Posts

,

Ten Things I’ve Learned In A Year of Blogging

The last year has been an adventurous ride since hopping aboard the blogging train. I’ve made some stumbles, met some friends and had a blast along the way. So come along for the ride as I share Ten Things I’ve Learned In A Year of Blogging. Here they are in no particular order.

 

Press The Button Already

 

Oh the angst of hitting the publish button. When I write a post, I let it freely flow from my heart out through my fingertips. I write exactly what the Lord tells me to write, even down to typing fragments, using slang and sharing difficult truths. The only thing I edit for is spelling. Otherwise, I leave the idea as is. And that can be frightening. Will people receive what I’m saying? Did I clearly communicate God’s message? Should I have used a different illustration? Did I offend anybody?

 

Yup, a wide range of emotions in publishing a piece of writing.   But ultimately, I hit the button and trust God to do the rest.

 

Community: Those I’ve Met Along The Way

 

This has been one of the best yet unexpected blessing along the blogging journey. I would have NEVER imagined I would have met and been joined in heart with so many other bloggers. These women write from the heart. Their transparency reminds me I’m not alone. Their love for Christ compels me to deepen my walk.

 

Here are a few writers that inspire and challenge me.

Ann Voskamp

Tai East

Deb Wolf

Kelly Balarie

Candace Creates

Susan Mead

Sue Detweiler

 

To the regular visitors and commenters on the blog, I am amazed by your openness and willingness to share via comments. I thank the readers for allowing Inspired Life to occupy space in their hearts and minds. I thank you for praying for me.

 

Vulnerability

 

Ugh! I shared on this in yesterday’s post. Click here to read more on my reflections on my 1st year of blogging. I usually let few into my “personal space” of sharing my deepest feelings and thoughts. But to truly connect with hearts and out of obedience to Christ, I’ve had to bare my soul. Not an easy task by far. But Revelation 12:11 tells us, And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony.

 

The Life Of A Writer

 

You guys want in on a secret? I’ve been writing since I was a very young child. Until age 11 I was an only child living in tumultuous circumstances. One way of escape was reading and writing. I’ve kept journals for as long as I can remember. In middle school I recall complaining to my father that I had no talent. I wasn’t athletic or musically inclined. My father said to me, “you create with your pen”. I’m ever so grateful for his affirmation. I continued to write for my school newspaper and even have a degree in Journalism. Suffice it to say, I love writing!

 

OK, now real life. In a much as I love to write, I don’t always feel like writing. As a busy wife, mother and ministry leader, I don’t have long stretches of free time to write. And the windows of opportunity that I do have to write, are not when I’m at my peak. I roll full throttle between 6am-2pm. Oh how I wish I could write then. But that’s when I’m most consumed with other activities. When I can actually sit to write is after 9pm. By then I am drained, hence not always pumped to write. Nonetheless it’s my passion. I love to communicate through the written and spoken word.

 

So parents, if you’ve got a child that like to write, write and write some more; the child that practices their penmanship, the child that likes to doodle, make little books, give speeches, talk too much in class, talks, talks and talks some more, see the gifting for what it is and look for opportunities to cultivate it. That’s my story. That’s the story of my role model, best selling author and world-renowned speaker Priscilla Shirer.

 

Schedules, Calendars and Such

 

Because I am the consummate planner, I thought I’d follow I strict blogging calendar. Its one of the “pro” tips you read for those new to blogging. Well, that just didn’t work for me because I write what the Holy Spirit tells me to write when He tells me to write it. I’ve had something that I thought would be one post turn into a series. I’ve had a headline written and bullet points for which direction I’d take in a post to have it veer in a completely different direction. Thus I’ve been unable to stick to a strict blogging schedule and that’s actually been quite freeing contrary to what I originally believed.

 

The Comparison Trap

 

As a blogger, I come into contact with many other blogs. In visiting their pages, I am so inspired. But there is a fine line between encouragement and envy, between confidence and coveting. It’s easy to fall into the comparison trap. Oh some bloggers are such great photographers, some write such lyrical prose. I am so so grateful to the Holy Spirit for reassuring me early in the journey to stay true to my voice. He told me directly, “Tyra, I’ve attuned a remnant to hear ME coming through you.” [bctt tweet=”Don’t change your voice. They will hear MY voice through your authentic voice.”] Yes Lord, I will stay true to my voice, which is Your voice.

 

What The Expert Say versus Reality

 

More of the expert tips say to read many other posts and leave comments, to be active on mostly all the social media platforms so that you send readers back to your blog.  They say consider taking on sponsored posts and the list goes on and on. In the beginning, I considered trying all the expert advice. But you know what I found? Doing all that literally was a full time job. It is time consuming to post to social media all day every day, read a ton of blogs (to really read them), and to leave meaningful, heartfelt comments.

 

There are suggestions on how often to post, the length of the posts, writing catchy headlines, using the right keywords and on and on. Again this is where I just have to be true to my voice and write from the heart as opposed to writing content that’s marketable. My goal is to write that which inspires, encourages, and challenges while conveying timeless biblical truth. So while my strategy may not garner me a hundred thousand visitors, I know I am remaining true to myself and true to Christ.

 

What Matters Most

 

Award winning photography, catchy headlines and tweetable quotes. I can’t spend a great deal of time and brain space trying to craft those. I do like to take pictures. My dad is a photographer and I’ve had a camera in my hand since I was about 3. So I do enjoy pairing the posts with original pics that capture the essence of the message. There are times though I don’t have one on hand and I’ll use something from Flickr. But even in that experts say to always brand your pics to drive traffic back to your posts. When I’m ready to posts, juts can’t take another 15-30 minutes selecting a photo, editing it and adding a catchy phrase with stylish fonts. I’ve tried but I discovered it’s not the most effective use of my time and energy.

 

Kryptonite: Tech Issues

 

Oh my I completely come undone under the pressure of tech issues. It’s my kryptonite. Since I launched the blog, I’ve had tech issues. I’m so grateful most if the issues aren’t visible on the front end but on the back end I’ve got to do loops and hoops just to even publish one post. Somewhere along this journey I’ll be able to hire someone to help me fix the broken pieces. Until then, grace is carrying me through. I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me!

 

Check The Stats

 

As a person whose secondary love language is words of affirmation, in the beginning, I would check the stats daily. BAD MOVE. Again the Lord swept in with His truth. “Your affirmation comes from ME, not from man”, He reminded. So I had to let that go. I will not be held hostage by stats. I would love for my posts to reach the masses and minister to a large segment of the population but looking at the numbers is not going to change that. I put my faith in the Lord that He will lead me and He will guide the readers to the site via His will, His way.

 

In every situation and circumstance there is something to be learned. I’m happy to share with you ten things I’ve learned in a year of blogging. This past year has stretched me tremendously and I’m grateful for the process. This past year has made me accountable to live by what I’m sharing. It’s enabled me to be more vulnerable. It’s shown me my faith is still growing and that Christ and Christ alone is my source of strength, not me.

 

Thank you friends for hopping aboard the Inspired Life train.

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!
Happy to connect with others sharing the Good News Cheerleaders of Faith, Grace&Truth, DanceWithJesus

/10 Comments/by
,

A Year Long Journey

A year long journey. One year ago today, I celebrated the birth of my 6th child. Not a natural baby this time, but a spiritual birth…Inspired Life. And what an adventure it’s been.

 

This blog had been in gestation over 3 years. During that time, I read, researched, had lunch dates with experts, all in an effort to create a meaningful, engaging place where hearts could be inspired to live fully mind, body and spirit.

 

After having delivered 5 babies (4 of them with no pain relievers), this by far was the longest, hardest labor of all. The Braxton Hicks carried on for months. Then the active labor seemed to last for days. The weeks and days before the launch saw me up until 3:00am tinkering around with all the behind the scenes minute details. I am SO NOT a tech person. In fact, anything techie is my kryptonite. I think of myself as a strong person, capable of achieving many feats, but put a tech issue in front of me and I crumble. Looking back, I really don’t know how I made it through those tech issues. Actually I do know how I made it: prayer, 2 blogger friends replying to my endless questions via texts (thanks Nisha and Delise) and God’s faithfulness.

 

In hindsight, I see that I let the gestation go well beyond the due date. In my mind, I was waiting for God. I was waiting for His timetable, His go ahead. I was waiting for His gentle nudge to say, “NOW’s the time”. But He never quite said it that way. And why? Because He’d already given me the GO signal. He had long before given me the permission and made the provision for the blog to come forth. I was talking with a girlfriend who asked me when the blog was going to be ready and I told her I was waiting on the Lord. He spoke up loud and clear. He told me, “Don’t lie on me. You’re not waiting for me. I’m waiting for you.” OUCH! Indeed He was waiting for me.

 

Fear, insecurity and perfectionism kept the blog living over here in binders, journals and in my mind far too long. But God! He redeems the time. 40 days before I launched the blog, I went on a fast. For more information on The 40-Day Surrender Fast, visit Dr. Celeste Owens Ministries. While on the fast God revealed the root of many of my fears and insecurities. Then an accountability partner pinned me down to a date for the launch and the rest is history. Today we celebrate my 1st Year Blogiversary!

 

And an interesting year it’s been. I feel like its been one of the most challenging years I’ve had in a long time. Yet I also know that spiritually I’ve grown leaps and bounds. God has opened my eyes and ears to experience more of life in the spirit realm. He has illuminated His truth on some negative core beliefs I adopted as a child. And He has confirmed that as a disciple I am to live His Will, His Way not His Will My Way.

 

In addition to what I had to release before launching the blog, I also had to accept a new reality. I had intended to use the blog to disseminate information. I am an information girl. I like facts, figures, numbers, data, evidence and the like. I thought I’d write on topics like, What Stress Does to the Body, The Benefits of….., How to…..

But again, the Lord swept in and changed that direction. He said, “Tyra information is fine. But people don’t have an information problem. In fact, there is an overabundance of information.” He went on to ask, “Tyra, how do they overcome?”

To which I answered, “They overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of the testimony”. He said, “That’s right. You WILL have to share your testimony”.

 

Wait! Do what?! Tell people my personal business? Let my guard down? Be vulnerable? Um, no thank you. I don’t let people see me sweat. I have a brand to protect. I have an image to uphold. I don’t let people into that space.

 

Oh the Lord is so patient with us. He gently reminded me, “Pride comes before the fall and I resist the proud”.

 

Needless to say, in the sacred space, I’ve had to unmask. I’ve had to share my frustrations, insecurities and weaknesses. I’ve had to share how I’ve stumbled as a wife and mother. How I’ve had lack of faith and anger with God. I had to share how this health coach has battled with food. I’ve bared my soul. Out of obedience to Christ, I write exactly what He tells me to write and I only check for grammar and spelling. Once an idea hits the page I leave it because it is the Holy Spirit forming the words that flow from my fingertips. And no matter that I cringe just a little every time I hit the publish button, I just know that I’m doing what I’ve been called to do.

 

He has called me to inspire the hearts of women to live fully mind, body and spirit. He has given me the blueprint and with His blueprint we’ve built a space where YOU are inspired to live fully in your spirit by delightfully obeying Him, in your mind by embracing the now moment and in your body by honoring the temple through proper nourishment, rest and exercise.

 

So I thank you sweet friends for riding with me on this journey. I thank you for trusting me and opening to heart and mind to receive the words that flow from this space. I thank you for your comments, prayers, for visiting and for telling others about the site. I look forward to what God will continue to do in and through Inspired Life. I am praying for you. I pray each encounter you have with Inspired Life leaves a deposit and that the deposit will multiply bountifully.

 

Here’s to the 1st year.

 

As always, it is my prayer that you’ve been Inspired To Live Fully!
Happy to connect with others sharing the Good News #WordsWithWinter #LifeGivingLinkup

/14 Comments/by