Why a blog, from Kari's perspective

 I LOVE blogs. I am a stalker faithful reader of many blogs, mostly of people I don't know. But I would love to know them. I would love the opportunity to sit down with these amazing women (and a few men) and have a cup of coffee, to explore deeper the things of their heart, to know more about their marriages, to hear about their kids, their struggles, their journey. I am not a Facebook girl so I see blogs as a way for me to stay connected. I also try glean as much as I can from other people's experiences. How are they running their homeschool? What are they praying for their kids? Book recommendations. Things that I can implement into my own life. I am a huge fan of not reinventing the wheel!

Just like in my mind I am a runner, I am also a blogger. No I don't actually run, I am more of a Zumba girl, but I have dreams of running long distances. I have even read books about how to train for running long distances but have never followed through. My body never seems very receptive when my feet actually hit the pavement. I also have moments of really clear (and very sporadic) journalling and clear thoughts from the Lord about whatever I am going through. But the idea of actually publishing something for other people to read was (and still is) a bit overwhelming. I am not a writer. In my eyes, Joel is the writer. He has a way of putting words together that draw people in, give a clear picture of what he is trying to say and make people feel certain things. I talk with my hands! My other hangup has always been the logistics of actually creating a blog. How? Where? Why? What would I even call it? All have been hurdles that I have not actually wanted to tackle.

One night a few weeks back, while visiting with a wonderful small group of ladies, the subject of writing a blog came up. I shared my secret fantasy of having a blog. I received overwhelming support from these amazing women. Some even helped with the logistics, laying flat those hurdles that looked so large and overwhelming. When I got home, I shared the conversation with Joel. Ironically, a few evenings prior he had expressed the desire of wanting to do something together. A job, an adventure, anything. After sharing with him the details of the blog discussion, it seemed obvious to us that this might just be the adventure that we could take on together.

And so here we are, being vulnerable and real and honest about our ins and outs. So scary, yet so exciting at the same time. I think I thought we would start off slow, talking about the little funnies of our kids, but I think we're jumping in with both feet. I am thankful for Joel's leadership in this area. I am one who takes very small steps (smaller than baby steps) and he tends to calculate the risk and jump. I will grab on with one hand and cling to the wall with the other. I know that the Lord will help pry off the other hand in His good timing.

I am hoping that our posts will encourage you. That by us sharing the good, the bad and the ugly about our crazy family life, our marriage and ourselves that you will find strength to continue to press on in your own journey. Lord knows we all need a little help along the way. And to know that there are others out there in the boat along with us sure brings peace and comfort.