The internet is one of my best friends, seriously. It (and God) has lead me to so many amazing, supportive people, both locally and all over the world. It happens all the time, I absolutely love the connections that this blog and other social networks has provided!

One site I visit often during pregnancy is Babycenter.com and early on in my pregnancy I met a sweet lady named Melissa. Sadly, she ended up miscarrying the baby we had due close together (and now has miscarried twice, send prayers her way!) but emails and months later we both determined we would be best friends if we lived closer. We have so much in common, from living in a maternity home during one of our pregnancies, to having miscarriages, to being Christian, and our love of writing.  I think I need a trip to Texas to meet her one day :-) She helped create a wonderful blog, now online magazine, for Christian women called Destiny In Bloom and asked me to join the team as an Author.

Today is my big day, my first article posted!  My official title is “Review Blogger” so you’ll see some cool products, books, and such highlighted. Today’s is a mix of testimony and review called Authentic Beauty, True Prince, and a Real Love Story.  It’s so exiting to use my writing for something else besides parenting stuff and challenge myself to brainstorm new ideas surrounding sharing my faith and products I love. I’m sure it will be a growing experience, not just in writing, but with God. The other authors and articles are always outstanding and so encouraging. It’s like little devotionals and a dose of inspiration every day. Go check out Destiny In Bloom!

I’m going to follow in one of my favorite young mommy blogger footsteps and do some self-promotion.

Did you know I write articles for Birthmom Buds periodically? You can read about Perfect Adoption Gift ideas, my Tummy Mummy book review, Talking About Adoption During Nation Adoption Awareness Month, and Christmas Gift Ideas. (Another article is coming up in September!)

And, most recently I was interviewed by the lovely Amanda over at Baby Bump Diaries (what a neat blog, love it!), which can be found here.

(And now we’re off to get maternity photos done! 27 weeks now, can you believe it?)

The month of May will bring change, for me, for this blog, for my family. If you notice to header above, O Momma Writes has been a place “Where writing is how sanity is found amongst diapers, laundry, and homework.” Sure, I’ll still have diapers and laundry and I’ll need to find my sanity is writing as usual. But, homework? Nah. Done with that forever! So what will I do?

I can’t hold it in much longer, I’m kinda pumped about what God is doing in my life right now and the pretty clear direction it seems like He is leading me. Basically, it’s time. Time for what?

To write that book. My book.

I graduate in a week and then I’m getting down to business (er…when I get some free time outside my mommy duties that is! I’ve got lots of time to make up with Savannah since school has interfered with our relationship so much lately). I’m going to sit down and write the story that has been in my head for 6 years. I’m going to work towards my dream of being a published author. I’m going to let God guide the way with this, because I know this is one purpose He has created me for and He knows what He’s doing far more than I do. But, I can do this. With His help and others.

With 6 months before this baby comes in November, I feel like that’s a good goal to set my eyes on. The process of writing a book is pretty overwhelming to think about, but giving myself a deadline helps make it feel more tangible rather than, “Oh, I’ll get there eventually…”  No more excuses, I’m setting my eyes on this just like I did to finish college. I’m not saying it should be ready to be published or sitting out on shelves, but simply getting the story out of my head.  Then, when I’m ready (or rather, God’s ready) I can work on the publishing aspect.

And, thankfully in the past few months God has placed some people in my life so that I’m not alone as I learn about this new adventure. Tara over at The Young Mommy Life is not only a young mom, but writing a book for young moms too. She’s an inspiration and given me some tips of how to get started. Too bad Tara is in Pennsylvania though, but via email she has been amazing and she introduced me to the idea a writers group, and ta-da! God lead me to local mommy writer/blogger,  Kelli at Sustaining Creativity (she makes cute aprons too!), to start our own group. The plan is to meet a few times a month, let our girls play while we motivate each other, bounce ideas off each other, and to work towards our dream.

This morning at church (the first time in shamefully over 6 months), I felt God confirming again with the message that I am “Fearfully and Wonderfully Made” and I was made for this. I’ve always felt that my gift was in writing, especially after coming to Christ during Kaylee’s pregnancy. I’ve felt that writing is a gift that He has given for me to share with others. I felt this calling today that said, “You were tailor made for this.” And so today, I am choosing to finally have confidence in myself and in God that I’m not incompetent to write this. Sure, I don’t know what I’m doing right now, but He does. Lead the way.

So, this blog will get a make over soon, reflecting this new chapter in life. I’m a student mom for only 1 more week, then I’m putting on the hat of writer mom. I’m sure as I make some progress on this new goal in life, or need to vent about how I can’t seem to use grammar correctly I will post about it and maybe give some sneak speaks (yes, I’m an English major. Doesn’t mean I like or understand grammar! Just being honest…)

As Mama Odie says in Princess and the Frog…”This gonna be good!” I’m excited.

P.S. Hope you had a great Birthmother’s Day and Mother’s Day weeks :-D I’m sure feeling quite blessed.

Every since last Thursday when I was on the radio, it has renewed my passion. I have many passions in life, but particularly, my passion for writing and sharing our adoption story. I strongly feel that coming up on 6 years ago when I became pregnant and made the choice of adoption with God’s leading the way, that in turn He gave me the gift of writing.  In fact, I started blogging when I was pregnant with Kaylee. It was not much of a blog/journal, it was filled with exclamation points that had no reason to be there, a ton of “LOL’s”, lots of complaining about pregnancy symptoms, and in general just youthful in content and grammar (I was 16, after all).  However, after Kaylee’s birth I obviously dealt with a lot of emotions and God revealed Himself to me more, and so my writing became more seasoned and meaningful.  By the time Kaylee had turned one, I knew in the dept of my soul that God wanted me to use our story and use my writing to proclaim who God truly is and show that adoption can be such a blessing.

I wrote my story out in many places, mostly online but also academically and many of my papers were chosen to share with students. Seriously, just every research paper I’ve done in college has related back to adoption in some way.  One amazingly inspirational English teacher I had at Appalachian State  commented on one of my papers, “Content is always the most important and yours is always so compelling when you write on this subject!  You really should consider writing about your experiences for publication!” (Between his encouragement and my Dad’s, that is why I became an English major).

People have told me I should write a book for years, and trust me, I want to.  I have plans in my head but it’s scary to commit the time when I have no idea where to begin, or who to take my writing to.  I need a magic formula, do you  have one? But, the comment last week from the radio host confirmed to me again that I need to do this. Not just to sell books, not just to get my name out there, not for my glory but for God’s. And also to preserve my feelings and thoughts in paper, in hopes that it encourages others and one day it will give Kaylee a deeper understanding of my time with her and how much I love her.

I don’t know when I’ll start writing, I mean really writing. I always assumed I would wait until I graduated because then I would have more free time, right?  I’ve learned that with Motherhood there is no such thing as free time, whether you are in school or work or stay at home.  So I need to stop making excuses and let God lead the way, eh?

Seriously though, if you have a magic writing formula to follow or just a good resource about how to go about this, please do share!

Alright all you bloggers, my hubby needs your help.  He is doing a research project on why people blog and needs as many responses as possible.

It doesn’t matter if you own your own website, blog on myspace, livejournal, open diary, facebook, whatever. If you write any where on the web, please take this survey!

Click here to take survey

My hubby thanks you a lot :-)

I’ll be honest with you guys, I’m burned out.  I started writing years ago at 16 as an escape, in a sense. To get words and feelings out, to share memories and experiences. To share them with others with the hope that they too could relate, or at least see a glimpse of what the real me is like.  After I was saw friends starting and designing their own blogs, the popularity of it, the opportunities it provided for them, I wanted in on that too.  And I did, for a while.  My little blog was booming for the past year with lots of free stuff, a small amount of income from the ads, lots of viewers to lift my spirits…until the dreaded recent Christmas silence and my viewers have dropped like flies.  I’ll be honest (again), it’s hurt.

And that in itself says a lot, that I care too much.  That my blogging has become about the popularity, recognition, status, pride, whatever. Everything that it didn’t start out to be, or should be.  In turn, I’m left feeling like I have to blog to keep viewers coming.  Writing has become like a third job to me, like I have to do it.  That’s not what it should be, folks!  This should be my creative outlet, not a dreaded chore.

The past few church services we’ve been to have spoke to me in this area, about what I cling onto. We’ve been learning the difference between false treasure and true treasure–True Treasure of Christ vs. what society considers treasure.  We’ve also talked about God leading us into “the wilderness” (aka hard times such as the economy status now) and how it’s not to kill us, but for us to truly seek Him above all, trust Him, and redirect our life though we don’t understand.

I know you’re wondering what this has to do with blogging. Well for me, the sudden and huge drop in viewers, along with my precious computer dying (that I cried over. Again, I care too much),  it feels like God saying–”Hey! You’re clinging on to that–not me!” And, He’s right.  The time I spend on the computer (writing or not), could be precious and meaningful time with God. So through the crashes, I’m asking for that redirection and relearning where priorities should lie. I truly, truly believe that God gave me the gift of writing when I became a Christian at 16.  I also believe that He gives and takes away. He has taken away this passion for now (as I’ve written about this before), which is why I think I feel burned out with it right now. My heart is not in the right place for it, his gifts are to serve and glorify Him, not myself.  It’s not about the number of views a day, the amount of my check from BlogHer Ads, how cool my website looks. My writing, my life should all point back to Him.

So, I’ve been contemplating about what to do with this blog.  I do pay for it, so it makes no sense to just keep paying without using it. But, I also don’t want to keep writing just to write and I want take the hint from God to back off. I want to write because I’m inspired to write.  I want to write with meaning, not write about shallow stuff. So I’ve decided that I’m not going to just shut down, but I am going to take another break.  Who knows how long, I’m not setting a limit like last time.  The catch is this: I’ll only write because I want to write, or feel lead to, not when I feel obligated (besides the reviews I do).

So there’s my redirection: Following God into a closer relationship with Him, where ever that may take me, and in doing so putting meaning into my writing again.  I find when I’m close with God, my writing is all the better.  He is truly something to write about as I experiences this walk.  I’ll get there. We’ll get there.

This was taken from one of our service’s notes and I wanted to share it with you guys. It’s my inspiration right now as I’m seeking True Treasure in my life. I used my digital scrapbooking skills to make it pretty and print it out to remind myself what life (and blogging) is really about.

Just wanted to draw your attention to the cute little graphic that recently popped up in my right side bar. Or, for those of you who read through a trusty feed reader, this little guy:

See, Coley (from Birth Mom Buds) and I have been working hard on redoing my adoption story show case site for the past few days and I just had to share it. If you’ve even been to the old one, you might remember it desperately needed updating. Not only were the graphics not so good (oh, how technology improves quickly), there were pictures not working, it was linked to my very first old blog, and it said I was still a senior in high school. Obviously, it had been awhile since I wrote it. In fact, it was just months after Kaylee was born.

But now! It’s beautiful again. However it’s not just beautiful in colors and pictures, but I re-wrote it as well. Some things I decided didn’t need to be shared that were in the old one (like names or family drama), and this time it includes more than just my adoption story and also focuses on how God worked in my life. If you’ve ever read my testimony some parts might sound familiar.

And? It was just so, so fun to play with scrapbooking supplies for days. A big thanks to Michelle at Little Dreamer Designs that so graciously let us use her “Loveable” collection for the project. And thank you, Coley, for all your hard work putting it all together :-)

Enjoy!

You know what’s cool?  The top post that gets the most views on this lovely blog of mine is my testimony.  Or, as my church likes to call it, my grace story.  Right now, at 823 views, it takes the number one spot and has been there since I posted it a few months ago. God certainly has shown His grace in my life and now is using it to share His love even more with others, what a blessing.  823 is a lot of people to share my faith and story with. Psh, and I thought I was shy? (Ok, maybe I still am)

Just another reason I love writing, it helps me share things I struggle to express in person.

Keep using my blog for Your glory, Lord!

Whoa…

I was added to All Top! In the adoption section.

(This is good news for my tired, tired eyes. Story and begging for advice to come later)

Whoa! I wrote this article back in February or so, submitted it, and never heard back from Hybrid Mom. I just found it through a search engine, and it was published on there! And some one commented :-)

I know it’s just a small step in a writer’s world, but it’s still exciting to know that some one else thought it was good enough to put up publicly. And, some one found it inspiring.