Sorting and Organizing

12 years ago when I posted my first blog post, I never thought about writing a book, a devotional or anything else. I just thought about documenting my kids and all the funny things they did when they were little.

Fast forward a couple of years ago and someone said something I wrote would be a good submission for a book with a similar theme. I had no idea what she was talking about. But more and more as I posted on my blog and then facebook, people were telling me I needed to write a book. And I just thanked them for their kindness and went my merry way. It was flattering and encouraging but mostly I was just writing about everyday life with eternity sprinkled in here and there. I had no idea what I was doing, but slowly God was preparing my heart to do something more.

So now...2019 and God has prompted, pushed and pursued me to begin the process of writing to publish. I have a writing coach. I am attending online conferences, learning from other experts and doing what I can on my end of this journey to hone in on the writing craft.

Today I began sorting through over 1,000 blog posts I have written over the years. Trying to categorize them to topical themes. I got nearly 100 done, so my work will continue throughout the next few days. As I sorted through the oldest posts today, I had the blessing of seeing how far God has brought Bruce and me, how much our kids have grown, some of their funny stories and how much favor God has poured out on our lives. He truly writes the best stories. What was meant to be a chore, was a beautiful offering of praise to the Lord.

So thankful for where He has brought me from and where He has me headed!

Stepping Out....Being Brave....

So, it's been years coming.
You know...that feeling you get in the pit of your stomach or in the back of your throat when you know you need to commit to something but the timing seems off?
Well, the time has come.

So I applied and was accepted to a writing group...one that will help me grow, teach me better writing techniques, help me find my voice, guide me through the next stages of whatever God wants.

I've been pushed into this direction for years by the encouragement of others but over the last year have felt God prodding me towards a start date. During a recent move, God allowed my path to cross with someone who I've worked with before, but in a different capacity. This time she will help coach me, cheer me on and guide me to reach a few goals...maybe even towards having something published.

This step has been hard for me. For the last few years I allowed the enemy to rob me of so much because of circumstances. Over the last year I have had many "fall on Jesus", moments and have confessed my fears and my doubts, my hurts and disappointments and my lack of faith. One of the greatest doubts I faced was writing something meaningful again in the face of such a life devastated. 

There is nothing new under the sun. I don't expect my writing to be revolutionary or reveal anything new. But I do know there is someone who might need to hear of the goodness of God in my life, of His redemption, of His amazing plans, of His working in the everyday messes and miracles and ordinary, mundane Thursday Nights or Tuesday afternoons. May it all be to His glory.

www.facebook.com/WordGirlsPublicPage

I've Been Robbed

A couple of years ago, I suspected I was being robbed. It started with what I am sure was a well-meaning text from someone asking me to remove something from social media that I had posted. Because of fear of the person's position, I removed my post. I have regretted it ever since.

I noticed from that point on that I was hyper sensitive about what I wrote, posted or shared on all the different platforms that I participated. I was like the over zealous politically correct Christian, who didn't want anyone disagreeing or offended by Biblical views, my personal preferences or opinions, my school choices for my kids, my political views or my marriage. And in some circles....you'll hear this promoted as "love" and "tolerance". But for me...really it was just stupid fear.

But what came of it??? Nearly 2 years of silence. Nearly two years of typing and then deleting. Nearly two years of God whispering in my ear and me being cowardly and disobedient. Nearly two years of funny memories, sad stories, testimonies, Jesus conversations that haven't been recorded.

And isn't that just what the enemy wants....to silence the good, the truth, the brave, the Jesus conversations, the testimonies???

So guess what??? Here I am after six months of the hardest year of my life and I hear God saying..."begin again". And I am going to obey. 

I've been robbed of the joy of writing, the ministry of encouragement, the gift of laughter, the sharing of tiny bits of God's grace.

But it's not over yet. The losses have been great. The pain has been deep. The struggle has been real.

But I am tired of the enemy getting the last word. So, I am going to obey.

Maybe you're like me and you've been robbed of something...maybe you feel cheated by the actions of someone else. Maybe you're health is failing, your kids are rebellious or your marriage is falling apart. Satan wants nothing greater than to rip those things from you. And maybe he has...but we don't have to let him get the last word. Don't let him rob you of your peace, your comfort, your joy, your love for others.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, He has made everything beautiful in His time.

Don't let the enemy rob you of the beautiful thing God wants to do with your pain.

Day #31 Beautiful Month

So...we made it. Well...at least one of us did....I've managed to successfully blog about all the beautiful things in my life for 31 consecutive days...and I survived.

I learned a few things along the way and I thought that might be a good way to wrap up the month. So here goes...

1. Blogging about one topic...no matter how broad...for 31 days is hard. It's a commitment and planning and scheduling and spell checking...and making that commitment should come with a 48 hour chance to back out.

2. Blogging takes a lot of time. I wanted to be sure that what I was writing was worth reading...and since I second guess what I write most of the time anyway...it took longer to publish a day's article. What you saw was sometimes second, third and even fourth drafts. Gracious....that's a lot of time!

3. Blogging about beautiful things helped me to realize how truly beautiful my life is. It's not so much the stuff or even the people or the things that have happened, but the grace and the love that God has blessed my life with. It truly has made me pay attention to the beauty all around me. And by beauty I'm not talking pretty. Sometimes the most beautiful things are found in the most unlikely places.

4. I realized that people actually read my blog. I watched all month long on my stats page to see which articles people were reading the most. It was interesting to see Beautiful Homes and Beautiful Loved Ones getting the most hits....and since that was largely about having a Christ-like home and loving the special people God places in your life...this made me pretty happy.

5. And lastly I learned that even when I feel weak and inadequate to do something that seems so trivial in the grand scheme of life, that God can use those words to meet someone where they are at, encourage them and bless them. He's so good.

So, it's been a beautiful month...and now we're heading into my fifth year of giving thanks each day in November. I'm excited and hope you'll join, privately or publicly in giving thanks to the only one truly worthy...the maker of all things beautiful in His time, Jesus.

For a complete list of all 31 Days of Beautiful Things CLICK HERE

5 years

It's been five years since I started blogging. June 7, 2008, marked my first blog entry. So much has changed and so much has stayed the same...

Changes...

Well, I'm older...and hopefully a little wiser. I've gone from writing for myself, to thinking about the audience of reader's that occasionally or regularly visit this space. My life has changed as I am now mothering an almost 11 year old and a 7 year old. We don't talk diapers and bottles...but rather Taekwondo and iPods. We've gone through some trials and some mountaintop experiences and while I haven't shared every intimate detail on the blog, those experiences have shaped my writing and my heart. I will never be the same.

The Same..

I still feel incredibly blessed to be a wife, mom. The main reason I even starting writing this was so that in some way there would be a written legacy for my kids. I want them to see the struggle, the pain, the joy, the good times and learn from what God taught us. I still write what I know....and most of the time that has something to do with my family, friends or church. I'm still sorry for anything embarrassing that I may share from time to time about them....but hey, that's part of the memories, right? God's is still faithfully guiding each step of the journey. I still trust Him..although I don't always understand. Thankfully that's not a prerequisite. I'm pretty sure the tone of the blog will stay the same. I like to think about us sitting down to a diet coke at my kitchen table and just catching up. Hopefully something said will minister to your heart and bind us together to the Savior more.

So what's in store for the future...probably more about my family than you might want to know. God's allowing me to stay home full time now and so there's actually stuff going on here that I'm not sure goes on other places...so I might need your help. I can assure you there's going to be some talk about church...and ideas for ministry and there's going to continue to be a lot of talk about Jesus. Because without Him there'd be nothing for me to write about. There's going to be some grammar mistakes, some run on sentences, misplaced punctuation and spelling errors. And there's going to be homeschool talk and gardening and homemaking and crafting and Bible Study and parenting talk.

Goals...

I'd like more conversations in the community we are building here. I'd like to know if you resonate with something I write or if you think it's crazy and off the wall. I can handle it. I'd like to know how to pray for you or encourage you. I'd like to know more about my readers. So..drop me a line...or leave a comment.

Thanks for the five years...I can't imagine what things will look like in 5 more!

First Devotional Published

Check out my first published on-line devotional at The Christian News Pulse.

Quad Cities Christian Writer's Conference

Imagine seventy-five writers, published and otherwise, gathered together in one place, for two days of intense training. What do you get?..a whole bunch of dangling participles, conjugated verbs and improper pronouns? I doubt it!

Over the last 48 hours I have been instructed on the "how to's" of marketing, pr, submitting articles, devotions, honing my skills and editing. It's been overwhelming, exhausting and exhilarating! New facebook friends will be added. New networking will begin and maybe...just maybe, I have gained a little confidence to submit an article somewhere down the line. Be afraid...very afraid.

I also had the opportunity to sit under Cec Murphey again. What a treat! It's been an amazing weekend and I look forward to digesting all I've heard and applying it to my blogging and other writing opportunities.

Edits and the Editor

Before I start this post, you should know something. I absolutely love my job and my boss is terrific. I am blessed to have the opportunity to work at home, make good money and have flexibility to take care of my family, do ministry and still have a life!

For those who don't know, I am a Publicist Assistant. Here's a brief synopsis of what I get to do:

1. Write press releases for some of the greatest authors in Christian non-fiction...and soon...fiction.

2. Coordinate blog tours to get these books great exposure.

3. Maintain media lists and activity reports on clients.

4. Write interview questions that radio and tv hosts use when they are on the air.

5. Create mailing list for reviewers

6. Create eblasts to get the word out about the books

7. Use online document sharing sites to upload our authors media kits

...and more! It's like a dream come true!

BUT.....one thing I don't like so much is proofing and editing. In fact, I stink at it! You would think with all the online tools there are that I wouldn't have to do so much of it...but really in the writing industry, the best tools are your own eyes. Still, I lack the skills needed to do this part of my job justice. Fortunately for me though, I will be attending a conference in March that has a class on editing and guess what???? I'll be there - front and center!

You know, editing is really very similar to the way God works in our lives as Christians. I was thinking recently as my boss and I were sending emails of a document back and forth...editing it, that each time we passed it back to the other, it was a little bit better because something had been added or taken away. Isn't that just like the Lord - The Master Editor. When I read His Word He is making my life better by the things that are added and taken away. The refining process that takes place is beautiful. His Holy Spirit gently convicts of the things that need to be removed and sweetly encourages us to develop the things that are lovely and pure. He's editing us constantly. In fact, we need it to become more mature Christians. There's something in the writing industry called "writing tight". It means to say what you want effectively, using the fewest and best words. That brings to mind the song "Let My Words Be Few" from a Philip's Craig and Dean song a few years ago. I want the editing going on in my life to be so that with the fewest words spoken people will know about my love for God, His love for them and His desire for a relationship with them. As the Holy Spirit makes edits to my life, I pray that it will be more and more clear what He is trying to accomplish.

So...I am in the process of learning to be a more careful editor...all the while being edited by the greatest communicator of all time.