Maybe this is why God didn’t give me any girls…

On occasion my sister will call me up and suggest a child swap: one of my children for one of theirs. What she really means is, “This girl is driving me crazy. Please take her.” Now she loves her girl but good golly is Gabriela ever all girl (read: high maintenance). Boys are a challenge in a please don’t climb the tree so high that I have to call the fire department kind of way. Girls, or this girl, constantly demands your attention in a “Nanny paint my nails, brush my hair, help me change my dwess for the 23rd time, and put on cosmetics” sort of way. And yes, she absolutely does say “cosmetics".”

She wore me out.

I have not done so much prissy primping in all of my life as I did in one hour with her. Then we had to feed her pink monkey and she had to have a glass of tea sitting at the table… with me.

I finally couldn’t take it anymore and so I sat her in front of the TV to watch a girlie show. That occupied her for a while. Then we had to repaint, rebrush, change clothes again and powder her nose. Does it ever end?

Blog design secrets revealed...

I used to get so many questions about my blogs designs that I totally had to quit checking my old email at SplitDecisionz.com. I still get lots of emails here asking how did you do this and how did you do that so instead of going back to publishing tutorials at Split Decisionz I just figured I'd entertain some of those questions here. I will also be moving all of my old posts, including the free templates, to this site, for your use of course!

One question I got quite often was in reference to changing the font on your blog. My answer was always the same. Don't do it. I still hold true to that when it comes to the actual post itself but I've succumbed to changing my post title recently as you can see and I know I'll get dozens of emails about it so I'll go ahead and answer it now.

My secret is...

Kevin and Amanda.

Yes, you read that right. Amanda posted a tutorial about how to change the font on your blog posts and ladies, I have to say that this is the first time I have tried to follow a tutorial on this and had it work. This one is the real deal and everyone who looks at your blog, whether they have that font installed or not, will be able to see the font just like you do.

So go check out this post from Kevin and Amanda: How To Use A Cute Font For Your Blogger Post Titles. BUT... if you have questions about how to do this please email Amanda since this is her tutorial.

While you are there check out all of her cutesie fonts too. She'll even make one from your handwriting at no charge!

All of the fonts I am currently using on my design were created by her!

Be on the lookout for more tips like this in the future as well as more free blog templates. If you haven't signed up for the blog feed then now is a good time! We are about to get serious about this online ministry stuff!

Enter your email address:

Subscribe by FeedBurner

A Word from my laundry...

While this July 4th wasn't quite as fun as last year, over the weekend I did settle into a pace of loading the washer, pouring the detergent, starting the cycle, then loading the dryer and waiting the negated forty minutes until they were completely dry and then removed them so I could fold, sort, and put them away.

Can I tell you that I hate doing the laundry?!

So I went back into the laundry room for about the third load of the day and I noticed something. The boys had brought clean clothes back into the laundry room. I've noticed this is a trend with them. They have their favorite clothing and will wear it day in and day out - holes and all. They remove the clothes that aren't their favorites from the drawer and put them back into the laundry basket so that they have easier access to the clothes they prefer. I should make them run around naked. I'm just sayin'...

Now usually I get upset about this. I've had this discussion with them at least a hundred times. I'm sure of it. They always say the same thing to me in defense.

"I don't like that shirt cause my friends make fun of me."
"It isn't cool like my other clothes."
and my favorite...
"It's not my style."

Who knew a ten year old had style, hmm?

So as I'm standing there looking at this pile of laundry that was freshly laundered just days ago I see a picture of my life. God gave me a glimpse from His view.

How many times has He forgiven me for particular sins only to have me toss that forgiveness aside in favor of what I or my peers deem acceptable? How many times have I chosen the familiarity of the old me to the reality of the new me in Him? Instead of remaining clothed in white I strip myself of that gift and go right back to my old grave clothes. Why?

Needless to say I had a long talk with my boys that day but I gave them quite a bit of grace. I washed those clothes again without one harsh word to them but I I made them understand why what they were doing was wrong. I understood for just a moment how much God puts up with when it comes to me. He is not a God who can't sympathize. He understands.

Now I have this mental picture attached to an emotion - a clear and precise expression of God's written word. Whenever I am about to toss the new clothes into the dirty clothes pile in exchange for the old grave clothes I will be reminded of this incident. Prayerfully now I will get it and walk in it.

Some people's grandmas

I told y'all that my grandma is a spunky old lady, didn't I? Oh well, girlfriend, have I got stories of my spunky lil grandma and as you can see some of them come with photos. In fact, my sister and I kept questioning her one day and had her tell us all of her old stories and we even broke out said photos so she could tell us specifics about them. That is when I found out what a hot little item she was. (I say that with all due respect :)

You see, my grandma was dating military man "A" and sent him a nice full body shot of herself in her swimsuit which, although it was a one piece, was considered to be racy back then. So then, my grandpa whom we'll call military man "B", saw her photo hanging on military man "A"'s wall. He was immediately taken by her and so he found her address on an envelope tacked up next to the picture and he started writing her! She wrote back y'all and when the both of them came home on leave she dumped "A" for "B" and the rest is my history. So yeah, that is how she got together with my grandpa but that isn't the kicker part of the story.

After my grandma told us this my sister, holding the photo in hand, asks her: "so grandma, who took this picture anyway?" And she looked at us with a big sheepish grin and says, "well my other boyfriend did!"

Grandma!

Goodbye boyfriend "C" who was not a military man, just so you know.

She went on to explain that back then a woman's charm and purity were her strongest assets and she said her assets were pretty good so she was able to keep her options open. She said she would only settle for the best. The best was my grandpa and I'm sure he would agree that she was worth every bit of trouble he went through to woo her.

And because my grandma said she doesn't want folks thinking that she was a hussy we have to set the record straight... these are the only pics she ever took in a swim suit and they were taken while her and her sisters were sunbathing. The shoes? Those big clunkers weren't even hers but that is another hilarious story for another day. Oh and she says she wasn't "dating" anyone. They were just "courting." *shakes head* Are you happy now grandma? :)

That woman is something. Isn't it so much fun to find out things about your heritage?

Freedom

I am sure that there are times in everyone's life when they feel as though they are bound and shackled, maybe to an addiction - or maybe to hobbies and habits.

I'm sure you are less likely to think that you are bound and shackled to your own personality... but sometimes we are.

I'm not quite sure why being an independent person is considered a good thing. In fact, I'm sure in most cases it isn't. Independent people can live and thrive in the illusion that they are in control of everything around them but they are truly dying on the inside. It happened to Eve and Adam.

Now the serpent was the shrewdest of all the creatures the LORD God had made. "Really?" he asked the woman. "Did God really say you must not eat any of the fruit in the garden?"

"Of course we may eat it," the woman told him.

"It's only the fruit from the tree at the center of the garden that we are not allowed to eat. God says we must not eat it or even touch it, or we will die."

"You won't die!" the serpent hissed.

"God knows that your eyes will be opened when you eat it. You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil."

The woman was convinced. The fruit looked so fresh and delicious, and it would make her so wise! So she ate some of the fruit. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her. Then he ate it, too.

At that moment, their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they strung fig leaves together around their hips to cover themselves.

Toward evening they heard the LORD God walking about in the garden, so they hid themselves among the trees.

The LORD God called to Adam,"Where are you?"

He replied, "I heard you, so I hid. I was afraid because I was naked."

Satan knew that the thought of being as smart as God and being able to live without being dependent upon Him would be appealing to an intellectual who could reason. We have a strong desire to be self-sustaining. We want to be able to fully provide all physical, emotional, and spiritual needs for ourselves and others.

Is this what God intended?

A desire to be independent caused the fall of man.

True freedom can be found in dependence upon a savior who gave up His life so that I would not have to live in bondage to my own capabilities. Dependence upon my God; the fact that He can sustain me; and the knowledge that only His word can transform me.

I have learned to become less dependent on myself and more dependent upon Him. That kind of freedom will make me better because it will make me more like Him.

July Issue - Ministry: Online

There is one common element of ministries that make them successful: they build strong relationships. In order to have a strong relationship there must be trust, sincerity, and communication. Though it may seem difficult to do this online it really is exactly the same as building a relationship in person. Just remember that there is absolutely no distance in the spirit realm and love knows no boundaries.

Here are some guidelines...

To read the rest of this article please visit me at: Exemplify Online

How to submit to online publications...

Although it is one of the most effective ways to minister online, I've been told over and over about the fear that grips women when it comes to submitting their work to online publications. This shouldn't be. Many of you have some great stories and lessons to share and we should be able to read them!

Yes, you could post those great pieces on your blog but the problem is only a small fraction of people will get to glean from it. By submitting to an online publication you can accomplish several things:

1. You can minister to thousands versus hundreds.
2. You can leave links so that people who may not have found your blog otherwise will have a chance to visit you.
3. You get to fellowship with a whole new community of women.
4. You gain credentials.

Now since each publication has its own set of guidelines be sure to read them thoroughly prior to submitting but I will give you a basic outline of what you should do.

First, read over the site's current published articles or devotions. Get a feel for their style of content. Is it devotionals based on daily life? Articles about God in the everyday? Does it go by themes? In depth issues pertaining to women? Moms of young children? What is published on any given site has a lot to do with the editor's vision. You want to be sure to capture their attention. Once you have a feel for their style find out what word count they look for. If they don't specify one then try to keep it within 400 - 700 words.

When referencing scripture be sure to include the book, chapter, and verse and also the version it was taken from. Be sure that you are using that scripture in context. If you are unsure then use tools like Blue Letter Bible or Lifeway Bible so that you have access to the original text. You can have access to these tools at the click of a mouse by downloading our new Christian Women Toolbar.

If you send photos along with the written piece then you must have all rights to use it. If it is your personal photo then make the editor aware of that. If you purchased it from a stock company then include a copy or screenshot of the purchase ticket to send along with the photo. It is considered piracy to use copyrighted photos that were click-lifted from other sites without permission. It is also illegal to use text from another site. Once it is written on a person's blog or website then it is considered to be copyrighted. Be sure that your work is your own.

Once you have your submission written and ready to send in then you will want to send it using a word document, google document, or open office document. Prior to the article, place your name, web address, email, and word count at the top. In the body of the submission if there is any reference to websites you will want to be sure to lay it out like this: The other day I visited the A Woman Inspired (insert: http://www.awomaninspiredconference.org) and I was.... This way the editor has the URL within reach and does not have to jump through hoops to link to websites.

Finally, include a headshot and a short bio. You want your headshot to be as free as possible of any background imagery. It is best to take a photo using a hanging sheet or even a large posterboard. Make sure that you are wearing sleeves in whatever shirt you choose. I have no issues with tank tops. I am wearing one as I type but it is not professional to use a headshot of a woman wearing a tank top.

For the short bio include any major accomplishments and consistent writing assignments, speaking engagements, or appearances. Give a few specifics about your personal life and what your goals are... all in four lines or less. If you need help then ask a friend. You want to give them a glimpse into who you are. Think of your short bio as a window not a door.

Here is a list of sites that take submissions. If you have any to add to the list then email me. I'd be happy to include them.

A Woman Inspired
Internet Cafe Devotions
Heart of the Matter Online
Exemplify Online
Titus 2 At the Well
Comfort Cafe
5 Minutes for Faith
Next Step of Faith
Blissfully Domestic