In His Footsteps

 Walking is one of my favorite ways to exercise 💜! When we walk, we take steps forward. Footsteps can be heard by others and can leave footprints depending on the surface you're walking on. When you follow in someone's footsteps, it means you are imitating or doing something they did previously, like a job. Along with walking, I also love another "W" word: writing 😊!! In my blog writing, I love to encourage. I often encourage myself and my readers. Recently, my blog posts have reached a new level of opportunity to encourage a different audience and I thank God for it all!! It all started when one of my faithful blog readers suggested an idea to me in the summer. She said you should start putting a piece of your blog post in our local newspaper. I had thought about it briefly in the past, but it was only a passing thought. That's why our circle is important! I prayed on it and sat on it for a while. That same day, I reached out to another friend who used to work for the local newspaper and shared the idea with him. He said I think they would love that and gave me the name and email of the publisher. She knew Momma and Daddy very well 😊. On October 7th, I sent an email to the publisher about the idea and included my blog link, so she could read previous blog posts. I prayed before I hit send on the email and asked God to help me be okay with whatever the answer was - yes or no. I trusted God that he was in it no matter the outcome. I heard from the publisher the same day as she thanked me for reaching out and said she would take a look at my blog posts. The very next day (October 8th), she replied back saying she was impressed and think the readers would enjoy them. She asked if I could send her an introduction photo and biography of myself, along with a few blog post pieces. It would vary when it would be in the paper, but it would be in the Church News page when it was there. Praise be to God 💜!! After hearing the good news, I got to work on four of my blog pieces because I had to shorten them to be under a certain number of characters. Now, you know that was tough because of course I wanted to keep everything 😁. I took a few things out of the original post, but made sure to keep the important points and have an effective message for my audience. I wanted it to be a surprise for my family and friends when my column made its debut and it was definitely a surprise 😁!! On Wednesday, October 22nd, a new column appeared in our local newspaper- Jen's Motivational Moments 😊. Yes, you got it!! My column made its debut!! My first blog post was "A Sparkle of Kindness." My surprise was revealed!! What made that day even more special was it would have been Daddy's birthday. Now here's a fun fact: My Daddy had a column in the same local newspaper beginning in 1988 and into the early 90's called "Tech Tips!". Daddy would be happy to know that I followed in his footsteps in having my own newspaper column 😊. I can see him with his big smile now saying, "Look at you, Jen!" I can see Momma saying, "Go ahead girl- Can't mess with you!" with her smile. I'm a proud daughter to follow in Daddy's footsteps. I'm still in awe of God's blessings and still feel like it's a dream 💖. As I continue on my new writing journey, I'm reminded of what the Scripture says about steps. Proverbs 16:9 says, "We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps." God is still in control! As I continue to walk with him, He will guide my steps in the right way. Psalm 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path." God's path won't let me wrong. I'm so grateful for my circle encouraging me to reach out 💖. I'm so grateful for my Daddy paving the way with column writing. When I was a little girl, I remember his Tech tips newspaper articles. Who knew that I would be having my own newspaper column in 2025?! It's amazing and I give God all the praise!! I'm so grateful for my new writing opportunity 😊. God sees. God knows. He's with me and you every step of the way. Keep stepping on the right path. Stay the course 😁. Great things are up ahead!! May God continue to bless you all!!