A Runaway Train To My Own Kingdom

Have you ever felt like you were on a runaway train.  Like you were being carried away by the current of life?

That was me and my blog.

A runaway train.

3 posts a week that had to have brilliant, traffic inducing content.

Tons of blog hops to attract traffic to my blog.

Visiting at least one blog from every blog hop (because I wont play the game if I can't follow the rules)

Scheduling tweets and FB posts to drive traffic to my blog.

Answering comments.


And lest you think I'm griping, I'm not. I enjoyed all of those things but other more necessary things in my life were suffering.

I felt dry.  I was scraping the bottom of the barrel. It was impossible to discern what the Lord was speaking to me personally, or what I needed to share on my blog. This is not only a not-so-good place to be, it is a dangerous place to be because you run the risk of blogging about what you "should" be doing or wish you were doing - when you are not yet practicing what you preach.

When I realized that this is where I was at, I knew that I needed to take a break post-haste. 

At first I had that panicky feeling that I was proclaiming death to my blog. I even lost a follower!!!  Aaaaaaack!!!

But as each day passed by, the more I realized how much I was laboring to build my own kingdom. 

"Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it."

I was laboring in vain.

I missed visiting some of my favorite blogs, because I was too busy with blog hops.

I missed spending time mulling over my posts because I was too busy spitting out a blog post 3 times a week.

I missed being more spontaneous because my blog had to be planned and brilliant, with super-attractive content that made people go "WOW!"  

I missed being able to encourage other bloggers the way I feel called to because I was too busy building my OWN kingdom.


Sometimes taking a small step back and pausing for a moment brings proper perspective.  In my case I didn't like what I saw: Pride. Selfishness.


I will be backing off of blog hops.  I will pick a handful each week.  If I don't pick yours, please know it's not because I don't like your blog or enjoy your blog hop. Just know that as a wife and mommy and a work-at-home woman in ministry I want to use my time wisely.  I need to have quality time for family, quality time for ministry, and quality time to hear God's voice for my blog and encourage other bloggers with no other agenda but to encourage and build up.


Dear reader, please know, this post is not meant to heap condemnation on you or your blog, if you choose to use your time differently than I. This decision is my own personal decision that I know is the best for the vision of my blog. Your vision is different. As it should be. We are not all meant to have the same vision and purpose for blogging. 

I am excited about February and the series I have planned, after which, I have lots of organizing and recipes to share.  Even an exercise post!  And, of course, stuff to encourage you spiritually, too. I am refreshed and I am sharpened.  But most of all, I feel like I have a better grip on where my blog is headed in 2013!

Linking Up With

M: Motivation Monday, Gracelaced Mondays, MAMM Mondays,  T: Tell Me A Story, Titus2 Tuesdays, Women Helping Women, W: Women Living Well, Good Morning Girls, Wisdom Wednesday, Wholehearted Wednesdays Th: Thoughtful Thursday , Thrive at Home, Life In the Comments F: Faith Filled Friday, Favorite Friday Things, Just For Fun Friday