Jan 4, 2012

hello, lovely. would you like to be friends?

proverbs 18 : 24
a man who has friends must himself be friendly...
 this topic has been on my heart for awhile now, but words could not be grasped to write about it until now...
popularity.seems our culture revolves around this single exciting word. the description of a girl being popular brings a thrilling chill down one's spine because 'common we all seek to be accepted and viewed as important by others.
popularity runs through blogging circles just as much as it does through real life.
 perhaps you struggle just like me with the thought, "well, I should like to very much have 25 comments per post, 1,000 followers," because in our eyes that's popularity. unfortunately, I was easily swept into the thinking of "being popular" I must do certain things to achieve it, instead of what blogging is truly about. attempting to gain an overwhelming amount of comments and followers, left me exhausted, greedy, and depressed because I had not met the standard of what I called, "popular." I had lost focus of my ultimate goal : to inspire, to bless, to c o n n e c t not compete. 


and i was left with nothing but complete and utter unrest and frustration and saying to myself, "I'm not good enough." once inspiration stopped, my stats began to reach and all-time low, comments dwindled, and I dove into the "depths of despair," scrambling to save everything that I had once "built" up by publishing things I knew in the back of my head never truly touched readers like I had hoped.

and then it hit me. after reading some of my archives to-day, I saw the lovely notes past readers left. eight, nine, ten comments became normal back then on posts I now I look back on as dull and incomplete. but then I realized why :: I had been myself. simply me. an old-fashion girl often randomly rambling about life through a thirteen-year-old's eyes at the time. 

now I see what the true blessings of blogging are :: friendships. 
  

so darling, stay for tea in this little garden o' mine. my photographs may not be perfect, nor my writing style the most clever you have ever read, but how lovely 'twould be if you stayed. 



^^ this is me ^^
hi, I'm Grace. I wear braces and glasses and am rambunctious {sometimes too rambunctious}, random, and somewhat of a klutz. I'm an outgoing 15-year-old social butterfly and often think I was born in the wrong time period. I'm a lover of lavender, lace, and letters, writing and reading, and anything whimsy. I love tea and books and my new owl journal as well as keeping my hands busy with knitting, sewing, crocheting, and card-making. oh, and I believe in good spelling and grammar but I think lower case letters are lovely too. this is simply me. 

hello, lovely! a pleasure to meet you. would you like to be friends? 
leave a note, and I'll return it.

love always,
the keeper of the garden.
[images via pinterest]

42 comments:

  1. Your pictures are so lovely and I do wish you would show them more often! You are beautiful dear Grace and I love your scarf? Did you make it yourself?

    love,
    -rosi

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have gone through those very same struggles myself. I have often thought about quitting the blogging world, because I get discouraged about how "unpopular" I am, but somehow I always come back. I guess it's just something I like to do.

    Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the matter! Connect would be a good word to keep in mind every time I write a blog post, but also reminding myself to be me, and not strive for the mark that might make me popular. Great post!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love, love, love your blog! It is simple yet lovely! I completely agree with your point about the "popular" blogging. I have struggled with that as well. And the picture of you is gorgeous! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. I really loved this post.this is exactly wat im starting to realise as well.i hope tat as we continue to blog that we will stay true to our calling.hope we can be good blogger friends to.take care n god bless you!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lovely post darling! Always let the true you shine through your writings, and leave the rest to the Lord. His timing is always best.

    Remember that a few deep friendships are worth far more then one-thousand shallow ones.

    Love you so much,
    --Johanna
    www.theoldfashionedgirl.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Lovely post Grace! Please do post more of these often. Love the picture!
    ~Ashley

    ReplyDelete
  7. I loved this!
    I want to be friends!
    I'm definitely not one of the 'popular' girls, but I'm okay with that =)
    Your posts are always refreshing and sweet; and I love your pictures, the dresses are so pretty!
    xxx

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Grace! I have been following your blog for some time but rarely leave comments. I feel like you are such an inspiration for young girls your age, you are creative and so ladylike! Keep blogging because yours is one of my favorites to read.

    PS love your scarf!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I've been wanting to see a post like this in the "blogworld" for so long. I continually read "those blogs" -- the ones with 35 comments on each post and 1000 followers. And as much as their words touch me, they also overwhelm me, because I feel as if I can never get there myself, as if I and my blog are somehow worthless because I *don't* own a DSLR and I *don't* have words that flow like water in a gentle spring. I wish I did, and every once in a while, I may get close, but it's never the same.

    I think the key to overcoming this envious, self-doubting spirit is first, to turn to the Word of God and read once more of how much He loves us. That always reassures me that I do matter. And then I try to stop comparing myself to other bloggers. They have different lives to live, different purposes which God is making clear to them every day. And I too have my own purpose . . . but enviously wanting another's gifts is not getting me anywhere in that purpose. The Lord wants me to focus on Him and His will for my life. It sort of reminds me of that quote in The Horse and His Boy where Aslan says something along the lines of, "I cannot tell you another's story. I can only tell you your own." C.S. Lewis put it so simply and honestly; another reason I love the Narnia books so much. :)

    Well, I'm sorry for rambling on so long. It was truly a pleasure to read this post.

    Blessings,
    Elizabeth Rose

    ReplyDelete
  10. My dear girl,

    you don't how much I've needed to hear that! It can get so discouraging not having very many followers and comments so I know where you are :-) But we can lean on Jesus and hang in there and simply be ourselves. To not be is just defying who God made us to be, I recently discovered.

    Love you!
    Gabby

    ReplyDelete
  11. This was a god reminder for me Grace, my blog is starting to get somewhat more popular, so this was very encouraging... I just have to be myself, who God made me :). Thanks again!

    In Christ,
    Sophie

    ReplyDelete
  12. I love the pictures you use in your posts. They are always so lovely!

    A while ago I strived for popularity also. However I too soon learned that that was not the direction I really wanted to go. :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. NNTP:
    Dearest Grace,
    I just want to drop a note and say that I am very proud of you! It is hard to realize one's faults, but even harder to post it publicly! It shows you have a heart of humbleness and are trying to learn from the Lord. Which is hte best thing you can do. :)
    It is difficult to not want popularity in the blogging sphere. But then, I think I'd rather have 10 faithful readers/commenters than 1,000 followers who never comment.
    Quite frankly, I sometimes get discouraged from commenting if the post has tons of comments. Mostly because I think my comment is insignificant among the others there. However, if the blogger does a good job replying back to those comments (each and every one!), it makes the commenter feel important. That's just been my experience.
    But, if commenting back to everyone seems hard, just comment back every 3-4 comments. I usually wait until I've gotten 2 comments before I go and reply back-unless lots of time has passed and it doesn't look like anyone else will be commenting! :)
    So, dear, I can't wait to see you on your new blogging journey! The Lord will bless you with it if you listen to Him and post what He lays on your heart. And those posts just about you! I love reading about YOU! :) That's how I fell in love with your charming personality, witty humor, and wonderfully oldfashioned english/writing. :)

    I love you, my friend! Yours, Sarah

    ReplyDelete
  14. What a sweet post Miss Grace... and how much needed today. We can get so caught up in trying to gain popularity that we forget the purpose of our lives. It is Christ who bought us, and it is for His glory that we are to do ALL things... tis a thought that I constantly come back to as I blog, or do anything else.

    What a blessing your words are always, and a joy always fills my heart when I visit your blog.

    Continue being who the Lord has created you, shinning your light for Him, and embracing each day with joy.

    Love in Christ,
    ~Shannon~
    www.brightlight412.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. Dearest Grace- thank you so much for being so honest and so yourself!! I love reading all your wonderful posts- yours are always my favorite!! =)
    ~Hannah L.

    ReplyDelete
  16. I've been recently struggling with this as well. It's so easy to get lost in 'being famous', especially when you get fifteen comments per post. But I've been starting to realize lately that it's not about the comments, or the followers, I didn't start blogging with that in mind. I simply wanted to share my thoughts and experiences with the friends I'd hadn't met yet. :) Because followers and comments won't be forever... it's friendships that last.

    Many blessings! :)

    Eve

    ReplyDelete
  17. Oh dear, Grace. You've put into words exactly what has been weighing on my heart for months. It's so true that you don't want to compete, but to connect- I'd rather touch one person's heart deeply than have twenty people comment on my post but not be affected by it.
    Did that make any sense? Sorry if it didn't. :)
    You've inspired me so that I wrote a similar post- I hope you don't mind. I linked to you. :)

    ReplyDelete
  18. Thank you for this lovely post, dear Grace. May I let you in on a little secret? Well I've always considered you popular due to all your followers {huge compared to my blogs!} and your absolute gift from God for wonderful writing! You are so gifted and I've often envied your beautiful writing skills and ability to touch the heart of your reader! Johanna and I were talking about this just the other day! :D And through that our next Reflecting Grace post was given the theme.....
    Thank you so much for posting this!
    Bethany
    www.handsthatbless.etsy.com

    ReplyDelete
  19. Amen!

    -Carli

    P.S. When did you get the braces? (I think they look cute on you)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Amazing post, dearest Grace!

    ReplyDelete
  21. I came to this post via Elizabeth Rose's blog, and I want to echo what everyone else has commented. Thank you for writing a "real" post about your struggles - I know I share the same frustration! It seems that we all struggle with this to some degree, and often those who we deep "popular" struggle with it as well.
    Keep on posting, dear one - your words do make a difference. I would like to be your friend. :)

    Blessings,
    ~Melody
    www.vividry-melody.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  22. Grace.

    What a beautiful name for a beautiful person. Obviously inside and out... I can tell already even though I'm a new follower. I love your thoughts here. You have a sincere heart that is so hard to come by these days.

    I often get caught up in the popularity contest too and I hate that I do. You have a lovely way of expressing your thoughts...you are a wonderful writer and I look forward to reading more from you in the near future!

    Can we be blog friends?

    Oh and I'm having a giveaway and would love for you to enter!
    southernpinky.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  23. I love this post Grace! As well as your blog. (: Thanks for stopping by mine and following! I agree with your Facebook opinion, and it was a reason deleting mine was a bit hard; but, nevertheless, I do have real life friends+blogger friends that I keep well connected with outside of Facebook, so all of the old connections wasn't enough to keep me. (:

    ReplyDelete
  24. ps- let me be the dork who skims through until I reach the bottom to your 'about me', and love it, and comment, and not read the rest- but I agree with everything said here! I love how you got exactly how I feel sometimes; it's hard to just be me instead of being just another carbon copy of who a 'popular' girl is. well said, my dear, well said. (:

    ReplyDelete
  25. This is soooo good!! I struggle with this, too – I think that at sometime or another, all teen girls experience this. Not so much in the blogging world for me (well, I do dream of someday having a personal blog with tons of followers and comments, but it's not a big thing right now), but in other areas. Thank you for taking the courage to talk about it. Keep writing! I don't often comment on your blog, but it is a blessing – especially this post. Thank you so very much.

    On a side note, you have almost 25 comments on this post! Congrats! But somehow, I get this feeling that it really doesn't matter to you as much anymore. Nor to me (not neccesarily in comments, but other things).

    P.S. And I love your (and Johanna's) lower case letters. It it really neat.

    ReplyDelete
  26. I just started my blog a few months ago, and I am already struggling with this. Thank you for putting it into such lovely and meaningful words. :)
    Honestly, your blog is my favorite blog. I love it. :) I always enjoy reading your posts. (Oh, and before I commented there were 25 comments. :) I also love your scarf in that photo of you!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hi Grace! I would love to be friends -- in fact, I'd truly like to start commenting more on the blogs I read. Why even read a blog that I don't like?
    Thank you for this post. I know every popular blogger goes through their own "revelation/epiphany/etc" but sometimes, it still seems fake. As a young lady trying to grow her own blog, as she grows in body and spirit, this was very encouraging to me. I look forward to the posts that may be on a specific topic, but really show the writer just being herself. :)


    God bless you!


    --Liz B

    ReplyDelete
  28. oh, dear Grace.. this was so beautifully written! I do very often come to tea in your beautiful garden, even when you don't have a new post. :) I will be your friend..actually I often feel like we are kindred spirits because your posts so beautifully express my own feelings.
    Thank you so much for blogging, each post is truly treasured! ♥

    ReplyDelete
  29. Dearest Grace, I would love to be your friend! I do love your pictures and you are lovely! Your new friend, Hope

    ReplyDelete
  30. You are such a blessing, Grace=) It's been wonderful to follow your growth as a beautiful daughter of the King, and I'm so glad our paths crossed on Shelfari so long ago!

    I so agree with you, and here's to encouraging each other to blog because we have something to share, to build one another up, rather than to build an empty box full of numbers.

    Love in Christ,
    --Kellie

    ReplyDelete
  31. Grace,
    I know what you mean entirely. Going to public school, it seems that every day I'm being pressured to be popular. "What utter nonsense this all is!" I continually have to tell myself just to keep from getting caught up in all of it.
    I think the most important thing to do in a situation like this is to just be yourself. Remain true to who you are and that is how you will make true friends that will last a lifetime. I love you for who you are and I think I can honestly say that your blog is my favorite blog (I definitely visit it more than any other blog)!

    ~Camille

    P.S. I love that picture of you! You do look cute in braces, as Miss Carli said:)!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Hey! I wear glasses too! I am PolkaDot and I really love your blog! Please check out mine someday :)
    PolkaDot
    zebrastripeandpolkadot.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  33. I love this post, Grace! I've struggled with popularity as a blogger, too, but you've just reminded me again of what I need to focus on - posting things that make me happy, and making friends with dear people who share my interests.

    also, I feel like telling you again that I'm in love with your blog design. it just makes me feel all happy and wintry and enchanted.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Wow! This hits home. Thank you! A wonderful post.
    I'm off to go explore more of your garden!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Nice to meet you :) Tea, books, wrong time period? I totally agree!

    ReplyDelete
  36. Hello miss Grace, I have been away from the blogging world for a bit and have just read your post. I have to tell you your post is truly inspiring when I first started my blog a little less than a year ago I had this thought. I was worried that I wouldn't be good enough or have a blog as good as some of the lovely blogs I follow, would anyone even read any posts ? I worried about it for days not knowing what I should write first I almost made my self sick. But after some thinking on the problem and picking it apart to better understand it, I do that all the time , that I realized that it wasn't the need to be popular that was making me feel this way because I didn't grow up that way, it was the fear that my tiny voice would not be heard, its like putting your self out there and you feel completely exposed and when you do after all the struggle you still are completely ignored. Every one wants to have a voice and he heard and know that they matter and mean something. this was my problem, which is very close to yours, I completely understand the feelings you have described above, and I am happy you realized it and have decided to be your self truly and honestly. My mother has always said to be your self because there's no one who can be you better than you. I love your blog and have drawn inspiration from it many a time, thank you for being so open to share with all of us what is in your heart.
    Blessings
    Rachel Hope.
    P.s. and I love that you feel you were born in a wrong time period, my sisters and I say this all the time and its nice to meet someone who understands that feeling .

    ReplyDelete
  37. I just found your blog, and I have to say that I love your garden. This is was a wonderful post; thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  38. I foud your blog today and I love it. What a nice post. God bless you, dear Grace. :)

    ReplyDelete
  39. Grace,

    Sure, I'd love to be your friend!
    God bless,
    ~ Mandie

    (I have already saved your e-mail address ~ my e-mail address is on my blog's 'contact me' page :)

    ReplyDelete
  40. Whoops!

    I forgot to mention that my blog is linked to my name in this & my previous comment ;)I don't know why I didn't think of that before, I beg your pardon :)

    But in case the link doesn't work, here is my blog - http://awholeheartedlife.blogspot.com/

    Again,
    ~ Mandie

    ReplyDelete
  41. Grace girl, I just found your blog and it's absolutely lovely. I just recently rebuilt a blog to try to be more authentic and to blog for myself and in the way that I want. My first blog was brilliant. Then I got stuck in that popularity contest thing and lost inspiration because I would never get any readers anyway.. this is a wonderful post and thanks for being there in the blogosphere, it definitely needs people like you!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  42. Hi Grace :) I just found you thru Rachelle Rea's blog (Inspiring Daring) She had a link button on her page... I thank you so much for this. I actually have just started and so very early on I have felt this feeling of not being very good enough. You are right. GOD has made us unique with different personalities and callings :) Each one unique in their own right and what better way to share ourselves to others than thru our own blogs?:) Thank you once again :) Bless you...

    princessbyright.blogspot.co.nz

    ReplyDelete