why would i write that?

a potpourri of thoughts

potpourri - pot·pour·ri noun \ˌpō-pur-ˈrē\

1: a mixture of flowers, herbs, and spices that is usually kept in a jar and used for scent
2: a miscellaneous collection

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I read one of the best explanations yesterday on how I blog. I really had not recognized this is what I was doing when I blog, but after reading Ann Voskamp's explanation, I thought, yes! that is right. That is why I would write some of the things I do. Doubts, failures, questions, stumblings.....

Ann shares about blogging that: "The lines of our stories become literal life-lines that we throw to each other when the storms come and beat hard on our lives.... I am a mess and I tell you my messy story — and it may be the story of the women who read your stories — real women looking for real lifelines. "

She goes on to share that when you blog the real life, the messy life, and finding and turning to God in the messy life, you are writing for both yourself and for any other woman that might read your story. That you are writing for "messed up me, and the messed up woman next door, and the messed up woman sitting beside you in church and messed up You. We need your messy stories. And you need your messy stories."

She shares that sharing our stories is a "way that God can bind up our wounds." I can attest that is true. So often I will be struggling and discouraged and thinking I am the only one. Then just a sharing from Ann, or Amanda, or Linny, or Lisa or Beth.... will touch my heart, and open me up for the grace of God to be poured in.

What I did not realize, but in reading Ann's words, now recognize and echo, is that the healing comes not just in the reading of other's stories, but in the writing too, of my own messiness seeking God. I have thought before, after a post that is not the pollyanna-upbeat-all-is-perfectly-stitched-together writing, why would I write that?!! Why share how STILL messed up I am? But Ann articulated what I did not even realize.

"It is in story, we meet the Spirit of God. The reader meets the Spirit of God in the reading of story — the word made flesh in your life. The writer, you, meets the Spirit of God in the writing your story – the word made flesh in your own life.

The Word God wastes nothing and He heals two broken hearts with one story – the reader and the writer. "

That is why I wrote what I wrote yesterday, (and the day before and the day before and...well you get the idea.) I didn't truly realize it, until I read Ann's words. You may want to read the rest of her thoughts on this. She is sharing about it over several days, here.

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On another note...I want to share some knitting plans. (I LOVE knitting. I am not good at it. But I love it!) More on my Christmas plans I just ordered THIS book, handknit Holidays, because of the cutest little elf hat I saw on Amanda's blog, that she had made from this book.

It is the cute little elf hat! (see the red one in the next picture?) Isn't that just darling? And you can make it with or without ear flaps. So I ordered the book (USED) on amazon.com and as I am waiting for its arrival, I started purusing colors of yarn. I love the crimson one, but Taddy was looking with me and chose an Olive green. I hope to make four for Christmas stocking gifts.

Then later, snooping I found the same pattern FREE on the internet published by the author to download. I know there are other things in the book I will make, so it is not a loss, but I am excited that I cazn get the pattern NOW, instead of waiting. On the site with the free pattern, I found many other free patterns by the same author and another elfish style hat. (Second picture below). So now I have to figure out which pattern I like best. :) (the simpler one, of course...which one is it?)

So I am happy with some planned holiday knitting.