It's fun doing this post each year, because I get to go back and see what articles were read the most. This year didn't really offer many surprises. The posts that tug at your heartstrings get read the most. The top two posts are found multiple times every day by folks at Google. Overall, I had more than 13,000 visitors at Traces of Faith. That's amazing, and I'm honored to share this faith walk with you. Here are my five most read blog posts of 2017:

A Giveaway Celebration - 7 of My Favorite Books

Nothing promotes readership like a giveaway. I offered up seven of my favorite books on faith to my readers. All they had to do to enter the contest was like my blog page on Facebook, subscribe to my email list, or tag me in a post promoting my blog to their friends on social media. It was a successful giveaway all around, and I hope lots of readers found their way to these beloved titles as well. Win. Win.

Before You Get a Divorce, Can I Tell You a Story?

I am thankful this piece continues to have a solid audience. The enemy works hard to destroy our families, and he almost tore this particular marriage apart. The friends are near and dear to me, and I watched things start to crumble. Then, I watched God restore and redeem them as a couple. It's a wonderful story and I hope and pray it reaches the right couples at just the right time.

Explaining to a Child Why We Go to Church

I'm certainly no expert at SEO this or that, but I think the Google search engine is helping me out with this post from three years ago. It's a simple piece, offering up the reasons I've given my own daughter for why we go to church. It's sound advice, and since numbers don't lie, a lot of readers took note of these reasons in 2017. I hope they tried them out on their own kids, and they worked!

For the Woman Who Goes to Church Alone

These last two posts, guys, they show up on my pageviews multiple times each day. They've been shared a lot and I receive emails regarding them from women who are heartbroken, yet feel seen and heard. I wouldn't say these posts have gone viral, but they're serving a real purpose. I have such a heart for women who make the effort to go to church alone, often times with little ones following behind. That was my mom, and it made a huge impact on me and my brothers. In this letter, I encourage the woman who goes to church alone, keep going.

For the Woman Whose Husband Does Go to Church (Anymore)

This one is a companion piece to the "woman who goes to church alone" above. Both women sit alone, but sometimes it's for different reasons. This piece came about after I had a real conversation with a lady whose husband is struggling with his faith. When this happens, women have to decide if they're going to keep going to church alone, or stay home as a family. It's hard, and I pray I never find myself in this situation.

You can read my 2016 Stories Behind My Five Most Read Blogs Posts here.

You can read my 2015 Stories Behind My Five Most Read Blog Posts here.