Reflections on a Weekend Away

I was among the close to 20 something wonderful ladies and the bundle of sweetness and smiles, little baby Haven, that gathered at a lakeside cabin in Mt. Juliet, Tennessee for the Five Minute Friday retreat.  Here’s the beautiful morning view from the deck as we gathered to drink our coffee (or tea, depending on preference).

Truth time.  I wasn’t really sure WHY I was there.  I wasn’t really sure I should have been there.  After all, I’m not really sure I’m a writer; but my friend Melinda’s  enthusiasm was contagious and we were among the first to sign up way back… and we arrived after an adventurous beginning that included a flat tire and some nature exploration along the interstate near Metropolis, IL.

But that’s not what this post is supposed to be about.

This post is supposed to be about  “what’s my biggest take away from the retreat?”

Surprisingly, I learned that I AM a writer!

During our hangout chat with the authors of “On Being A Writer” (Ann Kroeker and Charity Singleton Craig) one of the ladies made the comment that

“a writing life is not the same as a writing career.”

That really resonated with me.  I am a writer, because I have a writing life.  Will I ever have a writing career?  Only God knows which leads to the next biggest take away from the weekend that didn’t hit me until the middle of Tuesday night when I woke up thinking about a long-lost dream…the dream that my husband and I have had to minister to families.

Many moons ago,  we made a flyer for Home and Family Ministries. A brainchild we created that never came to fruition.  We wanted to speak, and have retreats, and help families be all they could be. Help marriages succeed.  Encourage parents to parenting with intention.  This was when we were newly married.  Well before blogging was so mainstream, if it was yet at all…that was in the days of dial up internet and before Amazon and Google.

WHY we thought we were ready for that kind of endeavor is beyond me. But, we wonder if now is the time?  We’ve been through life for 21 years together, adding 4 children, and 2 dogs and a cat to the mix among other various critters that have come and gone.  We’ve had highs and lows.  Beautiful and ugly.  And we’ve been real through it all!

Who knows if ANYTHING will come of it, but we’re ready to put our toes in the water and step out in faith and begin a new thing.

So I got up in the middle of the night and started brainstorming this new child.  Looking on WordPress for a blog address that would work.  Here’s what I came up with:

Christian Home Life   

I’m delving into the world of mailchimp and going back over all the notes on promoting a blog from the retreat.  Those notes that I think didn’t apply to me because:

a) I wasn’t a writer

b) I was just a lil’ eclectic wife and momma blogger; 12 years I’ve been writing, and I’m still a lil’ eclectic wife and momma blogger.  And I’m still content with that here at homeskoolmom.

But the retreat, in an odd twist of events, has revived a dream…

FEAR of man is rearing it’s ugly head. Even as I sit here typing this, I wonder if we’re crazy, if I should hit the publish button.  But I refuse to to let it dictate what will come.  Man will not be my God.  I will replace the fear of man with the fear of the Lord, as Trillia, with the beautiful smile, reminded us Saturday morning.

Thanks Melinda for the photo

And being BRAVE is coming behind the thoughts of fear.  And we WILL be brave, Shane and I. Mary reminded us Sunday morning that it is easier to stay stuck in the boat; but sometimes that is not what He wants!  Sometimes He wants us to be brave like Peter, and step out of the boat.

Mary, my husband and I are steppin’ out of the boat and being brave.  Many of those steps came long ago…

and now, we wait expectantly to see what, if anything God will do with this new venture!

At this point, only He knows!

We could be absolute nobodies…in that case we’ll keep doing what we’re doing; except we’ll blog with intention at Christian Home Life and maybe, just maybe influence a small sphere of readers in future years…

Or maybe? We will have to be patient and see…

 I LOVE this blog!  It’s my crazy, random place to be me, to bounce here and there, with rambling thoughts; no rhyme or reason. Thoughts flowing freely

And it will continue to be just that, a place for my rambling thoughts…but Christian Home Life, it will be more intentional, more focused with a purpose.

If you’re interested in learning more, here’s the new blog!

Thank you Kate Motaung (Mo-tay-oong–I think I got it) Holly, Jen and Mary for all your hard work!