On Saturday morning I was invited to be a part of a blogger breakfast. This was a treat on two accounts. First, Hungryman is not a fan of breakfast fares, so a breakfast date is rare and lovely. And, I got to see the faces and hear the voices behind blogs that I read.

Look at what a nice bunch they are.

(Clockwise from bottom left: Heather at Extraordinary Ordinary, Kelly at Love Well, Sara from Greetings from Butterville, Whitney from Baby Tunnel Exodus, Jenny from A Latte Talk and Heidi from Minnesota Mom.

Not an axe murderer in the bunch. And the husbands were so scared.

I stuffed my cheeks with pumpkin pancakes while they discussed all things bloggerly. I tried to contribute between bites, but a plateful of pancakes that I did not make was a temptation that I could not overcome.

After our lovely morning together, I began to question why I blog? Is it beneficial? Is it helpful? What is the purpose? What is my purpose in it?

I was thinking about writing a post to work this all out and then today Kelly, one of the breakfast bunch, tagged me with a meme about how blogging has affected me. Perfect.

Here are the rules:

1. Write about 5 specific ways blogging has affected you, either positively or negatively.
2. link back to the person who tagged you
3. link back to this parent post
4. tag a few friends or five, or none at all
5. post these rules— or just have fun breaking them

So, I’ll just go ahead and break the rules by rewriting them to fit my present conundrum. Here are five reasons why I blog (be warned: I’m working this out as I write the post. I may ramble and I’m not sure where I’ll end up):

1. Stories. For as long as I can remember I have been mesmerized by stories. I love to hear stories and to share stories. If you tell me something in the form of a story, I am likely to remember it forever. Even if it is your story and you have forgotten it.

It’s true. Ask my cousin Heather. We moved to the same town when I was ten and she was twelve. I spent the entire first summer in New Mexico staring up at her canopy enraptured by her tales of Texas. Today, she asks me to fill her in on details about her own childhood.

I’m a storyteller. If you are in my physical presence for any period of time you will undoubtedly be subjected to stories. And all of my stories always leads to another story. In fact I’m known for interrupting my own story to tell another story in the middle.  And I often say, “Oh, I have two more things.” Really, I always have two more things to say. And they’re almost always a story.

Blogging affords a place for my stories, and a place to savor your stories. So many of your stories are so compelling. I am pulled into your stories like I am to characters in novels, but you’re actually alive and in the present.

2. Creative Outlet. I’ve always been drawn to the art of writing. I love how you can string words together to create a picture. I love rhythm and rhyme, alliteration and assonance. I love how sounds create moods and changes feelings. And I love words.

I wait for the perfect word. My blog drafts are full of “Ava BLANK the rosy apple off the branch.” BLANK is my marker to go back and insert the best word. This means that I am not a fast blogger. I’m a fast reader and a slow writer.

This blog is my place to play with plot and setting, irony and surprise. This is the schoolyard on which I’m learning more and more about writing well. Welcome to my rough drafts.

3. Connection. I started this blog to share pieces of my life with my friends and family who live far from me.

I feel akin to the writers of I John when they say, “We write this to make our joy complete” (1:4). While I’m not always writing about the gospel or even important matters, I feel the same way. Sharing an exciting or silly story increases my pleasure in it, especially if I know that you also enjoyed it. This is where those comments become a dialogue, a shared enjoyment over an experience.

At first this was between myself and people I physically know. Now it has extended to people I have yet to meet. It is true what they say, I do feel connected to you through your blogs and your comments. And I like you and I’m honored that you come here.

4. Guilt. Okay, so this is not a reason to blog. Nope, this would be a reason not to or at least a issue to overcome. I have to confess I feel guilty, actually guilty when I haven’t blogged for a few days (or, gasp, weeks). It’s a nagging sort of guilt that follows me around tapping on my shoulder. I don’t like this at all.

I am one of the persons who tends to live in the moment. What I am doing in the present is all that I am doing and all that I’m thinking about. Multitasking is not something I do, or at least not something that I do well. Shocking, I’m sure. Isn’t a mother what a multitasker is? Well, that I am not (the multitasker part that is, not the mother part). I cannot watch TV and talk to someone at the same time. This baffles my friends and especially my husband.

So as far as blogging goes, it is either all I’m doing and not at all what I’m doing. I can go for days (gasp) without opening my laptop. There are just too many exciting or pressing things in my present physical world.  And then there are days (gasp) when I can’t get off my laptop. Hello, if it has been days since I’ve opened my Google Reader, there are a LOT of blogs to go through. Those are not Ava’s favorite days. I fear that this puts me on the fringe of the term, “blogger.” I suspect most of you bloggers shift more naturally to and from the keyboard.

5. Encouragement. “Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today” (Hebrews 3:13).

Blogs are a tremendous platform for encouragement. Many of your posts have been a beautiful bouquet of words delivered to my door step. I have come away from many blogs rejoicing in the testimony of God’s love and faithfulness.

Paul writes in Ephesians that we should “speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs.” That is what I have wanted this blog to be, a space to share that mercies that God sends me each day.

When I considered whether or not to share our experience of losing sweet, unknown babes, I felt that if our experience could be helpful to someone else walking through that path then it was worth it. However, the overwhelming encouragement that I received through your comments, e-mails, and letters have far surpassed any comfort that I had hoped to give. Thank you for extending yourself to me and lifting me up. I have been blessed through blogging.

So that is why I blog. I think it is good. I’m done wrestling for today.

I’m curious now. Why do you?

Or, if you are a reader, why do you read blogs?

I am supposed to tag five others, so I’ll pick three old friends (Yvette, Kristi, & MckMama) and three new friends (Liz, Leah, & Nikki). Yes, I do know how to count–I’m just breaking the rules again.

Really, I loved to hear from more of you. If you choose to do this meme, let me know in the comments and I’ll post a link here.

It’s time to shut to the laptop. Bye.