God has Restored Hope and Creativity on my Blogging Journey
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As I began my blogging journey in 2007, I had no idea where it would lead. It started off as a personal blog, called Julie’s Journey’s.
My first post was written as I sat in Iraq contemplating my journey home and my next move in my career.
After I returned, I kept up writing in my blog, updating people about the things going on in my life, mostly mundane things, like weekend activities. Nothing terribly deep. As this blogging journey continued, I started to enjoy the writing more and more. But, I wanted readership. I wanted the world to share in my thoughts. I knew I would have to make changes to the format.
I created a niche, changed the name to Inspired to Write, bought my own domain, (inspiredtowrite.com) and decided to focus my writing on helping other writers with tips, resources, and inspiration. Eventually, I put my site on a self-hosted blog.
So, what then? God somehow lead me to this point, and I had no idea where I was going to go. I had a pretty rough year, personally, in 2009 and my creativity was running out of steam. But, I did not want to let my blog go. I began soliciting guest posts to provide me my own inspiration and to keep the blog alive.
The sad and disappointing events in my life affected my inspiration. My writing became stagnant.
For the first time along this writing journey, I lost hope that I would continue a writing career. Sure, everyone gets writer’s block. When our creativity gets stifled, we get stuck. Sometimes, it feels like we are not going to get unstuck.
At this point, I took a break and began looking for answers in the Bible and in other Christian books and authors. I read a lot. I read more books and scripture in a one month period than I had in the whole previous year. I found my inspiration in His word and the words of others who loved him. I felt renewed.
My inspiration was revived. I was back.
But, with a new agenda. Once again, where did I want my writing to go? I put more time into my writing on my blog and my freelance writing.
I began actually thinking about writing a book, a Christian book. But, I had no idea what about or where it would lead to.
As I sit here now, 3.5 years after my first ever blog post, I am contemplating the next move in my career, now my writing career. In the last few months, I have prayed to God about what I should do.
Could I write a book? I never considered the possibility. I mean, a book? But, God has intervened and has opened up my heart to that possibility. He has done this through His words in scripture, the words of other Christian authors, through the lessons in heartache, and through the great authors and writers I have personally met recently. But, mostly He has done this through His love for me. He has restored my hope.
The next chapter begins.
This is my first post on a Christian blog and I am thrilled that I can share this journey with other faithful bloggers.
Psalm 18:28-29: You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop with my God I can scale a wall.
Julie McElroy is a hopeful Christian fumbling her way through life, blessed by grace, seeking the truth in the love of Jesus Christ. She is a freelance writer and maintains a blog, Inspired to Write (http://www.inspiredtowrite.com), to help inspire and encourage other writers.
