Friday, July 1, 2011

Guest Post on SCL

I'm a big fan of SCL and pretty much all things Jon Acuff.

One day I had an idea and thought, "This would be a great Stuff Christians Like post. I wish someone would write it."

There's a quote from Toni Morrison that goes, "If there's a book you really want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it."  Maybe the same goes for blog posts.

So I wrote it and I sent it, fully expecting never to hear anything back...why would I? I'm just an amateur blogger who hasn't been doing this long enough to get a clue....

So when I received an email back from Jon one day telling me he liked my post and it would be a guest post on the site - well, if you'd seen me you would have thought Jesus himself had just sent me an email.

A feeling that was difficult to convey to my husband.

Me: "You know stuff Christians like. That guy in America. And he's like a speaker and stuff too and lots of people read his blog...I sent in a post and I thought nothing would happen but he just emailed me! I'm going to have a guest post on Jon Acuff's blog!"

Him:"Oh... cool....I don't get it."

Me:"A guest post! On Jon Acuff's...just trust me, it's big!"

Bless his heart, he's my biggest fan but trying to explain that the whole blogging thing can be more than a hobby in one garbled, excited monologue was obviously not working. I called my mum next.

And then I freaked out.

I've made a few comments on the SCL blog before and that alone has brought a bit of traffic to my site. What's a whole post going to do? My site's not ready. I'm not ready. What was I thinking?

I've just read Jon's book, Quitter, and when I got to the part about appreciating the time of invisibility because it means you can make mistakes while no one is watching, I got a little bit nervous. I'm pretty sure I've got plenty more mistake-making to do.

It's not like I'm not expecting to sky rocket to success here and bask in the eternal fame and glory. I'm far too humble for that...

But, seriously, if anyone clicks through from that post to here, I want them to find something worthy of their time.

If you are reading this from that guest post you must have found it at least mildly entertaining. So thank you so much for that!

But you are probably now wondering, who is this person babbling like a star struck noob?

You can check out the About Me tab up the top for a bit more info, but basically I'm at the beginning of what I hope will be an exciting adventure into writing and youth ministry.

If you hadn't already guessed from my use of the word 'mum' instead of 'mom', I'm from Australia. I live in a little town in South Australia. And I have what some might call a little life. But I also serve a big God who encourages us to expect big things.

I was a high school English teacher, and have now switched tracks to work as a youth worker/chaplain at that same high school. That has been amazing, and I feel slightly guilty because I think God has been using the job to teach me more than I'm helping anyone else!

I started this blog to record and express the things God was teaching me in my life and to share that with anyone else who was looking for encouragement.

If that was all it ever was, and my only reader was my mum, I would have been happy. But God has a way of surprising us even when we hardly believe in ourselves yet.

I hope now that you've made the effort to come here you can go away feeling like it was worth the trouble. And hopefully worthwhile enough to come back again!

Thank you so much for reading. And thank you, Jon Acuff, for sharing your platform with guest bloggers like me, and for using your God given gifts in inspiring ways.

Have you ever got an 'email from Jesus' - an opportunity that was unexpected, frightening and exciting all at once? Yours might be bigger than one guest post on a blog, or it might smaller. Anything from God holds unlimited possibility.

Let me know about yourself, and share your own blogs and sites below. I'd love to get to know you too!



8 comments:

  1. Fine job on the guest post.  We used to use hymnals to save seats, but those are hard to find anymore.

    For my first guest post, Jon didn't tell me it was going up, so I just read SCL that day and saw my post there.  Very exciting and disconcerting at the same time.

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  2. I loved your post.  And I know how excting/terrifying it is...I got to guest post on SCL a few months ago.  I plan on going through your archives later.  Enjoy your day!  (I guess it's probably  night there now...so sweet dreams!)

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  3. Well, I am not nearly as famous as your other two commentators thus far (no SCL guest post for me...yet!) But I wanted to say that I really enjoyed it!

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  4. I'm one of those SCL people too! It was an EXCELLENT post - if not just for the topic! I have to laugh out loud when it comes time to attend anything Christian outside of church service, even if it's in a church service. Oh, you hit some nails on the head. Just this year we had a bad DSS who didn't go down to the venue in time and we got stuck over on the side iin stead of front and center. There was secret and non-verbal pact made that morning to NEVER allow her to be the DSS again I promise you! :) Thanks for the great post!

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  5. I am a trained DSS.  I can run like a thoroughbred as I am from Kentucky.  The key is securing a position out of the starting gate and focusing until your entire party is seated. I once shouted like a drill Sargent to one of the women in our group who was fading fast as she tried to make her way down to the floor of Rupp Arena.  I came along side her and screamed, "You can do this.  Keep walking. Keep pushing!"  Stressful, yes. Trusting God. Probably not. The next day she separated herself from the group and sat in the handicapped section.  Jon Acuff should host an intervention conference for us and get to the root of our problem.

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  6. And that was exactly what the DSS was hoping for!

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  7. Great post, Jessie. Made me laugh.

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  8. I am one who followed your post on "Stuff Christians Like" back here. The

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