I planned to title our first DO something guest post “Start Small” because I didn’t want to scare anyone off at the beginning of this series. After reading Natalie’s impassioned and convicting perspective on influential blogging, I think the word “small” is just that… Small. Thank you, Natalie, for going big, and challenging me through this post.
I used to give God an earful about all the ways He wasn’t using me. I had a huge list of dreams that I was certain would rattle the cages of hell and break the bonds of those in darkness FOR—EV—ERRRR! Every now and then, I’d get a speaking gig or teach a Bible class. But, I’d find myself twiddling my thumbs waiting for the big break in ministry.
Never happened.
So, the final time I gave God an earful, He leaned in and said, “I never promised you those things.”
[enter cricket chirp here]
I smiled under my tears and nodded in silence. He was right. I let go of my definition of ministry and began to roll with it day by day.
Let me interject a quick look in my life: I’m a stay at home mom of three and I home-school. I’m married to a Pastor and go to a huge church.
Okay, with all of that, why in the world did I think ministry was going to look like an office with 25 employees? (Yes, it kinda got that bad in my mind)…(And I didn’t dream too big. Keep it safe. You know.) Like I didn’t have enough going on!
When Mandy asked me to write about how we can use our blogs to influence others, I got to thinking and wondered, “I actually influence others?” Well, looky there, what I thought ministry would look like doesn’t look like it at all.
Which leads me to the Blogosphere.
I have a personal blog that I use for all sorts of things. Laughter mainly, but it’s dashed with serious stuff. I also have a Bible study blog called Stiletto Army. As of right now, it has about 25 faithful readers. Seriously, that’s more people I teach every day than I did every week at a church study.
I don’t do this for the numbers. It’s not why I write every day–why I sit and study the Word. I do it because I believe that I can influence others through the power of God in a thing called the World Wide Web. And you can do it too. It comes from being real. Influence happens.
We have the world literally at our fingertips! If you are reading this blog, then you understand that blogs have the power to influence. Mandy does it right here and so do you. We have the opportunity to change the world while sitting in our pajamas drinking coffee. God has handed us people to connect with, and we must take advantage of this!
We may never meet those we touch this side of His coming, but won’t it be great when we get there? Just promise me you won’t be in your pajamas.
Do you see blogging as an opportunity to influence someone else? If so, how do you approach the task?
44 responses so far ↓
Heidi // September 2, 2008 at 7:51 am
Here it is Natalie, it’s 4:41 a.m.(pst) in the morning and I am in my pjs waiting for the coffee to brew. Oh,how you touched a chord with me here. So many people in my life have asked is blogging purposeful and is it about God?
Yes and I say Yes a trillion and billion times over, there have been many times I have poured over Mandy’s or your blog and MANY MORE amazing women like you both and just grabbed something of God or maybe another tidbit that would consume me for the day. I ‘ve learned to be a better me,mom, daughter, leader and girlfriend.
These tidbits may grab me kicking or screaming or in a gentle nudge.
But in the long run.. it grabbed me.
It’s not at all about numbers it’s all about people and lives and dreams…
Natalie you rock!!!
Thank you for doing SOMETHING in my life.
LSOF // September 2, 2008 at 8:39 am
Natalie,
I totally agree with your post on the ministry thing…God lets you know when and if you are ready to do something more…
I love it what Deb(God’s gal) said in a comment to me a long while back, about how my blog was a ministry, and that I needn’t worry about where God was physically placing me…(I love you Deb!)
Words do things, its like in between them God continues to speak…
People take in what they read…its like listening to a song…it can soothe the soul and really put someone who needs it at peace…
Before I start writing I make sure I know what the jist is, I try to focus on who the audience could be(walks of life etc), and I will write the same way I would talk to a person that I dont’ know well…
I give them the benefit of doubt…I know they might not want to hear about God, or faith….but they will. Everyone wants a positive and peaceful moment in life…God plants a seed in each person’s blog that acknowledges and glorifies HIM…
I DON’T write for people I do know…
Thanks for the beautiful post Natalie, I love the name Stilleto Army…too cool!
Be Blessed:)
lil’ ang
annie // September 2, 2008 at 9:01 am
I needed this. I am slowly seeing the same thing - that God can challenge me to minister outside of the general ‘ministry’ idea of life. This inspired me. Thank you!
Natalie @ I AM (not) // September 2, 2008 at 9:06 am
I’m so glad you ladies are out there too! I love how He connects all of us and we may never get to hug this side of eternity! Thank you all for doing what you do. I’ll be checking back in later today!
And Mandy, thank you so much for the intro. I pray that we all go BIG with what God has called us to do!
@ngie // September 2, 2008 at 9:15 am
What I loved most about this post is that you emphasized, Natalie, the process that God has and is taking you through. Thank you for sharing your experience with us and encouraging us to make the most of our moments… especially the moments we are blogging. Blessings on you and your family.
Natalie @ I AM (not) // September 2, 2008 at 9:23 am
Thank you angie! Hope to see you often!
Michelle // September 2, 2008 at 9:25 am
I struggle with wondering if this is truly it for me. I did teach to groups for quite a few years, then got to the point that I couldn’t any longer.
Thanks for the encouragement that it is influential, it can be God’s plan for some of our lives. I needed to be reminded of this today.
melissa1970 // September 2, 2008 at 9:30 am
Wonderful, awesome, fantastic. I know that I really needed to hear from someone else that our grand ideas are not always in God’s plans, even though our intentions may be good. The sweetest thing is knowing He has made our forum for us and He’ll lead us to it. I love it!
Megan Schell // September 2, 2008 at 9:32 am
I’d like to be a blessing via my blog but I don’t know if I can/will commit to being faithful to it. How do you guys keep up? And how do you end up with faithful readers? (Gotta run, baby crying. How do you do it?)
jon mark // September 2, 2008 at 9:40 am
great stuff natalie!!! i definitely try to use my blog to influence people…i try to encourage people in their walk with Christ…to grow closer to Him and to become more like Him…i just share what He is doing in my life at this point and what it is that i’m learning…all in hopes that there are others out there that can relate or draw something from it as well…
thanks for the words…i’m drinking my coffee, but not in my pj’s…and i’m definitely looking forward to the other side of His coming!!!
Monica @ Paper Bridges // September 2, 2008 at 9:42 am
Hi, came over from Twitter…
I’m a home schooling, stay at home mom, I know exactly what you mean.
Blogging helps with that feeling of “wanting to do more”. Absolutely, I want to be an influence. I get google hits on my blog from Christians looking for information. I hope (and trust the Lord) that what I write answers their questions.
Natalie @ I AM (not) // September 2, 2008 at 9:52 am
Michelle, keep seeking Him. He will lead you to the place that you are most fulfilled and He is most glorified!
Melissa-I praise Him with you!
Megan- I have to admit, keeping up with it can be hard at times. However, it’s something that I know I’m to do. I have 1835 plates going at all times and all of them are important. My husband and I pretty much consider my bloggin to be my “job.” I just make time for it when I can, but I have to make time for it.
Oh, and the faithful readers? That’s in HIS hands.
Jon Mark- I’ll look for you over there!
Hi Monica from Twitter! I’m so glad He has given us this way to reach people!
mandythompson // September 2, 2008 at 10:33 am
Good Morning!!!
I LOVE the discussion that has spun off of this post. When I read Nat’s post last week, it blew me away. I knew she’d really hit on something dear to us all.
So glad y’all are being encouraged!!! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!
GO BIG!!!
LSOF // September 2, 2008 at 10:40 am
I think this will be an amazing month Manders:) I am excited…its like we are all walking together and proclaiming God’s grace to the world…
how amazing:)
I have ” God of the city” on my blog; and tell people after to come right here:)
I just love you!
[ P.S- Do you remember ” hands across america” ? I was 6 yrs old…but I remember my mom and i did it…it was pretty cool!!!}
Indian Lake Papa // September 2, 2008 at 11:03 am
Mandy - blogging in someways has scared me! I asked mama last night if she see’s me living the life I portray as I blog - I want to be real. Blogging has taken my own spiritual walk to greater depths. Although mama does not comment or post very often she is a part of this ministry - big time. And - yes, it is a ministry. We want our home to be “mama & papa’s B&B” for bloggers who can stop by. We may not get many, but those that come through our door we we want to minister to. Papa’s blog is my life story - my successes as well as my failures. Love you and hope to meet you someday!
mandythompson // September 2, 2008 at 11:09 am
Papa:
If there’s ONE THING I know about you, it’s that you and mama have touched so many lives through blogging. SO MANY.
Is she still praying for me???
Heidi // September 2, 2008 at 11:16 am
Natalie,
I came back again after a few hours and after coffee because something grabbed me….
Really grabbed me at my heart strings:
“I do it because I believe that I can influence others through the power of God in a thing called the World Wide Web. And you can do it too. It comes from being real. Influence happens”
Thank you….
Heidi // September 2, 2008 at 11:16 am
@Mandy
If she isn’t (I’m sure she is :)) I AM..
mandythompson // September 2, 2008 at 11:24 am
H: thank you.
Natalie @ I AM (not) // September 2, 2008 at 11:31 am
Heidi: you’re welcome.
tabitha // September 2, 2008 at 11:36 am
I started my blog a year ago because I felt God was telling me to. The thing is I didn’t know what I would say but decided to be obedient. Most of my friends see my blog as some hobby I have and aren’t really interested.
I see my blog as something I need to do. It’s something God told me to do and as scared as I was I did it. Last week God revealed to me that my blogging is a ministry.
A ministry? This isn’t something I ever pictured a ministry to be and there are those who would agree that blogging isn’t a ministry. However, they don’t read the great blogs out there.
I realized that most of the blogs I read are about Christian leadership. Hmmm.
Anyway, great article Natalie.
mandythompson // September 2, 2008 at 11:48 am
Tabitha: Thanks for stopping by! What are some of the leadership blogs that you read?
Theresa // September 2, 2008 at 11:53 am
Natalie—Awesome way to start out Mandy’s new blog Journey. You amaze me with your writing. This post is a wonderful piece that hopefully will capture new souls and lead them to DO SOMETHING.
You are a huge inspiration to me. I seek out your teaching of the Word when I am at my most down. You have a way of telling me to knock it off and get out there, spread the Word. Thank You!!
Mandy—Loving this….Can’t wait for everyday!!
gchyayles // September 2, 2008 at 11:56 am
Natalie~Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts. I blogged for a long time privately; felt that I needed a safe place to write and connect with God [my handwriting began to dwindle after good ole computers became the fad so journaling was unrealistic]. I kept it private because I had recently converted to Christianity and my family didn’t know and I was trying to use wisdom and stay safe [you can read more about my testimony at my blog :)] but shortly after I revealed my faith to my parents and sisters, God spoke to me about using my testimony to reach others. I made my blog public and from there on, it’s been a wild but blessed journey. I know God has used me to bless and encourage others and not neccessarily through my good days but through trials and suffering that I have shared but with the hope I have in Christ. I do believe our testimonies are influential; no matter what medium we use to share them. We are chosen to proclaim the good news and I am so thankful that He found me [and others in this wonderful community] worthy to do so, praise God! My continual prayer is that I allow the Spirit to lead me in my writings so that His purpose is fulfilled. Love and blessings.
Sarah Markley // September 2, 2008 at 12:26 pm
you know what is so cool about blogging (or even writing) is that so many times I feel like I can share the truths of God without having to quote a scripture (not that that is bad or wrong, because so many times I need to be reminded of the Word of God). But God reveals His ideas, love and truth in the world around us (in our kids, our families, etc) and blogging lets me share the thing that God teaches me about Himself and about life everyday.
Great post Natalie. I love you (and Mandy of course).
Natalie @ I AM (not) // September 2, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Tabitha-isn’t He so good to use all things for His glory!?!
Theresa- you’re so sweet! Miss you!
gchyayles- I’m so glad you went “public”. Your faithfulness will be a blessing beyond what you can imagine!
Natalie @ I AM (not) // September 2, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Oh! And Sarah! I love that about blogging too. We can let his truth come through all sorts of ways! You’re so sweet! Glad you came by!
bradruggles // September 2, 2008 at 1:14 pm
Great post. A very inspirational and challenging start to your “Do Something” series of posts.
tam // September 2, 2008 at 3:42 pm
way to start out DO something!!! applause, applause!
natalie - love your thoughts. and i concur. i didnt know there would be any possibility of influencing others when i started blogging. it was a thought that never occurred to me actually. what started as a blog competition between me and my husband - dang, correction - i was the only one competing - shoot, it soon became an outreach, a community, a means to develop relationships with people all over the world, and ALL kinds of people, that i would have not rubbed shoulders with here where i live. sometimes i think - is it worth it? all the time. all the thought process. then someone comes around and shares how God used something i said or something someone else said in the comments and i realize, wow God - all this belongs to YOU! You’re DOing something BIG here! and i, WE, get to be a part of it. now…as mandy has put before us - how are really gonna start impacting the lives around us even more so than we’re doing now?!
chalklette // September 2, 2008 at 4:51 pm
This is great! I came to this same revelation — about using my blog to influence and minister to people — just a couple months ago. Slowly but surely, it’s actually happening! Keep up the good work.
edfromct // September 2, 2008 at 6:14 pm
“Do you see blogging as an opportunity to influence someone else? If so, how do you approach the task?”
I started reading blogs to learn more about what other people think. I chose the blogs of people who I perceived to have views that were different from my own. As an Atheist that meant blogs of Christ Followers. Ones I learned how much we have in common I realized that the important thing, at least for me, was how people act, not what system of belief they hold.
I started my own blog to reach out to the blogging community. To open a dialogue with anyone who wanted to communicate with me. My only approach is to be honest. My two primary objectives are to stimulate people’s minds and sometimes make them laugh.
Natalie @ I AM (not) // September 2, 2008 at 7:09 pm
Ed- I love your honesty! If we can’t be honest then we’re nothin’ but liars. How’s that for some deep thoughts!
chalklette: keep doing what you’re doing!
Rachel Rowell // September 2, 2008 at 8:33 pm
I LOVE this. Recently my husband and I were out to coffee with one of our mentor couples. I shared with him a prophesy spoken over me a few years back that God was going to use me to reach the nations. I was referring to this in dissappointment because I physically have no idea how that could ever happen. He looked at me and said, “Where do the people that read your blog come from?” I said, “All over the world.” He replied, “Ok, then. Have you ever considered that there are more ways to reach nations than in person?” He said, “Maybe God is using and will use your written word to reach people you will never meet. Through your blog, through books you may write.”
This thought absolutely floored me. Every since then, everything I write takes on a whole new purpose. Everything that comes out of our mouths, or in this case, out of our browser, has the power to influence and change lives. We’ve got to stop making the thought of changing our world so HUGE in the physical that we think it could never be done. Sometimes it happens quitely in small things we do.
mandythompson // September 2, 2008 at 9:12 pm
Rachel: Dang girl!! You just showed up and preached a sermon right here on this blog!
tabitha // September 2, 2008 at 10:54 pm
@mandythompson i’m not sure if anyone else considers these leadership blogs but i do because well…i think they are leaders…
http://www.ragamuffinsoul.com
http://www.flowerdust.net
http://swerve.lifechurch.tv
http://withoutwax.tv
http://churchrelevance.com
http://jennicatron.tv
I’m still discovering new blogs everyday…like this one.
maji6 // September 3, 2008 at 5:43 am
The thing is people all over the world have tried just about everything now to find peace and yet they have not found it. Now people are coming back in numbers to God in order to find salvation and Peace. People all over the world are going through all kinds of traumas and maybe the internet is one source of information where they can find some answers. People need leaders to lead and words to comfort and whose words can be better than Gods Own Words?
Worship and Preaching isn’t just standing up in front of people and giving a heart rendering talk, but its living a 24 hour life which shows the beauty of Gods ways that attract people to the faith.
God is a Giver and he wants us to be a reflection of Him giving love to all mankind this may be as simple as helping an elderly person with her shopping bags or teaching our younger generation good manners.
Anyways..
Nice Blog.
TheSleepingBear // September 3, 2008 at 8:18 am
I…um…Well, I kind of got lost with, aah, with…”Stiletto Army…” (I’m guessing by the picture that Stiletto makes shoes…?)
Everything else was really good, though.
Job well done.
Natalie @ I AM (not) // September 3, 2008 at 8:36 am
Oh sleeping bear, dear sleeping bear…a stiletto is a kickin’ high heel that makes a girl feel strong and sassy all at the same time. There, did that help?
mandythompson // September 3, 2008 at 9:33 am
Tabitha: I’m familiar with that list and I’d say they are definitely leadership blogs. Those are some POWERHOUSES of ministry. Thanks for coming back and offering us that list. Good stuff.
Maji: Yes Yes Yes. And I think there is still hope for us yet! Thanks for stopping by and joining the conversation.
maji6 // September 3, 2008 at 9:45 am
The Pleasures mine. Your welcome.
You know Like ..you let God infiltrate you..every vein in your body every hair on your body every breadth we take….should be influenced, motivated and be sincerely for God.
Thus when every time we scribble with our pen or push down the keys on the keyboard a pulse of light is then directed from our hearts to the reader.
lol maybe im going a bit too far but knowledge is light and the internet is a medium for spreading knowledge.
We can be a well and wait for people to come to us or a rain cloud and shower blessings on people..
Love your hat and bye.
TheSleepingBear // September 3, 2008 at 6:25 pm
Natalie:
No, it did not.
~Mr. Bear
TheSleepingBear // September 3, 2008 at 6:25 pm
PS:
mandythompson // September 3, 2008 at 6:38 pm
Hehehe!!!
Natalie @ I AM (not) // September 5, 2008 at 9:41 am
OH well, I tried.
Mandy, thanks so much for this and for all of those who commented…go DO something in the power and name of Jesus!
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