by Dr. Karen Lindwall-Bourg | Feb 22, 2025 | Confident to Write
Promote Your Writing Proudly
Shout from the rooftops!
Welcome to the What Are You Writing For? And what are you waiting for! Series © in the Confident to Write Alliance ©
“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!”
Romans 10:15, NASB
When was the last time you proudly promoted something that you wrote?
Promoting your writing in a way that honors God is your first priority! Pray for guidance. Begin your promotional efforts with prayer asking God for wisdom, direction, and favor as you share your words. The words of Philippians 4:6-7 encourage you to seek the Lord’s blessing in your efforts. He has called you to write. He has given you a divinely inspired mandate and multiple messages! Always stay true to your God-given ministry through His and your words as you “live honorably among” others. (1 Peter 2:12)
Promoting your writing in a way that connects with like-minded writers and readers is an essential aspect of your writing journey. Once you have written, how will they receive your words if you don’t let them know where to find them? By now, you know your audience well. Who will benefit most from or be keenly interested in your writing? Focus on those who resonate with your message. Offer value-packed free resources related to your writing. (Acts 20:35)
Communities can help you connect with other writers for mutual support and reciprocal promotion. They also offer great opportunities for collaborative projects and shared guest appearances. Communities are a great place to ask for testimonials on your writing as well – positive feedback provides credibility and encourages new readers. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 encourages edification among believers.
Two are better than one! Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 reminds you, “Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.”
Promoting your writing in a way that aligns with your calling from the Lord is crucial. After all, the Lord has laid this writing project on your heart. He has asked you to hear Him, believe Him, and obey Him within this writing calling. Not to write could be considered an act of disobedience! You have to build an online presence and platform through a website or blog or social media sites where you can share about your writing process, offer free resources, and connect with readers. God places high value on community and connection. (Proverbs 27:17)
Show Up! Participate in writing events and speaking engagements as often as you can. Don’t hesitate to ask if you can present, even lead a writing workshop or speaking at a writing related engagement.
Proclaiming and sharing about what you have written brings it alive for others and for you! (Romans 10:14) Toot your own horn! Speaking of promoting… we offer opportunities to write in community every Monday morning, every 2nd Saturday, and at destination retreats quarterly! Toot-Toot!
Here are 3 Tips to Help You Proudly Promote Your Writing:
1. Choose 1 Promotional Goal for this month: Multitasking doesn’t work well. So, choose ONE goal to reach your fellow writers and readers with your inspired words! _____________________
2. Choose 3 Steps under that 1 Goal: What are the first three steps you need to take to reach this promotional goal? It’s best if they are repeatable steps so you develop some good promotional habits along the way.
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3. Commit to Investing in 3 Communities of like-minded writers and readers over a period of time to build authentic connections. Adhere to their promotional guidelines, of course, but don’t be afraid to talk about who you are, what you write and your calling from the Lord. How will they know if they don’t hear? (Romans 10:14-15)
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“Shout from the rooftops who God has called you to be and what He has called you to do. Share your work within this blessed calling.
Rarely is anyone else going to shout it for you!”
-Karen Lindwall-Bourg
Write/Work with us in loving and like-minded communities! Working with others can be an incredibly enlightening, encouraging, and richly equipping journey!
Click here to find help writing “all the things“ and “everything in between“ as you serve the Lord.
#ConfidentoWrite #WhatareYouWritingFor #Whatareyouwaitingfor #WritetoPraise #WritetoWorship
Blessed to Write with Confidence,
Karen
by Dr. Karen Lindwall-Bourg | Feb 14, 2025 | Confident to Write
Purpose First: Write with Divine Intention
Write to bring God glory and honor and to bless others.
Welcome to the What Are You Writing For? And what are you waiting for! Series © in the Confident to Write Alliance ©
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
Matthew 5:14-16, NASB
What does it mean to write with purpose? What is your God-given purpose on this earth and in this work He has called you to?
Write with His ultimate purpose(s) on your heart and ever in your mind!
The apostle Paul speaks about giving generously from your heart, indicating that you should “purpose in your heart” to sow with thoughtful intention behind your words!
Pray for clear and divine purpose in and through your writing, continually seeking God‘s guidance. James 1:5 encourages asking God for wisdom. You probably have a lot of questions for the Lord as you write. But you don’t have to ask Him what your ultimate purpose is in life and in your writing. He has made it clear that in everything you do, you should bring glory and honor to Him. (1 Corinthians 10:31) Pray to understand your calling, especially your calling to write. I hope you “can’t not write!” The Lord has surely placed the desire to write and the message you are conveying in your writing on your heart. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that He prepared a good work in you beforehand. Your unique experiences, interests, and gifts flow especially when writing within His purpose. He has provided all the inspiration you need to write in His word. His word is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
Your written words can have similar transformative purposes in you and for others!
Writing with purpose helps you to convey specific messages with clear intentions including spiritual goals, with desired emotional responses, and heartfelt outcomes as you commit your way to the Lord. (Psalm 37:) You are reminded that your ultimate purpose after glorifying the Lord is to reflect God’s love through your words. Matthew 5:16 encourages you to let your light shine before others by sharing His truth, grace, and love. You fulfill a sacred calling through your words. This is your divine opportunity to define and clarify your message with the guidance of the Lord, so that your reader is blessed!
Connecting with your reader through your God-given words first encourages a deeper connection with the Lord. Connections with and between your readers can foster lifelong friendships and support along the writing way. They are never alone!
You are never alone!
Give yourself freedom and permission to be flexible as God redirects you along the way. He establishes your steps! (Proverbs 16:9) Change course as often as is necessary. Shift gears when necessary! He will change your writing direction and in hindsight, you will be so grateful. In our last article, we talked about the fact that God places people before you who need to hear the words you write and speak. His words are powerful. Your words are powerful and inform, inspire action and change, and encourage. Isaiah 55:11 reminds us that God’s word does not return void!
What are 3 powerful ways you want your readers’ lives to be influenced by what you have written?
- _____________________
- _____________________
- _____________________
With your purpose-driven written words, bring glory and honor to the Lord. Foster blessed connections. And leave a lasting legacy of faith and truth, an inheritance for future generations! (Proverbs 13:22)
Here are 3 Tips to Help You Write with Purpose to Glorify the Lord and to Bless Others
1. Write with Purpose: begin each writing session asking the Lord to help you write to honor Him and to bless others.
2. Seek HIM for clear direction in the W,W,W,W,H&W’s: You will write well when you have clear direction from the Lord about who you are called to write for, what your message is and how it is to encourage them, when and where you will present your words to the world, how you write, and most importantly why He has called you to write! Spend significant time often on these crucial dimensions of your writing way!
3. Evaluate your final writing from the perspective of His ultimate purpose: Ask a co-writer to read what you have written evaluating whether He is honored and others will be blessed.
BONUS: Don’t write alone! Join our Cultivating Faith-filled Confidence Group!
Write within your God-given purpose, rooted in faith and guided by His voice. He will empower you in your writing craft and you will joyfully fulfill His calling on your life with your powerful words!
Karen Lindwall-Bourg
Write/Work with us in loving and like-minded communities! Working with others can be an incredibly enlightening, encouraging, and richly equipping journey!
Click here to find help writing “all the things“ and “everything in between“ as you serve the Lord.
#ConfidentoWrite #WhatareYouWritingFor #Whatareyouwaitingfor #WritetoPraise #WritetoWorship
Blessed to Write with Confidence,
Karen
by Dr. Karen Lindwall-Bourg | Feb 6, 2025 | Confident to Write
People Need What You Write
And you need people.
Welcome to the What Are You Writing For? And what are you waiting for! Series © in the Confident to Write Alliance ©
Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him.
A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, NASB
God gave you words to write. You write to glorify Him, to bless others (believe it: they need what you write), and to fulfill the calling He has placed on your life.
You are not alone! You don’t have to be alone throughout the process!
Be Confident in Him: Before your work, especially your writing can impact others, you need to be confident that you have heard from the Lord, that you believe His calling on your life, and that you will obey in all ways. Tasha Glover calls this your “HBO”. Confidence is our word of the decade! Proverbs 3:26 tells you this confidence comes from Him! “For the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being caught.” NASB
List 3 groups you belong to that enlighten your walk and establish your confidence with the Lord within His calling on your life and work.
- _____________________
- _____________________
- _____________________
Be ever mindful of the benefits of a like-minded community: The Lord reminds us in Matthew 18:15-20 of the benefits of others. In verses 19-20, He emphasizes that if two of you agree about anything, and together ask Him in His name, He is in your midst; and what you ask “shall be done” for you!
There is great power in fellowship within a like-minded community. You have the opportunity to encourage one another toward love and good deeds, to foster growth and support, to provide accountability when needed, to share struggles, celebrate successes, and provide constructive feedback. You get to see things from different perspectives and share ideas, deeper insights, and refined writing tips. You get to pray together, share resources, and collaborate on projects, combining your talents and leading to unique opportunities.
These communities are where you will build lifelong friendships based on shared faith and passions.
“Two hearts are better than one; four hearts are better than two!”
— Karen Lindwall-Bourg
It doesn’t get better than this!
List 3 groups you belong to that encourage relationships with other like-minded Christian Women Entrepreneurs.
- _____________________
- _____________________
- _____________________
Be equipped for every good work: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NASB) encourages: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” From your own spiritual growth, words and offers overflow to others. Staying grounded in Christ will enhance your work and writing.
List 3 groups you belong to that have equipped you to be a better servant, and a better writer as you serve.
- _____________________
- _____________________
- _____________________
Which groups from your lists above overlap and can provide you with the most enlightenment, encouragement, and equipping so you serve the Lord and those He has placed before you with excellence?
- _____________________
- _____________________
***Purposefully dive into those groups with gusto!
Resolve to learn and to contribute value consistently.
Here are 3 Tips to Encourage Your People Connections as You Write
1. Write with confidence from the Lord to glorify Him. Remember, He is your confidence! [We talk about this in the next entry in this series.] Post verses and encouragements in your line of vision that cultivate faith-filled confidence in Him, and in the calling He has placed before you in this season.
2. Write to bless the people He has placed before you. They need what you have to offer. Consider 7 needs they have that you help solve. Write about their needs and your solutions over the next 7 days/weeks!
BONUS: Write to Reach Out & Touch Someone! Are you old enough to remember the old Bell (Telephone) commercials saying reach out {call to} touch someone? I am. And in a recent coaching group call as we discussed limiting beliefs and fears surrounding what God has called us to do, I realized that in a digital age where we don’t stand face-to-face and touch one another, we need – even crave – to be touched. I used this analogy: Do you ever walk out of your hairdresser’s station thinking to yourself, “I cannot believe all the intimate details of my life I just told her!” My theory is that we tell her so much because she lovingly touches us as few people do… and she makes us look great! That’s rare!
It is your goal as a writer, as a Christian Woman Entrepreneur to “reach out and touch” those the Lord has placed before you. They need what you offer. They need what you write.
3. Write to obediently honor the calling God has placed on your life. When you don’t do what the Lord has called you to do, you are being disobedient! He cares more about your obedience within this divine calling on your life this season than He does about your investment and income! Ask: Have I heard from the Lord about this next venture? Do I believe what I heard from Him? What are my next 3 steps toward obeying His directions?
- _____________________
- _____________________
- _____________________
Dear writers, Cultivate and appreciate both the spiritual enrichment and practical benefits gained from connecting with others on your writing journey!
Write/Work with us in loving and like-minded communities! Working with others can be an incredibly enlightening, encouraging, and richly equipping journey!
Click here to find help writing “all the things“ and “everything in between“ as you serve the Lord.
#ConfidentoWrite #WhatareYouWritingFor #Whatareyouwaitingfor #WritetoPraise #WritetoWorship
Blessed to Write with Confidence,
Karen
by Dr. Karen Lindwall-Bourg | Feb 1, 2025 | Confident to Write
Praise the Lord as You Write!
Your Writing is an Act of Worship
Welcome to the What Are You Writing For? And what are you waiting for! Series © in the Confident to Write Alliance ©
“Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!”
[Footnote: “Hallelujah to the Lord!]
Psalms 150:6 (NASB)
Have you ever thought of your writing as an act of praise, as an act of worship?
As you write, create space for praise and worship!
Incorporating praise for God throughout your writing journey is a beautiful way to honor Him and recognize His presence in your writing. You understand that your purpose in life and service is to bring God glory and honor in all that you are and in all that you do. (1 Corinthians 10:31)
Writing is an act of worship. You are to do everything in the name of the Lord (Colossians 3:17), so every word the Lord gives you can be an offering to Him when presented with the right “heartset” and mindset. As you weave His Word (a lamp to your feet and a light to your path – Psalm 119:105) into your writing, He guides your words. His inspirations into your heart are divine intercessions and creative avenues from Him, through you, to others. James 1:17 tells you, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”
Expressing gratitude for the gift of writing and the ability to communicate thoughts and ideas the Lord has placed on your heart is a three-fold blessing! Your obedience blesses and honors the Lord. His words bless you as you seek Him and the Scriptures for insights. Your inspired words bless your readers. Reflect prayerfully on the words He gives you throughout the writing process. Thank Him for his guidance. (Philippians 4:6)
Joyfully celebrate your written words, the writing process, and the end results of His words through you. As you celebrate God in your work and words, you are further inspired with creative ideas, you increase in gratefulness, and you are enlightened and encouraged and equipped to continue writing well. “He has done great things for you; You are glad!” (from Psalm 126:3)
Here are 3 Tips to Help You Praise the Lord as You Write
- Adopt a new HEARTSET – Your Writing is an Act of Worship: Set your heart and mind on the Lord before, during, and after your writing sessions. Reflect on Scripture and incorporate Biblical truths into your message.
- Attitude of Gratitude: Start a gratitude calendar that you can refer back to at the end of the month, quarter, or year!
- Write with JOY:
- Jesus appreciates your praise. He appreciates your words as they are a tool for ministry and outreach. Let this purpose guide your thoughts and creativity.
- Others need what you write [In fact this is the topic of our next entry].
- You need what you write! C. S. Lewis said, “We do not write in order to be understood; we write in order to understand.”
Create Space for Praise!
Set aside specific time before, during, or after your writing sessions dedicated solely to praising God through prayer, song, or journaling about what He has done in your life and in your work.
That my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.
Psalm 30:12, NASB
Click here to find help writing “all the things“ and “everything in between“ as you serve the Lord.
#ConfidentoWrite #WhatareYouWritingFor #Whatareyouwaitingfor #WritetoPraise #WritetoWorship
Blessed to Write with Confidence,
Karen
by Dr. Karen Lindwall-Bourg | Jan 28, 2025 | Confident to Write
Purposefully Plan Your Writing Projects
Welcome to the What Are You Writing For? And what are you waiting for! Series © in the Confident to Write Alliance ©
“The plans of the heart belong to man,
But the answer of the tongue is from the Lord.
All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight,
But the Lord weighs the motives.
Commit your works to the Lord
And your plans will be established.”
Proverbs 16:1-3, NASB
Planning is a crucial aspect of the writing process, and you can approach planning from both a spiritual and practical perspective.
I hope you never get tired of me reminding you to seek the Lord first for all things and for writing “All the Things” necessary to grow and to minister. Seek Him first! Proverbs 16:3 advises you to “commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.“ By praying over your planning and your writing goals and committing them to God, you can have confidence that He is guiding your writing plans and directions with His insights.
Establish a writing schedule that works for your unique process. Develop a consistent writing habit unique to you to nurture discipline and creativity. Prioritize writing tasks (maybe even into categories like: personal writing projects, professional writing projects, and writing to post and publish). Focus on what God has laid on your heart first! F.O.C.U.S. stands for – follow one course until successful! Be flexible! God may lead you in unexpected directions!
Reflect on the process even before you reflect on your progress. This is a particular challenge for me. Part of the process includes staying aligned with God’s vision and motivation for your work. Be grateful for every progressive small step as God works through you..
Write with others! You never have to be alone even though writing can be a lonely journey at times! Our writing group writes together weekly, monthly and quarterly. It has been such an encouragement (Hebrews 10:24-25) and a definite game changer for all of us!
Here are 3 Purpose-filled Encouragements to Help You Plan Your Writing Projects
- Seek the Lord for Clarity of your writing Topic & for a Concise Outline to catapult your writing project with confidence. He always answers! Seek Him first. Then “write on” with confidence that you have heard from Him.
- Commit to spending a minimum of 25 minutes a day writing! Choose your own time block. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at the progress you make. Celebrate those minutes!
- Clean it Up later! I’m a perfectionist and a writer, editor and publisher (a lethal combination), so I want every “i” dotted and every “t” crossed. NOW! Do yourself a favor, and write rough now, edit later. The goal is to write what’s on your heart and in your mind first and to trust the Lord is leading along the way.
By incorporating these aspects of planning into your book, along with thoughtful preparation combined with spiritual reliance, your creative journey will be more fulfilling and impactful!
Click here to find help writing “all the things“ and “everything in between“ as you serve the Lord.
#ConfidentoWrite #WhatareYouWritingFor #WritingAlltheThings #Writingeverythinginbetween #WritingtoPostandPublish
Blessed to Write with Confidence,
Karen
