Why we write...

There are many reasons why I have a blog.
- To document life.
- To help with my memory...being able to look back at things that have happened.
- To post pictures and be able to explain more than just a caption.
- To vent. (just being honest)

And probably many other reasons!
I was reading the blog of one of my former bosses recently.  She's been diagnosed with cancer and has a CaringBridge page that she and her husband update to inform everyone about her trials throughout treatment.  Her husband posted a quote that helps explain why blogging helps him.

"I write because it is when I'm writing that I feel most connected to why we're here.  I write because silence is a heavy weight to carry.  I write to remember.  I write to heal.  I write to let the air in.  I write as a practice of listening."
--Andrea Gibson

It really hit home with me for many different reasons.  Recently I've introduced Prayer and Praise Cards** to my new Bible Study group that Kevin and I are attending.  When passing them out, I explained how amazing it is to get your cards back after a year and to see the prayers that have been answered in that time...and those that haven't.  Prayers are hard because they are your most secret desires, they can be heavy weights and we don't always feel safe sharing them.  However, by writing them down and trading with one person each week, we have someone to pray for us and because we're writing them down and getting them back, it will help us remember where we've come from and where we're going.  Sometimes just writing it down can be such a weight lifting off of our shoulders.  So, I feel that blogging and writing, prayers or recipes or about life, is so important!  And so freeing!  And so I write...

**Prayer and Praise Cards are index cards that are housed in a little index card binder.  Each week you write down one prayer and one praise for that week.  Something you may be struggling with and something great that happened, an answer to prayer or just a good thing, and you switch with someone else so everyone is praying for someone during the week.  Cuts down on the time it takes for everyone to share a prayer request each week and is a great way to document and put your prayers into writing.  In the past, we've had a retreat once a year where we get all of our cards back and it's awesome to see the prayers that have been answered in a years time, or those that take years and years before they're answered.  But, it's a time to praise God because he is faithful and he does hear our prayers!