7 year blogging anniversary

The end of September is almost here.

I usually try to get the anniversary blog post written on, around, or closer to the anniversary blog date (September 3).

However, this year, I had more pressing writing obligations on my plate that were due on September 25th, my ordination paperwork.  I was able to mail and email them in on Friday, September 22nd, but I wasn't free to post my anniversary blog post just yet because there was work to catch up on (there always is) and other things.

Today, I'm taking some of my Sabbath rest time to do something I enjoy-- write.

7 years.

I starting blogging 7 years ago.  How has it been 7 years?  I have heard it said that time seems to go by faster as we age.  Maybe that's it.

I began blogging to deal with the spiritual "stuff" in my life.  I continue to blog for that reason.  Though I don't always have the time I would like to contemplate or reflect on the things that are going on in and around me, it is a good thing for me to write.  It has become a spiritual discipline.

It all began with this post: "To Blog or Not to Blog..." on September 3, 2010.

For an anniversary blog post, I go back and write about the past year's statistics.

They aren't 100% accurate for the countries, because I am not always checking in to see who is reading, but it is at least a view into who has been reading.

Here are the statistics for this year:

The Top 10 Countries: (all time views)

United States............106,518
Russia.........................25,302
Germany.....................13,410
France...........................9,003
Ukraine.........................3,261
China............................1,994
Belgium........................1,951
United Kingdom...........1,585
Philippines....................1,227
Canada..........................1,073

The United States, Russia, and Germany continue to be in the top 3.  France and Ukraine keep their positions at #4 and #5, respectively.  China has moved up from #7 to #6 this year.  Belgium and the Philippines are  new this year on the top 10 list.

Here are the countries that I have noted reading the blog:  (Remember that I don't always check in to see who has been reading, so I many have missed several-- apologies!)

United States, Germany, Ukraine, Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, China, France, South Korea, Poland, Thailand, Spain, Singapore, Lithuania, Egypt, Pakistan, Portugal, Mexico, Czech Republic, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Romania, Iraq, Turkey, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Vietnam, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Malaysia, Hungary, Angola, Antigua & Barbados, India, Kenya, Nepal, Armenia, South Africa, Philippines, Turkmenistan, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Estonia, Puerto Rico, Latvia, Macedonia (FYROM), Italy, Brazil, Czechia, Cambodia, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Kuwait, Belarus

If the countries are listed with an ampersand (&), I count them as 1.  I count 54 different countries that are reading the blog.  Even if I've missed some over the year, that is still amazing and humbling.


The Top 10 Posts:

1. Some Notes from two chapters in Conversion in the Wesleyan Tradition-- May 7, 2013--9,846
2. Thoughts and quotes from  Jesus Calling over the last few days and weeks-- November 24, 2011--2,758
3. Academy #32 Tú has venido a la orilla / Lord You Have Come--October 3, 2012--2,152
4. Boldly moving forward in love for all-- August 29, 2016--1,481
5. Sabbath retreat-- taking time apart--October 20, 2016--1,080
6. Stretching and growing--November 2, 2016--1,067
7. Find rest in God--September 16, 2016--1,046
8. Jesus Calling-- January 1, 2012-- January 1, 2012--1,008
9. Breathe, just breathe-- October 26, 2016--907
10.Christ the King Retreat Center--a beautiful place to get away for some quiet time!-- July 12, 2013--877


Posts 1, 2, and 3 have been the top 3 for a while.  #4 has moved up from #7 from last year.  The last post on this year's list has the same amount of hits from last year and has moved down from #5.  Numbers 5, 6, 7, and 9 are new on this year's list

Monthly Readership This Past Year:

September 2016-- 1,238
October 2016-- 1,577
November 2016-- 2,316
December 2016-- 14,491
January 2017-- 7,996
February 2017-- (won't show up on the chart, but seems to be between January and March, maybe around 6,000-ish?)
March 2017-- 5,473
April 2017-- 4,919
May 2017-- 5,762
June 2017-- 1,320
July 2017-- 1,962
August 2017-- 15,486
September 2017-- 2,002  (at time of writing)

The December 2016 and August 2017 spikes in readership are ones that I've not seen before and really don't know how to explain.  All I can attribute it to is that maybe there are things I'm sharing that relate to what other folks are experiencing and they are connecting somehow, someway.

In 2017 I have written 48 posts so far (this one makes 49). In 2016 wrote 62 posts.  In 2015 I wrote 47 posts. That was the year I was finishing up my seminary courses and focusing on graduation.  There was lots of other writing going on that year.   The year I wrote the most so far was 2013-- 130 posts.  Without going back to look, that must have been a combination of my final year in the 2 year Academy (lots of reflection) and things with seminary and life.

I continue to try to make space to write, even when life gets busy or my brain is tired.  Writing is often part of my quiet and study time.  It helps me process what is going on spiritually and otherwise in life.

Thanks for being with me on this adventurous journey.  When I started it, I had no idea I would be here 7 years later still writing.  But, I'm glad I am.

As I listen to the wind chimes and the water flow from the water fountain, I am thankful for these 7 years of writing, these 7 years of growth, these 7 years of an adventurous journey.

I look forward to continuing the journey with you and hope you will take some time to share your journey with me.

Blessings on your journey,

Debra

Previous blogging anniversary blogs:
6 year anniversary blog
5 year anniversary blog
4 year anniversary blog
3 year anniversary blog
2 year anniversary blog
1 year anniversary blog