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Grateful Friday

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Giving thanks always for all things unto God… (‭Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭20‬ KJV)

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Here we are at post three for July and at somewhat of a celebration for my blog. I’m six months in and I am enjoying every minute of it! Grateful Friday is a week early this month, and today I’m sharing a few words and passages that I keep close to my heart as I make my way through this writing journey. Or really, through life. I have plenty others that are favorites and for which I’m thankful for how they’ve shaped me, but I’d be here all day if I shared them all. So…

First, my own early words. Sorry, but I HAD to start here. The picture below shows a recipe I copied by hand from a magazine, which I then presented to my grandmother as a letter. (As you can see, I had motive.) On more than one occasion when I was little, I’d find something to copy, not knowing that it was a sort of foretelling. I appreciate that my grandmother, rest her soul, kept a few of my “letters,” and every now and then I pull them out and remember my meager beginnings.

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Next… “Want to know God’s will for your life? Then answer this question: What ignites your heart? Forgotten orphans? Untouched nations? The inner city? The outer limits? Heed the fire within! Do you have a passion to sing? Then sing!… Do you hurt for the lost? Then teach them! As a young man I felt the call to preach. Unsure if I was correct in my reading of God’s will for me, I sought the counsel of a minister I admired. His counsel still rings true. ‘Don’t preach,’ he said, ‘unless you have to.’ As I pondered his words I found my answer: ‘I have to. If I don’t, the fire will consume me.'” (Passage from The Great House of God by Max Lucado)

Third… “Living in God’s true love is a process. First, God loves us, and by faith, we receive His love. We then love ourselves in a balanced way, give love back to God, and learn to love other people.” (Joyce Meyer: Promises for Your Everyday Life – a Daily Devotional) Understanding love is so important in any type of ministry, right? It has to be at the center of it all. Joyce gives a concise but clear statement on the process of love, how it flows from God to us. I pray my words always come from a place of love. And speaking of…

And last… “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.” This is from 1 Corinthians 13. You can read the full chapter here. This is one of my favorite passages in the Bible. It’s beautiful and poetic. And as I just mentioned, love must be at the center of our work if we are to fulfill God’s calling.

How about you? What verses or quotes have inspired your journey?

Faith Writing: Can You Go WRONG?

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Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬ KJV)

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I’m continuing my series for July focused around my blogging journey and the lessons I’ve learned now six months in. There are a few blogs which have become favorites, but I pay special attention to those centered around the Christian faith, which is my life’s path. I’ve previously self-published from a faith perspective, and it’s often a hard road to follow, honestly. What qualifies me to share these words? Are they in line with what the Word says? Is anyone going to be interested?

What does it take to form a solid writing ministry, one that honors God and draws readers to your words? I offer the following starting points from my experience:

It may go without saying, but pray first. Ask what you should write, if you should write. Be sure you’re in line with God’s will. Maybe meet with another writer or your minister for guidance on recognizing that tug in your spirit and where it’s taking you.

Then… write! Put pen to paper and go for it! See where your words fall, what your style and voice are. Reading and studying works by other writers can often show you what not to do, but the right ones can help establish your direction. As I shared in last week’s post, though, write who you are and what you know. You don’t want to be a copycat.

What’s your writing platform? Fiction? Inspiration? More of a blogger than a book author? This might actually take some time to figure out, but as I just mentioned above, getting started, at least, will (and should) guide where you want to go. I enjoyed the small article and prose format of PRAISE!, the magazine I published for seven years. I also wrote and included poetry in it as well. Now, this blogging format seems to suit me, and I enjoy it, too.

Find a course for learning to write effectively, for being a good editor, etc. Oh please do this! I have a journalism degree and have appreciated the gift of words and writing for as long as I can remember. And I STILL take classes and training and read and study and everything! And I STILL get it wrong sometimes! What you put into it will reflect in your final product. You want to show as professional and as one worthy of your gift and calling. I think I’ve mentioned COMPEL Training about five times lately – it’s just a great source for us faith writers to strengthen our craft, and to connect to a community of other writers for support and encouragement.

Keep at it. This sums it up. The verse above says to study to show yourself approved. Write, write some more, then more after that! Pretty soon you’ll have the confidence to share the gift placed in your heart.

You know, I guess you can go wrong with your writing or other line of work. But you can be successful, too, if you put the time in. Now… GO!

What tips do you have for establishing an effective writing ministry?

My Blogging Journey: 5 Lessons Learned

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Walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called. (Ephesians 4:1 KJV)

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Well, I’m six months in with this space I call New Day! I’m so proud of the words that have been posted and shared here, and grateful for being part of the faith writing and blogging community.

Though I’m no stranger to words, I’m a brand new blogger! I started blogging not really knowing a lot about it, but I’ve learned so much since New Day was launched on January 1. July will be dedicated to my blogging journey so far, and this week I’m sharing a few tips and what I’ve learned these first six months, with hopes that you will find some inspiration for your own path, blogger or otherwise.

5 Lessons:

1) Write who you are and what you know. Obviously, it’s about faith for me. God is the center of my life, He’s the path I’ve chosen. While I can’t claim to have memorized the entire Bible, I do know what’s in my heart and spirit. And I’ve chosen to express that through the gift of words and writing. I can’t do what others do, nor can I be someone other than myself.

2) Stay organized. I’ve found that it’s so important to use a system to stay organized. It reflects in your work as professional and purposeful. I use my iCloud calendar to keep track of my blog schedule and other work. I map my blog posts as far in advance as I can and prepare them a week before post time (each Friday morning at 8:00 EST). I use the Notes app on my iPad and phone to record blog post ideas and themes. So far, this is the system that works for me.

3)Learn what you need for when you need it. In other words, pace yourself. There are so many articles and tips out there on branding and SEO and learning graphic design and this and that. It can be overwhelming! I spent the first couple of months of this year reading a LOT. It has been useful, but honestly, I don’t need it all right now. So I’ve narrowed my needs list to a few focus areas, then narrowed those to a few resources that I’ve found to be most helpful and beneficial. My current focus areas are: quality blog content, social media management, graphic design for blog posts, and faith writing. My main resource as of late is COMPEL Training via Proverbs 31 Ministries. This program provides weekly lessons and is an excellent support vehicle for faith writers.

I’m not ready for SEO, analytics (though I do track and review my site stats through WordPress), and the such. I know these are important and valuable, and I WILL get there!

4) Get feedback. And I don’t mean the replies you get from the comments section of your blog! Ask readers and friends you trust for their honest feedback on what you’re posting. It’s good to have fresh perspective.

5) Read! It helps your writing. Write! It helps your writing! You learn how to read and write by reading and writing. This is so important. Though I have a journalism degree and have previously self-published, I still sharpen my skill set by immersing myself in words. I study other blog posts, I write in my journal, and even listen to how speakers express their thoughts. Recognize styles you like, then develop your own voice.

For other new bloggers, what were your lessons learned in your first few months of blogging?