American Muslima Writer -Daring to Work Towards Jannah

Ya Allah! I almost missed it! I was waiting anxiously the day my 1 year blogging anniversary came and I almost forgot all about it!

I have never been through something more rewarding online than Blogging. I used to have LiveJournal, took off on MySpace, but it is here in Blogland I have found happiness. The journey surely wasn't easy. There were days I couldn't think of a single thing to write then other days (as my dearest closest bloggers can attest to) I blog like 6 posts in one day. I'd give an evil laugh MUUAAHHAhahahahahaa as I forced my friends to keep up with my posts as they screamed SLOW DOWN!! Hehehee.

But one of the biggest lessons I learned last year was dealing with Private Blogs. Man the Protected Passworded Posts and Private Blogs and everyone vieing to get in. Crazy stuff. Don't get me wrong I understand the need for them, for venting or being more open. In fact my past Private Blog "Truth Hurts" was a very special thing for me. I met some really awesome women and got to know them much better. They gave me some awesome advice when I was really needing it. They listened to my rants with a good ear and put me in my place when I was out of line. But I also realized these blogs dark side. Sometimes you fall into the trap of constantly complaining. Whining. Or making drama. It got to the point I became depressed by my own blog. Not the women in it, no. It was the fact that I'd dwell all day on what to blog about and be thinking negatively all day about how pissed off i was about something or someone. This made me more agitated and upset. How am I supposed to sooth my nerves when I'm going batty in my head? Enough was enough. I was not going to let a few gigabytes get me down. No Blog had control over me. I deleted it with hardly a backwards glance. Sure I miss ranting, it's kinda fun. But I know if the need ever really arises and i need advice I have a long list of sisters who I can rapidly e-mail and get support. For that I'm very grateful.

So when the time came and I wanted to make a new blog (that's my ADD, create and don't complete) I thought, what can I do that is Positive? What does every Blogger Love? What is something that will benefit Islam AND sisters? Well I realized every Blogger loves their own blogs. Every Blogger is happy to find more readers. And pretty much every blogger wants to find more people like themselves. Thus the invention of ALL MUSLIMAH. It was thrilling to start! It's been complicated to keep up though LOL. I literally have 52 pages on WORD filled with line after line of blogs to sort and go through and see if they are really Muslim Females. Some days I'm like hmm perhaps I'll get ONE entered today, then other days I get really motivated and enter like 20! I try to give preference to those that e-mail me over my running list. Just this week I was like staring at the blog and happy I made it but dreading even opening my 6 websites to get things listed. Then I clicked on a follower's name and found something unexpected. Someone confused about Islam. Someone not knowing where to go or who to talk to about her confusion. We in Blogland know how hard it is to find new awesome blogs and keep up with them. SO the fact that through following my ALL MUSLIMAH Blog she was able to directly access dozens of Sisters (all of whom have wonderful blogs) who could help her be stronger on her spiritual journey almost made me weep out of thankfulness that Allah let me make this blog. It's Humbling for sure. Allah is using me to help others, alhamdulillah. So this made me very determined to enter more sisters for her and others to find. I think I broke a record yesterday. My daughter was even whining "Oh not on the computer again!!!" I was like "I have to help the Muslims sweety! We have to find each other so we can be stronger! Don't you want to find lots of Muslim friends? Well I'm trying to help them all over the world." She allowed me to continue. Even my son has a routine for my blogging. Every afternoon I'm sitting here using my breastfeeding time to do work while he takes care of his business. I just prop him up against the arm of the armchair and he just falls asleep drinking his milk as I go through blog links to add. Before i know it he's asleep for his evening nap and I then have more free time to enter names while teaching my daughter some workbook homeschooling. For him computer is nap time.

As I'm meeting new sisters everyday sometimes I come across real gem of ideas. I see often "we should do this online" or "I wish someone would start this up so we could all benefit" then it's abandoned because no one has time to start up something like that even though it would be a great source of happiness for many. So after hearing an idea and not seeing the person with the idea do anything, I've again taken the initiative and have made a new blog. Sure it's under construction but I think it can help those who need it. Of course I'll blog about it soon in more detail. The point is though sometimes you just have to DO IT and TRY IT. If it fails you can always delete it, no problem or give it to someone else to run for a while.

But as I said before Blogging has been incredible.

I have never imagined when I started this to find Writing Support I would cover so many topics and meet so many different people. I've had my blindfold taken off and seen how the real ulema is out there. Sure there are the problems with people abusing others unlawfully and having their rights oppressed by others. But more and more I'm seeing a larger more beautiful picture. People standing together across the world and reaching out beyond their means to support others. Some with finances, some with words, others with calls, letters, presents, meetings. It's just amazing. Across this whole big world we are able to touch someones life. I could never have dreamed I'd meet the people I've met. Some of them I wish I could just fly to right now and have a cup of coffee with!!!

Sometimes you wonder where I come up with my unexpected ideas well look no further than your own screens. You are my inspirations. You strong awesome people out there, that don't feel strong, yet are, in so many ways undescribed. For you I keep blogging, for you I set aside time in my life. Time well spent.