The Bittersweet End

My season as an at-home daughter has ended and a new season - one of a newlywed wife and homemaker - has begun. As most of you know, the driving focus of Striving to Serve at Home has been to encourage other young ladies as we strive together to cultivate a servant's heart - especially in our homes and among our families.

Over the months preceding the wedding, it was my intention to close my season of blogging upon the completion of the wedding entries, so the time has now come to wrap up the blog.

Since the inception of Striving to Serve at Home three and a half years ago, I have been incredibly blessed and encouraged by your comments and the dear friendships that have developed due to this blog. Not only has the Lord blessed me with some of my closest sisters in the Lord through blogging, He even used the means of this blog to cross my path with the path of my husband!

As the time has now come for me to step aside and pursue other endeavors, I would like to close by sharing three things I have learned through my blogging experience.


1. I have been reminded time and time again that it is of the utmost importance to prioritize our time with our precious families over time spent online. Anyone who uses the internet for any kind of social networking would attest to the fact that the internet and the blogging world can become very addicting. Maintaining a blog has required a lot of discipline in finding the proper balance and the wisest time management. I regret seasons where my focus was unbalanced and I was spending too much time in the internet world and not enough time in the real world. It was very important for me to realize when I needed to step away and reevaluate my focus.

2. When I first began the blog and installed a traffic feed, I would be amazed when my blog would receive ten visitors in a day... Ten people who cared enough about what was going on in my life to stop what they were doing, visit my site, and read my little thoughts! As the daily average grew to an average of roughly one thousand visitors per day, I quickly became aware that, while many read my entries and cheer me on in support, many others strongly disagree and devote message boards and forum threads to discussing their opinions in regard to my (and other bloggers') choices. This knowledge has served as an excellent tool in forcing humility, strengthening my convictions, and sharpening my realization that I can't live for man's applause, but rather should always first and foremost strive for God's approval. However, I would caution other young women, who may be interested in blogging, to realize that their audience extends far beyond likeminded family and friends and to share in such a way that even our blogs can be a testimony for Christ. I also think it is wise for us to take Philippians 4:8 into account, particularly considering those things that are true and above reproach, and although it can become tempting, to not allow ourselves to read and wallow in the gossip that others may be writing about us.

 3. Lastly, over the months following the announcement of my engagement to Stephen, I have heard of several sobering "internet love stories" that have been enthusiastically told while drawing parallels to my own story. I can't emphasize enough how dangerous "internet love stories" can be or how careful young women must be in this often neglected realm of great temptation. In conservative Christian circles, filters are purchased and passwords are often secured with the hope of protecting young men from the destruction of internet pornography. While this is commendable, it is rarely mentioned that vulnerable young women can easily become prey to internet predators and this can lead to equal devastation. I am not only alluding to some sixty year old man with a sick mind who is going to initiate an online relationship with a young woman and lure her into an unsafe environment. If you, as a young woman, keep a blog for long enough, you will very likely be approached by young men with varying motives. Stephen was not the only young man to contact me over the past years. Although some may have had honest, pure intentions, others were wolves in sheep's clothing. It is so very important to make your parents aware of the friendships you have with young men on the internet and to seek their guidance. While I believe that parental involvement is valuable in any courtship, I think courtships that begin online need this all the more.


While it is bittersweet to end this season of blogging as an at-home daughter, it is also very exciting for me to begin my next adventure alongside my wonderful husband. I am excited about the journey God has in store for us.

How can I even begin to thank you all for your kind comments and your sweet words of encouragement? They will certainly be greatly missed.

May we all glorify God by striving to serve those who He has placed in our lives and in our homes!



In His Service,

Meredith

My sweet husband and I as we celebrated my 23rd birthday on our honeymoon