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Where are the mature women on the internet? We are present. Not in the same numbers as younger women. But we are busy too! Caretaking still takes our time. #maturewomenareneeded #payattentiontomaturewomen

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I don’t know if you saw this post recently, but I’m in a group where it was discussed. I had a comment which, not surprisingly, got long!

I changed it enough that I’m just going to make it my blog post! The recommendations for steps for mature women to take will be in a follow-up post that is already written.

I saw this article a few days ago asking about mature women bloggers too and wanted to answer, “Actually, we’re here. I’ve noticed our ranks growing in the time I have been on the internet. No, we aren’t all on theological writers. But we are here.”

It all depends what you are looking for

I guess it depends what you are looking for. If you are looking for a polished writer, you won’t want my blog. I’m not polished. I’m a better writer than when I started, but I’ll never be as good a writer as some out there. I didn’t write much before 2007 when I saw the need for older women on the blogosphere. Until that time, I never read a blog!

Honestly, I was too busy raising children, working in my local church (where my husband was pastor), reading, working as a nurse while we put our 3 daughters through college and yada, yada, yada!

By the time I read my first blog, our children were grown, he had retired once, was an interim pastor in IL and I was just getting over a 4 year stint of illness.

During the years of our marriage, we served in churches in the U.S. and 7 years in Jamaica where he taught in a Bible college that trained students from all over the Caribbean.

We have also been through plenty of education in the School of Hard Knocks and found GOD to be as faithful as He promises. I have a soul that is loaded with question marks and I ask them to the nearest person who will listen. It’s how I learned to respect my husband who never found any question too trivial.

I often lose respect for people who think some questions are beneath them. What? They are able to read minds and motivations? I don’t think so!

I am just someone who processes verbally and until the question comes out and I have the opportunity to have some back and forth, I’m often not sure where it is coming from myself!

But back to the point of this piece!

But back to 2007 and how I got into blogging. As I started reading blogs, I was struck by the advice being given by so many of these mommy bloggers that was not always wise. I realized they needed the voice of someone who had lived through the full cycle of raising a child or three or had been in a marriage more than 10 or 15 years.

Order is a great idea. But there are days when it just won’t happen! Or our goals and dreams for life don’t always work out the way we planned and no amount of determination on our part will fix it! There are seasons in our lives when no amount of determination will solve the problems we face. We just have to endure, hang onto Jesus and keep moving. It isn’t always a cheerful message.

Our ability to be honest and open with younger women and tell them we too have struggled with doubt, pain, grief, depression, and the desire to walk away (if it is true) can be hopeful when they see that we have endured and stuck with our family, our spouse, our hard thing…because of Christ’s holding us there!

Our ability to be honest and open with younger women and tell them we too have struggled...when they see we have endured. Share on X

I had no idea what I was doing! I did know how to encourage Biblically

So this girl (and no matter our age, that is what we all feel like inside!) gradually learned how to blog. I am no computer whiz! I learned what I needed to on the computer for work but little of it translated to writing a blog. Step by tiny step, I learned what I needed to in order to write a blog.

At the time, I didn’t know what twitter was, or Facebook. Many of the other social media didn’t even exist! I had a cell phone, but nothing fancy. It was not an iPhone.

Eventually, I went to a blogging conference. That’s where I learned that this # was called a hashtag! I learned a few other things too. I also learned about many resources available…some for free!

I am not the family theologian, but he has taught me where to go to learn more as well as discussed much theology with me

I am not the family theologian. I discuss with him how theology applies to many life issues but I will never be writing any straight theological posts! It is so NOT my gift! I understand many theological issues and how they apply to life. But he is the one who can explain them in understandable ways, not me.

I have learned, for example, what it means to move into GOD’s sovereignty during times of loss and suffering, realizing that GOD is so much larger than I am and He has plans for my life and the coming generations that will make sense of this time in my life…but it may take too long for me to even see it.

I have learned what it means to move into GOD's sovereignty during times of loss and suffering, realizing that GOD is so much larger than I am... Share on X

If you are looking for a writer who writes theology, it isn’t me. But I do write about how the grace of GOD affects everyday life…particularly in terms of aging, relationships, church, change and mentoring. I tend to base what I write on reformed theology but I’m not a theological writer. I understand a good bit about practical theology.

Surprisingly to me, I have lived nearly 70 years

I am an older woman looking at life from the perspective of someone who has lived almost 70 years in a variety of places. I have served in the Church and seen the backsides of people both figuratively and literally. I did say I’m a nurse, didn’t I? I have seen the grace of GOD at work both in my life and the lives of others. It is beyond amazing!

I love the church. Despite her many flaws, it is an amazing resource for us, of the grace of GOD for stunning growth…if we  submit to it. I’m speaking of both growth in depth and height. It is a place of community, worship, hope and encouragement as well as outreach!

It’s also a great place for you to find godly older women in person. As a young writer, you need these women as a resource so you don’t get off on crazy tangents or get off-balance. These women are imperative! They will keep you steady and help develop wisdom.

There. I’ve said my piece for now. I’m one of the mature women bloggers out there…at GrittyGrace.com. I don’t write in soundbytes. I’m not the most technically savvy. It’s not always the prettiest place to be. But i’m here.

Bring your cup of coffee, Chai latte, my personal favorite, or whatever and come join me!

See Part II