I have been thinking. 

  This post contributed to my thoughts, but I'd already been thinking along these lines.  I had a conversation with a friend just yesterday about this very thing, actually.

   She was saying how she can hardly even read (much less enjoy) some blogs because they always seem like everything is always so perfect all of the time.  Whether it's their job, children, marriage, counter tops or hair...everything is just always JUST SO.  Perfect.  And it makes it so hard to relate to, or even enjoy partaking in as a spectator.  She said my blog isn't like that.  And that she actually enjoys reading my blog because it is REAL.  And I guess that's a compliment?? Or maybe it just means I'm a bit of a mess and so that keeps me relatable. (Haha, just kidding dear friend.)

    I was so relieved to hear that, because relatable, genuine and REAL are exactly what I want my blog to be.  I strive to keep it that way.  But it's not always easy. The internet makes it ridiculously easy for us to put on the appearance of a perfect life.  And who wouldn't want to?  We all get enough criticism and ridicule in the real world to last a lifetime, therefore our "online world" is so tempting to keep "perfect". To somehow make it so that we can stay above reproach.  So that everyone will like us and never have anything negative to say about us.

  And I hope she's right.  I sincerely hope this place isn't a place that some come, and then leave frustrated with thinking that I try to be perfect or something.  Because honestly honey, I couldn't be farther from perfect.  You have no idea the battles I face.  You don't see the times I feel as if my very soul is becoming a dried out shell of what it once was.  Or the moments when it feels like the life is draining right out of me.  YES I am blessed.  Very blessed indeed.  YES I am a daughter of the King.  But I am still a human.  And this human is NOT perfect.  This human has many moments of failure and defeat.

 
  Point is, I get it.  I understand how blogs can seem like "Oh look at us, we're happy and in love and life is great" all of the time.  I know this because I have read other blogs and have thought those exact thoughts.  And so it's not like bloggers are clueless.  We know the potential to look "perfect" in our online world, whether or not we are in real life, and don't get me wrong, it's a real temptation.  It's as real a temptation as any other chance to put our best foot forward.....putting on makeup before going out.  Shoving stuff under the bed before a friend stops over.  Laying the icing on double thick because the cake didn't turn out.  Editing our family photos until they look....just right. 

   But something you should know is that sometimes bloggers give in to this temptation, but sometimes they don't.  Sometimes what may seem as an attempt at perfection is just an attempt to "look on the bright side" and post the pictures of the children playing sweetly together and not pictures of the hair-pulling that happened right afterward.  It's not because we are trying to seem perfect, it's just because people usually document happy things.  We dress up and comb our hair and put on smiles before walking into church.  We would never expect people to think that we're always that put together.  Of course not! It goes without saying that there is crazy bed-head hair, morning breath, holes in stockings and food stains on sweaters on plenty of other mornings.  But we make an effort at times to pull it together and make ourselves presentable.

   In the same way, if a blogger posts pictures of a happy time or beautiful moments, they are in no means trying to fool you into believing that their life is full of sparkly, glittery, beautiful moments.  They wouldn't even begin to believe it themselves!  They are merely just trying to capture a happy moment to remember it as it was, be thankful, and share it with others. 

   More often than not, they are fighting their own demons, and they NEED to document a few beautiful moments to remind themselves that they DO indeed have a blessed life.  By capturing a bit of beauty on the pages they are able to, for just a moment, feel like they are getting to live out their very own fairytale.  And deep down, don't we all want to be able to do that?

   I enjoy reading blogs, and so from a reader's perspective, I get it.  Sometimes it seems like everything is just oh-so-perfect and slightly nauseating and makes me want to scratch my eyeballs out a little bit.

  However, from a blogger's perspective, I would also say that often, that couldn't be further from our minds.  Maybe sometimes, occasionally, it looks like things are 'perfect'.  Like we have it all together.  Like we're living a blessed life.  But sometimes, like I said, it might be just serving as a much-needed reminder to ourselves to in a moment of darkness.  A time of pain.  A period of searching.  A season when we feel a little lost, and we just want to reflect back on our lives, and look at it on the page and go, "Silly me, I AM blessed.  I love this life I lead." 

  Just some thoughts I've had lately.  And as always, I would love to hear feedback from you!

 Happy Sunday.