Eighteen months ago it all started with the following 171-word blog post.
Why boldlyblessed? (My First boldyblessed Blog Post August 10, 2011)
I have spent the last few days taking time to pray on what this verse means to me.
2 Timothy 1:7 God doesn’t want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible.
This is the 2011 MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) theme verse. It is the first one in 7 years to shake me by the shoulders and demand my attention. Sound violent? Well, just think how I am feeling.
It is violent in a good way! It is one of those perfect storm kind of moments where life experience, leadership possibilities and personality meet. I feel like this one is just me. Hopefully it strikes the same chord with the entire MOPS population.
For me it is giving me permission to be ME. To use my gifts of leadership, experience and ease with others. For years I have unconsciously thought, “oh now Kristin don’t do this or that”. Well that voice needs to be stopped. I am ready to live boldly and help other women to do the same.
I had just returned exhausted and exhilarated from the 2011 MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) Convention. It always is a great weekend break from my mothering reality. In 2011, I left my three kids for not just a break. I was in search of a holy time for restoration, retooling and affirmation.
A MOPS Convention is packed with nationally known speakers and authors at general sessions, popular music acts that inspire the crowd with their passion, and small workshops so I can tailor my experience to my needs as a leader, mother and woman. I have only missed one year. I still regret not making the choice to invest in myself. I had thought I was selfish if I went, but it has been years since I missed. Now I encourage others to not limit themselves.
During this particular convention, I felt an overwhelming desire to be more bold and stop the negative self-talk. I had mindless conversations playing in my head of why I could or couldn’t do something. The idea of being bold to me made me feel free and empowered. Each year MOPS has a theme verse and I couldn’t have missed it if I had tried. The verse for the was shared in many different ways from posters, powerpoint and speakers from the general session stage. God doesn’t want us to be shy with his gifts, but bold and loving and sensible. (2 Timothy 1:7) It was a turning point for me. I deeply felt I had a mission statement for my life. It still speaks clearly for me to boldly love others with my God-given gifts.
When I got home, my normal life rocked me back into reality. August is time for back-to-school, MOPS kicking into high gear, and all the routines crashing back into our family calendar. At that time, I was focused on everyone else. I still burned with the need to share and encourage others to be bold with me. I decided to blog, because it is a platform that I could share myself and inspire others.
My first post was 171 words of vulnerability and exhilaration. My thoughts started living outside my journals and I prayed they would help someone else. It has been wonderful to have developed some supporters and I have posted 75 times since I started. I feel like I have stayed true to my mission statement. I want to am no longer focused on who reads the posts or how many readers I reach. I want to continue living in my awareness of being boldly blessed by God and I will blog to reach others who search insight, humor and a woman who is the real deal.
boldlyblessed 