Brandi Wilcox, of the July 2012 G Squad, is in her seventh month of the World Race. She blogs often, and we love reading her stories! As Brandi's been reflecting on seven months of blogging, she's come up with 11 reasons why all World Racers should blog as much as they can.
People on my squad question why I blog as much as I do. While being on the Race I have written anywhere from six to nine blog posts a month. Posts range from information on ministry, advice for future Racers, photos of ministry, to the things the Lord has been teaching me. Here's why I blog so much.
1. Your supporters will always know how to pray specific prayers for you.
Each month I share about the ministry location, type of ministry, living conditions, and prayer requests. I generally share this post towards the beginning of the month after being acquainted with our ministry host. Each month is different, but each month brings tons of blessings. Sharing with my supporters what I am doing gives them the opportunity to pray specific prayers for my team and me as we tackle a month of ministry.
2. Future Racers will follow you, ask you questions, and pray for you.
I cannot tell you the amount of people that have sent me an email, a comment, Tweet, or Facebook message asking me questions about my Race. It is a perfect opportunity for you to share with them what your Race has been like and even encourage others to take the leap of faith to go on the Race. I've had the opportunity to see the Lord work in people's lives who I have met before, and those I may never meet. Two people I went to high school with are now going on the Race.
3. You can process through everything the Lord is doing in your life and in your heart.
While being on the Race you go through a lot of hard things. Some of it's good, some of it's hard, but most of all it springs forth growth. Sitting down and writing out what it is God is doing inside of you will give you the ability to see his hand at work in your life. Also, you will have the opportunity to have others speak life into those situations and pray for you. Maybe a battle you have already won will be the same battle someone else is just beginning, and you will have the ability to fight for and encourage them.
4. Your story will reach out to more people than you will ever know.
Every time I write a new blog post I share it with my Facebook friends, my Twitter followers, and an email is sent to my blog subscribers. I don't know some of the people that come across my blog, but I know the Lord speaks to those people through the words he's given me. You could have 500 views on a blog post, but no comments, and you would never know who your blog has touched. Don't hold back from sharing the story God is writing.
5. Not only will your blog posts encourage others, they will encourage you in the future.
I cannot recall the amount of times I have sat on my blog site and gone back to a blog post I wrote months before. Every single time I do, I am encouraged by the way the Lord put a post on my heart that can encourage me in a different season. I've gone back to old blog posts I wrote and cried because they encouraged me so much. I'm still grieving the death of my grandparents, and the post I wrote about my grandma has encouraged me as I go through the grieving process.
6. You can see how the Father transforms your writing through being on the Race.
When I go back to the first post I wrote, it makes me laugh to see how concise and to the point it was. Now I recognize that my words are not even my own, but they are the Father speaking through me. He has given me specific things to put into my blog to speak to the hearts of the readers.
7. A picture is worth 1,000 words, and you can add as many pictures as you want to a blog post.
I love having pictures from ministry. The only drawback is my camera is not a good capturer of those moments. My teammates are awesome to me, and they take photos of me during ministry. Sharing a story about someone in a blog post can come so much more alive just with the added touch of a photo. Imagine sharing 10 photos in one post…that's like 10,000 words!
8. You are able to share stories about the miracles God has performed while you were overseas.
I'd love to tell you I've seen people healed from having cancer, being blind, being deaf, etc., but I have not seen that happen on the Race yet. What I have seen is a spiritual attack of a headache come over me after a breakthrough and at the close of a prayer, and the Lord healed me on the spot. I have seen the Lord not necessarily heal crazy physical ailments, but there has been emotional and spiritual healing. Through my blog, I get to share those stories with my friends and supporters.
9. You can find a passion for writing you never knew you had before.
In Chiang Mai, Thailand, my friend Christina and I met a guy named David, and he spoke over me that I was going to be a writer of books. From the revenue of these books, I would be able to share the gospel wherever God led me. My passion and heart for writing blogs and seeing others' lives transformed through it is huge. I know the same passion that makes me love blogging could very well come alive in writing books to shape up some kingdom-minded people.
10. Your story will start to speak to others' lives and encourage them in their walks.
I've walked through a lot of stuff in just seven months of being on the field. Conquering lies with God's truths, grieving the loss of two grandparents, learning how to truly love people, learning over and over again where my identity lies, and much more. My daddy has used the very things I have walked through to touch the hearts of others. Through my blogs, I have not only been able to share them with my followers, but also with church congregations in the countries where I'm doing ministry, and I have seen others come alive in him.
11. All glory and honor will be to God for every single blog post.
None of my blog posts are about me and my journey. They are about the work the Lord is doing in and through me. He has laid every single blog idea on my heart with a purpose. He has led specific people to read each blog so their spirits could be shaken by his truth. He led you here today to encourage you to either start your own blog about your life encounters with him, or for you to realize you have some stories to share on the blog you already have.
What are you waiting for? Happy blogging!
We agree, Brandi! We believe in living a great story, and we also believe in sharing the stories you're living. Blog often, and blog well so more people can join your journey and be inspired to start one of their own.
