If you keep up a blog, I don’t know if you’ve felt this way, but maintaining a blog means seasonal feelings. What I mean by that, I’ll explain from personal experience. Sometimes I’ll have months where I visit my blog daily, tweaking CSS, brainstorming/writing posts for later, visiting other blogs and leaving comments, finding inspiration, etc. Other months, I might write one post per week, visit zero other blogs, and hardly visit my own. Do I want to stop keeping it up? Of course not, it’s seasonal. Sometimes life is busier, sometimes there are more important things that need my complete attention.

We also go through periods of wondering about our blog’s identity. And maybe we experience a couple weeks of fighting comparison, or we find ourselves a little trapped in the brainstorming of how we can get more comments. Then maybe we’re tempted to write fluffy posts, or on the other hand, we doubt ourselves and wonder if we really should be giving this a shot at all.

Anyone else feel any of these things? It’s okay if it’s only me.

My heart here is to share that I don’t mind if my blog doesn’t follow all of the “tips to be successful” lists floating around. The promoting, the social media activity, the ‘rules’ for interacting with other bloggers, making sure a pinnable image is in the post. None of that is wrong! Please hear that. I am not criticizing or judging or looking down on anyone, there are many who maintain their blog and make a sweet income with it. That’s pretty cool. I commend those who are rocking it out in the blog world; we each have our own voice and it’s wonderful.

But it isn’t what I want. Sure, I would love for friends, even strangers, to read heartnatured posts and be uplifted or challenged; I actually pray for this blog! I pray for the words that come out of my heart and mind that end up published, I pray for the person who ends up reading it, and I ask that God be glorified, that He be honored. I ask Him, since He’s given me a passion to write, share, interact, and create, that He use it as a small means to speak life and hope into people. And that He continue to develop Christlikeness in me, as I ponder and reflect and share. A testimony of someone redeemed by Jesus, someone full of joy, hope, and mercy thanks to a gracious, holy God.

So maybe every single post is laced with His presence… it sounds wonderful to me. I thought I wanted this blog to be successful by the standards of the blogging world (which isn’t a bad goal), but I realized that to make that happen, there’s an expectation to do things I don’t truly care to do. Self-promote, be on social media super crazy often, tweak my post to have all the bells and whistles it needs, network among the blogosphere, etc. I think my real heart is for it simply to possibly, hopefully, brighten someone’s day, or challenge their mind, or encourage their heart. My real desire is for it to also be a place for me to share, document, and create.

In other parts of life, it’s called chasing the Jones’.

I’ve decided, cheerfully and peacefully, that I don’t want to chase blogging success.

Maybe that will change again down the road, but right now this is where I am.

I will still socialize, because I’ve met some pretty fabulous people. In your spare time, pop over to meet a few: Daisy, Brittany, Lauren. And I still like the fun posts, like the coffee date link up, or cool web finds, or downloadable designs. Those will positively still be here. So will tales of marriage, our home, cooking, what I’m reading, running, and why I can’t say no to ice cream (not extensively, I promise).

I guess you could even say that not much will be changing around here, except maybe the attitude of the author.

It’s an outlet for me, and I hope it’s a place of warmth, hope, inspiration, and randomness for you. I hope that countless times you find yourself saying, “Hey, me too!” or “Wow, I’m so glad I’m not the only one.” or “I’m glad I read this today.”

If I could hug you or high five you for sticking through this post, I would. :)