Navigating the Hard Days.

I am moving. Geesh! There, I finally said it in an official kind of way.

And I don’t mean moving my blog address or moving down the street. I mean moving 865 miles from Phoenix, Arizona to Denver, Colorado. (Anyone need a house in Phoenix?)

EVERYONE has assured me that I will LOVE Denver and thanks to the Allume Community I have been welcomed and connected to what seem like amazing people in the Denver area but the reality is my heart is happy and content in Phoenix where I have resided and built a life for the last 17 years. I don’t have one complaint about where I live. YEP! You won’t even hear me complain about the 122 degree summers because I am from Texas and if you have known 99% humidity with 100 degree heat then 122 with no humidity is nothing! The phrase “It is a dry heat.” is real, people!

So why move you ask? For at least 8 months my husband and I, along with a community of people, have been praying for an open door to a job where my husband would feel a sense of purpose and fulfillment in what he does. And that door opened…it just happens to be a door located in Denver. (We failed to mention in our request that the door was supposed to be in Phoenix. I kinda just assumed God knew. Lesson learned!)

We feel confirmed that this is the door to walk through but that doesn’t mean it is not hard to leave behind a group of girlfriends that know me inside and out, pull my kids away from two sets of grandparents , walk away from the small group we lead that was just building momentum. It doesn’t means it’s not hard to think about finding a new church when we have one that is “just right” for us. Oh, and don’t get me started on finding a new school for my kiddos. Figuring out Kindergarten last year felt painful enough. The thought of doing that all over again feels like being forced to eat liver and onions or swimming with sharks. Then you throw in selling and packing up my house that brings me comfort and joy and I just about teeter over the edge…STOP THE MADDNESS! I have cried more in the last 25 days than in all of 2014 I would guess.

In the tears my husband always reminds me that we don’t have to do this. He assures me that he is willing to stop packing boxes and begin looking for a job in Phoenix. Every time I say… just because it is hard now doesn’t mean it is not going to be good.

Hard today does not mean there won’t be good tomorrow.

What is your “hard now” thing?

I am thankful for the biblical examples that goes before me. People who have taken “hard” and found the good; Jochebed releasing Moses, Ruth choosing Naomi, Rahab throwing the rope, Joseph accepting Mary and the ultimate in Jesus bearing the weight of our sin. Without the Mighty One God and His perspective on this transition I would be an utter train wreck of a girl right now. But as the sun rises and sets I am reminded of His power.

Getting to the land of good is going to mean navigating the hard days well.

For me it is a move. What is it for you?

A marriage that feels hard?
Kids that feels hard?
A job that feels hard?
A financial situation that feels hard?

How are you going to navigate the hard days well so that you can see the good?

I have created three non-negotiables for my transition.

Choose Scripture

No matter what mood I wake up in or what seems to be going wrong my day STARTS with scripture. It may come from a devotional book, something someone sends me via text or from a Bible reading plan but it is my priority that keeps me grounded in truth and helps me to distinguish between feelings and reality.

Maintain Clear Focus

Because I have a variety of balls that I am juggling between parenting, coaching, retreat leading, Allume & MOVING it can be easy for me to get distracted by the variety of to-do’s. To maintain my focus I keep a slew of Christian music playing at all times depending on if I am with my kids, making dinner or working. It is hard to go off the deep end with my kids when I have “Boom Chaka Laka” playing in the background. I also work off a to-do list that contains ONLY 5 things. Once I finish those 5 things then I add more. This simply helps me not get overwhelmed by a running list of 50-100 things. (Download printable to-do list here)

Ask for Help

I consider myself a highly capable person who can handle a fair amount of stress but I am about to embark on the task of single parenting while my husband heads to his new job and we wait for the house to sell. I am not going to pretend to be excited about this. I am dreading this! I know without a shadow of a doubt that I will not be able to maintain my sanity if I don’t ask for help. I will need to crash a family member’s house for dinner, plan extra play dates so I can have adult interaction or even grant the kids a bit of extra screen time so I can finish up some work.

There are hard days ahead but I know if I intentionally commit to these three things there will be good in the midst of hard. I choose to trust in the land of good that is to come because I know He cares for me. What about you? What non-negotiables will you choose? How can we be praying for your hard days?

P.S. – Allume Conference tickets go on sale Sunday, March 1st at 8:00 a.m. EST. The first 50 tickets get the early bird discount. Set a reminder on your phone today!

12 Editing Tips for Writers

By Denise J. Hughes

Editing Tips
When it comes to writing and feedback, I’m always reminded of my grandma’s words: When yer eatin’ fried chicken, swallow dat meat and spit out them bones.

My grandma’s advice speaks to the truth of editing tips too. Swallow the meat and spit out the bones.

The following are twelve editing tips for writers. If any of these suggestions ring true, then great. But if any of the following suggestions don’t resonate with you, I believe you know what’s best for your process and your style. Pick and choose the approach that works best for you.

Writers are at their best when they’re trusting their instincts. <Tweet this!>

These twelve editing tips discuss when, where, and how to edit:

1. Begin the editing process with rest.

Once you’ve finished your writing project, put it away for a few days — or longer if possible. Don’t look at it. Go outside. Hang out with friends. Watch a football game. Engage your mind on something else. Then, when you return to the words on the page, you’re able to see your work with fresh eyes.

2. Schedule a time for editing.

Put it on your calendar. And enlist the support of those nearest you. When family and friends know we’re nearing the end of a writing project, it helps to have their support. This, of course, pertains to lengthier works. If it’s a shorter work, like a blog post, simply set aside a separate time to review it before publishing.

3. Sit in a location other than where you write.

This may not seem like a big deal, but editing is a different activity than writing. When we edit in a location that’s different than where we normally write, we’re alerting our subconscious to prepare for a different kind of mental endeavor.

4. Edit from a hard copy.

Yes, this requires the use of paper, but it’s more effective. When we read on a computer screen, our eyes are accustomed to scrolling quickly through the text. With a hard copy, each section is contained on a separate piece of paper. This helps us slow down and focus. We’re also less likely to tinker endlessly with cutting, pasting, and rearranging. We can write our editing notes in the margin and move on. We can recycle the paper when we’re finished.

5. Use a colored pen — preferably red.

English teachers are notorious for bleeding on essays with scathing red ink. In fact, some educators have suggested that red ink shouts at the reader, similar to the use of ALL CAPS. So I’ve tried editing in every color possible, and I’ve discovered that blue, purple, and brown ink pens don’t contrast enough with the black toner on the page. It’s easy to skip an editing comment when it’s so close in shade to the black toner. At the same time, most orange, pink, yellow, and green ink pens are too light. The eyes are forced to squint while deciphering the individual letters.

Red ink isn’t about shouting. It’s about contrast. Our eyes don’t have to strain as much to discern the red ink from the black toner.

6. Develop your own coding system.

Whether it’s a word that needs omitting or a letter that needs capitalizing, English teachers use a canonized set of symbols to indicate the specific change required in the text. But the actual symbols don’t matter as much as the meaning behind them. As long as you know what you mean when you mark your page, you can use whatever coding system you like.

7. Read your work aloud.

The importance of reading your work aloud cannot be stressed enough. This is one of the best techniques for catching your own errors. When you read aloud, mark every place where you stumble over the words. If you have to stop reading to figure out what you’re saying, then you can be sure your readers will too.

8. Read with a ruler under each line.

This may feel awkward at first. But we already know what comes next because we wrote it. Using a ruler helps us slow down and concentrate on one line at a time.

9. Read backward.

Again, this technique may feel weird. But if we read one sentence at a time, starting at the end and working our way backward, then we’re less likely to “hear” the content, and we can focus on the form.

10. Read a section at random.

Another way to pull ourselves out of the content is to randomly select a paragraph and examine the form. I’ve caught more typos and minor mistakes this way.

11. Focus on one editing technique at a time.

Either read with a ruler or read backward or read a random section. But don’t try to do all three in one sitting. Pick and choose. And spread it out.

12. Take planned breaks.

I prefer to work in long stretches of focused time, but after a few hours, my brain is tired, and I’m ready to stop editing for the day. So I’ve learned that I can prolong my productivity if I schedule intermittent breaks. For me, I try to walk away from my desk every sixty minutes or so. Even a five-minute break each hour can yield positive results. Oftentimes, my brain continues to mull over my current project while I take a walk outside. When I return to my editing desk, I’m ready to re-engage.

The editing process can be as unique to the writer as her voice and style. <Tweet this!>

So try a few different methods and see what works best for you.

What are your favorite tips for editing?

12 Editing Tips for Writers on the Allume blog today! <Tweet this!>

Four Questions a Blog’s Home Page Should Answer

By Denise J. Hughes

Since I teach writing to college students, you would think that writing for a blog would be a natural fit.

After all, I love words. And I know the rules of grammar fairly well. How hard could it be?

Needless to say, when I started blogging five years ago, I committed just about every “blogging sin” possible.

I wrote long paragraphs.
I wrote even longer posts.
I followed all the grammar rules I learned in school.
I covered three to four different points in each post.
I neglected to engage my readers with a call to action.
And I never bothered to include a picture.

Basically, I treated online writing the same as regular writing — with black words on a white background. I didn’t see the need for a header or a tagline or even an About page. I’m a word-girl, so I wanted to write words. Lots and lots of words.

Yet, in my earnest effort to focus on the craft, I made the most critical error of all:
I failed to connect my words to a larger message.

Without a core message, our words float adrift on an endless sea of meaningless syllables.

As writers and bloggers, our words should have a destination. They need to lead somewhere.

This is why it’s so important for blog-writers to have a header and a tagline and an About page. A reader wants to know who we are and what we’re about and where we’re going.

As a reader, whenever I visit a blog for the first time, I instinctively ask the following four questions. And I look for the answers to these four questions on the home page, preferably “above the fold,” which means I shouldn’t have to scroll down in order to find the answers to these four questions.

1. What is this blog about?

The theme of a blog should be apparent. Is this a food blog? A DIY blog? A mommy blog? A faith blog?

Since our eyes are naturally drawn to the header across the top, it makes the most sense for our blog’s theme to be evident in the header. I realize, of course, that many bloggers (including myself) use our name for our blog’s domain. When this is the case, the tagline becomes especially important.

A reader should be able to glance at the top of a blog and know immediately what the blog is about.

2. Who is the writer behind these words?

When I started blogging, I loathed the idea of putting a picture of myself on my blog, much less any information about me. I wanted my blog to be about the writing, not about me. It dawned on me, though, that when words are divorced from the context of the writer, they are nothing more than mere words.

A person and a person’s words are inseparable. How can I expect a reader to take my words to heart if I’m not willing to put a face to mine?

Every blog should have an About page that introduces the writer. However, it’s wise to briefly introduce yourself on the home page too. The sidebar is a good place for this. Then invite your readers to learn more about you by providing a link to your About page.

3. Why should I come back?

This is the most important question every first-time reader asks, and it’s the content of our writing that makes a reader come back.

A blog is more than an online writing space. It’s a doorway into a writer’s life.
<Tweet this!>

With a blog, we can share our lives and experiences. We can encourage others who may be in similar situations. We can help people know they’re not alone.

Readers come back when they feel like they connect with the writer and they benefit from the writing. <Tweet this!>

4. How can I subscribe?

If we want our readers to come back, then we need to invite them to join us on our writing journeys. So we should make subscribing easy.

For further connection, invite your readers to connect with you through Twitter or Facebook or whichever social media venue works best for you.

Blogging is at its best when it’s about connecting with people through great messages. <Tweet this!>

● ● ● ● ●

As a writer, my own blogging journey meandered awhile. And that’s okay too. But once I was able to address these four questions on my blog, my online writing experienced a major course correction. And my blog-writing all of the sudden had a defined destination.

Does your blog answer these four questions on your home page?

Have I Told You About My Love–Hate Relationship with Facebook?

By Dan King

I want to quit.

That’s how I feel about Facebook, every day of my life. I don’t know if I can take another algorithm change. And it seems like the wounds from the last one haven’t even healed yet when another comes along and rips in even more. Sometimes I don’t think I’ll ever recover, and walking away seems to be the best option.

But then I look at the data.

Facebook is one of the top drivers of traffic to my websites, second only to Google. And the quality of the traffic coming from Facebook has been much more engaged than other sources, making it probably the single most valuable referer of people checking out my work.

So are all the headaches worth it? Well, it depends.

I read somewhere recently that all the algorithm changes aren’t a reason to jump ship right away, that is unless your strategy is a shallow one. The article pointed out that the opportunity is still great for smart marketers.

Challenge accepted.

Here’s the deal… Your success or failure depends on your ability to understand the platform and leverage its strengths. (Tweet that!) It’s not about tricking the system, or developing elaborate systems to make it do what you want.

The first thing you need to understand

Facebook is about people. It sounds simple, but we quickly forget as we try to focus on numbers for reach, likes, shares, and comments. When we post something, we want it to be seen by as many people as possible. But the second we start thinking about numbers, we start to lose sight of people.

Many feel like Facebook’s attempts to limit the visibility of brand page content is merely an attempt to force people to pay for views. While there may be an element of truth to that, think about what your news feed would look like if brands weren’t limited in any way. It would be overflowing with “commercials” from brands trying to get you to buy something. And I don’t know anyone who gets on Facebook to sort through a steady stream of advertising hell. And Facebook is more likely to keep people on the platform when it can keep the focus on people.

People.

That’s what we want to see when we sign onto Facebook. So next time you sign in and can see your in-laws awesome vacation photos, thank Facebook for changing their algorithms. Okay, so maybe that wasn’t the best example, but I’m sure you get what I mean. #fistbump

Personal Profiles vs. Brand Page (Which is right for me?)

No lie. This is one of the most frequently asked questions I get when I talk to people about social media. With all of the talk about Facebook pushing down the reach of pages (unless you pay-to-play), it’s difficult to see a brand page adding value. At the same time, many book publishers look for fan page numbers as evidence of an author’s platform. Ultimately, a brand page can add value… as long as you understand it’s strengths and limitations. But the greatest traction you get on Facebook will come when you post to your personal profile.

I recently did an informal study of engagement on some brand pages. One of the pages I looked at is an author page belonging to a popular New York Times Best Seller. Averaging 1,383 likes per post, there’s enough engagement to make the best of us covet our neighbor’s social media platform. But then consider that this person’s page has over 146,000 followers. The average engagement rate turns out to be only 0.9% of the total fan base. And that’s actually a good rate of engagement!

Remember, the platform is about people. So any successful strategy should be centered on how you use your personal profile to get the better reach.

In another informal study, I’ve posted new content to my brand pages and watched the rate of engagement for the first few hours. Often my efforts make me feel like I’m watching the proverbial pot of water waiting to boil. But after a period of low organic engagement on the page post, I’ll share the post from the page onto my personal profile. Usually within minutes I see 5-10 times the engagement. The point is that IF you decide to use a brand page, it’s re-sharing your content to your personal profile that will drive the greatest organic reach. And if you can get a few other people to share it as well, then your organic reach expands exponentially.

I think it speaks volumes that Facebook’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg, doesn’t post to a brand page. Instead he allows people to subscribe to his personal profile (where he has over 27 million followers), and posts everything there (some posts only to friends, and others to the public for all followers). #justsayin

Tools to help you maximize your impact

I always, always, always advise people to follow the data. Don’t base decisions for how to manage your Facebook presence on emotion, feelings, what someone said works for them, and what some “guru” said you should do. Even if it worked for someone else, it doesn’t mean that it’ll work for you.

One of the strengths of brand pages is the Insights tool. It’ll give you a wealth of information about your audience, and how they’re engaging (or not engaging) with your content. You can even find out when your fans are online (which should give you a good idea of when to post). So it’s a good idea to review your page Insights on a regular basis (maybe once every week or two), and ask yourself how you think you need to revise your strategy based on what you’re seeing there.

Unfortunately, personal profiles don’t have the same Insights tools. That’s why I like to use a tool like Buffer to post content that I want to measure. Buffer uses special tracking measures that give us better insight into what’s working and what’s not. In addition to that, it makes it easy to schedule content for specific and/or preset times which help you take advantage of waves and cycles of visibility.

Last thought…

Facebook presents us with a tremendous opportunity to engage and connect with people, and to share ideas. And when it comes to building your brand on Facebook, you should stop thinking like a brand, and focus on thinking like a person.

Connecting at Conferences

By Tricia Goyer

I remember my very first conference. It was a writer’s conference in Northern California, and I’d gone with a friend. My dream was to be a novelist, and the very first lunch I sat next to an editor. My knees started shaking. My heart started pounding. I couldn’t swallow a bite. I could barely answer a questions. {So much for making a good impression!}

Last year I attended the Allume conference for the first time as a speaker. I knew a few other people, but 99.9% of the other attendees were new to me. I had a blog, but my main focus at the time had been book writing. Yet after penning thirty-three published books, I felt God calling me to be more intentional about my online outreach. I went to learn . . . and to connect.

4 Ways to Connect

Start with an introduction. Meeting people at conferences is easier than you think. Even if you are shy, there are natural places to connect with people, such as in line for registration, sitting in workshops, or at meals. Every great friendship starts with an introduction. “Hi, I’m Tricia. What’s your name?”

Listen first. When I go to conference my goal is not to tell everyone all about me. Instead, I like to hear what others are up to. A few questions I like to ask:
What do you like to write about?
Tell me about your blog.
How’s your family at home surviving?

These are simple questions, but the answers help you get to know a person. The answers can highlight simpler interests. And you’ll never know where those relationships will lead!

Last year, I met Courtney and Angela {great women!} from GoodMorningGirls.org, and later I offered to support their amazing ministry in any way I could. I was blessed to be able to write parenting blogs for them when my book Lead Your Family Like Jesus came out. Through that friendship, I connected with thousands of God-seeking women. “Tell me about yourself” goes a long way.

Pray for divine appointments. It’s only natural to want to connect with the “important people” at conferences—those with well-known blogs, book authors, publishers, or others who can help you. The thing is, everyone wants to connect with those people, and it’s easy for them to get overwhelmed! (As a veteran speaker, I know.)

Instead, pray for divine appointments. Ask God to connect you with others for your mutual benefit. Many times it is the person sitting next to you in that workshop . . . not the speaker on the stage. God knows how to connect hearts for the benefit of His kingdom!

Build on relationships through prayer. In 1994, at my very first writer’s conference, I met some sweet women. Most of us were new to writing and unpublished. When I got home I felt God asking me to coordinate a way for us to form an email prayer group. For years and years and years those women would email their prayer requests to me, and I’d compile them and send them back out. (This was long before Facebook private pages or Yahoo groups!) We prayed through marriages, births, deaths, divorces, book contracts, publishing disappointments, and everything else you can think of. We’re still praying almost twenty years later! Most of us are multi-published authors now, and our journey has been enriched because of prayer. Prayer changes things . . . especially women’s hearts.

How about you? How do you like to connect at conferences?

Getting Back on Track When You’ve Lost Your {Blogging} Way

By Kristin

Most often we start blogging because we feel called to it and the work of it is fun. But sometimes life gets busy and time becomes precious and blogging begins to feel like work. Bloggers can burnout too. Let’s chat about getting back on track when you’ve lost your blogging way.

I seem to go through seasons with blogging. I will keep my goals and vision right in front of me, they energize me and I go after them with full steam. Then life happens and family comes first and blogging loses its gusto for me. Blogging can begin to feel like a chore and one that I dread rather than the fulfilling thing is started out as.

So how does a blogger get back on track? Here are 5 tips to help you out:

1. Pray

Seek God first. Pray and ask Him for renewed direction and ask Him if you need to take a break to rest. Psalms 139:3 in the NLT says:

“You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am.”

You may be in a season of resting and that’s okay. While you are in that season you can still ask God for wisdom and direction for your blogging. Ask Him to remind you why He put it on your heart to start. Ask Him how to make room for it and to provide you with the time and resources you need to do it successfully according to His will for you.

2. Be patient with yourself and your seasons.

If blogging is not your full or even part time job, then chances are you are just finding small amounts of time to set aside for it. Life can be unpredictable and get in the way of this time during certain seasons. Give yourself lots of grace and don’t compare yourself with other bloggers who are in a different season. Perhaps their life gives them the time and space for writing right now and yours doesn’t. It’s always okay to learn from others but don’t follow them to a place that is outside of God’s will for you. <—-Tweet this

Perhaps you could switch to micro blogging and share smaller parts of life with your readers by posting on Twitter or Facebook or just let your readers know that you need some time and will be back. They are probably more gracious with you than you are with yourself.

3. Remember why you started

Answer this question: Why did you start blogging? This will often help you gain perspective and recharge you to keep at it.

4. Take time to dream

Nothing gets me back in the blogging groove faster than spending time dreaming for my online space. Grab a notebook and pen and write down what your dreams are for your space. Don’t inhibit yourself in this. Dream freely and wildly. God is in the dream fulfilling business and can do exceedingly and abundantly more that you could ask for. So dream, BIG, and then boldly ask Him for it. If you’ve already taken the time to seek Him first then your heart is already in the right place. Keep on seeking and keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you.

If you are at a loss then let God do the dreaming for you. Ask Him why He has you blogging and if He would show you His dreams for your space. Then ask that His will be done.

5. Don’t aim for perfection, just excellence.

Sometimes we burnout because we aim for perfection. Since perfection, or near perfection, is impossible, we wait to do anything we have thought of or dreamt of. Instead do everything with excellence – do your best and do it as unto the Lord but remember that you have weaknesses, limitations and are loved just as you are. Be okay with your limits and resources and move forward.

Do you have a tendency to compare where you are in your blogging journey to where another blogger is? What one step can you take today to get back on the path that God has just for you?

Love, Kristin of The Beautiful Deep

photo source

5 Ways To Rock A Conference When You’re An Introvert

By Crystal

If you ever want to see me act completely awkward, put me at a conference with several hundred women who are changing the world with their words while I wander around trying not to get lost in the crowd. Or trying TO get lost in the crowd I never know which I would prefer!

Here’s the thing. I’m an introvert. Give me a computer screen, a keyboard, and a few minutes to put my thoughts together (with some heavy use of a backspace and several moments to stare blankly into space) and I can come across like this social ninja who has it all together.

In reality? Walking into Allume last year by myself was the single most terrifying thing that happened to me in all of 2012. I knew no one. If the conference hadn’t been 45 minutes from my house, I probably would have talked myself out of attending because of the fear of being by myself in a crowd of hundreds. And I’ll admit, while there were some fabulously amazing, life changing, God-inspired moments, there were also times when I wished I could melt into the walls. At one point I remember contemplating skipping lunch just to avoid the crowded buffet lines, or sitting and pretending to be on the phone rather than admit that I didn’t have anyone to hang out with.

If you’re an introvert and I’ll have the blessing of meeting you at Allume, I want to encourage you. We can rock a blogging conference! Here are some tricks I learned last year:

1. Show up.

This is key. You can’t rock it if you aren’t there! Can’t be there in person? You are officially in charge of keeping the Twitter party going!

2. Connect before the conference.

If this is your first time attending, join the “newbies” Facebook group. Put yourself out there online before the conference so that you already have friends you can look forward to meeting when you get there! Read the blogs of the other attendees, connect on Twitter, start putting real names to faces (you know..instead of Twitter handles..because it’s not awkward at all to only know someone by their Twitter name..ahem..). Connecting before the conference is also a great way to find roommates!

3. Do your homework.

If you’ve ever taken a DISC assessment, you’ll get what I mean when I say I’m a “high C.” Like a 99 on the scale. Mama loves her some information. So one of the things that helps me feel a little less anxious before a conference is to learn everything I can about the agenda, the speakers, the sessions, and the other attendees. Last year I even made a fabulous binder so I could remember who I wanted to meet, what sessions I wanted to go to, and where I needed to be at what time. It gives me a focus – so when I’m overwhelmed about meeting 300 women, I can take a step back and look for the women on my list first, to make the room seem a little smaller.

4. Give yourself grace.

Sometimes, it’s ok to take a break. The entire conference is going to be jam packed full of incredible information and resources. Even if you wanted to, you wouldn’t be able to be at everything. Need to leave the socializing time a little early to go grab a quiet shower and regroup? Snag a cupcake for the road and go for it. Feel God nudging you to take some quiet time for prayer? Follow His lead. It will be ok.

5. Ask questions!

Wondering if you should bring business cards? Or what to pack to wear in South Carolina in October? Or how breakout sessions will work? Ask us! Ask on these blog posts, ask on Facebook, ask on Twitter – we’re here for you. No question is too small or too silly.

Are you an introvert or an extrovert? What are your biggest concerns about going to a big conference? I’d love to answer your questions or know how to pray for you!

5 Sanity Saving Essentials for Blogging Conferences

By Alia Joy

Remember God is guiding your steps.

That moment when you see swirling crowds and wonder what the heck you’re doing at a conference with hundreds of women, remember God has a specific purpose for you. It’s not the same as your roommates, the speakers, or your blogging buddies. Let your agenda be dictated by God’s leading and you’ll never falter.

You’re the boss of you.

If you need to find a corner to sit and stare at the wall to recharge, do it. If you need to turn in early because your eyelids are dragging so heavy you might trip on them, tuck yourself in. If you want to wake up early and jog before breakfast, I don’t understand you at all, but hey, go for it.
Believe that the opportunities God has for you are not going to be “missed” because you aren’t on every second.
Trust that the capacity God’s given you isn’t a mistake. The Allume organizers are an amazing group of godly women who pray for you and have designed the content to leave room for God to work. Trust in that.

Think deep not wide.

At my first blogging conference I had only been blogging for 6 weeks. I traded tons of business cards, gave my awkward elevator speech a zillion times, and tried to jam in all the information I could. Everyone told me I had to network. It was exhausting. Turns out the long lasting relationships maintained from that conference came in the slow moments. Lingering over coffee, sitting down to a long dinner, following up after the conference and investing in their blogs.
In many ways, the idea of networking makes my stomach sour. I don’t want to connect so I can climb on your shoulders and have a larger platform. I want to connect because you have something to offer that is unique: YOU. I want to know you.
Think of it as a chance to connect with God breathed people, joined in spirit, not just an opportunity to guest post or get retweeted. I know now that meeting ALL the people is much less important than connecting with a few. Take your time and really value the people God brings across your path.

Think of ways to invest in people you meet and encourage those where you are or even mentor those coming up behind you.

I had someone tell me recently that they saw me at Allume and were too nervous to introduce themselves. I snort laughed at the craziness of that. Although flattered, I am not a rock star contrary to the tens of people who think so. Ok, the ones of people, but still. Come say hi.
We’re all sisters here. But please, don’t be offended if I don’t recognize you right away even though we’ve tweeted back and forth every week. You are much taller than your avatar, and I am much, ummm, fluffier. So yeah, it might take me a minute. Again, grace.

Don’t listen to the lie that you aren’t important. That your story and words don’t matter as much as the famous blogger. That no one is interested in you. That’s pure crap.

Each of you has a gift. A story of redemption, a story of a God who loves you, a story of life.
You may have a style blog and have an eye for beauty in a perfectly mismatched teal bag with platform sandals and a flowy maxi dress. You may have a food blog and share the glory in the crisp snap of fresh greens, laid like an offering, scattered with toasted goat cheese, raspberries, and roasted hazelnuts, a sweet mustard vinaigrette drizzled like the swirl of a painter’s brush. You may have an organization blog where you help women like me put labels on pretty baskets and get rid of the stack of sweaters I’m planning to felt someday. You may share stories, your life in words, your tears and triumphs and soul words.
Whatever God has given you, you have a gift to share. Go confidently knowing that you are called.

Is this your first conference or are you a veteran? What do you feel God is leading you towards as you prepare for Allume?

He Calls Me By Name: A Fresh Perspective on Personal Branding

By Gretchen Louise

“Hi there! I’m Gretchen.”

It’s how I introduced myself the first year I attended Allume. But no one recognized my name.

Until they saw my blog address scrawled on my nametag.

“Oh, you’re the little pink house!”

Well, actually, I am not the little pink house. That’s what I called my blog, because that was the color of our house when we got married.

But I smiled and said yes. In the sea of vaguely familiar faces, I was just glad to find someone who knew me–even if it wasn’t by name.

It didn’t take long before my Allume roomie Trina Holden started trying to convince me to rebrand as myself. And, despite several objections I had to the idea of rebranding, I began to consider the idea.

If you’ve wondered whether personal branding is right for you, perhaps you’ve asked these same questions, too.

Why would I use my name?

When I began to consider embracing my personal identity online, the verses about how Jesus calls His sheep by name kept echoing through my head. As I thought about the importance God placed on names throughout Scripture, I realized the significance of embracing my name as my brand. If names are that important to God, then wouldn’t He be glorified by my use of the name He impressed upon my parents’ hearts as my own?

“My name is not only known to Him—it is precious to Him. He is not only acquainted with but passionately interested in the details that make up my life. Nothing is too unpleasant a task for His ministering hand. He cares for me every bit as tenderly as I do my flock of seven [sheep]—every bit and a universe’s worth of more. And when I follow Him, my joy is second only to His.”
–Lanier Ivester in “He Calls Them By Name” on Kindred Grace

Our names are important to God.

With God we’re not a number, we’re a name He chose before we were born. In Biblical times, some parents were able to name their child without the help of today’s gender-revealing sonogram because God told them what they were having and what the child’s name would be (think Isaac, Solomon, John, and Jesus). Branding with my own name was simply an acknowledgement of His creation of me as a unique individual. (Click to Tweet that.)

“I chose personal branding because God’ vision for my words and my life is constantly evolving – by not choosing a ‘niche’ specific name, I have the freedom to grow my brand in any direction without starting fresh every time. Also, it has helped people identify me with my writing and my passions when we meet in real life – they put a literal ‘face’ to my online ‘name.'”
–Crystal Stine

Is using my name prideful?

It felt strange, almost prideful, to think about using my own name for my blog domain. And yet, I wondered if it was even more pretentious to bestow a “brand” upon my blog. Anything I could think of either lacked originality or would be as outdated as my “little pink house” within five years. Branding as myself was the simple answer. I sign my name on every email I write. I put my name in the return address of every letter I mail. Why should my blog be any different?

“When I started blogging in 2003, it seemed an obvious choice to connect my online presence with my name, like people would be meeting me online. I never thought of it as ‘branding’ nor did I think I was pointing a big finger at me rather than God. I felt that the online me was pretty similar to the real-life me, and that felt genuine. Sometimes I write blatantly about God just like I sometimes talk blatantly about God, and sometimes I talk and write about iron skillets. That’s Ann Kroeker, online or off.”
–Ann Kroeker

God’s Writers Have Used Personal Branding for Centuries

Biblical authors like Paul needed no explanation or certification except, “I, Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ.” There was nothing trendy about Paul: his tagline was the same as all the others. He was honest, straightforward, and humble. Paul’s name was what set him apart from the other apostles. And two thousand years later, we still know their books by their names. It’s not pride to let your work be associated with your name, it’s simply practical. (Click to Tweet that!)

“I am growing in my understanding of God’s vision for my life. Following Him is a day-by-day, walk by faith and that is as true in my personal life and family as it is in my ministry in this online space. In addition to a writing ministry, God has opened doors for speaking and teaching. Using a name specific domain erases some of the limits I tend to put on myself and allows me to follow whichever direction God leads.”
–Erika Dawson

Is now the time to rebrand using my name?

It was overwhelming to think about the rebranding process, but I knew it was time–and that it was easier to do it sooner than later. My first blogging conference signified a new season in both my blogging and my business, and my rebranding represented that change. Why shouldn’t my blog become a true extension of myself in name as well as in content?

“From a business perspective, it makes sense for the name on my book cover to match the name on my blog. For me, the move to personal branding was one way to be a good steward of my word-ministry. For years, my name was attached, as a byline, to news stories in many metro newspapers. Now, it’s attached to the Good News.”
–Jennifer Dukes Lee

God often changed people’s names to signify a new season or calling.

In the Bible, God changed people’s names to signify a change in direction, a new phase in their walk with Him. Sarai became Sarah at God’s command, her new name representing the coming fruit of her womb. Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi changed her name to Mara to signify a season of mourning. Jacob became Israel when God revealed that He would be the father of a nation God would call His own. Changing my blog domain to my own name became a memorial stone on my blogging journey.

“Rebranding can actually be a very natural part of taking the next step in what He’s called you to online. And, if done correctly it can actually strengthen your presence and impact online. Introducing yourself by name brings an authenticity to your online presence, and authenticity is a hot commodity.” (Click to Tweet that.)
–Trina Holden

Gretchen Louise:
“I wanted the freedom to just by myself online, whether interacting with clients or connecting with readers. Now that I’ve rebranded I don’t have to fit my posts to my blog’s brand or theme–my blog is a representation of me and everything I’m interested in, an extension of myself in name as well as content.”

Trina Holden:
“We are here to build relationship. We need to introduce ourselves the same way we do in real life—by announcing our name. I know this can sound a bit egotistical, but really, it’s not. You’re simply removing barriers and making it easy for people to find you and talk to you. It’s a favor to your friends and anyone you meet online to be consistent in your online identities. Having a solid brand is as simple as just being yourself wherever you go.” (from “The Best Personal Branding Advice I Ever Got Or Gave“)

Amanda Medlin:
“As a blogger, I struggled to find my niche. Although I loved my blog’s name, I sometimes felt trapped by it, as though I could only blog about natural living and natural parenting. Those are both very much a part of who I am, but just a part. When I chose to rebrand using my name I finally felt the freedom to blog from the season of life I found myself in, rather than trying to keep up with a specific theme or genre.”

Beginning Branding Tips

Choosing a domain name is a long-term decision. Use something you’ll still want to be known by in five or ten years. (If you’re single and hoping to be married, this may mean using your middle name rather than a last name.)
It’s a lot of work to change your domain name, but it’s easy to change the name or tagline on your website. Just because your blog address is yourname.com doesn’t mean you can’t use a different title or tagline for your blog!
There is no one size fits all branding advice. But it’s easier to start with your name than change to it later. As Trina says, “using your name will help you when and if the Lord calls you to opportunities beyond your blog.” (Click to Tweet that.)
Click here for more personal branding tips and resources.

“As an author, I have plans for many series and many books. I want my brand to extend past one book or one series and encompass anything I might write. It seemed easier to use my name as a umbrella to cover anywhere my imagination may take me!”
–Vicki V. Lucas

I rebranded in 2012 as Gretchen Louise, choosing just my first and middle names because it took Trina two years to learn how to spell my last name, let alone pronounce it. I changed my blog domain and redirected my old domain to my new one, changed my social media usernames (creating new accounts as necessary), and set up a new email address. It was a long process, but it was worth it to feel like I could truly be myself on my blog. And because I used my name this time, I don’t have to worry about rebranding again!

I’ve come to wholeheartedly embrace personal branding, and encourage my clients and anyone looking to solidify their brand to consider the practical simplicity of going by their God-given name. (Click to Tweet that.)

How about you–have you embraced personal branding?

I’d love to hear why!

Sincerely,
Gretchen Louise

Graphics and editorial input by Trina Holden.

3 Ways to Kickstart Your Writing

By Kayse

This summer, I took an extended blogging break. We were moving from one end of California to the other, and between toddler-chasing and baby-growing, I had to let writing go for a season.

Even more, though, I felt the Lord calling me into something new. To focus fully on my family, accept my limits, and trust that I wouldn’t lose all of my readers if I decided to be quiet for a time.

So, I obeyed. It was hard, but wonderful.

Now, though, that season has come to an end. We’re all settled in (except for a few pesky boxes), and I’ve got the writing itch again. But where to start? What to say? When to write? I’m in a place where I’ve got to find my blogging groove all over again.

As summer comes to an end, I’m guessing many of you are in a similar place. So, today, I’d like to share three ways to kickstart your writing. Whether you’re coming out of a quiet season, like me, or just need a renewed focus, there are three key things you can do.

1. Pray

When you’re getting ready to craft words and pour your heart onto the page again, it’s hard to figure out where to begin. Prayer is essential! Bring your quiet heart, your empty hands, and your will to the feet of the cross. Ask God for your message, your story. It’s His name and His glory we’re writing for in the first place – He will direct our steps.

2. Plan

Oooh, planning is my favorite part! Once you’re back in the writing frame of mind, the ideas might be flowing like crazy! What does your first post back say? Do you start a new series? A new eBook project? There’s a lot to figure out. Take a few hours away if you can, and devote some time to planning what your writing is going to look like now. After a season of quiet, chances are your writing is going to look different than it did before. Allow yourself some grace, and give yourself the freedom to take things in a new direction or keep a new schedule.

My two favorite blog planning tools are Intentional Blogger and the “How They Blog” Blog Planning Kit. These resources both have great printable worksheets for you to go through to create a mission statement, writing schedule, project planning, and more! I took both of these to Panera (along with some fun colored pens, of course!) for a blog planning evening. Afterwards, I had so much more focus and direction for where God wanted me to take my writing ministry. Planning is priceless!

3. Persist

Like I said, things are going to look different after a break. During my own writing break, my stats dwindled a bit, and gmail tabs were introduced. Both of those events meant that my readership was not as engaged as they previously had been. I now needed to cultivate that sense of community again, provide solid content, and give people a reason to read. I’m still working on rebuilding a bit, and some days it would be easy to just throw up my hands and give up. But I know, without a doubt, that writing is an important part of walking in God’s will for my life. So, persistence is key. It’s important that I keep doing what He’s asked me to be doing, no matter what the numbers look like!

Now it’s your turn! Tell us, did you take a writing break over the summer? What did you learn in the quiet? What’s your best tip for returning to the blogging world?

Let Them See You Write

By Christie

As mothers, it is so important to share with our children our dreams, passions, and talents. If you sing in the church choir, are part of a softball league, or lead storytime at the local library, would you take your children with you? Of course you would! So why is writing any different? So often we feel guilty for pulling out our laptops in front of our kids. Let’s change the reason why–show them what you are putting out for the world to see in black and white. Make your words real for them. Here are a few great reasons why:

1. It carries on a legacy.

When I was a little girl, I stayed at my grandfather’s feet as he pounded out his heart on that old word processor amidst the soft anthems of show tunes and classical music. He would bring out family, honest faith, and any and all things Southern onto those crisp pieces of paper. When he would complete his latest work, we would glide down the hill to the newspaper office to submit his weekly column to our hometown newspaper, the LaFollette Press. People would see him out and about and approach him like he was a celebrity. Why? He was just a small town man. But his words meant something to someone. And sometimes words are all we have. Now, thanks to his legacy, those passions instilled in me at such a young age are coming to fruition. I now write a column for the same paper. And when the children and I drive down that same, familiar road to pick up our copy on Thursdays, they beg me to read it to them before we ever leave the parking lot.

You are your family’s historian! May we continue to tell the tales that bind hearts and encourage souls.

2. It inspires greatness.

A few weeks ago, the children and I set up a lemonade stand to help the victims of tornadoes in Oklahoma through our “50 State Prayer Project”. Once we returned from our sales and I sat down to share our story, I invited our oldest child to sit with me and shared with her my blog for the first time. I explained to her the heart behind it, how the Lord fuels the words, and how it is named after her. A few hours later, I found her writing feverishly on 3×5 index cards. When I inquired of her latest project, she explained that she was “working on her website, and it is all about pictures, art, and keeping your house clean”. She wants to inspire greatness in others, even with crayons and paper. We have also been journaling back and forth, where I will ask a simple question in her journal at night, leave the journal in front of her bedroom door, and she responds in the morning with her “answer”. These are dreams we are recording on a daily basis!

May we all have record of where we are going and where we are from. Sharing our hearts can be the greatest of gifts.

3. It is a cure for writer’s block.

I went through a period of time earlier this year when I struggled with writer’s block terribly. I felt my column submissions were dry and boring at best, and my blog was less than inspiring. In a moment of desperation, I asked my children one morning (after five cups of coffee and several handfuls of chocolate chips..) what people would love to read about in the paper that week. They gave me enough ideas for the next three weeks of columns. It has become so commonplace for me to ask now that a few weeks ago, when we were heading for the splash park, my son declared that he was wearing a “naked shirt” when he was shirtless. We all laughed and my daughter said, “Mommy? You should write about that!” What was next week’s column about? Yes. THE NAKED SHIRT. Not sure how those old men at Hardee’s enjoyed that particular article, but it was a great idea from my five year old, so I went with it.

Children see the world differently than we do. Explore their thoughts; they may have something in mind we would have completely missed if we had failed to ask!

Friend, you are a WRITER. This is a big deal! Who are we without words to explain our very being? And sharing these words with the next generation instills in their hearts and minds what you love doing most and reminds us of the past and allows us to smile at the future. Your life, your family; we all have something to share. Gather around, kids. We have a story to write.

Why Every Blogger Needs an Email Newsletter

By Trina Holden

Why Ever Blogger Needs an Email Newsletter by @TrinaHolden on #Allume

When you read yet another post enthusiastically encouraging you to start a newsletter, what do you think?

Probably the same thing I did for a long time: “That’s advice for bigger bloggers, bloggers who are marketing something, or bloggers with a clear idea of where they’re going online. But definitely not for me.”

But today I’m going to give you two key reasons why any blogger, big or small, casual or focused, ministry or marketing minded, would both enjoy and benefit from creating a newsletter. And then I’m gonna tell you exactly how to get started with the help of my techie, friend, Gretchen. Are you ready? Here we go!

1. Email is Tried and True

In the busy summer months, or anytime you don’t have a lot of time for the computer, what’s the last thing you hang on to? That’s right—your inbox. Facebook may get neglected, your favorite blogs pile up in your RSS reader, but when you just have a few moments, you still check your email faithfully. Why? Because email remains the most trustworthy way for people to contact you, and for you to collect information that’s important to you.

It’s also the most assured way that you can get in touch with your readers. Facebook’s algorithms may squeeze your statuses out of their feed, they may have forgotten to switch their RSS reader when Google reader died, but email remains steadfast. You don’t have to fight to be heard on Twitter or seen on Pinterest—when you offer your readers the chance to connect with you via a newsletter, they’re asking you right into their private inbox where it’s much quieter, and a personal note from a friend or blogger they enjoy will probably get top billing. Instead of fighting for attention on a busy street, you’ve been invited to the kitchen table to share your heart over a cup of coffee.

2. Email is Personal and Private

Have you struggled to connect deeper with your audience, pouring words out of your heart, but rarely hear even an echo back? There are several reasons (besides the hurry of life) that keep people from giving feedback on posts.

Your reader may not be as tech savvy as you and has trouble commenting no matter how easy you make it (a very dear relation of mine would certainly fall into this category!).
Your reader may have been too deeply moved by your post to be comfortable pouring their heart out in a place as public as a comment form.
Your reader may have a question or a concern they don’t feel like airing publicly.

Email resolves all of these issues, encouraging your readers to respond to you in a way that is familiar (“simply reply to this message!”) and private. When they realize that their communication with you will go straight to you and no one else, you may be amazed at how they open up, feedback increases, and relationship deepens.

Do you begin to see how even you and your audience may benefit from an email exchange? It’s the perfect tool for a deeper, more reliable communication with your audience. With a newsletter you can transition from one-way communication to a rich, personal dialogue with your readers in the comfort of your inboxes. So, let’s get started!

Gretchen Answers Your Newsletter FAQ

I know by now your head is full of questions about how this works and how much it costs. So my friend Gretchen is here to answer your questions:

How much does it cost to build an email list?

It’s free! I recommend MailChimp or Mad Mimi, and both are free for limited emails per month to less than 2,000 subscribers. (Check out the price breakdowns for more frequent emails and other services here.)

Isn’t this what FeedBurner or Jetpack already does with my latest posts?

Yes and no. You can use MailChimp or Mad Mimi to send out your posts by email (it’s called RSS to email). But what Trina is talking about here is offering an additional subscription option, a personal newsletter, directly from you to your readers’ inboxes.

I don’t know anything about coding—will I be able to set this up?

Both MailChimp and Mad Mimi are super easy to use, and have great tech support and helpful tutorials. Advanced signup form configuration may require coding help from a VA or designer, but setting up an email list and sending out a newsletter is pretty simple.

How do I get people to subscribe?

Put the signup form in your blog sidebar and on your Facebook page, create a special “subscribe” page on your site, Tweet about your newsletter from time to time, offer a free download exclusively to your subscribers, etc.

How do I get started?

Choose a service like MailChimp or Mad Mimi, set up your “list”, and get started creating your first campaign (that’s the fancy term for “newsletter”)!

Click here to check out Gretchen’s detailed guide to creating and building an email list over at gretchenlouise.com.

Now, what to put in this here letter?

Well, there are many types of newsletters, but the goal of most of the good ones I’ve received seems to be to serve the reader either info, inspiration, or a juicy combination of both.

The Informational Newsletter

Includes tips and tricks your audience would expect to get from you, plus multiple links to further content on the subject of the email, either from your blog or other’s. (Example: Amy Lynn Andrews)

The Inspirational Newsletter

Got a really special message the Lord has put on your heart for your readers this month, or a great new idea that’s helping you on your journey? Choose to make it newsletter content over a blog post. Perhaps include links to other related posts on your blog or books that have been inspiring you this month. (Example: Emily Freeman)

The Blog Wrap Up Newsletter

This newsletter, which is basically a synopsis of what your blog has offered in the last week or month, is a great way to serve your reader who’s been too busy to visit your blog every day or keep up with their RSS feed. Give them a brief rundown of what you’ve been writing about, and let them choose the links they follow. It can be automated through RSS to email campaigns, or you can code it yourself. (Example: Jeff Goins is one of many bloggers who offer this option in addition to his weekly Inspirational-style Newsletter.)

The Personal Update Newsletter

Do you have news or thoughts you’d rather not broadcast to the whole world, but still want your readers to know about? Consider using your newsletter in it’s simplest form—a traditional, newsy, heartfelt letter, just what you’d share if you were having coffee together. (Example: My newsletter falls into this category, though I’ve been inspired by all of the above styles at one time or another in the past year since I’ve been sending a newsletter.) If you do want your news to stay private to people’s inboxes, MailChimp gives you the option to disable social sharing, etc.

As you can see, there’s a whole slew of options to mix and match into the newsletter you’re uniquely equipped to write to your readers. Once you decide what you want to convey, let the fun of deeper connection begin!

My Best Tip for Learning to Craft a Great Newsletter

My final tip for creating a good newsletter is to subscribe to some great ones! Besides the ones mentioned above, you may enjoy the newsletters offered by some of our very own Allume writers: Erika, Gretchen, Jill, Kayse, Kris, Natasha, Tricia, and yours truly. (And if you’re an Allume attendee this year, don’t forget to sign up for Allume’s own newsletter!)

Do you receive a newsletter you love? Please share the sender’s blog address in the comments, as I’m looking to fill my inbox with fresh inspiration! And if you have a newsletter, do tell us where we can sign up!

Tweetables:

Email was the first way to connect online, and it remains the best method to get in touch with people. (Click to Tweet)
Newsletters: Not just for bigger bloggers! (Click to Tweet)
Want to connect more deeply with your readers? Try a Newsletter! (Click to Tweet)

The B-Word | All About Balance

By Tricia Goyer

When it comes to writing at home, serving in our church and community, and loving our family, we all strive for the same thing: balance. We believe it’s out there, and if we discover the right formula we’ll find it. And, when we find it, there we will have peace.

As a wife, mom of six, leader in a community support group, and full-time writer, radio host, and blogger I have the answer to the issue of “balance.” The answer is that balance is not possible . . . or at least not in the form of a perfect schedule or routine. For even if we find balance one day, it most likely will slip between your fingers the next. People have unique needs on a daily basis. Work schedules are dependent on others. Health wavers, moods change. Husbands have crises at work. The people we serve in the community have struggles often. Very often.

The only thing we can be certain of is that as soon as we achieve a small measure of balance something is going to overturn the applecart and all our good intentions will spill out like crabapples, becoming scattered and bruised.

The thing about balance is that the only one who can control tomorrow (or even the rest of today) is the One who can also provide for our moment-by-moment needs when our schedule gets out of whack. God not only knows what’s coming, but He also knows what we need to do today to prepare for it.

How do I balance my life?

I schedule a few key things: Naps and bedtimes are a biggie for me. My little kids (5, 3, and 2) take a nap every day, at around the same time. And we strive to have them in bed by 7:30 p.m. We also try to have dinner as a family every night. Schedules give our children a sense of order. And when I know they’ll be in bed at a good hour, I can look forward to some element of peace in the evenings.

I pick two to three important things to get done in each day. There are days I need to write 2,000 words. There are days I need to get caught up on laundry. These two things cannot happen on the same day. When I choose what to focus on some things, I’m also choosing what to ignore. This is important. There will never be enough time to do it all. Ever.

I set aside times for fun and play. I give attention to my little ones first thing in the morning (instead of jumping straight onto the computer). I also try to spend an hour with them of dedicated time in the afternoons between the time they wake up from naps and the time I have to start working on dinner. We play in the yard, blow bubbles, or take a walk. When my kids know they’ll have dedicated time, they don’t have to fight for time (or act up to try to get it) throughout the day.

I seek help. I’ve managed my workload so I can have a young mom come in four hours a week to clean. I have an assistant who helps with my blogs and other online help. I have a friend/nanny who watches my little ones for blocks of time so I can write. I was not at this place ten years ago, but I’ve worked to find people who I can help financially and who can help me. While you may not be at the place to hire someone, ask yourself if there is there someone who you can trade with. For years I traded homeschool days with another mom so I’d have a free day. Also, when you see someone who is seemingly “doing it all,” know that that person probably has help, too. No one can do it all and balance everything well. No one.

I turn to God. He has the answers for your day. His Spirit will guide you to what’s most important. God has good plans for you and your family. Instead of looking to find the perfect schedule—the perfect balance—look to God for His plan for your day. Take your eyes off of that printed up schedule, and put them on Him, and you will go far into having a healthy and happy family and a productive work life, too!

The In-Between…What to do while you wait.

By Michele-Lyn

I hear my 3 year old through whimpers and whines, “I no like waiting. Waiting is hard.”

“I know,” I sigh.

It is hard for a toddler, and it’s hard for us adults. But waiting is inevitable, isn’t it?

We are waiting for an answer to prayer.
We are waiting for provision.
We are waiting for God to promote us.
We are waiting for our dreams to come to life, or a life to come to us.

While we wait, we still journey. Life goes on, and we must go on. We are in-between where we were and where we want to be, and it’s how we journey that’s most important. And in that journey, my friend, is where God does His best work in us. So what are we to do while we we wait? This…

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Let God have His way in you. Tweet this?

Our wait is the time that our selfishness is being worked out of us, as the motives of our hearts are being refined. It’s where the prayers we prayed of “Less of me and more of You, God,” are being answered, and our faith is being approved. There are trials while we wait, and sometimes the wait is the trial.

Sadly, many times the wait is laced with the darkness of disappointments. I often think of Joseph in Egypt. His dark abyss was a prison, yet God brought him from the prison to Pharaoh’s palace, in one day, so he could help save a nation. (Gen 41) God has called us and knows our end from our beginning. His timing is perfect. Perhaps, what we consider a disappointment is a divine-appointment, a set up for the greatness God has for us.

Your faith approved is worth more than gold, friend. “…for a little while you may be distressed by trials and suffer temptations, so that the genuineness of your faith may be tested, your faith which is infinitely more precious than the perishable gold which is tested and purified by fire.” (1 Pet 1:6-7 AMP)

Embrace the season with faithfulness. Tweet this?

As we are walking out our days, and working diligently to pursue our dreams we get caught in the in-between tension in our hearts. While we are living for the “future-us,” we are called be faithful as the “present-us,” and to our spouses, our children, family, friends, readers we already have. Unbeknownst to us, we can live subtly devaluing our opportunities and those around, not appreciating the significance they bring to our life in this moment. And the truth of it is, the present moment is all we really have.

When we are anxious for the next step, we may despair over where we are instead of yielding to the time of waiting for all it’s wondrous clouds by day and fire by night God provides for the journey. It’s a balance, isn’t it, like a holy equilibrium? May God find us with genuine gratitude and praise for what the day brings, while still having faith and hope for what He may have for tomorrow.

“Give yourself permission to enjoy fully the things you have, the person you are, and the life you are currently living while continuing to harbor the dreams that keep you growing and stretching into the future.” — Priscilla Shirer

Focus on honoring God by offering your gifts, skills, talents and abilities to the task at hand in this moment for His glory. Your faithfulness to Him is proved in the monotony. Be completely available for Jesus. You are the image of God right where you are.

Make God the prize you are waiting for. Tweet this?

Times of waiting can bring uncertainty and doubt, but these times are invaluable ones in the valley where we draw near to God and He draws near to us, and where God becomes our everything, again.

“God births dreams in us and the allows the desire to move us; it is in the pursuit of our dreams that we encounter tragedy and meet the deeper desires that only loss and heartache can reveal. What deeper desire of our beings does God call us to discover? It is no other love and no other one but Him.” — Dan B. Allender

When you desire God more, hunger and thirst after Him more, delight in Him with all of your being, until there is nothing you want more than God. When you are able to say with all your heart, with complete sincerity, and utter surrender, “It doesn’t matter if I never see what my heart longs for, because there is nothing I want more than You. You are my portion, Lord, and You are all I need.” Then you will see, when you least expect it, God will bring the very thing your heart desires into your life.

My prayer for you.

I pray as you go through the place you rather not be on the way to the place your heart is already connected to, walk closely with Him, not ahead or behind, but with Him hearing His Voice and thoughts about where you are. He’s with you now in the journey, not at the destination — changing you from glory to glory. “Faithful is He Who is calling you, and utterly trustworthy, and He will also do it.” (1 Thess 5:24 AMP)

Trusting Him,

Michele-Lyn

living a life surrendered

Will you share this post with someone who needs encouragement in the in-between? And will you share in comments, what is hardest about the time of waiting?

Focus Your Efforts and Set Limits Online

By Christin

There are so many things pulling at our attentions online. We aren’t sure what to spend time doing online that will be most effective for our ministry or business. It seems everyone has a different answer and many successful bloggers share their experiences. Before I go any further I do want to clarify–there is no “one size, fits all” for blogging. Some people have broken the “rules” of blogging and been very successful. Some have followed all the rules and have struggled to reach out further.

It’s important we each listen to the heartbeat and pulse of our own communities and follow their needs. They will be different, requiring that we tweak some of these said rules to fit within our communities.

It is very important to know your goals for your blog. This will be vital in knowing how to best spend your time online. Many of us don’t have a lot of time to spend online. So it’s helpful to know where to invest it.

Where to Focus Your Efforts

There is a lot of information telling us how we should be utilizing every social media outlet out there in order to be effective. I find that is not always the case.

Some say you have to spend lots of time reading and commenting on other blogs. But how many? How much is enough?

What about networking and blog work and maintenance and writing? All of this stuff takes time. How can we fit it all in? What is most important?

Here are the elements I have found to be most effective as a writer, blogger, and encourager to my online community.

Writing

I can’t get a message out if I don’t spend time writing it. Writing is the backbone of my entire ministry. If I don’t write, I don’t have anything for my community to grab a hold of when I’m not actively online. Nor will anyone have anything to share if they want to encourage someone with my writing. Writing posts and eBooks helps the message I have publish publicly, even when I’m not around.

However, my writing cannot stand alone, either. Somehow I have to get the message out there for others to see–and share.

Engaging

If I’m not engaging with people in an authentic and casual way, sharing my writing will only look like spam to most. I need to spend time connecting with people through social media.

How much time should I spend on social media and where should I focus my engagement?

We actually do not need to spend our entire day engaging on social media. Choose one or two (at most) avenues that you enjoy, and focus your engagement there. That doesn’t mean you cannot utilize other social media avenues if you choose. But unless you’re working as a full time blogger, being present and active at the top 5 social media platforms is going to burn you out and zap time away from other important things you need to be focusing on.

I spend my most active times engaging on Twitter and Facebook. I still utilize Pinterest, Instagram, and Google+, but I do not invest in much time in them as I do my main two.

You could easily get away with spending 30 minutes a day, on your top two social media picks and still be effective–pending your engagement is focused, not random, and not all promotions. Then spend 5-10 minutes a day on the remaining social media sites to maintain a presence.

Reading

Another important and very personal way to engage with people is to visit their blogs and comment. This is simple and straight-forward. But many people wonder how much time should be spent doing this each day. It’s easy to get sucked into reading blogs and link-hopping.

If you consistently read and comment (daily), you really don’t need to comment more then a couple of blogs per day. That’s 10-14 per week; and 40-56 per month. They add up! And that consistency will follow you.

Research and Educating Yourself

It is very important for a writer/blogger to continuously educate themselves on what’s current in blogging and social media. If you want to publish a book one day, it’s also important to stay up to date with the latest publishing news. We need to read to improve our skills as writers and bloggers. There will always be room for improvement and part of growing a ministry or business requires that we, ourselves, grow.

If you’re looking for answers, spend a little time researching.

Know Your Limits

There is only so much we can do in a day. It’s so easy (so easy!) to get sucked in to social media. We must know our limits and stand by them. We are wives, mothers, daughters, and friends outside of the online community as well. The internet is an awesome tool for making connections and creating ministry to reach places we wouldn’t otherwise be able to. But we cannot completely disconnect from life to advance our endeavors online.

It’s like anything else that we indulge too much of — it isn’t good for us or anyone around us. Know your limits.

How do I set limits?

Create a schedule. This helps to focus on the most important tasks, knowing you have to fit them in a time slot on your schedule.

Set a timer. This is especially helpful when you get on social media. It requires you to stay on task because you know you only have so much time to make the most of it.

Unplug regularly. This is such a refreshing way to refocus and actually gain new ideas. Stepping away once a week, once a month helps keep things in the right perspective.

What area listed above could you use more information in? I’d be glad to help answer any questions you have–just leave them in the comments.

Joy in Christ,

Christin Slade

8 Tips For Beginning Writers

By Kris

As a homeschooling mom of 4, finding time to write can be a bit of a challenge. My children are all young enough to still need quite a bit of help and attention doing everything from loading the dishwasher, to using the potty. To say I don’t have a lot of free time is an understatement.

A question I am often asked is this: “How do you have time to write like you do?“ Or, people sometimes say it in a statement form, like this: “I don’t know how you found the time to write a book!”

8 Tips for beginning writers, (You Can do it) <–Tweet this!

I treat writing as a job. What I mean specifically is, I set aside specific time to work. I schedule it into my day, just as I would a doctors appointment or a girls night out. This helps me to plan our activities, and allow plenty of face time and class time with my kids, while still getting my projects done.
I set deadlines. I’m jumping headfirst into another project and in order to make that happen, I have set deadlines for myself to complete different phases of the project. This prevents me from ~~enjoying~~ wasting hours of time watching Duck Dynasty, when I need to have something ready for editing.
I guard my writing time fiercely. My children take a scheduled quiet time every day. This time is sacred to me. This is when I write most often (like right now) and I am very careful about things that would otherwise interrupt this time. It occurs at the same time everyday, and so I schedule our entire day around this 2 hour window. I’ve been known to turn down many activities that interrupt this hallowed time. Thankfully, my friends here know me well, and don’t often ask us to play or do anything during that time, and likewise, I avoid scheduling anything that will prevent me from being near my computer during this small window of time.
I (sometimes) write at night. Part of the reason I guard my quiet time with such ferocity, is that in the evenings, I’d like to hang out with my husband. Therefore, in order to write, I must try and work around his schedule, which means limited night writing. When I was in the throws of finishing my book, many nights were spent writing, and we made do, because we knew that pace would not last. I try to have a once a week “write night” (#writenight for you tweeps out there) because honestly, sometimes, night writing is where the magic happens. I should add here that my husband is an absolute saint and supports me fully in my writing, which makes all the difference in the world. Amen.
I write before the sun comes up. Early morning is an excellent time to get those first morning thoughts out on paper–and that’s specifically how I do my morning writing, on paper in my journal. I won’t speak too much to this because everybody has their method, but I will simply say this, if you write almost exclusively on the computer, I suggest you find a good legal pad or a journal and every now and then, write long hand. I am amazed sometimes at how different my writing can be when I take the time to draw out the letters.
I take scheduled breaks. I have found this to be a critical component in my efforts to hold on to ideas. The more tired I am, the more often I lose the words. Scheduling rest is a key component in holding on to my story and making my deadlines. ( If you need accountability and encouragement to take time off from being creative, try this.) This leads me to my last point.
I get offline. Sometimes I can be positively fed full by the online conversations I enjoy. But I can also easily waste a tremendous amount of time online, and get distracted from my own writing and work. If you want to write, get off line and do the work. Everybody knows this already, but yet, many of us still struggle with this one seemingly obvious point.
I pray. This perhaps should have been the first point, but the fact that I list it last does not speak to the significance of this tip. If you want to write, take that desire to the Lord and give it back to Him. Ask Him to show you how to fit it into your life, and for the words and wisdom to share. I believe that God is honored most by our willingness to use the gifts He has given us, for His purposes. Don’t know what that looks like for you? Ask Him. He will direct your steps.

What tips do you have for other writers? Share them below–help a sister out!

The Super Easy Switch From Google Reader to Feedly

By Guest

When my Mom called me in February to ask what I was going to do now that Google Reader is shutting down, I laughed in her face. Not the most respectful or gracious reaction, I realize, but the demise of Google Reader seemed an impossibility, nothing more than a ridiculous rumor.

I’m still not sure how she found out about the demise of Reader several weeks before the official announcement, but she did.

The rumor has been substantiated and the impossible is definitely happening.

I think I’ll cry now. Google Reader is part of my daily life. Hourly, if you want to be real about it. I follow so many blogs right now, there is absolutely no way on earth I am willing to go back to clicking on each of my bookmarks to see if thereís something new. No. Never. Ew.

But somewhere between crying over a techno-gadget and feeling lame for mourning a website’s demise, I found the solution! And guess what? It’s going to be so easy, even my Mom will be able to make the transition easily.

Step One:

Go to Feedly.com

Step Two:

Click the maroon button that says “Get Feedly For [Insert Your Browser Name Here]” (it will detect automatically) and allow the program to install. (The Browser App is available for Chrome, Firefox, Safari as well as Android, and iOS.)

(Note: you may have to click a few extra times to confirm you want to install, to bypass your security settings, and to allow popups, depending on your browser’s settings.)

Step Three:

Restart your browser when prompted.

Step four:

Sign into your Google account (easiest will usuallly be to simply open your Gmail) and then click on the little green Feedly button that has now appeared right next to your address bar. Feedly and Google will communicate and then ask you whether you want to allow Feedly to have access to your Google Reader Data. You do.

Step five:

You’re done!

Yes, it was that easy.

In the first seven hours after I installed Feedly to Firefox and downloaded the App for my Nexus 7 Tablet, I already understood why Google decided to do away with Reader and why their usage has declined. Anyone still using Reader is stuck in the dark ages: Feedly is BETTER! (And Iím pretty sure thatís the first time Iíve said anything negative about any Google product.)

I love the aesthetically pleasing layout — there are photos and blurbs, not just lines of text!

Feedly doesnít merely give new content in chronological order, it automatically is filtering by popularity and ranking; I know at a glance which posts I need to read first and which can wait until another time. (How they do this? I have no clue. Iíll leave it to their masterminding.)

(But if you still want to see only the most recent posts, you can view by “Most Recent” and see only a list of post titles that looks exactly like Reader.)

Oh, and Feedly integrates fully and seamlessly with Twitter and Facebook, allowing for easier sharing to those platforms and allowing me to following what my Facebook and Twitter peeps are sharing with me.

Plus, Feedly is fast. Way fast. The same pages on the same internet on the same tablet load in half the time on Feedly. Not sure how, but it does. Itís also faster and easier to email links to my friends straight from Feedly.

See? Absolutely no trouble at all.

Jennifer is a daughter, a sister, a wife, a photographer, a storyteller, an adventurer, and (most recently) a patriotic America learning to love her new home in Canadaland

Blogger Beware: Keeping your Family Safe in the Online World

By Christie

As the wife of a detective/police officer, we have dealt firsthand over the years with safety concerns, both on my online space and my front doorstep. Deciding what to post online, both in the social media and blogging realms, can be a slippery slope. Here are a few guidelines to help you determine what to share with the world:

Location is Everything

Many people “check in” on facebook or twitter, revealing their current location, whether it be a park, restaurant, or picking their child up from school. This is dangerous in a thousand ways. If you are playing at the park, your husband is at work, and the internet world is aware, then they also know that your home is empty, leaving a prime opportunity for a break in.

Another online danger is sharing on social media or your blog when you or your husband will be out of town. When I went to the Allume conference last year, I blogged for weeks about attending and how excited I was. My husband dropped me off at a hotel room the night before my early morning flight, taking my vehicle back home. While I was away, a burglary case my husband had been working on broke. The thieves confessed to a break in of a home, closing his case. They also confessed to something else: casing our home for a break in while I was gone that weekend. They described our home to my husband, including each vehicle we had in our driveway and revealed what time they were watching our home. If my husband had not solved the case when he did, we could have been the next victims.

On the other side of the coin, do not reveal that you are home alone with your children while your husband is away. Tweets such as “I sure miss my husband! Can’t wait to see him on Friday!” is a huge indicator that you and your children will be home alone this week. We had a separate incident where a man called after midnight, angry, and threatened our family. He knew that my husband had been called out a few hours prior, and that he was back home. He knew where we lived and knew when we had left that day and what time we had returned. Needless to say, our second shift officer friends spent a large amount of patrol time on our street that night.

Remember, location is everything. So, keep your current location as private as possible!

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Deciding what photos to post online is key to your family’s safety. Never post pictures of the front of your home, your house number on your mailbox, and crop out the license plate number of any vehicles in your family photos. I have plenty of pictures on my blog of the inside of my home–but they are never of points of entry or of any valuables we may have. I know many mothers that do not feel comfortable posting pictures of their children online. When I started my blog in 2008, I named it after my daughter and it was basically about her. Then two boys later, we are still posting heavily about them. I figured being from a small town, everyone already knew who they were regardless. Would I change that if I started a blog today? Not sure. Times are always changing.

If you are uneasy about your children’s faces being online, be sure to check your social media privacy settings and always ask permission of other mom friends before posting pictures of their children online, either on your blog or social media. I have found this to be good practice with birthday party photos, and the mothers very much appreciate it!

In addition to photos, simply the basic info on your blog needs to be in check. Do not list your home address, cell phone number, or any other type of work contact that is easily accessible for readers.

Blog At Least a Week Behind

When it comes to vacation photos, date nights, birthday parties, camping trips, and the like, I am always at least a week behind blogging them. This is purposeful. I love sharing our family adventures, but only when we have returned home and settled, and never from the actual vacation site. Again, if people know that you are having an amazing trip overseas, they also know there is a good chance you are not home (Unless you have a friend house sit, which we have done in the past).

Just remember: what you post on the internet is there forever. Sharing your heart online can be the most humbling and rewarding experience. Your blog is a controlled creature; carefully selecting your content is a safe way to share your story online.