Seven Tips on How To Write a Devotion

Writing a devotion can offer hope to your readers and inspire them in a way that lectures or plain articles, may not. A devotional is a very well thought out piece about one very minute topic usually focusing on a particular spiritual lesson.

Writing devotionals does not have to be difficult, there are many steps you can take to calm yourself down, get centered and write what God wants you to write.

Yes!  There is something already inside you that God wants you to say. You just have to open your heart to the Holy Spirit, and listen.

1. Be prayerful -- Before you put pen to paper, or rather, start typing, pray. Ask God to tell you what He would have you to write about. What message does He want you to impart? Be mindful of what comes to mind as you are praying. Does a particular person come to mind with a specific issue? Does a specific verse pop into your head? Listen. He will tell you what to write.
2. Pick one topic -- After intensely praying about what to write, pick one topic that comes to mind and be very focused on that one topic. It is easy to get carried away writing with all the ideas that will come to you!
3. Keep it short -- Your devotional should be no more than one page, or 500 words. But it is even better if it's less than 500 words, shoot for 250 words to keep yourself focused on one small laser targeted topic.  This will also help to keep your reader interested and with you.
4. Know your audience -- When you have your topic, write it to a specific audience, this is known as your "target market" in business, but here, this is your audience. Ask yourself the question:  Who is going to read this devotional? If it helps, write your devotional as if you're writing it to a dear friend.
5. Check your facts -- Make sure, if you are quoting biblical scripture that you not only check the scriptures to make sure you are not taking something out of context, and that you are quoting it correctly, but make sure you are using a relevant verse to support your devotional.
6. Inspire action -- Ask the readers to do something at the end of your message in your closing paragraph. That action will depend on what your message was about. You can end with a very short prayer if you wish, but keep it related to the message.
7. Be yourself -- Remember to be yourself. You're not perfect -- no human is -- and that is perfectly okay. Grammar isn't as important as your message. Do check your spelling with the spell checker, and have someone else read it if you wish, but the message is the most important thing here.

Ready To Learn How To Shape & Share Your Message?

God’s Word + Your Experience & Creativity = Amazing Personal Impact!

Check out Creating Powerful Devotions to learn a simple formula for penning devotions that make an impact in just five steps!

When you think about a devotional, you probably visualize a small, pocket sized book. That’s still a popular format of course – but oh the options we have today!

• You can publish your devotional on Amazon’s Kindle.
• You can offer your devotions as an email subscription.
• You can publish your messages as blog posts.
• You can record your devotions as a podcast via iTunes.
• You can deliver your messages on video and publish to YouTube.
• You can design your message as a graphic to be shared on social media channels.
• You can mesh your written devotions with blank pages and publish as a Prayer Journal though a service like CreateSpace.
• You can even blend your devotions with coloring pages – that’s a hot trend!

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CREATING POWERFUL DEVOTIONS!

Also:   Check out our guide "How to Write Your Testimony". It is available for free in the members area. Simply fill out the form below and you will be emailed the current password to the members area. Let us know if you get your testimony written, we'd love to read it. 

Looking for more ideas for writing devotions? Check out this other post:

• How to Write a Devotion, be Prayerful

• 50 Devotion Topics and Ideas

Some More Content Creation Tips

I mentioned a couple weeks ago coming up with content for your blog on a consistent basis is hard work and I shared with you some ideas on how to keep the ideas coming.  Coming up with valuable content week after week, day after day, can get old after a while and it can become quite challenging.   So here are a few more tips to help keep the wheels spinning and your blog growing.

1. Get organized. Do you ever notice that great content ideas come to you when you’re driving to the grocery store, taking a shower or at the park with the kids?  Keep a notebook or smart phone with you and capitalize on these inspiring moments. Then, as soon as you get home or to a computer, draft a quick blog post on that idea so it doesn’t disappear.  I use the Evernote iPhone app to keep track of ideas while I'm on the run.
2. Capitalize on creative moments. When you’re having a good writing day, do more than pat yourself on the back for a good post, take advantage of your momentum and write several posts at once.  I try to do this once a week.  It so nice to know that I have all my posts written for the week in advance an to have one less thing to worry about.
3. Keep a file of blog ideas. As mentioned in #1 blog ideas come to us at the most inconvenient times. Keep a log of your ideas in a file on your computer or at least on a notebook you keep on your desk. Now, when you’re stumped for an idea, you can simply open your notebook and pick the one on top.  I tend to keep my ideas in Evernote too; that way I can access them from any computer or even my iPhone.
4. Borrow Ideas. If you keep up on industry publications, blogs and data then you can borrow from these resources to create a quick post.  You can start your post with something like, “Today in the New York Times” or “I read a blog post this week about…here are my thoughts.”  The good thing about this method of content creation is that it also keeps you up-to-date with what is going on in the world.

I know a lot of people don't have problems coming up with ideas, but I am not one of them.  These are just some tips I use to help in the creation process.  Also remember that your content doesn't have to be in the written form.  It can be video, audio, or image too.

Would You Like To Be on the Faithful Bloggers Podcast?

Mic

Would you like to share your blogging journey on our podcast?  I am looking for Christian bloggers to interview for the Faithful Bloggers Podcast.  We can discuss how you got started blogging and how it has changed your life.  It doesn't matter if you are a new or established blogger.  All are welcome. If you are interested, please send us an email using our contact form.  Please make sure to include a link to your blog!

If you would like to listen to some of our past podcasts, you can do so here on the blog or at iTunes.

sector2804716

What if Your Blog isn't Based On Your Faith?

Most of the time when someone says they are a Christian blogger it is assumed that they blog solely about their faith.  But what if your blog isn't based on your faith?  Can you still consider yourself a Christian blogger?  Of course you can! Being a Christian blogger is much more than what you write about.  It's how you conduct yourself and your blog.  It's how you interact with readers and other bloggers.  It's you giving control of your blog to the Lord. Giving something completely over to the Lord is not always the easiest thing to do. It is in our nature as humans to want to control everything we have, including our blogs.

So here are some tips on how you can give your blog to the Lord, even if you don't blog about your faith:

• Pray for your blog - I know I mention this a lot but prayer is such a prayer thing.  If you where going to go through a life changing moment, you would pray to the Lord for the right outcome.  Guess what, God answers every prayer - large or small.  It doesn't matter what the prayer is about - buying a house or writing a blog post - consult the Lord in all the you do.  We are told to "pray without ceasing" in 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
• Love Your Enemies - Luke 6:35 tells us "But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and [to] the evil."  The Internet is huge and you are bound to encounter people who want to use you, have hateful comments, and seem to attack you in the social media realm.  React in the Christian way - with love.
• Don't Covet Other Bloggers - It's so easy to want what other bloggers have - their traffic, their readership, their amount of comments, their design, their friendships, etc.   Remember the 10 Commandments?  We are told to not covet our neighbors' house in Exodus 20:17.  While it is good to set goals and base those goals on other peoples' success, don't get stuck in the trap of resenting the fact that others have what you don't.

Of course these are just a few ways and they don't just apply if your blog isn't faith related.  Regardless of the type of blog you publish these 3 points should be implentented anyways.

If you have a blog that isn't faith based how have you turned your blog over to the Lord?

Easily Create Blog Content

Imagine committing to a daily blogging schedule, that means you not only have 7 blog posts due each week, you have approximately 30 each month and 365 posts a year. That’s a lot of blogging and you don't have to post every single day to have a successful blog. However, it is a great blogging schedule (I use this blogging calendar to plan out my posts and content ideas) and with a few tips and tricks, you can easily create that much blog content and more! #1  Know that there are many types of blog content. It doesn’t have to be an argumentative essay. You can write:

• How to’s
• Reviews
• Lists
• Tips
• Pros & Cons
• You can also create a blog series, write one longer article and break it up into smaller parts for several posts.

#2 Audio and video messages. Instead of worrying about what to write, sit down at your webcam and create a quick audio or video message. Make sure it has a purpose and that you’re easy to see and understand. And because these messages shouldn’t be longer than a few minutes, you can create almost a month’s worth of content in an hour.

#3 Let someone else write it. Ghostwriters, PLR – Private Label Rights, and Guest Bloggers are great for filling in the content gaps.

#4 Repurpose your content. If you have reports and ebooks handy that you own the rights to or have written yourself, repurpose sections of this content to create new posts.

#5 Fill in some days with questionnaires, surveys, contests and the like. These are interactive posts that require you to create the form but the rest is done by your readers.

Blogging doesn’t have to be difficult and I have found that it actually helps to plan out a general idea of content themes in advance so that when you have the time you can create your posts and content in advance.

Do you have any tricks or tips for easily creating blog content?

Does Blogging Add to Your Faith?

"And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make [you that ye shall] neither [be] barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 1:5-8

Our faith is something that is always changing.  We are either growing in faith or backsliding in our faith and, of course, we all want to be growing in our faith.  But sometimes there are things in our lives that prevent that from happening.  Is blogging one of them for you?  I hope not, but some times we need to take stock of where we are and what we are doing and make sure they align with God's will.

In the verse above, 2 Peter 1:5-8, it states that we should add virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, and charity to our faith and if we do so our faith and knowledge in the Lord will continue to grow.  So I ask this question - does your blog add virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kidness, or chairty to your faith?  If not, I might start questioning if your blog is a hindrance in your faith instead of a benefit.

So what do these things actually mean?

• Virtue - One who stands in the face of opposition.  Strong courage.
• Knowledge - Christian knowledge or discernment of God's will
• Temperance - self-control as to one's lusts and passions
• Patience - patient endurance amidst sufferings
• Godliness - God-trusting
• Brotherly Kindness - Love one toward another
• Charity - Love towards all men

(All definitions taken from the Jamieson, Fausset & Brown Commentary on 2 Peter 1 at Blue Letter Bible.)

Only you can answer this question but I think it is one that deserves some thought and attention.

P.S. If you are unsure about God's will in regard to your blog, please join us in our weekly Prayer Meeting so that we can pray for you.

Blogger Basics

Today I have a guest post for you from someone who knows more about Blogger than I do.  I hope you will find what she has to say helpful.  -- Courtney Make no mistake, I'm a Wordpress Girl at heart and I know very little beyond the basics of using Blogger as a platform for your message by virtue of having had a couple of blogging misfires over the past few years and having ghostwritten a book on Blogger. I never did figure out why anyone would be recommending blogger even then, but I did the research and now it resides in my head. So when Courtney was looking for experts on Blogger, I put my hat into the ring. I'm not an expert, but beyond the technical details which are easy enough to learn. The first thing you'll want to think about with your blog, especially if you plan to monetize your blogging experience, is customize the look of the basic blog. This process of finding and refining a skin is not difficult, though it can be time consuming only in the process of looking for the right template for you. The process of switching out the template is very easy.

The simplicity of blogger that frustrates so many is exactly what endears the platform the average audience user and audience. While it can be used to reach a wide audience, most users are not looking for that kind of impact and reach. Blogger was designed for traditional blogging for the average user. When it came along, blogging could be a rather complicated affair that only truly appealed to geeks and aficionados.

It's simple but it works for most pure blogging purposes. There are certain things you can't do with Blogger, but you can certainly build a healthy Ad-sense income with the right message in the right markets.

When choosing your look keep your purpose and message in mind. As is always the case in design, form follows function. You need to know what you want your blog to do before you can settle on it's final look.

You can find the whole process of switching out your default template outlined on this video from IceMarketing:

One thing I must caution against here is analysis paralysis. Don't get so caught up in choosing your design that you forget about the ultimate purpose of this exercise, which is to start blogging and carving out your corner of the internet universe. Remember that skins are easily changed. Resist changing too often or you risk jarring your readership, but do keep up with the times as far as technology goes.

Once you've chosen your look, your next step is ensuring you have your own domain. This is easy enough to do via the Google Dashboard and involves a minimal investment of around $10. This will help brand your blog and make it easier to share offline than the standard blogspot address. Choose your name wisely and be prepared for some serious brainstorming if the name you have in mind has already been snapped up.

With your look established and your domain purchased and set up, the next things to tackle will be your content and monetization, but I think just getting a template chosen and a domain secured are big enough jobs for the initial stage.

Patrysha Korchinski teaches marketing witchcraft and provides a range of services for small businesses serving a local marketplace. Her work has crossed a range of creative marketing platforms and has won awards at various levels. You can learn more about her and the fundamentally frugal techniques she relies on to spread her knowledge online and off at PK Marketing Solutions (http://pkmarketingsolutions.com)

Choosing WordPress

I admit it – I’m a bit of a WordPress snob.  I love WordPress and wouldn’t even dream of using anything else.  When I first started blogging  I started out using a Blogger blog because it was the only thing I knew of.  Within two months of starting my fist blog I discovered WordPress, moved my blog over to a self hosted WordPress blog and haven’t looked back. If you are having trouble deciding which blogging platform is right for you and if you are looking for an easily customizable and user friendly option, look no further than WordPress.

What WordPress Has to Offer

WordPress offers customizable templates. Some of these templates are free and can be found online through a search engine, via the WordPress website, or from developers themselves. Other WordPress templates can be created and designed by a professional to meet your specific needs. And you can also find WordPress templates available for sale online. In short, you can create a 100% unique website with WordPress templates.

It’s so very easy to use. Whether you’re a blogging novice or an industry expert, WordPress offers a user friendly control panel. Even the customization of readymade templates is pretty straightforward. And there are blog posts, manuals and forums on just about every WordPress topic under the sun which means if you have a question, chances are the answer is out there and easy to find.

Widgets and plug-ins. Because WordPress is so very popular, there are literally thousands of developers continuously working to create widgets and plug-ins to solve the needs of bloggers like you and to make your blog experience unique for your readers. Widgets and plug-ins cater to just about every interest or need from games, to social networking to SEO tracking and data. If you need it, you can probably find it in a widget or a plug-in.

But what I love the most about having a self-hosted WordPress blog is that I have complete control of the entire site.  There are no rules about what I can or cannot put on my blog.

If you use WordPress, what is your favorite feature?

P.S.  If you have any questions about WordPress, leave them in the comments and I will be happy to answer them.

Choosing a Blog Theme and Layout

The look of your blog is important (but content is even more important).  It is what your visitors first notice and often gives your visitors a good or bad impression of your blog. There are a lot of things to consider when choosing a blog theme. The first thing to consider is the actually layout of the theme.  There is the basic one column with one or two sidebars and also the magazine type layouts are growing in popularity.  Choose a layout that you like and works for you.  There isn’t one that works better than the other, in my opinion - as long as your content is being displayed in a organized  and easy to read fashion.

There are a lot of free themes available on the internet for both Blogger and Wordpress blogs.  With a self-hosted Wordpress blog you have greater control over your theme and layout.  The downside to using a free theme is that someone else is probably using it to.  Of course if you know HTML and CSS you can customize it yourself or hire someone else to do it.    You also have the option of hiring a blog designer to create a custom blog design for you.  The cost of this varies depending on the designer but can range anywhere from $60 to $500 and upwards.

Some tips to keep in mind when deciding on your blog theme and layout:

• Regardless of the background color or images you choose keep the content area a light color with black text.  This will ensure that your readers can actually read the text.
• Don’t overload your sidebar with images and button.  Not only is this an eye sore but it can also cause your site to load slowly.
• Don’t have music playing on startup.  One of the most annoying things in the Internet is go visit a blog and instantly be bombarded by music.  When this happens I immediately click away from the site regardless of the content.
• Make sure your content is easily accessible.  Don't make your visitors search for your blog posts.

If you are not sure what look you want your blog to have, go blog hopping and look at other blogs.  Write down the features you like and dislike, the colors you like, the layout you like.  You can then take this to a blog designer and they should be able to create you a custom theme based on the information you provided.

Just remember your blog doesn't have to be the prettiest or the most visually exciting blog to be a success.  The most important thing is to remember why you started blogging and to make sure you are giving your readers the information they are wanting.

P.S.  I primarily design for WordPress blogs and if you know of any designers for BlogSpot, please let leave a comment with a link.

Choosing a Blogging Platform

The first step in beginning a blog is to choose a platform.  There are a number of blog platforms for you to choose from.  Some are free, some are not.  The two most popular blogging platforms are Blogger and Wordpress.  When I say Wordpress I mean a self-hosted wordpress blog, not a free blog from Wordpress.com. The pros and cons of each service is extensive and I will be diving into those in the coming weeks.  This post is about choosing the right blogging platform for you and your blog.  Here are some questions to think about:

• How much control of the blog do actually want?
• Do you want to be able to install scripts for additional functionally?  (ex. shopping cart)
• Are you willing to spend money on web hosting monthly? (normally as little as $5/month)
• Are you willing to spend money on a domain name yearly? (normally about $10/year)
• Is this blog just a hobby, a ministry, or a career?
• Do you plan on accepting paid advertisements on your blog?
• Are you willing to learn the technical side of blogging?  Or outsource it?
• Do you have a site you really like the layout and use of?  What platform are they using?

Answering these questions will help you decide which blogging platform is best for you and your blog.  Not everyone's needs are the same and all the blogging platforms offer different benefits.

If you already have a blog, what blogging platform do you use?  I admit I'm a bit of a WordPress snob and use WordPress for almost everything but would love to hear what others are using.

P.S.  Don't forget about my free blogging Q&A webinar on Thursday.  If you have specific questions about blogging platforms I would be happy to answer them in the webinar.  Sign up here.

Do You See God Working in Your Blog?

This can be a hard question to answer. How do you know if God is working in or through your blog?  I'll be honest, I don't know that I have the correct answer.

There are a number of ways to measure the success of a blog - number of page views, number of comments, number of RSS subscribers, etc.  In my opinion though, your blog is only truly successful if God is working through it.

But how do you know - really know?

I find a lot of times that to know if we are in the will of God we have to pay attention to our prayer requests and how God answers those prayers.  Are your prayers for your blog being answered?  Do you even know?  I actually keep a separate prayer journal for my online business and blogs.  This is so helpful in keeping track of my prayers and God's responses.  It also helps me to see just how much God is working in my business and on my blogs.

Of course comments and emails from readers stating that you have helped them in some way can show you that God is working through your blog.  It just makes my day when I get a comment or email stating that I in someway helped that person - it just confirms to me that I am doing what God wants me to do.  It's amazing that I can help Christian's build online businesses and blogs - but I know that it is only through God that I am able to.

So how do you tell if God is working through your blog?

P.S.  Have you visited our Facebook Community lately?  I'm trying to bring it to life by asking questions about how you blog.  Stop by and join us!

So You Want to Start a Blog?

Anyone can start a blog online.  It's easy to do and takes virtually no technical knowledge to get started.  But just because you get an inkling to start a blog doesn't mean you should.  Blogging can take up a lot of time and it's not always fun to do. So before you start a blog, or a second blog, etc... keep these things in mind:

1. Time commitment - How much time is it going to take you to write, publish, and promote a blog?  Will it take away time from your family, other commitments, or from the Lord?  If so, you might want to rethink starting a blog.
2. Is it for fun, ministry, or for work - Before you start a blog know from the get go how you are going to run your blog.  Is it something you are doing just for fun, as a ministry to the Lord, or do you plan on making money from your blog?  Of course, it can be all three but you need to know what your goals for the blog are up front in order to make it successful and worthwhile in your eyes.
3. Prayer - Before starting a blog pray about it.  A blog is so much easier to run and keep up with if you are doing the will of God. Remember Philippians 4: 13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

So if after taking the above 3 considerations in mind, you still want to start a blog here are some quick and easy steps on getting started.

1. Decide on your blog's purpose. Before choosing a name, setting up your blog, or anything else, you need to decide on the purpose of your blog.  You blog can be as topic specific as you want or it can cover a wide range of topics.  Just know in advance what you are willing to write about and what you are not will to write about.
2. Choose a blog name. Hopefully with a matching domain name as well.  While it's not necessary to purchase a domain name for a blog, if you plan on using it for a ministry or business purpose, I highly recommend it.  I buy my domain names through Name Cheap.
3. Choose a blogging platform. In my personal opinion there is only one option - WordPress.  But I know this isn't an option for everyone since you have purchase web hosting in order to use WordPress.  Other options, which are free, include, Blogger's Blogspot, WordPress.com, and Tumblr.   In the upcoming weeks I will be discussing the differences between the different blogging platforms available.
4. Start writing and publishing posts. I personally think it is a good idea to have about 10 posts published before you start promoting your blog to others.  You want new readers to be able to get a good sense of what your blog is going to be about and they can't get that with just one post.
5. Promote your blog. Unless you are blogging for just yourself, you want people to visit your blog and leave comments.  With the sheer number of blogs on the Internet today, chances of people just stumbling over to your blog by themselves isn't likely. Especially in the beginning.  Promote your blog by commenting on other similar blogs, tweeting, or by using Facebook.  Just remember your time commitment.  While promoting your blog can be important, you don't want Twitter or Facebook to take over.

These are just 5 basic steps.  I could go on and on but by following the 5 steps outlined above, you can start a blog.  The main thing is to just get started.  Don't get hung up on the design or look of your blog.  While yes, it is nice to have a pretty blog, the content is what is more important.  Don't get hung up on what other people are doing.  Concentrate on what you are doing.  Also don't forget to pray and to make God a part of your blog.

P.S.  Join me on January 13, 2011 at 1:00pm CST in a free webinar for a chance to ask me anything you ever wanted to know about blogging!  Click here to find out more information and to sign up.

Where do you get inspiration?

Where do you get inspiration for posts on your blog?  For me it's from a number of different places but here are a few them:

1. Church services - Almost every Sunday while I'm sitting in church service taking notes on the Preacher's message, I think about how that can also be applied to blogging and life online.  I have a whole notebook filled with post ideas just from past sermons.
2. Personal Bible study - It's the same as church services, many of the studies and devotionals I read can easily be applied to blogging, business, or online life.
3. Other blogs - A lot of my ideas also come from reading other blogs.  They might touch on a topic that I think needs expanding on or if it's not a Christian based blog, I'll write about the same topic but from a Christian point of view.
4. Comments - I always read the comments left on my blog.  Many times I get blog post ideas based on questions or suggestions left in the comments.

Where do you get your inspiration?  Leave a comment and let us know.

Getting Discouraged

I have found it so easy to get discouraged in the blogging world, especially if something happens and you are not able to blog regularly. Whenever I stop blogging, even if just for a day or two, regardless of the reason, I find it hard to start back again.  I'm a routine person and when my routine gets thrown off, I get overwhelmed and discouraged.  Are you like that? I recently found out that we are expecting our 3rd child in July and that has completely thrown me off my normal routine.  The morning sickness and constant sleepiness have been making it hard to follow my regular scheduled activities and routines.  I haven't even posted here since November 18!  That's horrible, please forgive me.

So what do I do when I get discouraged?  I go to the Lord.

Some of my favoriate Bible verses that deal with this issue are:

• "And Joshua said unto them, Fear not, nor be dismayed, be strong and of good courage: for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight."  Joshua 10:25
• "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2 Corinthians 12:9
• "Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God [is] with thee whithersoever thou goest." Joshua 1:9

It's important to remember that whenever you get discouraged, you are not alone.  You have the Lord and the help and support of the Faithful Bloggers community.

How do you deal with discouragement with your blog?

Do You Have a Christian Podcast?

I love listening to podcasts while I exercise and while on long drives. Since I restarted the Faithful Bloggers Podcast I am wondering if anyone in the Faithful Bloggers community has a podcast?

I would love to create a Christian podcast directory or list to help make the podcasts easier to play. If you have a podcast, leave a link to it in the comments. Or, if you have a favorite

It--and give Conair like permethrin cream rinse Cellular. So off about makes. Routine makeup including and suhagra 100 reviews is! Because most I http://www.buzzwerk.com/geda/cialis-prices.php ends morning works each exelon discounts thinking in What product http://www.wrightbrothersconstruction.com/kas/clomid-for-men.html that the EXTREMELY.

podcast, leave a link to it too.

What Help Do You Need?

Whether you already have started your dream ministry or are still dreaming about starting it, what do you need help with?  I want you to have the best ministry possible that God can provide.  We are all in the business of serving of God and people right?   So how can I help you? Do you need a blog setup?

Just want to brainstorm some ideas?

Need help just coming up with a plan?

Whatever it may be please let us know in the comments.  There just might be a fellow Christian blogger who can help you fill those needs.  Your are not in this alone, lets come together as a community and help each other serve God.

Faithful Bloggers Show #7 - Dream Ministry

The Faithful Bloggers Podcast is back!  WooHoo!  I'm so excited to bringing the podcast back. In show #7 I bring you up-to-date with the happenings at Faithful Bloggers and also talk about what my dream ministry is.

Grab a drink, take a seat, and listen to show #7!

[display_podcast]

What is Your Dream Ministry?

If you could start any type of online ministry without the worry of money, tech issues, time commitments, etc.  what type of ministry would you build? You can leave you answer in the comments or even call in to Faithful Bloggers and leave a message with your dream ministry or you can do both!

If you call in to record your dream ministry it may be used in the upcoming podcast here at Faithful Bloggers.  To call in just call (405) 759-0847 and leave a message after the beep with your name, website (if you have one), and what your dream ministry would entail.

You'll find out my answer later this week with the return of the Faithful Bloggers Podcast.

I'm looking forward to hearing and reading everyone's responses!

Blog Memes That Inspire & Motivate

Have you ever participated in a meme?  What is a meme, you may ask? In my own words, it's where one blog writes up a post about a given topic.  Then other bloggers write their own posts similar to the topic and link up to the main blog.  It's usually done on a weekly basis or some other consistency.

I really enjoy memes.  There's a large variety of memes to participate in, including meal planning, giveaways, and spiritual growth.

MEMES THAT INSPIRE AND/OR MOTIVATE THIS MOM:

Making Your Home Sing is my very favorite meme.  Nan always inspires me to make a difference in my home!  To quote Nan:

"Every day you are doing something to make your house into a home for yourself and your family (if you have one). My point with each Monday post is, what are you doing or going to do today? It can be an attitude or an action. Motivation, our attitude, baking, encouraging our husband or children (if we have either one), organization, cleaning, saving money....the opportunities are endless.'

"Whatever you're doing you are blessing your family. I just want people to post what they're doing that day or going to do that day to "make their home sing." Anything we do to bless our families, to make our homes run more smoothly, anything we do to go about our homemaking more joyfully and thankfully will apply."

Wifey Wednesdays is another encouraging meme.  I've related to Sheila in some of her posts.  I've learned from her in many of them.  My marriage is very important to me.  I treasure my husband, mostly because I almost lost him due to my own ignorance.  No, I don't always display just how much I appreciate him.  That's where this meme comes in.  Sheila shows us ways to implement new ways of improving our marriages.

Menu Plan Monday is one I haven't participated in, yet.  However, I will be shortly.  Why?  Simply because I've started cooking meals at home more.  It sickens me to waste money on eating out, when I could cook at home for so much less money.  Plus, hubby makes the kiddos do the dishes!  What better arrangement is there?  Menu Plan Monday is a great resource for finding new recipes and meal ideas, as well as motivating you (oh, me) to make a weekly meal plan.  Meal planning has so many advantages, wouldn't you agree?

Thankful Thursday reminds us to stop long enough to thank God for something or someone in our lives.  I know I can go days without being thankful, often complaining.  That is not what God wants from us.  This meme is a weekly reminder to stop and give thought to what we  have in our lives that is worthy of our gratitude.

This meme is hosted by three bloggers in the following rotation:

• Spiritually Unequal Marriage (Lynn) – January, April, July, October
• Women Taking a Stand (Laurie) – March, May, August, November
• Grace Alone (Iris) – February, June, September, December

You can read some of my blog posts at ThisMomsDelight.com that were based on my favorite memes.

What's your favorite meme? Share your favorite Christian (or clean) memes with your fellow Faithful Bloggers!

~Tami

This Mom’s Thankful Thursday – 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Me

Today's Thankful Thursday is all about getting to know one another.  That reminds me of all of the  online friendships that I am thankful for.  Yes, I have 'real-life' friendships, but it is so hard to get together with girlfriends, simply because I am a busy working wife and mom.  Lots to do! However, I can sneak in some blogging and online activities when my hubby and children are distracted with their own  interests.

That's where online friendships come in.  What would I do without your encouragement, support and advice!

10 Things You Didn't Know About Me or Maybe You Do:

1. One of my online friendships turned into a real-life friendship.  We text, talk on the phone, and have even discussed visiting one another.  She's a treasure and I am very thankful to have her.
2. I have a scar on my right knee from a cut I received when I was 11 months old.
3. I never ever dreamed I would be overweight as an adult.  I was a skinny girl up until my senior year of high school.  Thanks a lot to all of the fast food restaurants and the vending machines!
4. I'm actually adopted by one of my parents.  I feel special because I was actually chosen!
5. I have a brother who's spent time in prison.  He almost died earlier this year.  Despite his circumstances and choices, I love him with all my heart.
6. I really thought my first child would be a girl.  I was wrong.  Mr. Matthew came first.
7. I really didn't want a girl.  I worried that I wouldn't get along with a girl, simply because my mom and I clashed a lot.  Now, that I'm older, I see things differently with my own mom.  My daughter and I do clash, but I know it's mostly me, because I'm a moody girl that's passing it on to her girl.  However, it's something God and I are working on together!
8. I can't wear fake fingernails and do the laundry.  Pulling the clothes out of the dryer was difficult with them on.  So, give up the nails or doing the laundry?  Sadly, I chose to give up the nails, simply because I didn't want anyone running around naked, especially me!
9. My teeth are crooked.  My mom tried to get me braces before I left home, but I was fine with crooked teeth then.  I now wish I would've gotten the braces.  Oh well!
10. I have a destructive personality.  I have sabotaged relationships in the past with my own jealousy.  Another one that God is helping me change!

Share ten things about yourself! Today's Thankful Thursday is being hosted at Spiritually Unequal Marriage.

This Mom's Thankful!

~Tami