Abandoned Blogs

Recently, I read that ninety-five percent of all blogs become abandoned.

Now, I’m not a math whiz, but if this fact is true, 225 out of the 237 smiling faces on your right will conclude that the idea of pounding out post after post isn’t for them.

I understand the reasoning behind the abandonment: time, work, new content, new content, and new content. Plus, the idea of pouring myself into a post on Monday only to have it classified as old news on Tuesday night seems pointless.

However, the abandoned blog statistic doesn't make me wonder about the time I’ve already spent in the blogosphere or ponder the question of my own longevity here. Instead, it makes me want to write meaningful posts.

Last week, I stumbled on “20 Ways To Be A Generous Blogger”,  and I silently cheered because one short post, helped me regain my gnat-like focus regarding the hows and whys of blogging. Here are a few favorite tidbits from the post.

A generous blogger:

1. Sees her blog as a way to serve.

2. Uses her blog stats to figure out how she can create more posts of value to her reader.

3. Writes posts that are of service to her reader.

4. Is grateful for her readers no matter how many or how few they are.

Number four reminds me that I don't say I'm grateful for you often enough. Thank you, friends.  Interested in reading more? Click over to Britt's for the full list.

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Another great post on blogging is here by Ann V. Yes, the post is from 2010 and in blog years that is about a decade ago. It's still good.

What about you? For those of you who blog, have you ever thought about shutting the whole thing down? What stopped you? For those of you who read blogs, but don't have your own, would you ever consider starting one? What keeps you a blog reader and not a blog writer?

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Dear Eighteen Year Old Me

Dear Eighteen-Year-Old Me,

I know dreams of college and those two, insanely, glorious words, “no curfew” are clouding your head, but I want to share a bit of advice. I promise to be short because I know your attention span is well, short. So, please turn down Alanis Morissette, and listen.

Hop on planes to far away places. Travel opportunities will come your way. Take advantage of them. The adventures you experience and the people you meet will be worth every minute of serving greasy meals to the bar crowd and cleaning nasty hotel rooms. Promise.

Treasure your family, and savor their stories. Sure, your family seems a tad crazy, and believe me, time will not change this fact, but they are you and you them, and there is nothing like the love of family. Plus, eventually your little sisters will grow up, and then the three of you can share stories, and it will be wildly amusing.

Let go of being the best. Someone will always be smarter, prettier, and more talented than you. Get over it. Don't waste your time playing the comparison game. Be you because you are perfect.

Share your time wisely. You may think yourself different than those who surround you, but their ways will become yours. Be intentional with your relationships. You never regain missed minutes.

Learn to learn and love to learn. When choosing college classes, take things that interest you like Astronomy, the History of Rock and Roll, and City at Night. Forget about course credit and GPAs.

Give God a chance. Yes, the church is full of hypocrites, but don’t let people and religion taint your view of God. God is more than TV evangelists and bumper stickers.

Go easy on the kid in the tux. I know your prom date, that Sullivan kid, works your nerves, but something tells me your paths may cross again. So, during your senior year of college, maybe you could accept his phone call.

*The idea for this letter to my eighteen-year-old self came from here. 

What about you, friends? What advice would you give eighteen-year-old you?

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Linking with friends through the Soli Deo Gloria Sisterhood.

Get Up and Serve The World Ideas

Are you overwhelmed by the needs of the world? Read on, and discover practical ways to get involved.

1. Buy a map. Find Cameroon, Andorra, or maybe even Clipperton Island.

2. Attend a talk on an issue facing the world, and walk away a little smarter.

3. Investigate Kiva. Loaning $25.00 can change someone's life.

4.  Sponsor a child through Compassion, World Vision, or Feed the Hungry. Then, don't just send a monthly check, write to your new friend.

5. Read a book that encourages deep thought and fast action. Have you read Enough by Roger Thurow?  Big ideas on world hunger.

6. Love a missionary. Need one to chose from? Follow her story or maybe even hers.

7.  Learn facts about water, and then decide to have your family act, even in a small way.

8. Watch a documentary about life in another part of the world. My friend says this is a must.

9. Start a change jar, and let your child pick a global cause.

10. Support bloggers for birth kits and help give moms the supplies they need to deliver babies.

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How do you teach your kids about the world around them? Books? Movies? Talks? Travel? News? Tell me. Tell me.

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Share Your Story and Comfort Zones

In today's Share Your Story, we meet Kristin Bridgman. Kristin knows about comfort zones. In fact, Kristin's feelings of fear and inadequacy kept her trapped in her comfort zone for years but not any more. Nope. Read on to learn what one woman discovered when she decided to make herself uncomfortable.

"God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called."

A couple of things that comfort me are right on my front porch: my rocking chair and swing. An old quilt and pillows are also comforting. I love the way rocking or swinging can slow me down. It's been known to take a racing heartbeat and bring it down to a normal level. If I’m uptight, there is just something soothing about the movement and motion of these moving seats. Maybe it goes all the way back to babyhood when my mom would rock to soothe me. That sounds like something a phychologist would say, doesn't it?

And then there is comfort food. Mine is wonderfully, delicious warm potato soup served in a bread bowl. And chocolate is good for just about anything. I wonder what a phychologist would have to say about that?

To go deeper, it is the Holy Spirit that can give real comfort. We read in the Bible the Holy Spirit comforted the disciples after Jesus’ physical presence left them and returned to Heaven. He has comforted me many times. Who needs a phychologist when you have the Holy Spirit? There is comfort in knowing God keeps his promises.

The Bible warns us though, not to settle for comfort without commitments. We are called to win people to Christ and glorify God with our lives. That is not going to happen if we always stay in our comfort zone. Sometimes we have to sacrifice to achieve results. We are told to endure rigorous discipine and train hard.

Sometimes we have to get up and leave our comfort zone to do what we are called to do, to be a blessing to others and to God. In the end, we become blessed ourselves.

            

We could always stay in our comfort zone, but what does that accomplish? We would not grow and mature. It would become boring after awhile. We risk not meeting interesting people. We risk not being able to help anyone. We wouldn’t feel fulfilled. And how does God get glory from our life when we're always sitting in our comfort zone?

I stayed in my comfort zone for many years because of fear and feeling inadequate. I was being more a fear thinker than a faith believer.  But one year, I finally took the plunge and ventured out of mine. I joined a large evangelism team from my former church. It took a year for a friend to convince me to join. The Holy Spirit was working on me also. I finally jumped right into the most uncomfortable place I could be; having to memorize scriptures and then the really big one, visiting people I didn’t know in their homes, sharing the gospel message and praying out loud with them.

But you know what? The Holy Spirit was with me every time, bringing words to my mind and out of my mouth.  This time of my life became one of many, big blessings and the biggest spiritual growth spurt I have ever experienced. My heart may have been thumping and up in my throat but after awhile it became like riding a bike. After some practice, it became easy and fun. My heart rate became normal again. I met so many interesting people, had wonderful conversations with them, saw some join our church; some joined other churches for the first time.  I had meaningful, tearful prayer times with some.  They were all very appreciative of our visits and I received many hugs.  I would have missed all of this had I stayed in my comfort zone. 

I left that time of my life, stronger; knowing I could venture anywhere God led me because He would be with me all the way.

Little did I know, years later, He would send me into hospitals to offer lunch bags and prayers to strangers in the ICU waiting rooms and in the patients' rooms.

Little did I know, years later, He would send me over and under bridges to offer God’s Word, His love, and blankets to homeless men.

Little did I know, years later, He would tell me to write. 

I didn’t want to. I believed I had no talent for this. I argued with Him. Can you believe that? I told him I didn’t know how. I didn't even want to. He reminded me how he put words into Moses’ mouth when he thought he could not speak eloquently. He reminded me of how he put the words into me when I was evangelizing.

I don't know if I wanted His voice to stop or I decided to step out in obedience, but I did step out yet again, out of a comfort zone and began to write. The words have been coming ever since. If God ever hounds you to do something, I suggest you do it! Writing has been a form of therapy for me, (I suspect God knew that) and I have been loving it ever since. I have become part of a community that is faithful, dependable, and oh, so loving! I am meeting people from all over the world. I have new prayer partners as well as becoming one for them. This community has blessed me and if it were not for me stepping out of a comfort zone, it would have never happened.

God’s love is the biggest comfort I know. It is unfailing; it is dependable; His love will never leave or forsake me. I can always count on it no matter what. And because of His comfort and unfailing love, I now have new precious people in my life.

So yes, God brings things and people to comfort us, but I don’t believe He wants us to stay in a comfort zone for too long. I think once we’ve been comforted, then it is time for us to get out there and comfort others. Let’s take His unfailing love and go share it.

I need to get out of this swing now.  I have a friend I need to go visit. 

2 Corinthians 1:5. . . through Christ our comfort overflows.

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*Comments are closed today in hopes that you take a quick click over to Kristin's place, and visit her.

When You Feel Messy

Feeling messy today. 

My mind is pinball machine-like as Ann Lamott's famous radio station, KFKD blares on.

Oh and ps: Either my dog took a flying leap off the back deck and tripped, or I felt a little shake, shake from the earthquake. Anyone else feel the rumbling?

Oh and pss: Expect a post about hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon in the dark with only one headlamp that sort-of worked. Don't worry, it includes raging waterfalls and stray dogs.

Oh and psss: Did you read serving your family and serving your community? Serving the world is up next. Get ready, friends.

What about you? How do you beat your funks?

Six Steps to an Amazing Mom and Daughter Date

Step 1: Get in your car and belt out words to songs she likes (fine, you like them too, but just a little, and you refuse to admit it).

Step 2: Pass strip malls, and try to forget about your Kohl’s Cash that expires soon.

Step 3: Arrive at your destination, Manna Foodbank.

Step 4: Survey the job.

Step 5: Scoop loads of stewed tomatoes but very few cans of fruit out of a giant cardboard box. Create three-day, emergency, supply boxes for families in Western North Carolina.

Step 6: Engage in real conversation about whether she should toss her chewing gum collection and instead just focus on collecting Dum, Dum wrappers.

Question for you: What are some of your favorite ways to spend quality time with your kids? 


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Hey, did you notice the new cool cause link on your right? This week’s cool cause Kiva. You choose a borrower, make a loan for as little as $25.00, get repaid, and then repeat. Kiva lends money to borrowers so they may start a business or project of their own and create better lives for themselves. Thanks for the lead, Nancy. Also, if you find a cool cause you'd like me to highlight, email me the link.


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Linking with Jen and the girls at Finding Heaven.

The Million Dollar Question

If I gathered up a group of your friends and asked them to describe you, who would they say you are?

The storyteller.

The lay-down-in-the-street-loyal companion.

The sarcastic one.

The planner.

The encourager.

The difficult-decision avoider.

Today I’m hanging out with my friend, Joy, over at SheperdResource.com. 

In my post there, I talk about who people say God is, writing, the fact that I’m not steeped in church and just for some added flavor, a bit about me cursing.

Join me there?

*Comments are closed.

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Thanks to all of you who left the encouraging words for Brooklyn and her family. Want an update on the surgery? Check out this sweet girl.

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A Story You Do Not Want To Miss

Meet the Chryst Family.

I hunt for stories of families who inspire. I search out tales of those who encourage me to think about the hard stuff, and who stretch me in new ways.

The Chrysts are one of those families.

This family decided to act in a big way and change the life of one little girl forever.

And by doing so, this family found themselves forever changed.

This is Brooklyn’s story.

Tomorrow Brooklyn undergoes the first of three surgeries. Will you leave a comment, prayer, or word of encouragement for her family? Or bounce over to mom, Nicole’s blog and leave a word or two there?

A big PS: Nicole also happens to be an amazing photographer. Check out some of her work here.

Because You Inspire

I keep a file entitled “Inspiration”.

Inspiration contains work by y-o-u that moves me. Quotes, stories, links, and pictures all find their way into my little folder. Then, when I need a boost, I click around. Care for a peek?

On pushing ourselves to act: I’ve ignored His call to reach out to the unlovely because it’s awkward, and I feel impotent and frail in the face of the widespread suffering around me. I’ve insulated myself from suffering instead, filling my calendar with music practices and planning meetings and play dates with people I know well. Besides, I think to myself, I have plenty of time, and surely God doesn’t expect a young woman with little children to do anything. —Joy Bennett, Deeper Story

On using our kids as an excuse: Sometimes it’s easy to get so family focused that we forget about our neighbors and other families in our community. We use the excuse that “our kids are our ministry” and we stick our heads in the family sandbox and never give a second thought to other families that might could use some encouragement. I do agree that our families are one of our ministries as Christian women but God has called us to even more while loving and training our children.—Melody Hestor, Life is a Bowl of Wedgies

On feeling defeated and surprises: At times, our two boys gave with—seemingly—no real compassion or understanding about those we were serving. They acted more concerned with turning on their Wii than turning on lights for the needy. —Dena Dryer, The High Calling

On good stories and heroes: And the older I get, the more I realize that maybe the true heroes, the ones really living out brilliant stories are the ones who never make much of a headline, anyway. . .It's the ex-wife who forgives her cheating ex-husband, even if he doesn't ask for it. It's the daughter who takes her Alzheimer's-afflicted mother to doctor's appointments and McDonald's every week. It's the husband who works a job he doesn't like, for the sake fo the family he loves like crazy. It's the man who leaves a hugely-ridiculous tip to the waitress, because he sees she's gotta-be 8 months pregnant, and there's no ring on her finger. —Laura Parker, Life Overseas

What about you? What have you read lately that remained stuck in your head long after the computer shut off? I'd love for you to share the link.
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Linking with all the lovelies over at Finding Heaven today.
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Flaws and Freckles

The Gypsy Mama asked people to write for five minutes and not worry if it's just right. Her prompt today: Beauty.

Start.

It’s my fake smile, the one that’s too big and the one in which I squint my eyes almost completely shut. And I’m not sitting up straight and my hair looks so dark and my face so white, and then there's the circles under my eyes, and wait a minute, am I looking old?

I read the prompt and see we are supposed to write about beauty, and that’s easy because I see beauty everywhere I look.

I observe beauty in the way my husband breathes when he sleeps and in the smell of my house and in tiny, mismatched socks that end up everywhere.

I witness beauty in the Blue Ridge Mountains and in the endless Colorado sky and in a favorite friend's laugh when she tells the story about picking up a guy at a funeral while wearing a neck brace (um, true story).

But beauty proves more difficult to see when I look in the mirror. Flaws and freckles demand my attention, and wrinkles and laugh lines stand up and shout.

Yes, it's a little noisy sometimes.

But you know what? I have a secret.

Thirty-six-year-old me knows something twenty-six-year-old me never grasped, the flaws and the freckles don't hinder the beauty, they enhance it. They make me, well, me.

Now, the whole zits and wrinkles thing, that's another story.

Stop.

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What about you? How do you handle aging? Is it difficult or easy for you to see the beauty in yourself? 

Cool Kids

Let age stop them? 

Never.

Read how these kids impact the world.

1. Cool Kid, Railey. Railey's grandparents are missionaries for a non-profit medical mission in Kijabe, Kenya. Recently, six-year-old Railey hosted a lemonade stand and toy sale. He began at 7:00 am and by 2:00 pm Riley only made $1.00, but do you think the lack of customers and the Georgia heat got this boy down? Nope. He was happy with the small amount he earned to send to his "friends" in Kenya. Disappointed you didn't drive by Railey's stand? Railey's aunt set-up a virtual lemonade stand to help her nephew and his "friends" in Kenya out.  Buy a glass for $1.00 or click here for the full story.

2. Cool sisters, Delaney and Addie Kenney. On Make a Difference Day 2010, these sisters had an idea, a party with a purpose. What started out as forty young friends collaborating to support a local shelter for pregnant women turned into girls from all over the nation holding simultaneous almost-sleepover celebrations to make a difference in their communities. It's not too late to get involved. Click here for more info.


3. Cool sisters, Ruby and Amelia Sullivan (come on now, you know my kids are making the list). Inspired by those sweet Delaney girls, we are holding our own almost-sleepover on October 22, 2011. We attempted to include both sisters in this video, but it turned out to be Amelia discussing the almost-sleepover and Ruby singing "Mary Had a Little Lamb". So, here's just one Sullivan girl giving you the low down on the sleepoever and discussing the Flat Stanley activity that almost-sleepoever host girls are participating in.

 *To clarify, our almost-sleepover is being held for the Rathbun Center in Asheville, NC.

What about you? Let's hear what the kids in your life are doing to notice others, big or small. Come on. Tell. Tell.

Freedom and Our Cells

I walked into church this morning, and I walked into a wedding.

Not your typical, white lace and fresh flowers wedding, a different wedding, a wedding of hope and freedom.

The groom, Garry, completed four years in juvy and twenty-three years and nine months in prison, and during that time, words spoken by a guitar playing man in a prison chapel floated around his head.

“You can be free, right where you are.”

God planned freedom for Garry, a trapped man who didn’t do God.

Later, a crumpled piece of paper containing the name of a church in Florida found its way outside of Garry’s cell, and Garry wrote to this unknown church. Two weeks later a guard told Garry he had a visitor.

“But I don’t get visitors.”

“It’s your pastor.”

“But I don’t have a pastor.”

A Florida pastor received Garry's letter. The pastor’s church didn’t have a prison ministry. His congregation didn’t visit inmates, and yet, the pastor found himself visiting.

And freedom came a little closer for Garry.

Later, when Garry was released from prison, he met Maria, a woman with her own kind of prisons, and they formed a relationship.

However, jobs proved tough to obtain and new beginnings nonexsistent, and these two, free people remained trapped, but in a different kind of way.

Then, after a broken-down car, an internet search, and seventeen states, Garry and Maria found themselves holding hands in a North Carolina church while being married. Hundreds of well-wishers lined the seats in front of them, and I wondered if Garry and Maria thought this just might be their new beginning.


Our pastor reminded us of the prisons we all face. Yep, you and me included.

Addictions and secrets and hurts and burdens. We may not be trapped behind bars or living in broken-down cars but under the weight of our Sunday best we carry our troubles just the same.

What about you? What kinds of prisons have you broken through? Doubt? Worry? Perfectionism? Anger? Are there self-created cells you still struggle with?

*Based on a sermon and the wedding (of course!) of Garry and Maria at my rocking church. Garry and Maria, Thanks for sharing your story with us so we can learn more about Him.

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Linking with Michelle at Graceful for Hear It On Sunday. Use It On Monday.
Also, linking with Jen and the girls over at Finding Heaven.

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Neither Limits Nor Boundries and Share Your Story

Sophyta sent me this Share Your Story post all the way from Malaysia. Yes, yes, yes. This sweet piece came from across the world. In her writing, Sophyta describes her husband's role in teaching her about giving.

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His love and sacrifices have neither limits nor boundaries.

It's already four years since I graduated.

I obtained my first degree in 2007.

I enrolled in the degree programme in 2003.

With that, my husband was signed-up in the programme too.

He was my full time chauffeur, my chaperone, as well as my private tutor.

For four years he chauffeured me from our house to the study centre, which was about 100 km away.

I'd attend tutorials every other Saturday.

As the tutorials took up the whole day, he would come back for me in the evening, meaning that he'd make two trips to the centre.

Whenever I sat for my exams, he'd diligently wait for me at the exam centres.

More often than not, he'd wait up to four hours or longer.

Though filled with boredom and weariness, he'd never complain or utter unpleasant words to me.

The thought of his innumerable sacrifices spurred me on.

I graduated with a first-class honours degree in teacher studies.

Truly, my degree is HIS!

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Thanks, Sophyta.


What about you? Why do you appreciate your hubby? What has he taught you? What qualities about him do you admire?

A Wall of Birthday Cards and Weeds

We arrived ready to pull weeds.

We rang her doorbell twice, and then I heard footsteps, slow and deliberate.

She smiled and guided us through her tiny home. Greeting cards lined the mantle and every tabletop in the living room.

She led us to a small flowerbed in back of the house.

“I’d pull them myself, but I just can’t see.”

I nodded. I knew nothing about flowers.

We started to pull, yanking out as many flowers as weeds, but after ten minutes, we finished the job.

“Wonderful, just wonderful. What an improvement!”

And we giggled because we knew the flowerbed hadn’t changed much.

She invited us inside and insisted we drink a Coke.

“You sure have a lot of cards.” There must have been fifty.

“Tomorrow is my birthday. I’m ninety-two. These came from all around the world. Some are even in different languages.”

I picked up the one with teddy bears and balloons. Yes, what was that, German?

"I worked with the Red Cross for years. I met so many people. I’m glad they remember me. I never had a husband, no children, just friends, friends that are far away now."

Silence.

I picked up another card. Someone filled the entire inside with handwritten, warm wishes. I imagined each sender taking the time to buy, write, and send a card to let her know they still think of her.

“Are you doing anything special for your birthday?”

“Yes," she smiled.

"Visiting with you.”

Question for you: Do you know someone who is lonely? Neighbor, child, friend, relative? How do you show that person extra attention?

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Don't miss new, fun ways your family can serve in your community.

Linking with Jen and the girls.

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