Lillie Ammann's Blog, page 2

Pray for Our Country

Today is the National Day of Prayer, which is always observed on the first Thursday in May.

Last year I posted several prayers and links to others. You can attend a church prayer service or a gathering on the steps of city hall, which happens in many towns and cities across the country. Or you can say a quick prayer as you’re driving across town to another appointment in your busy day. The important thing is to remember that Scripture calls for us to pray for our leaders. Today is a special day to remind us to pray for our country, but we should be doing this every day in our regular prayers.

If you need help in knowing what to pray, check out the ones I posted last year. Here is a prayer from the National Day of Prayer in 2019:

ALMIGHTY GOD, our Heavenly Father, we look to You alone for the future of America. By Your providence, You have placed each of us here at this time in history to be in this nation. Thank You for this blessing. Thank You for America.
BUT ABOVE ALL, we thank You for the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God. It is in His name, we come to You as we intercede in prayer for America.
FORGIVE US, OH LORD, for the sins we have committed against You in America. We are failing You by dishonoring one another through our harsh and bitter words about each other. We are failing You through broken relationships. We are failing You by devaluing human life from conception until death. We are failing You with the division in our nation.
LORD, WE TURN FROM these sinful actions and refuse to live this way. Please forgive us now and help us to choose love over hate, unity over division, and life over death.
WE CHOOSE to live by Jesus’ words: Love One Another. Therefore, upon the authority of Your Word in John 13:34, “Love one another. Just as I have loved you,” we pray for a future America that will choose to love willfully, sacrificially, and unconditionally just like Jesus loves us.
WE PRAY FOR THE CHURCH in America to love one another. Empower each church to be full of love for one another. Ignite a revival of love for one another. Since we are to be known by our love, help us to love one another.
WE PRAY FOR EVERY FAMILY, EVERY WORKPLACE, EVERY COMMUNITY, AND EVERY CITY IN AMERICA to choose love. We believe there is power in love. We believe love is the better way. We believe love is God’s Way. Oh Lord, change families, workplaces, communities, and cities through the power of love. Raise up a Love One Another movement across America.
WE PRAY FOR ALL ETHNICITIES AND PEOPLE IN AMERICA to love one another. Lord, tear down every wall of division and change any attitude that divides us today. Bind up our nation’s wounds and may the transforming love of God lead us to the day when justice will roll down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.
WE PRAY FOR YOUR LOVE to surround America. We pray for Your love to surround and protect us in every public setting and private place. Protect us from harm.
WE BELIEVE ALL OF THESE THINGS, OH LORD, represent our deep need for the next great move of God across America. We ask You alone for the next Great Spiritual Awakening in America. Please, oh God, wake up Your church and revive Your people today. We ask You to begin a mighty spiritual awakening in every town, every city, and every county in America.
WE NEED AND DESIRE THIS SO MUCH, THAT BEGINNING RIGHT NOW, we are choosing love and forgiveness, love and restitution, love and healing, love and unity, and a future that will be transformed by the power of unconditional love. When we belong to You, we belong to love. We choose to Love One Another!
IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, the only Savior and Hope in this world we pray. Amen.

Dr. Ronnie Floyd
President, National Day of Prayer Task Force, 2019
Senior Pastor, Cross Church

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Tell Me a Story

Aril 27 is National Tell a Story Day. It’s a great day to tell a true story about your own life, a favorite fairy tale, a scary ghost story, or a fantastic story you make up on the spot. I love to tell stories, and for the few years my sister and I owned Lil Country Store, I was the ole country storyteller.

Oral Storytelling

Stories have been important throughout history. Before the invention of writing, the only history was oral history. Families and tribes passed down stories to their children and grandchildren, preserving history that would otherwise be lost.

Now that the written tradition has superseded the oral tradition, stories that are shared orally also need to be written down. As a young child, I remember sitting on the floor with my siblings and cousins at the feet of my grandfather. Grandpa would sit and rock and tell us stories of his days as a cowboy. That exciting history has all been lost now. Grandpa died when I, the oldest grandchild, was twelve years old. We all forgot those wonderful stories as we grew older, and when the generation before us died off, so did the stories.

Parables

Jesus, the master storyteller, told parables. These stories not only entertained but also taught important lessons. People understand and remember stories more easily than instruction. The people of Jesus’s time readily related to his tales of sheepherding and lost coins. Those lessons stuck in their minds better than if Jesus had told them that He loved them or that God cared about sinners. They knew how the shepherd cared for his sheep even at the risk of his own life, and they were poor folks who would search for a lost coin until they found it. Jesus’s listeners loved to hear Him spin His tales and learned the intended lessons from the parables.

Celebrate Tell a Story Day

Tell stories over lunch with your coworkers or attend a library storytelling event. Gather your family and tell them favorite stories about grandparents or other family members. Enjoy sharing favorite stories, fiction or nonfiction, with friends. Recognize how important stories are in our personal, business, and national lives. Whatever you do today, enjoy National Tell a Story Day.

Image: rochu_2008/Depositphotos.com

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CRM Strategies: Strengthening Author-Reader Relationships–Guest Post

Nowadays, strengthening author-reader relationships is pivotal. With authors increasingly engaging with readers online, fostering loyal communities and enriching the reading experience is essential. So, let’s explore how CRM strategies can deepen author-reader bonds.

Understand Your Readers

Knowing who your readers are – their age, interests, and reading preferences – forms the cornerstone of this bond. It empowers you to tailor your content, ensuring it resonates deeply with your audience.

Gathering this information can be as simple as conducting reader surveys, analyzing social media engagement, or reviewing feedback forms. Once collected, this data enables you to craft stories and interactions that speak to your readers’ hearts and minds. 

Know your audience and personalize.Make Each Reader Feel Special

Personalization turns each interaction into a unique experience for the reader. Customizing your communication, whether through newsletters, emails, or social media, makes each reader feel valued and special.

Imagine a reader receiving a book recommendation or a piece of content tailored specifically to their interests. It’s a small gesture, but one that fosters a deeper connection. So, dive into your reader data to segment your audience and tailor your messages accordingly. 

Use Social Media to Build a Community

Social media is a dynamic way of building a vibrant community around your work and strengthening author-reader relationships. CRM tools can be instrumental in this process, helping you choose the right platforms for your target audience and create content that resonates. An effective CRM system can also aid in developing an SEO strategy, ensuring your posts reach the widest possible audience.

Tips for crafting engaging social media content include hosting live Q&A sessions, sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of your writing process, and conducting live readings. Encourage interaction by starting discussions and responding to comments. 

Strengthening author-reader relationships through email and social media is a good strategy.Keep Readers Informed and Interested

This direct line of communication allows you to share updates, insights, and exclusive content with your audience. However, make sure your content is both informative and promotional. For instance, engaging emails could include sneak peeks of upcoming books, reflections on your writing journey, or insights into your creative process.

It’s important to keep the content varied and interesting to ensure your emails are something readers look forward to. Remember, the goal is to add value to your readers’ inboxes, not just promote your latest work. 

Encourage Repeat Readers

Rewarding loyalty is key for encouraging readers to return time and again. It can turn casual fans into lifelong supporters. You can implement various loyalty programs to show gratitude, like offering exclusive content, early access to new books, or special discounts on future purchases. Personalized thank you notes or signed copies can also be a heartfelt way to acknowledge their support.

These gestures make readers feel valued and deepen their connection with your work. Moreover, loyalty programs create a sense of community and belonging among your readers, fostering discussions and recommendations that can attract new readers. 

Use Feedback for Improvement

Encouraging your readers to share their thoughts, whether through online reviews or direct communication, offers invaluable insights. Of course, learning to handle criticism constructively is essential.

It allows you to understand your audience’s perspective and refine your writing accordingly. Acting on feedback demonstrates to your readers that their opinions are valued and considered, fostering a deeper sense of involvement in your creative process. 

Find different ways to engage your readers.Host Virtual and In-Person Events

Hosting virtual and in-person events is a fantastic way to create memorable experiences for your readers. These events provide a platform for direct interaction, allowing readers to connect with you beyond the written word.

Virtual events, like online book launches or webinars, can reach a global audience, offering convenience and accessibility. On the other hand, in-person events, such as book signings or reading clubs, offer a more intimate and personal connection. Balancing both types of events ensures that you cater to a diverse readership. 

Conclusion on Strengthening Author-Reader Relationships

Adopting these CRM strategies is pivotal for strengthening author-reader relationships. They offer you a way to build lasting bonds with your audience. That way, you’ll enrich the reading experience and create a vibrant, loyal community of readers.

Author bio

Vojin Dinic is an experienced onboarding and integrations manager at MoversTech CRM, a company that has created a user-friendly CRM software to help moving companies organize their businesses better, improve efficiency, and save time and money. Based on his extensive professional experience, Vojin brings unique insights into CRM strategies and customer engagement.

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Spring is Blooming

Spring and Senior Living

The senior apartment building I live in has a large backyard with a variety of different kinds of trees, many I don’t recognize. Just a few weeks ago, everything was bare. I even wondered if some of the trees might be dead. I try to get outside sometime every day for what my late husband Jack called the “fresh air and sunshine treatment.”

Suddenly one day when I went out, some of the trees had a few leaves on them. The next day they had significantly more leaves, and soon they were fully leafed out. Still, there were bare trees that I was sure wouldn’t ever be green. Then all of a sudden, those bare trees started to fill with leaves. Soon everything was lush and green again.

African Violets

Inside, the African violets on my window ledge are in bloom.

In a previous life, I grew African violets as a hobby. I had a cart about 6′ high, 4′ long, and 1 1/2′ wide. Each of the three tiers held a fiberglass tray covered with a wire grid. On each wire frame sat dozens of African violets in small plastic pots. From a bottom hole in each pot a piece of cotton cord hung down into the tray. I regularly filled the trays with fertilizer-infused water, which was drawn into the plants through the wick.

Above the plants, long fluorescent tubes provided the light to grow the plants and produce blooms. If I were doing this today, I would use LED lights, but everything else would be the same. I belonged to a local African violet club. I learned more about my hobby from speakers and sharing with other growers at monthly meetings and avidly reading the magazine of the national organization.

Supporting a Hobby

Once or twice a year, the club would hold a sale at a nearby shopping mall. Members sold plants that were fully grown and blooming as well as starter plants that were rooted but young and immature. Since African violets can be grown from a single leaf, we sold leaf cuttings / We had carefully removed the leaves from mature plants the morning of the sale so they would be fresh. We wrapped the cut end of the stem in a damp piece of paper towel and sealed the leaf in a plastic bag. Half a century ago, we sold leaves for 50 cents or $1.00.

You can see samples of a few of the infinite varieties of violets on the African Society of America website. There are so many they are separated alphabetically.

The members of our violet club always laughed and said we had to sell some of our plants and leaves in order to support our hobby. We often went home from the sale with no more money and just about as many plants and leaves as we started with. Really, we sometimes did little more than trade plants among ourselves. But we ended up with new varieties and new opportunities to plant leaves and watch plants sprout and grow.

Colorful Seasons

Spring and fall are my favorite seasons because of the variety of colors, the new life in spring, and the harvest in autumn. Spring is beautiful in south central Texas, with the sides of the highways and many fields covered with bluebonnets and other colorful wildflowers. Because it’s hard to get around in my power chair as it doesn’t fit in normal vehicles, I haven’t had the chance to see the wildflowers in several years. But some of my friends have texted me lovely photos. It’s not the same as being there, but certainly better than not seeing the flowers at all. My friend Collette Buchanan sent me the following picture.

I hope you are enjoying spring and spending time outside viewing God’s wonderful creation.

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Have a Blessed Easter!

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Not My Will: Good Friday Devotional

Good Friday

They came to a place named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, “Sit here until I have prayed.” And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be very distressed and troubled. And He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved to the point of death; remain here and keep watch.” And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. And He was saying, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.” ~ Mark 14:32-36

Jesus chose to die for our sins, yet it was not easy for Him. The pain He endured hurt Him just as much as it would hurt you or me. He knew God could send an army of angels to save Him from all He was going to suffer. He prayed that He wouldn’t have to go through with it—but then He said, “Not what I will, but what You will.” We don’t always do that. We like to tell God what we need—usually a want, not a need—and we think God should answer our prayer with whatever we asked for. He can do that, for sure, and He may do that, possibly, but our prayer should be for His will, not our own.

Father in Heaven, We do not want to take Your blessings for granted. Your thoughts are higher than our thoughts, and Your ways are higher than our ways. Please bring our wills into accordance with Your will so that we will always pray in Your will. In the holy name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

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Washing Feet as a Servant

Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. During supper, the devil having already put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, to betray Him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come forth from God and was going back to God, got up from supper, and laid aside His garments; and taking a towel, He girded Himself.

Then He poured water into the basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel with which He was girded. So He came to Simon Peter. He said to Him, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” Jesus answered and said to him, “What I do you do not realize now, but you will understand hereafter.” Peter said to Him, “Never shall You wash my feet!” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no part with Me.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, then wash not only my feet, but also my hands and my head.” Jesus said to him, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you.” For He knew the one who was betraying Him; for this reason He said, “Not all of you are clean.”

So when He had washed their feet, and taken His garments and reclined at the table again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord; and you are right, for so I am. If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a slave is not greater than his master, nor is one who is sent greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them. I do not speak of all of you. I know the ones I have chosen; but it is that the Scripture may be fulfilled, ‘He who eats My bread has lifted up his heel against Me.’ From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He. Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” ~ John 13:1-20

Many churches hold a foot-washing ceremony on Maundy Thursday, also known as Holy Thursday. Those whose feet are washed are often uncomfortable and embarrassed. Yet these ceremonies bear little resemblance to what Jesus did. The people who get their feet washed in church today will have taken a bath or shower, possibly put lotion or powder on their feet to make them soft and sweet-smelling, and then put on socks and shoes. Those feet, wearing shoes, stepped only on clean floors in buildings or paved streets and sidewalks. In the time of Jesus, people wore sandals and walked on dirty streets that may also have served as sewers. They didn’t ride in clean, comfortable cars but walked or rode donkeys. Their feet really needed washing, because they were dirty—dirtier and smellier than any of us are likely to ever see or smell. Washing feet was the task of a lowly servant, yet our Lord and Savior lowered Himself to wash the feet of His disciples. Then He told them that He did it as an example, so they would go and do the same thing. Today’s real-life foot-washing (not the symbolic foot-washing in a church service) may look like caring for a sick child or an elderly invalid. Perhaps it looks like filling in for a coworker who needs to take a day off to deal with a family problem. Maybe it looks like picking up groceries for a homebound neighbor. It could be something as simple as holding the door and letting others enter first. The foot-washing we are called to do is to serve God’s people in whatever ways are before us.

O Lord God, Jesus was God, yet He did the job of the lowest of servants. Give us servants’ hearts and open our eyes to see where You want us to serve. In the name of Jesus Christ, Who with You and the Holy Ghost, lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.

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All Glory, Laud, and Honor

This Palm Sunday morning parishioners gathered in the prayer garden of our church for the traditional blessing of the palms. After the blessing, the churchgoers, led by the choir, processed into the church waving palm branches. The song for the procession is always “All Glory, Laud, and Honor,” one of my favorites.

Enjoy this video as you envision our Savior entering Jerusalem at the time of Passover. He is humble, riding on a donkey. But he is met with people waving palm branches and shouting Hosanna! He deserves all glory, laud, and honor!

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A Milestone: 2500

When I started this blog, I couldn’t envision still blogging almost 18 years later or writing 2500 posts. Now for professional bloggers and large websites, 2500 posts may be a drop in the bucket. However, for an individual writer for whom blogging is a hobby, it’s a lot. That’s an average of about 140 posts a year or 12 a month or 3 a week.

I’ve gone long periods without blogging when I was caring for my late husband or when I was incapacitated with illness myself. At other times, I’ve blogged prolifically. When I first started posting Advent and Lent devotionals, I posted devotions daily. Later, though, I just posted links to download the PDFs or buy the print books.

Although my original intention had been to post primarily about books and writing, looking at a list of all my posts reveals that there are more pieces in Christian than any other category. One reason, of course, is the individual devotionals, but I have a lot of other Christian posts as well.

At various times, I have written series on topics that couldn’t be covered in one article. Some series have been combined into PDFs or ebooks.

One of my favorite things about blogging in the early days was the camaraderie among bloggers. Unlike today, with millions of blogs online, the blogging community was relatively small, and we tended to interact with each other’s blogs. Readers also interacted with bloggers in comments. Now most of the interactions have moved to social media, and we don’t visit blogs nearly as much as we used to. We post links to our blog posts on social media, and that’s where comments are made. Several years ago, I inactivated the comment feature here, because I was spending too much time moderating comments, most of which were spam.

I enjoyed writing the series and would be happy to do so again if I had a good feel for what readers are seeking. With so many blogs and social media, there is a deluge of information on just about any subject. Posts from an unknown author on an obscure blog are unlikely to get any attention. Even so, I intend to continue blogging as I enjoy it. I hope a few people have found some of my posts helpful.

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Words Matter Week

The National Association of Independent Writers and Editors sponsors Words Matter Week each year to celebrate the importance of words. This is the sixteenth year for the observance. Each day, the organization posts a writing challenge on its blog, and followers are invited to respond to the challenge on their own blogs. I feel like I had a small part in the initiation of inviting other bloggers to write about the subject from a comment left on my blog and followed up on by the director of NAIWE.

In previous years, I have written about the week and responded to challenges. Here are a few of my favorites:

Words Matter Week 2015Words Matter 2009What I Learned from a Colorful Character: Eliminate This Word

If you, too, believe that words matter, check out the daily writing challenges and see if you have a response.

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