What's worth blogging about, 9/11, dark and light

What am I doing with a blog?

Why do I feel an urge to write and, importantly, what am I to write about? What's worthwhile? What is the best use of my time here?

About a year or so ago I was directly challenged by these words I read in a book.

"If your words do not bring with them the light of Christ, then they increase the darkness."

Increase the darkness. Those words cut right to the depth of me. That is not what I want to do with my life or my words.

There is enough darkness in the world, no? I was thinking all this yesterday, the 11th of September, when so many are reminded of the light of love, and the black depths of darkness.

By not shedding light, compassion, love....By not highlighting the needs of others and doing something about them...am I increasing the darkness a little?

By posting laundry powder reviews instead of writing about refugee children in my city, am I increasing the darkness?

By trying to make a few dollars out of my blog, instead of being content that we have money in the bank and a roof over our heads, and giving whatever we can to people who don't have those things - am I increasing the darkness?

Uncomfortable questions.

So I did nothing about them. I put them away, back on the shelf with the Mother Teresa book. I did want to write about God however, so I began another blog to put my God-thoughts there.

But I can't split myself into two. And I just don't have the time to run two blogs anyway.

So I'm going to bring that content over here. And write about other things that are important to me as well.

It won't be God-thoughts all the time (I will probably get around to that laundry powder review!) but if those posts bother people, they can unsubscribe or unfollow me. That's really ok.

But I hope you stay : )

Is anyone here?

I thought this blog was pretty much dead and buried, but surprise! Here I am again. I can't leave it alone. It's lovely to have somewhere I can just write what I please and have somebody read and drop me a line.

I have begun a new blog, Confidence and Love, because I'd like somewhere to ponder out loud about life, family, faith and spiritually, from a Catholic perspective.

The tagline is 'because nothing separates us from the love of God' which is a quote from the Bible from a letter of St Paul. And that's basically the theme I explore over there: how to feel loved by God, how to feel loveable and be loving, in every moment of every day.

I already write a regular column for The Catholic Weekly newspaper (Sydney's archdiocesan newspaper), but the posts on my blog are more varied and perhaps a little more in-depth because there's no word limit, than what I write about in the column.

I guess because I have a journalism background and am a freelance writer I have found it a bit galling to sit down and write something well-thought out, knowing that I'm not getting paid for it by the word or the hour. That's why this blog has stagnated a little (lot!).

But I've decided it's wonderful to be able to write what I want, when I want. That's why I will keep this blog going from time to time, to write about what we're doing in the garden and with the kids, how we're saving or making money, what I'm enjoying in books or on TV. Random snippets of my life.

At Confidence and Love I wear my very best thoughtful and holy hat :). I am happily committed to the teachings of the Catholic church, I love the saints and other amazing people who inspire and show me the way to follow Christ and I share the lessons I am learning from them.

I hope that if you or anyone you know might be interested in Confidence and Love I will see you over there.

M

Blog launch: Life, the universe and almost everything

What a lovely Easter and long weekend we've enjoyed here! I hope you have all enjoyed a beautiful rest and refreshment with family and friends.

If you're looking for some new blog reading with this extra free time make sure you go and have a look at the one my husband has just launched, Life, the universe and almost everything.

It broadly encompasses family, faith and life and I'm told it will include his other loves, basketball, chilli, the Tour de France, and single malt scotch.

Let me know what you think of his header photo :)

You never know, maybe now I have some friendly competition in the house I might start posting here a bit more frequently!

Why a (lovely) blogging conference made me feel ashamed

I bought my ticket to the first Australian bloggers' conference as a birthday treat for myself, months before the event. I wasn't updating my blog much, but at least I kept up reasonably well, for me, with reading and commenting on other people's.

But in those months between buying the ticket and actually going, I got so busy with

the children and the baby,

Christmas and New Year,

with going back to school and one starting kindy,

with writing my column,

with birthdays and then, more lately, with hospital and doctors' visits,

that I decided even reading and commenting on my handful of favourite blogs could drop off my priority list.

I almost didn't go the conference, and I'm glad I did because it reminded me that blogging is essentially all about people and relationships. And the best blogging is about real people being authentic and connecting with others.

It reminded me that if I write something, it should never just be for me, for my own self-expression. It should always, at least a little bit, be for others too.

The most lovely blogging stories - there were examples at the conference - come from when a person communicates their very self on their blog, and then are surprised by love, real concern, real support, real connection, in reply.

The term 'comment love' is very apt.

I felt ashamed not because I took time out from my computer in an overwhelming season of life. I had to do that.

It was because it was so easy for me to forget the women behind the blogs I had followed, including one whose ill husband I had prayed for.

And the kicker? Which I realised with sick guilt at the conference.

I'm not just like this with virtual friends, but with my 'in real life' friends and my family as well.

It's too often out of sight, out of mind with me.

So concerned with my own cares, that I hardly give a thought to anyone else's.

And then, left inside behind the door in my own head, my own small problems seem so big! They fill up the room, and they're all I can see.

I'm not very good at community. But I know it is everything.

Life is better done together. Everything and always.

One day I will blog - and twitter

Yep, one day I will manage to blog consistently. And twitter. I really hate it when I find a blog I like and then the person stops posting. Now I've been that person! Twice!

But my recent commenters - lovely, lovely commenters, you know who you are - have pulled me back in to at least add this note that I'm still around.

I still want to contribute to the amazing Australian women's blogging community, and I still want to share what I'm learning along the way as a freelance writer and editor with (nearly) four young kids and a very patient husband!

But not right now. Not even time to find a picture to go with this post.

Eight weeks to go in this pregnancy. All's well with the baby, although I've been sick and feeling crappy with one thing or another for the past two months (I guess you can't have everything!).

I'm trying to get my head and habits around keeping on top of things around the house, with the kids' schooling/activities, my work, finances etc. It's an exciting time actually, but it leaves no time at all for blogging, especially when I'm heading for bed by around 9pm each night.

How on earth do these other blogging mothers (whose blogs I only lurk around occasionally these days, instead of reading religiously) do it??

But one day I will blog. Maybe I will blog about these joyful, crazy, stressful, EXHAUSTING days. Life is really full-on and the baby isn't even here yet, so who knows exactly when that will be?

In the meantime a BIG thank you to everyone who continues to drop by. Mmwah! (that's a kiss!)

Me - in my toddler's eyes

first thing in the morning. When he's woken me from across the other side of the house with his cheeky, sing-song, "Muuuummmmy! Mummmmmy!"

I took my camera in recently to get a photo of his usual dawntime bright-eyed exuberance, (I think he's at his most gorgeous when he's just woken) but he wanted to take one of me instead, in all my dawntime puffy-eyed weariness!

He was so pleased with his photo. I'm sure he thinks it's beautiful. That's why I'm keeping it for him.

Yeah, I've got unplucked eyebrows, major puffiness around the eyes, flat hair etc, but I think you can see something in my eyes as I look at my little boy trying to act 'big' with my camera. Pride maybe, amusement, and definitely love.

I'm posting this as part of Bloggers Without Makeup. It's a fun idea of Jodie's. But the more serious aspect behind it is to show our daughters, nieces, all our young friends who are girls, that there is nothing wrong with natural, unmade, female faces. They are often even really beautiful.

Better than an image with the humanity airbrushed, botoxed or literally cut out of it.

How strange that it's even necessary to make that point. But it is necessary these days.

Beautiful Blogger and One Lovely Blog awards

I was so surprised and thrilled this morning to find that Kristy at Pampers and Pinot had given me two lovely awards, for Beautiful Blogger and One Lovely Blog. Thank you Kristy! How did you know I needed cheering up today? I'm enjoying reading your blog too.

Here they are:

To claim these awards, I have to share seven things about myself and pass on the awards to 15 other bloggers. Here goes:

I never watched Lost before, but I am absolutely glued to this final season

Love spring, hate winter. Hot chocolate is winter's only redeeming feature

I write a weekly newspaper column

My husband and I are presenters for the Engaged Encounter pre-marriage education course

While at uni I worked at Sydney Tower, it's a beautiful place to spend the day

My favourite poems are Tintern Abbey and Intimations of Immortality by Wordsworth, and Wreck of the Deutschland by Gerard Manly Hopkins

I learnt that if you really want something you just have to stop wishing and do what it takes to get it. (It's taken me 34 years to figure this out!)

Now, I award these lovely women and their blogs. I'm a lurker on some, a commenter on others.

Some are old favourites who I am continually inspired by or who or made me feel welcome in the blogging world, others I found more recently and I appreciate their perspective on things:

Trish at My Little Drummer Boys

Therese at Aussie Coffee Shop

Julie at Beautiful You by Julie

Jennifer at Conversion Diary

Kate at PickleBums

Meagan at The Happiest Mom

Rhonda at Down To Earth

Zoey at Good Goog

Christie at Childhood 101

Karen at Karen Cheng's Snippets of Life

Tiff at My Three Ring Circus

Kim at Frogpondsrock

Brenda at Mummy Time

Finally I wish you all a very happy Easter, Passover, festival of friends, family and chocolate, or whatever you celebrate this time of year!

Sydney Bloggers Meet

I met up with four lovely women in a Newtown cafe on Saturday, who are also mothers with blogs. Thanks Fe, for the photos.

Brenda organised the meet up with sponsorship from Nuffnang (thanks Bren).

She is just like her Mummy Time blog! Very bright, funny and down-to-earth.

Sarah aka Mrs Superwhite.

Zoey (Good Goog), who like me has applied for the Smart Home Family project.

Right, it's on! (nah, good luck Zoey and if your family wins I'll help promote you)

We don't have a photo of our gorgeous blonde photographer, Fe, but her blog about her life is here.

So instead, here's a photo of some nibblies that went with the mojitos and the caipirinhas:

Oops, then there's me in need of a slight dress readjustment. I did smile - whenever the camera was not pointing at me!

We chatted about our lives, families, work, blogging, photography, our hopes and dreams.

With two photographers present - I've since found out it's three after seeing Zoey's beautiful blog - it's rekindled my interest in taking up photography.Thanks again Fe for all your advice.

I still feel like a complete beginner at this blogging thing, and I am still intrigued at how easily and naturally friendships can blossom through social media alone.

But then, why not? That's the power of the written word.

How many times when I was younger and I fell in love with a book that I wished I could be friends with the author? Now we can connect with our favourite authors, including bloggers, if we like. 

Another reason why it's a great time to be alive.