Ten Thousand Reasons For My Heart to Sing

  As many of you know I have been blogging for about a year and a half now. Last week I hit a major milestone with my blog. I hit 10000 “unique followers,” which means 10000 different people have checked out my website and blog. To say I am totally amazed and humbled is an understatement! It seems like yesterday that I just started and would be ecstatic when the numbers would read 20 or 30 people had read my blog. I remember not long ago chatting with one of my key writing mentors Michael, who was very instrumental in assisting me in getting my book Magic Kisses published. He had such amazing advice for me and my writing career and what the next steps for me should be. With pen in hand I feverishly penned down everything he was telling me. Among his very helpful suggestions was that I start a blog. I recall asking him what exactly a blog was and the most important thing, what would I even write about? His response was very simple. "Anything and everything that is on your heart, with a unique spin that only you can offer." It seemed simple enough, yet still I was very nervous. I had so many questions. Where do I start? What should I write about first? What website should I use to set up the blog? The most important question I had however was would anyone even read it? It was a risk for me as I knew that I would be sharing very personal information about myself, my family, my faith, my marriage and my career, and who would actually read it was shrouded in mystery. It is a scary thing to put yourself out there shortcomings, insecurities, faults and small victories alike. There is a certain amount of vulnerability that goes with blogging, yet being “real,” I believe has been the reason why my blog and others like it are successful.

I follow many blogs and the ones that I appreciate the most are those that tell with raw honesty their stories with all the ups and downs along with great advice about how they dealt with them. My first blog was called “Someday” and it was written as an encouragement to young moms to implore them to cherish the crazy, sleep deprived days of raising babies and preschoolers. With two teenagers now, there are many things that I honestly wish I had enjoyed more, yet hindsight is twenty - twenty as they say. The blog was based on a poem I wrote called Someday during that stage about how I wanted to remind myself that “this too shall pass,” but that also included the good aspects of that stage. Generally speaking I did enjoy this stage and I am so grateful as at that time I did not know that after Shannon, there were no more babies in God’s plan for us.

Funny and powerful things that happen in my classroom have been a great part of my blog content. The very title “Little Lessons Learned by Dana,” has a strong connection to what I have learned in my own classroom day after day. I heard an expression that people must be crazy to shut themselves in one room all day with twenty kids! Although teaching can be challenging, I have not felt this way. My students have taught me so much each day, I often wonder who the real teacher is at times.  It is in those moments that I have learned some powerful lessons that I have been able to apply to my own personal growth and share with others while being careful to respect my students and their privacy.

My faith is a vital part of my blogs as well. I cannot share about who I am and comment on pivotal life lessons I have learned along the way without including what God has shown me and done for me on a daily basis.  I have been blessed beyond measure in so many ways, and the fact that I have been able to experience God's guidance in all areas of my life has been such an important part of who I am today.

So I say thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. I have written faithfully and you have read my blogs and supported me in return. You have provided positive comments and shared my blogs with others who could benefit. There are many more blogs in my future and more books that I would like to write. Your support of me as a writer and blogger has given me much needed encouragement and made me feel that what I have to say has made a difference. Without wonderful readers such as all of you this blog would be meaningless. As I continue to share my life with you, my prayer is that we will continue to connect in a meaningful way and that you will feel encouraged. We are all in this together and my goal is to let you know that I can relate to your real life ups and downs because I have them too. Writing my blog has brought me such joy and knowing that wonderful and amazing people (over 100000 now) have taken the time out of their very busy schedules to check out what I have to say about “anything and everything,” is truly unbelievable! Thank you my friends. I love you all and wish you all of God’s richest blessings.

Until next time

~ Dana

Philippians 1:3 ~ I thank my God every time I remember you.

Little Lessons Learned: Having people support you in a brand new endeavour is such a crucial thing. Remembering to thank those who helped get you to where you are today is truly important.

Copyright: littlelessonslearnedbydana, 2015