The right writing

I haven't posted in a long time, and the longer I wait to write something the stranger it feels. These past two weeks of anticipating and then starting the new job have been demanding upon my mind and energy and they've left me emotionally exhausted. But this long weekend has helped me to relax a little and gain some perspective (11 hours of sleep Friday night, oh yeah). My work as an associate editor is challenging, and technology problems have made it even more difficult. I knew that I would grow in virtue by taking this position - I didn't know that patience would be first on the list. Computers are so powerful and so necessary, and thus they are sometimes (often?) so complicated (prone to "issues") and so frustrating. Lord, help me be patient as I await a reliable computer and help me to remember always that technology is a gift not to be taken for granted.

In my first week of work I did quite a bit of writing. Nothing very long, but several different projects that required researching saints and their writings. I enjoyed the challenge of condensing life stories and the essence of books into a few sentences. But it did sap my creative energies a bit and left me wondering whether I still want to blog.

Soon after we began Loving and Serving, David asked me to explain why I wanted to blog. He wrote my answers down:

1) To foster community with like-minded people (e.g., young Catholic couples, frugal Christians, homeschooling moms) and family and friends (especially those we do not see regularly).

2) To evangelize by sharing about God's blessings in our lives and reflecting on faith, love, and beauty.

3) To practice writing and to get our work "out there" just in case someday someone would see what we've written and open doors for us to fulfill our dreams (for me, to work in the Catholic publishing industry, preferably as a freelance editor, and for David, to write novels with spiritual meaning).

Well, four months into blogging we were making headway with the first two goals. Then, beyond my wildest imagining, the third possibility became an actuality for me. My prospective employer actually visited the blog and thereby determined that I can write and I have some aesthetic sensibility. I'm still amazed.

The Director has mentioned the possibility of my blogging for Saint Benedict Press. We haven't fully developed this plan yet, but I'm wondering if I will be spreading myself too thin by writing and blogging on the job and writing here, too. Of course, what David and I share on Loving and Serving is different than what my work requires of me - this is more personal and not limited to one subject area.

What do you think? If you write for your work and maintain a personal blog, I'd love to hear how and why you balance the two.