Would You Help Me Celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Growing4Life?

In June of 2010, I was a little at loose ends. My kids were growing up and I was finding that I had a little more free time on my hands. I wasn’t all that familiar with blogging, but when my daughter started a blog, it came to me that this might be a good fit for me since I loved to write and now had some time.

I gained a tiny little following and was actually very satisfied with that. God was so good to have just the right people encourage me at just the right time and this kept me going, even when I grew discouraged.

And then in 2015, five years after I began the blog, a post called What does the Bible say about OMG went viral. It was shared over and over. The facebook counter for the post malfunctioned and reset at the end of last year but the last time I checked a year or two ago it had been shared over a million and half times. Suddenly, people from around the world were interested in the blog.

I remember we were on a camping trip and I saw the stats just keep climbing and climbing until the site actually crashed. I was like “What is going on?!?”

It was not exciting to me to think all of these strangers were reading my personal blog, where I shared my personal life experience and made myself extremely vulnerable. I almost stopped writing.

It took a few days to think through why I was blogging in the first place. My only desire was to point people to God and His Word. He had opened a very unexpected door and I knew I had to walk through it.

And so many of you subscribed around that time and/or started following the Growing4Life Facebook page. Eventually, we became a little community of like-minded believers who are dedicated to following God and His Word, no matter what the rest of the world– or even the mainstream church– is doing.

And now here I am! As of June, 2020, I will have been blogging at Growing4Life for TEN years! I can hardly believe that.

I have so appreciated your support and readership through the years and many of you have become long-distance friends. I look so forward to meeting many of you in person in heaven. With all that’s going on in this world currently, I can’t help but wonder if that will be happening sooner rather than later. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus!

And that brings me to an idea I had to celebrate this special anniversary of Growing4Life.

Through the years, my husband and I have made the decision together to personally absorb the costs of running this blog. While I know many Christian bloggers have no choice and I am certainly not faulting them for this, I am so very grateful that God has honored my heartfelt desire to keep this blog ad-free, while also not having to ask for donations.

I do this out of a heart of love for my Savior and also out of love for you, my readers. I hope that this blog is an encouragement as you strive to live daily according to God’s Word. I don’t do this perfectly nor always wisely. I am simply a sinful, imperfect woman saved by grace who has ended up in an unexpected place. But here I am and I only desire to be faithful.

Because I have not had to ask for money through the years to support the blog, I was hoping that you might understand why I am asking for some now!

Let me explain.

Recently, I have been made aware by four or five different missionaries of unusual circumstances they are facing. Due to the Coronavirus crisis and its economic fall-out, many people that are in poorer countries do not have access to any government help or supplemental income. Meeting even basic needs has become a huge challenge for so many families.

Many missionaries are working to supply these needs at this time as best they can. This is giving them some unexpected open doors to share the Gospel with the lost, along with opportunities to encourage and support fellow believers.

I can’t think of any better way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Growing4Life than to help meet these needs! Funds are so desperately needed and this is a small way I can help.

And so I contacted some missionaries whom we personally support to find out if they could use some funds to help in their efforts to meet the needs of their church people and communities they are in during this time. Three of those whom I contacted said they would be able to use these funds.

And so I am asking that– if you have been encouraged by Growing4Life any time through the past ten years–you might be willing to give towards this cause. I will divide whatever is raised by three and get it into the hands of these couples.

Please NOTE: This is not a tax-deductible gift and you will not be receiving a receipt. Nor will I benefit personally from your gifts in any way. This is simply a gift of love to show your support for this ministry, while, at the same time, benefiting those who are in great need.

I also want to let you know that I realize this is a hard time financially for some of you. Please don’t feel obligated to give. If you are struggling and just can’t right now, please don’t worry.

I just want to conclude this post by thanking those of you who have encouraged me through the years. Many of you have reached out through email or via facebook to encourage me. Some of you even tell me in person. Your kind and uplifting words often come at a time when I am extra-discouraged and even ready to quit. I always love God’s timing in these things!

And a big thank you to all of you who continue to read! If it wasn’t for you, there would be no Growing4Life.

You will find the link to give here: Growing4Life Relief Fund

Please give as the Lord directs. Small or large, each gift will be treasured and appreciated.

I will be sharing this link throughout the month of June.