The Blog Before the Blog

Blogging this year has apparently been difficult for me. That is going to make what I am about to tell you seem really far-fetched. I am getting ready to start a second blog. I have been mentally and spiritually preparing for this since October. That is probably part of the reason this blog has been having such a struggle.


See, I have felt the calling to write for years, seriously, years. I have used that in little bits and pieces. When I had the Jr. High and High School AWANA kids, I would right short devotionals based around their lives and things going on in the world. Usually having them read a verse a day to get them in their Bibles at least a minute each day. I have also written some random devotionals here and there and sometimes even here on this blog. I have been feeling a stronger pull lately though, it seriously started with the night we went to see Matthew West.


Robert got us tickets for this concert and I have to tell you I was thrilled to death. Matthew West is my absolute favorite singer/songwriter/performer. I love the fact that he writes his music based on people's lives. When he wrote the song, Do Something, it reminded me so much of why I go to work everyday. However, at that concert, we got to visit with Matthew before the main event. He had asked me what my favorite song was (after I asked what his was, and he never did answer). He told me this song came back to haunt him though because he would get to feeling like he really didn't do enough. THAT was when it started.


So, I know I get to do an awesome job that helps people and truly changes lives. I try to make sure Jesus shows in me with every person I come into contact with ( and yes, I fail at this :-( but I do try).  But, I also know I bring home a paycheck for this work too. I have heard the Lord tell me I need to do more for Him out of the shear "want" to do more for Him.


It was not three days later, that a friend of mine (and the wife of one of our past pastors) posted something to my timeline about How to Write for the Lord. It was a series by Lysa TerKeurst (author of Made to Crave-one of my favorites). This made the bells go off even louder, how did she know to do that? Well, duh.....


So, I have been following what I can of that, most of that followed into how to be published, and I'm not sure I even want to go there right now, I am more concerned about getting some devotionals out there to help my friends, and their friends, and probably, truth-be-told, more than anyone else, it will help me.


A few days after that another friends had ran 16 miles (I think), getting ready for a marathon. As many of us encouraged her on through facebook, she made some statement about that little voice in her head that told her she couldn't do this. I made the statement to let us be louder than the voices. That phrase stuck in my head. God can be louder than the voices (who I sometimes just downright claim is the Devil talking), WE can be louder than the voices for each other too and that is what I am hoping to accomplish.


Because of our crazy busy lives, I am only committing myself to one post a week, on Saturday mornings, when hopefully, you have a little time to sit and unwind, and gear up for another week.
I am going to have a short post on Friday the 1st, just doing the general intro stuff to the blog and then HOPEFULLY, if all goes as planned, the first weekly post/ devotional will be up on the 2nd.


I want it dedicated only to what I write for God, which is why I am keeping it separate from my personal blog, which I also hope to do better with in 2016.


So, the new blog is setup, you go there, you will see there are no posts, but it is coming and as the day draws closer, the more excited I get.


So my faithful readers here ( and I seriously can't believe there are more than 2 but the little counter thing says otherwise), you get to be the first let in on this. Say some prayers for me, I want to do this, but I want to do it right.


Tune in on January 1 to see what is up. www.louderthanthevoices.blogspot.com 


Happy New Year's Eve eve,


and Happy Wednesday.

Airing up the tire......

So, one day, over a week ago, I got this email--

Excuse me….I have been on vacation for a week…come home…Patty updated her page and there is Mindy’s blog stuck at the side of the road with a flat tire.  It’s been since October 17^th since you updated.  How do I know if what I am doing is exciting or not if you don’t update?  Just putting in my 2 cents.

 

Have a great day.

I replied that I would try to update that day, and here it is, over a week later, so, I sent the short rundown and will copy and paste that here, as well as add/ adjust as necessary.

What has happened since the last time I blogged:

My mom was back in the hospital.

They have ran every test in the book but wouldn’t fix her head.

She took cold medicine and it fixed her head.

I went to the doctor for me.

I’m fine but he knows I am not exactly truthful with that at all times.

I have a colonoscopy scheduled for January 4^th

I got to meet “the” girlfriend, and very  much like her.

I got to meet her mom and little girl also, ditto.

They all came to my house for Thanksgiving

Andrew turned 51 Friday (the 27th).

Liz, the dog, turned 10 yesterday (the 29th)

I have to be in Robinson 4 separate times between now and Saturday. Tonight being #1. (last week, just have to be there once this week- tomorrow night for a ballgame)

I am going to Springfield Wednesday, -- I went to Springfield Wednesday, with a client in tow as well as our Executive Director and Fiscal Officer. We attended a press conference as well as a LIHEAP roundtable.)

This week, we FINALLY got our money given back to us!!! Whoo hoo! (please understand, State LIHEAP money was passed through the legislation and the Governor signed to give it back).

I STILL don't have my Christmas tree up and am strongly debating if it is even going up or not.

We celebrated our 24th anniversary Sunday, I have officially been married to my best friend half my life.

We are going to see Lee Greenwood Friday night.

I forgot to slip in there that we went to see Matthew West, we got to meet him and he sang Do Something because it was my favorite song.

I am supposed to take a personal day sometime between now and the end of the year and I can't figure out when I can fit it in.

I also dropped out of my QuickBooks class, failed to mention that above too.

I am very ready to have 2015 behind us and to start 2016, though I want to start on the 5th, read closely above and you will catch why :-).

So there, caught up, as it is going to be for a while anyway.

Oh, and because of the list above, the person who sent the email decided she had life pretty good, glad I could be of assistance, lol.

Happy Wednesday!