Navigating the Back Roads of Life

by Dr. Karen Lindwall-Bourg | Oct 5, 2019 | Celebrate Life!

Navigating the Back Roads of Life

Do you need a guide for Navigating the Back Roads of Life?

Over the last month, our family has spent a lot of time driving from our home which is about an hour north of Dallas to my mother-in-love’s home in San Antonio. Now when you look at a map this is a pretty straight shot via Highway 75 and Highway 35; that’s it! Barring any terrible traffic mishaps it should take about 5 hours. Taking the “back roads” supposedly adds about 45-minutes to the jaunt! Supposedly!

I have always been amazed at my husband Fred and my sister Anita’s ability to navigate the back roads of Texas to reach their destinations. I, on the other hand, have no sense of direction whatsoever and would be hard-pressed to tell you whether I was facing north or east or south or west at any given time.

I am also GPS – Gullible, (im)Patient, & yet Suspicious – of computerized map systems!

We spent precious hours visiting Mama Jo, helping take care of her, doing odd jobs for family members, reminiscing, and making sure her last days were as comfortable as possible. We celebrated the end of her life over a period of months and weeks, and then we celebrated fully the beginning of her life with the Lord on this first Sunday in July. On our way home I followed Fred, but engaged my MapQuest GPS just in case I lost sight of him on those “back roads”.

Do you talk back to your GPS “voice”? For an hour out of San Antonio the MapQuest computer voice asked me to make a U-turn every 2 miles:

“Make a U-turn at Main Street;

make a U-turn at Frontage Road;

make a U-turn at Bob’s Road…”

I’m by myself in the car saying, “What?” “A U-turn?” “Am I lost?” Five hours later as we went through the remote city of Cleburne, my MapQuest voice asked me to make right and left and U-turns for at least 30 minutes before “she” finally gave up and began to reroute me on Highway 51. Obscure Highway 51.

Can you relate to these frustrations? Please tell me I am not alone!

I felt sure that at any given moment this little voice was going to start screaming and screeching at me,

“Have you lost your mind?
Are you purposefully trying to become lost?
How am I supposed to get you home when you won’t listen to the directions I am giving you?”

Now, I feel like screaming at the “voice” who won’t respond unless it is to tell me make another U-turn or at Fred in the car in front of me. After all he is the one who got us into this back road debacle!

Christ says,

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” – Matthew 7:13-14 (ESV)

In spite of ourselves and our purposeful attempts to navigate our own paths, God offers us clear navigation; there is only one way to spend eternity with Him and that is through belief in His Son Jesus Christ – in His life, in His death on the cross, and in His resurrection and preparation of a place for us.

“Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you will get neither.” – C.S. Lewis

Mama Jo knew this straight and narrow path well and nephew Joseph communicated this course clearly in her celebration services. She desired to go home and knew that she had chosen the right way; the one navigable path. And yet even though she desired and requested that her suffering be short and that the pain be limited, she lingered for some time in discomfort. Her loved ones encouraged her with songs, Scripture readings, by spending time with her and assuring her that the day would surely come when she would be wrapped in the arms of Jesus. The path of suffering was less clear cut. And all we could do was encourage her to live through this journey in a way that brought God glory and honor. And this she did.

I am grateful for the way Mama Jo embraced my family and folded us into her own. I am grateful for her unwavering faith and enduring patience and her testimony to the Lord that showed us the non-negotiable Way.

I am slowly learning that God has a purpose for the back road experiences of my life and that He is there – The Sufficient Navigator on a path of inspiration and insight that brings Him Glory and Honor.

May God give us strength for this life’s journey through the end. May He make us to see the straight path He has set before us.

Seek Inspiration and Insight!

Blessings,

Karen Lindwall-Bourg

“Achieve Levels of Success Worth Celebrating”

*Founder, Karen Bourg Companies http://karenbourg.com

*Owner, President {Inter}National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs/International Christian Mompreneur Network http://nacwe.org

*Founder, RHEMA Publishing House http://rhemapublishinghouse.com

*Founder, RHEMA Lakeside Retreat Center https://www.facebook.com/rhemaretreat/

*Founder, RHEMA Counseling Associates http://rhemacounseling.com

About Karen Lindwall-Bourg

Karen Lindwall-Bourg is the President of the {Inter} National Association of Christian Women Entrepreneurs [est. May 2010] and the new President of the International Christian Mompreneur Network [est. July 2010], both at http://nacwe.org . She and the NACWE Operations and Leadership Teams work diligently to provide

· Community

· Networking

· Education

· Missions

opportunities to Christian Women Entrepreneurs, Mompreneurs and Nanapreneurs alike all over the world!

Our Core Values are

· Community – we value Connection, Collaboration and Contribution

· Networking – we value Nurture, New relationships and New and innovative offers

· Education – we value Encouragement, Excellence and Expressiveness, and

· Missions – we value Ministry and Making a difference

Karen is wife to Fred, Mommy to 6 kids and 5 in-loves, Nana to “going-on” 12 grandchildren, and treat provider deluxe for a herd of Great Pyrenees who protect their north TX ranch! She is an entrepreneur coach, author, publisher, retreat hostess and more! Learn more about Mastermind groups and “Celebration” coaching with Karen at http://karenbourg.com .

Basics of Becoming a Writer

by Dr. Karen Lindwall-Bourg | Sep 17, 2019 | Blog, Entrepreneur Endeavors, Writing & Publishing

Basics of Becoming a Writer

“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot. There’s no way around these two elements that I’m aware of, no shortcut.”

― S. King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft

You have started your business and have the all-too-real awareness that you are now required to write. At a minimum, you probably need to write your business bio. If you are creating a website, you will have a lot more to write, or you will have to hire someone to do it for you. But, before you do that, consider these basics of becoming a writer.

All of us have the ability to write. My first piece of advice is to stop freaking out about writing. If you can talk – you can write. At first, it may need some editing, but if you can string your ideas together and tell someone about yourself or your business, you can write. Here are practical approaches to getting started, composing, and improving your writing.

Getting started.

Many professional writers will tell you the hardest part is getting started. For some, it is the blank page; for others, it is the act of putting yourself in front of the screen and actually typing. Procrastination is one of the most common reasons for not finishing your writing. So to get started, follow these tips.

Brainstorm to get going.

I love to brainstorm everything. I will do it for everything from business strategy to meal planning. Brainstorming is way to get all the ideas out of your head and onto a piece of paper or on the screen. Don’t hold back when you brainstorm. WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN. It doesn’t matter if it sounds like the worst idea on the planet it gets spit out of your head and onto the page. Don’t judge anything while you brainstorm. This is counterproductive and will freeze you up.

You can set a timer for a set period while you have a personal brainstorm session. You can also work with another person or a group of people. No matter who you work with, same rules apply. Everything gets written down—nothing gets judged as useless, stupid, or off topic.

Once time is up, then review your ideas. Determine which ones you will keep, which ones are irrelevant, and which ones should be revisited later. This is also a great way to always have ideas so if writer’s block sneaks up on you there is fodder for content.

Look for inspiration.

This can be tricky. All of us have done it. We think I will just go on Facebook or Pinterest for a second. I just need to clear my head or get a little inspiration. Then we get sucked in and three hours later nothing is done. We are frustrated and we still haven’t started our writing. I have definitely been there—it is my go-to procrastination technique. (Shhh…don’t tell).

There is something to be said for seeking inspiration when you are getting started. Setting limits to seeking inspiration is a great way to make sure you stay on track and get started. Get out your handy-dandy timer and put a limit on your search. When I go looking to be inspired, I have some go-to sites. I love looking up quotes and scripture.

Another way I get inspired is to get away from the gadgets. Go outside. Take a walk. Stare at the trees. Take off your shoes and walk in the grass. Observe the nature around you. Meditate on the wonder and miracles of God in your surroundings.

Start with pen and paper.

As old fashioned as it sounds, there is something that happens in your brain when you put pencil to paper. There are times when I want to use the computer to write. I use the computer when I know exactly what I want to write and it’s all mapped out in my head. I also use the computer when I am writing for business.

However, my prayer journal is all pen and paper. Things I write for myself are often on pen and paper. Some of my best writing starts out in my journal or as a personal struggle I am working through. This is a way to slow down, connect with your ideas and your words. It is also a great way to connect with God and the Holy Spirit. It gives you the opportunity to listen as your write.

Start simple with your writing.

Don’t go for perfection. Don’t go for a Pulitzer prize winning piece of literature. Just start simple. Start with short simple sentences. They will create short simple paragraphs. Simple is the best way to get your ideas out of your head and onto paper.

When you are getting started with writing, you want to aim for finished. Unedited, error-ridden, spelling-goofs, punctuation-omissions, forgotten-caps rough draft. A rough draft is a finished draft. You can’t get close to finishing until you get a rough draft.