excuse for me to learn some technology. To broaden the scope of my horizons. If you’re curious, you can read my first ever post here. I don’t consider myself a writer, nor do I have ambitions to publish a book or creative set of poems or muses. I write from the heart about weird and wonderful things that happen, here, in our neck of the woods. Things I think about, things I question, things I struggle with. I also blog about things I love. My muses have blossomed and bloomed and it has become easier to share. Especially with regards to my faith journey.
I didn’t start out trying to be a #jesusblogger. I had no intention of writing devotionals or bible studies, nor do I wish to be the next woman of faith speaker. And yet, my muses quickly morphed into my ministry. We launched 30 Days of Blessings as a side project and I’ve learned more and more about websites. A self proclaimed introvert, it somehow became easier to share my faith journey, here, “on paper”, than from behind a pulpit. That’s one of those things about your own little space on the internet. It seems private, and yet it is not! It’s a tool. And any tool can be used for both good and evil. My hope is that you will find my space used as a platform for encouragement, growth, challenge, and to make you think. I don’t intend it to criticize or point fingers at any one source.
You will notice I have no affiliate links, no brand collaborations, no sponsors are knocking down my doors wanting to advertise. In fact, I pay extra to not have pop ups and advertising flashing across the screen on my homepage. Am I against it? No. I follow and read many a blogger and instagrammer who earn their living through influencing. It’s just not where I am at. I have no intention of quitting my job and blogging full time to earn thousands of dollars online. It’s my learning curve. Plus, I promised my family that mittonmusings would still allow me time for them.
Some weeks are difficult. It takes time to research, write, design decent photos and schedule and post. I’ve committed to weekly blogs and stayed up late to finish them. I have no technical background — so post many of my social media follow ups by individual upload. I don’t know how to keep stats and follow algorithms and make perfect SEO posts. Yet, I read every comment and see every follower. I learn and grow by studying and through the help of others. I hope that I encourage and shed light with each post. But the internet is tricky. Words on a page may not mean the same to you as they do to me. My attempt at humour may not come across as such. My Canadian references may not apply to followers in the Philippines. My opinions and muses about things that happened two years ago may have changed and grown from when they were originally written about. Which leads me open to criticism. And vulnerability. An introvert’s worst nightmare.
I recently stumbled upon a fellow faith blogger who shared my fears — and yet encouraged me that despite the vulnerability… jesusbloggers can still be salt and light to a darkened world! According to thinkaboutsuchthings.com, more than half the world’s population in 2019 has access to the internet. That’s over 4 billion humans online. It’s estimated that 3.48 billion people now use social media in some form or another. The internet is our mission field! (and yes, I do link and share on this blog! They are references for you to check out and discover — as I do).
I have two degrees hanging on my wall. I study and work hard. I love learning. But I am far from perfect. My words don’t always convey the meaning I want them to. You may disagree with my views and my opinions. But, I encourage you to be part of the conversation. Please don’t write me off because of something you find here. I challenge you to question and discover along with me. I am one in a sea of opinions. If you join the adventure and follow along, you will learn a bit more about the imperfect me, and how, through a whole lotta grace and mercy, I’m learning to write from the heart.
mittonmusings 