Setting Limits

As with anything, blogging can suck up precious time. As a wife and homeschooling mother who stays-at-home, I know all too well the struggles in balancing my blog and life.  If I am not careful, blogging can take up time that should be spent on other things.  Here are a few tips on how to set limits when it comes to your blog:

• Set the timer.  Yes, this really does work.  In the mornings I set a small amount of time to answer email.  This is usually before the children are awake.  This enables me to get important emails read and at the same time lets me know when I've done enough.
• Look at your priorities.  God has called us to be His children first, wives and mothers second, and bloggers last.  If your children have no clean clothes for tomorrow, or your husband needs lunch made, do those things first.  Before you sit down to your computer, look around and see if there is anything pressing that needs to be done.
• Set one day a week to write blog posts.  The Happy Housewife has an excellent post on this.  This goes hand in hand with meeting priorities first.  Note: If you think of post ideas before your writing day, write them down!
• Take a break once in a while.  Yes, it is okay, despite what you have heard.  It is always beneficial to take a step back and think long and hard about what you are doing and why.  Use this time to pray and ask God for wisdom in your blogging.  Ask Him to show you if you are putting blogging before Him.  If you are worried about losing readership, you can ask someone to guest post for you during that time, or you can re-run older blog posts.  Writing posts ahead of time and scheduling them for certain days works too.

I'd love to hear from you what helps you keep the proper balance in life and blogging.

Photo courtesy of spekulator

I Won't Water Down My Faith

I love watching Christian music videos on YouTube.  I find myself doing it on my iphone when the kids are playing at the park or we are stuck in traffic.  Watching the videos help to keep my mind focused and not lingering on ungodly things.  I personally am a big fan of southern gospel music.  I guess that comes from growing up in Texas in a Baptist church. :) So the other day when I was watching videos on YouTube I stumbled upon the song For Future Generations by 4Him.  I haven't heard this song in a long time!  I think the last time was at a concert I went to in Maryland where 4Him was performing about 3 years ago.

So you might be asking, What does this have to do with blogging? Well, I'm getting there. If you pay attention to the lyrics there is a line that goes like this:

So I wont bend and I wont break I wont water down my faith I wont compromise in a world of desperation What has been I cannot change But for tomorrow and today I must be a light for future generations

It can be so easy to "water down" our faith on our blogs.  We might not want to offend anyone or to turn away readers.  But by watering down our faith are we truly giving God the glory He deserves?  Psalms 115:1 tells us, "Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, [and] for thy truth's sake." (King James Version)  It is God we are to give glory to, not ourselves, and we do this for mercy and truth.  Don't our readers deserve the truth?

Do you "water down" your faith on your blog?  I would love to hear your comments and suggestions on how not to "water down" your faith.

I Won't Water Down My Faith

I love watching Christian music videos on YouTube.  I find myself doing it on my iphone when the kids are playing at the park or we are stuck in traffic.  Watching the videos help to keep my mind focused and not lingering on ungodly things.  I personally am a big fan of southern gospel music.  I guess that comes from growing up in Texas in a Baptist church. :) So the other day when I was watching videos on YouTube I stumbled upon the song For Future Generations by 4Him.  I haven't heard this song in a long time!  I think the last time was at a concert I went to in Maryland where 4Him was performing about 3 years ago.

So you might be asking, What does this have to do with blogging? Well, I'm getting there. If you pay attention to the lyrics there is a line that goes like this:

So I wont bend and I wont break I wont water down my faith I wont compromise in a world of desperation What has been I cannot change But for tomorrow and today I must be a light for future generations

It can be so easy to "water down" our faith on our blogs.  We might not want to offend anyone or to turn away readers.  But by watering down our faith are we truly giving God the glory He deserves?  Psalms 115:1 tells us, "Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, [and] for thy truth's sake." (King James Version)  It is God we are to give glory to, not ourselves, and we do this for mercy and truth.  Don't our readers deserve the truth?

Do you "water down" your faith on your blog?  I would love to hear your comments and suggestions on how not to "water down" your faith.

Why Should Christians Blog?

Many people have a blog these days.  For some it is a way to express themselves and for others a blog is a way to keep friends and relatives informed of what is going on in their lives.  Some like to share their knowledge via blog posts and others just try it to “see what the fuss is about.”  Many label blogging as a “hobby.” For me, blogging started as a continuation of my passion for writing that I had in my college days.

To me, blogging has become more: It has become a mission field.  As with any part of our lives, we are called to be salt and light to a watching world.  Our need for a Savior is noticeable even on the Internet. Unfortunately, this seems to be uncharted territory for many Christians.  For many, spending time on the Internet is seen as a waste of time. I feel we are missing an opportunity to witness if we ignore something that has become such a huge part of our everyday lives.

When I first started blogging I tended to stay within my comfort zone.  I visited blogs of likeminded women who shared similar interests.  Over the years I became aware that Christian women bloggers who blogged without being ashamed of the Gospel were far and few between.  Many claimed to be Christian but their posts reflected anything but.

Christian bloggers have a gold mine of potential mission fieldwork all at their fingertips.  Boot up your computer and you have the ability to influence many for the sake of Him who died for us.  Posting on your personal blog can show Christ’s love without even needing to quote a Bible verse (though that is certainly preferable!).  Our words can show anger or love, lack of control or gentleness, foolishness or wisdom, pride or humility.  People do notice and some might even stop to ponder “Just what is it that makes her different from everybody else?”

Many of us are good bloggers.  Some of us are quite talented.  What better way to glorify Him who loves us than by evidencing our Christian walk through our gift of writing?  We are speaking and people are listening.  Let’s remember that we are all missionaries.

-Kelly @ Wisdom Begun

Photo courtesy: abcdz2000

Using Your Posts for God's Glory

Let's face it, becoming a Christian is not an easy path to choose.  The Bible itself says: “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:14 NKJV As Christians, we are called to be set apart, to be holy.  It only goes to follow that what we say, or write, is an extension of our lives and therefore must be holy as well.  In view of this, there are a few important questions to ask yourself while you blog.

Before You Hit Send

• Do your words accurately represent the One whom you serve? Because we belong to our Savior our words are essentially not our own.  They should be indicative of our King.  I am not saying that each and every word should be a Bible verse – though it would be wonderful to repeat His precious words to your readers.  What I am saying is that our words should be “laced with grace.”  No vile or foul words should appear in our posts.  “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth. . .” Ephesians 4:29.

• Are you writing in haste?When we get passionate about something we feel strongly about it is very easy to write a post and hit send before we stop and think.  If the post you are writing is controversial, it may be wise to walk away for an hour or two and come back to it for review before you hit that “publish” button.  Perhaps your spouse or a trusted friend could read it before you post it for your readers.

• Can your words be misconstrued?

One obvious negative aspect to the online world is that words cannot express our body language and tone of voice.  While you may write with one view in mind, a reader could easily interpret it to mean something else.  Look at your post from all angles and make sure that you have done your best to avoid confusion.

• When you respond to a reader, are you using a loving tone?Questions and comments from those who seem to be rude are a fact of life in blogging.  Our replies do not have to be in like turn.  Instead of firing off an answer telling that person just what you think, temper your reply with a level head and loving words.  Turning the other cheek plays an important role.

In the end, let us make sure that our words are pleasing to our Heavenly Father.  As children of the King, we want to represent Him to a watching world.

-Kelly

Photo courtesy of: zizzy0104

Using Your Posts for God's Glory

Let's face it, becoming a Christian is not an easy path to choose.  The Bible itself says: “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” Matthew 7:14 NKJV As Christians, we are called to be set apart, to be holy.  It only goes to follow that what we say, or write, is an extension of our lives and therefore must be holy as well.  In view of this, there are a few important questions to ask yourself while you blog.

Before You Hit Send

• Do your words accurately represent the One whom you serve? Because we belong to our Savior our words are essentially not our own.  They should be indicative of our King.  I am not saying that each and every word should be a Bible verse – though it would be wonderful to repeat His precious words to your readers.  What I am saying is that our words should be “laced with grace.”  No vile or foul words should appear in our posts.  “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth. . .” Ephesians 4:29.

• Are you writing in haste?When we get passionate about something we feel strongly about it is very easy to write a post and hit send before we stop and think.  If the post you are writing is controversial, it may be wise to walk away for an hour or two and come back to it for review before you hit that “publish” button.  Perhaps your spouse or a trusted friend could read it before you post it for your readers.

• Can your words be misconstrued?

One obvious negative aspect to the online world is that words cannot express our body language and tone of voice.  While you may write with one view in mind, a reader could easily interpret it to mean something else.  Look at your post from all angles and make sure that you have done your best to avoid confusion.

• When you respond to a reader, are you using a loving tone?Questions and comments from those who seem to be rude are a fact of life in blogging.  Our replies do not have to be in like turn.  Instead of firing off an answer telling that person just what you think, temper your reply with a level head and loving words.  Turning the other cheek plays an important role.

In the end, let us make sure that our words are pleasing to our Heavenly Father.  As children of the King, we want to represent Him to a watching world.

-Kelly

Photo courtesy of: zizzy0104

Have You Given Your Blog to the Lord?

As I was driving home from picking up my children from Vacation Bible School a song became stuck in my head.  That song was “Is Your All On The Alter?”  Many of you probably know this song as it is often played during a church invitation or alter call.  It is really a beautiful song and when I got home I immediately did a search on YouTube for it.  I hoped that by listening to the song I might have some chance of clearing it from my mind.  But no luck – it continued to stay in my mind asking me “Is your all on the alter?” This got me thinking.  Is there something in my life I have not fully given over the Lord?  My house, my children, my finances, my blog?  There is room for improvement in all these areas of my life.  While I may have initially given an aspect of my life to the Lord over time I discovered I was taking it back.

One verses of the song goes like this:

O we never can know What the Lord will bestow Of the blessings for which we have prayed, Till our body and soul He doth fully control, And our all on the altar is laid.

It just hit me!  How can I expect the Lord to answer my prayers if I have not given everything to him?  Or if I keep taking it back.  It is like giving a child a toy, letting the child play with it for a while, and then telling that child he or she can no longer have the toy.

The same principal applies to our blogs.  One of things I highly advocate for a successful blog is to pray for your blog.  But if you have not given your blog over the Lord you are not reaping the full benefits.  So what are the full benefits of giving your blog over to the Lord?

1. The Lord will bestow blessings on our blog as just as He would if it were you life you were handing over.  Some of use may even feel like we are handing our life by handing over our blog.
2. You will have less worries.   There is no need to worry about something if you know the Lord is in control. You don’t have to worry about your blog.  See Proverbs 3:5-6
3. Your faith will grow and not only will this benefit your blog but it will also benefit your personal life as well.