Beauty on the Backroads

Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns

Writing

2010 in review

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

Healthy blog!

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow.

Crunchy numbers

Featured image

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 6,400 times in 2010. That’s about 15 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 125 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 146 posts. There were 123 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 144mb. That’s about 2 pictures per week.

The busiest day of the year was July 19th with 133 views. The most popular post that day was Mommy 911.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were networkedblogs.com, valandshawn.blogspot.com, facebook.com, digg.com, and blogger.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for god ruined my life, how god ruined my life, depression destroyed my life, kids ruined my life, and machine shop smell.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

1

Mommy 911 July 2010
4 comments

2

God ruined my life June 2010
3 comments

3

And just like that, it was over November 2010
6 comments

4

Nothing April 2010
2 comments

5

The myth of happily ever after May 2010
3 comments

Here am I. Send me!

I’m not sure how often you’re “supposed” to post to your blog, but I feel like I’m making up for lost time. So, if these posts are too frequent to begin with, I’ll pray that you don’t get sick of me, and maybe in a few weeks, they’ll be fewer and farther between.

Or maybe they won’t. My husband and I talked about blogs on the walk to seminary yesterday, and I thought about whether or not I should start one. I wondered, Do I have anything worthwhile or unique to say? And I questioned my motives. Did I want a blog just because “everyone else” had one?
But God’s been impressing on me the issue of calling lately. For me, writing is part of that calling, and I’ve been challenged to take that calling more seriously. A few weeks ago in Sunday School, we studied God’s call to Moses in Exodus 3 and 4, and I found myself identifying with Moses and the excuses he gave the Lord. “What if they won’t listen?” “I’m not eloquent.” And I add a few of my own: “I’m too busy raising a child, soon-to-be two.” “I’m at a different season of my life than the other writers I know.” “I don’t have enough experience.”
And God says to me what He said to Moses. “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to say.” (Exodus 4:11-12, NASB)

That promise isn’t enough for Moses, who then begs God to send the message through someone else. I don’t know that I’ve ever begged God to do that, but twice in recent memory, He’s shown me that if I won’t write for Him, He’ll find someone who will. In both instances, it’s been through people who would say of themselves that they aren’t writers but felt a burden from the Lord to communicate His message that way. Those were wake-up calls to me to embrace the calling and obey God’s leading to write.
When the prophet Isaiah was called, the Lord asked, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?” Isaiah said, “Here am I. Send me!” Only after he responds does he find out what God’s plan is. Me, I always want to know the details first before I volunteer. Where are we going, Lord? How will we get there? What are we going to do, exactly? But if I knew all that ahead of time, I’d probably never sign up for anything!
It’s scary to say to God, “Here am I. Send me!” But if He chooses us for a task, we won’t regret saying “yes” whole-heartedly. And if we won’t do it, He will find someone else.