If you are reading this, that means my blog still exists. The past 24 hours have been a blur, as my blog disappeared from the landscape of the worldwide web and was replaced by a porn menu. I’m not joking… maybe some of you had the misfortune to see the menu. I apologize if you did.
What brought all this disaster upon my head? Well, without getting too technical, I have had my domain hosted through Google Clients at Enom (via Blogger). They allow a year to year contract which always made me a little nervous that every June I would have to make sure my information was renewed and account paid.
I started investigating and had been reading that it’s best to get your domain hosted somewhere independent of the whole Blogger platform. I also read that Google analytics are lower for year-to-year domain purchases as opposed to long term purchases.
So I purchased my domain for 5 years from a company and approved the transfer. Little did I know, the transfer negated the actual web hosting. Enom cut me off completely and the new guy didn’t know to pick me up. So my site was non-existent and unfortunately when that happens, it becomes a quasi-porn menu site. Lucky me.
Naturally this was upsetting but what made it even more distressing was that the new provider could not host my Blogger blog files on its site. WordPress… no problem… Blogger, no way. It has something to do with it being one big file and not smaller components.
It was a day of telephone calls, emails, tears, and realizations.
I began to wonder why I’m even doing this? Then I began to realize just how much of my identity is wrapped up in this blog. Then I began to wonder, have I made this blog my idol?
I still haven’t answered these questions. My blog is still a mess. It displays on some browsers and not others, Feedburner isn’t working and I feel helpless in trying to fix it. All the while I’m wondering, is it really my blog that needs fixing or am I the one who needs fixing?
This is me, wondering, reflecting, and deliberating. All I know is, I am on a journey and I’m not entirely sure where it’s bringing me but I’m open to what the Lord has to offer.
In case you were wondering, the SHINE Blog Hop will be postponed until further notice. I did want to let everyone know that 63 posts were linked up last week! These are the top posts which were clicked last week (there was a tie for third place, hence why there are four posts listed).
What brought all this disaster upon my head? Well, without getting too technical, I have had my domain hosted through Google Clients at Enom (via Blogger). They allow a year to year contract which always made me a little nervous that every June I would have to make sure my information was renewed and account paid.
I started investigating and had been reading that it’s best to get your domain hosted somewhere independent of the whole Blogger platform. I also read that Google analytics are lower for year-to-year domain purchases as opposed to long term purchases.
So I purchased my domain for 5 years from a company and approved the transfer. Little did I know, the transfer negated the actual web hosting. Enom cut me off completely and the new guy didn’t know to pick me up. So my site was non-existent and unfortunately when that happens, it becomes a quasi-porn menu site. Lucky me.
Naturally this was upsetting but what made it even more distressing was that the new provider could not host my Blogger blog files on its site. WordPress… no problem… Blogger, no way. It has something to do with it being one big file and not smaller components.
It was a day of telephone calls, emails, tears, and realizations.
I began to wonder why I’m even doing this? Then I began to realize just how much of my identity is wrapped up in this blog. Then I began to wonder, have I made this blog my idol?
I still haven’t answered these questions. My blog is still a mess. It displays on some browsers and not others, Feedburner isn’t working and I feel helpless in trying to fix it. All the while I’m wondering, is it really my blog that needs fixing or am I the one who needs fixing?
This is me, wondering, reflecting, and deliberating. All I know is, I am on a journey and I’m not entirely sure where it’s bringing me but I’m open to what the Lord has to offer.
In case you were wondering, the SHINE Blog Hop will be postponed until further notice. I did want to let everyone know that 63 posts were linked up last week! These are the top posts which were clicked last week (there was a tie for third place, hence why there are four posts listed).
And Then They Were Married – A Baker’s Dozen and Appollo XIV
“You Must Have Been Huge!” – Superheroes in Jammies
6 Things I Really DON’T Want For Mother’s Day – Pick Any Two
When Did Motherhood Become So Competitive? – The Contented Wife Blog
Congratulations to the top viewed posts! As a reminder, featured posts are tweeted, pinned, stumbled, and shared on all my social media outlets. Thank you to everyone who linked up. I hope we can do it again.
So I’m not sure if this is the part where I say goodbye or where I say see you soon. I have a lot of things to figure out and decisions to make. Is this the end of The Deliberate Mom and the beginning of something new? This will be my 720th post. Do I want all of these posts to disappear… forever? If I have to rebuild, do I keep the old stuff or do I start fresh? If I have to rebuild, is it even worth it? What does this mean financially for my family for me to lose my blogging income?
So many questions. While I reflect, please know this… I am thankful for this journey and for all the friendships I’ve made along the way. I am thankful for this community and for the ability to give and receive so much from every single one of you. Sending you much love and blessings.
I am a new reader and so honored to see that my post “And Then They Were Married” was voted top post! So glad to be a part of his blogging community. And so, so, so glad I got to see this post this morning and not porn ;)
Congratulations on being featured Renee!
woohhoooo!! i am here and reading so things are back to where they are supposed to be!
the other side of blogging is very stressful, and by other i mean the techy side. my DH is a computer programmer and i am so glad because he is so helpful. i am quite intimidated by the technology, although DH keeps telling me i am savvier than i think! haha!
last november i switched from blogger to self-hosted wordpress and even though the learning curve has been big for me, i feel more secure about my blog. it’s mine and mine alone. if you want to ask any questions or chat about it let me know, i am happy to help if i can. [email protected],or FB msg me. i can get my DH to help too if you need it.
good luck, mama! i love your blog! i hope this has not discouraged you to keep at it!
xoxoxoxo
You are so sweet. Thank you my friend. My head is spinning from this. I think I’ll need to make a switch to wordpress but not quite now… I don’t think my heart or head could handle too much drama at this point in time. Thanks for the information. I’ll call on you/your hubby if need be.
Thanks again Lola.
xoxo
Jennifer, I’m sorry to hear the difficulties you’re having. I hope you find all the answers you need. I’ve enjoyed getting to know you via your blog, so I hope you’re not saying goodbye!
Thank you for your kind words Lisa. I appreciate the encouragement,
I really enjoy your blog, but I do understand when life brings you to a crossroad. I hope that it’s not goodbye, just I’ll catch up with you in a bit. :-)
Thank you Lisa. I’m feeling a bit more settled now. I appreciate the encouragement.
Hello Dear Friend! I made it in to visit, Yay! I was redirected yesterday, but it wasn’t porn, FYI. So not everyone got that message.
You got 60 people on your first link-up? That’s crazy good!
I wanted you to know that my son did the migration from Blogger to WordPress and he was able to move my entire site, history and all. I know a blogger who migrates for people (she does charge, but I’m not sure how much.) It’s Wanda at wateredsoul.com
Of course, all this depends on what the Lord says to you. He will direct you in the way to go, whispering ‘go right or go left’. I know you’ll figure this out.
Please let me just sit in awe of over 700 posts. That’s just amazing.
I’m praying for you…for light, for peace.
Blessings,
Ceil
I’m so glad it’s fixed. Not sure how to proceed though. This has made me feel like having my blog on Blogger is quite unstable. I might have to make a change… just not quite yet, I don’t think I could handle that right now!
Thank you for the prayers Ceil.
I wasn’t around for a few days so luckily I missed it. It’s working now for me and I’m happy that you are getting it taken care of. Your blog is amazing and I would hate for others to miss out on some great blog posts! Hope you’re having a better week so far.
Thanks so much Amanda. I appreciate the kind words and encouragement.
I AM SO EXCITED YOU’RE BACK! What a tech-mess. But 24 hours isn’t that bad and your site is displayed perfectly on my firefox browser. Yay! Yay! Yay! I need deliberate mom in my life
It was a mess, but I’m glad I’m back too.
Thanks for the encouragement my friend.
Jennifer, I’m so glad that the site is up and running again! I know that you have a lot to sift through in these days and weeks to come regarding your blog, but look at it this way: you really can’t go anywhere but up when your blog gets replaced by a porn menu. (The irony!)
One day you’ll laugh at this. Probably not today, though. ;)
I wish we could chat in person to hash out these details and untangle your thoughts, my Canadian blogging sister!
So, I see that I was signed in on my husband’s Google account…. (but you knew that comment was from me…)
So much irony, so many headaches. But it’s fixed… for the most part.
I wish we could chat too. So many things bouncing around in my head.
Blessings to you my friend.
xoxo
So glad it came back! How frustrating and scary that must have been. I haven’t had any problems like this (knock on wood), but I am still struggling with my blog and what I want to do with it. I don’t want to quit, but I have to find a way to stop letting it take over my life & stress me out. I know how you feel – minus the “my blog turned into porn temporarily” thing! :-) Hope you find the answers you need and hope you decide to keep blogging~
Thank you Lisa. I feel reassured to know that I’m not the only one struggling with the blogging balance.
My sister just went through this as well! luckily she didn’t have porn on the site but I think she will go back to using the blogger host like I do. I use enom and have been pretty happy with it.
Don’t give up on your blog-please! I love your posts and you are such a great blogger and person!
Best wishes,
Natasha in Oz
Aww Natasha, thank you so much for the encouragement. This technical stuff is overwhelming and obviously, quite upsetting.
I appreciate your kind words and support.
oh Jennifer!! What a terrible mess!! I am so so sorry you have had to go through such a horrible time with your blog, and porn menu? OHMYGOSH really? Oh bless your HEART!!!
I get the whole “is my blog my idol” question…I worry so much that mine has become that as well. It’s so important that we really take a good hard look at how we handle our blogs and from where our priorities and values are coming from…
I appreciate your honesty- it has evoked some questions for me as well.
Off to read your next post… hoping and praying that you are surviving this ordeal!!
Oh, and I need to look into your blog link up… it sound wonderful!!!
Oh Chris, it was quite a mess. I pray that the Lord gives me clarity in how to proceed.
Yes, please join the blog hop next week… it is quite fun!
Oh all these new things that cme up are all confusing and misleading. I was (and am) on blogspot and then joined G+ after which something happened and now my blog posts are not getting listed in the blogspot list. In between none of my posts were even being picked in Google search.
The technical side of blogging is the part that I enjoy the least. So much to deal with and figure out!
I hope you get your issues resolved.
Thanks for visiting!
What a mess! And one of my fears. Glad you’re back. I did notice the slight absence!
I’m glad I’m back too. What an ordeal. I hope I never have to go through that again.
Jennifer I’m so sorry you’ve had to go through all of that lately! For my own selfishness, I hope you continue blogging :) I’ve enjoyed getting to know you and reading your posts. Good luck with it all! I’ll be praying for peace and patience! :)
It’s been a crazy week Kelli. I’m glad it’s back but now I have some major decisions to make… like do I transfer to WordPress?!
Thanks for the thoughts and prayers.
Hi Jennifer, I was stopping by to participate in your blog hop and I was redirected. I am glad you are back up and running. I ran into the same problem with blogger which is why I am still at blospot.com even though I own the dreamloveradio.com domain. It may be difficult but a change may be just what the doctor (God) ordered. I know that someday soon I am going to have to make that move so I need you to blaze the trail. Even if you do lose some of your work you wont lose your friends and that is what is important right?
Thank you so much for your kind response Yvette. I made that blogspot.com to .com switch and I had a similar issue to this one. Yuck.
I’m thinking of switching to WordPress but I need to rebuild my strength and let God blaze the way. He always has our best interests in mind.
I love this blogging community and the friends I’ve made along the way. It is so worth it Yvette!
I hope you’ll come back next week to link up your post! I would love to see what you share!
Wishing you a lovely weekend.
Oh my goodness, I had no idea! I think you should switch to WordPress. But don’t give up! Please don’t give up. I must say I am glad I missed the porn. That is awful. You have really been through the wringer. If you need a shoulder, I’m here.
I’m mulling over switching to WordPress. I feel I need to but I’m just not ready for any more “trauma” right now. What a mess. Thanks for the kindness and the offering of a shoulder… you are too kind Michelle. I appreciate it.
So glad to see you back up Jennifer! It sounds like a total nightmare and I’m really glad you have navigated the waters back to where you are. Wishing you a beautiful and restful weekend after such a tough week!
Thank you Karen! It was a bit of a nightmare. I’m so happy to be back. There’s still some things to fix but I’m feeling better about everything now.
I can so relate to this. I’m so sorry for your issues, but it does bring to heart the fragility of blogging…anything online really. It crosses my mind now and then, usually after a blogging problem, that this could all blow up any minute, and what is my faith really in? I know God owns everything I do. I love to write, and pray I honor God though blogging, but really….does it have eternal value? I pray you will have time to discern what God wants for you and your writing. And that you will have peace. I love your philosophy and have enjoyed your blog.
Thank you so much for your kind words Marianne. I just realized it’s been a while since I visited your corner of the blogging world. You weren’t showing up in my Bloglovin’ reader and I never look at my Google friends reader. I remedied that though!
I pray that I give glory to God in everything I do. I figure if I hand everything over to Him, every single day, that His will truly will be done.
Thank you for your prayers. I have come to realize I was out of balance but my priorities are aligned and God truly helped me decide how I will be spending my time.
Thank you for the visit and I’m so glad we’ve reconnected.
Oh no! This makes me wary too, Blogger blog that I am. If you do switch to WordPress, I might have to pick your brain afterwards. It’s something I’ve debated for awhile now. So happy that all is now well- I’d miss you if you weren’t here!
Feel free to contact me anytime with your questions… I’m completely open to sharing what I can. I’m glad all is well too. Thank you for your encouraging and kind words.