I never cease to be blown away by the goodness of God.
I started my content writing business in November 2012. I was so excited. I had learned so many great things about SEO from writing for Blogmutt and for Interact Media. I was thrilled to get started on writing some copy for businesses in our area. So, I went through all the steps of setting up your own business, and I started emailing businesses and sending out letters. I waited. I waited a long time, actually. Nothing was happening, and I was frustrated.
I went to God, and I questioned him. I asked him why this was happening. What was taking so long? Why was no one contacting me, if this was supposed to be what I did with my life and my writing? I was so passionate about what I wanted and about what I could do for our area businesses.
God answered me.
He told me that he had led me to this place in my life, but I was taking control over it. Much like I had taken control over other parts my life in the past and those things ended up being disasters. He told me that I needed to do the things that I learned brought in good clients, which are writing blog posts on my website and sharing those posts on social media. He then told me to keep up my writing at Blogmutt and Interact Media, and he promised me that he would take care of the clients for my business.
So, I did.
Man, was it hard! I kept wanting to do things, to reach out to people. When I was asked about my business, of course I answered questions. I went on consultation appointments when they were requested. But, I stopped doing the "cold calling" that I was doing. The consultation appointments I had weren't amounting to much, and the temptation to say, "God, this isn't working" was there, but I never gave in to it. God said he was taking care of it. I knew that I was (am) a tither and that God's Word is true. I was just waiting on that outpouring of blessings in my life.
I believe the outpouring is beginning.
Yesterday, I had a consultation with a restaurant in Corning. I don't know if it's because I love restaurants, or if it has something to do with what Craig does for a living, but I've wanted to work with restaurants since I got this vision for local SEO. I had a really great meeting with this particular restaurant owner. I went into the meeting knowing that he had a certain set of views about the importance of social media over his website, and I was able to change his mind. I know God gave me those words. I know he opened up the opportunity for me.
Not only was I able to make him see that his website was just as important as social media and that the two go hand in hand when it comes to Internet marketing, but I was also able to convince him that a redesign of his website was in order. He didn't balk at my prices, and he even said they were very reasonable, and that he would rather spend his marketing money with me than with the yellow pages and other advertising methods that weren't working.
He was interested in everything I said he should do. For the first time, I was able to experience the feeling of a truly successful consultation session with a potential client. When he showed me around the restaurant after our meeting, he introduced me to some of his staff as "Nicole, the person who is going to be helping us with our Internet marketing from now on." He told me to go home and look at his website and work up a quote for him. I did that yesterday, and I emailed it to him. Right before I left, he looked me in the eye and he said, "Just so you know...I know a lot of people. A LOT of people. If you do a good job for me, I can get you more clients easily."
Talk about blown away!
Obedience to God pays off. It pays off big time. I would have never dreamed I'd be here, in this place, at this time last year. In fact, last February, I was still working for Dr. Addams. I was desperately trying to juggle handling all of her office responsibilities, and failing miserably at it. I was being verbally and emotionally abused every day. I've never felt so free in my life as I do right now.
Thank you, Lord. Thank you for knowing when the right time to bless us is. We don't always think you're right on time. But you are. I believe it. And I trust you with every piece of my life, knowing that you always have a better plan for me than I could ever have for myself.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Friday, February 15, 2013
God Is My Healer
2 Corinthians 4:8-9: We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.
Last month I got a flu shot. I was pressured incredibly by my mom, who couldn't believe I hadn't gotten it yet. Everyone in my house had gotten it, but I rarely go anywhere, so I thought it would probably be okay if I didn't. I finally gave in though, after being told I should "really get it because the flu is bad this year." A week later, I got sick with something that resembled the flu.
I don't think I've ever been so sick. It was awful. There aren't many times when I have to call my best friend and say, "Hey, can you come and take care of Caleb? And make dinner for my family? I feel like I'm going to die." But that's exactly how I felt. And she did. God bless her.
I felt awful for about a week. Then I started to come out of it. I was still coughing, but with a little NyQuil I was sleeping okay. Then I started feeling worse again. The coughing picked up in frequency and severity, and the NyQuil stopped working. In fact, it stopped even making me tired. It did nothing for the cough. I spent one night sleeping on and off. The next night I ended up evicting myself from our bedroom so I didn't bother Craig. I took up residence on the couch and slept on and off again. He woke me up when he got up and sent me to our bedroom to finish the night there.
That was yesterday morning. Yesterday I knew something had to be done. I couldn't go on like this. My clients are still needing work from me, and I don't have sick days. I'm sure if I had needed to ask for more time from my clients, I would have been given it. But, integrity is an important thing to me, and I hate asking to extend a deadline. So, I pressed on. I told Craig I needed to go to the doctor, and yesterday, he took me.
Thank God.
I was told that I did have the flu when I was sick a month ago, and in fact, I'm just now coming to the end of it. However, in the mean time, the flu has birthed a double ear infection, bronchitis and a sinus infection. I was given an antibiotic and cough medicine with codeine in it, or as I like to call it, miracle sleeping cough medicine.
Yesterday I spent some time reading healing verses out loud. I declared them over my life, and I asked my Pastor to agree with me in prayer that I was going to be victorious over this sickness. I'm so sick of being sick, and feeling yucky all the time. I know that sometimes God uses doctors and medicine to heal. I knew in my spirit that it was time to seek that out. I am believing that God is going to take that medicine and move it through my body quickly, resulting in a fast recovery from this.
I know this is an attack from the enemy because it seems to happen when my work and my business start to take off. I'm getting more work than ever, and I have clients for my business now. God is prospering me and Satan knows what our intentions are with the money I'm going to make. He doesn't want me prospered. Well, my God is bigger. My God is able. My God is my Healer and my Protector. My God is my Provider. Satan already knows he lost. He's lost this battle too.
I am choosing to believe in the Word of my God.
Last month I got a flu shot. I was pressured incredibly by my mom, who couldn't believe I hadn't gotten it yet. Everyone in my house had gotten it, but I rarely go anywhere, so I thought it would probably be okay if I didn't. I finally gave in though, after being told I should "really get it because the flu is bad this year." A week later, I got sick with something that resembled the flu.
I don't think I've ever been so sick. It was awful. There aren't many times when I have to call my best friend and say, "Hey, can you come and take care of Caleb? And make dinner for my family? I feel like I'm going to die." But that's exactly how I felt. And she did. God bless her.
I felt awful for about a week. Then I started to come out of it. I was still coughing, but with a little NyQuil I was sleeping okay. Then I started feeling worse again. The coughing picked up in frequency and severity, and the NyQuil stopped working. In fact, it stopped even making me tired. It did nothing for the cough. I spent one night sleeping on and off. The next night I ended up evicting myself from our bedroom so I didn't bother Craig. I took up residence on the couch and slept on and off again. He woke me up when he got up and sent me to our bedroom to finish the night there.
That was yesterday morning. Yesterday I knew something had to be done. I couldn't go on like this. My clients are still needing work from me, and I don't have sick days. I'm sure if I had needed to ask for more time from my clients, I would have been given it. But, integrity is an important thing to me, and I hate asking to extend a deadline. So, I pressed on. I told Craig I needed to go to the doctor, and yesterday, he took me.
Thank God.
I was told that I did have the flu when I was sick a month ago, and in fact, I'm just now coming to the end of it. However, in the mean time, the flu has birthed a double ear infection, bronchitis and a sinus infection. I was given an antibiotic and cough medicine with codeine in it, or as I like to call it, miracle sleeping cough medicine.
Yesterday I spent some time reading healing verses out loud. I declared them over my life, and I asked my Pastor to agree with me in prayer that I was going to be victorious over this sickness. I'm so sick of being sick, and feeling yucky all the time. I know that sometimes God uses doctors and medicine to heal. I knew in my spirit that it was time to seek that out. I am believing that God is going to take that medicine and move it through my body quickly, resulting in a fast recovery from this.
I know this is an attack from the enemy because it seems to happen when my work and my business start to take off. I'm getting more work than ever, and I have clients for my business now. God is prospering me and Satan knows what our intentions are with the money I'm going to make. He doesn't want me prospered. Well, my God is bigger. My God is able. My God is my Healer and my Protector. My God is my Provider. Satan already knows he lost. He's lost this battle too.
I am choosing to believe in the Word of my God.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Disturbed
This morning, I'm disturbed. When I'm disturbed, it helps me to write about it. So, here I am, meeting with you today.
One of my Facebook friends (actually, a local radio personality) posted an article about Ashley Madison. The article really rubbed me the wrong way. I'll rehash it for you.
If you're not sure what Ashley Madison is, their tagline is, "Life is short. Have an affair." It's a dating site for married people. Basically, you sign up and then you have a chance to meet other married people for the purpose of having an affair.
And we wonder why marriages are failing every day?
In the article, a woman discusses the site with her friend, who is using it to meet men outside of her marriage. The woman decides that her marriage isn't everything she'd like it to be either, and thinks that it might be a good idea to check out Ashley Madison for herself. From the sounds of things, her sex life isn't very good. While she and her husband used to have sex three times a week, now they're having sex once a week...maybe. And when they do have sex, it's quite predictable. She's not getting any younger, and she thinks that having an affair might help her feel better about herself.
She meets a few different men, none of whom are the type of man she's really looking for. Her new job has longer hours, which gives her an excuse to give her husband for why she's not home at a decent hour. Of course, he's taking care of the children while she's out dating other men.
Finally, she meets a man who is a doctor. He's handsome, and he looks younger than his stated age of 43. They hit it off and decide to get a hotel room for their first romantic tryst. When she arrives at the hotel room, they go through the motions of having their first sexual encounter, however he isn't able to "perform". A few weeks later, they try again and it's another failure.
In the end, she decides that what she has at home is good enough, and she doesn't want to lose her husband, her children, her home, or their cottage at the lake.
Well, isn't that a lovely way for this article to end?
It makes me sick.
I've been the victim of infidelity in marriage. Let me tell you...it's the worst feeling ever to know your husband has been cheating on you. I've never felt so betrayed in all my life. Once I was able to reassure myself that I hadn't contracted an STD from his affair, I had to heal from the hurt of not being good enough for him. I had to help my small children through the situations they were facing with a looming divorce. I had to work through my own feelings of self-worth and being able to trust someone again.
Anyone who turns to something like Ashley Madison for an affair (or anyone who simply has an affair) is a coward. Not only that, but they're also lazy. It takes two people to keep a marriage working, not one. And you know what? Sometimes when one person isn't giving enough of themselves to the marriage, you have to do their work for them too. Marriage is not a 50/50 proposition, and people who believe that it is will get divorced. Being married means giving 100% of yourself. And in those times when you can't, your partner should be giving 100% to make up for what you're lacking.
If you're struggling in your marriage, I want to encourage you to do something about it. Sit down and have a talk with your spouse about what you're feeling. If you're not having enough sex, tell them. If money issues are plaguing you, bring them out into the open. When you take the time to have a conversation with your spouse, you'll be amazed at what you can learn about each other.
When you married your husband or wife, you took vows to stick by that person until death do you part. Assuming that there's no abuse in your marriage, those are vows you should keep. There is absolutely nothing that would cause me to break my vows to my husband.
Was I at fault for my first marriage failing? I believe I did the best I could at the time. However, I also believe there are some things I could have done better. Looking back on it, I know that ultimately he was not willing to get help for his problems. These are problems that are still issues for him to this day. His second marriage has already failed. Mine has only gotten stronger over the past six years.
I'll close with this...
If you've considered having an affair, don't. The pain you'll endure isn't worth it. The guilt will drive you crazy. Instead, think of the person you made vows to. Look back and remember what it is that made you fall in love with that person in the first place. If your marriage is broken, don't throw it away. Fix it.
Do it today.
One of my Facebook friends (actually, a local radio personality) posted an article about Ashley Madison. The article really rubbed me the wrong way. I'll rehash it for you.
If you're not sure what Ashley Madison is, their tagline is, "Life is short. Have an affair." It's a dating site for married people. Basically, you sign up and then you have a chance to meet other married people for the purpose of having an affair.
And we wonder why marriages are failing every day?
In the article, a woman discusses the site with her friend, who is using it to meet men outside of her marriage. The woman decides that her marriage isn't everything she'd like it to be either, and thinks that it might be a good idea to check out Ashley Madison for herself. From the sounds of things, her sex life isn't very good. While she and her husband used to have sex three times a week, now they're having sex once a week...maybe. And when they do have sex, it's quite predictable. She's not getting any younger, and she thinks that having an affair might help her feel better about herself.
She meets a few different men, none of whom are the type of man she's really looking for. Her new job has longer hours, which gives her an excuse to give her husband for why she's not home at a decent hour. Of course, he's taking care of the children while she's out dating other men.
Finally, she meets a man who is a doctor. He's handsome, and he looks younger than his stated age of 43. They hit it off and decide to get a hotel room for their first romantic tryst. When she arrives at the hotel room, they go through the motions of having their first sexual encounter, however he isn't able to "perform". A few weeks later, they try again and it's another failure.
In the end, she decides that what she has at home is good enough, and she doesn't want to lose her husband, her children, her home, or their cottage at the lake.
Well, isn't that a lovely way for this article to end?
It makes me sick.
I've been the victim of infidelity in marriage. Let me tell you...it's the worst feeling ever to know your husband has been cheating on you. I've never felt so betrayed in all my life. Once I was able to reassure myself that I hadn't contracted an STD from his affair, I had to heal from the hurt of not being good enough for him. I had to help my small children through the situations they were facing with a looming divorce. I had to work through my own feelings of self-worth and being able to trust someone again.
Anyone who turns to something like Ashley Madison for an affair (or anyone who simply has an affair) is a coward. Not only that, but they're also lazy. It takes two people to keep a marriage working, not one. And you know what? Sometimes when one person isn't giving enough of themselves to the marriage, you have to do their work for them too. Marriage is not a 50/50 proposition, and people who believe that it is will get divorced. Being married means giving 100% of yourself. And in those times when you can't, your partner should be giving 100% to make up for what you're lacking.
If you're struggling in your marriage, I want to encourage you to do something about it. Sit down and have a talk with your spouse about what you're feeling. If you're not having enough sex, tell them. If money issues are plaguing you, bring them out into the open. When you take the time to have a conversation with your spouse, you'll be amazed at what you can learn about each other.
When you married your husband or wife, you took vows to stick by that person until death do you part. Assuming that there's no abuse in your marriage, those are vows you should keep. There is absolutely nothing that would cause me to break my vows to my husband.
Was I at fault for my first marriage failing? I believe I did the best I could at the time. However, I also believe there are some things I could have done better. Looking back on it, I know that ultimately he was not willing to get help for his problems. These are problems that are still issues for him to this day. His second marriage has already failed. Mine has only gotten stronger over the past six years.
I'll close with this...
If you've considered having an affair, don't. The pain you'll endure isn't worth it. The guilt will drive you crazy. Instead, think of the person you made vows to. Look back and remember what it is that made you fall in love with that person in the first place. If your marriage is broken, don't throw it away. Fix it.
Do it today.
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