I mentioned last week in Simple Living This Week No. 79 that I have decided to fully return to old-fashioned blogging. While I’ve toyed with this idea in the past, I’ve never gone all-in on completely pivoting in another direction. Sometimes change is a slow process with multiple steps and then clarity comes all at once. At least it does for me.

This is what I wrote:

I’ve been contemplating moving back to pure blogging here. Between Pinterest, Google, and the rest, it seems like it may be the best option for me. I’ve gotten to the point where I’m not sure I want to continue trying to fight the Big Tech Beast any longer. I know this is something I’ve said more than once over the years, but it really does feel different this time. There was something about quitting Teachers Pay Teachers that was freeing and allowed me to think differently about my time online and in my home. I’ve tried to play the Big Tech game for so long and I have simply come to the conclusion that I’d rather abandon those efforts and see what God does.

I’m an idea person. I’m a thinker and a writer. I’m also fiercely independent in the good sense of the word. I do what fits my faith and value system. If it doesn’t, I’m out of there. This was the case with quitting Teachers Pay Teachers a few months ago. I did not want to participate in their anti-racism push and so I closed my store.

Prior to that, I had changed my website hosting to a free speech service so I would not run the risk of losing my online home. I want to speak freely about what I think and believe.

It was the Pinterest pivot that sealed the deal for me. I mentioned in the post I linked to above that Pinterest has gone in a completely new direction now that they are a public company. I think they are making a terrible mistake. However, they are completely free to do so and I support their right to run their company however they choose. I decided, however, that I was not pivoting with them again. I’ve invested literally weeks of my life pivoting for them over the years as they’ve changed how they do things. This time I’m not.

I’m not changing what I do here one more time for Big Tech or another outside entity. Not for Teachers Pay Teachers, not for Pinterest, not for Google, not for anyone. I still have a couple of areas of vulnerability related to online platforms, but I’m working to eliminate those behind the scenes.

So I am now back to blogging as I was in 2005. How is that different? I have a list of the ways that will happen which I will get to in a minute. However, this description of my work here is still true.

I encourage women to create a simple life of peace, understanding, joy, beauty, and faith. I am unapologetically conservative both theologically and politically. I value liberty and freedom to live quiet and simple lives.

Nothing in that has changed or will change. That’s still the core of who I am and how I approach life. What will change? Here are a few things.

• The Simple Living This Week post from last week was the last one of that series. Rather than compile a variety of topics into one weekly post, I’m going to write shorter and longer posts whenever I choose to do so. I suspect it will mean more posts that are shorter, but we’ll see how things develop.
• There will be more personal posts with no point beyond I simply have something I want to say. I have avoided those in recent years unless there was a clear reader takeaway because that was the “right” thing to do. I’m not holding myself to that any longer. This is my online home where I share my thoughts and ideas. People are welcome to read along and comment. But sometimes I’m writing it for me, not someone else. Maybe that sounds selfish, but that’s where I am.
• I still plan on writing helpful content and making helpful products. That’s also part of who I am. But that will be in the context of a personal blog.
• No topic is off limits. I’m going to comment on whatever I find interesting or important. I will continue to point people to Jesus and the truth as often as I can.
• I’m still sorting out how I want to do my newsletter.

In the end, I’m focusing on creating something I will be proud of in the years ahead. Something my daughter and perhaps her children can look at and learn from and enjoy. It’s not that I’m ashamed of what I’ve done to this point. I’m not. There is so much excellent content on this site. Sometimes it makes me honestly rather sad that it isn’t seen by more people because I do believe God has led me to write some content that can truly be life-changing. But I continue to trust that He is working in the way that He chooses.

But am I really proud of it as a whole? Do I feel like it accurately represents who I am? Yes and no. I think that answer will become clearer in the months ahead as things unfold. You’ll see the shift and probably understand these comments better when there is more context. I know what I think and see in my mind, but it can only be shown.

So I’ve jumped my last hoops. Big tech and all can carry on without me.

I sincerely hope people like the change. As with most changes in life, some of you will like it better, some will like it less, and some of you are the type to just go with the flow.

You can see that I’m remodeling things around here to make the site reflect the change in focus. It’s not all done, but I’m getting there. Rearranging the furniture is helpful in real life and I think it’s helpful online as well. ♥