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What Would Happen if God Became Our Business?

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When I wrote this column I was skeptical about publishing it. I like to be fluffy because in our world today there are so many serious and sad things. For some reason this was on my heart to write. My editor pointed me to this song on youtube by Delbert McClinton. I hadn’t heard it before but it seemed to fit and make what I said a little more lighthearted. I am posting the video at the end of the column. Thanks for your patience.

Something About Nothing by Julie Seedorf – Column from Albert Lea Tribune September 15, 2014

I rarely write about religion and politics. I prefer to stay out of controversial subjects but for some reason as I was struggling with a topic for this week’s column, and reading a morning blessing by Susie Larson, Christian speaker and author, it sparked a thought and it seemed I should write about it.

This thought came to me after reading her morning blessing: What would happen if God became your business? And when I say the word business, it is just that, a business that we throw ourselves into and run, work hard at and takes precedence above other things in our lives.

The words that sparked that thought were these: May your heart of compassion grow for those who suffer in unimaginable ways. May you pray as passionately for them as you do for yourself.

I thought about my prayers. They always seem to be a dash here and a dash there in between my business and other daily activities. I may sit for a few moments in the morning and in the evening and dash out prayers in between, but business usually is a priority. I am in the business now of writing to help support myself. I do what I accuse many institutions of doing: I put finances first and God second.

I get fed along the way during my day by snippets and prayers from Susie Larson and other Christian writers and speakers who speak to my heart. But what would happen if I turned that around and made God my business. What would happen if I worked at prayer as hard as I worked at writing? The thought then crosses my mind that I shouldn’t have to work at prayer. If my mind seems muddled writing this it means I am also having a hard time wrapping my brain around this thought.

Some churches might say that they are in the business of God. Many are, and others may say they are in the business of God, but like me, finances are their business, as the churches are now run as a business and the rest takes second fiddle. What would happen if prayer and God took priority and finances took second place?

We have all heard the stories of being dropped from church rolls because no money had been dropped into a collection plate from an individual in a long time. We have all heard the stories of not being able to participate in an activity in church because it is too expensive. Many churches now are a business, run like a business and certain protocol and traditions that need to be followed take precedence over teaching about prayer and praying. They no longer rely on prayer and God to know that he will provide. They rely on accountants and tax people to keep the doors open.

That may seem harsh, but then I am being harsh on myself, too. My business is important, and so I pay attention. I am focused and not easily distracted. I am able to put other things aside and focus on the priority of making my business a success.

Larson said, “Pray as passionately for others as you do for yourself.”

I don’t know unless I have hit the bottom, if I pray much for myself. Maybe I do in bits and pieces, to help me to do a task. I know I prayed for inspiration for a column this morning and what came to me were the words: What would happen if you made God your business?

I think of my Grandma sitting in a chair by her window always praying the rosary, every day, a couple of times a day. I think of the priority in my family while I was growing up, church, prayer at meals, prayer at bedtime and family prayer. I think of my aunt every night sitting down with her bible for hours, reading and praying. Prayer was a priority no matter what was happening, what TV programs were on or what was taking place on a Sunday morning in the community.

Were their lives better because of it? I don’t know. Was my life better because of it? I think so although at the time I didn’t. There was something grounding about prayer. Perhaps those days’ churches were businesses too like the business my father ran, but I was too young to know.

There is a difference now.  Our businesses are social media, sports, jobs that make money to put food on the table and whatever else we work hard at, we are passionate about, and we believe in. We work hard at those things we are passionate about.

We might look at people who indeed make God their business, such as those who write books, speak and influence people lives, with skepticism. Do they get lost in the monetary part of their business and forgot the prayer part, too? We have seen that happen, and we have seen the scams.

Whether you believe in God or a higher power or a different form of religion than Christian, have you asked yourself what would happen if you worked as passionately at prayer as you do at your profession that feeds your family or the hobbies that feed your passion?

If you belong to a church, ask yourself if they are as passionate about prayer as they are about putting money in their coffers?

And then look at yourself, because I think that is what my message while reading Susie Larson’s blessing this morning is possibly about. What would happen if I were as passionate about prayer as I am about my business? If we all asked ourselves that question and pondered it, would the world change for the better?

It’s Hard Being A New Author!

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I consider myself a new author even though I have had a contract with a small publishing company for the past year. I consider myself a new writer, even though I have had a successful column for an area newspaper for the past eight years. I consider myself a new writer, even though I have four books published, and have had excellent reviews for the most part.

I consider myself blessed as an author, and a member of the Cozy Cat Press family, not only because of my books, but because of the other authors who have given me valuable insight into working as a new author.

This blog post is for new authors and author wannabe’s. There is occasionally a misconception by new authors on  their role  after the book is published. That misconception revolves around the idea that your work as an author is finished when the writing and editing are done.  You write a book, someone else pays to publish it, and you collect your royalties in whatever fashion the publishing company’s policy pays those royalties. That’s it. Done. You’re on your way to the next book.

I don’t know how it used to work. I don’t know what big name publishing companies expect, but I do know that many smaller publishing companies expect their authors to do a little tap dancing in the social media, and getting familiar with blowing their own horn.

Remember when your mom told you it wasn’t nice to brag? So, you didn’t. After you write a book, and that book becomes a published reality, you need to throw out the niceties and brag. How else will you sell your book if no one knows about it? Life has changed and social media helps you promote you. It is up to you as a new author to promote your book on social media sites, author and readers groups that  you join, and utilizing guest stops on blogs. It is up to you to promote your work on your own blog and website. The promotion is endless,  time-consuming, exciting and exhilarating  at the same time – and it can work.

I am the perfect example of teaching an old dog new tricks. I was older when I got into the writing business. Granted, I did have some computer experience in computer repair but not promotion, website building,  or social networking. These things I had to learn on my own with the help of Google, asking questions and doing a lot of research.

You write your book. You get accepted by a publishing company or you self publish and that is where life gets fuzzy for many writers. The roadblocks kick in worse than the road construction on our highways this summer. Detours prevent new authors from moving forward. Roadblock # 1 on the detour in the life of a writer: Spouses, family and friends don’t understand the work it takes to write a book, research a book and then promote and market a book. “You wrote your book, now get back to the real living.”  “It’s done, it’s out there, I want my dinner.” Have any of you heard that? And then they qualify it with “Why isn’t your book selling?” A new author has to move beyond other’s expectations to move forward, market their book and start another if they are serious about their craft.

Roadblock #2: “I don’t do social media.”  ” I don’t have time.” “I don’t know how.” “I’m not computer literate.” Those are all statements made at one time or another that hold a new author young and old, back from accomplishing their dream. If you want success as an author in the world of 2014, you have to remove those roadblock statements from your mind. Ask for help. Do your own research. Anything worth achieving takes time and hard work. If you believe you can’t, you won’t. There are tons of tutorials out there on any given subject for navigating your way around the vast social internet world.

Roadblock #3: You don’t believe in yourself and what you wrote. You have to become your own cheering section and tell people about yourself. Join other writers and readers groups to learn the ropes and network with other authors and readers. Their advice and friendship are invaluable. Don’t expect your publishing company to do everything for you. The world has changed when it comes to what publishers do for their writers. I would guess that the most accomplished, famous authors put in much time and sweat too. Their publishing company expects  great things from them too.

Why am I qualified to write this blog about this subject. I am, because I have a lot to learn. I am, because I have met those roadblocks in my mind and in my life. I don’t know everything about Twitter and Facebook and Instagram and Amazon  or other social media. I have a zillion things to learn about my website and my blog. Every day is a learning experience. Every day is a juggling act between writing and publicity and learning. And yes, it get’s frustrating, when my brain is challenged with things it doesn’t want to learn and I want to give up. When those things happen, I take a breath, maybe retreat, and do something else creative or spend time with a friend but then –I come back to my work and ask for help.

Am I successful? It depends on what one’s definition of success is. Yes I am successful in that I am learning many new things in this old brain. I am successful in that I have met many new valued friends. I am successful in that I am living my dream-writing. Am I still comma and grammar challenged? Yes.  Do I sell some books? Yes. Would I like to sell more so I don’t have to worry about paying my bills each month? Yes. Am I willing to work hard to make that happen? Yes.

As a new author, wish yourself success, prepare for a lot of work for a life of loving what you do. Believe in yourself.

 

 

 

Teachers Matter, Thank A Teacher Today.

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teachers photo: Teachers teachers.jpg

Column: Something about Nothing, by Julie Seedorf- Published September 1. 2014

Mrs. Lewis was my kindergarten teacher. Mrs. Weir was my fourth-grade teacher. Sister Mary Donald was my eighth-grade teacher in Catholic school. Mr. Schmidt was my history teacher my junior year in high school. Mr. Bailey was my speech teacher and drama adviser my senior year in high school. All of these people influenced my life in a positive way.

Long after I left kindergarten, Mrs. Lewis kept in touch. She was at my high school graduation party even though she lived in another community and had retired from teaching years earlier. Forty years after Mrs. Weir shared her knowledge with me and my classmates in fourth grade, I ran into this former teacher. She knew who I was and what I had been doing with my life. Sister Mary Donald, at a reunion of the Catholic school 35 years after my friend and I had spent our time in her eighth-grade class, shared with us that she prayed for us every day. Without telling her who we were, she remembered us.

Of course there are times when you wonder what they remember about you. Was it the fact you were a good student or the shenanigans your class might have played on the teacher? I didn’t ask, and they didn’t tell.

My son’s first-grade teacher on his graduation from high school presented him with a large piece of art he had made in her classroom. She had kept it to give to him 12 years later. She did this for other students, too. Teachers care.

Today is Labor Day. It is a day dedicated to the social and economic achievements of workers. As with many traditions that are passed on from one generation to the next, we honor those traditions, but in the space of time perhaps the reason for the tradition is lost.

In our times we think of Labor Day as the last hurrah before school or the end of summer and the beginning of fall. That is why today I would like to write this column in honor of teachers who came before, and who now dedicate their time to shaping the lives of our next generation.

There is no doubt in my mind that many of the teachers I had during my grade-school years and my high school years have had an influence on who I have become today. Ask around and find out if any of your friends have teachers that influenced their lives.

If you think about it, our kids spend more time during the school year with their teachers and coaches than they do with their parents. How can that not affect their lives? Teachers are the people who educate and see that our children know what they need to know academically to carve a good future for themselves.

I can read. I can write. I can do math, though it wasn’t my teachers’ fault that I am a little challenged in that department. They couldn’t do everything, such as making someone that is totally uninterested in math, a math whiz. But because of them I can do the basic things I need to do to succeed in the world and in business. I also learned right and wrong from my teachers. They taught values and morals.

Tomorrow is the start of a new school year. I have not heard one teacher bemoan the fact they are going back to school. I hear excitement in their voices. Teaching in 2014 is not an easy profession. Not only do teachers have to take care of seeing that their students are challenged academically, but they also have to contend with more social issues, more state issues and a changing society where respect for those teaching our children is not always shown by students and parents.

Where would we be without teachers? We have lost many good teachers to jobs that pay more for their skills. There has always been the argument that teachers only work nine months out of the year. I am not a teacher because I chose not to be a teacher. I chose to work 12 months out of the year. We all make choices and if we did not choose that profession then we have nothing to complain about. If you have a teacher or a friend who is a teacher, you know the many hours they put in off the clock, preparing lessons that will make your child better equipped in the world today.

If we didn’t have schools and good teachers where would we be in our society? We would be a pretty uneducated bunch. If you are a teacher and are reading this, you don’t have to be a saint, but remember, for many students you are the adult who they look up to. You are the adult they spend many hours with. You are one of the adults in their lives who will shape who they are, and your example counts.

So, today, on Labor Day, if you know a teacher, say thank you. If you have a child in school, support their teachers. It takes a working team to raise our children to be responsible, literate adults in today’s world. Thank you to all teachers for your dedication, and have a great year