State of the Blog Address (Or, Will the Bubble Burst?)

Quick answer: 

The Bubble will remain, but changes are coming.


Longer answer:

Nearly seven years ago, on April 3, 2010, the Little Catholic Bubble was launched, mainly for my Catholic friends who wanted a little boost in catechesis and fun but substantive Catholic conversation.

Back then, I had just turned 43, my oldest child was a freshman in college, and my eighth (and last) child was just a few weeks old. Today, I am about to turn 50, my oldest three children are married, and I have five grandchildren!

I have loved (almost!) every minute of writing the 723 published blog posts (with 385 more still in draft form), and fielding the incredible conversations in the comment boxes -- over 51,000 comments to date! And as for page views? I never imagined I'd get even 10,000, much less 3.4 million! I can't thank all of you enough!

Initially, I put off starting a blog because, as I told friends, "I have nothing to say." Turns out I did have some stuff to say after all. A huge motivation for all I've written was to establish a record of my thoughts for my children and grandchildren, as well as establish a place to access simple catechesis (the "Little Teachings" posts, among others). This blog serves as an archive of sorts.

Frankly, I've learned that, despite some hiatuses, writers have to write.

When I began the Bubble, Obama had been president for only about fourteen months. Back then, citizens weren't required to call men women, girls weren't forced to share bathrooms and showers with men, marriage had not been legally un-defined, and Catholic religious sisters who served the poor did not have to sue the federal government to live their faith. Yet.

Starting slowly, but gaining breakneck speed, the societal nosedive accelerated under the secular left for these past seven years, and a huge part of what I wrote about concerned cultural issues (popular and/or mandated sins) and how they affect our life as Catholics. Now that the people have voted to remove the "progressive" boot from our necks by defeating Hillary and the Democrats, we can all take a breath and figure out what comes next. For me, "next" is not primarily blogging.

But you had probably already guessed that, as my presence here has not been consistent for a while.

Because I'm too concerned about perfecting my blog posts (I agonize over word choice, syntax, punctuation, clarity, tone, etc.), it's been so much easier to spend my time and energy discussing religion, politics, and culture over on my personal Facebook page, where I am waaaaaay too somewhat active. Jotting down short thoughts with little editing brings about great, fast conversations in real time, and I can move on to the next topic easily. I also have my Facebook book club (Little Catholic Bubble Book Club), which has been amazing! I'm completely committed to keeping that going, and to growing it.

However, the thing I most want to do -- and must find time to do -- is write more books. I have four new books in my head right now (the first two are being actively worked on):

1. A book giving voice to the now-adult children of divorce
2. A book on Catholic dating and marriage
3. A book telling the story of my late cousin Michelle
4. A book compiling "Little Teachings" of the Faith (more than what I've written on the blog)

I am sure there are even more books in me. This is my season to write them, since my children are now in school all day and I have stretches of quiet time. I just have to discipline myself and get to it.

Bottom line: My creative energy, which is quite high, is simply directing me elsewhere right now.

Will I keep writing on this blog? Yes! But I don't want anyone to expect regular posts anymore. When I do write, it will likely be related to marriage and the family. Why? I feel more and more certain that I'm called to write about, speak about, and fight for marriage. Fatima's visionary, Sr. Lucia, predicted that the final battle between Christ and Satan would be for marriage and family. Marriage is primal. As St. John Paul II famously said: “As the family goes, so goes the nation and so goes the whole world in which we live.” Complacency on this issue has to end.

Meanwhile, there is plenty still here to explore for those who just recently found the Bubble, or for those who have been here for years. Sometimes I do a search for a subject on this blog, and I can't believe what pops up! Things I don't even remember having written! But it's good stuff, and worth a read, even years later. Dig around! Try searching "Protestant" or "marriage" or "contraception" or "conscience" or "surrender" and you'll see what I mean.  :)

I'm grateful for every one of you and for what we have built here. I am not disappearing. The Bubble is not bursting, it is simply slowing down a bit, changing direction, floating where the Spirit moves it....

Thank you for your support and understanding, and if you could spare a prayer or two for my new projects, I sure would appreciate it!

God bless you in the New Year, and I'll be back soon-ish!