daily blogging

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Filter your words

I scrap a lot of posts…

There’s no telling how many times I get to 200 words and hit delete. (Maybe I should start a file of my “Almost got posted” words.)

Here are a few reasons I scrap posts: 

  • I’m thinking too negatively about a subject.
  • It’s just a really silly topic.
  • I’m simply spewing unprocessed emotions.

I started this blog to put into writing the everyday happenings and thoughts of my 25 year old self. 

Of course, my mind always wanders back to you, my reader, because I want these posts to be a source of encouragement to you as well.

Years ago, a friend of mine jokingly said she processes everything through her Jesus filter. 

I know she was joking, but I seriously do process everything through that filter.

What would Jesus say?

What would Jesus post on Facebook?

A lot of heartache would be avoided if we’d only think before speaking (or posting). In fact, just today I said the right thing in the wrong way.

Did you catch that?

It was the right thing to say, but I said it the wrong way, so I ended up needing to apologize to a good friend of mine for not being sensitive to her situation. 

Words are powerful.

Everything you and I say is either building someone up or tearing someone down. 

There is a time and place to share unfiltered words and thoughts–and it’s not on blogs or on Facebook or to any random stranger you meet.

For this reason, self-control is just as much about knowing when to speak as it is about watching what you say. 

 

 

 

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Minor Delays

Putting things off doesn’t  make them easier…

For instance, take this post:

I had wonderful intentions to get it up sooner, but then decided to wait. 

Bad idea. 

My evening took an unplanned turn and here I am at a quarter to midnight writing about procrastination. 

I’ve read that it’s good to have 5-10 posts ready in your queue. This is sounds like heaven to me because, much like heaven, I have yet to arrive. 

My favorite Christian song right now is “One post at a time, sweet Jesus, that’s all I’m asking from you!”

Daily blogging is fun. 

Is it challenging?

Absolutely. 

Are there days you talk about a lack of planning?

Yes. 
  

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My favorite day

I’m finally watching The Fifth Wave!

At the movies with my friend Holly. We’ve been hanging out all afternoon. 

I studied for school, paid some bills, and now I’m watching a movie!

Saturdays are my favorite. 

I know this post is short, but I didn’t have a chance to blog before dinner. 

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Help a sister out

Every once in a while I throw a post up about needing some help.

Help!

One of my goals this year is to improve my writing skills. I’ve even signed up for a few classes on writing through WordPress.

After only a few lessons, it’s obvious that my writing is too simplistic.

Let me back up a bit…

I approach blogging differently than others. It’s rare that I sit down and write out 5 or 6 posts in a day. In fact, I’ve never done that! Not once in my life have I been ahead when it comes to blogging.

Honestly, most of my posts are written in about 30 minutes.

Why am I telling you all of this?

Because it’s come to my attention that I need to be more disciplined in my approach. The reason I don’t do series is because my brain goes in too many directions.

And this WordPress series is kicking my booty….these people are legit!

I studied English and history in college, so I used to write 5, 10, 15 pages or more on a single topic. Though, most of the time, the paper took me a whole semester to write.

Yes, I am blogging everyday, but I have not been that focused!

Here’s where your help is greatly appreciated.

  1. What are some subjects you’ve been wanting me to cover, but I haven’t?
  2. What are some previous posts you really liked, but wanted me to get more in-depth?

Answering these 2 questions will help me focus more and grow as a writer and a blogger. I also want to use your responses to try out the new ideas I’m learning from the writing workshop.

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Friday Updates

  Today’s post will be more of an update. 

  1. I’ve picked up some extra work to save up for Rhema. Dad and Nana are showing me the ropes of the medical courier route. I’ll be picking up for my dad while he’s in Mexico. Also, I’llbe helping out Nana too. 
  2. My dad and I are working on a new project together. It’s going to be a short video series where we talk about our journey of being reconciled to each other. 
  3. I want us to to walk our way through a Christmas carol this December. We’ll look at history and origin, it’s telling of the Christmas story, and I’ll put up videos of different musicians singing it. 
  4. I’ve found a couple of great restaraunts in Birmingham this week. An African restaurant named Rafiki’s Grill and a Pho restaurant named Pho Que Huong. I highly recommend both!

Well, that’s all I have for today…

Please leave me a comment on which song we should discuss. 

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Surviving an emotional hangover

Have you ever had an emotional hangover?

You share something really personal and the next day you think:

“Why did I do that?!? I should’ve kept my mouth shut.”

I’m a pretty private person, which might seem like a strange statement since I blog every day. We share 200-300 words a day, right? Daily blogging has been a stretching experience for me.

Allowing people into my head space every single day is scary. I’m like a Puritan when it comes to my emotions. If my ankles are showing that’s just too much!

There have been many times I’ve shared with you guys and felt sick to my stomach.

“Did I say too much? What did I just do?”

I only bring this up now because I’m working on a project with my dad and stepmom. You’ll get to hear more about my reconciliation journey. For those who are unfamiliar with my story, this series would be a good one to follow. (And that’s all I’m going to say for now.)

This project will be a BIG stretch for me…

I need to find a nice rock to rent and a stash of brown paper bags.

I realize this post is a bit melodramatic. (Aren’t hyperboles fun?)

No one likes vulnerability, but we all crave it. We’re constantly watching and testing those around us to see if they’re genuine.

And yet, many of us are so scared to share.

Dear friend, I’m right there with you!

Fight the urge to hide, okay?

Hiding helps no one.

Find an outlet to share your gifts and stories with others.

Know that I’m here to help you however I can.

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Picture window thoughts

Does it bother you that my topics are random?

I realize that my posts range from super serious to total goof ball-ness (Yes, I just made up this word).

But that’s how my brain works….

I’m trying to find a flow in my daily blogging and become more consistent, especially if I say that I’ll finish talking about something the next day.

My thoughts, though, flitter and fly like a hummingbird. Or they attack a subject like a shark, leaving nothing but the bones behind.

No, I’m not ADD either.

I just love big ideas, the overarching principles that shape thinking.

Nitpicking tunnel vision bothers me. You lose sight of the grand design that way.

I’m not arguing against taking a strong stance, but I’m coming to believe more and more that you can have strong beliefs without needing to discredit and destroy those who are different from you.

I try to focus all my energy on building character and helping others.

No one benefits when you’re an idea bully.

Maybe your idea is the best. Kudos to you.

But no one likes a bully–even a correct one.

Don’t claim up and never share what’s important to you either.

Just remember that what’s important to you right now might not be important to someone else.

I think of it like this:

Friends have the right to share ideas, so it’s always better to be a friend as opposed to being an enemy.

So, we’re back to where we started: The randomness of my blogs.

I prefer the bigger picture, which is probably why I’ve always loved picture windows, mountain top views, and aerial shots.

My goal is for us to engage in meaningful conversations around the posts.

I want us to dig deeper into the whys (a big reason “daring to dig deeper” is my tagline) while keeping our eyes on the horizon, the bigger picture.

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A little back story required

You may already know this, but I met my dad for the first time five years ago. I don’t talk about it much here because I write exclusively about it on my family’s website (link below).

I spent the summer after my junior year of college in British Colombia, Canada so I could get to know my newfound family better.

It was a wild ride, for sure.

My feelings were all over the map and I didn’t know if I had made the right decision by agreeing to come for the summer or even by agreeing to give my dad a chance.

Latest family photo by our friend Derek Crosby of Greater Image Photography

Latest family photo by our friend Derek Crosby of Greater Image Photography

It was my first time to get a passport, to fly, to leave the country, to meet my stepmom and siblings.

So many firsts…..

And I was already feeling like a social pariah.

It’s not like you can explain away how you are the daughter no one knew about.

“I’m a really nice person—not an axe murderer or a tax evader. Seriously, I was just as surprised as you are when I found out the whole story. None of this is my fault.”

See how much I ramble when I’m nervous?

Well, the summer went okay. There were some bumps along the way, but it was a good start to our adventure towards restoration. It was a summer of wrapping our thinking around this new reality.

I’m sharing all of this to give you the back story of my new logo.

My next post will explain the dream that helped our family cope throughout this crazy time. (And, no, it was not a dream caused by licking the caps of poisonous mushrooms.)

You’ll understand more tomorrow.

Until then, check out my family’s website: http://www.thehollimans.com/

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My new internet home

Welcome to my new internet home!

I want to give a big shout out to my friend, Haley Hester, for designing the logo and the website. This would not have happened without her.

If you’d like her help with a project, send her an email at: haleycoe2015@gmail.com

Switching to a self-hosted website was one of my top goals for 2015. Now that this goal is accomplished, my creative juices are flowing….

But the main purpose of my blog is still the same.

I want us to have honest, meaningful conversations about the things that matter most.

That’s why my new tagline is “Daring to dig deeper”.

All too often, we never stop to think about why we think the way we do.

The cry of our culture is to respect differences and individuality. And yet, most of us don’t even know what we believe.

How can I respect your beliefs if I don’t even know mine?

And that’s why I wanted to blog every day.

I wanted to capture my thoughts and explore where they are coming from. It’s way too easy to bookmark an issue for another day.

Unfortunately, another day turns into another year, which becomes another decade.  

I don’t have that kind of time.

I am daring to dig deeper today—right now—because understanding what I believe and being able to talk about it is the most important thing I can do with my time.

In tomorrow’s post, I will talk more about the logo. Until then, poke around the new site.

Please let me know what you like, what you don’t like, and what you’d like to see.

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Month One Reflections

I have blogged every day for a month.

Wow.

This project is stretching my diligence and consistency muscle.

Consistency really is key.

Before I started this journey, I had all of these ideas for blog posts, but I never got around to writing.

Now, I look forward to writing a post every day.

I won’t say that I plan my topics (because most of the time I don’t) but I know that, at some point, a post has to go up.

This knowledge serves as my motivator.

And now I’m thinking….

What else can I accomplish with a boost of consistency?

All of the clichés are true.

Add consistency to good character.

And then step back.

BAM!

You just found the formula for success.

It’s that easy…not!

But it’s worth it.

And that’s one of the biggest lessons I’m learning right now.

Here’s to another month of blogging.

Cheers!