Roses are red, violets are blue
Boy do I really have an awesome announcement for you I know, I know...that was cheesy. Okay you can quit throwing things at me. Hello lovely readers! I wanted to share with you an awesome announcement. It's nothing that spectacular or anything, but it's exciting because it means I will be coming up with more uplifting content. In conjunction with the blog, I will be making YouTube videos. The videos may or may not go along with a blog post, but it'll be a way to gain more attention to both the blog and the channel. Please let me know what kind of videos you'd like to see, or what kind of content you'd like to see in general whether it's the channel or here on the blog, and also my social media on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. I'd like to be more active on those platforms too! Hope you guys enjoy what's coming up and I hope to hear from you!
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Image courtesy of the volunteer photographers for Pixabay.
This post will be a little bit different. I generally give you a Scripture reference and a short devotional on it, but this time I want to get some things off of my chest. As a child of God, it breaks my heart to see churches fall into the pit of religion and never actually live effectively for the Lord. Yes, they sit in the pew every time the doors are open and they might make a few phone calls, but they aren't doing what the Lord tells them to do. They put things in the Bible that aren't actually there, and I wanted to break some of those chains. I'm not a preacher but I'm fairly sure I'll step on some toes. Chain 1: The version issue... I have never once come across a verse that tells me what version I'm supposed to read. Yes there are some strange ones out there, some border on the mythological. But I have always been told that whatever brings me closer to the Lord, do it! Chain 2: Appearance... Modesty is very, very important, but let's not restrict ourselves. We can have a nice wardrobe without opting for dresses that came straight out of the 19th century. Oh and if we REALLY want to get biblical, every man sitting in church ought to have long hair. Remember what happened to Samson? Every woman ought to be wearing a head cover too. Chain 3: Mode of worship... My Bible says to make a joyful noise and to sing a new song. While it doesn't say big fancy lights and buildings are necessary, it does say to worship! David danced before the Lord! Who decided it was wrong to dance in the church building? Under whose authority are we to sing funeral dirges every Sunday morning? While I am a firm believer that the old hymns tug at your heart and have a special meaning, it's okay to have newer music! Again, if we really want to be biblical, we don't even need a church building. In Paul's day, they met in houses, and they didn't have instruments. They sang out of the Psalms. While we are on the subject of worship, it's not just about the music. There are no rules that we should be yelling and running aisles, or crying and making a scene. Worship is supposed to be reverent; we don't have to sit with our lips pursed but if our preference of worship distracts someone else from the service, we might want to tone it down. Chain 4: The way we witness... Walking up to someone and telling them they're going to hell isn't what Jesus told us to do, neither is dragging them by the ear to church. Unfortunately Christians have been marginalized into two categories: 1) the complacent "I don't care" Christian and 2) the "Bible thumper". We don't want to be like either of those! Sitting in a Sunday school class discussing ministry opportunities is a wonderful idea, but until we actually get up, the lost aren't going to come. Your family members will not come. Yes, we can pray for God to bring them, but we have to do our part too!!! But once we get them interested, we have to be very cautious about how we present the Gospel. We can't yell at them and expect them to respond in a godly fashion. As the hymn puts it, "plead with them gently..." My prayer today is that our churches will step away from the Pharisee attitude and live by the example that Jesus gave us. Image above taken from the Baptist Hymnal. If you'd like more information on the hymnal, don't hesitate to let me know.
Scriptures: Romans 5:15; Psalm 66:16; John 9:25 Dubbed as one of the world's most well-known hymns, Amazing Grace has been a favorite in many homes and churches. Today we are going to focus on the very last verse of the song and explore what God's grace made possible. "When we've been there ten thousand years Bright shining as the sun We've no less days to sing God's praise Than when we first begun." In the book of Romans, Paul gives a detailed description of grace. Biblically speaking, it is unmerited favor; that is, we don't deserve it. We did nothing to attain it. Grace made everything possible that we as Christians enjoy today. We have direct access to the throne of God in prayer, the Holy Spirit's guidance, and the opportunity to worship freely with other Christians. But what's more? In the excerpt above, the writer proclaims our ultimate inheritance. We have an eternal home. We will once day get to meet Him face to face. I've heard it said many times that even the angels of heaven do not have the privilege of knowing what grace is. They don't understand it. This is why it is so important that we do not take for granted what the Lord has given us. Chris Tomlin's version titled My Chains Are Gone describes grace as something that sets us free and allows us to receive the mercy that the Father has given us. God's grace is indeed amazing. Image courtesy of the volunteer photographers for Pixabay.
This is going to be sort of a "things I wish I knew"/"what not to do" mash-up. While I am far from the most popular blogger, I am going to share some things that you can learn so that you don't make the mistakes that I made. 1) Never compare yourself to another writer or blogger. You might say "oh that person has better projects" or "their style is much more cohesive than mine ever will be". When you do this, you are setting yourself up for inevitable failure. There is only one thing that people, as your potential readers, will ever ask of you, and that is to try. Many a successful blogger take inspiration from their favorites; in fact, one of my inspirations is the wife of a very well-known actor. 2) Your level of success is not determined by numbers. My rule of thumb is, even if you get one or two views a week, that's still a good thing! I've been running Southern Grace And Beauty for at least three years and just recently, I've been shocked at the statistics for each month. I never knew people were actually reading my stuff. It's a bonus if someone comments or contacts you! The best way to start getting traffic is by sharing your work with family and friends; the fish will bite sooner or later. 3) Blogging is a lot of hard work. A lot of people out there think that it's all about spilling your opinion on the latest celebrity gossip or scheduling a pretty picture of the backyard garden. But even behind all that is a hard-working writer (or I hope so). Writing takes time and energy, and depending on your niche, it will take some research. Many of my Bible studies have taken hours and even days, just to make sure I am telling my readers the truth. On top of that, the writer is responsible for editing and planning. But believe me, it's all worth it. 4) This is going to be very bold and very discouraging (but again don't let it deter you), but at some point or another, you will face criticism. Your work will be scrutinized down to the very letter. But that should be all the more reason to try harder and work harder. Take constructive criticism and apply it to your writing, and ignore the ones who are blatantly trying to tear you down. Developing a support system or a circle of writing buddies is a great way to stay motivated and encouraged, even when the crowd says "nay". If you are a blogger or writer, what did you wish you knew before starting? What advice would you give to someone considering their own space on the internet? The image above is taken from the Baptist Hymnal that we use at our church. If you want more information on this hymnal, feel free to drop a comment or send an email.
Isaiah 26:4; Deuteronomy 32:3-4 Today's hymn is a reminder of God's protection and strength. May it be a prayer in our own lives when we need unwavering support. We've all had those times when people and friends fail us. They promised to be there for us. They said to call them if we needed anything, but they turned out to be too busy. A lot of them abandoned us for their families or career, never taking into consideration how much it hurt you to be forgotten. God will never, ever abandon or leave us. He will never forget us. We can lean on Him when other people turn their backs. He's never busy and His ear is always open. Think about it this way; there are over two billion professing Christians in the world, and they all have prayers that need to be answered. But yet He still remembers you. He hears your prayers too. The next time you see a big rock or boulder, think about God. His strength is mightier than that rock, and He still loves you. |
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